As she spoke, Yun Anan waved the prescription in her hand, her stance making it clear there would be no further service until he settled the bill. A wry smile touched Jiang Suichen’s lips, his almond-shaped eyes crinkling with amusement. After a moment, he pulled out his phone and scanned Yun Anan's QR code to pay. A soft *ding* sounded from her phone. Yun Anan glanced casually at the screen, her bright eyes instantly lighting up at the sight of the number five followed by a string of zeros. Suddenly, the man before her seemed far more agreeable. Her mood considerably lifted, Yun Anan even pulled a small vial from her bag and handed it to him along with the prescription. Her tone softened. “Fill this prescription and take the medicine for three days. That should clear out any residual toxins. On the fourth day, drink the contents of this vial, and you will make a full recovery.” With that, Yun Anan stood and walked out of the alley. Jiang Suichen pressed a hand to his bleeding abdomen, his gaze fixed on the prescription, his expression unreadable. After a long moment, he finally called out to her retreating back. “My name is Jiang Suichen. And thank you.” Yun Anan didn't answer. She didn't even turn around, her only thought to get away from there as quickly as possible. - The delay meant it was already ten o'clock by the time Yun Anan returned to the Huo residence. She was just about to take off her shoes when a soft, gentle voice drifted from the living room. “Is that you, sister?” Yun Xinyue? Yun Anan’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. What was she doing here? “Did we marry a wife into this family, or a queen we’re meant to serve? Gallivanting around until all hours.” Qi Lan’s voice sliced coldly from the living room. The nearby maids immediately shot Yun Anan looks of undisguised schadenfreude. Being the daughter-in-law of a wealthy family was difficult enough, but with a mother-in-law who so openly despised her, it was only a matter of time before she was cast aside. Long accustomed to Qi Lan's sharp tongue, Yun Anan simply pressed her lips together and walked into the living room. The first thing she saw was Yun Xinyue sitting on the sofa next to Qi Lan, holding her hand and chatting with a sweet smile, the two of them looking as intimate as mother and daughter. When Yun Anan entered, Qi Lan gave her a single, dismissive glance before turning back to Yun Xinyue with a smile. “Just look. If only she were half as wonderful as you, I wouldn't have to face such humiliation in my old age, shamed by a daughter-in-law who runs wild.” Although Qi Lan’s voice was incredibly gentle when she spoke to Yun Xinyue, the words were a suffocating weight on Yun Anan, who unconsciously clenched her fists. Hearing Qi Lan’s words, Yun Xinyue lowered her head with a shy, embarrassed smile. “Auntie, you flatter me. Sister studied medicine with Grandpa since she was little; I hear her skills are remarkable. I was always frail, so I've been surrounded by medicine my whole life. I only studied Western medicine to help myself feel better. How could I possibly compare to her?” Yun Anan’s fingertips went cold as a wave of bitter mockery washed over her. Yun Xinyue knew perfectly well that Qi Lan had been swindled by a charlatan posing as a traditional medicine doctor in her youth, making her the one person in the Huo family who despised it most. On Yun Anan’s first day in the household, Qi Lan had gathered all her medical books and herbs and set them ablaze, warning her such things were forbidden in the house. Yun Anan had plunged her hands into the fire to retrieve what she could, and for that, Qi Lan had forced her to kneel in the ancestral hall for an entire day. Yun Xinyue's words were nothing short of another push toward the precipice. Predictably, Qi Lan’s previously indifferent expression curdled with disgust and contempt. Her words were directed at Yun Xinyue, but her eyes, filled with warning, were locked on Yun Anan. “That dangerous quackery… I’d like to see who dares bring it into the Huo home. But you,” she said, her voice softening again for Yun Xinyue, “so diligent despite your poor health. If you were my daughter-in-law, I’d be happy enough to live a few years longer!”