131: lotus seeds

Jiang Hanwen didn't mention a word about not holding hands earlier; he couldn't very well say he was a liar, could he?

After Zhao Shuang left, he acted as if nothing had happened, gesturing for Bai Youlan to sit down.

"This room belongs to Manager Ren; I only called for him. Is that alright, Miss Bai?"

Bai Youlan wanted to refuse, but then remembering she was on someone else's territory, she could only reluctantly nod.

Jiang Hanwen fabricated a story about meeting Gong Qing and hitting it off, to pass the time while waiting for the food.

In his heart, however, he was secretly sighing. This girl usually seemed fine, but he hadn't expected her condition to be so severe.

Actually, for patients with depression, suicide, lack of desire, and inability to muster energy are not the most terrifying aspects.

The most terrifying thing is what Bai Youlan was experiencing—somatization.

Generally speaking, this only occurs in long-term, severe depression.

It's a bizarre manifestation where a mental delusion transforms into a physical level, causing real symptoms to appear in the body.

In short, it means: will changes reality!

If it continues to worsen, eventually, mental depression can truly control the heartbeat, and even, in the end, cause it to stop.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the table was filled with dishes and three bottles of wine.

After brief pleasantries, Zhao Shuang was also invited to stay for dinner.

Jiang Hanwen kept an eye on the little girl; it seemed as long as he didn't deliberately focus on her, everything was fine.

The two men each finished three large bowls, but Bai Youlan only ate a little over half a bowl before putting down her chopsticks.

"Miss Bai, is the food not to your taste?" Gong Qing asked, a little puzzled. Was this young lady from the Bai family so picky?

"No, it's very delicious. I... I'm full." Breaking her sentence into several words, Bai Youlan finished speaking, her brow slightly furrowed, and a look of pain flashing in her eyes.

Jiang Hanwen understood. With Gong Qing's question, the little girl's somatization pain had started again.

"Zhao Shuang, go to your Master's courtyard and get Miss Bai a bowl of lotus seed soup."

"I don't want it!" Bai Youlan blurted out, afraid of troubling others.

"Miss Bai, wait a moment, it'll be here soon." 'Master's courtyard' was a code word, Zhao Shuang understood in her heart, quickly put down her chopsticks, and nimbly ran out the door.

With one person less in the room, Bai Youlan's brows immediately relaxed, but she didn't know whether to leave or stay, still sitting awkwardly in her chair.

Without stimulating them, treating mental patients as if they are not patients is the best way to heal them.

After all, she was his major client, and had helped him a lot, so Jiang Hanwen didn't want the little girl to perish.

Furthermore, knowing what the Bai family lacked, he was just about to do big business with them.

For both emotional and logical reasons, he shouldn't ignore it.

After drinking for about a quarter of an hour, both their cheeks were flushed. Zhao Shuang entered, carrying a bowl of lotus seed soup covered with a lid.

"Miss Bai, trust me, try it." Jiang Hanwen encouraged.

Focusing her attention on the lotus seed soup, Bai Youlan lowered her head and gently lifted the lid.

The moment the lid was removed, a sweet scent of lotus seeds, mixed with Spiritual Qi, wafted into her nose.

Her body's reaction was the most honest; Bai Youlan subconsciously narrowed her eyes.

"So... so fragrant." After speaking, Bai Youlan's cheeks flushed crimson, like the evening glow in the sky, making people want to take another look.

"Let's go, let's practice outside." Jiang Hanwen called Zhao Shuang out, and Gong Qing followed, leaving the space to Bai Youlan.

Lotus seeds have the effect of calming the mind and soothing the spirit; he had seen this in a post from that big shot.

Now, it remained to be seen whether the lotus seed soup, refined with Spiritual Qi, would be effective.

Amidst the falling snow, Jiang Hanwen sparred with Zhao Shuang with one hand, while Gong Qing watched from the side, a smile playing on his lips.

Zhao Shuang, the successor he and Jiang Hanwen had jointly decided upon.

As for Mu Qiuyang on the mountain, that kid had now married a girl from a branch of the Zhuang family and was completely integrated into the Medicine Field, with very little contact.

After a hundred breaths, Jiang Hanwen gently pushed Zhao Shuang away.

