Song Qingchao woke up very early today.
She needed to finish weaving the remaining small baskets.
Taking things out of her sleeve every day could arouse suspicion.
She didn't dare take too many books, only one at a time.
"Why are you awake so early?"
Song Qingchao grunted, then placed the small basket onto Song Qingmu's back.
Song Qingmu groggily and obediently extended his arms.
After a hurried breakfast, they resumed their journey.
Song Qingchao felt the straw sandals protecting her ankles, but her mind was elsewhere.
She handed the secret letter she had written to Song Qingmu. "For A'Zhu."
Song Qingmu tilted his head, confused. "Then why are you entrusting it to me, older sister?"
"Don't you have anything you want to say to A'Zhu?" Song Qingchao gave him a look of exasperated disappointment.
Song Qingmu's face first turned red, then fell. "Nothing."
"Really?"
Song Qingchao took the letter back. "A'Zhu broke Wang Xuanwu's leg and is now under house arrest by the Emperor."
She glanced at Song Qingmu and said meaningfully, "She's on a hunger strike, I wonder if it's for some heartless person."
Song Qingmu's brow twitched. "I'll write."
"That's more like it."
Song Qingchao had expected Mu Mu to write something like vows of eternal love, but all she received were the words "Be well." She was almost furious.
"That's it?" she probed.
"That's it."
Song Qingchao: A'Zhu, elder sister can only help you this much.
"But, elder sister, are you asking A'Zhu to ostentatiously give Forget-Me-Not Grass to the Fang family to poison the Wang family?" Song Qingmu frowned. "Where did this poison come from?"
"A'Zhu sister?" Song Qingchao raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you call me sister?"
Song Qingmu's face instantly turned completely red.
Song Qingchao pretended to take a bottle of medicine from the small basket behind Song Qingmu. "The bowl that was broken, apart from the piece you drank, there were some remnants, so I collected them all."
She wrapped the letter, the small bottle, and the remaining half of the Forget-Me-Not Grass together, concealed them in her sleeve, and put them into her space, directly sending them to the Grand Princess's mansion.
"The stage is set, and we just need to watch the play."
Song Qingmu paused. "Why is elder sister so certain that the Fang family will refuse the Wang family's request for medicine?"
"This..." Song Qingchao nodded slightly. "Our family has fallen. The Wang and Fang families are now rivals in court. Do you think Grand Commandant Fang would save Wang Xuanwu?"
Song Qingchao smiled slyly and walked in front of Song Qingmu, facing him directly. "Moreover, they are still waiting to use Forget-Me-Not Grass to save Miss Shen's family."
"How does elder sister know?"
Song Qingchao looked at him and raised a finger to her curved lips. "Heaven's secrets cannot be revealed."
Song Qingmu also smiled, which was rare. "I thought elder sister wouldn't take action."
"Do you really think I would let the person who poisoned you go?" Song Qingchao put her hands behind her back, turned, and returned to his side. "Mu Mu, I don't have that kind of Bodhisattva heart."
She narrowed her eyes and looked at the skinny monkey cracking a whip in the distance, and the man with a black forehead dragging a chain.
"If others do not offend me, I shall not offend them. If they offend me, I will repay them a thousand times over."
Although Song Qingchao was smiling, her voice was cold.
"The Wang family should offer sacrifices to the heavens, because they were not responsible for the chronic poison, otherwise it would not be this simple."
She turned her head and saw Mu Mu's expression was not right.
"What? I've already provided the antidote. Whether the Fang family gives it or not is none of my business."
Song Qingchao lowered her head, her smile vanishing. She felt a bit dejected and annoyed that Mu Mu had seen her true dark nature.
"Do you find me terrifying?"
"No." Song Qingmu stopped and tilted his head to look at her. "An eye for an eye. Elder sister has done very well. If it were me, I truly wouldn't have given the medicine."
Song Qingchao couldn't help but laugh at his serious expression.
"What would you do?"
Song Qingmu curled his thin lips and walked towards Song Qingchao. "If it were me, I would also have A'Zhu sister put on a grand show."
He leaned towards Song Qingchao, his dark eyes hiding a spark. "We'll say she refused the Wang family because of Young Master Fang. Young Master Fang is as handsome as Pan An, so naturally, she favors him. The main reason is that he resembles Young Master Song so much."
After listening, Song Qingchao felt like pinching her thigh. "It's over, the letter was sent too early."
Song Qingmu shook his head. "It's just a pity we won't get to see this play."
"Don't worry, we'll have to go back sooner or later." Song Qingchao tugged at the vine in her hand. "We should clear out the weeds around here too."
As she was pulling, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest.
Song Qingchao pursed her lips, her hand clutching the lapel of her clothes.
"Elder sister, what's wrong?"
Song Qingmu quickly supported her, but she shook her head, annoyed by her own uncooperative body.
She said "I'm fine," but still panted as she searched for Bai You'an.
"I'll carry you." Song Qingmu tried to crouch down to carry her.
Song Qingchao, however, remained still. She said weakly, "Get up, I can still walk. It's just an old problem."
She straightened her back with effort, breaking out in a cold sweat as she walked forward.
Song Qingmu, unable to do anything about her, stood up with a stern expression and directly picked her up in his arms.
Song Qingchao was startled. "What are you doing?"
"If you're not feeling well, rest properly." Song Qingmu bounced her up forcefully. "It's my hand that's injured, not other parts."
Song Qingchao tried to struggle free, but the violent movement caused her to cough.
"Elder sister, you can rely on me."
She covered her mouth and looked at Song Qingmu.
His face was somewhat pale, but his eyelashes were thick and long, his eyes clear black and bright. He was truly handsome.
She finally gave up struggling and leaned against Song Qingmu's chest.
Listening to his strong heartbeat and feeling his hot body temperature, Song Qingchao smiled. Living was indeed quite good, so she absolutely could not let tragedy repeat itself!
Just as she calmed down, she discovered that Li Yanzhu had replied to her letter.
She took out the letter, and Mu Mu's low voice sounded overhead, tickling her ears.
"That was fast this time."
Song Qingchao grunted and opened the letter. The further she read, the colder her heart became.
"What's wrong?"
"Something's happened." She clutched her heart, forcing herself to suppress her rapid heartbeat and calm down. "There's a bandit's lair in front of this mountain. The Wang family went there a while ago."
Song Qingchao panted rapidly, her pale face flushing with an unnatural redness from coughing. "He wants to kill us to silence us."
The crumpled piece of paper in her hand was squeezed tightly.
So that's how it is!
So that's how it is...
No wonder she couldn't find any news of Mu Mu for several years in her previous life, and why he had changed his name when she saw her brother again!
Song Qingchao was breathing heavily, finally unable to bear it, she spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted.
Mu Mu, elder sister is sorry to you...