[Thanks to Second Sister for her generous support. These past few days have been hectic with sister's wedding preparations, leading to irregular updates. Thank you all for your understanding; things will return to normal tomorrow!]

"Brother Fan, where are you headed?" After getting into the car, Lin Qingqing asked Ding Fan.

"Let's just leave this place. Drop me off anywhere," Ding Fan didn't intend to let Lin Qingqing drive him back to his place. He had gotten into the car with them only to leave Zhang Meijiao behind as soon as possible.

"Qingqing, thank you. If it weren't for you, today's situation would have been troublesome," Ding Fan said.

Ding Fan had prepared for the worst before Lin Qingqing's arrival. If she hadn't appeared, he might have had to resort to killing someone and fleeing to the mountains. Therefore, he felt compelled to express his gratitude.

"Brother Fan, you don't need to be so formal with me. I'm happy to help you, and besides, I didn't really do much today," Lin Qingqing replied with a smile.

For some reason, being with Ding Fan, Lin Qingqing always felt an indescribable ease. It was a very comfortable feeling.

While finding such a sense of ease might be common for most people, for Lin Qingqing, it was exceptionally rare. So, her words were indeed heartfelt. Whether or not it was because Ding Fan had saved her brother, she was genuinely happy to help him.

As Xu Rui drove, she glanced at Lin Qingqing.

Xu Rui and Lin Qingqing were college classmates and were very close friends who shared everything with each other.

Xu Rui had never seen Lin Qingqing be so affectionate with a man. Although Lin Qingqing, being a public figure, sometimes appeared affectionate in certain situations, Xu Rui could tell that was all pretense. However, her affection toward Ding Fan was clearly genuine.

She couldn't help but give Ding Fan another look. To her, he appeared utterly ordinary, the type you wouldn't notice in a crowd. Moreover, from his attire, he didn't seem to belong to any prestigious family. How could Qingqing be so special toward this guy?

"Xu Rui, you mentioned earlier that you want to take me to see Qin Manshu. Aren't you two not on speaking terms? Why do you want to see her today?" Sensing Xu Rui's gaze, Lin Qingqing changed the subject.

Mentioning Qin Manshu made Ding Fan pause. It really was a small world. Wasn't the Medicine Pill he sold in the park purchased by Qin Manshu? However, Ding Fan was still unsure if Qin Manshu was the same one Lin Qingqing mentioned.

Xu Rui scoffed, "I can't stand Qin Manshu. She acts so high and mighty all the time, as if everyone were servants in her household."

Lin Qingqing covered her mouth and laughed. "Manshu studied in America and learned noble etiquette, so maybe you misunderstood her."

Listening to their conversation, Ding Fan was certain they were talking about the same Qin Manshu who bought his Pill.

Thinking of Qin Manshu, she indeed had a noble air about her, which probably made Xu Rui uncomfortable.

Apart from being pretty, Xu Rui's personality was really like that of a boy; she found it hard to accept a woman with poised manners.

"If you dislike her so much, why go to all the trouble of finding her?" Lin Qingqing teased Xu Rui.

"What else could it be for? My dad bought a Pill from some street stall with her, and some lousy master told him he only had ten days to live. Now my dad is obsessed, visiting the hospital every day for checks…" Xu Rui sighed as she spoke.

Upon hearing Xu Rui's words, Ding Fan was taken aback. The person she mentioned was none other than Deputy Mayor Xu? It turned out that Xu Rui was Xu Guanjie's daughter, which explained her audacity in front of those two policemen. Who would dare trouble the daughter of the Deputy Mayor?

"Did Uncle Xu find out he has any illness?" Lin Qingqing asked with concern.

Xu Rui shook her head. "Our old man is in great health; he's not sick at all. He's just scaring himself. But now he won't stop talking about that master—it's like he's become a street fortune-teller himself. Today was even worse. He insists that I find Qin Manshu to see if she can connect us with that master…"

Upon hearing this, Ding Fan was almost certain his sold Pill had taken effect, which was why Xu Guanjie was so frightened. However, he decided not to reveal that he was the master.

Firstly, even if he did, the other party might not believe him, and secondly, he could tell that Xu Rui deeply resented this 'master.' Ding Fan even suspected that if Xu Rui discovered he was the master, she might punch him right there.

"There are no such things as masters nowadays. Maybe I should visit your house and talk to Uncle some time. He's probably just stressed from work and that's why he believes in those masters," Lin Qingqing suggested.

Xu Rui nodded and then said with a stern face, "If I ever find that master, I will definitely give him a piece of my mind."

Ding Fan had a face of disbelief. It seemed his choice to keep his identity hidden was wise.

The car continued driving for about ten minutes, but then Ding Fan decided it was time to get off. They were close to his home, and he planned to buy some herbs before heading straight home.

"By the way, Brother Fan, I have a favor to ask of you. Are you available this weekend?" As the car stopped and Ding Fan was about to step out, Lin Qingqing spoke up.

