With the wager set, Zheng Qian followed her elder brother to the western courtyard.
She first measured his intact right leg, then carefully measured the amputated left side, recording every detail.
As she worked, she chatted casually.
"The one who amputated your leg back then—either an exceptionally skilled doctor… or you were incredibly lucky."
Zheng Chi's expression changed instantly.
Eight years had passed, yet the memory of that pain still made his body twitch uncontrollably.
Even recalling it now, a phantom agony seemed to drill into his missing limb. He knew it was only memory—but sweat still poured down his face.
His fists clenched tightly.
"Be quiet."
Zheng Qian merely thought he had been cooped up too long—either sharp-tongued by nature or twisted by unresolved emotions.
Still, he had written her the annulment letter and agreed to the wager. That meant… deep down, he still wanted to stand again.
Even if the hope was faint.
The bet gave him an excuse.
Without it, he would never have dared to try—because he couldn't bear the consequences of failure.
He couldn't face the humiliation of hope rising… only to be crushed again.
The wager became his shield—
A way to pretend this wasn't about hope, but merely a gamble.
And so, he didn't look pitiful.
Zheng Qian understood this clearly.
She didn't stop talking.
"A thigh amputation like yours would inevitably cause massive bleeding. Without proper bandaging, you would've died from blood loss. Even if the bleeding was controlled, infection or sepsis afterward would've been another deadly hurdle.
"You passed both. Do you realize how lucky you are? Who was that doctor?"
Zheng Chi's voice was cold. "You can talk less."
Zheng Qian smiled.
Fine—she hadn't truly wanted an answer anyway. She was only trying to distract him.
Once she finished recording, she left.
——
Back in her space, she selected a suitable prosthetic limb, wrapped it in silk cloth, and returned to Zheng Chi's courtyard.
The prosthetic was made from advanced aerospace alloy—extremely lightweight, three times lighter than the lightest materials of her previous era.
With it, walking would be easy. Even running a marathon wouldn't be out of the question.
"…This socket uses suction suspension," Zheng Qian explained. "Your residual limb won't rub directly against it, so there's no friction. The suction is strong—you don't have to worry about it falling off."
Zheng Chi and his two attendants froze in place.
Especially Zheng Chi—
The man who had long been numb to everything suddenly widened his eyes, staring at her in disbelief.
He picked up the prosthetic.
So light. So flexible at the joints.
His voice trembled. "You… made this?"
Zheng Qian laughed. "Of course not. If I had that kind of skill, I'd be amazing. I bought it—someone gave it to me. It just happens to fit you."
"Where did you get it?" His voice shook even more.
Zheng Qian waved it off.
"You told me to be quiet earlier—now you should do the same. I clearly can't explain this properly, so don't ask."
Zheng Chi: "..."
She even winked at him.
The two attendants, Shi Yong and Yuzhong, looked as if they had seen a ghost—completely stunned.
Zheng Qian demonstrated how to attach and remove the prosthetic, guiding him step by step.
"Alright. Try standing," she said. "It's light—don't worry about breaking it. Even if you're incredibly strong, you won't damage the joints."
The joints could withstand immense force—far beyond anything a human could exert.
Zheng Chi slowly stood up.
He was unsteady.
And afraid.
The attendants rushed forward to support him.
Zheng Qian nodded. "That's right. Start with support. Later, you'll get used to it—treat it like your own leg. Give it shoes, socks, take care of it just the same."
Zheng Chi clenched his jaw so tightly the veins at his temples bulged.
Supported by the two attendants, he took a step.
Then another.
Zheng Qian guided him from the side, teaching him how to shift weight, how to coordinate movement.
On the second round, he shook off their support.
He insisted on walking alone.
Zheng Qian hovered nearby, ready to catch him.
His steps were slow—but steady.
He could stand.
He could move.
So light… so natural…
And suddenly—
Tears streamed down his face.
He had never imagined that in this lifetime, he would walk again.
This prosthetic felt even lighter than a real leg.
At first, he cried silently.
Then he couldn't hold it in anymore—
He broke down, sobbing loudly.
His two attendants began crying as well.
Their master—
Who had endured eight years of humiliation, believing he would spend his life confined to this small courtyard—
Was standing again.
He was like a normal person again.
"Hey—hey…" Zheng Qian felt her own chest tighten. "Why are you crying? This is a good thing."
Zheng Chi suddenly turned and pulled her into a tight embrace.
He held her so fiercely it nearly crushed her ribs.
"My—my ribs…" Zheng Qian gasped. "Are you trying to repay kindness with murder?"
Only then did he release her.
His face was streaked with tears—yet he burst into laughter.
The usually cold and sharp-tongued man looked almost crazed, unable to control his emotions.
Zheng Qian watched him… and felt a pang in her chest.
Then, unexpectedly—
A sense of fulfillment.
In her past life as a military doctor, her role had rarely felt meaningful.
In space battles, when mechs were destroyed, survival was impossible—there was nothing to save.
In hospitals, advanced equipment handled diagnosis and treatment. Doctors were more like operators than healers.
She had never truly felt the satisfaction of saving a life.
Even treating Zheng Run's injury had been trivial.
But now—
Seeing Zheng Chi stand again…
Seeing such a transformation…
For the first time, she felt what it meant to heal.
A quiet sense of accomplishment filled her chest.
Her eyes grew moist.
After a long while, everyone gradually calmed down.
Zheng Chi steadied himself and began walking again—holding onto walls, furniture, anything within reach.
"Don't rush," Zheng Qian said gently.
He shook his head. "I am rushing."
No matter how she tried to stop him, he insisted on continuing.
Zheng Qian stayed with him in the courtyard.
After half an hour—
He had already learned to move naturally with the prosthetic.
He could walk freely now.
Only stepping over thresholds still felt unfamiliar.
But that wasn't enough.
He needed to climb slopes, descend stairs—move like a normal person.
Only then would Zheng Qian win.
Two days remained.
Zheng Chi clenched his fists.
He would master it.
He would help her win—
And slap the faces of everyone in the Marquis residence.
Just imagining their expressions made him laugh out loud again.
Zheng Qian shot him a look.
"Don't go crazy yet. If you want to lose your mind, at least wait until I've won the money."
Zheng Chi: "..."