Chapter 82: Desperate Measures in Dire Straits

“Sis Qingqing, I barely know that Ou Xinlai, how should I know if she’s a good person or not? Anyway, you’d better focus on Brother Zifei, and spend more of your energy on him,” Dan Ziyao said, though in truth, she wanted to tell Dan Qing’er that Ou Xinlai was quite a decent person.

It was just that Ye Zifei’s unwillingness to accept Dan Qing’er had already made her suffer enough. Dan Ziyao thought that if she were to add that Ou Xinlai, while not pretty, was not at all unpleasant and actually had a good temperament, Dan Qing’er might be so upset she’d make herself sick.

After meeting Ou Xinlai, Dan Ziyao soberly reminded herself that the initiative lay with Ye Zifei. So long as Ye Zifei liked Dan Qing’er and accepted her, no matter how much of a threat Ou Xinlai posed, it would be fruitless. On the other hand, if Ye Zifei really had no interest in Dan Qing’er, even if they got rid of Ou Xinlai, other women would just appear—so what was the point?

Hearing Dan Ziyao’s words, Ou Xinlai nodded in satisfaction. It seemed that women in this world were not all unreasonable; at least a few were rational. She had nothing to do with Ye Zifei—whether he accepted someone or not had nothing to do with her. She couldn’t understand why those women directed all their resentment at her. Was it just because Ye Zifei was hard to bully, while she looked like an easy target?

As for the “Sis Qingqing” Dan Ziyao mentioned, Ou Xinlai was rather indifferent. In Dan Qing’er, she seemed to see the shadow of Ou Xinya—a typical gentle manipulator, wielding a knife behind a smile. More importantly, from Dan Ziyao’s words, Ou Xinlai deduced that Dan Qing’er was a sickly person. But what was Ou Xinlai’s profession? In Xuanwu Kingdom’s medical world, she was at the top.

It was undeniable that Dan Qing’er’s complexion was pale, her voice weak, and her speech somewhat broken, as if she were so frail she might die at any moment. Such a willow-like girl—it was no wonder Dan Ziyao cared so much. Even another woman would be moved to pity by Dan Qing’er’s fragility.

But Ou Xinlai’s observations went deeper. Most importantly, she had keen ears. No matter how Dan Qing’er pretended, a healthy person couldn’t always disguise their breathing. Ou Xinlai noticed that Dan Qing’er’s breathing was long and steady, not at all as weak and rapid as her voice suggested.

With that, Ou Xinlai could basically confirm that Dan Qing’er was no invalid. In fact, she might even be healthier than Dan Ziyao herself. Ou Xinlai shook her head; clearly, Dan Ziyao had been fooled by Dan Qing’er. Who knew how many people Dan Qing’er had deceived?

So, Dan Ziyao and Dan Qing’er were from Vermilion Bird Kingdom—could it be that Ye Zifei was connected to Vermilion Bird Kingdom as well?

Ou Xinlai ate leisurely in the inn, having traveled for so long that her stomach was empty. Man cannot live without food—neglecting a meal makes one unbearably hungry. Compared to the calmness of others, Ou Xinlai, head down and focused on her food, became an unexpected “sight” in the restaurant. Everyone stared in astonishment, wondering where this country bumpkin came from, eating like a starved ghost, not caring how disgraceful it looked for such a respectable establishment.

Dan Ziyao, distressed over Dan Qing’er’s plight, had lost her appetite and was merely poking at her food with her chopsticks. Seeing the little girl across from her eating with such relish, Dan Ziyao’s mood lifted somewhat.

Despite the surrounding attention, Ou Xinlai seemed oblivious, eating as she pleased. Once she’d nearly finished, she left payment and got up to go.

She planned to stay in Vermilion Bird Kingdom for a while, at least long enough to uncover whoever was plotting against her and the Ou family. If the Demon Lord truly pursued her here and a battle broke out, Vermilion Bird Kingdom would suffer the consequences. She’d never heard of a war between two foreign countries being fought on the territory of a neutral third—like the z country in her previous world.

After eating her fill, Ou Xinlai left, but just as she reached the bottom of the stairs, her vision blurred and someone bumped into her. Before she could speak, cries of pain filled the air.

Looking carefully, she saw an old man clutching his arm, groaning in agony.

Ou Xinlai was momentarily stunned, then inwardly delighted—was this the infamous “staged accident”?

“Father, what happened?” A young man burst through the crowd, squatting down to help the old man.

