Chapter 68

Chapter 68

Shen Yan, curious, asked, "Assistant Xu, there's no bridge, so how do we get to the pavilion?"

He wasn’t shy about asking.

Assistant Xu didn’t think it was impolite at all. In fact, he appreciated Shen Yan’s honesty.

People learning a skill hate pretending to know or being too shy to ask questions.

If you don’t ask, how would anyone know how much you’ve learned?

Assistant Xu: "There’s a stone slab bridge under the water, which leads directly to the pavilion."

As the three approached the lake, Shen Lin indeed saw the underwater stone bridge.

But wouldn’t they have to walk through the water?

However, Assistant Xu tapped the nearby rock, and it swung open like a cabinet door, revealing custom-made, long, transparent water boots inside.

Shen Lin was genuinely impressed.

Assistant Xu added, "Zhu City is usually warm enough to just walk through the water, but given Mr. Shen’s condition..."

Assistant Xu didn’t finish his sentence, but Shen Yan understood. He was worried Shen Yan couldn’t handle the cold.

After all, the lake water was cold.

Shen Lin’s eyes lit up at the idea of walking through the water—it sounded like fun.

But since it was their first visit, they decided to play it safe and wear the rain boots.

"The old lady especially loves this pavilion, and only her closest friends are allowed inside. Most guests never get the chance."

Shen Lin understood. This pavilion wasn’t a place just anyone could visit.

You had to be particularly close to the host family.

Shen Lin glanced at his brother. From what Mom hinted, his brother was meeting someone he’d connected with online.

It seemed this online friend and his brother really got along well.

From what Assistant Xu implied, this was treatment reserved for distinguished guests.

His brother was truly impressive, even his online friends were masters.

His attention was soon drawn to his feet. Walking on the underwater flagstone slabs, he truly felt like he was walking on the lake’s surface.

Occasionally, he could even spot a few fish that weren’t afraid of people.

It was clear that this master had a different style—everything felt more refined and elegant than what most people experience.

As Shen Lin pondered this, the water path quickly came to an end.

Standing in front of the pavilion was an elderly lady with silver hair, slender in build, wearing a moon-white cheongsam, with a soft yellow shawl draped over her arm.

Of course, Shen Lin didn’t recognize the shawl. He only knew that the old lady was wearing a beautiful piece of cloth.

Upon seeing the owner of the courtyard, the only thought in Shen Lin’s mind was that such an elegant courtyard should belong to a refined person like the old madam.

Shen Yan looked at She Wenjun, his gaze fixated, and memories of the past flooded his mind.

At that time, the company was transitioning, just as Shu Qianfei had planned, aiming to tap into the middle-class consumer market for traditional accessories.

She Wenjun had proactively approached him, wanting to collaborate with the company.

Shen Yan had truly thought it was too good to be true, to be able to collaborate with the She family.

It wasn’t until they met that he realized he had been communicating with She Wenjun online for quite some time.

Their acquaintance was not by chance, but due to Shen Yan’s design skills.

Yet Shen Yan still felt he was lucky.

Afterward, becoming the Madam’s apprentice and collaborating was a natural progression, but he hadn’t expected his health to deteriorate so quickly, leaving him unable to complete the works he had started with his master.

Seeing Shen Yan, She Wenjun, despite having seen his photo before, was still amazed by his refined appearance when meeting him in person.

At their first meeting in this life, She Wenjun greeted him with a smile, “Finally meeting you in person today, maybe because of my age, it feels like we’ve known each other for a long time, young friend.”

Shen Lin: ‘Wow, she sure speaks formally,’ he thought.

“It’s good to see you, Madam,” Shen Yan said.

Shen Lin followed suit, “It’s good to see you, Madam.”

“Don’t just stand there, sit down quickly, you must be tired from the journey,” She Wenjun said.

“I should have let you rest before meeting, but I was just too eager to see you.”

Shen Lin breathed a sigh of relief; he was glad she didn’t keep up the formal tone, or it would have been tiring.

Afterward, it was mostly the elderly madam and Shen Yan talking, with an occasional question directed at Shen Lin.

“It’s quite a coincidence. Although I never met your mother, I’ve heard great things about her and admire her straightforward and decisive nature,” She Wenjun said.

Shen Lin had thought he would find it tiresome to chat with an elderly person, but She Wenjun’s words were quite interesting, and he found himself sharing stories popular among the young.

When Assistant Xu mentioned Shen Yan’s frail health, She Wenjun looked concerned and immediately asked Assistant Xu to fetch Doctor Fang.

They then moved to the flower hall, and along the way, Shen Lin couldn’t help but look around. If not for the modern light fixtures, he could have easily imagined himself in an ancient noble household.

Even during the brief wait, the tea served was a rare quality.

Because of Shen Shubai at home, Shen Lin had some knowledge of tea.

The large living room was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood.

The wooden chair he sat on was exquisitely crafted, though he couldn’t immediately identify the material. It was undoubtedly valuable.

Shen Lin had thought his family had some heritage, but compared to the She family, they fell short.

After a short while, Assistant Xu led an older man over.

Dressed in a black suit, if not for the medical bag on his back, Shen Lin would have thought the man was a company executive.

After a few pleasantries between Doctor Fang and She Wenjun, the doctor sat on the chair next to Shen Yan.

“I’ll take Shen’s pulse first,” Doctor Fang said, placing a pulse pillow under Shen Yan’s wrist.

Shen Lin was curious, and if not for being in someone else’s home, he would have sat on the same chair as Shen Yan.

While Shen Lin was both curious and anxious, Mr. Fang finished the diagnosis.

Madam She: "Mr. Fang, how is young Mr. Shen's health?"

