Unparalleled medical and martial arts skills, saving the CEO's fiancée at the start.

The car bumped along the mountain road for almost two hours before finally stopping in front of a bluestone platform surrounded by old trees.

The road ahead was too narrow for the car to go any further, so we had to get out and walk.

Ye Chen locked the car and took out two large bags from the trunk. One bag contained tea, snacks, and medicinal herbs for Su Qinghan, and the other bag contained changes of clothes for him and Jiang Ruoxi.

"Are you tired?" Ye Chen asked.

"We haven't even started walking yet." Jiang Ruoxi tightened the laces of her sneakers, straightened up, and looked up at the stone path hidden in the bamboo forest ahead.

The stone steps were narrow and steep, covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves and pine needles, making them feel soft and spongy underfoot, as if no one had walked on them for a long time.

But the scent of herbs and earth in the air did invigorate her.

Ye Chen walked ahead, glancing back at her every now and then.

Jiang Ruoxi is a regular fitness enthusiast, and her physical fitness is much stronger than that of the average girl. She climbed the mountain with great skill, her breathing was slightly disordered but not out of breath, and her palms were a little sweaty.

After walking for about forty minutes, the view suddenly opened up, and a valley hidden among the mountains appeared at our feet.

The valley is shrouded in mist, and several rows of old houses with blue bricks and gray tiles are built against the mountain. In front of the doors, there are several patches of medicinal herbs, which are lush and green, as if someone has just watered them.

A big yellow dog rushed out of the yard, wagging its tail wildly at Ye Chen, then sniffed at Jiang Ruoxi, circled her twice, and suddenly became obedient, squatting by the roadside with its tongue hanging out.

"Big Yellow, you've gotten fatter again." Ye Chen patted Big Yellow's head.

Ye Chen turned to Jiang Ruoxi and said, "Wife, its name is Dahuang. It recognizes people. If you smile at it, it will kiss you."

Jiang Ruoxi squatted down and tentatively patted Da Huang's head.

Jiang Ruoxi's lips finally curled up, and she looked up and said, "You're better at flattering me than I am."

Ye Chen was amused by her: "I relied on sincerity, it relied on dog food."

As the two were chatting and laughing, the door to the main room creaked open.

A woman wearing a light blue cloth shirt came out from inside.

Her gaze fell on Ye Chen, but only for a moment before shifting to Jiang Ruoxi.

Jiang Ruoxi involuntarily straightened up, her heart suddenly skipping a few beats.

She had imagined meeting Su Qinghan countless times, but when the moment actually arrived, she was still so nervous that she didn't know where to put her hands.

Jiang Ruoxi forced herself to calm down, stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said in a clear and respectful voice, "Hello, Master Su, I am Jiang Ruoxi. I have often heard Ye Chen mention you, and I am finally able to meet you today."

Su Qinghan didn't say anything, just stared at her for a few seconds.

That gaze wasn't sharp, but it seemed to see right through a person's very bones.

Su Qinghan responded and turned to walk into the house, leaving behind the words, "Come in, it's damp outside."

Ye Chen gave Jiang Ruoxi a look and whispered, "This is how she shows she's happy. Let's go in."

Jiang Ruoxi glared at him, and Ye Chen understood what she meant: You call this happiness?

The room was simple, with wooden tables and chairs, an old and shiny bamboo tea tray, and a yellowed portrait of the Medicine King hanging on the wall.

Three thin sticks of incense burned on the altar, their smoke curling upwards. Su Qinghan had already sat down on a bamboo chair in the main room, holding a rough earthenware teacup in her hand, sipping her tea at a leisurely pace.

Jiang Ruoxi placed the tea and snacks she brought on the table, arranging them one by one in a very quiet manner, without saying anything extra.

Su Qinghan glanced at the things on the table, said nothing, but took another look at the two books on Chinese medicinal herb cultivation.

She put down her teacup and said casually, "You're so busy with work in the city, how do you find time to look at this?"

"I watched it over the weekend and in the evenings." Jiang Ruoxi sat down opposite her, her back ramrod straight, her tone neither humble nor arrogant.

