"See if you can help her."
Hong Wei's tone was low. It was taut with nervousness, carrying more emotion than he expected. Somehow, he was becoming too emotional… but he didn't have the mind to question why he was so deeply affected.
Neither of them commented on it. And surprisingly, instead of Seren, the one with higher cultivation, it was Shan Mei who stepped forward.
She walked to the other side of the bed, took the woman's other hand in hers, and closed her eyes briefly to examine her condition.
In just a few moments, she opened her eyes again and said, "Master, it's an ordinary injury."
Then, after a pause, she added in a soft voice, "Should I heal her?"
Hong Wei blinked, a bit surprised by how simple and easy everything seemed to be. But he quickly collected himself and nodded. "Yes… please."
He could've simply given the command, but instead, it came out more like a plea.
And yet Shan Mei didn't say anything about it, she only smiled gently in response.
Then she placed her hand gently over Hong Wei's mother's chest. From her palm, a soft, silvery glow began to emerge, visible to the naked eye.
'Is this… the famous Qi?' Hong Wei wondered, eyes locked on his mother's face, searching for any changes.
And then… he saw it.
Color slowly began to return to her cheeks. Her pale, hollow features flushed with a healthy glow. The deep lines of fatigue and pain that had marked her face started to fade.
In just a matter of moments, her condition visibly improved.
It wasn't just that she was healed, she seemed… rejuvenated. Her features regained not only their vitality, but also the beauty that had once made her the most beautiful woman in town.
The treatment ended quickly, but Hong Wei was still in a daze, staring at his mother.
He couldn't seem to register anything else at the moment. And so, the ever-tactful Shan Mei, after finishing her treatment, gave a small nod to Seren, and the two quietly left the room.
Leaving Hong Wei alone, still absorbed in watching his mother.
Moments later, her eyelids fluttered before slowly opening. At first, she seemed dazed, confused by the sudden absence of pain and the unfamiliar clarity in her body.
But when her gaze landed on Hong Wei, looking at her with eyes full of relief, Xue Yiran finally regained her senses. She slowly raised herself up and softly said, "Xiao Wei…"
Though she still seemed a little absent-minded, there was no hiding the immense affection in her voice as she called his name.
And hearing her voice, Hong Wei could no longer hold himself back, he moved forward and hugged her.
His chest tightened as if he would cry at any moment, but Xue Yiran seemed already overwhelmed. Tears ran down her cheeks as she clung to him.
Hong Wei gently patted her back for a while, then finally said, "Mom… you're healed now."
He spoke the word Mom so naturally, so warmly, that even he felt a little stunned, unable to recognize the person he was becoming.
But he didn't want to think about that now.
He just wanted to celebrate this moment with her.
It took a bit of time before Xue Yiran fully processed what she had heard. She pulled back and looked at him, concerned.
"Did you bring Physician Zhang Bo to treat me?"
"Where did you get the money?"
"Don't tell me… you went into the forest, even after I warned you so many times?"
She bombarded him with questions. But instead of feeling annoyed, Hong Wei felt… warm.
'Is this what it feels like… to have someone worry about you?' While he thought that, he still couldn't help but wonder what he should tell her.
He couldn't possibly tell her the truth… that he had actually gone into the forest and, by some miracle, hunted a boar, only for that to become the very cause of his predecessor's demise, and the reason he ended up transmigrating into this body, right?
But even if he left that part out, how was he supposed to explain the sudden appearance of Shan Mei and Seren?
Hong Wei wracked his brain for ideas while enduring his mother's stern gaze. He seriously considered how he should answer.
But then, a thought occurred to him… why was he trying so hard to come up with a believable excuse?
Couldn't he just gloss over her questions for now… and simply introduce Shan Mei and Seren?
He'd considered several believable answers, things his mother might accept, but in the end, he realized, that if possible, he didn't want to lie to her.
With the system, he was bound to draw more characters later. So, would he have to keep lying, again and again?
No matter what, he couldn't say the truth… that her real son was dead, and that a stranger with a system had taken over. So, Hong Wei thought it was best if his mother simply accepted his strange situation.
With that decision made, Hong Wei turned to the door and said, "Shan Mei, Seren, come here."
He didn't worry that they wouldn't hear him, despite his low voice. And just as he expected, the moment he called them, they entered the room.
As soon as her eyes landed on them, Xue Yiran was struck speechless… by how beautiful they were.
She had always been confident in her own appearance, but even she didn't think she could compare… especially not to the one with silver hair, who looked just like a fairy.
"They're cultivators," Hong Wei suddenly interrupted her thoughts and said, pointing at Shan Mei. "She's the one who healed you."
The moment she heard the word "cultivator," Xue Yiran immediately sobered.
And she believed it without hesitation, there was no way someone from their town, or even from the larger county, could have such an appearance or such temperament.
And so, with a reverent and timid tone, she quickly said, "This one thanks Immortal Masters for saving my humble life!"
But she wasn't satisfied with just words. Fearing that reclining in bed while thanking them was disrespectful, and that they might take offense, Xue Yiran even tried to get up from the bed, wanting to kneel.
Noticing her strange behavior, and remembering how revered cultivators were, Hong Wei quickly intervened.
"Mother, don't act like that," he said. "Even if they are cultivators, you don't need to lower your head to anyone."
"That's right, Madam. What the young master said is correct. I just did what I should," Shan Mei immediately added with a smile. Seren, still silent, nodded at her words.
Xue Yiran naturally found the situation strange, and for a moment, she froze in confusion, trying to make sense of everything that had happened while she was unconscious.
Then, something suddenly clicked in her mind.
She remembered, that her son had always been handsome, catching the attention of women both young and old throughout the town. So… could this be related to that?
Xue Yiran seemed to accept the conclusion she came to right away, and her gaze toward Shan Mei and Seren changed.
Her eyes lit up as she suddenly thought that her son hadn't brought just one wife… but two.
Of course, Hong Wei had no idea how many tragic romance stories his mother had already conjured in her mind.
Still, he looked at Shan Mei with gentle eyes and said, "I forgot to say it earlier, because of everything that was happening, but… thank you for treating my mother."
"No problem, mas—I mean, young master," Shan Mei replied, with a gentle smile.
Naturally, her response only fueled Xue Yiran's imagination further.
But, again, no one knew that.