Recalling that Princess Ningde had just spoken to her, she looked at the person before her with no pleasant expression.
With a cold face, she asked, "Do you know the way out?"
Qin Linglong knew her sense of direction was poor, but she hadn't expected it to be this bad.
Because she had fallen so miserably, she wanted to avoid people and find her way out herself. After searching for a long time without success, she became anxious.
Now that she had encountered someone, even though they were someone from Princess Ningde’s party, and not other young ladies from the capital, she was not afraid of losing face and decided to ask.
Yun Shu looked at Qin Linglong's less-than-skillful riding and guessed some of the answer.
To dare to ride into the forest immediately after learning to ride, did Qin Linglong not realize this was equivalent to seeking death?
She pointed to a spot not far away, "Keep walking in that direction, and you'll get out."
Qin Linglong looked in the direction Yun Shu pointed and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."
However, just as she was about to leave, she seemed to remember something, then bit her lip and looked at Yun Shu, "Am I looking very disheveled now?"
She hadn't brought a hand mirror, nor was there a river nearby, so she couldn't see what she looked like. But her clothes were indeed torn in several places.
Her face also felt a slight pain, as if it had been scratched, but it wasn't an injury that would disfigure her. She would be fine once she applied some medicine.
She suddenly became afraid of going out. If people saw her in such a sorry state, she would undoubtedly become a topic of gossip.
Yun Shu looked at Qin Linglong's slightly disheveled hair, the faint scratches on her face, and her torn and dirty clothes. She was indeed somewhat disheveled. "It would be best to tidy your hair before you go out."
Qin Linglong opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but swallowed it back.
It felt strange, but she felt a sense of familiarity with the female physician in front of her, who was with Lord Zhen.
She dismissed the unbelievable thought and gave Yun Shu a faint smile. "Okay, thank you."
Then she rode her horse and walked away, intending to find a secluded spot to tidy her hair properly. It didn't matter if her clothes were torn or her face was injured; she could explain that her horse had been spooked, causing her to fall.
Having thought of a plan, she rode her horse past Yun Shu.
As Yun Shu watched Qin Linglong leave, she suddenly recalled that someone's horse had been spooked when Qin Linglong was with Zhan Tianye earlier. Could it have been Qin Linglong's horse?
Just as Yun Shu continued forward.
Qin Linglong, who had just left, returned.
Upon seeing Yun Shu, Qin Linglong's face showed a look of disbelief. "You..."
She had taken the wrong path and returned!
And she had encountered the same female physician again!
"Let's go out together," Yun Shu said calmly to Qin Linglong.
Qin Linglong actually disliked the female physician before her somewhat. She always felt that this female physician resembled that woman in some ways. Furthermore, since the female physician was associated with Princess Ningde and Lord Zhen, she felt even more hesitant.
However.
The current situation was that if she didn't follow the female physician, she might get lost again!
Thinking of her experience today, a wave of sadness washed over her.
Moreover, thinking of Prince Jin's indifference towards her, her heart felt as if it had been seared.
"Okay," Qin Linglong replied, biting her lip.
She really wanted to escape this forest, as if she could escape all harm!
As long as she escaped, she could tell herself that Prince Jin had feelings for her!
Prince Jin had no one else in his heart but her!
As they walked, perhaps because it was too quiet, Qin Linglong's mood finally calmed down. She looked at Yun Shu and softly asked, "How much do you get paid for treating Lord Zhen?"
After asking, she suddenly realized, "I'm sorry, that was rather abrupt."
Yun Shu looked calmly at Qin Linglong. "Miss Qin, how much do you think I would charge?"
Many people were curious about how much she charged for treating others, and many had inquired.
Therefore, Yun Shu did not find Qin Linglong's question unusual.
Qin Linglong held up one finger. "A thousand taels?"
She had heard that the fees charged by physicians in medical halls were not particularly high, unless the master bestowed rewards. And as a female physician, she was not as capable as men. So, she only mentioned a thousand taels, hoping not to offend the female physician before her.
Yun Shu's eyes moved slightly, and she said calmly, "About that."
Qin Linglong, however, was astonished. She secretly marveled that a female physician could charge as much as a thousand taels for treating a patient? And this was just for one patient.
Thinking that a female physician might possess more wealth than she did, Qin Linglong suddenly felt pathetic and a sense of bitterness welled up within her.
She was inferior to a female physician. The ten-thousand-tael banknote in her hand suddenly seemed laughable.
"I didn't expect your consultation fees to be so expensive," Qin Linglong's tone revealed a hint of jealousy, a jealousy that perhaps even Qin Linglong herself hadn't noticed.
Yun Shu looked at Qin Linglong and said nothing.
She also suddenly felt a bit listless, with nothing more to say.
However, Qin Linglong suddenly became more talkative. "I envy you; you can earn money yourself. I'm not afraid to admit it, but even though I am the eldest daughter of the Minister's mansion, and the legitimate daughter at that, I don't have much money. Look at how disheveled I am today because my horse was spooked. Perhaps many people will laugh at me once I go out."
"As long as you have faith in your heart, others' opinions cannot harm you," Yun Shu said calmly.
In this life, if one constantly cared about others' gazes, wouldn't life be too restrictive, too devoid of self?
However, Qin Linglong did not think so.
She shook her head and said, "How can a person live in this world without caring about others' opinions? I don't want to be laughed at." She wanted to ascend, to walk higher.
Higher and higher.
She had to be looked up to, envied, doted on by her husband, and have his eyes only for her.
If one cared about nothing and sought nothing, what joy would life hold?
Yun Shu slightly curled her lips. "We have different paths."
Qin Linglong sensed the woman's silence beside her and continued, "If you were given an opportunity to become someone superior, to overlook the world, I believe you would be moved. Perhaps you haven't encountered such an opportunity, which is why you feel that everything is insignificant."
"Is that so?" Yun Shu chuckled.
From the words "Is that so?", Qin Linglong heard skepticism. Her expression soured, and she tightened her grip on the reins, unwilling to say more.
There was no point in talking further; her life trajectory was completely different from that of a female physician.
How could a female physician understand what she desired in her heart?