Could it be that I misjudged yesterday?
Looking at Lu Qing's innocent and confused expression, for the first time, Dr. Chen began to doubt his own medical expertise.
But he quickly dismissed the thought.
He was confident in his skills as a physician.
Lu Qing had truly been on the brink of death yesterday—there was no way he had misdiagnosed that.
As for how Lu Qing had recovered overnight... there had to be something more to it.
Something mysterious—something he couldn't see through.
Dr. Chen fell silent, still unable to make sense of it.
In the end, he could only chalk it up to Lu Qing being blessed by fate—a good man spared by heaven.
He also sighed inwardly, reflecting that, in the end, his own medical skills were still lacking. He couldn't pierce through the many mysteries of the human body.
If only he had the skills of a Great Master of Innate Realm, with the ability to see through the subtleties of life and energy—then perhaps he would have been able to understand how Lu Qing had truly recovered.
Thinking of this, Dr. Chen glanced at Lu Qing and suddenly said:
"Lu Qing, although your illness has improved, your body is still weak. Starting tomorrow, come to my place every three days. I'll perform a few acupuncture treatments to strengthen your foundation and restore your vitality."
Before Lu Qing could respond, Old Man Zhang, standing nearby, lit up with joy.
"Lu Qing! Hurry and thank Dr. Chen! He never offers acupuncture easily!"
Lu Qing hesitated. "But I don't have anything at home. I'm afraid I can't afford to pay for treatment."
"There's no need to pay," Dr. Chen said. "Your recovery is rather unusual—there may still be hidden issues I can't diagnose. Treating you will also help me verify some of my own medical theories. It's beneficial for me too."
Seeing that Dr. Chen had spoken so earnestly, Lu Qing had no choice but to bow gratefully. "Thank you, Grandfather Chen."
He had been worrying about how to get close to Dr. Chen—and now the perfect opportunity had presented itself.
As for how his illness had healed—truthfully, even Lu Qing wasn't sure.
Maybe the merging of memories had healed him.
Or perhaps it was due to his supernatural ability.
Either way, he doubted Dr. Chen would be able to figure it out.
Besides, Lu Qing didn't sense any malicious intent from the old doctor. With his ability, he was confident he could tell if there were.
So having such a skilled physician personally help him recover—why wouldn't he accept?
Seeing Lu Qing agree, Dr. Chen smiled.
He had dedicated his life to medicine and rarely encountered cases he couldn't understand. Lu Qing's unusual recovery had piqued his curiosity.
Treating Lu Qing's body would be no trouble for him—and if he could learn something new from it, he would be all the more pleased.
"Then I'll take my leave. Remember to come to my place tomorrow morning for your acupuncture."
Having confirmed Lu Qing's condition, Dr. Chen prepared to leave.
The herbs he had gathered today still needed to be dried in time. Otherwise, he'd miss the window to prepare the medicine ordered by a wealthy client.
"Grandfather Chen, Grandpa Zhang—wait a moment!"
Seeing the two elders about to leave, Lu Qing quickly got up, ran into the kitchen, and came back out carrying two bowls of small fish.
"Grandfather Chen, Grandpa Zhang—these are some fish I caught this morning. If you don't mind, please take some back to try."
Old Man Zhang looked at the bowls of fish. "When I got back earlier, I heard the villagers saying you caught fish today. Lu Qing, this method of using earthworms for bait—did your father teach you?"
"Mm, he mentioned it to me before."
Lu Qing had grown quite adept at using that excuse.
"You… fool!" Old Man Zhang sighed, clearly disappointed. "If your father passed down this technique, you should've kept it secret! Why would you tell the whole village? What if they all go fishing and clean out the river? What will you and Xiaoyan eat then?"
"It's okay, Grandpa Zhang. As long as I'm around, Xiaoyan won't go hungry," Lu Qing replied nonchalantly.
Fishing wasn't that easy. If all it took was using the right bait to catch fish, then his past world wouldn't have had so many empty-handed anglers.
Besides, he understood well how resilient nature could be.
There was no way wild fishing alone could empty an entire river.
But of course, Grandpa Zhang didn't know these things.
Seeing Lu Qing act so unconcerned, he grew angry, but there was nothing he could do.
In the end, he could only sigh. "You'll understand after you suffer some consequences."
Dr. Chen, however, didn't comment on this matter.
To him, this was trivial—not worth his time or energy.
Instead, he appreciated the gesture of Lu Qing giving him the fish.
He knew full well what the Lu family's current situation was.
This fish was likely the only thing Lu Qing could offer—and probably part of what he and his sister were relying on for food in the coming days.
Yet he was still willing to give some away without hesitation.
This showed that Lu Qing was a child who understood gratitude.
And no one could dislike a young man like that.
So Dr. Chen didn't refuse the offering.
Even Old Man Zhang, perhaps hoping to teach Lu Qing a lesson about cherishing what he had, intentionally took the other bowl of fish.
After walking the two elders out and watching them disappear into the distance, Lu Qing returned to the house.
Once he made sure no one was around, he let out a deep breath—his heart pounding.
What had just happened in the room seemed ordinary on the surface, but more than once, his heart had leapt into his throat.
Part of him feared he would be exposed as someone other than the original Lu Qing.
But more importantly, he was shaken by the startling information revealed by Dr. Chen.
Thankfully, the idea of soul fusion and reincarnation was too fantastical—no one would even consider it.
And with the original owner's memories to help him play the part, he managed to keep his composure and avoid suspicion.
Now that he had passed this test, his identity was more secure than ever.
Soon enough, even if his personality changed, no one would question it.
After all, teenage personalities often fluctuate, and Lu Qing had gone through a traumatic loss and a brush with death—some change in character would be completely normal.
So although the unexpected visit from Dr. Chen and Old Man Zhang had caught him off guard…
It had also presented him with an opportunity.
The information revealed from Dr. Chen's status made Lu Qing realize that his earlier assumptions about this world might have been wrong.
He had originally thought he was in a world like ancient China—where people were just ordinary humans.
But now, he had seen something that defied common understanding.
Cultivation. Qi refinement. Realms. These were things that only existed in fantasy worlds—where people could fly through the skies and wield incredible powers.
Could it be that this was the kind of world he had crossed into?
Lu Qing's heart filled with mixed emotions.
There was fear. Confusion. But also—anticipation.