"What medicine did you use? What potion did you soak her in to make her so beautiful and radiant in such a short time, even her skin is so delicate and fair?" Both Ye Lanyu and the Seventh Princess were very concerned about this issue, and their concern, of course, was not about why Ye Lang did this, but because they wanted to get their hands on this type of weight loss and skincare medicine, after all, that's how women are.
The two intelligent women, Ye Lanyu and the Seventh Princess, had long realized that even if a person could lose weight from over two hundred catties to less than one hundred catties in just over twenty days, such high-intensity weight loss would definitely make that person's skin look very unsightly, full of wrinkles left by the weight loss.
Well, even if we leave that aside, Zhen Xiaoyan's skin wasn't very good before, of course, it wasn't very bad either, but definitely not comparable to now. This alone would catch people's attention.
Not only the skin, but also the texture of the hair has changed!
Ye Lang smiled and said, "This, this is my exclusive formula, it was accidentally concocted before, and has never been tested. Fatty is a great test subject!"
Everyone fell silent.
"So you used her as a test subject. What if it didn't work out?" Ye Lanyu knocked Ye Lang a bit indignantly.
"What to do if it doesn't work out? She certainly wouldn't have succeeded if she didn't take risks, and the current results are also proof that my medicine is very effective!" Ye Lang waved his hand indifferently.
"Well, very effective!" Just as everyone was nodding in agreement, Ye Lang said a sentence that immediately made them retract their previous approval.
"I wonder if there will be any side effects, maybe she will revert back in a few days, or maybe her body will mutate..." Ye Lang heartlessly remarked.
Everyone fell silent, it seems that one needs a bit of courage to have him do things, especially when it comes to matters concerning the body.
"Whatever, we'll talk about it later. I'm going back to bed now, I'm very tired." Ye Lang yawned, and his drowsiness was quite evident on his face.
And so, Ye Lang nonchalantly explained this matter, downplaying his role to the point of self-effacement, not only did he not want to seek credit, but there was also an important reason behind it. In fact, he had used some medical skills from the martial arts treasure trove, something he didn't want to explain to others and was also unexplainable.
If we were to talk about just the medicine, he could use alchemy to gloss it over, as he said before, a medicine accidentally concocted, no one would doubt this, because alchemy is, after all, a very mysterious technique, they would believe in the most mysterious medicines. However, this time Ye Lang didn't just rely on the medicine alone, as Zhen Xiaoyan had been too powerful before, and the changes needed were too extensive.
Ye Lang needed to use the most miraculous technique in traditional Chinese medicine, one he was very skilled at: acupuncture!
He used acupuncture to change some of Zhen Xiaoyan's bodily functions, temporarily blocking her absorption function so that she couldn't absorb anything she ate and at the same time her body kept burning.
This was the only way to make her thin in the shortest time possible!
However, doing this also had serious consequences, putting a great burden on her body, and possibly leaving behind some lingering effects.
Earlier when Ye Lang mentioned after-effects and the like, he wasn't joking, it was a fact!
And this was just the acupuncture, there were other burdens and consequences as well, so Zhen Xiaoyan's body was now as fragile as beautiful glass, perhaps one touch would shatter it.
Would Ye Lang keep anything from Zhen Xiaoyan? Otherwise, how could she agree to such a thing?
No, absolutely not at all, Ye Lang had completely informed Zhen Xiaoyan of the consequences, all those possibilities from the beginning, before they even started. Zhen Xiaoyan had the right to choose, she could refuse this method, but she didn't, and her reaction was also unexpected!
Ye Lang remembered that at that time he had warned her, "Fatty, you need to think it over, I can make you transform into a stunning beauty, overshadowing all others at the competition, but this might be only temporary, and the after-effects are beyond my ability to predict. It could ruin your life and make you regret this decision forever. You study alchemy, you should understand!"
Even though Ye Lang's medical skills were quite different from alchemy, some alchemical potions had terrible after-effects, this was known to all, and Zhen Xiaoyan, being an alchemy student, was well aware of the consequences.
Zhen Xiaoyan smiled faintly, calmly and with determination she said, "I know, but I won't regret it!"
At that time, Ye Lang gave Zhen Xiaoyan many choices, many that wouldn't harm her body, but she chose this one that would cause harm, the most grueling method for her.
Because only in this way would she feel it was real, truly won by her own efforts!
Ye Lang's other methods all had a bit of manipulation, only this method was pure and unadulterated, without any manipulation!
She wanted her love to be genuine, without an ounce of deceit; she wanted her love to be pure, without any flaws!
This was also the dream of many girls, willing to do some foolish things for this purpose, just like Zhen Xiaoyan now, she wasn't the first girl to do foolish things for love, nor would she be the last, and certainly not the only one!
Of course, she also knew that this was the most arduous, it would bring her a great deal of pain, and possibly an irreparable hurt, but she chose it without hesitation.
Even if it's only temporary, she still wants this fleeting moment of happiness, even if the price is a lifetime of suffering!
Trading a lifetime for a moment might seem foolish to some, but she had no regrets! To this, Ye Lang could only shake his head and sigh—silly woman!
Just as Ye Lang was about to leave, Zhen Xiaoyan, who had still been in close proximity with Mo Ya, noticed him leaving and seemed to be very concerned about his whereabouts at this moment.
"Ye Lang, where are you going?" Zhen Xiaoyan immediately left Mo Ya and ran over, shouting as she ran.
