Jiang Tian didn’t even need to take Zhao Xueqing’s pulse. With his celestial eye activated, a single glance revealed that she was suffering from a fever, likely due to a cold.
It was probably the result of last night’s fright, combined with her constant worries and her naturally weak constitution. Jiang Tian couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt.
Moreover, Jiang Tian noticed that Zhao Xueqing’s exhausting work and pent-up emotions had caused toxins to accumulate in her body, leaving her in a state of suboptimal health.
“It seems I need to craft a pill for Xueqing as soon as possible to help her recover and regulate her body,” Jiang Tian thought, his eyes flashing with determination.
First, he found a box of fever-reducing medicine and had Zhao Xueqing take it. Then, he helped her sit up and gently infused a bit of his true essence into her back to warm and nourish her body.
Once her fever subsided, Jiang Tian hurried to the kitchen and busied himself for a while, cooking a pot of porridge.
When Zhao Xueqing regained some clarity, Jiang Tian awkwardly said, “Xueqing, can I… borrow some money from you?”
“What are you talking about? As long as we’re together, my money is yours! Go ahead and take it,” Zhao Xueqing replied with a weak smile, gesturing toward her handbag.
Jiang Tian rummaged through the bag and found two thousand yuan. “I’ll go get you a bowl of porridge,” he said.
A moment later, Jiang Tian returned with a steaming bowl of red date and goji berry porridge. Zhao Xueqing propped herself up with a pillow and reached out to take it.
“Ah, you’re sick. Don’t move. Let me feed you,” Jiang Tian insisted. He scooped up a spoonful, blew on it to cool it down, and even tested the temperature with his lips.
“I can eat by myself. It’s just a cold,” Zhao Xueqing protested, her cheeks flushing slightly at his overprotectiveness.
“Listen to me. Open your mouth!”
“Ah—!”
Zhao Xueqing gave in, obediently opening her mouth like a child.
Jiang Tian fed her a spoonful and asked nervously, “Is it good?”
Zhao Xueqing nodded emphatically. The porridge had a hint of brown sugar, making it sweet, with the added fragrance of red dates and goji berries.
“I didn’t know you were such a good cook!”
After a few bites, Zhao Xueqing felt much better. Her stomach was warm, and a sense of contentment and happiness washed over her.
Jiang Tian didn’t respond. Instead, he pulled out a tissue and gently wiped a grain of rice from the corner of her mouth before continuing to feed her.
“So, when he’s gentle, he’s not so bad after all,” she thought, gazing at Jiang Tian, who was now so close to her. A sweet feeling bubbled up in her heart.
His long, sword-like eyebrows, thick lashes, and straight nose made him undeniably handsome, even if his face was still a bit pale.
Soon, Jiang Tian finished feeding her the bowl of porridge. “Xueqing, get some rest. I’ll go buy some medicine and be back before noon.”
“Okay, come back soon. Don’t wander off,” Zhao Xueqing said as she lay down, turning to her side. Two quiet tears rolled down her cheeks.
He hadn’t had an episode in two days. He was gentle, caring, and attentive. Was he finally getting better?
If only he could stay like this forever…
Zhao Xueqing clutched the ear of a rabbit plushie, holding it close as she drifted off to sleep.
—
11:00 AM
Jiang Tian arrived at a pharmacy and purchased some medicinal ingredients: ginseng, angelica root, deer antler, and goldthread, among others.
The ingredients weren’t plentiful, but they were expensive. The two thousand yuan he had borrowed was almost entirely spent.
These herbs weren’t spiritual medicines, nor were they even semi-spiritual. They barely met Jiang Tian’s requirements for crafting a few Minor Restoration Pills.
As he was packing up the herbs, he heard a voice call out, “Jiang Tian? What are you doing here buying medicine?”
“Oh, Yuan Yuan! It’s you,” Jiang Tian turned around, slightly surprised, and smiled.
The girl before him was beautiful, tall, and stylishly dressed. She wore Gucci high heels and carried a Prada crocodile leather handbag. Her flawless makeup made her look radiant.
Yuan Yuan had been Jiang Tian’s classmate in university and was considered the class beauty, with countless suitors vying for her attention.
Back then, Jiang Tian had been a playboy, chasing after every pretty girl he saw. He had even pursued Yuan Yuan for a time.
However, Yuan Yuan had her sights set higher. She had no interest in Jiang Tian, who had already been disowned by the Jiang family. Instead, she had chosen to be with a wealthy classmate.
“Jiang Tian, where are you working now? I thought you’d stayed in Jinling,” Yuan Yuan said, her expression complex as she looked him over.
Jiang Tian’s clothes were shabby—a low-quality shirt and trousers, with scuffed and dusty shoes. It was clear he wasn’t doing well.
“Oh, I’m working at a small company, in public relations,” Jiang Tian replied with a faint smile, turning to leave.
“Let’s exchange numbers. There’s a class reunion coming up, and a few of our classmates in Linzhou will be there,” Yuan Yuan said, her lips curling slightly. A hint of disdain flickered in her eyes.
She was glad she had made the right choice back then.
Jiang Tian was just an ordinary office worker now, dressed like a poor man who probably couldn’t even afford a house.
Thankfully, she had been wise enough to choose Hou Tianlai, who now had assets worth millions. How could someone like Jiang Tian, a fallen noble, ever compare?
“I don’t have a phone,” Jiang Tian said with a bitter smile. “I probably won’t attend the reunion.”
“Liu Yating will be there,” Yuan Yuan added. “She was always good to you. Don’t you want to see her?”
