Qin He swayed, gripping a nearby branch tightly, gritting her teeth and forcing herself to stay conscious.
Before dinner, Shen Yicong, perhaps fearing she would reveal something at the meal, had forced her to take ordinary medicine, temporarily suppressing her craving for Binghai.
But now, dinner should have been over long ago, and it was the usual time when Shen Yicong would inject her with Binghai.
This was no longer containable!
Qin He's hands trembled more and more violently, and soon she could barely stand.
Shen Yilin, afraid she would fall from the tree, asked, "What's wrong? Qin He, why don't you come down first? I'll take you through the front door!"
Even if the front door was blocked, he would find a way to send her away.
Qin He's vision blurred in waves. The pain and craving within her body surged with increasing intensity, leaving her no room to maneuver.
"I, I'm fine," Qin He gritted her teeth. The chance to escape was right before her; she couldn't give up.
Qin He forced herself to reach for another branch.
Not far away, a cold voice suddenly rang out.
"Do you think letting her go is good for her?"
Qin He on the tree and Shen Yilin below both looked into the distance.
Shen Yicong, supported by Houzi, approached, blood streaming from his arm. He must have cut himself to force himself to stay lucid.
Shen Yilin's gaze tightened. "Brother, let her go!"
Shen Yicong sneered at Shen Yilin. "Yilin, you truly are my good brother, even drugging me for a woman!"
Shen Yilin stepped in front of Shen Yicong. "I want her to go!"
Shen Yicong looked mockingly at Qin He's trembling hands. "She's deeply addicted to the poison. In this state, her fate outside would be miserable. Kundian is not as safe as China, and it's a patriarchal country. A woman like her would be taken by all sorts of unsavory men the moment she appeared outside."
Shen Yilin looked at Shen Yicong in disbelief. "What did you say? Deeply addicted to poison, what's going on?!"
His voice was trembling and dry as he stared at Shen Yicong, his gaze gradually shifting to understanding, then to shock.
Shen Yicong looked coldly at his brother. "It's exactly what you're thinking. If she's not obedient, I have to find a way to control her."
Shen Yilin could no longer bear it and roared, "She's not your toy! She's a person, the one I've always loved! Why would you do that to her!"
Shen Yilin was so enraged his eyes threatened to burst. If it weren't for the fact that the person before him was his own brother, he would have had the urge to kill.
"Things are already like this, and you still want to let her go?" Shen Yicong said calmly. "Yilin, I watched you grow up. I understand your thoughts. Keep her. Don't you want her to stay with you? I can get you a formal marriage certificate here in Kundian, and she can take care of your illness."
Shen Yilin stared at Shen Yicong for a long time before sneering, "And then? After I die?"
"If your illness truly doesn't get better, after you leave, I will take care of her. I promise I won't kill her. How about that?" Shen Yicong said.
Shen Yilin clenched his fists. Qin He on the tree was trembling, about to fall.
"When I was little, you said the same thing when you took a liking to my cat," Shen Yilin suddenly said.
"Brother, you've taken a liking to her, haven't you?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? You are my only relative in this world! She is Harlana, I cannot let her go!" Shen Yicong frowned. His world had never known love, only calculations of benefit and loss. The only warmth he had was for his brother.
Shen Yilin pursed his lips tightly and walked towards Shen Yicong.
"Give me that thing. I want her to leave here."
Shen Yicong sneered. "Do you think I will?"
Shen Yilin took out a small knife from his pocket and held it to his neck.
The sudden turn of events caused the suffering Qin He to cry out, "Yilin, don't do anything foolish!"
Shen Yicong also stiffened.
The knife was not long, but it was enough to sever an artery.
Shen Yilin's gaze was firm. "Brother, I originally thought you injected her with some sedative. I didn't expect it to be that thing. Give me that thing."
Shen Yicong's face turned ashen!
He stared deeply at Shen Yilin. "You'd risk your life for her?! Do you know how much effort I put into saving you? In your eyes, my efforts are not as important as her safety?!"
Shen Yilin pursed his lips tightly. "Give it to me."
Shen Yicong's aura turned cold and fierce. He was truly enraged.
"If she leaves, you will die, and I will lose my brother. You choose her over me, is that it?"
Shen Yilin stared deeply at Shen Yicong. "Brother, I'm dying because of cancer, not because of her! You can't harm her because of this!"
Shen Yicong pursed his lips tightly and remained silent, the atmosphere becoming tense.
Seeing this, Houzi lightly released Shen Yicong's arm and turned to leave.
Shen Yilin's knife pressed into his skin. "You're not allowed to leave!"
Houzi had received a hint from Shen Yicong to intercept Qin He from outside the wall, but he hadn't expected Shen Yilin to discover it.
Houzi stood in place.
Blood beaded from Shen Yilin's neck. Shen Yicong's pupils contracted sharply.
The tip of the knife had already penetrated the skin. The depth indicated it had touched an artery. Another push and even an immortal couldn't save him.
Shen Yicong gritted his teeth. "Yilin, calm down!"
This was his only blood relative in the world.
Shen Yilin stared intently at Shen Yicong. "Brother, give it to her!"
Qin He on the tree was swaying precariously. Shen Yicong glanced at her and took the syringe from his pocket.
Shen Yilin, with the knife still in one hand, took the syringe with the other and retreated towards the tree.
"Qin He, catch!"
Qin He vaguely saw Shen Yilin throw something upwards. The craving within her body gave her immense strength.
After catching it, Qin He looked at the syringe with disgust.
But now, this was the only way she could leave.
She injected the syringe into her arm, and her vision began to blur.
With a "thump,"
Qin He fell from the tree onto the grass below.
Shen Yilin rushed over. Fortunately, the fall wasn't serious. Qin He lay on the ground, clearly disoriented from the injection.
Shen Yilin stared deeply at her, then at Shen Yicong and Houzi, not allowing them to leave.
Half an hour later, Qin He's consciousness gradually returned. She looked at Shen Yilin before her and Shen Yicong, his face dark, not far away.
Her physical strength was also recovering.
Shen Yilin's voice was faint and trembling. "I'm sorry, Qin He, I didn't know my brother would—"
"When you get back, find a facility and slowly detoxify." His eyes were filled with pain. "You must do it quickly. I can't let them go back for the rest."
If he let Houzi go back now, who knew what he would order below.
Qin He pursed her lips tightly and stared at Shen Yilin. "Wait for me!"
Her strength fully recovered, Qin He quickly climbed the tree, cast a cold, sharp glance at Shen Yicong, and disappeared over the wall.
Shen Yicong's body instinctively took a step forward.
He felt as if something had suddenly been lost from his heart.
Shen Yilin said softly, "Brother! Stop right there!"