"What?"
"On what grounds!"
One of them, startled, wanted to flee again, while the other glared with dissatisfaction.
The old poisoner clutched his heart. Gouzi gritted his teeth, his knees scraping the ground as he turned his body towards Nan Shiying. Nan Shiying turned to run again, but Gouzi grabbed her by the leg.
"Damn it~"
Nan Shiying was stunned.
"Don't go yet," Gouzi said, his eyes lowered. The corners of his eyes, already a little droopy, were now tinged with red.
Nan Shiying faltered slightly, then looked up sharply, glaring at the old poisoner.
"Old man, don't give me that dying-farewell nonsense. With your medical skills, you can live for at least a thousand or eight hundred years. Stop pretending!"
The old poisoner spat at her, "You're the one who's a turtle! Do you think I can't tell?"
Nan Shiying chuckled and raised an eyebrow, "If you have something to say, say it!"
The old poisoner tutted, grumbling indignantly, "You little rascal with no sympathy!"
"Sit!"
The old poisoner sat on a chair and then called Nan Shiying. Nan Shiying kicked Gouzi and glared at him, "Hurry up and let go!"
Gouzi bared his teeth at her, "You think I want to hug you?"
Nan Shiying grabbed Gouzi's ear and twisted it hard, "You little brat, who are you calling 'I'?"
The old poisoner couldn't help but smile as he watched the two bickering and laughing.
"Alright, all of you sit down!" the old poisoner commanded.
Nan Shiying and Gouzi sat separately. The old poisoner shook his head helplessly, "Feng Luan, I know you don't want to accept this jade pendant. It's fine, I won't force you. I just hope that if I die, you can help me protect this little brat."
Nan Shiying couldn't help but tut, "I don't care. If you want to protect him, you'd better stay alive."
The old poisoner coughed and smiled, "If I could live forever, I'd be an immortal!"
"I won't live long!"
Nan Shiying frowned and placed her hand on the old poisoner's wrist. Her expression changed drastically as she suddenly looked up, "Old man, you—"
"Those who play with poison, how can they have a good end?"
The old poisoner spoke vaguely, unwilling to elaborate, but the implication was clear: he wouldn't live much longer.
Nan Shiying frowned irritably and said sullenly, "Fine, just try to live. Come find me again before you die."
After speaking, Nan Shiying abruptly stood up, leaving behind a sentence: "Everything at the pharmacy is ready. You can take them and move there directly." Then, she turned and left.
The old poisoner watched Nan Shiying's retreating figure and smiled.
...
Marquis of Jinyang's Residence.
"Get out, all of you, get out!"
Qin Xiaorong drove all the servants away. With her hair dishevelled, she looked like a madwoman. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying for so long. Her face, gaunt and pale from days of sleeplessness, was a mess. She threw the food out one by one. The maids outside could only dodge while trying to persuade her, yet they dared not leave, fearing she might pull down the bed curtains to make a noose.
The Marchioness of Jinyang had also been crying incessantly these past few days. Her weeping annoyed Marquis Jinyang, who couldn't help but shout at her, "Cry, cry, you still have the audacity to cry! Look at what you've turned Rong'er into, daring to have a private meeting with someone in the palace, and with that Zou Yunming of yours! You've utterly disgraced the Marquis of Jinyang's residence! The girls from the second and third branches are all clamoring about not wanting to live. The words spoken by the second and third brothers these days are practically slapping me in the face."
"You're still crying?"
"I'm telling you, if it weren't for the Empress Dowager's favour, I would have divorced you long ago. You—"
"Divorce me?"
The Marchioness of Jinyang suddenly stood up, her swollen eyes glaring furiously at Marquis Jinyang, like a thoroughly enraged tigress. "On what grounds would you divorce me? Your current status is all because you married me, all because of my sister, the Empress Dowager."
"Regarding Rong'er's matter, it's clearly a deliberate plot. Instead of investigating the truth and clearing Rong'er's name, you're adding insult to injury. Is this how a father should behave?"
The Marchioness of Jinyang's words were essentially calling Marquis Jinyang a useless parasite. No man could endure such an insult. Marquis Jinyang raised his hand and slapped her fiercely, "How dare you! I'm telling you, there are only two paths left for Rong'er: either become a nun, or marry Zou Yunming."
"Of course, there's a third path, which is for her to find a white silk noose and hang herself. Other than that, there are no other options. Instead of crying here, you should hurry to the palace and beg the Empress Dowager."
After delivering his harsh words, Marquis Jinyang slammed the door and left.
He went directly to his concubine's courtyard, embraced his newly acquired concubine, and slept soundly.
...
The marriage between Qin Xiaorong and Zou Yunming was settled, to take place after the year-end hunt and the annual sacrifice.
Zou Yunming, feeling vexed, went to Huancai Pavilion to seek pleasure.
"Damn it!"
What a load of crap, this Marquis of Jinyang, what a load of crap, this daughter of the Marquis of Jinyang. I don't care about her at all. If it weren't for... Zou Yunming downed another cup of wine.
If I had known I would enter the palace during the flower viewing banquet, I wouldn't have. One wrong step led to a cascade of mistakes. If he married Qin Xiaorong into his household, who knows what trouble she would cause. That woman is not one to be trifled with!
"I heard you're about to enter into a blessed union with Miss Qin, why are you drinking alone here?" Ping'er of Huancai Pavilion lifted the crystal beaded curtain and gracefully walked over to Zou Yunming.
Seeing Ping'er's pretty face, Zou Yunming felt even more agitated. He picked up his wine cup and said with a cold smile, "Blessed union? I call it a cursed union. Whoever marries Qin Xiaorong, let them marry her. She's a promiscuous slut. If I marry her, she'll probably give me many green hats."
Zou Yunming was somewhat drunk and spoke without restraint, pouring everything out. "What Marquis of Jinyang's eldest daughter? She's not even a virgin. Eight hundred years ago, who knows with whom she slept. Such a slut, yet she's to marry into my Zou family."
"What about the Empress Dowager? If it weren't for her..."
At this point, Zou Yunming suddenly stopped speaking. A figure with cold eyes suddenly appeared in his hazy mind.
Nan Shiying's image flashed in his mind. He shivered violently, sobering up instantly. He looked at Ping'er beside him, grabbed her by the neck, and threatened, "You heard nothing today. If I hear any rumour tomorrow, your corpse will be found in the moat!"
A look of terror flashed in Ping'er's eyes. She nodded vigorously.
Zou Yunming released Ping'er's neck and stumbled out.
Ping'er looked up at Zou Yunming's retreating figure. There was no trace of fear left in her eyes.