Cheng Wenzheng nodded earnestly in agreement. “It is indeed my fault. But truthfully, the reason I am where I am today is, in no small part, thanks to Fourth Young Lady.”

“Oh? How so?” asked Wenren Taibo, curious.

Cheng Wenzheng looked somewhat embarrassed as he began to explain. “Master is aware that my father passed away when I was young, and there was no other male figure in my family—only my mother. Watching her toil day after day broke my heart. There was a time when I gave up on my studies entirely. But my mother, being a strong-willed woman, kept silent about her suffering. She only said that since I couldn’t do physical labor, carrying nothing but a pen, I had no choice but to continue studying. At the time, I was young and unruly. I stubbornly refused to admit what I could or couldn’t do and even got into arguments. When I didn’t listen, my mother would resort to hitting me. Looking back now, I realize how ungrateful I was. Can you believe I once thought she didn’t appreciate my efforts and was being unreasonable? I felt I was struggling for her sake, yet she still scolded and hit me. My temper only worsened, and eventually, I stormed off, determined to make a fortune and prove myself. But the world is harsh, and I found myself struggling at every turn. Even so, I stubbornly refused to return or admit defeat. But then, my mother became gravely ill. I was beside myself with despair, utterly lost. It must have been too pitiful a sight for those around me to bear,” Cheng Wenzheng glanced at Xiao Cao, “because Fourth Young Lady spoke to me and brought me back to my senses. Since I had some talent in my studies, the neighbors generously pitched in to help, and that’s how I’ve been able to achieve what I have today.”

Wenren Taibo laughed heartily when he heard this. “Is that so? What a… fateful encounter.” He turned to Xiao Cao. “So, is what Wenzheng said true? What were you thinking back then?”

Both Wenren Taibo and Cheng Wenzheng were clearly curious.

Xiao Cao smiled, lips pressed together. “As a young girl, I often went to Cheng Gongzi’s house to help change his mother’s bandages because it was convenient for me. But every time I went, Cheng Gongzi was like a headless chicken, rushing around looking utterly defeated. He was so clumsy, he even messed up simple things like making herbal decoctions. Frankly, he was distracting, and I couldn’t resist saying a few sharp words to him. Cheng Gongzi must have taken my comments to heart in a way I hadn’t intended. Thinking back now, I remember how he was back then, and honestly, it’s quite remarkable how much he’s changed.”

Cheng Wenzheng looked dumbfounded, his scholarly demeanor entirely out of step with the stunned expression on his face. It was as though he never expected such a candid revelation.

Wenren Taibo burst into laughter, slapping his knee in amusement. “So it’s all the result of a happy accident, isn’t it?”

Cheng Wenzheng, still blushing from the embarrassment of being the butt of the joke, relaxed after a moment and smiled, nodding in agreement. “Actually, it wasn’t just her words that struck me. It was the way she conducted herself. Although she was only a child—small and skinny—she handled everything with such precision and calm, like a little adult. She looked after Divine Doctor Lin with such care and attention. When I compared myself to her, I felt utterly ashamed.”

“You’re too kind, Cheng Gongzi,” Xiao Cao replied modestly.

Wenren Taibo looked at his daughter with both pride and a trace of heartache in his eyes.

Cheng Wenzheng then turned, asking with concern, “By the way, where is Divine Doctor Lin now?”

Xiao Cao’s expression dimmed slightly. “When I was eight, my adoptive father left me with a family and continued traveling to practice medicine on his own. He seldom returned home. The last time I saw him was four years ago. When I arrived here in the capital, I left a letter at our old residence. I even went back to check, but the letter was untouched, still exactly where I left it. I’m not sure if that means he hasn’t returned or simply hasn’t seen it.”

Xiao Cao had no intention of hiding her previous marriage, but she was cautious in speaking of Tingyu’s death. After all, the exact circumstances remained unclear, and revealing too much might alarm potential enemies and make it even more difficult to uncover the truth. Besides, since she had already decided not to remarry, what did it matter if people knew about her past?

“Yesterday, I already sent someone to keep an eye on your old residence,” said Wenren Taibo. “Perhaps one day, your foster father will turn up again.”

