Chapter Thirty-One: The Little Fox Suffers a Setback

"I've brought you the medicine for the cough. Keep simmering it." As Song Qing'an finished overseeing the current batch of medicine, Lu Shenchen arrived with herbs for treating the cold and cough.

"Leave them for now. I'll take this over to her," Song Qing'an said, carefully pouring the freshly brewed concoction into a white jade porcelain bowl. The bitter aroma unique to herbal medicine wafted up, making him wrinkle his nose in distaste.

Lu Shenchen caught his reaction, amused. "How does it smell? Pleasant?"

Song Qing'an snorted, carrying the bowl past Lu Shenchen, leaving behind a single remark: "Next time, she better not give me nothing but compressed biscuits."

Lu Shenchen shook his head helplessly, placing the medicinal herbs into the small stove and taking Song Qing'an's place, settling onto the little stool to watch the fire.

"Aren't you supposed to avoid helping the master?" The wind scout on the rooftop voiced his confusion.

Lu Shenchen fanned himself, watching the flames intently. "Your master hasn't done this kind of work before. Her hands are too clumsy; watching it makes me uneasy."

The wind scout had nothing more to say.

"It's time for your medicine, little girl."

Song Qing'an pushed open the door to find Qin Sheng still fiddling with her book, not even glancing up at him. He deliberately raised his voice.

Qin Sheng jumped in surprise, patting her chest to calm herself. "We're so close, there's no need to shout!"

Song Qing'an, face dark, handed her the bowl. "So many words for someone who's injured. Hurry and drink it."

Qin Sheng pursed her lips, took the bowl, and drank it all in one go without complaint.

"Finished."

Song Qing'an couldn't stand the bitter smell after two sniffs. How could Qin Sheng drink it without even flinching? Did the medicine only smell bitter, not taste bitter?

He took the bowl and sniffed it again—still that unpleasant bitterness.

"What's wrong?" Qin Sheng asked, seeing his sour expression.

Pinching his nose, Song Qing'an set the bowl aside, grumbling, "The taste is awful—didn't you find it bitter?"

Qin Sheng paused, then shook her head. "Not at all. That's just the scent of herbal medicine."

"Then I'll never drink herbal medicine in my life," Song Qing'an declared, resolute.

Qin Sheng glanced him up and down, a sly and calculating glint in her eyes.

"It only smells bitter. When you drink it, there's a sweet aftertaste," she said, nodding in affirmation, as if savoring the memory.

"Is that so?"

Song Qing'an was doubtful, but remembering how easily Qin Sheng had drunk it, he was inclined to believe her.

"You can try for yourself. Experience brings true knowledge," Qin Sheng said, handing him the bowl and pointing toward the door.

Song Qing'an pinched his nose again; if he didn't, he felt he might retch from the smell.

As Song Qing'an walked out, closing the door behind him, Qin Sheng couldn't help but smile. Clever as he was, he was still a fool.

Lu Shenchen's batch was nearly ready. Seeing Song Qing'an emerge, he quickly called, "Perfect timing, deliver another bowl."

Song Qing'an was still ruminating over Qin Sheng's words, half-disbelieving.

"Lu Shenchen," Song Qing'an called, frowning as Lu Shenchen poured medicine. "Do you think it's bitter?"

Lu Shenchen paused, thought, and replied, "Not bitter. Isn't this just how herbal medicine tastes?"

Exactly the same answer as Qin Sheng's.

Song Qing'an was thoroughly shaken. He took the bowl from Lu Shenchen, brought it to his lips, and the bitter aroma hit him again. He instinctively wanted to turn away, but the identical phrasing from Qin Sheng and Lu Shenchen echoed in his mind.

He pinched his nose tightly and took a tentative sip.

"This is bitter!" All his handsome features scrunched up. He quickly handed the bowl back to Lu Shenchen and rushed indoors to pour himself a cup of tea.

Lu Shenchen laughed so hard outside his stomach hurt, never expecting to outwit the fox-like Song Qing'an.

Such a sense of achievement!

"Young Master Lu, if it were anyone else, you'd have died by my blade," the wind scout called down coldly from above, and Lu Shenchen reined in his laughter a bit.

Song Qing'an rinsed his mouth countless times before the bitterness faded. When he stepped outside again, his face was visibly darkened.

"Honestly, you were clever all your life and foolish for a moment. Herbal medicine is always bitter! Hahaha!" Lu Shenchen forgot all about the wind scout's threat, laughing even louder.

