Chapter 18: Ling Shu and Su Wen
“Miss Cheng, your gift is truly as heavy as Mount Tai.⁽¹⁾ I feel unworthy, yet I’m greedy and can’t bear to give it back. You’ve put in a bind.”
Cheng Lingsu had been watching Fang Han’s expression all along. Seeing his initial look of delight, she knew she had chosen the right gift. Hearing these words, she couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh, her smile blooming sweetly:
“I’ve already given it away. There’s no reason to take it back. You… you like it?”
Strangely, when he had first t her, she hadn’t seed especially pretty.
But now, with her radiant smile, a delicate charm erged.
That smile, combined with her clear, water-like eyes, made even Fang Han montarily dazed.
But when he heard her question, he smiled with genuine joy and said,
“Of course I do! Miss Cheng, how should I ever thank you?”
Though Fang Han was obsessed with martial arts, he had never lacked a passion for dicine either.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have persevered through the Life Simulation.
Regardless of how valuable the books were, they would surely deepen his dical skills.
How could I not be thrilled?
Cheng Lingsu pursed her lips lightly and said softly,
“I don’t want anything from you… only hope that you…”
Her voice trailed off—clearly a bit bashful.
Fang Han looked at her increasingly flushed face, and after a mont’s pause, said warmly,
“You need only speak your mind.”
Cheng Lingsu lowered her head and whispered,
“You said not to be so formal… yet you still call Miss Cheng…”
Fang Han froze for a second, then chuckled.
He gently patted her on the head and teased,
“Then what should I call you? How about ‘little sister’?”
Cheng Lingsu lightly shook her head.
Lifting her delicate chin, her bright eyes sparkled earnestly:
“Brother Fang, my na is Cheng Lingsu.”
Then she reached for the Ling Shu and Su Wen on the table, pointing with her slender finger:
“‘Ling’, from Ling Shu; ‘Su’, from Su Wen.”
“Brother Fang… will you rember?”
It wasn’t as though he couldn’t rember a na.
That wasn’t what she truly ant.
What she wanted to ask was:
“How will you call from now on?”
But when the words reached her lips, she realized—
As a village girl, she even knew such things were too forward.
So she changed it to, “Will you rember?”
When Fang Han heard the na “Cheng Lingsu,” his heart gave a slight jolt.
He was stunned.
Cheng… Lingsu?!
Wasn’t that…
A look of surprise flashed in his eyes.
He truly hadn’t expected that this frail, delicate little girl before him would turn out to be the intelligent and talented heir of the dicine King.
With this sudden revelation, many things now made sense.
Why Elder Zhen had praised her so highly despite her young age.
Why she looked so ordinary at first—simple clothes, small fra, sickly appearance.
Why hadn’t I realized sooner?
For one, during the Life Simulation, he had mostly skirted the edges of the martial world and never interacted with any of the characters from the original story.
Later, when he returned to Linshui County for decades, he didn’t encounter any “famous” figures.
So naturally, he never considered the possibility.
And second, this girl’s “fa” in the original story wasn’t particularly strong.
Not compared to the more iconic female leads.
If she had been that quirky beggar girl with the mischievous streak, he probably would have recognized her right away… right?
In short, he had simply never made the connection.
“Brother Fang?”
Cheng Lingsu tilted her head in confusion when she didn’t get a reply, and softly called out.
Fang Han ca back to himself and quickly composed his emotions.
After decades in the simulation, his temperant had matured.
If this had happened when he first transmigrated, eting a fictional character from the novel would’ve left him reeling.
But now, though he was surprised, it didn’t shake him.
Seeing the disappointnt forming in her expression, he smiled gently, smoothed her hair, and said,
“Lingsu, Lingsu… Ling Shu and Su Wen—your na is elegant and fitting. I’ll rember it.”
“In the future, if we’re in front of others, I’ll still call you Miss Cheng. But when it’s just the two of us… I’ll call you Lingsu. Is that alright?”
In this era, won’s nas were often kept private, especially among noble families.⁽²⁾
But for martial folk, such customs were less rigid.
Still, because he had a special fondness for this girl, he chose to be respectful.
Cheng Lingsu’s expression held a bashful joy and a hint of feigned irritation.
Calling it “when others are around”… is he saying I’m… one of his people?
Turning her head away shyly, she responded,
“Call whatever you like.”
Fang Han laughed,
“It should be sothing you’re happy with, too.”
Cheng Lingsu tucked her hair behind her ear and murmured,
“Of course I’m happy…”
Fang Han watched her every movent—
Graceful, modest, and beautiful in a quiet way.
His eyes shone softly.
He also noticed her hair—fine, soft, but slightly yellowed.
As a physician, he could tell she had no particular illness.
And with her skills, if she were ill, she would have known.
It must just be malnutrition.
Then, piecing together her story, he suddenly understood.
In the original novel, when she first appeared, she was also thin and frail.
But as ti passed, descriptions of her began to change.
Her complexion turned snowy fair, sotis pale, and her appearance, once ordinary, grew increasingly enchanting.
She had co from a rural village and not a prominent family.
Later, even though she was taken in by the “Poison Hand dicine King” Master Wuchen⁽³⁾, he had died early.
So when she first entered the story at age fifteen or sixteen, her master had already passed away.
A girl that young, losing her only support, life must have been very difficult.
Elder Zhen had said she was a distant relative’s child, seeking shelter due to hardship.
That “hardship” was now self-explanatory.
Looking closely at her now, she did seem healthier than when they first t.
Subtle, but real.
Perhaps because she now had a safe place to stay and enough food, her health had begun to recover.
Fang Han blinked slowly, feeling more pity and affection rise in his heart.
He asked,
“Do you have ti today?”
Cheng Lingsu had been blushing from being stared at.
Hearing his question, she rembered yesterday—
She thought he was trying to send her away, but he wasn’t. So what now?
“Yes… I do. Brother Fang, is sothing the matter?”
Fang Han stood up, smiling:
“Nothing much. I just noticed your complexion isn’t quite right. I’d like to take you out for a nourishing al. Let’s go—right now.”
At his words, Cheng Lingsu’s heart trembled.
Warmth surged within her, followed by flustered confusion.
She instinctively touched her face.
Her skin felt soft, but she knew she wasn’t beautiful.
Her face dimd slightly.
“I… I suppose it’s because…”
Because… what? She couldn’t finish.
She pressed her lips together and said,
“Brother Fang, your kindness is appreciated. But I’d hate to delay anything important.”
Fang Han laughed aloud,
“The most important thing right now is making sure you’re well-fed. No more excuses.”
Without waiting for her reply, he gently took her wrist.
Even through the fabric, he could feel how delicate and slender she was.
Cheng Lingsu blushed furiously and instinctively tried to pull away—
But she had no strength to resist.
Step by step, she followed him without complaint.
Footnotes:重如泰山 (zhòng rú Tàishān)– “As heavy as Mount Tai”: An idiom aning sothing extrely significant, solemn, or valuable.Avoiding the public use of a woman’s given na: In traditional Chinese etiquette, especially among nobility, a woman’s given na was not publicly spoken. She would be referred to by titles, courtesy nas, or by male relatives.毒手药王 (dúshǒu yàowáng)– Poison Hand dicine King: A legendary physician character trope in wuxia novels, often skilled in both poison and healing, symbolizing power, danger, and mastery.
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