“I…” Huo Xiang started to speak.
He wanted to say that he did, but the moment he saw Huo Yao’s all-knowing eyes, he could not finish his sentence. After a pause, he finally admitted the truth.
“… I forgot to take the meds.”
Huo Yao finished the rest of the apple and got up without saying anything.
A sense of fear arose hastily in Huo Xiang’s heart when he saw his little sister suddenly leave. It felt as if he had been caught by his teacher after not doing his homework.
That was odd. Why would he feel this way?
Huo Yao went to get a glass of water and handed it to Huo Xiang expressionlessly.
Huo Xiang took the glass from his little sister in an uncharacteristically obedient manner and instinctively retrieved the bottle of medicine from his pocket without waiting for her to say a word.
In a meek voice, he said, “I’ll take it now.”
He did not stop to think whether it was safe for him to take the medicine or not. He removed a pill and placed it in his mouth hurriedly.
Huo Yao watched as he swallowed the pill. Finally her expression eased up. She said gravely, “If you want to get well, you have to take my meds regularly.”
Huo Xiang nodded automatically. His usual coolness and distance seemed to vanish when he was with Huo Yao. He even felt as though their roles had been reversed. It was as if she was his older brother while he was her young sister.
It was mindboggling. Wait…
Suddenly her words registered in his mind. He looked at her in shock.
But Huo Xiang composed himself before asking her hesitantly. “Do you know about my health problems?”
Huo Yao’s phone pinged right then. She pulled it out and replied casually, without looking up at him. “Yup.”
Huo Xiang’s expression altered instantly. No one else knew about his injuries except their second and third older brother, not even their oldest brother. How did his little sister get to know about his health issue?
He was sure that Huo Tingrui and Huo Yulin would never divulge the secret.
Huo Yao disregarded the look of surprise on his face. She sat down on the couch to reply to a text message without saying anything further.
Huo Xiang had a lot of questions for her. However, she kept using the phone with her head lowered, so he closed his mouth and sat there with a preoccupied air.
She received a text message from her contact, whom she had added to her WeChat on the previous day.
Don’t Steal My Lingzhi: [Someone at the Apothecaries’ Association made some Wuyu recently, but it wasn’t sold. I heard it’s still sitting at the association.]
Huo Yao crossed her legs on the couch and leaned back lazily. Her eyes narrowed when she read the text message. She tapped the screen gently and started typing.
Medicine Pill: [Are you sure?]
Don’t Steal My Lingzhi: [I’m sure. The Apothecaries’ Association has many rare herbs, so all high-grade medicine created in the association have to be documented. No one is allowed to sell them on their own.]
Huo Yao rubbed the side of her phone with her fingertips.
She mulled over his reply for a few seconds and typed: [Do you know who made the Wuyu?]
Don’t Steal My Lingzhi: [I’m not sure, but I can ask around.]
Huo Yao quickly replied: [It’s fine. It doesn’t matter.]
Don’t Steal My Lingzhi: [Mhm. Oh yes. Are you still making medicine these days?]
Medicine Pill: [No, I’m not free.]
Don’t Steal My Lingzhi: [Okay. When you do, let me know.]
Medicine Pill: [Probably not anytime soon. I am in my senior year and hence, too busy.]
Don’t Steal My Lingzhi: […]
