Another sweltering afternoon had set in. The scorching sun beat down directly, baking the bluestone pavement until it was searing hot. By the roadside, weeping willows drooped their branches listlessly, and the rhythmic chirping of cicadas from the tree shade only intensified the oppressive, stifling heat.
As Fu Mingyue stepped across the threshold of the apothecary, her footsteps faltered slightly. The surging waves of heat, carrying a heavy medicinal fragrance, washed over her face, adding a heavier wave of dizziness to her already clouded head.
She gently pressed her throbbing temples, turned to Xiahe behind her, and said, "Stay here and help Third Sister sort the newly arrived medicinal herbs. I am not feeling well and will head back to the estate first." Just as her voice trailed off, her body swayed.
Chapter 52