Maestro de la ambigüedad

Capítulo 52

"I can't carry it anymore." Han Xiao turned back to look at Hanxiao Pavilion again, still feeling a little melancholy: "Lele, I hate myself."

"I thought you disliked City Lord Nie."

Han Xiao wrinkled her nose, revealing a girlish side: "I hate him too."

“Then let’s quickly find a butcher to settle the marriage. Then you can open a clinic next door, I’ll manage it and you can treat patients.”

Han Xiao turned around and punched him.

"Didn't you say that yourself? When you came back crying, so heartbroken, I was already thinking about how to avenge you."

Han Xiao bit her lip: "I'm really useless."

Han Le replied, "What's the point of doing that? We're not gods. Just live our own lives and be happy." Han Le had been tormented by illness since childhood, so he was very good at thinking things through.

Han Xiao nodded vigorously: "That's right, my parents told me about it last night too."

Han Le chuckled: "You waited so long for your parents to scold you? Didn't the city lord also say a lot to you yesterday?"

"Yes, he returned the indenture to me."

Han Le was surprised. He thought that given Nie Chengyan's style, he would at least use threats and kidnapping. Why did he hand over the indenture? What kind of trick was he using?

"I burned the indenture in front of my parents this morning, and I told them not to worry about me. Lele, you don't need to worry either, I just..." Han Xiao suddenly stopped speaking. She saw Nie Chengyan getting off the carriage in front of the inn. He saw her too and smiled slightly at her.

Han Xiao smiled slightly and continued to Han Le, "Lele, perhaps I am too ungrateful, but I really hope that I can go back to being the brave and fearless Han Xiao I used to be, and that I can find that original feeling again."

Han Le also saw Nie Chengyan. He looked at him, then at his sister, and seemed to understand.

Han Xiao returned to the inn to put away her medical kit, then pulled Han Le to the Long residence. The Long residence was a prominent family in the capital, easy to find; Han Xiao and Han Le had inquired about it beforehand. She walked there, looking around as she went, with Nie Chengyan, as usual, pushing a chair behind her. Passersby looked at Nie Chengyan with a mixture of surprise, pity, and disdain, but Nie Chengyan remained calm, as if he were perfectly normal.

This time, Han Xiao refrained from turning around to push the chair for him. She walked to the gate of the Long Mansion and told the gatekeeper that she wanted to see Madam Feng Ning, the third wife of the Long family, and asked him to announce her arrival. The gatekeeper saw Nie Chengyan and hurriedly came over to greet her: "Lord Nie, are you looking for the third master? Please come in quickly."

Nie Chengyan turned to Han Xiao: "Will you come with me?" Han Xiao shook his head.

Although the gatekeeper was just a doorman, he had been working at the Long residence for many years and was quite perceptive. Upon seeing the situation, he realized that the person looking for the Third Madam was acquainted with Lord Nie, who was looking for the Third Master. So he quickly said, "Please come in, young lady. I will go and inform the Third Master and Madam immediately."

Han Xiao and Nie Chengyan entered the Long Mansion and sat in the main hall to wait. Han Le and Huo Qiyang retreated to a distance, leaving only the two of them alone. After thinking for a moment, Han Xiao said to Nie Chengyan, "I'll leave after I visit Fengfeng."

Nie Chengyan nodded, but asked, "Aren't you going to the free clinic on the 15th?"

Han Xiao bit her lip; he truly knew her too well. She answered irrelevantly, "I burned that indenture."

Nie Chengyan's reply was also out of sync with hers: "Take your time, don't rush."

The two looked at each other, and surprisingly, they both understood what the other meant. Just then, a figure rushed in: "Xiaoxiao..." The person's voice was full of energy, and her face was full of surprise. It was Feng Ning. She exaggeratedly hugged Han Xiao and said, "You've finally decided to come see me! I missed you so much, but Long San said you're gone and wouldn't let me go to Baiqiao City."

Han Xiao couldn't help but laugh. This Fengfeng was always so energetic: "I am indeed gone. I've been traveling around these days. It's a long story."

Feng Ning let out a long "Oh," turned to look at Nie Chengyan, then at Han Xiao, and pulled her away: "Since you're here, stay a few more days. Let me tell you, there are plenty of fine young men in the capital. I'll arrange introductions for you. I guarantee they'll be physically fit, able to run and jump, and have good temperaments, gentle and considerate..." She deliberately shouted loudly, so that her words could still be heard clearly from a distance.

