Ye Qiu was about to head out with his suitcase when a knock came at the door.
Knock knock!
He opened it to find Lin Jingzhi standing there, holding a takeaway bag and smiling brightly.
“Lin Sis, what are you doing here?” Ye Qiu asked.
Lin Jingzhi handed him the bag. “I was worried you’d skip breakfast, so I grabbed some coffee and bread from Starbucks on the way.”
“Thanks.” Ye Qiu took the bag and sat at the dining table to eat.
Lin Jingzhi glanced at the suitcase. “Everything packed?”
Ye Qiu nodded. “Yeah, all set.”
Lin Jingzhi sat across from him, propping her chin in her hands and gazing at him with her striking eyes.
Ye Qiu, feeling uneasy under her stare, said, “Lin Sis, I’m eating. Why do you keep looking at me?”
“I want to look at you a bit longer. Once you’re off to Jinling, I won’t see you for days.”
Lin Jingzhi was wearing a low-cut black T-shirt today, whether by design or not. As she spoke, she leaned forward, pressing her chest against the table, giving Ye Qiu a clear view of a deep, white valley.
Unfathomably deep!
“What are you looking at?” Lin Jingzhi asked, noticing his gaze.
“Nothing.” Ye Qiu quickly averted his eyes, his face reddening.
Lin Jingzhi giggled. “If you want to look, just look. I grew this big for you to see, didn’t I?”
“Take a good look.”
“Once you’re in Jinling, you won’t get the chance.”
She had a point!
Ye Qiu’s gaze darted back.
A little later, Lin Jingzhi got up, walked around the table, and sat on Ye Qiu’s lap, her arms looping around his neck. “Hubby, you’re off to Jinling soon. I’m going to miss you so much.”
Ye Qiu smiled. “I’ll be back in a few days. Besides, if you miss me, we can video call.”
“A video call is just looking, not touching. What’s the fun in that?” Lin Jingzhi said, unbuttoning Ye Qiu’s shirt. “Hubby, before you go, I want to pamper you one last time.”
Ye Qiu quickly grabbed her hand. “Lin Sis, let’s wait until I’m back from Jinling. I’m not in the mood right now…”
“I am.”
With that, Lin Jingzhi leaned in and kissed him.
Ye Qiu gave a wry smile inwardly. They say women in their thirties are like wolves and in their forties like tigers. Lin Jingzhi felt like a ravenous wolf, impossible to satisfy.
Worst of all, this wolf was highly skilled. In just a few moves, she ignited a fire within Ye Qiu.
They clung to each other tightly.
At the height of passion, knock knock knock—another knock came at the door, startling Ye Qiu. “Lin Sis, stop! Someone’s here.”
“What’s to fear? If I’m not mistaken, it’s either Bai Bing or Wan Sis.” Lin Jingzhi slid off him and opened the door.
Sure enough, it was Qin Wan.
Qin Wan stood there, radiant, but her face flushed when she saw Lin Jingzhi and Ye Qiu in disarray. “You two carry on. I’ll go.”
“You’re here, so why leave?” Lin Jingzhi swiftly pulled Qin Wan inside. “Wan Sis, Ye Qiu’s always the one bullying us. Now’s our chance to bully him together.”
Qin Wan, fully aware of what Lin Jingzhi meant by “bully,” blushed deeply. “I know Ye Qiu’s heading to Jinling today. I just came to see him off.”
“Jingzhi, you bully him instead!”
“I’m off…”
*Beep beep beep*—just then, Ye Qiu’s phone on the table rang, showing an unknown number.
“Hello, who’s this?” Ye Qiu answered.
“It’s me,” came an aged voice from the other end.
Ye Qiu’s body jolted. He sat up straight, covering the phone and whispering to Lin Jingzhi and Qin Wan, “Quiet—it’s a call from Supreme Leader Elder Tang.”
Shock flashed across the women’s faces. They hadn’t expected the Supreme Leader to personally call Ye Qiu.
“Leader, what are your instructions?” Ye Qiu asked respectfully.
“I heard you’re competing against the Great Korean Medical Sage. Are you confident?” Elder Tang asked kindly.
Ye Qiu smiled. “Leader, you know me. I never fight unprepared battles.”
Elder Tang said, “Confidence is good, Ye Qiu, but don’t be arrogant.”
“Korea has many skilled doctors. For Li Zhengxi to be called a Medical Sage, he must have extraordinary abilities.”
“Always remember—never underestimate your opponent.”
Elder Tang continued, “I heard that in this competition with Li Zhengxi, you’re not just determining a winner, but also life and death?”
Ye Qiu explained, “That was Li Zhengxi’s proposal—victory means life, defeat means death.”
Elder Tang said, “This contest isn’t just about the two of you. It’s about the rivalry between Chinese medicine and Korean traditional medicine, and it concerns the honour of our two nations. You must win this battle, Ye Qiu. You cannot lose.”
Ye Qiu declared firmly, “Rest assured, Leader. I’ll give it my all.”
“Good luck. I’ll be waiting for your good news in the capital!”
Elder Tang hung up.
Ye Qiu put away his phone, checked the time, and said, “Lin Sis, it’s getting late. I need to head out.”
“Then you owe me this time. Make it up to me when you’re back.” Lin Jingzhi stepped forward, straightening Ye Qiu’s clothes. “Go for it. I’ll be waiting at home for your triumphant return.”
Qin Wan added, “Me too.”
“Mm.” Ye Qiu kissed both women on the cheek, then grabbed his suitcase and headed out.
They saw him downstairs.
“Odd, why didn’t Bai Bing come today?” Lin Jingzhi wondered. “With her personality, she’d definitely show up to see you off. Did she get jealous and leave because she knew I was here?”
Ye Qiu found it strange too.
Bai Bing was outwardly cold but warm at heart. Though she often appeared aloof, she cared deeply for Ye Qiu.
Moreover, she’d been particularly invested in his upcoming duel with the Korean Medical Sage Li Zhengxi from the start.
Why hadn’t Ice Sis come to see him off?
Ye Qiu laughed it off. “Ice Sis must be busy with something. She’s the hospital director now, with a lot on her plate.”
“Lin Sis, Wan Sis, take care of yourselves while I’m gone.”
“If I come back and find you’ve lost weight, hmph, I’ll have to punish you.”
Lin Jingzhi giggled. “Punish how? Tie me up? Drip wax? Your choice.”
Qin Wan’s face reddened again. She felt like a naive girl next to Lin Jingzhi.
“Ye Qiu, focus on your competition. Don’t worry about us—we’ll take care of ourselves,” Qin Wan said softly.
“Alright, Lin Sis, Wan Sis, I’m off!”
Ye Qiu hailed a taxi and headed to the airport.
Forty minutes later, he arrived at the airport. As he stepped out of the taxi, he froze in shock.
