Chapter 445: Grateful

Fu Qingli felt he could do better.

He still could not locate his sister after such a long time, neither was he able to find a single clue about his father’s whereabouts.

A mental breakdown?

Shen Xi’s words kept ringing in his ears. With downcast eyes, Fu Qingli plunged into self-blame and remorse. The frustration was eating him up inside.

Mom would never end up like this if Shen Xi had not been there for Mom to bump into the other day.

He should not have been so careless and let Mom see Shen Xi.

Fu Qingli knew it. Since Qingye and Qingxuan made contact with her and since he met her, Fu Qingli had known that her presence would turn this home upside down.

However, it never crossed his mind that Mom would be the first to be hurt. Fu Qingli had been so careful to prevent an encounter between them.

Alas, even the best-laid plans would go astray. Tried as he may, they still ran into each other.

Shen Xi sat in the sitting room. It was not as though she did not want to leave. In fact, Shen Xi was tempted to take off right away but now was not the time. The acupuncture therapy aside, she still had to prepare the decoction which could be rather complicated and troublesome. No one but her could get the task done.

The prescription she had given to Madam Fu was different from regular drugs. While decocting, it was imperative she held the reins on the heat control and time so that precision was guaranteed. A second too early or too late could ruin the whole decoction’s effectiveness.

The thought of repeating the process twice a week for at least a week gave her a migraine. Nevertheless, it was not like she could just walk out as Fu Qingli would probably think it was a deliberate move.

Still, it did not matter what he thought. As a competent doctor, Shen Xi should behave like one.

The idea of the woman lying in bed like a lifeless body broke Shen Xi’s heart, putting a lump in her throat.

In the beginning, Fu Qingye asked Shen Xi a few questions but was faced with her stoic expression. Although she replied, the answers were only a single “oh”, “uh”, or “ah”. It was clear the doctor was not in the mood for talks. Holding his tongue, Fu Qingye quietly waited at a corner.

Fu Junqiu was too low in spirit for any conversation either. She asked about Mama Fu’s condition before leaving Fu Qingye to keep the doctor company while she checked on Mama Fu.

It did not take long before Fu Qingxuan returned. In line with Shen Xi’s request, he bought the required items and ingredients.

After starting up the furnace, Shen Xi put on a special pot, adding water and Chinese medicine into it. She kept an eye on the brewery, fire, and time.

During the process, Fu Qingxuan observed by the side, quietly watching her every move while immersing in the profundity of Chinese medicine and sophistication of her decoction methods.

Out of the Chinese medicine ingredients, the most expensive was the few ginseng slices. The rest were regular medicinal herbs that were meant to cure the flu and uplift spirits. There was nothing special about them.

However, her method of decoction was one of a kind. Every single ingredient was put in in a different order, plus they were cooked for a diverse length of time. The doctor would add measured water from time to time and adjust the flames of the furnace. It was a tedious ongoing process with many intricate steps involved.

As a major in Western medicine, Fu Qingxuan would not say he was an expert, but he knew a thing or two about traditional Chinese medicine. The way she decocted was unheard of in any medical books.

The living room.

Fu Qingli’s slender physique rested against the sofa as he watched Shen Xi bustle along in the kitchen without a break. His eyes deepened.

Perhaps there were certain things he should not interfere with. It was best to let nature take its course.

Nevertheless, he still stood by his initial stance towards her. If there was ever a do-over, Fu Qingli would nip any chances of his mother running into Shen Xi in the bud.

Yet now, Shen Xi had met his mother despite his best efforts. Things got out of his control and were going against his wishes.

Both his brothers loved her, and so did his aunt. After meeting her once, Mom only had Shen Xi on her mind despite the latter giving the cold shoulder.

If they all loved her, what about their little sister then? Who was going to love the girl who was still missing?

“Qingli.” Fu Qingye drew close, observing Fu Qingli who was lost in his thoughts. Upon calling out his name, Fu Qingye realized that his big brother was looking at the person in the kitchen.

“I’m here to check on the medicine.” Fu Qingli pulled his big brother card before taking a glance at Fu Qingye. “Stay here. I’m going to Mom.”

Fu Qingye frowned. Check on the medicine? He could do that by going into the kitchen. What can he see by standing here? More like checking the doctor out!

Fu Qingli was about to walk away.

Fu Qingye suddenly called him back. Afraid to be heard, Fu Qingye whispered, “Qingli, do you know the doctor?”

Fu Qingli coldly replied, “No.”

Since he was aware that Shen Xi only came out of the goodness of her heart, Fu Qingli was not going to comment further or beg her to do anything else.

He was grateful enough for her to come. However, Fu Qingli would never reveal her identity.

By not speaking of it, Fu Qingli could play dumb. To him, Shen Xi was a doctor here to treat Mom and nothing else.

Her disguise was good to escape the eyes of Qingye and Qingxuan, unless she unmasked herself.

Without a word, Fu Qingye stared intently into Fu Qingli’s eyes. He could tell that Qingli had something on his mind as it was the first time he had seen Qingli acting oddly.

Fu Qingli turned and walked towards the opposite bedroom. By the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the busy bee in the kitchen, telling himself it was for the best.

Nevertheless, only he knew the complexity of emotions killing him inside. Even he had no idea what he was feeling exactly.

Shen Xi was slaving in the kitchen, decocting for two hours while Fu Qingxuan was a nervous wreck, watching and waiting in anxiety. With the decoction finally ready, it was poured into a tiny bowl. This was the result of a two-hour focus.

After giving a sniff and getting a taste, Shen Xi’s high-strung nerves could be let loose at last. The sight of Fu Qingxuan gave her a jump when she happened to turn around. “Why are you here?”

By the looks of her sweat-drenched bangs, forehead, and nose tip, it was clear to Fu Qingxuan that she had undergone intense concentration. The doctor did not seem to notice despite him staring at her the whole time. Ignoring the question, Fu Qingxuan gratefully expressed, “Thank you.”

Shen Xi warned coldly, “I need silence and maximum concentration during the decoction. Don’t bother me next time.”

Fu Qingxuan answered, “Got it.”

Soon.

Shen Xi brought the herbal medicine to Mama Fu’s bedroom, and with the help of Fu Qingli, she spooned the medicine down Mama Fu’s throat. She then unfurled her roll of needles and uttered, “I need silence when I’m in therapy. Please leave the room.”

Fu Qingye and Fu Junqiu complied and gave her space.

Fu Qingli took one look at her before pulling the reluctant Fu Qingxuan away.

Fu Qingxuan wished he had X-ray vision so he could watch her work. Since he was not blessed with this ability, the only thing he could do was wait restlessly.