Xiao Cao was touched by her father’s thoughtfulness. “Thank you, Father.”

“There’s no need to thank me. This is what any father would do. And if anything, it should be us thanking Divine Doctor Lin. After all, if it weren’t for him…”

Xiao Cao nodded. “I just worry about him. He’s an old man now, and when someone like him gets absorbed in their craft, they tend to forget everything else.”

“Is he really that old? You didn’t mention any specifics yesterday, so I assumed he was around my age,” remarked Wenren Taibo, surprised.

“My foster father was already over fifty when he found me as an infant.”

“So why do you call him ‘father’ and not ‘grandfather’?”

“He’s never married or had children. He once said, ‘Without children, where would grandchildren come from?’ So, he told me to call him ‘Father.’”

Wenren Taibo nodded and then added, “In that case, I’ll send word to search for him. A practitioner of his caliber surely has a bit of a reputation. It shouldn’t be too hard to locate him.”

A smile spread across Xiao Cao’s face. “If we can find him, that would be wonderful. During our last meeting, I tried to persuade him to settle down, but he snuck away before I could convince him. I’m not sure if he refused to settle down, and that’s why he hasn’t returned.”

“Next time you see him, encourage him a little more.”

“Of course.”

Everyone else had been quietly listening, and none of them had expected Xiao Cao and Cheng Wenzheng to have such an intertwined past.

Wenren Ying, for her part, smiled on the surface, but her eyes grew cold. Ever since Cheng Wenzheng and Xiao Cao had started talking, she had been itching to drag Xiao Cao away. But unfortunately, she couldn’t—nor would it be appropriate. And if she handled this wrong… well, who knows what might happen…

Wenren Ying reminded herself to stay calm. Just because they have a history doesn’t mean anything will come of it. Besides, once I secure Cheng Wenzheng for myself, this past can be something I use to draw closer to my future mother-in-law. In the end, I’ll be the one who benefits.

However, what Wenren Ying didn’t know was that certain changes had been set in motion the moment Xiao Cao arrived in this world. The life that Wenren Ying had returned to wasn’t exactly her original past—it was more like the reflection of a mirror. The two worlds were mostly the same, but there were subtle differences. It wasn’t that one world was the opposite of the other, but there were slight deviations. If Wenren Ying had originally been outside the mirror, then now she was inside it.

In her previous “life,” Xiao Cao had never existed. Wenren Taibo and Han Shi’s legitimate second daughter didn’t live long enough to meet Divine Doctor Lin, so there was no chance for Xiao Cao to have saved Cheng Wenzheng’s mother. Perhaps Cheng’s mother did meet Divine Doctor Lin in that timeline, but because the treatment wasn’t timely, she was left with lingering health issues. Cheng Wenzheng’s later success came from his mother finally opening up to him and sharing her heart.

In that version of events, Cheng Wenzheng passed his exams with the help of his hometown but without as much outside aid.

Wenren Ying had never met Cheng Wenzheng’s mother. To her, what mattered were Cheng Wenzheng and his future wife. Not having seen the differences between the two timelines, she had no reason to question Xiao Cao’s connection to Cheng’s family. In this world, she assumed her fourth sister had “originally” saved Cheng Wenzheng’s mother, but only because she had yet to return to the Wenren family at the time.

At that moment, a servant arrived from Han Shi with a message that it was nearly time for the banquet.

Wenren Taibo appeared to remember something as he turned to Cheng Wenzheng, “Wenzheng, today we’re hosting a family banquet in honor of my fourth daughter’s return, as per her grandmother’s request. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to have you stay any longer today.”

Wenren Taibo held Cheng Wenzheng in very high regard, treating him like family, so the formalities between them were few. However, after spending so much time together, their interactions also became more straightforward.

Cheng Wenzheng bowed respectfully, “It is my fault for overstaying. I take my leave now.”

After Cheng Wenzheng had formally taken his leave, Wenren Taibo asked his eldest son, Wenren Xu, to escort him out. The rest of the family made their way toward the rear courtyard to prepare for the family banquet.