The Old Doctor’s hand had yet to leave Lin Ting’s wrist, and he found it very strange.
This young lady had clearly said she hadn’t felt unwell before—there were no signs at all.
Yet her pulse was in utter chaos, as if she were suffering from a long-standing, grave illness, not long for this world.
It shouldn’t be like this.
The Old Doctor even began to suspect he’d misdiagnosed her, so he quickly took Lin Ting’s pulse again, more carefully this time.
Duan Ling noticed the Old Doctor’s silence and calmly asked again, “What did you say?”
At that moment, the Old Doctor’s expression changed unpredictably, for Lin Ting’s pulse suddenly shifted—sometimes good, sometimes bad.
Given this, he no longer dared to assert she was terminally ill.
“Forgive me, perhaps I was mistaken just now.”
Duan Ling spoke in a low voice, “Mistaken?”
The Old Doctor broke out in a sweat despite the cold weather.
He wiped his face with his sleeve and, under Duan Ling’s seemingly gentle gaze, checked Lin Ting’s pulse for a third time.
This time, the pulse was not good.
Unwilling to accept it, the Old Doctor took her pulse a fourth and fifth time, and the result was as good as could be.
Judging by these last two pulses, she was someone who practiced martial arts.
Though she was a bit thin, her pulse was powerful, like a raging flood.
To exaggerate a little, this girl’s constitution was so strong she could probably beat someone like him to death.
How could a pulse change back and forth like this?
The Old Doctor had never encountered such a situation before.
He didn’t mention a terminal illness again, only saying that Lin Ting’s current condition seemed a bit off, and suggested that Duan Ling find another doctor to take a look at her.
She should avoid catching a chill and take good care of herself.
Duan Ling called for the Imperial Guard to see the Old Doctor out, then remained in the room with Lin Ting.
“You truly didn’t feel unwell before?”
Lin Ting sat up and replied, “No.”
He sat by the bedside, gently lifting the quilt covering her, his demeanor calm.
“Then the doctor was mistaken.”
Her fingertips brushed against Duan Ling’s hand.
“But what if the doctor wasn’t mistaken? It’s not as if sudden, severe illnesses don’t exist in this world.”
Duan Ling brought over a hand warmer, placing it nonchalantly into her hands.
“The doctor was mistaken.”
Lin Ting: “……”
It was already the hour of the pig.
The sky outside was gloomy.
Duan Ling looked out the window and said gently, “It’s late. Tomorrow we’ll find another doctor to take a look at you.”
He seemed completely unaffected by what had happened today, calm as ever.
“Alright.”
As soon as she finished speaking, someone knocked at the door.
Duan Ling: “Who is it?”
Duan Xinning’s voice came from outside, sounding a bit anxious.
“Second Brother, Leyun, Zhilan just went out to fetch water and saw a doctor coming out of your room. Are you both alright?”
The doctor was easy to recognize, carrying a medicine box.
Duan Ling glanced at Lin Ting, whose complexion still looked quite good, and replied lightly, “We’re fine.”
If they were fine, why call for a doctor?
Duan Xinning was still uneasy and lingered at the door.
“Second Brother, could you open the door and let me check on Leyun?”
He opened the door and let her in.
Before Duan Xinning entered, Lin Ting had already gotten up and was sitting at the tea table, pouring herself some tea.
There were several heaters in the room, making it warm but also dry, which made her thirsty.
“It’s late. Why haven’t you gone to bed?”
Seeing with her own eyes that Lin Ting was fine, Duan Xinning finally relaxed.
“I slept too much during the day, so I can’t sleep at night. Why haven’t you two gone to bed? And what about the doctor?”
Lin Ting smiled and replied, “My legs felt a bit uncomfortable, so I called the doctor to have a look.”
Duan Xinning was pregnant and couldn’t handle any shock, so she had to be treated with care.
Lin Ting couldn’t just blurt out that she’d fainted earlier and might be ill; she’d have to wait until Duan Xinning’s pregnancy was more stable.
“Your legs felt uncomfortable? When did that start? What did the doctor say?” Duan Xinning asked again.
