Chapter 251: Chapter 107: The Fox Spirit_3

Pei Yunmeng had been so heartless, turning around and casting Lu Tong aside like an expendable piece. As an outsider, she naturally had to be prudent and protect herself, making her stance clear early on. Otherwise, when the accounts were settled later, the Qi Family’s precious daughter would probably refrain from blaming her new husband, but would certainly blame herself, the matchmaker who had operated in the shadows.

Everyone needs a scapegoat, she understood.

"Go tell Sheng Quan," Lady Dong instructed her maidservant, "from now on, do not go to Renxin Medical Hall anymore. If Lu Tong comes to the door, just give her some silver to send her away. Don’t let her enter Dong Family’s door."

She couldn’t afford to lose out for no reason, especially since Lin’er’s illness had almost completely healed by now. It would be just the same if she invited a medical officer from the Hanlin Medical Institute to come take a look after a period of time.

What mattered most was not jeopardizing the future of her Dong Family.

The maidservant by her side complied, and then a young servant entered from outside, bowing his head as he presented an invitation card: "Madam, a person from the medical profession came by earlier, saying that the matter you ordered for the spring examination has been taken care of. Please review it, Madam."

Lady Dong was rubbing her temples with a headache when she heard this and was momentarily startled: "Someone from the medical profession came over? What spring examination?"

The young servant hesitated, then said in a low voice, "It was the young master’s instructions..."

"Young master’s instructions? What did the young master instruct?" Lady Dong, not particularly concerned, took the invitation card and casually flipped through it.

With a "thump," the young servant kneeled down without a second thought.

"Madam," he replied, "the young master asked the medical envoy at the Medical Officer Institute to add Doctor Lu’s name to the list of recommended candidates for this year’s spring exam!"

The woman’s face changed abruptly: "What did you say?"

...

In the room, Dong Lin was having trouble deciding which luxurious clothing to wear.

On the bed were a bright blue Hangzhou silk robe, a dark wide-sleeved brocade, an ivory white fur coat... A variety of embroidered garments were spread out fully on the bed. Dong Lin held a treasure blue-grey coat in front of himself and looked at it carefully in the mirror. He then shook his head: "No, too flashy."

He planned to visit Renxin Medical Hall that afternoon. As the saying goes, a man grooms himself for the one who pleases his heart just as much as a woman does. He always wanted to look more handsome and imposing before the one he adored.

Perhaps it’s true that a person is in high spirits when happy; Dong Lin felt even walking uplifted his mood in the past few days. The medical profession had already managed the spring examination matters; now, the challenge was how to propose to Lu Tong and persuade her to marry him.

His mother had mentioned that Lu Tong was from Su Nan, and that her parents had died early, leaving her without siblings or relatives. Even if he were to ask a matchmaker to propose, there would be no one to speak to. It might be better to speak directly to Lu Tong, to show his sincerity.

Dong Lin, clutching the grey coat, cleared his throat in front of the mirror.

"Miss Lu," he began with courage, "actually, from the moment I saw you at Wan’en Temple, my heart was already captured by you. In these days, seeing how much effort you’ve put into treating my illness, my gratitude is immense."

"Although our acquaintance has been brief, I’ve felt a strong rapport with you from the very beginning. I cherish you in my heart, and I want, I want..."

He trailed off as he felt a flush of shyness, as if the beautiful doctor from the medical hall were seated right before him. He didn’t dare to look directly at himself in the mirror, but shyly expressed the words he had rehearsed a thousand, ten thousand times in his heart.

"I wish to take you as my concubine, to spend our days and nights together, to share a life of harmony. Would that be agreeable?"

The next moment, a voice interrupted his reverie.

"Not good."

Dong Lin’s expression changed instantly, and he turned around abruptly, only to see Lady Dong standing at the doorway, watching him coldly.

"Mother..." Dong Lin stuttered, then his face flushed red, "When did you get here?"

"When did I get here?" Lady Dong let out a cold laugh, stepped forward, and threw the invitation card in front of Dong Lin, "Look at the trouble you’ve caused!"

Dong Lin glanced down and saw the name of the medical profession prominently displayed on the card.

His heart tightened—his mother knew about his trip to the medical profession.

Sure enough, before Dong Lin could speak, Lady Dong took the lead: "Had it not been for the person from the medical profession bringing this invitation, I would still be unaware of what my son has done, running around for a resident female doctor. Dong Lin, you’ve really grown some nerve!"

Lady Dong, levelly staring at Dong Lin, could not conceal her indignation.

She had just decided to distance herself from Lu Tong today, to prevent the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion from transferring their anger onto them, and then she heard that her son had secured a nomination for Lu Tong in the spring examination at the Medical Officer Institute. How could she not be angry?

Lu Tong was beautiful and sedate in nature, and Lady Dong had long noticed Dong Lin’s unfiltered gaze every time he saw her. Fortunately, Lu Tong had the sense to not get too close to Dong Lin, and with Pei Yunmeng in the picture, Lady Dong hadn’t been too concerned until now.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read