168: Is there really a hidden plot in Chapter 168?

The woman finished her song, bowed, and left the stage. A waiter from the teahouse swiftly stepped forward to gather the copper coins and fresh flowers that had rained down like raindrops.

She swept the entire hall with her mournful gaze, then finally lowered her head in dejection.

Seeing this, some players rushed forward impatiently, attempting to trigger a quest.

Chen You watched as they spoke with the woman for a moment before dispersing, some joyful and others indignant, clearly having received their tasks.

"Is there really no alternative path?" Chen You frowned slightly.

"Forget it, I'll just follow the normal procedure then."

He slowly walked to the front of the stage.

"Miss, might you have some troubles to share?"

Cai Wenjuan looked up, and as her autumnal eyes met Chen You's, a strange ripple seemed to flash across them.

She curtsied slightly, her voice tinged with a trace of crying.

"This humble girl, Cai Wenjuan, came to Thousand Light City three years ago with the man I love."

"He claimed he would secure a position in the City Lord's Mansion, and once he achieved success, he would return to marry me."

"But now, he hasn't shown his face for a long time. He only sent someone to deliver a letter, saying... telling me not to wait any longer."

By the end of her speech, her voice had dissolved into sobs.

Chen You thought to himself, this script is truly overflowing with melodrama.

Cai Wenjuan continued her performance.

"This humble girl... this humble girl just wants to ask, is that heartless man truly serving in the City Lord's Mansion? This humble girl genuinely cannot enter to verify."

"Could you, sir, help me deliver this reply letter to the City Lord's Mansion, to that heartless man?"

[Ding! You have triggered the side quest 'He Must Love You Very Much'. Accept?]"

Chen You glanced at the quest information. It was just delivering a letter.

This quest was almost too simple.

"Accept." Chen You nodded.

What he needed to do now was quickly complete this so-called 'opening quest' and then go grind dungeons.

He took the letter handed to him by Cai Wenjuan, the seal still bearing tear stains, and turned to leave the teahouse.

Just as Chen You was about to summon Big White Rabbit, his gaze inadvertently caught sight of a figure.

It was an NPC wearing a gray short jacket and a kerchief on his head, running past in a hurry.

"Hmm?" Chen You raised an eyebrow slightly.

His memory was exceptional. While waiting for Cai Wenjuan earlier, he had glanced over the street scene.

This NPC seemed to have... run past once already?

Something was wrong!

A normal NPC running past twice in the same short period, with the same hurried pace, from the same direction, was definitely not normal random behavior.

There must be some condition that triggered it.

Could it be because other players had already triggered it once by accepting the 'He Must Love You Very Much' quest, and then his acceptance triggered it a second time?

Chen You was startled for no reason.

This side quest, from the melodramatic plot at the start to the bizarrely repeating path of the NPC now, felt completely out of place.

There must be some hidden content within it!

Those previous players had clearly not noticed this aspect.

Without the slightest hesitation, Chen You transformed into an afterimage, catching up to the NPC who was rushing past. With a sidestep, he blocked the NPC at the intersection.

"Brother, why the rush?" Chen You spoke.

The NPC was startled by being suddenly stopped.

He had no quest marker above his head, but after Chen You spoke, a dialogue box popped up.

Old Wang (Panicked): "Ay! Sir, you really scared me! This humble one is rushing to the west side of the city to find a doctor!"

Chen You observed the NPC's expression and noticed that although there was panic in his eyes, deeper down lay a trace of fatigue and anxiety.

"Looking for a doctor? Did someone at home fall seriously ill?" Chen You followed the lead.

Old Wang (Sighing): "Isn't that right! Two days ago, this humble one saw a person at the city gate, poorly dressed and haggard, looking like he had just emerged from some mountain ravine and was wandering here."

"Seeing how pitiful he was, I brought him home, intending to take him in for a while."

"Who knew that early this morning, he suddenly started vomiting blood incessantly, his face turning ashen. It scared this humble one into rushing to find a doctor."

"Alas, he is truly a pitiful soul. I don't know if he can make it through."

A vagrant? Vomiting blood? Face ashen?

"Where is he now?" Chen You's tone deepened.

NPC Old Wang, intimidated by Chen You's aura, subconsciously pointed toward a slightly dark alley not far away.

"He is... he is at this humble one's home. Sir, do you happen to know medicine? If you can save his life, this humble one will be eternally grateful!"

Chen You nodded and said no more.

He walked toward the alley Old Wang had indicated.

Seeing this, Old Wang was confused but could only hurry to follow.

Deep in the alley, a dilapidated wooden door was ajar, emitting a faint smell of mildew and blood.

Chen You stepped into the courtyard. Old Wang quickly pushed the door open and led Chen You inside the house.

The room was not large, the furnishings were simple, and the light was dim.

On a worn wooden plank bed lay a man who looked withered and emaciated.

His face was pale, a trace of dark red blood stained the corner of his mouth, his eyes were tightly shut, and his breathing was weak.

"Sir, this is him."

Old Wang pointed at the person on the bed, his voice laced with obvious urgency and a hint of helplessness.

Chen You walked to the bedside and his gaze fell upon the vagrant's face.

This name... Du Chedi?

Chen You's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.

Not simple! Absolutely not simple!

He activated the 'Gazing at Qi to See the Heart' skill.

Instantly, the decaying aura swirling around Du Chedi was completely visible to Chen You's eyes.

That was not the death aura of an illness, but a deep, almost solidified despair and utter dejection.

Although his vitality was weak, it had not completely dissipated. Instead, there was a deathly stillness of 'having nothing left to live for.'

"So that's it." Chen You mused inwardly.

What kind of illness is this? It's clearly a sickness of the heart.

And this sickness of the heart was almost taking his life.

Seeing Chen You remain silent for a long time, Old Wang thought he was helpless and anxiously asked, "Sir, is it... is it that he cannot be saved?"

Chen You withdrew his gaze and said faintly, "No matter."

He took out a peiyuan pill from his inventory.

The pure white pill emitted a faint medicinal fragrance.

Old Wang was stunned: "What... what is this?"

He had never seen such an exquisite pill.

Chen You ignored him, directly pried open Du Chedi's mouth, and stuffed the peiyuan pill inside.

The pill dissolved instantly upon entering the mouth.

Almost instantaneously, Du Chedi's body began to change.

His pale complexion turned ruddy at a rate visible to the naked eye, and his breathing became steady and strong.

Even that decaying aura seemed to be driven away by an invisible force, replaced by a gentle and vital radiance.

"This..." Old Wang's eyes widened, his jaw almost dropping in shock.

This wasn't treating an illness; this was an immortal elixir!

Du Chedi suddenly opened his eyes. He first looked around in confusion, then looked at his own body.

He felt a warm current flowing through his body, as if a depleted river had regained its vitality.

When he looked at Chen You again, he understood that this person had saved him.

He tried to struggle to sit up but suddenly slumped back onto the bed, letting out a painful groan.

"Sir, please forgive me for not being able to thank you properly."

Du Chedi's voice was hoarse, and a look of apology crossed his face.

"Three years ago, this humble man suffered a sudden calamity, and since then..."

He struggled to sit up, threw off the worn quilt, and revealed a severed leg.

Chen You instantly understood.

This name, this leg... could it be from a traffic accident!