"Young Mr. Shen has congenital deficiencies, but there's one thing I don't understand. Young Mr. Shen's body should have been carefully nurtured, yet there are old, lingering ailments hidden within, as if his health has been managed inconsistently—sometimes well, sometimes poorly." Mr. Fang replied truthfully.

Madam She was equally confused by this.

Though she had never dealt with Shu Qianfei, she knew of Shen Yan's family circumstances. Why would his health have been managed so inconsistently?

Upon hearing this, Shen Lin's eyes lit up. This traditional Chinese medicine practitioner really knew his stuff. Shen Yan's health had indeed been managed inconsistently.

He hadn't forgotten that Shen Yan had secretly thrown away his medication, hoping to be hospitalized so that Hu Chengyu would come to see him.

Shen Yan, too, remembered his previous foolish actions and felt a bit embarrassed.

Shen Lin: "Mr. Fang, so my brother's body..."

"Young Mr. Shen, please rest assured. If young Mr. Shen's body had been carefully nurtured all along, he should be in normal health by now.

"However, it was probably delayed at some point, causing his body to fall ill repeatedly, and with a weak foundation, it now appears normal but cannot withstand strong emotions or exhaustion.

"I believe young Mr. Shen has been on medication for some time. After this course of treatment, as long as he focuses on dietary supplements and exercises more, he should gradually recover internally."

Mr. Fang said a lot, and Shen Lin summarized it in his mind: although his brother was weak, he should have been in good health by now if he had been properly cared for all along.

The reason his brother wasn't in good health now was because of previous neglect.

Thinking of this, Shen Lin couldn't help but curse in his mind: Hu Chengyu is such a cunning guy!

As for his brother, he looked fine on the surface, but he was actually quite frail. However, there was no need for medication; he just needed proper nourishment and more exercise.

Shen Yan also felt relieved to hear this. During previous check-ups, doctors had told him there was nothing seriously wrong with his health. Now, hearing the old Chinese doctor's words, he was even more at ease.

Later, Madam She hosted a banquet and invited Mr. Fang to join them for a meal.

Afterward, the brothers were arranged to stay in the garden.

Madam She: "Yan Yan, I have some matters to attend to tomorrow. I'll have Fang accompany you around Zhu City."

Shen Yan politely declined, explaining that this trip was only to visit his master, and he and Shen Lin planned to casually explore Zhu City before heading back.

He hadn’t planned on staying at Madam She’s place.

Madam She: "Fang is Mr. Fang's son and also my disciple. As his master, I should be the one to accompany you, but since I can't, it's only proper that he takes care of you, or it would be a breach of etiquette."

In his previous life, Shen Yan had only met this older brother once. That brother was quite busy and had returned to Zhu City on the same day after escorting Madam She to Jing City.

It was later that Shen Yan heard his master mention this older brother. The Fang family has a long history of medical practice, and young Fang had been learning from his father since childhood. After meeting Madam She, he developed a strong interest in jewelry design, which often disappointed Mr. Fang.

Shen Yan: "Then we'll have to trouble Fang."

Once they reached their accommodation, Shen Lin muttered, "Originally, it was just a trip for the two of us brothers. Why did an unfamiliar person have to get involved?"

Shen Yan: "Madam She is probably worried that we might encounter some accidents. It's safer to have a local with us."

Shen Lin pouted, "Does she think we're kids?"

"Madam She is only a few years younger than Grandpa. To her, we're just grandkids, so it's no surprise she treats us like kids, right?" Shen Yan persuaded.

Shen Lin agreed with Shen Yan's words but added, "But it's only because Madam She is so nice. I've never seen Grandpa care this much about us."

Shen Lin understood the situation all too well. Grandpa says he cares, but it's all talk. Deep down, he didn't really like them brothers.

In their grandfather's eyes, their surname was Shen, and they could never compare to Shu Kai from the Shu family. If Shu Kai had a kid, Grandpa wouldn't even think twice about them.

Shen Yan was about to say more when his phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the caller and prepared to take the call in his own room.

Shen Lin, not one to avoid stirring the pot, asked, "Who is it? Need to avoid your own brother to take the call?"

Shen Yan ignored him at first, but Shen Lin's snarky tone made him shoot him a look.

Shen Lin didn't mind the glare. In fact, he thought it was kinda cute. Shaking it off, he sneered, "He shook it off with a sneer. 'Lucky break for Hu Chengyu, huh?'"

Once in his room, Shen Yan picked up. "What's up?"

Hu Chengyu: "...Where are you staying?"

Shen Yan immediately understood his underlying meaning. He wanted to come over.

"You need something from me?" Shen Yan asked.

Hu Chengyu paused for a moment. "Yes."

Shen Yan looked at his phone, a little surprised. He actually has something to say?

Was there an issue with the competition?

"What is it? Is it urgent?"

Hu Chengyu: "Didn't take my medicine today, my back hurts."

Shen Yan gritted his teeth. "Why don't you just die from the pain?"

Hu Chengyu knew his excuse was lame, but as long as it worked: "So, where are you?"

Shen Yan actually told him their current location.

Ever since they started the journey, Shen Yan had known this courtyard was far from the city center. Hu Chengyu and his team were there for a competition, likely held at a university or science museum, not near this area.

Sitting in the car, Hu Chengyu checked the navigation and saw it would take nearly three hours to drive there.

Hu Chengyu: ...

Not hearing Hu Chengyu's voice, Shen Yan guessed they were far apart. His voice lightened a little. "Still need me to apply your medicine?"

Hearing Shen Yan's voice, Hu Chengyu's previously gloomy mood improved a bit, and his voice wasn't as low as before: "See you tomorrow."