Qin Ke thought for a moment. Exchanging seeds and cultivation instructions required five points, and the shop currently offered almost nothing besides various crop seeds. But at the very bottom, in an inconspicuous place, he spotted something called Scar-Soothing Healing Balm. Remembering he had just promised the woman he would find some ointment for her wounds, he was tempted. However…
"Aren't you going to explain why a single jar of ointment costs ten points? That's straight-up robbery."
"Products created by the System are guaranteed to be top-grade. This ointment can remove any scar. It is not an ordinary medicinal salve."
Thinking of the deep wound on the woman's face—something that would require surgery even in the modern world—if this balm could truly heal it, then the price might indeed be fair.
Gritting his teeth, Qin Ke selected the exchange. A second later, a porcelain jar appeared in his storage space. With a single thought, the jar materialized in his hand.
It was small and delicate, fitting perfectly in his palm. Opening the lid revealed a layer of pale yellow balm, smooth and glossy like refined amber. Leaning in, he caught the faint herbal fragrance—fresh and calming, like a gentle breeze washing over the senses.
While he was examining the ten-point ointment, the door behind him slowly opened.
The woman stepped out, wrapped in a cloud of lingering steam. Her long, wet hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, droplets continually falling from the ends. Barefoot, her small, delicate feet stepped directly onto the dirty floor.
Noticing Qin Ke's gaze fall to her bare feet, the woman shrank back slightly, curling her toes and tugging her dress lower in an attempt to cover them.
"Ahem—"
Qin Ke realized he was being rude and offered an awkward smile. "Uh… just rest here for a bit."
As expected, she obediently sat down in the exact spot where he had been sitting earlier.
Since it was getting late, Qin Ke sped up. He dumped out the used bathwater and closed the door to wash himself. Only after undressing did he feel the full awkwardness of the situation—after living thirty years as a woman, suddenly being in a man's body would take a long time to adjust to.
He did his best to ignore the unfamiliar anatomy, washing as quickly as possible. Thankfully, even in his past life he had kept long hair, so handling it wasn't too difficult.
He tossed his alcohol-stained clothes and the woman's filthy garments into a basin. When he stepped back outside, she was still sitting there, knees hugged to her chest, silently staring at the night sky.
There was much to discuss and much to handle, but the immediate priority was filling their stomachs. She likely hadn't eaten in a long time. Yet when he had searched the kitchen earlier while heating water, he found almost nothing. The original owner clearly didn't know how to live—there wasn't even a decent bowl, much less rice or flour.
Luckily, heaven did not completely forsake him. He found several dried cornbread buns on a shelf—not fresh, a bit hard, but edible. He steamed them while heating the water; they should be ready now.
There wasn't even an oil lamp in the house, so they had no choice but to eat under the moonlight.
"Eat. It's hot right now."
Seeing her hesitate, Qin Ke held it out again.
"There's no need for false kindness. Eating it will only prolong my miserable existence for a few more days."
This was the first time she'd spoken since Qin Ke transmigrated here, but her voice sounded lifeless. He'd already sensed from the beginning that she had no will to live.
"Well, even if you really plan to die, you shouldn't die on an empty stomach, right?" Qin Ke smiled. He didn't expect to change her mind immediately—this would take time. For now, feeding her was the priority.
Her placid eyes quietly studied him for a moment before she finally accepted the bun.
Unlike Qin Ke, who ate ravenously, her movements remained elegant, even though he had clearly heard her stomach growling earlier.
There were only two buns. Split between them, it would barely silence their hunger, let alone fill them. After dusting off his hands, Qin Ke took out the ointment he had exchanged moments ago.
"Let me see your hand."
But she misunderstood. She held out both wrists, assuming he intended to tie her up again.
Qin Ke sighed inwardly, cursing the original owner once more. In his past life, he despised men who abused women—yet he'd ended up inside the body of one.
Gently, he reached out and held her slender wrist. With great care, he scooped out a bit of the balm and slowly spread it over the raw, purple welts encircling her skin.
His movements were extremely delicate. Each stroke was patient and focused, as though he were handling a priceless piece of art. Under his fingertips, the balm melted into her skin, forming a thin protective layer over the once-terrifying wounds.
He repeated the process on both wrists. Too focused on applying medicine, he didn't notice the brief look of surprise flickering through the woman's eyes.
"All right. Don't move too much for now."
Finally, his gaze shifted to the disfiguring scar on her cheek. He raised his hand to gently tuck away a stray lock of hair, but the woman flinched and recoiled instantly.
"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you again. I just want to check your injury. This ointment works very well—it'll help your wound heal."
Qin Ke explained softly.
Her lashes trembled, but she didn't move away this time.
Only then did Qin Ke examine the wound properly. Whoever inflicted it had used tremendous force; it was deep enough to expose bone. Without this overpowered system balm, the scar would have marked her face for life.
As the ointment touched her skin, the woman's eyes widened slightly. A cool, spring-like sensation rippled across her cheek, soothing the inflamed flesh until even the lingering sting faded away.
"Use it twice a day—morning and night. It won't take long for the scar to disappear."
This time, Qin Ke didn't put the balm away; he might not always have the time to apply it for her.
Now that the medicine was applied, the next issue was where they would sleep. He had already considered this while bathing—there was only one bed and one broken table in the entire house. Nothing else could even pass as furniture. For the foreseeable future, the two of them would be living together. Even if they tried explaining to others, no one would believe they were innocent. Since that was the case, why bother wronging himself?