Perplexing Encounters

🐜: Hmmm, so TM and AJ 🤔...well, if I were to describe the relationship between those two, TM is that little bratty sibling who starts crap and AJ is that older nagging sibling who usually gets roped into said crap by association...and LX, well she's that sibling who does whatever they want but never gets in trouble because they are "responsible", yeah that annoying one 😑...I'll give a tiny hint...👀 I can do that, right? Okay...Here it is, whatever AJ knows, TM knows...right? 🤔 Well, for the most part...Perhaps, one can call them partners in crime...by association 🤔***

"Doctor Lou?" Song mama asked knitting her brows.

"Yes." Lei Xing nodded.

{...I'm really sorry old man T_T)...}

 "Do you know him?" The Empress dowager asked turning to Song mama.

"Well, no...but I have heard rumors of a famous Doctor Lou who is renowned for helping women conceive. It is said that it doesn't matter the condition of the person or age, anyone he has helped has given birth to a healthy child within a year. I don't know if it is the same one...?" Song mama finished looking to Lei Xing for an answer.

Lei Xing blinked, "Perhaps...I believe so..." Then quickly added, "...but I didn't go there for that, he is very skilled in other matters as well."

{...Please don't misunderstand...}

 "And what is wrong with you going to him for that?" The Empress dowager asked, looking at Lei Xing with a frown.

Lei Xing gulped and quietly replied, "...Nothing."

{...I just thought that maybe you would want to know that...just clarifying, so feel free to ignore it please...}

 The Empress dowager turned back to Song mama, "Is he really that skilled?"

"If the rumors are true, yes...but I have also heard that he is very picky about his patients. If he refuses to treat someone, no amount of money or pleading will persuade him otherwise."

Lei Xing nodded slightly.

{...Considering he's apparently closed with doors wide open, I'd say that sounds about right -_-)...}

 "Interesting..." The Empress dowager calmly said and then turned back to Lei Xing, "What made him decide to treat you?"

"I am not too sure myself...I was not even aware of his reputation when I initially approached him...I was just trying to find every possible avenue to help with my condition and stumbled into his shop..." Lei Xing explained.

"I see..." The Empress dowager said, then the room fell into a long silence. Finally, she said, "You can leave."

Lei Xing blinked in surprise and then quickly bowed and made her exit, feeling slightly confused and in disbelief. This encounter went a lot smoother than she had anticipated.

{...Just like that? That's it? Seriously?... This feels odd... Well, it's good, hopefully... Actually, what could she really do to me? I didn't break any rules, and I had permission from THE EMPEROR so there's nothing for her to complain about Hahahaha...ha T_T)...}

***

"This is the place." Commander An informed the Emperor, who was standing beside him. They were currently standing outside Doctor Lou's shop.

When the Emperor was informed that Lei Xing had come here again, he decided to come here to meet this suspicious character himself.

He was not surprised when he heard she came here again. Their relationship was already suspect since he rationalized that the doctor had lied. He was more interested in this meeting with the doctor than in her meeting with Prince Yi.

Although her meeting Prince Yi again was suspicious, it was not as if she sought him out. They have been watching both of them, and her even more closely, there was no occasion for her to have arranged a meeting with him.

Therefore, it seemed their encounter was really based on a coincidence again...at least on her part.

{...I wonder what my brother was thinking doing that... Could he really be interested in her? No, he's probably just trying to cause friction... She really needs to be more careful, but I'm sure Yong already lectured her plenty on that...}

The Emperor sighed, he would not pursue that matter. He told Commander An to wait outside and went into Doctor Lou's shop on his own.

The Emperor walked in to find the old man asleep on his desk as usual, and so knocked lightly on the desk.

Doctor Lou adjusted his sleeping position and mumbled, "We're closed."

The Emperor raised an eyebrow and stood there for a while, waiting.

When he realized that Doctor Lou was not planning on getting up, he knit his brows and knocked on the table again, a little harder this time, "Wake up."

Doctor Lou groaned and raised his forehead to peek at the intruder and mumbled, "I said we're closed."

The Emperor narrowed his eyes at him, "I have something to disc-"

"Ah? It's already so late?" Doctor Lou shouted, sitting up with eyes fixed outside the doors, staring at the dwindling daylight.

Then he yawned and looked back at the Emperor, "It's closing time, so come back tomorrow."

The Emperor ignored his words and proceeded, "I have a question to ask about one of your customers."

"Oh." Doctor Lou replied, a bit disgruntled.

"A young woman dressed in male garments came here today, what did she come for?" The Emperor bluntly asked.

Doctor Lou yawned again, "I don't remember, I get many visitors."

 "I happen to know she was your only visitor today." The Emperor swiftly responded, narrowing his eyes.

Doctor Lou folded his arms and closely scrutinized the Emperor for a bit, then said, "Look, if you're looking for your wife, as you can see, she's not here so goodbye."

The Emperor knit his brows, "I didn't say she is my wife."

Doctor Lou blinked and asked, "She's not?"

