She’s a Passerby, But Can See the Protagonist’s Halo

**January 19th**

Yan and Zhu Jue saw Xiao Qingnang again after a little over a week.

Originally, they had planned to bring Da Bao and Xiao Bao along to visit Xiao Qingnang’s family’s ancient medical clinic.

However, due to the lingering aftermath of his acupuncture rescue on the high-speed train, his home wasn’t the most convenient place at the moment. So Xiao Qingnang offered to bring Pengpeng over to meet them instead.

Yan and Zhu Jue had been wondering how to arrange a family visit to the renowned physician’s clinic—but now, with Xiao Qingnang coming to them, it was only natural to ask him to check everyone’s pulse while he was here, right?

The two of them wholeheartedly approved of Xiao Qingnang’s proposal and eagerly welcomed his visit.

“Since Xiao Qingnang is coming today, let’s have him stay for dinner. With Pengpeng here too, we’ll just relax at home.”

Early in the morning, Yan was already bustling back and forth between her own home and the apartment across the hall.

Xiao Qingnang would definitely spend most of his time at Zhu Jue’s place, but if their parents were getting their pulses checked, they might come over to hers instead. So she was making sure everything was spotless.

“Sis, is your classmate really that amazing?”

At Yan’s place, Xiao Bao—currently wiping down the coffee table under orders—asked while working.

“Yep. When he gets here, we’ll have him take a look at you too.” Yan’s gaze lingered on Tan Xiaobao’s posture.

She stepped forward and gave a light *pat* on Xiao Bao’s back. “Stand up straight! Don’t hunch your head forward—Xiao Bao, are you developing an anterior pelvic tilt?”

Scolded by her sister, Xiao Bao immediately straightened up.

“Sis, I think my posture’s fine. We trained with Grandpa Wu since we were kids—it wasn’t for nothing.”

Yan studied Xiao Bao’s stance with a hand on her chin, then reached out to feel the back of her neck. Good, no “tech neck” hump.

“We’ll have him check if you need any bone alignment. Zhu Jue and I have already seen huge improvements in our allergies—now we don’t even react when cats are right in front of us. His skills are legit.”

“Then he *definitely* needs to check Mom. She raised the two of us alone back then, and we were a handful. Her health must’ve taken a toll.” Tan Xiaobao muttered.

“Mm, I’ve already talked to all the parents. Told Auntie to come back early tonight too.” Yan said.

Since Xiao Qingnang was making the trip, they might as well get everyone checked in one go.

After a moment’s thought, Yan crossed the hall to Zhu Jue’s place.

“Zhu Jue, should we go meet Xiao Qingnang? He’s bringing Pengpeng, and carrying a cat carrier around isn’t exactly convenient.”

Zhu Jue was currently taking ingredients out of the freezer to thaw for dinner. As Yan took the portioned ribs from his hands, both their phones buzzed with new messages at the same time.

“Gu Jiasui’s coming too?” Yan was surprised by the message from Gu Jiasui.

She knew Gu Jiasui had been in Ning City these past few days, but since it was for work—recording a show—Yan assumed she’d be too busy to check her phone much. She hadn’t wanted to bother her, only sending a quick note to reach out when free.

She hadn’t expected the reply so soon!

Now, Yan watched as Zhu Jue turned his phone screen toward her.

**[Xiao Qingnang]:** We’ll come together. No need to meet us.

**[Xiao Qingnang]:** I’ll message when we’re close.

**[Xiao Qingnang]:** [photo.jpg]

In the photo Xiao Qingnang sent, the kitten Pengpeng could be seen peering up from inside the carrier. Based on the background, he was clearly already in a car—and above the carrier, a pair of slender, jade-like fingers were playfully beckoning the cat.

Yan and Zhu Jue: *Oh-ho!*

The two exchanged a glance, Yan blinking rapidly.

She rubbed her chin while Zhu Jue closed the fridge and took back the stainless steel bowl of ribs from her.

They moved into the kitchen, where Zhu Jue slightly bowed his head so Yan could loop the blue-checkered apron over him, deftly tying the strings behind his back.

Once Yan finished, Zhu Jue carefully helped her into the matching red-checkered apron—even though Yan never cooked, the couple’s aesthetic was non-negotiable.

“Da Bao, tell Xiao Bao to go buy groceries.” She called out, scanning Zhu Jue’s handwritten menu.

Tan Dabao, who had been vacuuming, turned off the roaring machine and set it aside. He took the list, skimmed it, then put it down.

“Just these? I thought hotpot for lunch would be easier?”

“Who else is coming?” Tan Dabao’s handsome face was full of curiosity. The vacuum had been too loud earlier—he’d only caught that someone else was joining but didn’t hear who.

Yan smirked playfully. “You’ll see when they get here. Go with Xiao Bao, and remember—get the beef sliced fresh.”

“Got it, same as always.” Tan Dabao obediently agreed, quickly throwing on his jacket and calling for his sister.

The moment the heavy metal door clicked shut behind Da Bao and Xiao Bao, Yan and Zhu Jue dropped all restraint.

Leaning against the kitchen doorway with her arms crossed, Yan mused:

“Zhu Jue… do you think Gu Jiasui and Xiao Qingnang… are from the same era?”

Zhu Jue was currently soaking the ribs to remove any blood, then began preparing the available ingredients at home for hotpot, slicing them as needed.

