The man's daze cleared. When his gaze returned to the medical book, the words "Reincarnation Tribulation" had long since vanished.
Luo Muchen put down the book and pinched his brow. This had happened several times. He didn't know why he often experienced fleeting illusions.
Seeing his master frown again, the young page quickly poured a cup of tea and offered it. "Young Master, is your head hurting again?"
His young master occasionally suffered from headaches. He had heard from his master and madam that ever since his young master had an accident six years ago and fell off a cliff, this headache problem had persisted.
"It's nothing." Luo Muchen took the tea from the page and took a sip, then put it down and stood up. "My father is impatient, and he's urging me. Let's set off. Bai Qi, go and prepare."
"Yes, Young Master." The young page turned and went to prepare.
Watching him leave, Luo Muchen's mind was filled with blurry yet familiar images. There were many people in the images, but he couldn't see their faces. These blurry images had appeared many times in his mind. This included the name he had given the young page. "Bai Qi." He always felt he had heard this name many times, that it was very familiar. So he bestowed this name upon the young page.
Luo Muchen, dressed in a white robe, walked out of the side hall. In the backyard, he encountered Madam Luo and their daughter, Miss Luo Xue Fei, who were rushing over.
Lord Luo was a martial man, strong and tall, with a slightly plump, round face. He walked with a powerful stride. Madam Luo was exquisitely beautiful and well-maintained, preferring a low-key, gentle, and kind demeanor, often wearing plain clothes. Luo Xue Fei's appearance bore a slight resemblance to Madam Luo. She was dressed in a bright, floral red dress, with her personal maid following behind, holding an umbrella for her.
"Luo Muchen, you lazy brat, why are you so slow? The eunuch sent by the Emperor is waiting in the front courtyard, and he's been urging us for a long time." Lord Luo glared, but his words were not harsh.
"Chen'er, you have a cold constitution, and your hands and feet tend to get cold. Hurry and take this." Madam Luo ignored Lord Luo's words and came to Luo Muchen, giving him a hand warmer.
Luo Muchen also ignored Lord Luo, smiled gently at Madam Luo, and accepted the hand warmer she brought. "Mother still dotes on Chen'er."
With that, he walked past Madam Luo and stood before Lord Luo, looking at him indifferently. "Tell me, what do you want me to bring you this time?"
As soon as the question was asked, Lord Luo's pretense broke. He withdrew the anger from his face, squinted his eyes, and chuckled, "I heard that the top restaurant in the capital has a new chef with excellent skills. His roasted duck is even quite delicious. Bring me one portion."
Upon hearing this, Luo Muchen raised an eyebrow. "Just one portion of duck? Father, are you sure?"
Lord Luo turned his head, secretly glancing at Madam Luo, then stepped forward and whispered in Luo Muchen's ear, "And their newly brewed Three Flavors Wine."
Luo Muchen shook his head helplessly. His father had been talking about quitting alcohol last month, but... he still couldn't quit, and he loved drinking. Fortunately, his father never got drunk, and even if he did, he wouldn't bother his mother. At most, he would be kicked out of the room by his mother. He would sleep with the family dog, the ducks and chickens in the kitchen, and so on.
"And the eunuch waiting in the main hall of the front courtyard..." Before he could finish speaking, Lord Luo understood immediately. He patted his chest and said, "Leave this to your old man. You can go with peace of mind."
"Mm." His voice was as light and gentle as a spring breeze.
"Brother, I want to go too!" Luo Xue Fei pushed away the maid holding the umbrella and leaned closer.
"What business does a girl have there?" Before Luo Muchen could speak, Lord and Madam Luo both turned to look at Luo Xue Fei. Lord Luo spoke in his rough voice.
"Father, Mother, you don't know how outstanding Brother is in the eyes of the world. Brother is also so handsome, and all the young ladies outside want to marry him. Daughter has heard that many people are participating in the Poisonous Doctor Saint Pavilion's medical competition precisely because they want their sisters or daughters to have a good marriage with Brother."
"Some people are even disguised as men, just to catch a glimpse of Brother. In such a chaotic situation, Daughter must accompany Brother outside to protect him, so that others cannot harm him." As she spoke, Luo Xue Fei tugged at Lord Luo's sleeve and pouted, "Besides, Daughter hasn't been out for a long time. Father, please let Daughter accompany Brother out."
"No!" Lord Luo refused. Lord Luo was carefree, like a person of the martial world, uninhibited, generous, and magnanimous. However, when it came to controlling his daughter, he was very serious.
Luo Xue Fei's eyes welled up. Madam Luo tried to coax her from the side. Luo Xue Fei refused to listen, stomped her foot in anger, covered her face, and ran back. The maid followed behind. Unhappy, she kicked the maid on the way and returned to her boudoir, closing the door.
