The servant, seeing the old doctor acting thus, didn't think he was lying. After a few threats and temptations, he noticed nothing unusual, and the room indeed was empty. He had no choice but to go back and report.
Once the man left, the old doctor locked the door, listened for a moment to ensure there was no noise outside, and then returned to the room. He approached a cabinet, opened a secret door, and revealed a small room with just a bed and a small table. On the bed lay a person.
"Has the man left?" Liu Xiu, lying weakly on the bed, asked while clutching a white silk handkerchief embroidered with a plum blossom and a line of small characters.
He brought the handkerchief to his nose, as if he could smell the fragrance on it—the same faint, pleasant scent he perceived from that woman when his consciousness was blurred. Indescribable, it seemed to be her natural scent, lingering at his nostrils.
