The General Says She Won't Marry - Chapter 41 Part 2

A mix of embarrassment and panic surged through her, making her want to pretend she hadn’t heard anything and just keep walking. But amidst her inner turmoil, a barely perceptible thread of anticipation made her pause against her better judgment.

Helpless but secretly pleased, she turned back to face the one who had called her—Yueqin. Lin Aoxue took the initiative to greet her, “Miss Yueqin, it has been a while.”

Lu Sheng found this rather strange—his superior was acting a little off today.

“Young Master Lin, since fate has brought you here, why not come inside and take a seat?” Yueqin looked at Lin Aoxue with an unreadable expression, her gaze carrying a hint of meaning. 

Lin Aoxue pressed her lips together, her face tense, and asked, as if offhandedly, “This clinic… is it run by Yun Yan?”

Yueqin wasn’t surprised in the slightest that Lin Aoxue mentioned Yun Yan immediately—it was as if she had expected it. Whatever fleeting thoughts she had once entertained vanished completely. Besides, now that her Yun-jiejie had also taken an interest in Lin Aoxue, she knew she had no place for such thoughts. So, upon hearing the question, Yueqin simply smiled and nodded. “Yun-jiejie has been preparing for this for quite some time. She just acquired the shop a few days ago, and it officially opens tomorrow. Why don’t you come in and take a look?”

Lin Aoxue glanced at her, then at the pharmacy’s storefront. Her gaze flickered to the sign above the entrance, and once again, she felt utterly embarrassed.

But… she did want to see Yun Yan.

After a long internal struggle, she finally let out a helpless sigh, set aside her pride, and followed her heart.

“Then, I will trouble you.”

Lu Sheng suddenly felt like he didn’t understand his qianhu at all.

Even stranger—Lin Aoxue had known all along that this pharmacy belonged to Yun Yan. So why had she tried to avoid it earlier? When he lifted his head and read the shop’s name, Lu Sheng’s expression suddenly became… complicated. His gaze toward Lin Aoxue carried a new depth of meaning.

So, this pharmacy was actually opened by Miss Yun Yan? A young woman, running a medical practice in such a place—certainly no easy feat.

Previously, he had even worried that after Miss Yun Yan left, his qianhu would spend the rest of her life alone. But now… well, it seemed fate had other plans. Aside from surprise, there was also a glimmer of hope in Lu Sheng’s heart. Maybe, just maybe, his stubborn, slow-witted qianhu would finally figure things out.

Lin Aoxue, however, had no time to wonder what Lu Sheng was thinking. She followed behind Yueqin with a strange mix of emotions, stepping into Yanxue Medical Clinic.

The interior was elegantly arranged—refined yet without ostentation. A few attendants bustled about, cleaning and arranging tables and chairs.

The curtain leading to the back room, where the medicine was stored, had been pulled aside and hooked in place. Through the open space, Lin Aoxue caught sight of a woman’s graceful figure, carefully counting and organizing medicinal supplies.

“Yun-jiejie, look who’s here!” Yueqin raised her voice, drawing the woman’s attention.

Yun Yan turned around. She was wearing a light pink short jacket over a plain white skirt, her makeup simple and understated. From across the room, the sight of her made Lin Aoxue’s heart tremble.

Yun Yan’s eyes landed on her, and in an instant, they lit up—like fireworks bursting into bloom. The brilliance in her gaze illuminated the hesitant and uncertain heart of Lin Aoxue.

“Qianhu Lin,” Yun Yan smiled and called out to her.

Lin Aoxue took a deep breath, her throat moving as she swallowed, trying to steady her voice. She forced herself to speak calmly, “Doctor Yun, I trust you have been well.”

She didn’t ask when Yun Yan had returned, nor did she ask how long she planned to stay in the northern border this time. She wanted to appear as composed as possible, but inside, she was already in turmoil—like a fire had been ignited, burning away the thick layers of snow that had long covered the harsh winter landscape.

Lin Aoxue wasn’t quite sure how to handle the current situation. As she wrestled with her thoughts, desperately searching for a topic to break the silence, Yun Yan suddenly asked, “Did you just return from the battlefield, sir?”

Lin Aoxue was taken aback. Then, all at once, she realized—she was still wearing her leather armor, stained with blood and dust, completely unkempt. She had come straight from the battlefield, sent by Beichen Long to procure medical supplies, without even stopping to clean up. No wonder, as she and Lu Sheng entered various pharmacies along the way, the shop attendants had all been trembling with fear, afraid of saying the wrong thing and getting cut down on the spot.

