Chapter 37: Farewell, Katerina

At 8:30 in the morning, Beijing time, Chang Yu once again arrived at the office building he had visited previously. He was now in the elevator, ascending through the building. Punctual to a fault, Chang Yu had arrived a full thirty minutes early to avoid being late on his first day of interviews.

In truth, from the moment he stepped into the building, his heart had been pounding nervously, like a fawn startled in the underbrush. The tension came not only from his inner anxiety, but also from the anticipation of what lay ahead.

Would his future colleagues be men or women? What would they look like? Would they be easy to get along with? A cascade of thoughts and questions left him breathless, and his nerves mounted naturally.

Soon, the elevator arrived at the tenth floor, where Yong’an Security Company was located. Chang Yu took a deep breath, trying to calm his restless heart.

Stepping out, his eyes were immediately drawn to the six gilded characters—‘Yong’an Security Company’—engraved on the marble wall. And in front of those golden letters stood two towering, broad-shouldered men.

Both were cropped close, with square jaws, easily over six foot three, and built like oxen. Even their faces were identical.

They were the same security brothers he’d met last time—Security Officer A and Security Officer B.

As Chang Yu exited the elevator, the two brothers turned their imposing gazes toward him in perfect synchrony. Their stares were intimidating; after all, being eyed by two burly men in security uniforms was far from a pleasant experience.

“Uh… Well, gentlemen—no, warriors,” Chang Yu’s throat worked as he pondered how best to introduce himself.

But before he could finish, Security Officer A strode over with brisk, purposeful steps: “We recognize you. You’ve been here before. Ms. Katarina asked you to come, didn’t she?”

“That’s right, she did. I heard there are two more besides me,” Chang Yu replied, doing his best to shift his gaze away from the exaggerated muscle lines on Security Officer A.

“We know about that,” Security Officer B joined them. “Ms. Katarina has already notified us.”

“Am I the first to arrive?” Chang Yu scratched his head, looking a bit uneasy.

“No, Ms. Katarina was the first. She’s already in the conference room where you interviewed before,” both answered in unison.

“She’s here even earlier than me? It seems Comrade Osmanthus is very punctual,” Chang Yu thought to himself, giving Katarina extra credit in his mind.

In this day and age, anyone willing to wait for others is worthy of respect. Every punctual person deserves to be esteemed.

“Gentlemen, time is tight and the task is heavy. I can’t keep Comrade Osmanthus waiting. I’ll head over first,” Chang Yu said, forcing a polite smile and hurrying toward the conference room, eager to escape further conversation with the two security guards.

When he reached the conference room and opened the door, he was momentarily stunned by what he saw.

There sat Comrade Osmanthus—Ms. Katarina—in a black pinstripe suit, poised at the long table. The elegance unique to women and the crispness of a suit blended perfectly, giving Katarina a radiant, commanding beauty.

Paired with her angelic face—remarkable even among those of mixed heritage—she was enough to make anyone’s heart skip a beat.

But Chang Yu noticed more than just her beauty; he also saw the peculiar “ritual” she was performing.

She sat upright, brow furrowed and solemn, like a warrior about to march into battle, ready to pierce her enemy’s heart with a sword.

Dignified and austere—these were the only words Chang Yu could find to describe her at that moment.

She held a small balance in one hand, and with the other, she deftly pinched various herbs from the many paper packets spread across the table, weighing each on the scale.

Her slender fingers moved with an indescribable grace and assurance, reminiscent of a noblewoman at ease.

Occasionally, a pinch would be too heavy or too light. At such moments, Katarina patiently adjusted the herbs, adding or removing as needed.

Her movements were precise and practiced, just like an old apothecary measuring out prescriptions.

Clearly, this was not her first time at such a task.

“What are you doing?” After watching for a while, Chang Yu could no longer contain his curiosity.

To be honest, his feelings were complicated. Whatever Katarina was up to, it looked bizarre—especially since she performed it with such meticulous devotion, bordering on the sacred.

He thought of those Western witches in films, obsessed with brewing sinister potions—her behavior naturally conjured some uneasy associations.

Wasn’t this exactly how those witches, muttering incantations, would scoop up mysterious, unnamed herbs to cast curses?

