Chapter 174: Saving a Life

Mu Lin paused, then said, "I can't let you do that!"

Zhao Ling'Er lowered her head in disappointment and walked out.

Mu Lin sighed. 'The favor of a beautiful woman is the hardest to repay... The old man was right.'

'I need to finish this quickly and get out of this situation!'

The heat was just right. Mu Lin switched to a low flame. Half an hour later, he poured the medicinal liquid out and placed it in a bowl to cool.

After letting it cool a bit, he carried the bowl to the treatment room, propped up Li Yinhe, and had him drink it.

He then gave Li Yinhe a simple massage to help the medicine's effects spread through his body.

After a long while, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Li Yinhe's life was saved. All that was left was for him to rest.

He turned his head and saw Zhao Ling'Er standing pitifully at the door.

Mu Lin wasn't made of stone. He walked over and said softly, "Chairman Li has taken his medicine. Thank you for your hard work brewing it."

Zhao Ling'Er held up a phone and said to Mu Lin, "Brother Mu, you dropped your phone outside."

Mu Lin was dumbfounded. 'Ah, so that's where it was. And this was the one Zhao Ling'Er helped me pick out.'

"Ah, thanks!" Mu Lin took it and tapped the screen a couple of times, but it remained black. There was no response.

Zhao Ling'Er couldn't help but laugh. "Look at you! It's been almost a whole day and night. The battery must be dead!"

Zhao Ling'Er pressed a charger into Mu Lin's hand. "Go charge it!"

'Zhao Ling'Er is so thoughtful,' Mu Lin thought. 'Not only did she bring me my phone, but she brought a charger too.'

Mu Lin plugged it in and turned on his phone.

After the brand's logo flashed on the screen, it went to the home screen as usual.

Then, the phone began to vibrate nonstop.

Good grief. Hundreds of missed calls and dozens of text messages in his inbox.

All of them from Li Xue.

Mu Lin then remembered. He'd been so crazily busy that he'd completely forgotten about his phone, which meant he had also forgotten to even check in with Li Xue.

'I have to call her back right away. Even if she yells at me, I'll just have to take it. After all, I'm the one who messed up.'

The call connected.

"Mu Lin, are you insane? Just because Grandpa's down and Dad's down, you think no one's watching you? Where the hell were you messing around? Let me tell you, in name, we are husband and wife! Or are you hoping Grandpa never gets better?"

Li Xue was furious, lashing out with a string of harsh, thoughtless words.

But Mu Lin didn't take it to heart. Li Xue had been worried sick all night; she'd had it rough, too.

"I've been at the Holy Medicine Hall taking care of Dad the whole time. I couldn't get away, and I forgot to charge my phone. That's why this whole mess happened."

"I'm sorry, I was wrong! It's my fault!"

Mu Lin was so sincere, he might as well have been bowing in apology through the phone.

Li Xue was left speechless. Mu Lin's attitude was perfect, so good that she couldn't find any fault with it.

Besides, she realized she had said many inappropriate things in her anger and was starting to regret it.

Seeing that Mu Lin didn't seem to mind, she was eager to move on.

"So, how's Dad?" Li Xue asked.

Mu Lin replied, "Dad just slept through the night. His injuries have healed a lot, and his vital signs are very stable!"

"Then why wasn't the Holy Medicine Hall open this morning?" Li Xue asked again.

'I can't very well tell her we went to an auction at Hidden Sword Manor, can I?'

After a moment's thought, he said, "Well, Elder Zhao, Ling'Er, and I were so exhausted we all overslept and didn't open the Holy Medicine Hall. So you were waiting outside for that long, huh? I really didn't hear a thing..."

Li Xue fell silent. Mu Lin had been working himself to the bone; it wouldn't be right for her to criticize him further.

"I understand. I'm coming over right now!"

Mu Lin sighed and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Zhao Ling'Er, who was sitting nearby, watched him handle the call. "Sister Xue isn't your real wife, so why are you so afraid of her?"

Mu Lin waved his hand. "Shh! Don't say things like that! Even without that connection, the Li Family and I now share a common destiny. We're inseparable..."

Zhao Ling'Er still felt unhappy and wanted to say something more to Mu Lin.

"Urgh..." A groan suddenly came from Li Yinhe, who was lying nearby.

Zhao Ling'Er quickly rushed to his side. "Uncle Li, how are you feeling?"

Mu Lin placed his fingers on Li Yinhe's wrist to check his pulse, pausing for a moment.

Li Yinhe's heart meridian had been fully repaired. All that remained were some superficial wounds, and even those were seventy to eighty percent healed after last night's treatment.

