Chapter 026: An Unexpected Encounter in the Study

After dinner, everyone went off to rest. Jiner lingered in her small room for quite some time, lost in thought, before finally rising and stepping outside.

When she reached the door to the study, she noticed light spilling out from within. Curious, she edged closer and peered through the crack, finding Xiaojiu inside, sitting and reading a book.

Well, who would have thought he was so diligent? As she mused over this, her hand slipped, and the door creaked open with a soft squeal.

“Who’s there?” Xiaojiu looked up at the sound and spotted a small figure turning to leave. “Jiner?”

Caught off guard, Jiner had intended to sneak away, but seeing that he had recognized her, she decided to stay and turned around.

Xiaojiu had already risen from his seat and walked over to open the door fully.

“I thought it was you,” he said with a serene smile. “Would you like to read? Come in.”

Jiner looked up at him, nodded slightly, and entered.

“My master has plenty of medical books here. Take whichever you like. These are for beginners, these are intermediate, and those are on rare and difficult cases,” Xiaojiu explained, standing in front of two large bookshelves.

Jiner nodded and thanked him, then walked to the leftmost shelf—the beginner section—and pulled out two volumes. Since she was set on learning, she thought it best to start with a solid foundation.

“Come sit over here,” Xiaojiu said, returning to his seat and gesturing for her to join him.

Jiner nodded and went over to sit beside him, immediately immersing herself in the books.

Time slipped by quietly as the night deepened. Jiner’s brow furrowed as her gaze moved slowly across the pages. Her thick, curled lashes fluttered gently like tiny fans. Her forehead was smooth, her nose delicate, her lips rosy and lightly pressed together, and her clever chin seemed especially soft in the glow of the candlelight.

Xiaojiu watched her profile in silence, momentarily entranced. Only when she raised her hand to turn a page did he snap out of it.

Seeing Jiner so absorbed and focused, Xiaojiu couldn't help but smile faintly. If his master saw this, he would surely give her a look of approval—he knew his master was quite fond of this little girl.

With that thought, Xiaojiu shook off his musings and returned to his own reading.

After some time, Xiaojiu couldn’t help but yawn. Glancing outside, he realized it was already quite late.

“Jiner, let’s stop here for tonight. It’s late, you should go back and rest.”

Jiner looked up, nodded, though her gaze lingered on the pages with reluctance.

“Why don’t you take this book with you? You can return it when you’ve finished,” Xiaojiu suggested, noticing her lingering interest.

“Really? Would Doctor Chen mind?” Jiner’s face brightened, but then she hesitated.

“Don’t worry. Master admires industriousness above all. I’ll mention it to him another day,” Xiaojiu replied with a reassuring smile.

Relieved, Jiner nodded, put the other book back on the shelf, and left the room with Xiaojiu.

After locking the door, they went their separate ways.

Jiner’s small room had once been a storage closet, tucked away in the farthest corner of the courtyard, right next to the storeroom for herbs. Xiaojiu, Qiner, and another assistant had rooms upstairs, while Doctor Chen only stayed in the shop during the day, returning to his nearby home at night.

Back in her room, Jiner sat under the oil lamp, reading deep into the night. Whenever she encountered something she didn’t understand, she jotted it down with pen and paper.

And so, by day she worked in the shop, by night she studied in the library with Xiaojiu, consulting him on any difficulties, then returned to her own room to read late into the night. Each day was full and rewarding, and before she knew it, ten days had passed.