Yan Zuo had intended to come immediately after receiving the phone call, but a special training session delayed him by a few days. When he finally arrived to see Yan Aohan, he bowed respectfully first to the head of the house, "Master," and then to Zhu Yanyi, "Madam."
Zhu Yanyi looked at Yan Zuo’s face, noticing the scar that marred her otherwise handsome features, adding a touch of ferocity to her appearance. "Should I treat that scar for you as well?"
Yan Zuo was taken aback by her sudden question.
Yan Aohan chuckled from the side. "You should treat it. We’ve always urged him to get it fixed, but he always claims he has no time. Since you’re here to cure the Plum Blossom Affection, you might as well remove the scar while you’re at it."
Zhu Yanyi nodded slightly, then looked at her with a hint of disdain. "You’re a fine young man. Why don’t you take better care of your face?"
Yan Zuo didn’t know how to respond. Although Zhu Yanyi was much younger than her, she spoke with the authoritative tone of an elder scolding a subordinate.
Zhu Yanyi waved her hand, not expecting an answer. From her demeanor, she could tell she was a man of few words, likely someone who acted rather than spoke.
She took out a pulse pillow and said to Yan Zuo, "Come here. Let me check your pulse to assess the severity of the Plum Blossom Affection poisoning."
"Okay." Yan Zuo sat down and extended his left hand.
Zhu Yanyi checked her pulse. After a moment, she nodded slightly. "It’s manageable. Fortunately, it’s not yet the season for plum blossoms to bloom, or you would have suffered greatly." She paused, then asked, "But who hates you so much as to use such a despicable poison?" Without waiting for an answer, she added, "Wait here," and went to the seventh floor to prepare the antidote.
Yan Zuo didn’t know how to react to her behavior, so he looked at Yan Aohan and asked, "Master, is Madam always like this?"
Yan Aohan smiled lightly. "When it comes to medical matters, Madam is very serious and meticulous. She’s gone to prepare the antidote for you now. Just wait."
Yan Zuo looked at Yan Aohan, wondering when his master had become so unreliable. Although he had many doubts, he nodded seriously. "Understood."
Yan Aohan trusted Yan Zuo, but Yan Zuo’s personality was indeed dull and unappealing.
Half an hour later, Zhu Yanyi came down again, holding two bottles—one transparent and one ceramic.
She didn’t hand the bottles to Yan Zuo but gave them to Yan Aohan. "Take him to take a bath. Before he enters, have him drink the liquid from the transparent bottle. Then, pour the liquid from the ceramic bottle into the bathwater. Let him soak for at least one hour. Do not let him come out before the time is up."
"Understood." Yan Aohan knew that if Zhu Yanyi said so, there was a reason. Without hesitation, he took Yan Zuo to the bathroom nearby.
Zhu Yanyi went to the kitchen to start preparing dinner.
An hour later, Yan Aohan brought Yan Zuo out. Yan Zuo looked extremely weak. Zhu Yanyi placed a bowl of clear congee in front of him. "You’ve just finished detoxifying. You can only eat clear congee for now. You can return to a normal diet tomorrow."
Yan Zuo didn’t hesitate. He picked up the congee and drank it. "Thank you, Madam."
Yan Aohan and Zhu Yanyi sat aside to eat. Yan Aohan asked, "Ani, what should we do with the bathwater?" Having witnessed the detoxification process, Yan Aohan understood why Yan Zuo had to soak for an hour. The water, originally clear, had turned pitch black and smelled terrible after an hour. This indicated that the bathwater was toxic, which is why Yan Aohan asked, mainly worried that the toxic water might harm others.
Zhu Yanyi said, "Oh," and then took out a pill, handing it to Yan Aohan. "Throw it into the bathtub. Let it dissolve and soak for fifteen minutes, then drain the water. Refill with clean water, throw in another pill, let it dissolve and soak for half an hour, then drain again. Finally, clean the bathtub."
"Alright. I’ll do it right away." Yan Aohan didn’t want Zhu Yanyi to handle this, especially since it was another man’s bathwater.
"Master, perhaps I should do it later," Yan Zuo suggested seriously after some thought.
Yan Aohan glanced at Yan Zuo and nodded. "That works. You do it." Yan Zuo would definitely be resting in the guest room today. In his current state, as weak as a shrimp, he couldn’t go far anyway.
Yan Zuo took the pill to the guest room bathroom, handled the bathwater, and then came out. By the time he emerged, Yan Aohan and the others had already finished dinner.
Zhu Yanyi checked Yan Zuo’s pulse again and said, "The Plum Blossom Affection has been mostly expelled from your body. However, there is one thing you must remember."
"What?" Yan Zuo asked curiously.
Zhu Yanyi’s eyes held a hint of schadenfreude. "Although the Plum Blossom Affection is gone, there are some aftereffects." She looked deeply at Yan Zuo, clearly anticipating a good show.
Yan Aohan, seeing Zhu Yanyi’s gaze on Yan Zuo, coughed to express his disapproval. Zhu Yanyi then smiled and said, "It means that if you get married, your abilities in certain aspects will be stronger than those of ordinary men. So, if you marry, remember to train your wife’s stamina. That’s all."
Yan Zuo was stunned again, a faint redness appearing on his dark face.
Yan Aohan coughed. "Ani, Yan Zuo isn’t married yet. It’s because of that scar on his face."
"Oh, I almost forgot about that scar. You should have come to me sooner." Zhu Yanyi turned and went into the room, coming out with a box of ointment. She handed it to Yan Zuo. "Apply it to the scar twice a day, morning and evening. Make sure to spread it evenly. You’ll see results in three days. In half a month, it will be barely noticeable. In a month, there will be no trace. Of course, if you want to become a pretty boy, I can switch to a different ointment later. It will make your skin whiter and softer than that of ordinary young men."
"Cough, Madam, there’s no need for that. It’s unnecessary," Yan Zuo said, seeming a bit at a loss.
Yan Aohan thought this approach was good. Who knew what Yan Zuo would look like as a pretty boy? Of course, he wouldn’t admit that he wanted to see the spectacle. He glared at Yan Zuo. "Take it. I’m telling you, Yan Zuo, you’re not a child anymore. You should find a wife. Don’t use the scar as an excuse. It’s no longer an excuse."
So, there were people who used scars as an excuse to avoid marriage.