"Hard to say, but when we searched Brother Xiao’s name before, we didn’t find anything relevant either," Zhu Jue remarked.

Yan thought about it and agreed. Earlier, she and Zhu Jue had deduced that Xiao Qingnang, the so-called "Sage of Medicine," must be from ancient times based on his speech patterns and lifestyle habits.

However, when they searched for the name "Xiao Qingnang" along with keywords like "miracle doctor" or "Sage of Medicine," the results only showed legends about Hua Tuo’s *Qingnang Book* or articles like "Who Were the Sages of Medicine Throughout History?" or male-oriented web novels like *Urban Super Medical Sage*.

Yan racked her brain adding all sorts of keywords—miracle doctor, Sage of Medicine, Saint of Medicine, imperial physicians—but still found nothing relevant.

Based on Yan’s personal experience—for example, her roommate Yi Zhi, an Ability User from a post-apocalyptic world—she speculated that Xiao Qingnang, the "Sage of Medicine," was likely not a historical figure from their own world. Instead, he probably came from a different timeline, one with a similar cultural and historical background to present-day Earth.

Only this could explain why someone revered as a "Sage of Medicine" would leave no trace in recorded history.

After discussing it with Zhu Jue, they concluded there was at least an 80% chance this was the case. Moreover, during the first meeting between their two dormitories and when they introduced Xiao Qingnang to the kitten Pengpeng, it was clear that Yan and Zhu Jue were the ones who naturally took the lead in familiarizing themselves with Xiao Qingnang and Gu Jiasui.

Thus, Yan and Zhu Jue deduced that the two likely came from different eras.

But now, as Yan looked at the chat interface where Brother Xiao spoke in a familiar tone, she recalled how frequently these two "transmigrators" with ancient origins had been meeting lately and grew thoughtful.

"Zhu Jue, do you think this is a further development of the 'Gathering Law of Exceptional Individuals'?"

Yan had personally formulated the "Gathering Law of Exceptional Individuals"—wherever one extraordinary person appeared, a second would inevitably follow, often clustering together.

Zhu Jue pondered for a moment. "Maybe they just have good chemistry? Their temperaments are similar, they share common topics, and people are naturally drawn to familiar feelings."

Yan let out an "Oh~" and smiled playfully at him.

"Then what’s the most familiar feeling for you?"

Hearing this, Zhu Jue set down the kitchen knife, washed his hands, and walked to the door. He spread his arms, wrapping them around her back as he carefully pulled Yan into an embrace.

"This is the most familiar feeling," he murmured, his warm breath brushing against her ear, the feather-like ends of his dark hair grazing her nose as he inhaled the faint, familiar scent of gardenia from her hair.

Yan ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‍wrinkled her nose, her willow-leaf brows curving as her lips lifted. "Today’s Zhu Jue gets full marks again."

Pleased with his answer, she planted a kiss on his cheek.

Zhu Jue’s gaze softened like water, but he refused to let go, tilting his face to silently ask for another kiss. Yan obliged with a second peck before he reluctantly released her and returned to chopping vegetables.

Not long after, Da Bao and Xiao Bao returned with their shopping haul.

Da Bao entered the kitchen and paused in surprise at the sight of Zhu Jue swaying slightly.

"Bro, are you listening to music with headphones? Why are you moving like that?"

Yan, who had been sipping water while admiring her handsome boyfriend’s knife skills, nearly choked. She coughed several times until Tan Xiaobao patted her back to help her recover.

Fruits had been washed in advance to welcome their guests, and both the copper hotpot and regular hotpot were set up on the large table.

By the time Yan and Xiao Bao went to the residential compound’s gate to fetch Xiao Qingnang, Gu Jiasui, and the kitten Pengpeng, all the hotpot ingredients, side dishes, and dipping sauces for lunch were ready.

There was no rush for the meal—it was only 10 a.m. Yan first took Jiasui on a tour of her home.

"This is my place. Across the hall is Zhu Jue’s."

"We renovated a few years ago, or else I’d be embarrassed to invite you over," Yan said with a self-deprecating laugh.

"The old houses in this residential area really show their age."

Gu Jiasui felt a little nervous. She had already been to Xiao Qingnang’s home, but now, stepping into Yan’s—her enigmatic roommate’s space—the cozy, lived-in decor made her inexplicably tense.

Given the shared suspicions between her and Wu Jiu, she couldn’t help scrutinizing every detail, even though the interior was clearly just a renovated old apartment.

Yan led Xiao Qingnang and Jiasui through both her and Zhu Jue’s homes. "Jiasui, would you like to see my room?"

In both living rooms, Gu Jiasui and Xiao Qingnang saw photos of the couple growing up, along with their younger siblings.

"If you don’t mind, I’d like to take a look," Gu Jiasui replied.

As Gu Jiasui stepped into Yan’s bedroom, her eyes immediately fell upon the exquisite double-sided silk embroidery fan lying haphazardly on the desk. Yan quickly snatched it up and tossed it into a drawer, offering an awkward smile. "I haven’t finished this craft project yet."

Gu Jiasui blinked but remained silent, her gaze lingering instead on the photo wall above the desk—a collage of Yan and Zhu Jue growing up side by side.

One thing was clear: the two had been inseparable since childhood. Could it be that they weren’t immortal beings after all, but souls destined to reunite life after life?