Chapter 10: Hubby, Will You Have Dinner With Me?

"N-Ninth Master! We were only following Xiaoya's orders! We helped her pack up the room-we had no idea!" The two maids scrambled to explain, their excuses clumsy enough to be laughable. They'd looked at the three previous wives who'd been completely ignored, then at Wu Xiaoya's standing with the old matriarch, and bet on the wrong horse. That was why they'd had the audacity to touch Yun Manxia's room. But who could have predicted this turn of events? Wasn't the Ninth Master supposed to not care about anything?

Bai Hedu didn't even spare them a glance. He tilted his head slightly and said to Lin Shen, "Tell Auntie Wu to deal with them later."

Lin Shen acknowledged the order.

The two maids were drowning in regret. They knew they were done for.

Yun Manxia felt a rush of sweetness inside. She bounded over and took Lin Shen's place, pushing the man's wheelchair herself. "Where did you just go?" she asked as she walked.

Ning Fei chimed in from the side. "The Ninth Master's affairs are classified. It's best if you don't ask, Madam!"

Thanks to the Wu Xiaoya incident, his impression of her was thoroughly negative.

Yun Manxia rolled her eyes internally and fired back without an ounce of politeness. "So you do know I'm the Madam? Then since I'm talking to the Ninth Master, what business is it of yours to interrupt?"

"You-"

"Enough." Bai Hedu's cool voice cut in, the warning unmistakable.

Ning Fei immediately fell silent.

Yun Manxia gave a little "hmph" and lifted her chin at him like a victor.

Ning Fei's expression darkened.

Yun Manxia couldn't care less about him. She turned her attention back to Bai Hedu, subtly trying to probe what he'd been doing just now.

But Bai Hedu didn't answer her. He simply said, "Go do your own things. Let Lin Shen push me. I need to handle some matters in the study."

His tone was patient enough, even gentle, but laced with an undeniable air of finality.

Her spot at the wheelchair was taken back by Lin Shen. Yun Manxia felt a pang of disappointment-she knew he still didn't

trust her in this regard.

She didn't dare ask further. He was far too perceptive. If he mistook her intentions for something ulterior, she'd be

done for.

Well. It was still early. At this point in the timeline, the person who would one day betray him and cost him his leg

hadn't surfaced yet. She didn't need to worry about that just yet.

But just as Bai Hedu was about to enter the elevator, she hurried after him.

"Hubby-"

The wheelchair stopped. Bai Hedu turned back. "What is it?"

"Will you have dinner with me tonight?" Yun Manxia looked at him hopefully, a coquettish lilt in her voice.

She didn't want to sit alone at the dining table. She wanted to be with him.

Looking at her, he fell silent for a moment. Then, slowly, he replied, "Alright."

"No taking it back!" Yun Manxia beamed.

The man's stern, deep-set features softened slightly. "I won't."

Watching him disappear into the elevator, Yun Manxia headed upstairs with light steps.

With Bai Hedu's orders given, her room was quickly restored to its original state. When she reached the upper floor, she

happened to spot Wu Xiaoya carrying her belongings toward the guest room, her face an ugly shade of sour.

Seeing her, Wu Xiaoya marched over with a cold sneer, about to open her mouth.

Yun Manxia spoke first, her tone unhurried and breezy. "I'd suggest you think carefully before you say anything. Because

if you upset me, well-as the Ninth Master's wife, I probably still have the authority to kick a servant's daughter out

of this house, don't I?"

Every word Wu Xiaoya had been about to say got stuck in her throat. "You-"

"Me what? Move aside. You're in my way. Did Auntie Wu never teach you how to read a room?" Yun Manxia brushed past her

and headed for her room.

A voice dripping with venom came from behind her-"You really think the Ninth Master actually likes you? I'll be waiting

to see how you end up! When the time comes, will it be the psychiatric hospital carting you off? Or the ambulance

carrying you out?"

Yun Manxia's eyes narrowed sharply.

Thinking she'd struck a nerve, Wu Xiaoya bolted with a satisfied smirk.

Yun Manxia walked into her room, deep in thought.

Bai Hedu's three previous wives: one had died, one had gone mad, and one had been taken back by her family before she'd

even moved in. It was the same in both her past life and this one. But even now, she still didn't know the truth behind

what had happened to the first two.

The outside world said Bai Hedu was a lunatic, that both wives had met their end at his hands.

But she didn't believe it.

Bai Hedu was not that kind of person.

Thinking of the truth she'd learned right before her death in her previous life, her heart ached and swelled with

emotion.

She opened her suitcase and arranged the things she'd brought from the Yun family home one by one. Finally, she took out

the combination lockbox, entered the correct code in a few quick moves, and retrieved the notebook inside.

It was called a notebook, but it actually contained numerous lost ancient prescriptions. That was why so many people

were after it.

There were two copies of the notebook in total-one in her hands, one at her maternal grandfather's estate. Her mother's

original intention had been for her grandfather's family to keep it safe for her, along with a considerable inheritance

she'd left behind-including the botanical research institute that Yun Manxia had always had her eye on.

But in her last life, not a single one of those things had ever reached her.

Flipping through the notebook, she came across a particular prescription and suddenly thought of someone.

Her mentor from her previous life.

Her mentor had fathered a child late in life and doted on the boy endlessly. But the child had been born with an

illness. Her mentor had exhausted every method, sought out every specialist, and still couldn't cure him. A towering

figure in the medical field, yet he couldn't even save his own son-could only watch helplessly as the boy slipped away.

It had nearly broken him.

The ancient prescription in her mother's notebook could have saved him. But by the time she'd learned of it, the child

was already gone. It was the one regret her mentor could never let go of.

At this moment, Yun Manxia felt grateful all over again that fate had given her a second chance at life.

She quickly snapped a photo of the prescription-

Wait. She didn't actually have her mentor's contact information yet!

She and her mentor had originally met at a medical forum online. They hadn't crossed paths yet at this point in the

timeline, but his account should still be active, right?

Her eyes lit up. She quickly searched for the forum, registered an account, and looked for him-

Found him!

Just as she was about to send the photo over, she hesitated.

Wouldn't this be too obvious? A complete stranger suddenly sending a prescription that could cure someone's child-who

wouldn't be suspicious?

After a moment's thought, she photographed two additional prescriptions and sent all three together under the guise of

seeking his guidance.

Her mentor's account was highly respected on that forum. Plenty of people asked for his advice, so her approach wouldn't

seem strange at all.

Once that was done, she was about to go shower when her phone began buzzing with notifications, one after another.

[Q: Where did you get these prescriptions?]

[Q: Would it be possible to meet in person?]

On the other end, Qin Zhengde clutched his phone, too anxious to respond when his wife came to call him for dinner.

His wife looked at him, puzzled. "Old Qin, what's wrong?"

"There's hope... Our little Heng has hope!" Qin Zhengde said, his voice trembling with excitement. "You don't need to prepare those things anymore!"

His wife's eyes went wide, her voice shaking. "Really...?!"

Ever since they'd learned their son's illness was incurable, the household had been quietly making funeral arrangements. And now her husband was telling her they didn't need to anymore!

At that moment, Yun Manxia considered for a brief moment, then declined the request to meet.

She still had far too much to do right now.

But in the not-so-distant future, she would earn her place at her mentor's side through her own abilities-once again becoming his student.