“It’s no joke, it’s true.” Physician Sullivan insisted, “It’s not quite proper to come empty-handed. How about this: I’ll go see Fourth Young Master and leave him a prescription to nourish his body and strengthen his energy, so the little one can grow up strong. That will be my gift.”

Prime Minister Foster was overjoyed. After apologizing to the other guests, he personally led Physician Sullivan toward the inner courtyard.

Brian Carter had already finished his bath and had his fill of milk. Content, he lay on the bed, drifting off to sleep, when suddenly the door creaked open. Turning his head, he saw his high-ranking official father leading in a “skinny bamboo pole.”

From just a few words, Brian Carter understood the identity of the “skinny bamboo pole” and didn’t think much of it. He drank his milk heartily and slept all day—what need did his body have for extra care?

Physician Sullivan still wore that half-dead, half-alive expression. He first took the pulse, then stretched out his ghostly hands, pressing all over Brian Carter’s body. At first, nothing seemed unusual, but when he pressed on Brian Carter’s chest, his expression suddenly froze, and his perpetually half-closed eyes flew wide open.

Very quickly, Physician Sullivan’s gaze shifted from surprise and shock to intense delight and greed. He began muttering softly to himself…

With the imperial physician’s back turned, Prime Minister Foster couldn’t see his expression, but Brian Carter saw everything clearly.

Seeing the strange look on the man’s face, Brian Carter realized something was off. But as a baby just over a hundred days old, there was nothing he could do except maybe pee on him. All he could do was focus all his attention on listening to Physician Sullivan’s muttering, carefully watching his lips.

It took a lot of effort, but Brian Carter finally figured out that Physician Sullivan was mumbling two words… “you xin”? (has a heart?)

Brian Carter was baffled. Was “has a heart” really so shocking? Wouldn’t “no heart” be more terrifying?

A whole cup of tea’s time passed before Physician Sullivan snapped out of it, realizing the situation. The joy and greed on his face vanished, replaced by deep disappointment, as if a priceless treasure had fallen into someone else’s hands and there was no use envying it. Physician Sullivan’s eyes flickered. He withdrew his hands into his sleeves, then after a moment, his right hand emerged again, flicked quickly past Brian Carter’s nose.

Brian Carter immediately felt a spicy sensation rush up his nose and sneezed. Then, shocked and angry, he wondered what kind of drug this weirdo had given him. He instantly burst into loud wails, flailing his arms and legs, his face full of pain, trying to alert his prime minister father.

Because Physician Sullivan had his back turned, Prime Minister Foster didn’t see his actions, but when the baby cried as if his father had died, he frowned. “Imperial physician, my son…”

Physician Sullivan replied, “Don’t worry, I made him cry on purpose, just to listen to his cry. He’s perfectly fine, nothing’s wrong!” With that, he stood up and left, passing through the halls and courtyards, returning to the front yard to sit down, saying nothing more.

Prime Minister Foster returned to the front yard with the physician. Outwardly, he was all smiles, but secretly he ordered the servants to summon the resident doctor to check on Brian Carter.

At this moment, the steward of the prime minister’s residence hurried over to remind the master that it was now the hour of You—it was time to start the banquet.

The “immortal” and the “snake” had not yet arrived, which unsettled Prime Minister Foster a bit. But with a courtyard full of guests, there was no time to dwell on it. He ordered, “Begin the banquet, please, everyone, take your seats,” then put on a smile and mingled with his colleagues, exchanging greetings and laughter.

The sounds of laughter and music from the banquet outside drifted in faintly. Lying on the bed, Brian Carter was thoroughly examined by the resident doctor, who found nothing wrong. The powder that had just been smeared into his nose caused no further symptoms, which reassured Brian Carter somewhat. Still, Physician Sullivan’s strange behavior made him uneasy.

You xin, you xin… Brian Carter mulled over Physician Sullivan’s odd muttering, unable to figure out what those two words meant. As he pondered, his chubby little hand unconsciously pressed against his chest. It was just a reflex, but suddenly he was startled: left chest, heart… but beneath his heart, there was no thumping heartbeat!

Normally, people can’t feel their own heartbeat. Brian Carter was born full-term, pampered by many servants, with more milk than he could drink, and was perfectly healthy, so he’d never noticed anything unusual, nor would he have thought his chest was missing a heart.

This “discovery” gave Brian Carter a cold sweat. Having lived two lives was strange enough—if he had no heart, he’d really be a ghost. But soon, when Brian Carter pressed his hand to his right chest, he relaxed. He wasn’t heartless; his heart was just on the right side, the opposite of most people. In his previous life, Brian Carter had seen online that having the heart on the right side wasn’t unheard of, just extremely rare, and dextrocardia didn’t affect health.

At the same time, Brian Carter suddenly understood: the sickly imperial physician hadn’t said “has a heart,” but “right heart.” But judging by Physician Sullivan’s reaction, was someone with a “right heart” really that important to him?

The garden of the prime minister’s residence was bustling, cups clinking and laughter filling the air. Unnoticed, the banquet was already halfway through when the ceremonial announcement sounded again at the gate—the “snake” who had kept the prime minister waiting, Lord Brooks, had finally arrived!