Dawn's light was dim when Ning Yunzhao walked out of his room and stretched in the corridor. In the blink of an eye, it was already July, and the exam period was drawing nearer. Unconsciously, he adjusted his rhythm, staying up late to read a few more volumes, so he still felt a bit tired after waking up.
"Young Master, Young Master." Xiaoding hurriedly came in from outside.
He should have brought breakfast at this time, but this time Xiaoding came empty-handed.
"I saw the people from De Sheng Chang all looking for Miss Jun," Xiaoding said urgently.
What happened to her?
Ning Yunzhao was taken aback.
.........…
"They said she went out on a medical call?"
The streets were not busy in the early morning as Ning Yunzhao strode along and asked.
Xiaoding was jogging behind him.
"Yes, yes," he replied. "I don't know if it's true or not. She was still around during the daytime and no one sought treatment, so how could she be called away in the middle of the night?"
"Do the shop assistants not know which house she went to?" Ning Yunzhao asked.
"They said there were no assistants in Jiuling Hall, only Miss Jun and Liu'er were there at night," Xiaoding replied.
Is that so?
Ning Yunzhao's brows furrowed; he didn't speak any further and hastened on the street, soon spotting Jiuling Hall.
There were quite a few people standing in front of Jiuling Hall, and some were going in and out, looking anxious and uneasy.
It seemed they had not found the person yet.
Ning Yunzhao stopped in his tracks.
"Should we go over and ask, young master?" Xiaoding asked.
They were also looking for someone. Asking them would yield nothing, and approaching them rashly might lead to misunderstandings with the people from De Sheng Chang.
"Let's wait and see. If it doesn't work out, I'll ask my uncle to think of a solution," Ning Yunzhao said.
Xiaoding looked shocked.
Asking Second Old Master Ning for help to find a girl, and especially when that girl was Miss Jun.
Won't all the family members find out about this?
What would the family think?
But it was understandable. A man in love often does some foolish things.
Xiaoding rubbed his hands and fell silent, standing behind him and watching Jiuling Hall.
The daylight grew brighter, and more people appeared on the streets, yet among the passersby, that girl was still missing.
"Let's go," Ning Yunzhao said, turning around.
Xiaoding followed him somewhat anxiously.
"Young master, I'll go and ask how their search is going," he suggested.
"No need to ask. The way they're searching isn't right," Ning Yunzhao said, letting out a sigh and turning to look at Jiuling Hall's entrance once more, "They are, after all, not Old Lady Fang.
They can't and wouldn't dare to make a bigger fuss.
Xiaoding acknowledged with an "oh", looking at Ning Yunzhao.
But you're not Old Lady Fang either...
Getting Second Old Master Ning to come out and look for someone wasn't a small move either.
Before he could speak, Ning Yunzhao was already striding forward.
Xiaoding shook his head and hurried to follow. They had not gone far when he saw Ning Yunzhao stop.
What happened?
He instinctively looked ahead and also froze.
"Miss Jun..." he murmured.
Right in front of them, two girls were approaching slowly, chatting and laughing, wrapped in the morning light, with a faint hint of fatigue in their brows but bright-eyed. A medicine chest was on their backs, and a flag was rolled up, while Liu'er was carrying two paper-wrapped packages in her hands.
It was as if they had just returned from the morning market.
Could it really be that they had returned from the morning market?
"Noble Son Ning." Miss Jun also saw them and quickly came forward a few steps, stopping and greeted with a smile. "What a coincidence?"
This time Ning Yunzhao did not say it was a coincidence.
"Where have you two been?" he asked.
"We went to the morning market for breakfast," Liu'er said.
Indeed...
It was just like the incident in Yangcheng.
A group of people made a huge fuss all night long, only for the girl to return leisurely with a basket, claiming she went to gather herbs.
Thankfully, this time it hadn't escalated.
Xiaoding thought to himself.
Ning Yunzhao didn't say anything but smiled.
"Noble Son Ning, you're not here to invite Miss Jun for a meal again, are you?" Liu'er exclaimed, adding, "You're not in luck this time, we've already eaten."
Ning Yunzhao smiled.
"Yes," he said, "it seems I am indeed out of luck this time."
Miss Jun smiled and passed the medicine chest to Liu'er.
