Chapter 524: Chapter 186 Recognition_3

Ji Xun clenched the white jade in his hand.

Years ago, as he was passing through Su Nan, his carriage accidentally struck a passing girl. At first, he thought it was just a scrape, but later he found she was poisoned with a strange toxin.

To cure the girl of the poison, he stayed in Su Nan for an extended period until he spent all the silver he had with him. In the end, he had no choice but to leave the jade pendant as collateral at the inn.

Later, when the girl’s poison was resolved and her health was about to recover, the people coming to pick him up urged him too impatiently. He left Su Nan overnight, without even having time to redeem the Jade Jue. He had plans to send someone back to retrieve it, but at the last minute, he called them back.

The poisoned girl was dressed in poor clothing, which made her look destitute. Clearly poisoned with a strange toxin, she refused to see a doctor, likely due to her family’s hardship and lack of money for treatment. It was better to leave the Jade Jue in pawn at the inn, to allow her to rest and recover longer before having to leave.

Jade is an inanimate object, but people are alive; healers can cure diseases but not poverty.

That was all he could do for her.

After many years, he had almost forgotten about the incident. If he hadn’t seen the white jade in the hands of that young man in the small woods today, he would have nearly forgotten he once had such a piece of jewelry.

Regained after being lost.

Ji Xun looked at the person before him.

Lu Tong stood in front of him.

The robe of the Imperial Medical Officer was slightly too large for her. Her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows for convenience while boiling the medicine. The slightly pale arm was marked with red streaks snaking along, menacing and conspicuous—the traces left by a bite from the Qi Family’s fierce dogs on Huangmao Hill.

Compared to the girl in the Su Nan Inn from those years ago, she seemed a bit taller. Ji Xun looked into her eyes intently, trying to find a trace of the past on her.

Compared to the transparency and shyness of those years, these eyes were more indifferent, more calm, utterly unrippled.

However, knowing the past connection, it only took one glance to recognize that the person before him was indeed the same girl who had been poisoned in the Su Nan Inn back then.

The white foam boiled in the medicine pot, flowing down the side of the pot and into the flames, making a "sizzling" sound.

Ji Xun slowly began to speak.

"Four years ago, I passed by Su Nan and encountered a sick person. I stayed to cure her of the poison for several days at an inn."

"When leaving, I left the white jade in pawn at the inn."

He let the white jade dangle in the air, suspended by a red string, swaying gently.

"This jade was a gift from my mother; the pattern has an extra string of a qin, which I drew myself. This is my jade."

"Doctor Lu..."

He looked at Lu Tong, "I wonder how you came into possession of it?"

Lu Tong remained silent.

Outside the window, the leaves were quiet and the large patches of deep green were like vibrant, beautiful scenery.

Ji Xun held the white jade, his gaze quiet and slightly puzzled, looking at her with understanding and with a hint of realization, like seeing an old friend.

He had recognized her.

After a while, Lu Tong raised her head, her expression restored to calm.

"After our parting in Su Nan years ago, Young Master left this jade behind. Now, it should be returned to its rightful owner."

She looked at Ji Xun.

"Doctor Ji, this is your jade."

...

At the Palace Marshal’s Mansion.

Duan Xiaoyan walked through the courtyard and entered the hall. As soon as he entered, he immediately unbuttoned two buttons at the collar.

It was bearable to stay inside, but once past early morning, walking under the sun was quite exhausting.

Xiao Zhufeng was sitting at the table reviewing military registers. When Duan Xiaoyan entered the room, he casually picked up the teapot on the table and poured himself a cup of brewed bamboo leaf water.

The bamboo leaf water was cool and fragrant, with a touch of honey added. Duan Xiaoyan drank half the jug before stopping.

Perhaps due to the heat, the Palace Front Office had switched to various kinds of floral-infused cool drinks, sweet and refreshing, and Duan Xiaoyan found them more to his taste than plain tea, making him more eager in his duties than before.

The young man wiped his lips, holding the clay pot and complaining to Xiao Zhufeng, "The jade has been delivered to the Medical Officer Institute. The lord has indeed spent so much silver and effort for the repair of a common piece of jade, rather than buying a new one to give. The quality of a new one would be even better than the old one."

Xiao Zhufeng: "If he’s happy, what’s it to you."

Duan Xiaoyan continued to mumble to himself: "But when I gave it to Doctor Lu, she seemed quite pleased. Perhaps this piece of jade holds significant meaning for her, possibly a gift from her family... Oh, right!"

He suddenly shouted, causing Xiao Zhufeng to frown.

"Didn’t we hear that Doctor Lu has a mysterious fiancé in Shengjing? I’m thinking, could it be possible that this was a token of betrothal given to her by her fiancé?"

The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed to him. "Doctor Lu hid the jade in her medicine box, treasuring it close to her every day. It might well be a token of love!"

"Ah, I should have looked more closely to see if there were any names or surnames engraved on it!"

He regretted not doing so, as Xiao Zhufeng glanced at him and said, "Fiancé?" He pondered again: "Spending a lot to repair the fiancé’s token of love..."

Xiao Zhufeng lowered his head with a tone of schadenfreude.

"If that’s the case, he must be close to dying of anger."

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read