Chapter 34: Thirty-three, Luo Xiuyi
Upon arriving at one of the courtyards, the young man asked Lu Hanmo to wait outside for a moment before he entered the courtyard.
After a short while, the young man came out and said, "The Family Head invites you in."
Lu Hanmo gave a slight nod and followed the young man inside.
Passing through a long corridor, the young man led Lu Hanmo into the hall.
At the head of the hall sat an energetic middle-aged man in formal attire, exuding authority; two young men flanked him, as well as a middle-aged man who bore a resemblance to him.
Lu Hanmo stepped forward and gave a salute with cupped hands, "I am Lu Hanmo. I have come to request the Divine Doctor Family to treat my grandfather's illness." The middle-aged man seated at the head and the younger man to his right, he had seen in his dreams—they were Luo Shu's grandfather, Luo Xiuran, and her father, Luo Qianyu.
However, he had only dreamed of his own middle-aged life, so he was unaware of how he had come to know them.
But he was certain it was the same Luo Shu from his dreams, because her eyes were identical to the ones in his dreams; he would never mistake them. Although he didn't understand why Luo Shu appeared so many years earlier, he was still overjoyed to meet her at a younger age. At the very least, they wouldn't miss out on so many years together again.
"Where did you get this Token?" Luo Xiuran picked up the token on the table and asked. The Divine Doctor Family had a total of twelve tokens; aside from the Family Head Token and the seven Hall Master Tokens, the rest had gone missing. Yet the one Lu Hanmo brought was not among the missing four, and there was no doubt it was genuine.
"It was given to me by a friend," said Lu Hanmo. He did not yet know whether Luo Shu was related to the Divine Doctor Family, so he was not about to mention her.
Luo Xiuran nodded slightly and, after pondering for a moment, asked, "Does your friend have the surname Luo?" More than a decade ago, his second brother had returned home dispirited, telling him that the woman he loved had married someone else and was already pregnant with that person's child.
Perhaps the child Lu Hanmo spoke of was that woman's, as his second brother had left his token with her. Although she had not become his second brother's wife, she was the only woman his brother had ever loved.
Because of his personal decision to gift his token to someone else, his second brother was punished. Now that the token had returned, it was time to release his brother from his confinement in Nether Valley.
"I'm sorry, I cannot say," Lu Hanmo, locking eyes with Luo Xiuran, revealed a hint of steadfastness in his deep gaze.
Luo Xiuran, after regarding Lu Hanmo for a long time, burst into laughter and withdrew his gaze, "Tomorrow I'll send someone with you. Ali, take our guest down to rest." He admired Lu Hanmo's demeanor and was certain that Lu Hanmo was destined for great achievements.
"Thank you," Lu Hanmo thanked with a bowed salute and followed the young man who had brought him in as they left. As long as someone from the Divine Doctor Family was willing to go to his home, there was hope for his grandfather.
Silver moonlight cast through the leaves, creating patterns of shadow on the ground.
A disheveled middle-aged man with a bearded face sat meditating under the tree.
At the sound of soft footsteps approaching, the man opened his eyes and lifted his head to see the newcomer, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, "Big brother!" Since being confined here sixteen years ago, aside from the servants bringing food, no one had ever come to visit him.
Luo Xiuran stopped in front of Luo Xiuyi, took out a token, and handed it to him, "Your token has returned."
Digital hands trembling, Luo Xiuyi took the token. His weathered eyes grew moist, "And her?" Over the years, he had been filled with regret for not taking her with him when he left; otherwise, she would not have married someone else.
"He has passed away," Luo Xiuran said in a subdued voice. That woman never deserved my brother's love. Without her, my brother wouldn't have had such a hard life these past years.
"Passed away? Passed away? How could this be?" Two tears slid from Luo Xiuyi's eyes. He muttered blankly, his grip on the Token unconsciously tightening. Even as his own blood stained the Token, he remained unaware.
Luo Xiuran shook his head. "Little brother, please go out."
"Who brought this Token here?" Luo Xiuyi's voice carried a hoarse undertone, as if he was desperately suppressing something.
"A young man named Lu Hanmo. It seems that the woman's descendant gave him the Token. Little brother, it's been so long, don't dwell on it anymore. Now that the Token has returned, it's time to conclude these matters. Forget all about it," Luo Xiuran advised.
Luo Xiuyi remained silent for a long time before nodding. The tears on his face fell to the ground with his movement, leaving little wet marks. Never would he have expected to receive news of her again, only to find that she had been eternally separated from this world.
Early in the morning, Luo Shu and Aunt Chen rode with Chen Zhihe to his leader's house.
"Is this the doctor you mentioned, Zhihe?" Ma Zhenhai sized up Luo Shu. Although Chen Zhihe had said she cured his father's illness, Ma Zhenhai remained somewhat skeptical due to her youth.
"Director Ma, this is Luo Shu, whom I've told you about. Luo Shu, this is Director Ma," Chen Zhihe introduced them with a smile.
Luo Shu nodded faintly at Ma Zhenhai. "I would like to see the patient first."
Ma Zhenhai was a bit taken aback by Luo Shu's demeanor. "Sure, this way, please." Most people became somewhat restrained upon learning of his status, but this girl seemed utterly calm, as if his position meant nothing to her.
Following Ma Zhenhai to a room on the second floor, he pushed open the door to reveal a handsome pale-faced young man lying on the bed with his eyes closed.
"He is my son, Ma Yifan. Half a year ago, he hit his head during a conflict with classmates at school. Since then, he has never woken up," Ma Zhenhai sighed with a pained expression. For half a year, he and his wife had taken their son to numerous hospitals, only to receive the same advice from doctors—to wait.
If it wasn't for this, he wouldn't have requested Chen Zhihe to bring someone over the moment he heard that his father had been cured. He was grasping at straws, eager for any sliver of hope he could cling to, unwilling to give up.
Luo Shu nodded and stepped forward to place her hand on Ma Yifan's wrist.
"Zhenhai, do we have guests at home?" A tender voice echoed as a woman in her forties, dressed in a dark grey Chinese-style jacket, approached. Her attire was quite stylish for the era.
"Xiao Yu, why are you back?" Ma Zhenhai looked at his wife with surprise. It had been his idea to ask Luo Shu to treat his son, and he had feared his wife's disapproval. So he sent her back to her parents' house that morning, not expecting her sudden return.
"I was worried about Yifan, and Zhihe is here too?" Lin Yu glanced at Chen Zhihe, her look distant. She was not particularly fond of her husband's subordinate.
"Sister-in-Law!" Chen Zhihe quickly greeted Lin Yu with a smile.
Lin Yu nodded in response and turned her attention to Luo Shu, who was taking her son's pulse. Frowning, she asked, "Who is she? What is she doing?"