After some persuasion, he found an excuse for himself.
He still fantasized that Yun Shu would accept the excuse.
But Yun Shu seemed impervious. "I'm sorry, my medical skills are shallow, and I can't treat Madam Qu's illness."
Upon hearing this, Madam Qu's expression faltered, her face turning from pale to green, then back. "Second Miss Yun, you..."
Seeing Madam Qu lose face in front of Yun Shu, the others lowered their heads.
No one was foolish enough to speak up for Madam Qu in this situation, risking offending Yun Shu, then the Night King, and losing face in front of everyone. They knew how to handle this.
Madam Qu, seeing no one speaking for her and everyone seemingly watching her as a joke, looked even more displeased.
The chair felt like it was covered in nails; she couldn't sit still.
She didn't know whether to stand up or sit down.
Yun Shu watched Madam Qu shamelessly stare at her and chuckled, speaking in a voice only they could hear, "Madam Qu, the scent of your aphrodisiac is too strong. Did you really think I wouldn't notice?"
The specially made aphrodisiac, when first smelled, seemed like a pleasant perfume or the result of exquisite incense treatment for clothes.
It was very difficult to detect.
In fact, this aphrodisiac wouldn't be very effective here.
To achieve its optimal effect, it relied on a small vase placed in front of her, containing a few small flowers.
Veiled by the dim twilight, if one didn't look closely, the small flowers in the vase would appear to be mere decoration. But if one paid attention, they would notice one flower was different from the others, and even different from the flowers in the vases on other tables.
It was meticulously and cleverly designed.
An ordinary person would not be able to tell the difference.
Madam Qu did indeed have some hidden ailment, but what she truly wanted was for the aphrodisiac to take effect.
"You, I don't understand what you're saying." Madam Qu was stunned, very flustered, her eyes darting about, her heart pounding.
This was too terrifying!
How could Yun Shu possibly know?
This matter was handled so discreetly, yet Yun Shu had still noticed! She had heard the rumors in the capital about Yun Shu's superb medical skills but hadn't believed them, as she had never been treated by Yun Shu herself. Now, could it be true?
Otherwise, how could she have guessed that it was an aphrodisiac?
Yun Shu let out a cold laugh, her eyes piercing Madam Qu. "Madam Qu, you are so mercenary. When you get too greedy, your heart becomes too avaricious!"
Madam Qu's face changed, and she retorted unpleasantly, "If Second Miss Yun won't treat me, so be it. Why are you spouting nonsense? You're talking rubbish! Fine, with so many imperial physicians present today, I'll just find one of them to examine me."
With that, she stood up decisively and left.
The others, who couldn't hear their whispered conversation,
found Madam Qu's sudden outburst of anger and shame somewhat perplexing. Madam Qu had been so humble just moments ago, why had her attitude changed so drastically? And she seemed a little guilty.
After Madam Qu left, Madam Gu sat next to Yun Shu.
She asked with concern, "Madam Qu coming to find you suddenly must have had ill intentions. You must be careful."
She glanced around. As they were somewhat far from the Night King, she was truly worried that if Madam Qu did something malicious, the Night King might not be able to help Yun Shu in time.
Yun Shu looked at Madam Gu's worried gaze and smiled. "It's alright, I saw through her little tricks."
Her gaze swept towards the vase.
The little flowers were indeed peculiar.
Finding such a bloom, and one so fresh and alluring, would surely take some time.
Madam Gu was finally relieved. "That's good. I've seen her character these past few days. She's truly insidious and vicious. Anyone she targets is bound to get caught in her schemes."
Having been fooled and suffered once, Madam Gu completely disdained Madam Qu and harbored a deep hatred for her.
Exquisite dishes were served one after another.
Not far away, Zhan Tianyu seemed to cast an unintentional glance at Yun Shu.
Seeing that Yun Shu appeared calm and was engaged in pleasant conversation with those beside her, his dark eyes deepened.
Jiang Luo Xi secretly trembled, remaining vigilant.
Suddenly, Yun Shu stood up.
She told Madam Gu, who was beside her, that she needed to use the restroom, then asked a nearby servant for directions and walked away.
At this moment, everyone was engrossed in lively conversation, and many didn't even notice Yun Shu leave.
Even if they saw her leave, they wouldn't think much of it. Many had had tea, and drinking tea often led to a need to use the restroom.
Others had also left earlier for the same reason.
When Yun Shu left, Zhan Tian Ye raised his dark eyes to watch her, and at the same time, he glanced at Madam Qu, who looked as though she had a guilty conscience.
Madam Qu's heart was pounding now, trembling violently. She dared not look at anyone. She felt that what she was planning to do tonight would not go smoothly. Thinking this, Madam Qu inwardly cursed herself. It couldn't possibly go wrong; the Qu family had encountered too many troubles recently and needed a way to turn things around.
A'Cha followed Yun Shu as they walked further away. When they were out of earshot of others, she said indignantly and coldly, "That Madam Qu is so insidious, daring to plot against Miss! It will surely be a troubled night at the hot spring resort today! Miss, we must be extremely careful!"
Yun Shu chuckled lightly, her gaze casually sweeping across the surroundings as if admiring the scenery of the hot spring resort. "She's just a pawn. If the first attempt fails, there will surely be another move."
Those invited tonight were not only here to enjoy the hot springs but also to stay overnight.
Upon hearing this, A'Cha immediately became defensive.
Yun Shu smiled, seeing this. "It's impossible to guard against everything. Since we are here, let's accept it."
A'Cha frowned tightly. "I wonder what these people are trying to plot."
"Power is a double-edged sword, and many cannot escape fame and fortune. Moreover, what they desire is far more than just these things," Yun Shu's voice lowered slightly.
Following the direction indicated by the servant, she indeed arrived at the latrine.
She was genuinely going to use the restroom.
However, she also wanted to see where Jing Heng was hidden.
"Jing Heng is nowhere to be seen. I looked around just now but didn't see Jing Heng," A'Cha whispered.
In fact, she was a little worried about Jing Heng. With so many people here, danger lurked everywhere, and Jing Heng had to disguise himself as someone else.
Yun Shu hummed and looked around. "No one here can harm him, don't worry."
A'Cha's face flushed. "I wasn't worried about him."
Everyone knew Jing Heng was highly skilled in martial arts, but...
She couldn't help but imagine things.
Seeing A'Cha's insincere denial, Yun Shu suppressed a smile and said no more.
She was looking forward to the hot springs.
These were natural hot springs from ancient times, and soaking in them for a while would be beneficial for the body.
Suddenly, someone called out from behind her, "Second Miss Yun."