In the backyard, a spring breeze blew, willows swayed, and flowers bloomed in profusion. Luo Muchen watched his crying younger sister and his father, whose ear was being pulled by his mother to question him about drinking. He smiled faintly and walked out with the young page. At home, his parents doted on him, and although his younger sister often caused trouble, she treated him well. He was content. His gentle gaze drifted over the leaves fluttering past him. Yet, this contentment, he felt, was somehow lacking something. What was missing?
"Young Master, Young Master, we should be going." The young page parked the carriage outside the main gate and ran in to call him. He also took a white cloak from inside the house. Luo Muchen came back to his senses, and with the page's assistance, he put on the cloak, went out, and got into the carriage.
On the bustling street, vendors hawked their wares, and people came and went, laughing and chatting. Luo Muchen sat in the carriage, reading his medical book. The carriage curtain was lifted, and a small head rolled in. The hand holding the medical book in Luo Muchen's grasp trembled, and the book fell onto the small head. He picked up the book and saw a delicate, fair little face.
"Who are you?"
"Uncle, save me, someone is chasing me." A pair of small, tender hands clasped Luo Muchen's leg. Luo Muchen was slightly startled. Whether it was out of kindness or a sense of familiarity with this little boy who had suddenly appeared, Luo Muchen instinctively picked up the little boy.
"Who are you? Did you encounter bad people?" Little Yi Hao hid in Luo Muchen's arms, his eyes blinking rapidly, staring at Luo Muchen. "Uncle is so smart. There are bad people chasing me outside." His maternal uncle forced him to kneel and apologize to his mother, forcing him to do things he disliked, so he was naturally a big bad guy.
"Did they do anything to you? Do we need to report it to the authorities?" If he encountered a kidnapped child, he naturally wouldn't stand by and do nothing.
"No, no." Little Yi Hao hurriedly shook his head. If his maternal uncle were arrested by the authorities, his mother would surely spank him soundly.
The carriage suddenly stopped. The young page lifted the curtain. "Young Master..." The words he was about to speak stopped abruptly when he saw Little Yi Hao sitting in Luo Muchen's arms.
"Whose dirty child is this? How dare he hug our Young Master? Get down quickly." The young page's eyes showed anger as he tried to push Little Yi Hao off the carriage. Little Yi Hao's clothes were indeed a bit dirty. He had fallen when his maternal uncle was chasing him, and his clothes were covered in mud. But having finally managed to hold on, he was unwilling to let go.
"Uncle, he's scolding me." Little Yi Hao pointed at the young page, his face full of grievance, his big, watery eyes about to cry.
"Don't be afraid, he's not a bad person." Luo Muchen used a handkerchief to wipe Little Yi Hao's dirty face, then instructed the page, "He's just a child, it's nothing. Continue driving." The young page, who had wanted to say more, immediately closed his mouth obediently. "Yes, Young Master."
The carriage continued to move forward. Sitting in the carriage, Luo Muchen asked Little Yi Hao some questions. Upon learning that the people chasing him were not traffickers, but his maternal uncle, who was forcing the little boy to do something he didn't want to do, Luo Muchen felt relieved. A child who ran away from home would only play for a few days before returning home. Thus, there was no need to report it to the authorities.
"Gurgle, gurgle..." His little stomach rumbled at an inopportune moment. Little Yi Hao rubbed his head and gave Luo Muchen an embarrassed smile. "Uncle, I'm hungry. Do you have anything to eat?"
Luo Muchen smiled faintly and rubbed Little Yi Hao's little head. "You little rascal, you dare to ask strangers for food? Aren't you afraid of being poisoned?"
As soon as the word "poison" was mentioned, Little Yi Hao's interest was piqued. "I'm a divine doctor! Am I afraid of being poisoned?" Little Yi Hao patted his chest, his face full of confidence.
"Pfft..." Luo Muchen laughed. He took out some snacks prepared in the carriage and gave them to Little Yi Hao. He treated Little Yi Hao's words as childish prattle and didn't take them seriously.
Looking at the snacks in the food box, Little Yi Hao's eyes lit up. He reached out his small hand, grabbed a small pastry, and stuffed it into his mouth. While eating, he nodded. "Mmm, it's delicious, but it's much worse than what my maternal uncle makes."
Luo Muchen watched Little Yi Hao's cheeks bulge and chuckled softly. He thoughtfully poured a cup of tea for Little Yi Hao. After eating and drinking his fill, Little Yi Hao patted his stomach and leaned against the carriage. He started chatting with Luo Muchen. "Uncle, my medical skills are very high. You won't believe it, but the only person in this world who can beat me is my mother. Even that eldest young master of the Luo family, Luo Muchen, who is known as the God of Medicine, is no match for me."
Little Yi Hao was bragging shamelessly. He glanced at Luo Muchen, then changed the subject. "Uncle, you look so handsome. If I hadn't already chosen Luo Muchen for my mother, I would really want to introduce you to her. But... everything has its order." As he spoke, Little Yi Hao suddenly leaned closer, his eyes blinking at Luo Muchen. "Uncle, how about this? If this Luo Muchen cannot satisfy my mother, then will you be my cheap dad?"
"..."