Lin Aoxue’s eyelids twitched, and she suddenly felt incredibly uneasy. She must look utterly disheveled right now. To reunite with Yun Yan after so long, and yet to appear before her in such a state—what a terrible misstep.

Yun Yan saw that she wasn’t answering, and the anxious unrest in her normally cold and stern eyes made Yun Yan’s heart sink. She quickly stepped forward, grabbing Lin Aoxue’s wrist to check her pulse, her voice carrying a tinge of urgency, “Are you injured?”

Lin Aoxue was caught off guard. Yun Yan’s grip was firm—there was no chance to pull away. She could only respond, flustered, “N-no, I’m not.”

After checking, Yun Yan found no sign of injury and finally relaxed. She looked up at Lin Aoxue again and asked, “If you just came from the battlefield, why aren’t you resting in the military camp? What are you doing in the market?”

Yun Yan was always so perceptive. Even though Lin Aoxue hadn’t said a word about it, she had already noticed something unusual—Lin Aoxue, covered in blood, wandering the market instead of recuperating, was definitely not normal.

Standing nearby, Yueqin and Lu Sheng were both surprised by how familiar Lin Aoxue and Yun Yan were with each other. They were curious but knew better than to interrupt, so they simply stood by, quietly watching the exchange unfold.

Lin Aoxue had no reason to hide the truth. Besides, Yun Yan might actually be able to help. So she said, “There was a fierce battle at Xingbei Pass just now. The army suffered heavy casualties, and the camp is running low on medicine. The general sent me here to purchase some supplies.”

Yun Yan fell silent for a moment, then replied, “I still have some medicine in my pharmacy. If you need it, take it all.”

Lin Aoxue was startled, quickly waving her hands in refusal. “N-no! You’re opening tomorrow, aren’t you? If I take all your medicine, what will you use to treat your patients?”

Seeing Lin Aoxue so flustered, Yun Yan couldn’t help but chuckle. The corners of her lips lifted slightly as she said, “If I run out of medicine, then I simply won’t open tomorrow. I can go to Yiping to restock and open later—it’s the same thing.”

But Lin Aoxue’s stubbornness kicked in. She didn’t want to cause trouble for Yun Yan, so she shook her head vigorously, completely disregarding her usual fierce and imposing demeanor. Frowning, she insisted, “That won’t do. The grand general sent us here to buy medicine, not to put the local pharmacies out of business. You can’t delay your opening just to give all your supplies to us.”

Lin Aoxue was incredibly uncomfortable with the idea. To her, it was a matter of principle. Just because she and Yun Yan were close didn’t mean she could break the rules for personal gain.

Yun Yan, amused by her reaction, found Lin Aoxue both exasperating and endearing. “Why not? I’m telling you to take the medicine, so take it. Why are you being more difficult about this than I am?”

Lin Aoxue was met with a sideways glance of disdain from Yun Yan. Meanwhile, Lu Sheng and Yueqin found the exchange both intriguing and entertaining—though they were certainly surprised by it.

“The opening day was chosen for a reason. If you miss tomorrow, you might have to wait several days or even months. How can you afford to delay? I can’t take your medicine!”

Lin Aoxue was firm in her stance. Once she made a decision, she wouldn’t budge. No matter what, she refused to take Yun Yan’s medicine.

Watching from the side, Yueqin was starting to feel anxious. Lu Sheng, however, fully supported Lin Aoxue—nodding in agreement with a look of absolute seriousness.

Yun Yan’s eyes widened as she snapped, her voice crisp and firm, “Enough. Since that’s the case, take half of the medicine. We’ll split it evenly, and you’ll pay the full price. I’ll still open as scheduled tomorrow. That should be acceptable, right?”

Lin Aoxue froze.

Yueqin and Lu Sheng both instinctively shrank back in fear.

They had never seen Yun Yan angry before, nor had they ever seen anyone scold Lin Aoxue. But what shocked Lu Sheng the most was that after being scolded, Lin Aoxue didn’t show a hint of temper. Instead, she shrank back just like he had, looking awkward and hesitant before muttering, “…Alright.”

Oh-ho.

Lu Sheng’s mouth twitched violently. It took all his effort to keep himself from grinning too obviously, but the moment he turned his head and met Yueqin’s gaze, they instantly understood each other. The same thought flashed through their minds at the same time, There’s something going on between these two.