Liu'er, now very sharp-witted, understood that Miss Jun wanted to speak with Noble Son Ning. She turned her eyes, beckoning to Xiaoding.
Xiaoding walked over, puzzled, and Liu'er handed him the paper-wrapped package.
"For you to eat," she said, leading Xiaoding to step back.
On the other side, Miss Jun had already begun to speak with a smile.
"What's wrong? Has something happened?" she asked.
"You should keep a few more apprentices at Jiuling Hall," Ning Yunzhao suggested, pointing behind him, "Look, they've all been frightened again."
Miss Jun looked at the people coming and going with anxious expressions and suddenly understood.
"I really didn't expect this; it was my oversight," she said sincerely.
"Even though you can ensure your safety, I...we don't know that and will still worry," Ning Yunzhao explained.
Miss Jun nodded.
"Yes," she agreed sincerely, "I'll leave an apprentice in the shop from now on. In the evenings when I'm seeing patients, two will follow me, and one will stay in the shop awaiting news. That way, everyone can feel at ease about my whereabouts."
This girl could be stubborn, but she would also admit her faults immediately, honestly and sincerely, without any pretense.
Acknowledging her mistakes and correcting them, she was just as he had thought.
Ning Yunzhao smiled and nodded.
"You should go now, they are all anxious," he said.
Miss Jun was about to speak when the shop assistants spotted both Miss Jun and Liu'er.
"Shopkeeper, look, Miss Jun is back," one apprentice called out.
Manager Liu felt a bit light-headed and couldn't see clearly for a moment.
"Hey, she's with a man," another apprentice noted, "It looks like they've returned together, and Liu'er is sharing something with that servant boy."
A man…
Everyone present was momentarily stunned.
Manager Liu watched the pair and finally made out Miss Jun—and the man next to her.
Miss Jun was saying goodbye to the man with a smiling bow.
"That's Ning Family's son," Shopkeeper blurted out.
"That's Ning Family's son?" an apprentice moved closer to ask, "But he's not the same man as the one from the other day."
A man was sent out from Jiuling Hall by Miss Jun in the early morning, and now a different man was with Miss Jun who hadn't returned all night—how many men were there?
Manager Liu subconsciously thought.
Damn it, he shook his head to clear the messy thoughts and quickly strode forward to greet them.
"Miss Jun, where have you been?" he asked urgently, his voice raspy.
Miss Jun looked at them apologetically.
"I went to see a patient," she explained.
................
The tense atmosphere in Jiuling Hall had dissipated, and the multitude of busy assistants had been sent away, leaving only Manager Liu.
"No matter what, Miss Jun, you can't be so reckless next time," Manager Liu admonished. "Though this is the Emperor's capital, it's also filled with all sorts."
Miss Jun responded respectfully, her expression both apologetic and sincere.
Manager Liu was about to continue when Liu'er emerged from inside, carrying two bowls of tea.
"Miss, the tea is ready," she said.
"Manager Liu, please have some tea," Miss Jun offered, gesturing for Liu'er to bring it over.
Manager Liu stood up to receive it.
"Thank you, Miss Liu'er," he said with a grateful smile.
"Manager Liu, you were frantic with anxiety last night and stayed up without sleep. This bowl of medicinal tea will help soothe the liver and open the channels. Drink it quickly. After two bowls, your voice won't be hoarse," Miss Jun recommended.
Was the tea made for him?
Manager Liu was stunned, somewhat surprised.
As soon as the master and servant had entered, Miss Jun had asked Liu'er to make tea.
They had come over in the middle of the night, busy looking for someone; who would have had time to make tea? Manager Liu initially thought Miss Jun was expressing displeasure, but she had actually asked the girl to make tea for him.
And it was specifically medicinal tea for him.
In an instant, Manager Liu felt a warm tingling throughout his body, like the moment when he returned home after days of travel, and his little grandchild rushed towards him to stuff his mouth with treasured sweets—suddenly, all his fatigue was gone.
This child, you'd call her disobedient for her impulsive actions, but then she shows such thoughtfulness; it truly left him at a loss for words.
"Drink up," Miss Jun said with a smile.
So he drank.
Manager Liu downed the tea in one gulp.