“Son, this person bumped into me,” the old man said, pointing at Ou Xinlai.

“Do you walk without watching where you’re going? How could you bump into my father? You’ve injured him, you must pay! Compensation—silver!” The young man glared fiercely at Ou Xinlai, holding out his hand.

“Are you sure your ‘father’ is actually hurt?” Ou Xinlai knew that such scammer pairs were rarely related by blood, just partners in crime.

“That’s right!” the young man nodded. “Can’t you see how much pain he’s in? What, are you trying to weasel out of paying?” Seeing Ou Xinlai’s unfamiliar face, he figured she was an outsider—ripe for the fleecing.

Ou Xinlai smiled and crouched down, facing the old man. “Sir, I know a bit of medicine. How about I take a look at you? If I really hurt you, then if I can cure you, the matter will be settled, right?”

Some of the onlookers, unable to tell right from wrong, still felt her words made sense. The shrewder ones saw immediately that she’d been targeted by a pair of rascals. The old man hadn’t even been knocked over, and even if Ou Xinlai cured him, they’d still demand compensation.

“No need for your treatment. I don’t trust you. Just hand over the silver, and I’ll take my father to see a doctor myself!” The young man refused to fall for her ploy. “What if you hurt my father even more?”

Ou Xinlai gave a sheepish smile. “Of course not. If I really injured him, I wouldn’t just run off. I only want to help because I know some medicine. If my skills aren’t good enough and I can’t cure him, I’ll pay extra.”

At the mention of extra silver, both the young man’s and the old man’s eyes shone.

“Hmph! I still don’t trust you. What if you kill my father?” The young man thought, if his partner acted sicker, this fool would pay more; and if he died, all the better—the payout would be enormous.

Thinking this, the young man quickly moved closer to the old man, pinning him so he couldn’t resist.

Now all he needed was for Ou Xinlai to begin the “treatment,” so he could finish off the old man and keep all the silver for himself.

The old man, alarmed by the young man’s words, suddenly realized the trouble he was in. Being so easily subdued, he knew he’d chosen the wrong partner. Still, the lure of silver was strong, and he regretted getting involved with this youth at all.

Noticing the old man’s distress, Ou Xinlai found it all quite amusing. Now he realized the mess he’d gotten into—when an outsider runs into this sort of scam, it’s like a scholar confronting a soldier; reason is useless.

Seeing the old man sweating in panic, Ou Xinlai continued, “You’re right, big brother. I don’t think my medical skills would kill anyone, but just to reassure everyone—if I treat your father and he dies, I’ll pay a thousand taels of silver.”

A thousand taels—that could buy a whole household of servants.

With that sum, the young man could live like a country squire. Greed flashed in his eyes, while the old man nearly went mad with anxiety.

Ou Xinlai pulled out a silver needle. The young man stared at it, waiting for her to make her move. The moment the needle touched the old man, he’d make his own.

“Ah!” The needle pricked—not the old man, but the young man. Ou Xinlai, “by accident,” had jabbed him instead.

Seeing this, she apologized, “Sorry about that, big brother. You were right, my skills can’t compare to a real doctor. Good thing the needle hit you and not your father; otherwise, I’d truly be guilty.”

The young man, stung by the pain, released his grip.

“But that was just a mishap,” Ou Xinlai went on. “Let me try again.”

At this, the old man sprang nimbly to his feet. Seeing how much it hurt the young man, he knew what would happen if that needle touched him.

The young man, nursing his wound and frustration, still wanted to extort Ou Xinlai, but the old man, having narrowly escaped, was having none of it. In his anger, the young man lashed out with a kick, but the old man, having survived the ordeal, shouted back, “You little bastard! Dragging me into your schemes, and now you want to kill me? We’ll see who comes out on top!” He was no weakling—just earlier, for the sake of the con, he’d let the young man pin him, but now that his act was over, things were very different.

The two began to scuffle, punching and kicking, putting on quite a show. Meanwhile, the true instigator of the whole scene sat calmly at a nearby tea stand, munching on a steamed bun, enjoying the spectacle.

Seeing all this, Dan Ziyao was thoroughly entertained. She’d already thought this little girl was interesting; now she found her even more so.

“What’s your name?” Dan Ziyao asked, stepping up to Ou Xinlai.

Ou Xinlai was in the middle of enjoying her bun, and when Dan Ziyao blocked her view, she merely shifted aside and continued her meal.

