I Conquer the Entertainment Industry with My Medical Skills - Chapter 35

Xie Anran’s fingertips silently rubbed against the bedsheets, inching toward An Ningqing like an ant. Her face remained composed, but her heart felt like it had swallowed a piece of popping candy, a mix of nervous excitement like sneaking forbidden fruit with a friend behind her parents’ backs, and a hint of thrill.

She licked her lips.

“Wait.”

“Huh?”

Xie Anran’s hand froze. She sensed An Ningqing suddenly lean in, stopping just half a centimeter from her shoulder. Stray strands of hair brushed annoyingly against her cheek, sending her heart racing before An Ningqing abruptly straightened up again, lowering her head to sniff the half-human-sized bear in her arms.

Irritated, Xie Anran snapped, “Why are you sniffing it?!”

She instinctively tried to toss the bulky bear onto the sofa, but it wouldn’t budge.

An Ningqing wasn’t just sniffing; her hands were exploring the bear’s body. Suddenly, she felt a bulge beneath the bear’s pocket, on its round waist. “Wait, there’s something inside here.”

“I know,” Xie Anran replied. “It’s a switch. This bear used to sing, but I broke the button. Now it’s just a pillow.”

An Ningqing swiftly stripped the bear’s clothing off. The fabric carried a faint scent of lavender laundry detergent. Xie Anran, bewildered by her actions, exclaimed, “Why are you undressing my bear, An Ningqing? I never knew you had this fetish! So you were the one who took off my clothes before, weren’t you?”

An Ningqing remained silent, ignoring Xie Anran’s dramatic outburst. Her fingers meticulously traced the seams and buttons, her focus unwavering as if performing a solemn task. “Who bought this bear for you?”

Xie Anran tilted her head, thinking. “It’s been a while… probably my eldest brother. He always gives me gifts whenever he makes me angry.”

An Ningqing suddenly asked, “Can I take it apart?”

Xie Anran froze, visibly stunned.

“If you really like it, I’ll be careful taking it apart and sew it back together afterward.”

“That’s not necessary.”

The truth was, Xie Anran had grown accustomed to sleeping with the bear. Once, during summer camp, she forgot to bring it and couldn’t sleep well for two nights, initially blaming the pillow. But when she brought her own pillow on a later trip and still couldn’t sleep…

The bear had remained on her bed ever since.

“But I can’t sleep without it, so you’ll have to compensate me.”

“Alright.”

If one plate of Tranquil Spirit Incense wasn’t enough, she’d burn two, or even three.

Perhaps it was time to start mass-producing Tranquil Spirit Incense.

Seeing how readily An Ningqing agreed, Xie Anran eagerly fetched a pair of scissors and urged her on, “Use the scissors to take it apart, quick!”

An Ningqing glanced at her and began dismantling the bear with practiced skill. She carefully picked at the seams with the scissors, peeling back the fabric like skin. The bear’s belly was stuffed with clumps of cotton.

Xie Anran watched her work, finding even the simple act of dismantling the bear graceful. But her smile quickly faded. “Ew, that’s disgusting! What are these things? Don’t tell me they’re bugs!”

Scattered among the cotton clumps were numerous black and yellow particles.

An Ningqing scooped them up and scattered them across the table, revealing a dense, swarming mass.

The thought of having slept with the bear for years sent shivers down Xie Anran’s spine. “Ahhh, Xie Xuanze, you bastard!” She immediately pulled out her phone and called Xie Xuanze.

While Xie Anran turned away, An Ningqing quickly wrapped a portion of the particles in paper.

As expected, these were likely the factors causing Third Miss Xie’s manic episodes.

During their first consultation, An Ningqing had sensed Xie Anran’s violently surging qi and bl00d, her excessive internal heat, and her dangerously heightened mental state.

Xie Xuanze was in a meeting when his sister’s call came through. He immediately signaled for a pause, answered cheerfully, but before he could speak, Xie Anran unleashed a torrent of furious insults, tearing into him with unrestrained fury.

“Ranran, wait a minute. What bear are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb with me! Didn’t you apologize and give me that big bear as a gift? I’ve been using it as a pillow, and you won’t believe how many bugs crawled out of it today. It was disgusting!”

“Your brother would never give you something dirty. I always inspect all the plushies carefully.”

“Hmph, just wait till I send you the pictures.”

Xie Anran hung up on Xie Xuanze and immediately opened her camera to take photos of the evidence, leaving him speechless.

As soon as Xie Xuanze opened the pictures, his brow furrowed deeply. The bugs had indeed crawled out of the bear’s belly.

But when had he ever given his sister a bear?

He’d sent her plenty of plushies—rabbits, turtles, monkeys, and more—but he’d always felt that the bear’s ruggedness didn’t suit his soft, delicate sister…

As he racked his brain, a memory suddenly surfaced from a forgotten corner of his mind:

“You fought with Ranran again? Just coax her a little, she’ll be fine. I just bought this plushie—she loves these things. Tell her it’s a gift from you, she’ll definitely like it.”

“She likes this?”

“Try it. She’s crying anyway, you need to cheer her up.”

Xie Xuanze slammed his hand on the table, suddenly remembering.

“What are these?”

“Medicinal herbs.”

Xie Anran was shocked. She had been convinced they were insect eggs, and her breakfast was churning in her stomach, nearly making her vomit. “An Ningqing, don’t lie to me! Are you sure these aren’t some kind of insect eggs?”

“I can recognize medicinal herbs.”

