After a night of cultivation, Ling Yue felt that her strength had increased again. When she heard movement coming from inside the house, she knew it was Granny Xu getting up. She rose from under the tree and walked towards the room.
Not long after, Ling Yue heard Granny Xu closing the courtyard gate and leaving to buy groceries. Every morning, Granny Xu would take a basket to the nearby vegetable market to buy ingredients, then come back and make breakfast for her.
Ling Yue dragged a washbasin from under the bed and went to the well to fetch a basin of well water. She brought it back to the room and took a bath, changing into a fresh set of clothes. Last night's cultivation had left her body covered in grime once again.
Just as she was about to take the wet clothes to the well to wash them, there was a gentle knock at the courtyard gate.
"Who could that be so early?" Ling Yue tossed the clothes she had just changed out of into the washbasin and walked out of the room to open the gate. Outside stood a tall, handsome young man with a noble and aloof air about him. One could tell at a glance that he was of extraordinary birth. "Who are you looking for?" she asked.
"You must be Ling Yue," the young man said, his gaze resting on her phoenix-like eyes. Those eyes were so much like her aunt's. He was already nine years old when his aunt left the Valley of Divine Doctors, so his memory of her was still quite vivid.
"I am. And who are you?" Ling Yue recalled what Granny Xu had mentioned before and immediately made a guess about the young man's identity.
"I'm your cousin Lan Ji, and I've come to treat your injuries this time." Lan Ji examined the bandages wrapped around Ling Yue's face. His grandmother had received a letter from Granny Xu, informing them that his aunt had passed away, leaving behind a daughter who had been disfigured by a fire. His grandmother had cried for a long time before sending him to treat his cousin's injuries. If his cousin was willing, he would take her back to the Valley of Divine Doctors.
"Come in," Ling Yue said, stepping aside to let Lan Ji enter.
Lan Ji walked into the small courtyard, looking around. Although the courtyard was not large, it was arranged in a cozy and peaceful manner. There was a large banyan tree in the middle, with a table and chairs set up beneath it. On such a day, sitting under the tree and enjoying the cool breeze with a few slices of watermelon would be perfect.
"Have you had breakfast yet?" Ling Yue asked, gesturing for Lan Ji to take a seat under the tree.
The morning wasn't too hot yet, and the gentle breeze under the tree was quite pleasant.
Lan Ji smiled and shook his head, his gaze never leaving Ling Yue. "Not yet." He had left the Valley of Divine Doctors the night before and rushed straight here to Jing City, eager to see his cousin as soon as possible, so he hadn't had a chance to eat breakfast.
"Granny Xu will be back soon. We'll eat together then." Ling Yue went inside and poured a pot of tea, filling a cup for Lan Ji and herself. This tea was the new harvest that Liu Yan had gifted her the other day, saying it had a nice flavor.
Lan Ji picked up the cup and took a sip. The tea was light and sweet. "This tea isn't bad at all."
Ling Yue took a small sip. "A friend gave it to me."
"Yue Yue, can you show me the injury on your face? The letter said it was quite severe." Lan Ji set down his cup. His primary concern at the moment was the injury to Ling Yue's face, and he was determined to heal her.
Ling Yue picked up the teapot and topped up Lan Ji's cup with a bit more tea. "Let's take a look after breakfast." She had only wrapped bandages around her face for now, and beneath the bandages, her face didn't have a single blemish. If she showed it to him now, wouldn't that give everything away?
"You don't need to be afraid of scaring me. I'm a doctor; I've seen all kinds of injuries before," Lan Ji said with concern, gazing at Ling Yue. Girls care about their appearance, and she must have been devastated to have her face disfigured by the fire. And that Zhou Mu Cheng was truly despicable, actually breaking off the engagement with her cousin simply because she was disfigured. When he saw Zhou Mu Cheng, he would definitely give him a good lesson.
"We'll look in a bit. Granny Xu is back." Ling Yue heard the familiar footsteps outside the gate and knew it was Granny Xu returning with the groceries.
The courtyard gate opened, and Granny Xu entered carrying a basket. Seeing Lan Ji, she paused in surprise. "You are...?"
Lan Ji stood up and gave Granny Xu a smile. "Granny Xu, it's me, Lan Ji. It's been a long time." He did have some memory of Granny Xu. Back then, his grandmother was worried that his aunt would be bullied living alone in the Ling Family, so she had Granny Xu go and stay with his aunt. In the blink of an eye, twenty years had passed. Time really did fly.
Granny Xu's eyes immediately turned red. She took a step forward. "Young Master Lan Ji, have you come to treat our young lady's injuries?"
"Yes, Grandmother instructed me to come and treat Yue Yue's injuries." Lan Ji glanced at Ling Yue. "The letter said the Ling Family doesn't acknowledge Yue Yue as their own."
"That's right. The Ling Family even issued a statement saying our young lady has no blood relation to Ling Tian Zheng." Just mentioning this made Granny Xu angry. The young lady had done so much for Ling Tian Zheng, only to be betrayed by him in the end. And on top of that, because the young lady was disfigured, the Zhou Family broke off the engagement. Yet Ling Tian Zheng had the audacity to declare that the young lady was not his daughter, which was lower than a beast.
"The Ling Family really is despicable. Yue Yue, do you want to destroy the Ling Family?" Lan Ji turned to Ling Yue. The moment he read the letter, he had thought of destroying the Ling Family. However, this decision ultimately rested with Yue Yue, as Ling Tian Zheng was her biological father.
Granny Xu also looked at Ling Yue.
A faint smile appeared on Ling Yue's face. "Of course." From the beginning, she had never intended to remain in the Ling Family. It was just that her current abilities were limited, so she had to bide her time.
A look of admiration flashed in Lan Ji's eyes. "Then I'll help you destroy the Ling Family." He had been worried that Yue Yue might hesitate due to her relationship with the Ling Family, but it seemed she was more resolute than he had imagined.
"Good." Ling Yue nodded. She had originally planned to take things slowly, but now that Lan Ji possessed such capabilities, why give the Ling Family more time? A swift and decisive victory was the best solution, lest complications arise.
"Yue Yue, you are quite beyond my expectations." Lan Ji gazed at Ling Yue with admiration and delight in his eyes. This cousin was becoming more and more likable the more he saw of her. She certainly embodied the Lan Family's motto of repaying grievances ten-fold. The Lan Family had always believed in not offending others unnecessarily, but if wronged, they would strike back with multiplied force.
"You two chat. I'll go make breakfast." Granny Xu took the basket to the kitchen to prepare the meal, listening happily to the conversation between Ling Yue and Lan Ji outside.
Lan Ji and Ling Yue chatted about various topics, and the more they talked, the more they found they had in common.
"Yue Yue, I didn't expect you to be so well-read," Lan Ji said, growing fonder of Ling Yue by the minute. He wished he could take her back to the Valley of Divine Doctors right away.