Having finally convinced Lin Aoxue, Yun Yan immediately instructed the shop assistants to bring out half of each type of medicine for her. Lin Aoxue, feeling a bit uncomfortable, stood aside with Lu Sheng to wait. Soon, they saw the assistants carrying large bundles of medicinal supplies, packing them into crates. Outside the pharmacy, carriages and horses had been prepared, and the crates were being loaded onto them one by one.

“Why is there so much?”

Lin Aoxue looked wary, afraid that Yun Yan had secretly slipped in extra supplies for her out of personal favor.

Yun Yan was both exasperated and amused by Lin Aoxue’s overly suspicious nature. Without hesitation, she smacked Lin Aoxue on the forehead and scolded, “You’re so paranoid! You seriously deserve a good beating. Did you forget about the stockpile of medicine I hoarded before? Now that I’m opening the clinic, I moved everything over and even added more. Do you think I’d run out that easily?”

Lin Aoxue swallowed a mouthful of saliva, clearly shocked, and nodded in admiration.

“Impressive.”

Lu Sheng, standing nearby, wanted to laugh but didn’t dare to be too obvious about it. He turned his head to the side, trying to hold it in, but his muffled snorts still betrayed him.

He found Lin Aoxue’s current demeanor incredibly amusing. Compared to her usual self in the military camp, she seemed more like a real, living person. There was more warmth in her eyes, and her smiles carried genuine emotion. To Lu Sheng, it was as if she had finally come alive.

How nice. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of joy in his heart.

Miss Yun Yan and his qianhu looked so perfect together. If they truly ended up together, he would be the first to step forward and offer his full support—along with a generous wedding gift.

Yueqin, however, had a different perspective. As a woman, she was more sensitive to these things. While she also thought Lin Aoxue and Yun Yan were well-matched, she was keenly aware of Yun Yan’s difficult background. Even if Lin Aoxue had feelings for her, would she truly treat Yun Yan with sincerity? Would she be different from other men? Yueqin wasn’t sure.

By the time the shop assistants had finished dividing the medicine, the crates outside had already filled two entire carriages. Lin Aoxue no longer needed to visit any other pharmacies—this amount would be enough for the army’s emergency needs for a while.

She felt both grateful and relieved, but she didn’t quite know what to say. This wasn’t like Yun Yan’s small courtyard in the capital, where she could just speak her mind freely. After struggling for a long moment, all she could manage was a quiet, “Thank you.”

Yun Yan was long accustomed to her stiff and reserved nature. Smiling slightly, she escorted Lin Aoxue and Lu Sheng out of the pharmacy, her voice gentle as she urged, “The battle just ended, and the grand general sent you out right away. That must mean the supplies are urgently needed. You should hurry back.”

Lin Aoxue nodded while quickly leading Lu Sheng toward the carriages. As they walked, she called out, “I didn’t expect there to be this much medicine—I didn’t bring enough silver. I’ll put it on credit for now!”

With the medicine already loaded onto the carriages, Lin Aoxue had finally come to terms with the situation. Yun Yan had more than enough stock, and taking half wouldn’t cause any real issues. With that thought, her earlier unease disappeared, and she relaxed. No longer being overly polite, she straightforwardly brought up the matter of paying later.

Yun Yan chuckled, watching as Lin Aoxue climbed onto the carriage, gripping the reins and picking up the whip. With a smile, she replied, “Then put it on credit. Just be careful on the way back.”

Lin Aoxue motioned for Yun Yan not to see them off. Raising her arm, she waved before cracking the whip, setting the carriage into motion. It rolled forward, heading straight for the military camp.

On the way back, Lin Aoxue was in an unusually good mood—she even started humming a little tune. Even the ominous feeling in her heart that Xingbei Pass’s city walls were on the verge of collapse seemed to lighten somewhat. At the very least, with these medical supplies, the injured soldiers at Xingbei Pass could receive treatment and hold out for a while longer.

When she arrived at the military camp with two full carriages of medicine, Beichen Long was both surprised and overjoyed. The worries on his face eased a little, and he publicly praised Lin Aoxue before instructing the equally delighted military doctors to take the medicine and begin treating the wounded as quickly as possible.

The next day, Lin Aoxue returned to Yanxue Medical Clinic with a large sum of money that Beichen Long had allocated for medical supplies.

Early in the morning, the pharmacy had just opened. They had set off two strings of firecrackers, and quite a few passersby had come to support the business.