“What’s your name?” If the mountain won’t come to me, I’ll go to the mountain. Seeing Ou Xinlai dodge, Dan Ziyao persisted.

“Guess,” Ou Xinlai replied, using a modern joke.

“So your name is ‘Nicai’? I’ll call you Cai’er then.” But Dan Ziyao was clearly a force of nature, missing the joke entirely and taking “guess” as a name.

Ou Xinlai was taken aback—had she pronounced it wrong because she was eating?

Dan Qing’er, displeased, came over to Dan Ziyao. She couldn’t understand why Dan Ziyao was suddenly so friendly with these country folk. “Ziyao, it’s chaotic outside, and I’m not feeling well. Can we please go back?” She coughed weakly.

In the past, whenever Dan Qing’er said she was unwell, Dan Ziyao would have left with her immediately. She’d always felt that Dan Qing’er’s illnesses were her fault for having been too mischievous as a child.

But ever since she’d stood up for Dan Qing’er and gone to confront Ou Xinlai—only to be punished by Ye Zifei—her fondness for Dan Qing’er had faded. After all, she was the beloved daughter of her parents; this punishment was, in part, due to Dan Qing’er. If only Dan Qing’er had gone with her, maybe she wouldn’t have been punished alone. Most importantly, if Dan Qing’er had shared the punishment, at least Dan Ziyao wouldn’t have felt so wronged.

Not that she wanted Dan Qing’er to suffer with her, but it was the principle of the thing.

After all, it was Dan Qing’er’s troubles that had dragged her into things. If Dan Qing’er hadn’t always cried in front of her, Dan Ziyao wouldn’t have rushed to Xuanwu Kingdom in the first place.

“Where are you living? I want to come visit you,” Dan Ziyao said, her childish curiosity piqued by someone interesting.

“We’re not even acquainted,” Ou Xinlai replied, finding Dan Ziyao puzzling—why was she so persistent? She was now “Nicai,” not Ou Xinlai, so there was no point chasing after her.

“Ziyao, I really don’t feel well, let’s go,” Dan Qing’er said, her gaze at Ou Xinlai growing ever colder. Ever since she’d started “being sick” for Dan Ziyao’s sake, Dan Ziyao had always put her first. Why was she so disobedient today?

“Qingqing, you go ahead. I don’t want to go back yet,” Dan Ziyao said, not wanting to face Dan Qing’er at all; just looking at her made her uncomfortable.

“You…” Seeing Dan Ziyao so resolute, Dan Qing’er didn’t insist. As long as Dan Ziyao returned to the family home, she had her ways of handling her. So Dan Qing’er left alone.

She’d barely gone when a servant, sent by Dan Qing’er, found Dan Ziyao. “Second Miss, hurry home! The Master has been injured!”

“What? My father’s hurt?” On hearing this, Dan Ziyao sprang to her feet.

Ou Xinlai nodded—now, surely, Dan Ziyao would leave her alone.

But Dan Ziyao, anxious as she was, hadn’t forgotten Ou Xinlai. She grabbed her and dragged her home without a word, not caring what Ou Xinlai thought.

Ou Xinlai hadn’t even finished her second meat bun; the half-eaten, plump white bun fell to the ground, and she felt a pang of loss—her precious bun!

“Mother! Father! Where’s my father?” Dragging Ou Xinlai behind her, Dan Ziyao burst into the family home and was met by her mother’s worried face.

“He’s still in his room. The doctors are with him, but for some reason, his bleeding won’t stop,” her mother replied, fear in her voice. She hadn’t wanted to worry Dan Ziyao, but with three doctors failing to stop the bleeding, she’d begun to fear the worst and sent for her daughter.

Dan Qing’er’s eyes were also full of tears. The Dan family’s prosperity was all due to the father’s efforts. If he were gone, how much longer would she enjoy her good life here?

“Don’t worry, Mother. My friend is a doctor—she can cure him!” Dan Ziyao remembered Ou Xinlai and pushed her into her father’s room.

Ou Xinlai felt a cold sweat break out—she might have claimed to know medicine, but she hadn’t actually done anything! And even if she did, if three doctors had failed, why should she succeed?

As soon as she entered, a strong smell of blood hit her, tinged with a whiff of rot.

Moving closer, she saw a physician in his thirties, looking helpless—he, too, had failed to stop the bleeding.

Dan Ziyao’s father, his face drained of blood, was barely holding on.

Seeing her father like that, Dan Ziyao burst into tears. “Cai’er, you have to save my father!”