A Shocking Dream

Chapter 203

Zhou Junze gritted his teeth, his cheeks puffed out, and he uttered a harsh word through his teeth: "Why are you panicking? Without any evidence, what can Xie Yuan do to us? Our top priority right now is to search for that girl with all our might, even if it means digging deep underground. Also, shut up those servants in the mansion who know about this. Anyone who dares to say a word will be dragged out and punished, and sent to the underworld!"

The lights in the mansion were on all night, and the flickering candlelight seemed to reflect the anxious hearts of the people.

The inky color of night slowly seeped in from the sky, like an increasingly thick curtain, heavily enveloping the medical furnace where Lin Wunian lay. The mountain wind blew through the treetops, emitting a murmur like the earth's long breath, brushing against the few medicinal herbs outside the medical hut. The delicate stems swayed with it, as if whispering to the wind.

Inside, candlelight strained to fill the gloom with a small, dimly lit space. The flames flickered and danced, stoked by the evening breeze. Light and shadows flickered across the mud walls, swaying the aroma of medicinal herbs in the room. Lin Wunian seemed pinned to his desk, his posture erect yet fatigue evident, his hands never pausing for a moment. Beside him lay stacks of medical books, their pages yellowed and their edges slightly curled, a silent reminder of a past reread. Bottles and jars, scattered among the scattered herbal fragments, lay scattered on the table, like the aftermath of a fierce battle.

Her slender fingers expertly weaved through the herbs, gently twisting, kneading, and grinding them. Her movements were fluid yet radiant with a solemn focus. Beads of sweat, like tiny pearls in the candlelight, trickled down her forehead, wetting a few strands of frosted hair. The moonlight outside, though cool and bright, shone through the aged wooden lattice, casting a silvery, cold glow that mingled with the warm, yellow candlelight within, creating a crisscross pattern of light and shadow. Lin Wunian's face was visible in this shifting light and shadow, sometimes fading into obscurity, sometimes emerging from the halo. Only her eyes, always gleaming, remained fixed on the herbs in her hands, as if she could cast aside all else.

"Kankan," Lin Wunian finally raised his eyes, breaking the long silence in the room. His voice was slightly hoarse due to fatigue, but still carried a gentleness like water, as if it could smooth out all the wrinkles of the night. "Go and take a rest. You are exhausted today." Kankan was already so sleepy that her eyelids were fighting, but she still forced herself to stay awake. She responded crisply and walked towards the inner room.

Only after Kanan's figure disappeared behind the curtain did Lin Wunian slowly withdraw her gaze and return to the world of herbs. Her fingertips gently brushed over a bunch of herbs with slender leaves and strange veins. The touch felt like touching long-lost hope, and a ripple of anticipation filled her eyes. She had stumbled upon this herb today, in a secluded valley on the mountainside. The valley was like a secret pocket hidden deep within the earth, cold and damp, rarely visited by humans. This is why this herb has been able to grow safely there, isolated from the world.

The juice, when applied, blends with the hair, temporarily dyeing it black. Her gaze drifted down to her dangling white hair, dangling like frost and snow, and a hint of self-satisfaction played on her lips: "Finally, I can hide this conspicuous thing." As she traveled, this head of white hair always drew sidelong glances and whispers. Although healers were known for their carefree and unrestrained nature, they didn't want to be scrutinized and investigated as an anomaly every time they traveled.

The moon moved, the stars sank, and everything was silent. Lin Wunian tiptoed into the room to check on them. Seeing the two sleeping in each other's arms, the corners of his mouth curled up unconsciously. He tucked the quilt in for them and quietly left.

She returned to her workbench, and by the ember-like candlelight, she finely pounded the herbs. The juice oozed out, and a rich, medicinal fragrance filled the room, like a soothing veil. As she applied the medicine, a subtle coolness seeped through her scalp, as if the sorrows of the past were slowly settling. Looking in the mirror at her gradually darkening hair, she imagined the face of a lively young woman, untouched by illness, threatening to break through the mirror.

Dawn broke, as if the slumbering world had been gently awakened. The morning light, like a ethereal fairy, trickled in through the curtains, disturbing Lu Yao's light slumber. Her eyelids fluttered slightly, and she slowly pried open her sleepy eyes. Her consciousness was still hazy, and her gaze wandered aimlessly, but suddenly fixed.

Lin Wunian before her, her long black hair cascading down her shoulders in a soft, lustrous sheen, seemed like a continuation of last night's quiet, sweet dream, so beautiful it felt unreal. Lu Yao rubbed her eyes vigorously, her fingers so hard that they reddened, convinced she was just lingering cataracts from the morning, mistaking a vision for reality.

But if you look closely again, the black hair is still real, each strand is distinct, and it is shining with a faint black light in the warm morning light, as if it hides the quiet stories of countless nights.

She stood there in a daze, her mouth slightly open. After a long pause, she stammered, "Lin... Sister Lin, your hair... how could it be..." Her voice was piercing with shock, its tail syllables swirling through the quiet room. K'an K'an was awakened by the noise, mumbling and rolling over. The moment she opened her eyes, she was petrified, her eyeballs nearly popping out of their sockets.

Lin Wunian was combing the ends of her hair in front of a bronze mirror. When she heard the voice, she turned around, a smile on her lips. She raised her hand and gently stroked her new black hair. Her expression was leisurely and she had not seen it for a long time: "You two look so jumpy, do you think I'm a monster?" Last night, when she applied the herbal juice, she only felt a cool feeling on her scalp at first, as if a clear mountain spring was flowing over her. She didn't expect that when she woke up in the morning, her former beauty would be restored.

Lu Yao didn't bother to put on her shoes, and jumped in front of Lin Wunian barefoot, her hands eagerly reaching out to the black hair, as if she wanted to grasp this incredible miracle and confirm that it was not a mirage.

It felt silky smooth to the touch, with a faint herbal fragrance lingering around her nose, shocking her heart and turning into a series of sighs: "Sister Lin, this is simply amazing! What kind of elixir has such a miraculous effect, turning white hair completely black overnight? Could it be a magical item bestowed by an immortal?"

Lin Wunian smiled and slapped away Lu Yao's hand that was touching him randomly. He pulled them to sit on the edge of the bed and told them the origin of the herb: "I got it in a secluded valley on the shady side of the mountain. It seems like a remote place abandoned by the mortal world, cold and lonely, but it hides this strange herb that can reverse yin and yang. I have studied medical books for many years and occasionally got a clue. I searched for it several times before I was lucky enough to pick it. I was worried about the effect of the medicine, but I didn't expect it to work." His tone was flat, but the light in his eyes revealed his joy.

At this time, Kanan had already jumped around Lu Yao several times, her face flushed with excitement: "Sister, from now on you will be able to travel the world with this beautiful black hair, and no one will give you those weird looks, and you will be able to be much happier and freer!" Lin Wunian smiled even more deeply, looking at the gradually brightening sunlight outside the window, as if he saw a bright future. The sour past caused by the white hair was finally quietly covered up by this touch of ink.

Standing up and stepping out, the breeze caressing his hair, Lin Wunian took a deep breath of the fresh morning air, his heart filled with hope. From now on, this head of black hair would not only be an embellishment to his appearance, but also a declaration of rebirth.