Fu Zhinian watched the figure disappear outside the door, then rose abruptly and headed toward the bathroom.
The bathroom was thick with the scent of traditional Chinese medicine, and the herbal-infused water in the bathtub had long since lost its heat. He pushed all other thoughts aside and called the family doctor.
"Gu Yu, come to Xing Garden at once."
Before long, Gu Yu arrived at Xing Garden. When he saw the physical reaction Fu Zhinian was struggling with, he was stunned.
"You took that medicine?!" Gu Yu blurted out.
Fu Zhinian glared at him. "Get out."
He then recounted what had just happened. Upon hearing this, Gu Yu’s eyes lit up, and he grabbed Fu Zhinian’s arm. "Second Master! Are you sure you’re not mistaken? You really had a reaction to that woman?!"
Fu Zhinian pulled his arm away and wiped it with a look of distaste.
"Explain what’s going on," Fu Zhinian said while wiping his hand. "Didn't you say I had an underlying condition and would never be able to perform as a man again? Then what is this?"
"Or is your title of 'Divine Doctor' something you just bought?"
Gu Yu retorted, "My skills are the real deal!"
A second later, his confidence deflated. He frowned and said, "Still, I really don't understand why you’ve had no reaction to any other woman, yet had such an intense one to the woman you just mentioned."
"You’re a quack," Fu Zhinian remarked coldly.
Gu Yu: "..."
After a long silence, Gu Yu suddenly hit upon an explanation.
"Second Master, have you heard of physiological attraction? Every person’s cells have preferences. Perhaps your cells have chosen her."
"However, my advice is that you need to find a release as soon as possible. After all, you haven't done that sort of thing for twenty-eight years. If you don't clear the blockage, it will likely get worse."
Fu Zhinian pulled his robe tighter and cast a glance at him, his expression that of someone looking at an idiot.
Gu Yu waved his hand. "Fine, fine, I’ve said too much. Whatever Second Master Fu sets his sights on, he’s never going to let it go easily anyway."
As he spoke, Gu Yu leaned in, looking at him with a gossipy glint in his eyes. "Second Master, what does she look like? Bring her to see me next time, won't you?"
Fu Zhinian lifted his gaze, his eyes dark and brooding, and Gu Yu immediately shut his mouth.
"All right, all right, I’m off. Call me if you need anything else."
Gu Yu grabbed his things and hurried out. Although he and Fu Zhinian had been close since childhood, growing up as thick as thieves, Fu Zhinian’s temper remained something he could never quite pin down.
***
After leaving Xing Garden, Ruan Jiaojiao skirted around a rockery and encountered a servant, from whom she learned the correct direction to Xiyuan.
As she approached Xiyuan, she could hear the tinkling and warbling of traditional opera from outside the gate. Ruan Jiaojiao walked inside and saw Fu Dexin and several middle-aged men sitting below the stage, sipping tea and watching the performance.
"The opera singers invited this time are quite beautiful."
"Indeed. Especially that *qingyi* actress; what a fine figure."
Fu Dexin and his friends were busy admiring the performance on stage while discussing the bodies and faces of the actresses, completely failing to notice Ruan Jiaojiao’s arrival.
Not wanting to spoil their enjoyment, Ruan Jiaojiao stood quietly in the back.
After an indeterminate amount of time, the performance concluded. The singers bowed to show their gratitude and were about to exit the stage when Fu Dexin waved them over.
"Ladies, come here."
The singers exchanged glances, walked down from the stage, and approached Fu Dexin, nodding in greeting.
"Boss Fu, is there something else you need?"
Fu Dexin looked them up and down, exchanged a glance with his friends, and nodded, a sinister smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"How about this? We’ll pay you extra to stay and spend the night with us. What do you say?"
The implication could not have been clearer.
"I’m sorry, Boss Fu, but we have other performances scheduled for the evening," the *qingyi* actress replied with a polite, forced smile.
She naturally understood what staying meant. They had performed for many wealthy, prominent families and had seen their fair share of the industry's unspoken rules. Staying meant nothing more than "extra payment" for sleeping with them. Some who lacked moral fiber, upon seeing the boundless luxury of these wealthy estates, were all too willing to debase themselves.
Seeing that they were unwilling, Fu Dexin held up a number with his fingers.
"Fifty thousand for the night. How’s that?"
The *qingyi* actress still shook her head. "I apologize, but we truly have other arrangements."
"Gentlemen, if there’s nothing else, we’ll be taking our leave."
The actress led her group to depart, but Fu Dexin grabbed her by the wrist.
"Don't pretend to be so high and mighty!"
"Oh, look, there’s a woman over there. A real beauty." A bald, middle-aged man next to Fu Dexin had spotted Ruan Jiaojiao.
Fu Dexin turned around, frowned, and released the *qingyi*’s hand.
Seeing that she had been discovered, Ruan Jiaojiao walked over and nodded toward Fu Dexin.
"Hello, Third Uncle."
Fu Dexin had told her to address him as Third Uncle from then on.
"What are you doing here?" Fu Dexin asked, his tone impatient. He had been on the verge of forcing those singers to stay when Ruan Jiaojiao showed up.
Ignoring the annoyance in his eyes, Ruan Jiaojiao smiled. "Third Uncle, perhaps we should speak to the side."
Fu Dexin snorted coldly. "If you have something to say, say it right here! Stop dilly-dallying. If you’ve got nothing to say, get lost!"
"Third Uncle, are you sure you want to say it here? I’m afraid of disturbing your friends’ peace," Ruan Jiaojiao said, her words laden with hidden meaning.
Fu Dexin was no fool; he caught her drift. Although he was deeply annoyed by Ruan Jiaojiao, he rose and walked with her to a corner.
"Speak. What is it?"
Ruan Jiaojiao stopped beating around the bush and went straight to the point. "Father, the room Mom and I are staying in only has one bed and a small table. There aren't even any blankets. It’s very cold at night. We need quilts."
Fu Dexin frowned. "You could have just told the housekeeper about such a trivial matter. Do you really think I have time for this?"
Ruan Jiaojiao scoffed inwardly, knowing he was blaming her for interrupting his fun. After all, Fu Dexin was a man of loose morals; who knew how many one-night stands he’d had, or how many women like her mother he had deceived.
"Father, the head housekeeper won't listen to me. Could you please give him a call?"
Even though he disliked her intensely, she had already been brought into his home; if she froze to death, it wouldn't look good for his reputation. He took out his phone and called the housekeeper.
Once it was arranged, Ruan Jiaojiao thanked him. "Thank you, Father."
"Get back where you belong and stop showing your face here!" Fu Dexin flicked his sleeves and walked away.
Having achieved her goal, Ruan Jiaojiao saw no reason to linger and turned to leave Xiyuan.
She didn't expect, however, to run into Fu Zhinian again on her way back.
This time, it was a genuine coincidence.
"Second Uncle," Ruan Jiaojiao greeted him obediently.
A light drizzle was still falling, though the snow had stopped. Fu Zhinian stood under an umbrella, his long, straight legs clad in black trousers looking striking against the snow-dusted path. He wore a waistcoat over his shirt, topped with a black wool overcoat, giving him an air of cold, noble detachment.
"Are you finished?" Fu Zhinian asked.
Ruan Jiaojiao paused, then realized what he was referring to and nodded. "Yes, I’m finished."
The light rain left a thin layer of crystal droplets atop her head. Her small, upturned nose was tinged with pink, and the air she exhaled condensed into a white mist, swirling before her.
Fu Zhinian’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He gritted his teeth and said in a strained, husky voice, "Jiaojiao, come here."