“Liu Yating…” At the mention of that name, Jiang Tian froze, a warm feeling rising in his heart.
Liu Yating had been their class monitor in university and had always looked out for Jiang Tian.
Once, when Jiang Tian had been caught cheating on an exam and faced expulsion, it was Liu Yating who had pleaded with the dean on his behalf, saving him from punishment.
In his past life, Liu Yating had shown remarkable talent in business. After graduation, she had opened a beauty salon and made millions within a few years, becoming a successful businesswoman.
When the Jiang family was on the verge of collapse, Jiang Tian had tried to pull strings to get his father out of trouble. He had gone around borrowing money, only to be turned away by many. Liu Yating was the only one who lent him three million yuan.
In the end, that money was lost, and Liu Yating’s beauty salon went bankrupt due to the financial strain. Yet, even up until Jiang Tian’s suicide, she had never once pressed him for repayment.
“Alright, I’ll go. I’ll give you my work number. You can reach me there,” Jiang Tian said, reciting a string of digits.
Yuan Yuan took out her latest model iPhone and noted it down. Then, she handed him a gold-embossed business card. “Here’s my card.”
“General Manager of Supreme Building Materials…” Jiang Tian glanced at it but showed no reaction. He turned and left.
“Hmph, no skills, can’t even afford a phone, and still so arrogant,” Yuan Yuan muttered with a cold snort, her face filled with disdain.
But she quickly put Jiang Tian out of her mind and strode toward the counter. “Give me the most expensive and best medicinal herbs you have!”
Hou Tianlai had tasked her with procuring rare herbs to curry favor with some big shot. She and Hou Tianlai were splitting the task.
On his way back, Jiang Tian bought some groceries, cooked lunch, and fed Zhao Xueqing. After eating a few bites himself, he began preparing the Minor Restoration Pill.
He closed the kitchen door, shutting out the world.
When it came to alchemy, Jiang Tian was a master, having long since reached a level of expertise that earned him fame in the cultivation world.
Back in the Holy Yuan Continent, despite being only at the Foundation Establishment stage, he had managed to kill three Golden Core experts from the Taihao Sect. His secret? Constantly consuming pills during battle to convert their energy into true essence, temporarily boosting his power.
That battle had made Jiang Tian famous across half the Holy Yuan Continent, earning him the nickname “The Pill-Devouring Demon Lord.”
Originally, Jiang Tian had owned over a dozen cauldrons, each with different functions. However, during his reincarnation, all of them had been destroyed or lost. Now, he had to make do with a simple gas stove and an iron pot.
“Who would’ve thought that I, the mighty Heavenly Lord Tai Chu, would be reduced to this?” Jiang Tian chuckled wryly as he turned on the stove and lit the flame.
This was the first time he had attempted alchemy under such crude conditions, and he wasn’t entirely confident. To increase his chances, he divided the ingredients into four portions. Even if the first three attempts failed, he might still succeed on the fourth.
The Minor Restoration Pill was a simplified version of the Great Restoration Pill. Consuming it could expel impurities from the body, strengthen meridians, replenish vital energy, and promote overall health and longevity.
However, the pills crafted from these mundane ingredients were a far cry from the ones in the cultivation world. Their effects were significantly diminished. While they might not extend one’s lifespan, they could still improve physical health.
With his left hand, Jiang Tian carefully adjusted the stove’s flame, controlling the heat and temperature inside the pot. With his right hand, he tossed the herbs into the iron pot one by one.
Alchemy was the process of extracting the spiritual energy from herbs and plants using fire and heat, allowing their effects to complement and enhance one another.
The temperature had to be precisely controlled, with no room for error.
In the cultivation world, alchemists were highly respected, with the saying, “Immortal lords are common, but alchemists are rare.”
Skilled alchemists were treasures sought after by countless families, sects, and empires.
As the spiritual energy condensed like mist and the aroma of herbs filled the air, multicolored spiritual liquids began to form in the pot.
But just as the liquid was about to coalesce into a pill, there was a loud bang! Smoke and dust filled the air as the iron pot shattered, sending the herbal liquid flying in all directions.
Jiang Tian was covered in grime, his face smeared with soot. He looked utterly disheveled.
“Dammit, there goes five hundred yuan!” Jiang Tian lamented. Despite his utmost care, the first attempt had ended in failure.
“Jiang Tian, are you okay…?” A voice called from outside the door, followed by hurried footsteps. Zhao Xueqing was knocking anxiously.
“I’m fine!” Jiang Tian quickly washed his face under the tap and opened the door.
“Haha, hubby, what happened to you? You look like a painted cat! So cute!” Zhao Xueqing covered her mouth, giggling at Jiang Tian’s soot-covered face.
“I’ll go wash up.”
“Wait, let me take a picture first! If you ever bully me again, I’ll show this to everyone!” Zhao Xueqing grabbed Jiang Tian and snapped a few photos before letting him go.
After taking the pictures, Zhao Xueqing suddenly grew shy. “You’re not mad at me for laughing at you, are you? You’re not going to hit me, right?”
“How could I ever hit you? As long as you’re happy, I’d be willing to be a painted cat for the rest of my life!” Jiang Tian smiled, though tears threatened to spill from his eyes.
This was the first time since his rebirth that he had seen Zhao Xueqing smile. It had been so long.
In truth, all she had ever wanted was simple.
For her, wealth and glory didn’t matter. All she desired was a harmonious, loving relationship where they supported and cared for each other.
“You’re such a smooth talker, always knowing how to make me happy.”
Zhao Xueqing’s cheeks flushed a deep red, as if painted with rouge, making her look even more radiant.