After a while, Jiang Ruoxi continued, "I want to build a planting base around Yaowang Valley and turn the medicinal herbs that can be grown on a large scale here into a stable supply chain. The demand in Jiangcheng and the provincial capital is huge, but there are too many counterfeit products on the market. The products from Yaowang Valley are good, and more people should know about them."

Su Qinghan didn't reply, but simply picked up the teapot and poured a bowl of tea for Jiang Ruoxi as well.

The tea was dark brown, smelled bitter, and tasted even more bitter. Jiang Ruoxi frowned but didn't say anything, and drank it all down sip by sip.

Su Qinghan watched her put down her teacup before speaking: "This tea is bitter tea from the mountains, which is good for clearing heat. You have a good constitution, but your liver fire is a bit too strong. You stay up too late. Ruoxi, your grandfather had a past relationship with my master. He approved of this marriage. Now that you're here, there are some things I need to make clear to you in person."

Jiang Ruoxi's heart jumped, and her hands unconsciously went to her knees.

"Ye Chen lost his parents at a young age and grew up in these mountains with me. He doesn't understand the rules of wealthy families, nor does he want to get involved in the intricacies of your business world. But he is a man of deep feelings; once he sets his mind on someone, it's for life. I don't object to you being with him." Su Qinghan said, then looked up at Jiang Ruoxi.

"Thank you, Master."

"I just want the truth from you: what do you think of him?"

Jiang Ruoxi did not rush to answer.

She turned her head and glanced into the yard. Ye Chen was squatting by the herb field, teasing Big Yellow, with a blade of grass in his mouth, laughing carefree.

The midday sun shone on him, illuminating his silhouette.

Jiang Ruoxi withdrew her gaze, her voice soft yet steady: "I used to think he was glib and irresponsible, but after my family had a crisis and I was pushed to the edge of a cliff, he pulled me back time and time again. He saved my life and the Jiang Group, but I'm not with him because of those things. It's because when I'm with him, I'm most myself. He's the one I want, for the rest of my life, only him."

Su Qinghan remained silent for a moment.

Su Qinghan gently placed the teacup on the table, her tone much softer than before: "Alright, remember what you said today. Ye Chen may seem carefree, but he's actually more capable than anyone else. You should give him more pointers and keep an eye on him in the future. He's caused quite a bit of trouble this time he came down the mountain."

Jiang Ruoxi nodded, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ye Chen stand up in the courtyard and wave in their direction.

She waved her hand, and the weight that had been hanging over her heart for so long finally settled down.

For the next few days, Jiang Ruoxi stayed in the small house next to Ye Chen's.

Every day before dawn, you can hear birds chirping in the mountains, and the air is as crisp and refreshing as mint water.

Jiang Ruoxi learned to identify medicinal herbs from Ye Chen, learning to distinguish which ones were edible and which were poisonous. She also helped Su Qinghan dry the herbs, sweep the floor, and wash the medicine jars.

Although Su Qinghan didn't say much, he didn't send her away. On two occasions, he even asked her to help him prepare medicine.

Ye Chen secretly gave her a thumbs up, and Jiang Ruoxi flicked his face with her hand, which was still covered in medicine residue.

One evening, the two sat on a rock on the back hill watching the sunset. Ye Chen asked her, "Are you still worried?"

Jiang Ruoxi glanced at him sideways: "I'm not worried anymore. Your master is actually a very good person, she just doesn't know how to smile. She praised me today, saying that I have good comprehension."

"Oh? What did I say to praise you?"

"Praise me for learning things quickly, and for not confusing licorice and scutellaria when preparing medicine. Ye Chen, you grew up here, didn't you?"

"Yes, the mountains and waters are beautiful, but there's not much meat to eat. My master always tells me to eat vegetarian food, saying that even wild monkeys are stronger than me."

Jiang Ruoxi laughed and poked his arm: "How come you've grown so strong now? You don't even pant when you carry me down the mountain."

Ye Chen turned his head, his lips almost touching her forehead: "Because since you came, I've had braised pork ribs every day."

Jiang Ruoxi gently slapped him and didn't say anything more.

One day after a meal, Su Qinghan put down his chopsticks, looked at Jiang Ruoxi and said, "Come back and stay for a few days whenever you have time. Life in the mountains is tough, not like in the city, but it's good for you."

Jiang Ruoxi smiled and agreed.