Long San arrived late, only to see his wife pulling Han Xiao away. He was initially confused, but upon entering the hall and seeing Nie Chengyan's dark complexion, he knew his wife had done something infuriating again. He innocently waved his hand, saying, "My Feng'er is just being kind."

Feng Ning was indeed kind-hearted and understanding. At least with her experience, she could especially understand Han Xiao's feelings. After listening to Han Xiao finish explaining the situation, she only asked one question: "Xiao Xiao, do you think you are able to start a new life now because you burned the indenture, had your parents' encouragement, or because he came and is by your side?"

Han Xiao was stunned: "I..." She didn't know. At first, she was angry and didn't want to see him. Later, as time went by, she became afraid to see him. Later still, she didn't know whether she was more afraid to see him or more eager to see him.

As she was lost in thought, an old woman carried in a baby, followed by a little girl of about five or six. The old woman said, "Madam, the second young lady has been fed. I'll take her for her afternoon nap." Feng Ning nodded, took the baby into her arms, and coaxed sweetly, "Qiao'er is full..." The baby grinned, revealing two baby teeth, and waved her chubby little arms, trying to touch Feng Ning's face. Feng Ning kissed her, then reached out and hugged the little girl who was standing obediently beside her, kissing her as well: "Baby, have you eaten too?"

The little girl glanced shyly at Han Xiao, then nestled into Feng Ning's arms and whispered, "I wanted to keep my sister company while she took a nap, so I ate early."

Feng Ning patted her head and tilted her head towards Han Xiao, saying, "Hello, Aunt Xiao Xiao." The little girl smiled shyly and said to Han Xiao, "Hello, Aunt Xiao Xiao."

Feng Ning then asked, "Tell your aunt what your name is."

The little girl grew bolder and stood up: "My name is Long Bao'er." Han Xiao was so surprised she couldn't close her mouth. Long Bao'er covered her mouth and secretly smiled. Long Qiao nestled in Feng Ning's arms and yawned. Long Bao'er quickly said, "Mother, little sister is sleepy." As she spoke, she lovingly touched Long Qiao's chubby little face.

Feng Ning kissed the two children, handed Long Qiao to the old woman, and said to Long Bao'er, "Bao'er, take good care of Qiao'er for your mother. I'll stay with Aunt Xiaoxiao a little longer."

Bao'er obediently nodded and followed the old woman back to her room. Han Xiao was dumbfounded: "Fengfeng, are these all your children?" She never expected that Feng Ning was already a mother of two.

"Hmm." Feng Ning nodded, then suddenly clenched her fist: "It's all that big liar Long San's fault." Han Xiao was confused, but Feng Ning quickly calmed down. She leaned on Han Xiao's shoulder: "But I figured it out later. This big liar was really good to me, better than anyone else."

Han Xiao seemed to have a thought: "Fengfeng, what do you think I should do?"

Feng Ning turned her head and squinted at her: "Xiao Xiao, what do you think a person should do when they get sick?"

“It should be treated.” When it came to his strengths, Han Xiao answered smoothly: “Different symptoms have different causes. If you can diagnose the pulse clearly, prescribe medicine, use acupuncture and other treatments, as long as the patient is not destined to die, he can always be cured.”

"If you get really sick, can you take more medicine?"

"Of course not, Fengfeng. Do you have a sick person in your family? Please don't panic. You have to treat the right illness. The dosage, timing, and ingredients are all important. You must not take it randomly. Where is the patient? Let me take a look."

Feng Ning smiled and said, "Xiaoxiao, if you treat your current situation as an illness, you'll understand. As you said, don't rush, treat the symptoms. Lord Nie has been patient for so long before coming to find you, he must have thought it through. Now that you've regained your determination to start over, why force yourself to make a decision so quickly?"

Han Xiao pursed her lips, and Feng Ning continued, "I can understand how you feel right now. When I woke up that day, I found that I couldn't remember anything. No one in the Long family liked me. I also experienced that chaotic despair."

Han laughed and said, "I have indeed made a mess of things."

“You are much better than me. At least you have a capable younger brother, medical skills, know your background, and have ambition and goals. I was truly isolated and helpless back then. Everyone looked at me as if I were a joke. But I’m thick-skinned. I figured it out. I’ll eat and drink as much as I can, I won’t do anything wrong, and I won’t let anyone bully me. I’ll live my own life.”