"Sure, tell me what you need."

Ding Fan had known that he would someday need to repay the favor, but he had not expected it so soon.

"In two days, it will be my birthday, and I'd like to invite you to my birthday party, because I still need a dance partner. I don't have many friends in Dancheng, so I can only ask for your help, Brother Fan."

On the side, Xu Rui looked at Lin Qingqing with a somewhat astonished expression, as if she was seeing a Lin Qingqing she no longer recognized today.

Inviting such an ordinary person as a dance partner was simply incomprehensible. Everyone knew that if Lin Qingqing wanted a dance partner, the young masters of Dancheng would scramble for the opportunity. It wasn't like what Lin Qingqing said about not finding a dance partner.

Dance?

Ding Fan was stunned. He didn't know how to dance at all, and he initially wanted to refuse. But when he looked up, he saw Lin Qingqing's beautiful, clear eyes filled with hope.

Ding Fan couldn't deny that Lin Qingqing was too beautiful, and even when facing her, he would feel a suffocating sensation. If he didn't have good self-control, he probably would have stood there facing Lin Qingqing, completely at a loss for what to do.

"Okay," Ding Fan nodded. He just couldn't bring himself to refuse Lin Qingqing's invitation.

"This Sunday, five o'clock in the evening at the Lake Heart Residence resort at Qianye Lake." Lin Qingqing seemed very happy, saying with a beaming smile.

Ding Fan nodded. "I'll be there on time."

...

After sending Xu Rui and Lin Qingqing off, Ding Fan didn't delay any further. He went straight home to get some money and headed to a nearby Chinese medicine shop, where he listed some names of medicinal herbs.

Waiting for the clerk to gather all the herbs and tally them up, he realized that he had amassed over seven thousand yuan worth of raw materials alone. The total materials filled two large bags.

The clerk at the Medicine Shop was stunned. He even suspected that Ding Fan was gathering so many herbs to open his own medicine shop, especially since some of those he requested weren't even in their inventory. If they were to gather everything, it would require a massive amount of herbs.

Ding Fan paid no heed to the clerk's astonished look. After getting his herbs, he went straight home.

This time, after spending on the herbs, he only had over two thousand yuan left. However, Ding Fan wasn't too worried about money now. The herbs he had were enough for a short while, and additionally, he could always make extra money by carrying heavy loads at the dock.

Leaving the medicine shop, Ding Fan went straight home.

At home, Ding Fan didn't hurry to start concocting the Pills. The first thing he did was go to the yard to check on his planted Fragrant Mind-Consolidating Grass. The spiritual energy on Earth was sparse. Currently, Ding Fan could only rely on this plant of Fragrant Mind-Consolidating Grass, so he took extra care of it.

In order to not make the Fragrant Mind-Consolidating Grass stand out, Ding Fan had also planted some inconspicuous flowers and plants around the Spirit Grass. At this moment, the remaining flower from the hundred flowers was gradually wilting, and it seemed about to wither. Looking at the current situation, it wouldn't be long before the Fragrant Mind-Consolidating Grass could produce seeds.

After loosening the soil around the Fragrant Mind-Consolidating Grass, Ding Fan then went back upstairs to start alchemy intently.

...

Zhou Ruoran finished her morning class and, as usual, continued on to her job at Phoenix Building. Just as she arrived, the very bothersome shrewish woman came to greet her. Zhou Ruoran thought the woman was going to trouble her, but unexpectedly, she came to apologize.

Moreover, regardless of what Zhou Ruoran said, the shrewish woman insisted on giving her two thousand yuan. Zhou Ruoran originally did not want to accept it, but the shrewish woman was relentless. Seeing no other way out, Zhou Ruoran finally accepted the two thousand yuan.

"Sister Ruoran, the man who rescued you yesterday was really handsome. What is he to you?" After the shrewish woman had left, Wu Min came over to chat with Zhou Ruoran.

"Just an ordinary friend," Zhou Ruoran said directly without even thinking.

"I don't think so. You didn't see it at the time. When he saw you were hurt, his look was almost fierce enough to devour someone," Wu Min commented.

Zhou Ruoran was stunned, and for a moment, she recalled Ding Fan's gaze. It carried a bit of heartache and anger.

"Sister Ruoran, I can definitely say that man likes you," Wu Min said a bit gossipy.

Zhou Ruoran looked at Wu Min and said somewhat exasperatedly, "Silly girl, you're so young, what do you know about what liking someone means?"

"Of course I know!" Wu Min said with a confident expression. "The person who feels more pain than you when you're hurt is someone who likes you."

The person who feels more pain than you when you're hurt is someone who likes you.

Zhou Ruoran repeated Wu Min's words in her mind, Ding Fan's gaze magnifying in her heart until finally, she saw that gaze filled with a bit of heartache, a bit of anger…