Song Qing'an admitted his lapse—he had actually believed Qin Sheng and Lu Shenchen.

Lu Shenchen aside, the two of them had conspired against each other.

Qin Sheng was usually cautious and steady—why was she playing jokes today?

Indeed, environment shapes people.

"That little trickster..."

Song Qing'an grabbed the bowl and strode back into the room, bristling.

"Could it be that not only did I fool the fox, but someone inside managed to fool him too?" Lu Shenchen's smile turned meaningful.

He was delighted—this was like the thrill those 'CP fans' felt when they watched couples interact online.

The door to Qin Sheng's room opened again. This time, she looked up, smiling, clearly guessing that Song Qing'an, the curious cat, had gone to try it himself.

"You said the medicine wasn't bitter?" In their sudden eye contact, Song Qing'an's momentum faltered. He had come to question her, but now felt oddly teased.

He quickly shook his head, banishing unrealistic thoughts. He was here to confront her!

Seeing Song Qing'an's poor mood, Qin Sheng felt a pang of guilt.

"Honestly, I don't find it bitter. I didn't expect you'd actually try it," she said, lowering her head in embarrassment.

Song Qing'an, seeing her small, pitiful posture, regretted being so fierce.

"I grew up drinking herbal medicine. Grandpa always fed it to me, and whenever I drink it, I think of him. To me, it's not bitter—it's even a bit sweet..."

Hearing this, Song Qing'an felt even more guilty, hastily setting the medicine aside, wringing his hands in distress, no longer the debt collector he'd been moments before.

"I'm sorry for bringing up your sorrow." Seeing Qin Sheng's shoulders trembling, he felt inexplicably uncomfortable.

"I only took a sip—it wasn't that bitter. I'm not blaming you..."

He murmured, watching her shoulders shake more violently, growing more anxious. "Don't be upset. You said you couldn't understand the book—ask me anything you don't know. I'll make it up to you..."

"Really?!" Qin Sheng looked up, eyes bright with excitement.

Song Qing'an: "..."

He knew it! He knew this little girl wasn't so simple!

"You wouldn't lie to me, would you? Grandpa never lied to me before..." Qin Sheng continued her act, finding it surprisingly useful to play the little victim, as she just had.

Song Qing'an, seeing she intended to keep acting, rubbed his brow helplessly, reminding himself over and over not to take her antics to heart.

"Enough acting. I'll teach you after you finish the medicine."

As soon as he spoke, Qin Sheng beamed, picked up the bowl, and drank it all.

"Done! A promise is a promise." She smugly showed him the empty bowl, like a child awaiting praise.

Song Qing'an smiled wryly, taking the bowl. "We'll wait until your back heals."

"You're breaking your promise." Qin Sheng puffed her cheeks, huffing in outrage—like a little river puffer. She knew Song Qing'an was a true fox, and one who held grudges.

"Don't worry, I won't let you down."

Song Qing'an promised, and Qin Sheng believed him.

Lu Shenchen saw Song Qing'an emerge from Qin Sheng's room and hurried over, eager to gossip. "What happened? What did you talk about? Tell me!"

Song Qing'an hadn't forgotten being tricked by Lu Shenchen and snorted, "Guess. If you get it right, I'll tell you."

He strode away.

Lu Shenchen was left puzzled. "If I guess it, why would I need to ask? Wind scout, wind scout, do you know what happened?"

"The master's affairs are not to be shared," the wind scout replied coldly.

"If you don't tell me, you won't get dinner," Lu Shenchen threatened with a forced smile.

The man on the rooftop hesitated, then said, "The master lost this round."

Lu Shenchen's face lit up, laughing even more wildly. "Unbelievable! Someone actually made the old fox Song Qing'an lose—such a person is rare indeed!"

The wind scout felt uneasy and stayed silent.

"Wind scout..."

Song Qing'an's voice came from behind. The wind scout shivered and immediately knelt, begging for forgiveness. "I shouldn't have spoken of the master's affairs. Please punish me."

Song Qing'an lounged on the rooftop, arms folded, surveying the wind scout without a word.

Cold sweat broke out on the kneeling man. He knew his master was never truly careless; this scrutiny was as if being roasted alive. After all his years as a shadow guard, he'd faced countless dangers, but standing before his master, even a single glance was intimidating.

"Never mind. Just do what you ought to," Song Qing'an finally said after a long silence.

Hearing the unchanged tone, the wind scout finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"When her back heals, teach her that book."

"Yes, Master."