Duan Ling understood why Lin Ting didn’t mention her fainting to Duan Xinning and didn’t expose her.
He walked to the window and looked out into the night.
On a rainy night like this, there was no moon or stars, and the only light came from inside the room.
Lin Ting spoke naturally.
“It’s nothing serious. The doctor said I’ll be fine in a few days.”
Duan Xinning nodded, “That’s good. I heard soaking your feet in hot water helps when your legs are uncomfortable. I’ll go find someone to bring you some hot water.”
With that, she was about to call for someone.
Lin Ting’s legs were actually fine, but soaking her feet in hot water couldn’t hurt; it would help her relax, so she didn’t stop Duan Xinning.
But Duan Xinning didn’t stay long.
Once she saw Lin Ting soaking her feet, she left.
Once Duan Xinning was gone, Duan Ling undid the Wrist Guard on his sleeve, set it aside, then removed the Jade Hairpin from his hair and sat back down beside Lin Ting.
Lin Ting moved her feet in the basin, making small ripples in the hot water.
“We have to travel again tomorrow. You should rest early; don’t mind me. I’ll tidy up after soaking my feet.”
Duan Ling just watched her, saying nothing.
With her palm propped on the bed, she asked, “Why are you looking at me like that? Do I look unwell?”
He thought for a moment than replied, “I was thinking about your reaction when you heard the doctor say you had a terminal illness. You didn’t seem very afraid. And when the doctor said he was mistaken, you didn’t seem very happy, either.”
Lin Ting shrugged indifferently and took the opportunity to say, “Everyone has their own fate. Being afraid won’t change reality, so whatever happens in the future, let’s just go with the flow. When the boat reaches the bridge, it’ll straighten itself out. Who knows, there might be a pleasant surprise.”
Duan Ling looked down at her feet in the water and asked, “Can going with the flow really get you what you want?”
“Sometimes, even if you don’t go with the flow, you still can’t get what you want. So why not do nothing and save yourself the trouble and worry?”
Soaking feet shouldn’t take too long.
Duan Ling bent down, took Lin Ting’s feet out of the basin, and dried them with a cloth.
“You’re not wrong.”
***
The next morning, before dawn, Duan Ling pulled Lin Ting out of the warm bed.
Her head rested against his shoulder.
She opened her eyes, then closed them again, mumbling sleepily, “Didn’t you say we’d set off at the hour of the dragon? It’s only just the hour of the rabbit.”
“The doctor’s here.” He lifted Lin Ting’s head, propped her against the bedside, and helped her dress.
Every time they’d been together in the past, he was always the one to help her bathe and dress in new underclothes and skirts.
Over time, Duan Ling became even more familiar with Lin Ting’s clothing than she was.
He’d dress and groom her even on ordinary days, just like today.
Only then did Lin Ting remember that Duan Ling had said last night they’d find another doctor to examine her today.
She yawned a few times, forced herself to wake up, and sat in a chair to wait for the doctor.
Knowing Duan Ling was with the Imperial Guard, the doctor came in, saluted, and immediately took Lin Ting’s pulse.
This time, her pulse was good.
The doctor stood up and respectfully said, “Sir, the young lady is in good health.”
Lin Ting felt she was starting to understand the System’s intentions.
From now on, every doctor who examined her would find something different, which meant her illness was strange and changeable.
In the future, there would be witnesses to her having had some mysterious ailment.
If she died and then woke up again, it could be explained by the illness causing a state of apparent death, having nothing to do with supernatural forces.
Life could go on as normal.
Figuring this out, Lin Ting also stood up faced the doctor and said, “Thank you, Doctor.”
“You’re too kind, Miss.”
Duan Ling didn’t let the doctor leave, instead saying, “She fainted once last night.”
The doctor looked at Lin Ting, whose complexion was even rosier than his own, and couldn’t understand how she could have fainted.
If anyone had fainted, it should have been him.
“Would you like me to prescribe a tonic for you, Miss?”
Lin Ting inwardly rejected the idea of drinking medicine.
“No need. Doctor, you just said I’m in good health. Why take medicine?”
‘Besides, medicine is so bitter—why suffer needlessly?’