Han Xiao nodded vigorously; she had thought the same thing after leaving Baiqiao City. Feng Ning held her hand and said, "If you do your best, your heart will be strong. If you don't worry too much, you'll naturally feel like you've gained more. Xiao Xiao, you didn't back down when you were carrying your brother through such hardship because you knew you had no way out. Now that you have so many paths in front of you, you're overwhelmed by the choices. Actually, none of these paths might be a dead end, but wouldn't it be happier to follow your heart?"

Han Xiao gritted her teeth: "But what if we go to the wrong place?"

"So what if you made a mistake? Just find a new path and keep going. If you don't try, you won't even have the chance to make a mistake. Were you afraid of choosing the wrong doctor when you were looking for your brother?"

Han Xiao thought for a moment and said, "I was scared, but I had no choice."

"When you treat a patient, are you also afraid that you won't be able to cure him?"

Han Xiao thought for a moment and said, "I am afraid, but I am even more afraid that he will die if I don't treat him."

"Then what are you afraid of now that you've separated from Lord Nie?" Han Xiao remained silent; she was afraid that neither she nor he would be happy.

"Xiaoxiao, don't rush, let's address the root of the problem. Back then, you, a mere servant, dared to fall in love with Lord Nie. Now that you're a renowned divine physician, surely you can't afford to love a crippled man?" Feng Ning raised an eyebrow and smiled, "No need to make a decision so quickly. Once you're sure you really don't want him anymore, I'll find you a new one. I'm serious."

Han Xiao was amused by her and hugged Feng Ning, saying, "Feng Feng, I love you so much."

"Hmm." Feng Ning coughed. "Long San said that women are not allowed to have extramarital affairs, not even in the slightest thought."

Just as she finished speaking, Long San's voice came from the doorway: "My wife remembers my words, which greatly comforts me." Han Xiao sat up abruptly, realizing how out of line she had been in someone else's home. Long San leaned against the doorframe and said in a roguish tone, "Xiao Xiao, your lame man is sitting there almost crying, why don't you go check on him?"

"Master would never do that." Han Xiao blurted out, then regretted it. She had clearly burned the indenture, just how strong was her servility?

Feng Ning laughed: "The way you address each other is quite intimate. Go tell him, crying won't help. He's not the only one in the world."

Han Xiao actually went. She looked at Nie Chengyan carefully. He had lost weight, but his spirits were still good. He wasn't about to cry as Long San had said, but he did seem somewhat uneasy. Han Xiao tried to think positively; even though he always maintained control, there were times when he wasn't sure of himself.

She remained silent, and Nie Chengyan lost his temper: "What nonsense did that Feng Ning tell you?"

Feeling hesitant and timid

Han Xiao didn't answer. She stared at Nie Chengyan for a long time, suddenly wondering what he was more afraid of. She asked, but Nie Chengyan didn't understand and stared at her with his mouth agape in surprise.

Han Xiao thought for a moment and used Feng Ning's words as an example: "For example, when I treat people, I am afraid that I will not be able to cure them, but I am even more afraid that I will harm them because I do not treat them."

Nie Chengyan blinked, looking at her without speaking. Han Xiao bit her lip. Didn't he understand what she meant? But she really couldn't bring herself to ask: was he more afraid of being loved by no one, or more afraid of being loved by her, or perhaps he was more afraid of forgetting Xie Jingyun, or more afraid that she would forget him?

She felt awkward and dared not look him in the eye. After stammering for a while, she suddenly said, "It's time to eat." After saying that, she pretended to be calm and walked out.

Just as she reached the door, Nie Chengyan's gentle voice suddenly came from behind her: "Xiaoxiao, I was afraid you'd be scared for too long." Han Xiao was startled, and her feet unconsciously stopped. She heard Nie Chengyan continue, "That's why I came. I was too scared not to come." Han Xiao thought about it carefully and suddenly realized. Her face flushed, and without saying anything, she ran away in a flash.

At the dinner table, the Long family prepared a variety of dishes to entertain their distinguished guests. Han Xiao, Han Le, Long San and his wife, Nie Chengyan, and others sat at one table. The eldest son of the Long family was not at home, but Long Er came over to see the guests after hearing the news. As soon as he arrived, he grinned and greeted Nie Chengyan, then kept staring at Han Xiao, making Han Xiao feel a little awkward.

Han Le felt the man looked familiar, but couldn't quite place where she'd seen him before. Long Er's gaze not only made Han Le uncomfortable, but also infuriated Nie Chengyan. He coldly said, "Brother Long Er, are you suffering from an eye ailment or something? Should I take your pulse?"