“As you can see,” Katarina finally explained, “I’m preparing today’s health tonic.”

She poured the carefully weighed, colorful herbs into a health pot filled with water and plugged it in.

Then she tidied the remaining paper packets and returned them to her bag.

“Preparing… a health tonic?” Chang Yu raised an eyebrow, regarding her with intrigue, as if he’d stumbled upon something amusing.

The answer truly surprised him. But—did making a health tonic really require such ceremony?

And what did health preservation have to do with a European like her? The whole scene felt out of place.

Katarina was unfazed by his curious gaze. In fact, she was long accustomed to it; she’d endured such looks all her life.

She simply told him, “I’m very fond of health preservation. I always carry these herbs and this health pot with me.”

“What I just made is a tonic called Si Ni San. It comes from Zhang Zhongjing’s classic, Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases.”

“It’s composed of four herbs: bupleurum, bitter orange, peony, and licorice. It’s effective for soothing the liver and relieving stagnation.”

“These ingredients differ in their properties and yin-yang qualities. Combined, they help regulate the body’s vital energy.”

“For women, it not only promotes circulation but also beautifies the complexion…”

Seeing Katarina about to launch into a lengthy lecture, Chang Yu quickly interrupted, “Stop, stop, that’s enough!”

“I don’t know the first thing about health preservation. Listening to you is like hearing a foreign tongue.”

Katarina smiled and said, “Actually, you should learn more about health. After all, apart from our health, nothing truly belongs to us, so we should cherish it.”

“To care for myself, I drink a pot of tonic like this every day—it’s become my habit.”

“There’s a great health program on CCTV called ‘The Path to Health.’ I suggest you watch it when you have time.”

Chang Yu scratched his head awkwardly. “Well… If I get a chance, I’ll check it out.”

“I really didn’t expect a young person like you to be so dedicated to health. I should have guessed, though—your online name is ‘Fairy Loves Health,’ after all.”

“I just thought, at your age, you’d be interested in things young people usually like. Isn’t health preservation something only older folks bother with? And, honestly, when someone with a Sino-Russian face sits here lecturing me about wellness, the whole scene is too strange to imagine.”

Katarina shook her head. “It’s exactly because we’re young that we need to take care of ourselves. Waiting until we’re old is far too late.”

As she spoke, the health pot suddenly gurgled to life. Katarina glanced over; the water was boiling.

Through the tempered glass, Chang Yu saw the once-clear water had turned a rich golden yellow.

Clearly, the carefully prepared tonic was ready.

Katarina poured it into a prepared thermos, inhaling the rising steam and herbal aroma with a look of deep satisfaction.

Every time she finished brewing a tonic, she felt an immense sense of accomplishment.

“Would you like some?” Katarina offered. “There are disposable cups in the conference room.”

Seeing that Chang Yu didn’t have his own cup, she made the suggestion.

“I think I’ll pass. I really don’t want to drink that,” Chang Yu refused without hesitation.

He had no intention of trying it—who knew if Katarina had concocted something safe? What if it was poisonous?

“That’s a shame,” Katarina said, unfazed. “From your complexion and rough skin, you clearly have excessive liver fire. My tonic is the perfect remedy.”

“Excessive liver fire? Are you sure you’re not mistaken?” Chang Yu’s face darkened a little; no one likes being told they have health issues.

Ignoring him, Katarina fetched a disposable cup from the corner and poured a full serving for him.

With grave sincerity, she said, “I’ve been studying traditional health methods since I was very young. Over the years, I’ve read countless medical classics and even created many practical formulas of my own.”

“I’m not exaggerating—when it comes to health, I’m a true expert. Trust me; finish this drink. It’ll do you good.”

If everything she said was true, she must be quite reliable, Chang Yu thought.

Then again… He had been feeling rather parched lately. Maybe she was right about his liver fire being a bit high?

Though hesitant, he took the cup.

He blew away the rising steam and, while it was still hot, took a big sip.

Instantly, a strange, bittersweet taste flooded his mouth.

Chang Yu’s face twisted in agony; all his features seemed to scrunch together. His throat was left aching with the bitterness.

He had hated taking medicine since childhood. Forcing this down felt like torture.