 The Emperor raised his eyebrows, but before he could speak, Doctor Lou leaned forward and continued, "Well, I happen to know that young lady is married. So if you're not her husband, then why are you tracking her?"

He paused and then eyed the Emperor with suspicion, "Are you her stalker?"

The Emperor frowned, "I thought you said you didn't remember?"

Doctor Lou straightened, yawning again, "Well, since you said she was the only one who visited today, I figured that the other visitors must have been figments of my imagination...and so, I just picked out the most unpleasant visitor because you see my head is a very pleasant space and there are only cheerful and wonderful people in there." Doctor Lou finished explaining, nodding and stroking his beard with his eyes closed.

The Emperor blinked and frowned in confusion

{...Is he being serious? Or is he toying with me?...}

 The Emperor then said, "I am being serious here."

Doctor Lou paused and then squinted at him and got down from his stool, mumbling, "I am also being serious..." Then he walked outside and kicked away the rocks keeping the doors open, and closed the first one, then he looked at the Emperor, who was still standing inside watching him with a frown, "Are you not coming out?"

The Emperor's frown deepened, but he still walked outside to join him, "So wh-"

"We're friends." Doctor Lou interjected, then he glanced at the Emperor's skeptical expression and frowned, "What, you don't believe me? Do I look like someone who can't have friends? Is it because I'm old?" Doctor Lou asked with indignation.

The Emperor's blinked, "No, that's no-"

"Or are you jealous?" Doctor Lou cut him off with a smirk and then, wiggling his eyebrows asked, "Do you want to be my friend too? I can help you, you know."

The Emperor frowned, "No, why-"

"Fine then, I don't expect you, "young ones" to ever want to hang out with old me. Probably think I'm too boring because I'm old. Children these days are so horrible, they think they know everything...Can't tell what is good for them, too disappointing..." He grumbled as he quickly stepped back inside, pulling the other door shut.

He barked from the other side as he bolted the door, "Anyway, your wife is not here! Goodbye!"

The Emperor stood there frowning at the closed doors in confusion.

Commander An who was watching the exchange from a distance walked up to the Emperor, "As I mentioned, he is not exactly the cooperative sort, should I break down the door?"

The Emperor turned to him, still frowning, "No, just leave him be." He said and turned to leave.

{...He hasn't done anything wrong yet and I can't go around harassing people for no reason...He also seems like the stubborn sort who wouldn't talk even though he was threatened, he's definitely... abnormal...and she's not exactly normal either, so I can see how it is possible for them to be friends...}

 The Emperor had come with the intention to get some clue as to what was going on with Lei Xing.

Instead of answers, he ended up leaving more confused than he had come. The conversation went nowhere, and he only got that they were "friends".

By the time the Emperor returned to the palace, it was already dark. He decided to go to Lei Xing's palace with the aim of getting some clarity on the nature of this friendship.

{...She's definitely easier to handle...}

When he arrived, he encountered Ah Jin at the entrance on her way out.

Ah Jin bowed in greeting, and he simply stood there scrutinizing her for a bit and then asked, "You're her personal maid, aren't you?"

Ah Jin bowed her head, "Yes, your majesty."

"How long have you been serving her?"

"Since childhood." Ah Jin responded.

"I see, so you've always been together then?"

"Yes, your majesty."

 "Then you must be very close?" The Emperor asked narrowing his eyes.

Ah Jin slightly knit her brows and nodded.

"Hm, I see..." The Emperor paused, observing Ah Jin for a bit, and then asked, "You must have gone out with her today, where did she go?"

"She went to see a doctor." Ah Jin truthfully responded.

 "Why?" The emperor swiftly asked.

Ah Jin's eyebrows twitched and then she said, "Her Highness' health has not been very good lately, and he has been able to help in giving her a remedy for relief...so that is why..."

The Emperor raised an eyebrow, "Remedy for relief? Ah, that was what you procured from that doctor before when she had just entered the palace..."

Ah Jin blinked and then responded, "Yes, your majesty."

"I see..." The emperor smirked.

{...Remedy for relief, conception medication, friends? Which is it?...}

The Emperor was a bit amused by this situation and was a bit eager to get Lei Xing's perspective on it.

He was fairly certain the doctor was the one lying. Ah Jin's story made more sense, but he was confused as to why he would go through the trouble of lying.

{...Did she ask him to? No, that makes no sense...Was he just doing it out of boredom then? That seems plausible Or... Am I thinking too much?... What exactly am I even expecting to find here?....}

 "What is the Noble consort doing now?" The Emperor asked.

"She is asleep." Ah Jin responded.

The Emperor knit his brows, then Ah Jin asked, "Would you like to see her? I'll go wake her."

"No need." The Emperor quickly responded and turned to leave. After a few steps, he paused for a bit, and then resumed walking.

{...It's fine, it can be discussed tomorrow...}

Ah Jin watched him walking off with his retinue, then let out a heavy sigh and continued on her way.

***

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NOTE: The NEXT chapter is 🐜 SIDE STORY, so SKIP if you will~ Thank you...