"Your foundation is solid, but your Moves are too rigid. Practice these few Moves I taught you today well, and if you Breakthrough to the seventh Realm by the end of the year, I'll give you a small gift."

"Yes, thank you, Second... Senior!"

Zhao Shuang, half-excitedly speaking, then realized there was an outsider in the room.

As if forgetting Bai Youlan's presence, Zhao Shuang brought a tea tray, and Jiang Hanwen and Gong Qing drank tea and chatted in the snow.

"Have you reached Qi Induction?" Jiang Hanwen asked casually.

"Nothing can be hidden from you." Gong Qing grinned, his tone humble, but his chin jutted out proudly:

"I'm still consolidating my Realm recently, and two dishes didn't turn out well. I originally planned to give them to you next month."

In recent years, worried about any accidents to himself, Gong Qing had copied and pasted all his research results to Jiang Hanwen, not missing a single word.

His excuse was that as the second-in-command, he also had to look after the future development of Tianyuan Residence.

"Since you've reached Qi Induction, there's no need to hide it.

Look at those previous formulas and see if you can add lotus seeds as the main medicine.

If the person in the room has good results after eating it, then you should open your third branch store." Jiang Hanwen gazed into the distance, towards their left.

Gong Qing's eyes lit up, and he whispered, "The Bai family?"

"Hmm, Talisman Masters seem to care a lot about things that calm the mind. I'll go back and see if I can get some lotus seeds."

Gong Qing nodded, then suddenly pulled out a contract.

"Yesterday, I saw Zhuang Jun leading several guards in the street. In your heart, is the Zhuang family important?"

Looking closely, it was a contract signed between Tianyuan Residence and the Zhuang family, where the Zhuang family was responsible for Tianyuan Residence's security, thereby receiving a 20% share of the profits.

In this world, everything has a price. Taking out this contract meant being prepared for a split.

At that time, not only Tianyuan Residence, but also Jiang Hanwen's tea, qi gathering grass seeds, and so on, would have to stop.

Killing openly means tearing off the facade, and for the sake of face, the Zhuang family would inevitably eliminate Tianyuan Residence.

At that time, Gong Qing and his apprentice would either live in anonymity or leave this place.

"If you say kill Zhuang Kongming, I might ask for a reason, but if it's anyone else...

Do you think I would care?

Go ahead and do it. He was someone I left for you back then.

If you need help, I'm just a call away!"

Jiang Hanwen revealed his stark white teeth. Had the seed planted so many years ago now blossomed and was about to bear fruit? He was very much looking forward to it.

As the farmer who sowed the seeds, he was incredibly happy to see his friend grow.

As for making money, Jiang Hanwen was not in a hurry at all.

This was a very important matter, but also the least important matter.

For him, the Heaven And Earth Treasure that others valued was actually the most insignificant thing. He would eventually have all those things, so why rush?

Instead, a close friend was an extremely rare treasure on the path of Dao. Jiang Hanwen regarded each one as a precious gem; they would shine brightly in his memories, forever.

"No." Gong Qing shook his head, the fire of revenge burning in his eyes:

"Killing him with one blow is too cheap. I want to slowly force him to his death!"

How could the hatred that had sustained his growth for so many years be easily let go?

Jiang Hanwen understood this obsession. He nodded, indicating his stance:

"If you need help, just say so. Don't end up with numb legs and unable to stand again."

"You're the one with numb legs!" Gong Qing's old face flushed, and he retorted unhappily.

Time really flew by. In a blink, it had been eight or nine years since the two of them drank on the rooftop until their legs went numb from poor circulation.

The limping Gong Qing had fully recovered, and he himself had also left the Zhuang family.

"By the way, I haven't seen that servant of yours, Jiang Mofan." Gong Qing asked curiously. At Father Jiang's funeral, he was the only 'outsider' who entered the mourning hall.

"Him?" Jiang Hanwen looked up at the sky, unconsciously recalling Xiao Lingtong's appearance of clinging to his leg and acting spoiled.

"I don't know, probably getting beaten somewhere."

As they were chatting, with a creak, the dining room door opened. Bai Youlan, who had somehow removed her disguise, walked out of the room, her face covered with a hazy veil, revealing a pair of star-like eyes.