Remembering An Ningqing’s miraculous healing abilities, Xie Anran believed her. She took small, hesitant steps toward the table and picked up a tiny, black object smaller than a bean. “What’s this?”

“Little Sweat Grass,” An Ningqing replied. “It clears heat and toxins, promotes circulation, and stops bleeding.”

Xie Anran eyed her suspiciously. “This herb is really that good?”

An Ningqing pressed her lips together, suddenly unsure how to explain. “Used alone, it does have those effects. But when combined with other herbs, its uses vary greatly. It shouldn’t be used indiscriminately.”

“And this one?”

“Rice Pouch Flower.”

“What does it do?”

Hallucinogenic, addictive, poisonous.

An Ningqing suddenly grabbed Xie Anran’s hand. “Third Miss, I doubt you can stuff that bear back together. How about I buy you a new one? We can go to the mall right now and pick one out. You can even sleep with it tonight.”

Sleep with it?!

The mere thought of having slept with these dolls for years made her nauseous.

Xie Anran shook her head so violently it nearly rattled like a toy drum. “Replacing one is enough, but if you’re willing to stay and keep me company for a few more nights, I might consider it.”

She reached out and playfully scratched An Ningqing’s palm.

An Ningqing immediately jerked her hand away. “Let the housekeeper come in and clean up. Since you don’t want them anymore, throw them all away.”

With that, she turned and strode downstairs.

Xie Anran summoned the housekeeper and had her dispose of the tattered dolls and the pile of fruit on the table. She grabbed a handful of the fruit and stashed it in a drawer, leaving the rest for the housekeeper to toss into the trash.

Soon, it was lunchtime.

An Ningqing enjoyed a lavish meal at the Xie family’s table, just the two of them. For a fleeting moment, she felt as if they were still on that island, sharing a meal just like this. “I want to check on Rose Manor. Would you like to come with me?”

Xie Anran, who had no plans for the afternoon, asked absently, “When are you planning to move in? I’ll invite some friends over for a housewarming.”

An Ningqing wanted to inspect the manor for necessary renovations before moving in. She would have preferred to move in immediately, but her wallet was as empty as her pockets, having spent all her cash on ordering a batch of medicinal herb seedlings.

As soon as the seedlings arrived, she would plant them immediately.

Moving in was no longer the most urgent matter.

She was still short on funds.

It seemed she needed to hurry back to work or find more patients like Li Xianzong.

That afternoon, the two women, each with their own thoughts, arrived at the manor. The previous owner had been a wealthy merchant who had purchased the estate to please his beloved mistress. As a result, the entire mountainside was covered in red roses, earning it the name Rose Manor.

However, after the merchant’s mistress passed away from illness and his business suffered losses, the manor was put up for sale again. Eventually, through a series of transactions, it ended up in An Ningqing’s hands.

“This mutt.”

“What?”

Xie Anran’s eyes were nearly blinded by the sea of red thorns. A gust of wind carried the fragrance of roses from the fields, causing her to sneeze violently. “Why plant roses anyway? Couldn’t they have grown something else?”

“Medicinal herbs would be better.”

“……”

This detestable woman. Allergic to romance, are you?

Xie Anran imagined the manor entirely green, the grasslands and medicinal herbs blending seamlessly into one verdant expanse, making it impossible to distinguish where one began and the other ended. “An Ningqing, I think growing only medicinal herbs would be too monotonous. Why not designate some areas for other flowers? Like—” orchids.

“Let’s set aside a plot to grow daily vegetables, and then plant pear, apple, orange, and pomegranate trees around it. Pomegranates are delicious too.”

“……”

Xie Anran rubbed her forehead, already picturing how An Ningqing’s estate would eventually transform. The luxurious Rose Manor would gradually morph into a rustic garden and orchard.

An Ningqing envisioned restoring the place to resemble the Great Medicine Valley. She imagined opening her door each morning to gather herbs, and when she craved something, she could simply stroll to the back to pick it. By the time the seasons changed, the fruits would be ripe and ready.

After exploring the grounds for over two hours, they finally entered the villa. Xie Anran noticed the pristine windowsills and steps. “At least they did a decent job. You can move in right away.”

The interior was warmly furnished and move-in ready, with brand-new chandeliers, entryway shoe racks, and appliances. The sofas and mattresses were also new.

Xie Anran stared at the paintings on the walls for a long moment. “He really spared no expense. It seems someone was sent ahead to prepare everything. You have everything you could possibly need here.” She suddenly turned to An Ningqing. “Now I believe Li Xianzong is genuinely trying to please you.”

Please me?

The word sounded overly flattering, not at all like the Mr. Li she remembered. Besides, she was only charging her standard fees—this seemed inappropriate.

An Ningqing raised an eyebrow. “Why do you say that, Third Miss?”

Xie Anran pointed to the renowned paintings adorning the walls. “These paintings alone are worth a fortune. Any one of them would fetch a high price at auction. Rest assured, they’re genuine. I doubt Li Xianzong would dare try to deceive you with forgeries. And look at these chairs, sofas, and the bed we just saw—ordinary people wouldn’t dream of furnishing a house like this.”

An Ningqing couldn’t discern any significant differences herself, but she trusted Xie Anran’s discerning eye. “Mr. Li’s life is indeed worth a great deal.”

After thoroughly inspecting the villa from top to bottom, Xie Anran stroked her chin. “I think something’s still missing here.”

“Hmm?” An Ningqing replied, puzzled. She felt the manor was already perfectly appointed; even if she had decorated it herself, she couldn’t have made it more complete.

Xie Anran flashed her a radiant smile. “It’s missing me.”