This situation left everyone bewildered, not understanding what Zhen Xiaoyan meant. You shouldn't be concerned about other things right now, you should be ensconced in your love affair, who cares where that spendthrift goes.
In the end, do you care more about this spendthrift or your lover?
Yè Làng shook his head and replied, "I'm not eating. I want to sleep for a few days. Don't disturb me. Go have more dates with your boyfriend. And remember to take your medicine, don't forget!"
"Got it, you think I'm a scatterbrain! Anyway, you rest well. I know you've put in a lot of effort in these twenty-plus days, but you just didn't want me to know," Zhen Xiao Yan looked at Yè Làng, speaking gently.
How could she not know Yè Làng's efforts? Just think about it, to transform her from that state to the lovely and stunning girl she is now, Yè Làng couldn't have had it easy.
For one, just the medicinal baths required by Zhen Xiao Yan needed to be prepared by him daily, because the effects needed were different each day, as Zhen Xiao Yan was changing every day.
There were also medicines and other things that needed to be prepared in advance to keep up with Zhen Xiao Yan's changing progress. Yè Làng would often have to prepare them at night; during the day, he needed to watch over Zhen Xiao Yan to prevent any accidents.
So, in these twenty-plus days, he hardly had any good rest, but this was something he didn't want Zhen Xiao Yan to know, afraid of affecting her progress, and certainly didn't want people like Liu Fei Yan to know.
Because of this, the world only knew of Zhen Xiao Yan's tenacity, only knew of the inhumane suffering she endured in these twenty-plus days, but no one knew of Yè Làng's hardships during these days, except Zhen Xiao Yan.
"Who says I've put in a lot for you, I certainly haven't. I don't even know how carefree I am every day," Yè Làng lightly laughed, not wanting to say much. After all, it was all in the past.
"I knew you would say that. Alright, go rest!" Zhen Xiao Yan didn't say anything further. Some things just need to be kept in mind, no need to be spoken.
Next, Yè Làng left, and as expected, Zhen Xiao Yan obtained the position of the top courtesan without any surprises. No one dared to deceive.
Of course, this was not just because of Yè Làng, but mostly because of the Emperor. Don't forget the Emperor had bet on Zhen Xiao Yan winning, and he was present. Who would dare deceive and cause Zhen Xiao Yan to lose this position as the top courtesan?
To take it a step back, even if Zhen Xiao Yan was slightly inferior to another talented woman at that time, she would still have been chosen as the top courtesan, let alone her performance today far surpassed any woman present, making it even more impossible to shake her position.
Under everyone's eyes, Zhen Xiao Yan and Mo Ya left together. Nobody knew where they went afterwards. It's not that people didn't want to know, or didn't have the ability to know, but everyone didn't want to disturb their moment!
...
In Zhen Xiao Yan's home, a little incident occurred...
"Xiao Yan? Is that really you?" Zhen Xiao Yan's mother circled around her daughter, carefully looking at the completely transformed girl.
As someone who knew her daughter well, she had more reason to doubt whether the person in front of her was real, because she knew the most, and understood Zhen Xiao Yan's situation the most.
It seemed to confirm Yè Làng's words—
When the time comes, even your own mother won't recognize you!
"It's me, am I beautiful?” Zhen Xiao Yan held her mother's hand, smiling gently, with a hint of coquetry.
"Well, you are beautiful, but is it really my little chubby Yan?" Her mother's hand gently caressed Zhen Xiao Yan's cheek, not believing that this delicate face of hers was once chubby and round.
"Hehe, yes, I'm your chubby Yan, but not chubby now. However, who knows, I might get chubby again in the future, hehe..." Zhen Xiao Yan smiled foolishly, according to Yè Làng, she might only be able to maintain it for a while.
"This is so unbelievable, how can one believe it?"
"Hehe, it's really unbelievable. I never thought I would become like this. It feels like a dream. Even if it’s a dream, I'm satisfied." Zhen Xiao Yan said with a smile.
"...," Zhen Xiao Yan's mother remained silent, still looking at her daughter with doubtful eyes.
“Mom, do you remember when I was still a child, I was so hungry that I ate mud as a snack..." Zhen Xiao Yan started sharing some of her personal stories, but her response was—
"Everyone knows about that, it's not a one-time occurrence..."
"... And you remember the time I got stuck in the bathtub while taking a bath?" This incident was known to few people because at that time, Zhen Xiao Yan had used a smaller tub that she had outgrown.
"This may not be widely known, but you could find out by inquiring. Our family's private matters have already spread, except for you..."
"What!? Did you... Humph! And did you also spread the matter of the birthmark on my chest?" Zhen Xiao Yan exclaimed in embarrassment, her face turning bright red when she finished speaking.
"That's not the case, only you and I know... Xiao Yan, are you really Xiao Yan?" Zhen Xiao Yan's mother seemed to just realize this and hugged her daughter in excitement.
"Of course it's me, Mom can't even recognize her own daughter, hmph! Also... Mom, don't hug me so tight, I can't breathe!" Zhen Xiao Yan struggled to speak.
In the past, Zhen Xiao Yan had been hugged like this by her mother, but the strength wasn't a problem. However, the previous her could bear it, whereas now she couldn't.
"Oh, you've become so delicate now... It's not my fault, you've changed so much that even I, your old mother, can't recognize you!"
"Hehe..."
"Tell me, how did you do it? Tell Mom the secret, Mom wants to lose weight and become young and pretty!" No woman could resist this temptation.
Especially someone at the age of Zhen Xiao Yan's mother, who couldn't resist this temptation...