Although Li Yinhe was stirring, he wasn't fully conscious yet. Mu Lin wasn't worried and waited patiently.

After a little while, Li Yinhe was slowly able to respond to Mu Lin.

"I'm fine!" Li Yinhe propped himself up. He felt exhausted, but there were no major impediments.

Mu Lin breathed a sigh of relief. If Li Yinhe said he was fine, then there were basically no more problems.

"That's good. Xue'Er is on her way to the Holy Medicine Hall!"

Li Yinhe said, "Mu Lin, thank you!"

He understood deeply that without Mu Lin, he would have likely already passed through the Ghost Gate.

His injuries had been so severe that he almost felt like he wasn't going to make it.

But he could feel Mu Lin by his side, doing everything in his power to save him. This effort had lasted for a very long time.

He couldn't say exactly how long, but for the entire period he could vaguely remember, Mu Lin had been constantly saving him.

Ever since Mu Lin had joined the Li Family, he had never really liked him. While he hadn't made things overtly difficult, he had certainly given him the cold shoulder.

Now, Li Yinhe only felt regret. To think that Mu Lin and Li Xue were only in a fake marriage... If only they had followed the old man's wishes and truly gotten married, how wonderful that would have been.

It wouldn't have been a slight to Li Xue at all; in fact, the Li Family would have been marrying up.

Mu Lin smiled. "Uncle Li, no need to thank me. The old master hasn't woken up yet, so you're the backbone of the Li Family. Isn't it my duty to save you?"

These words from Mu Lin made Li Yinhe let out a long sigh.

He knew that Li Xue probably wasn't fated to have him.

He turned to look at Zhao Ling'Er and wondered if she was the one fated for him.

But seeing the desolate look on Zhao Ling'Er's face, it seemed like even she didn't have a chance.

'This Mu Lin fellow... does he really walk through a field of flowers without a single petal clinging to him?'

A short while later, Li Xue arrived. Without even waiting to turn off the car's engine, she rushed inside.

"Dad!" she cried out emotionally, rushing toward Li Yinhe.

She anxiously looked over Li Yinhe's injuries.

The places that were a bloody mess yesterday were already scabbed over.

She was a bit surprised. 'How did they heal so fast?' But she didn't dwell on it.

If Mu Lin could bring Grandpa back from the dead, making some wounds scab over was nothing.

Li Yinhe saw Li Xue's haggard expression and said, "What's wrong with you?"

Li Xue's eyes were red. She said, "You're finally awake! After Mu Lin treated you yesterday, I didn't expect you to be out for so long. You scared me to death!"

Li Yinhe glanced at Mu Lin. He guessed that Mu Lin hadn't told Li Xue the whole truth.

The treatment he had felt was hardly a brief affair. It had been incredibly long, lasting for an unknown amount of time.

It was clear that Mu Lin had poured an immense amount of effort into it!

"Xue'Er, from now on, be nicer to Mu Lin. Without him, I would've been a goner..."

Li Xue nodded earnestly. "I know! I'm usually nice enough to him! How much nicer can I be?"

And... Mu Lin paused, then shook his head without saying anything.

'What is this drama?'

Li Xue stood up and glared at Mu Lin. "On account of you saving my dad, I'll let the matter of you not answering your phone slide."

Mu Lin replied nonchalantly, "Well, thank you so much!"

Li Xue asked, "Can my dad go home?"

Mu Lin said, "He can. His injuries are mostly healed. As long as you're careful not to let the wounds reopen, there won't be any problems."

Li Xue agreed. They looked healed, but were probably still fragile.

"I understand! Then I'll take my dad home first."

Li Xue shot Mu Lin a meaningful look.

Mu Lin said, "I'm not leaving just yet. I have a few loose ends to tie up."

Li Xue gave Mu Lin a deep look. "Don't forget to come home tonight!"

"Don't worry, I will!"

Mu Lin saw Li Xue and Li Yinhe out, then immediately turned and headed for the back of the courtyard.

Divine Doctor Zhao had arranged for Guo Lei and the others to stay in the small courtyard where Qiao Canhua had once lived.

"Ling'Er, take me to the small courtyard. I need to check on Guo Lei and the others. They were injured because of me, so it wouldn't be right not to go see them."

Zhao Ling'Er composed herself. Seeing that Mu Lin was also quite cool toward Li Xue made her feel a lot better.

'Why not just enjoy this last bit of time with Mu Lin?'

With that thought, she put on a smiling face. "Okay! Follow me!"