Long Er smiled but did not answer. Feng Ning watched and joined in the fun: "Is Lord Nie's medical skill any good? If anyone is going to diagnose an illness, it should be Xiao Xiao."

“That would be great, a diagnosis wouldn’t be a bad thing,” Long Er surprisingly agreed.

"It's better to be careful, don't go looking for trouble." Nie Chengyan made no attempt to hide his displeasure.

Han Xiao smoothed things over, saying, "Master Long looks strong and healthy, so there's no need to worry."

Long Er laughed again: "Miss Han is indeed a divine doctor. She can tell I'm not sick just by looking at me, so I'm relieved." He changed the subject and said: "I saw you on the street the other day and heard you say you were looking for a good family to marry into. I wonder if you've found one yet?"

He had barely finished speaking when a "snap" was heard, and the chopsticks in Nie Chengyan's hand broke. Feng Ning, however, ignored him and asked Long Er with curiosity, "Second Brother, do you two know each other?"

At this moment, Han Xiao and Han Le both remembered and said in unison, "It's you."

Long Er laughed and said, "It is indeed me. It seems we are destined to meet. The young lady came to my house because she was looking for a suitable husband. I have three brothers, and I am the only one who has never married..."

Before he could finish speaking, Nie Chengyan's bowl shattered with a "crack." Long Er gently advised, "Lord Nie, please don't practice your skills while eating. Although I don't understand medicine, I know it's bad for your health."

Before Nie Chengyan could reply, he continued, "My family owns a house, land, and shops; we are quite well-off. Oh, and we also have a medicinal herb business. As a doctor, you'll surely appreciate that. My brothers are all friendly and harmonious, and you and my sister-in-law are good friends, with no discord between you. Miss Han, do you think I'm someone you'd like?"

This time, nothing around Nie Chengyan was broken; he just sat there with a dark expression. Long San didn't dare look at him at all, only rubbing his forehead and asking, "Second Brother, how's business at home?" Otherwise, why would he be so idle as to cause trouble?

"Business is pretty good, this month's revenue is better than last month's. Is Third Brother trying to praise Second Brother's business acumen to Miss Han? You should just say it directly, otherwise people might not understand if you beat around the bush." Long Er turned to Han Xiao: "Miss Han, you see, our family is very harmonious, and my Third Brother is also speaking up for me."

Han Xiao was amused, and Long Er asked, "Miss, you seem so happy because you like it, right?"

Han laughed and said, "Second Master Long is truly witty."

“That’s right. I’m not only witty, but also gentle and considerate, and physically strong.” He paused, then added, “Miss Han, you might want to seriously consider this.”

"Thank you, Second Master Long." Han Xiao didn't directly agree. She knew Nie Chengyan was staring at her, so she ignored him and continued eating.

Unable to get a kind word from him, Long Er turned to Nie Chengyan, who had been given a new bowl and chopsticks but hadn't touched his food, and asked, "Lord Nie, is the food not to your liking?"

I'm full.

"Now that you've eaten well, let my maid push you to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the mansion and help you digest your food, shall we?"

"not good."

"Lord Nie is still so clueless about romance."

"Even Master Long is still so boring."

"Lord Nie, don't you think Miss Han and I are a good match?"

"Pooh."

"Lord Nie's speech is a bit unclear. Will he be able to give orders in such a way? Are all the affairs in Baiqiao City going smoothly?"

"It went very smoothly. We easily took 20% of Master Long's medicinal herb business. I hope Master Long won't mind. Anyway, the Long family is well-off, unlike my Baiqiao City, which is very poor."

Han Xiao listened intently while stuffing food into his mouth. Feng Ning, resting her chin on her hand, felt bored. It seemed her stingy second brother was upset because his business had been taken away. However, she looked at Han Xiao and then at Nie Chengyan, thinking that her second brother might not have done anything wrong this time.

Later that day, after hesitating for a while, Han Xiao declined Feng Ning's invitation to stay at the Long Mansion and returned to the inn with Han Le. As she expected, Nie Chengyan also gave up the comfortable environment of the Long Mansion and followed her back to the inn. His wheelchair couldn't go upstairs, so he stayed in a private room in the back courtyard. Han Xiao hid upstairs as soon as she returned, leaving Nie Chengyan to sigh longingly at the stairs.

As night fell, Han Xiao couldn't stay in the room any longer. He was so close to her, and she remembered Feng Ning's question. Was it really because he was by her side that she was able to become brave? But she clearly remembered that she had become timid because of his harsh words.