Qi Qingyao added, “How much do you need?”
Lu Yan smiled rather maddeningly but there was a hint of excitement mixed in. “Oh Yaoyao, our relationship is so good. You’re just looking for nephrite, and nephrite is worthless. There’s no need to pay me.”
Qi Qingyao said seriously, “It’s my personal matter, so I should pay you. I’m a person who makes a clear distinction between public and private affairs.”
Lu Yan was stunned for a moment. There was a trace of faint mirth in his eyes. “How about this then, just take it as part of the consultation fee for my treatment.”
Lu Yan’s words reminded Qi Qingyao that ever since Qi Qingzhu’s death, so many things had gone wrong that she had even forgotten about Lu Yan’s condition. Qi Qingyao cradled her forehead with a look of annoyance, “… I had almost forgotten about this.”
“…”
Could he still be treated? The corners of Lu Yan’s mouth twitched. He had been expecting to become an ordinary person, but in the end, his doctor had long forgotten about him…
Qi Qingyao had always detested trouble and was a straightforward person. After thinking for a bit, she concluded that she was relatively free now and said, “Alright then, I will try my best to be a prop—a tool for you. This is to let you test out the closest you can get to a woman.”
“What?”
Lu Yan visibly lost his composure at the unexpected suggestion. His hand that held the cat froze instantly. The white cat in his arms was squished and, dissatisfied, it escaped from Lu Yan’s embrace before jumping up onto the window sill at the side.
Lu Yan’s breathing turned rapid. “Why do we need to rush? This is so sudden.”
Qi Qingyao was a bit peeved. She got up, stretched her limbs, then said, “Don’t tell me you still need to light an incense or say a prayer?”
“…”
Lu Yan did not know whether to laugh or cry at this. He motioned to Qi Qingyao. “Then, sit down.”
Qi Qingyao nodded.
She sat down on a chair to the side. Opening her black eyes, she stared at Lu Yan intently for a few seconds. Qi Qingyao could feel Lu Yan’s unease as well as nervousness.
She was not nervous.
“How about this? I’ll close my eyes.”
Saying that, she spared her patient’s dignity and closed her eyes. Sitting there quietly, she added, “Or, if you’re afraid I’ll do something, you can tie me to the chair, you can also tie up my limbs.”
Lu Yan, “…”
Qi Qingyao waited. Seeing that Lu Yan was not moving, she opened her eyes with confusion and said, “Based on what you told me about your past sufferings, you had been tied up. Now you can tie me and feel your own emotions when the other person is unable to fight back. After that, observe yourself in this situation and see if you can suppress those emotions and try to get closer to me.”
Lu Yan tightened his jawline inexplicably. “Can I really tie you up?”
Qi Qingyao was very relaxed. “Yes. Just take it as part of your treatment process.”
Lu Yan gulped, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead. He walked toward the outside while saying, “Let me first instruct Dong Jing about the forgery and then I’ll be back to discuss it again.”
With that, he scurried out of the room.
After closing the door, Lu Yan leaned against the door and took in a few deep breaths, wiping the sweat off his forehead.
Then, he called for a servant to look for Dong Jing.
He instructed Dong Jing to secretly look for a forgery master and prepare some nephrite.
As Dong Jing was about to leave, Lu Yan called out to him with a blazing expression.
“Before you leave, bring me a rope.”
“Master? What do you need a rope for?” Dong Jing was stunned. The master could not possibly be thinking of killing himself right?