News had spread that the owner of this pharmacy was none other than Miss Yun Yan, the former courtesan queen of Yanyu Tower, and that the attending physician was Yun Yan herself. As soon as wealthy young men heard this, they couldn’t sit still. The moment the pharmacy opened, a crowd of so-called “patients” and “injured” men flooded inside, eagerly lining up to have Yun Yan examine them.

When Lin Aoxue entered, she found the hall packed with young men in their twenties and thirties. Every single one of them looked bright-eyed and energetic—not at all like they were here for medical treatment. The scene was as lively and chaotic as a matchmaking festival.

However, Yun Yan was nowhere to be seen. Instead, an elderly doctor in his sixties, full of vigor, was sitting in the consultation area. With just one glance at the rowdy crowd, he remained utterly composed, making them all queue up properly while maintaining an imposing air of authority.

Lin Aoxue found the situation amusing. She walked straight through the hall toward the inner pharmacy, guessing that Yun Yan had likely hidden away to avoid this swarm of admirers. But just as she took a few steps—still quite far from the pharmacy—someone suddenly called out to her in a hostile tone, “Hey, you! The new one! Do you even know the rules? Get in line!”

Lin Aoxue turned her head at the voice and saw a well-dressed young noble glaring at her. The man carried a sharp, aggressive aura—clearly frustrated by the crowd, by the long wait, and, most of all, by the fact that he had yet to see Yun Yan. He was furious. If he had to wait in line, why should Lin Aoxue get to waltz straight in?

Lin Aoxue merely glanced at him and ignored him completely, continuing toward the pharmacy. As expected, she was stopped by the attendants at the door.

The young noble, seeing Lin Aoxue being blocked, first fumed at being ignored, then smirked in schadenfreude, fully expecting her to be turned away and forced to queue up like everyone else.

However, to his shock, Lin Aoxue spoke a few words to the attendants, and their expressions suddenly changed. Smiling warmly, they stepped aside and let her in.

The nobleman’s eyes widened in disbelief, as if he had just seen a ghost. Instantly, he felt a deep sense of injustice. He stopped queuing altogether and strode toward the pharmacy doors, only to be blocked by the attendants just as Lin Aoxue had been earlier. Furious, he demanded, “Who was that just now? What’s his status? Why can he go in while I, of all people, can’t?”

His father was General Zhan Long, a fourth-rank officer stationed at the camp. A veteran warrior, Zhan Long had followed Beichen Long for over ten years, winning countless battles and defending the northern border against the barbarians. His status was prestigious, second only to Beichen Ji.

Zhan Dong, as Zhan Long’s son, carried himself with the confidence of someone with powerful backing. In the entire northern region, the only person whose connections could rival his own was Beichen Ji. He naturally knew Beichen Ji—but who the hell was this Lin Aoxue? Feeling deeply dissatisfied, he asked directly.

But the two attendants merely glanced at him before replying matter-of-factly, “Young Master Lin is an esteemed guest whom Doctor Yun had previously arranged to meet. He’s not here for treatment, so of course, he’s allowed inside. As for you, Young Master Zhan, since you have an ‘eye ailment,’ you’d best return to the queue so you don’t miss your chance for diagnosis.”

Zhan Dong felt a surge of rage. Who the hell actually came here for treatment?! His “eye ailment” was just an excuse to get close to Yun Yan. These damn attendants were completely blind to the situation.

Furious, he suddenly slapped one of them across the face and snarled, “You’d better go and fetch Yun Yan right now!”

Earlier, he had been willing to queue up because he found it amusing—a way to win the beauty’s favor. But now, not only had he failed to see her, he had also been utterly humiliated. He was done playing nice.

Back at Yanyu Tower, he had never dared to use force because the establishment had powerful backers, and not even his father’s influence could shake them. But things were different now—Yun Yan had been redeemed from Yanyu Tower by Beichen Long. She no longer had that protection.

So what was there to hesitate about? If he wanted her, he would just take her.

The moment Zhan Dong finished speaking, the pharmacy’s beaded curtain lifted, and Lin Aoxue stepped out.

She had come today only to pay for the medicine. To avoid unnecessary gossip, she had simply exchanged a few words with Yun Yan, left the silver, and was on her way out. But just as she was leaving, she ran into this brainless fool.

(T/N: The author described the medical clinic with four? different terms in Chinese, leading to some confusion on my part tbf. But it’s practically a clinic plus pharmacy in one building, let’s just leave it at that)