The effects of the bewitching drug still lingered, leaving Xiao Jin Yu unable to control his body. He watched helplessly as his frame trembled, convulsed, and contorted under relentless agony. A wave of intense revulsion clogged his chest, suffocating him, forcing him to clench his jaw and turn his head aside, swallowing the coppery sweetness with all his might as he strained to suppress any sound.
Qin Ye watched impassively before abruptly withdrawing the needle, causing Xiao Jin Yu’s body to shudder violently and curl tighter. Sweat streamed in rivulets down his jade-smooth back, soaking the stained sheets beneath.
Pressing his coarse palm down, Qin Ye flattened the trembling form and wiped away the sweat clinging to Xiao Jin Yu’s upper abdomen. He inserted another needle, twisting it slowly, his tone noticeably lighter and more pleased as he spoke, “You know everything, so why did you walk right into this?”
Xiao Jin Yu’s voice was faint but as calm and cool as ever, “There’s one thing I don’t know…”
“Go on. Since you came willingly, if I know, I’ll tell you.”
“Why are you treating him…”
Qin Ye laughed, grabbing his arm and inserting a needle into the midpoint of his upper arm. “Aren’t you good at guessing? Guess why.”
“If not for him… then for your daughter…”
Qin Ye’s hand stiffened, the needle tip sinking deeper. A sudden, splitting pain tore through Xiao Jin Yu’s chest, halting his breath. His body shook like a sieve, and he nearly lost consciousness before Qin Ye snapped back to attention, slightly withdrawing the needle. The suffocating pressure vanished, but before Xiao Jin Yu could catch his breath, he was seized by violent coughing.
Qin Ye’s face darkened, his voice low, “What relation are you to the Prince of Wu Commandery?”
Suppressing his coughs and steadying his breath, Xiao Jin Yu’s voice was hoarse beyond recognition, yet tinged with a hint of mockery, “A distant relative…”
“How do you know I have a daughter?”
“It’s in the records… The Prince of Wu Commandery’s servant, Qin Embroiderer… ancestral home in Suzhou’s Zizhu County… father Qin Ye…”
Qin Ye glared at Xiao Jin Yu, driving a needle deep into the crook of his arm. “She’s not a servant—she’s a concubine!”
Enduring another wave of chest pain, Xiao Jin Yu managed a cold smile. “Do you know… what your daughter… is doing?”
“She’s bringing honor to our ancestors!” Qin Ye vented by thrusting needle after needle into Xiao Jin Yu. “She’s my only daughter, beautiful as a flower. I sent her to the Prince of Wu’s Estate as a maid when she was just over ten. When the Prince was in power, he wouldn’t even glance at her. Now that he’s fallen, no one pays him any mind, but Embroiderer serves him attentively… Once I cure him, get him back on his feet and leading troops again, he’ll be grateful to me for life. Then my daughter will be the rightful Imperial Concubine, and I’ll be a renowned physician—famous, wealthy, and bringing glory to our ancestors!”
Xiao Jin Yu had assumed Qin Ye acted either out of genuine concern for Xiao Jue or for his daughter’s sake. He never imagined it was for such a simplistic, laughable reason, cloaked so grandly in ancestral honor.
With a faint, bitter smile, Xiao Jin Yu murmured, “I truly misjudged you…”
Qin Ye, caught up in his fervor, barely caught the whisper. “What did you say?”Xiao Jin Yu coughed weakly several times, managing a frail yet thoroughly relieved smile. "It's nothing... As long as it's not for the Prince of Wu Commandery... That's good..."
Qin Ye froze, staring at Xiao Jin Yu—who was nearly pinned like a hedgehog yet wore such a serene expression—and suddenly realized he had lost control of his emotions earlier. His expression darkened as he slowly removed the haphazardly inserted needles. "Weren't you very concerned about the Prince of Wu Commandery?"
"Yes..."
"Then why is it 'good' if it's not for him?"
"Because this way... when I kill you... I won't feel guilty..."
Qin Ye froze again.
This person... wanted to kill him?
This man already suffered from severe rheumatism and stomach ailments. He had damaged his stomach and lung meridians, and after that chaotic needling, the person before him was sweating as if just pulled from water, his thin body trembling uncontrollably, even breathing seemed a struggle... and he still wanted to kill someone?
Qin Ye warily scanned their surroundings, only to hear a faint, mocking laughter from the bed. "Don't be nervous... It's just me..."
Looking down at him, Qin Ye found it almost laughable. "I didn't injure your brain. Why are you talking nonsense?"
As Qin Ye inserted another needle, Xiao Jin Yu completely lost the strength to speak, gently closing his eyes with a peaceful, faint smile.
Chu Chu emerged from the clinic and rushed straight to the mountain's base. It was already past midnight, the mountains shrouded in pitch-black darkness where nothing was visible.
Moving erratically along the so-called easiest mountain path—sometimes hurried, sometimes slow—Chu Chu dared not call out for Wang Ye or Xiao Jin Yu, uncertain if others might be nearby, and could only carefully survey her surroundings.
Even on this "easiest" path, Chu Chu stumbled several times. The thought of Xiao Jin Yu navigating such terrain in his wheelchair made her heart clench with anxiety.
Fortunately, it was winter, and most snakes and insects remained dormant. Otherwise, if he encountered a venomous snake or such, he wouldn't have time to evade...
But with not a single glimmer of light in the mountains, and him so afraid of darkness—what if he panicked and fell somewhere...
The more Chu Chu thought, the more distressed she became, focused solely on searching along the path, completely unaware of any movement around her. Suddenly, a light tap on her shoulder from behind startled her into a sharp cry. Losing her footing, she began to fall but was promptly caught around the waist by the person behind her, who steadied her and then discreetly withdrew his hand.
"Imperial Concubine, what brings you here?"
In the darkness, the figure was indistinct, but Chu Chu immediately recognized the deep voice—it was Wang Ye's guard!
Clutching the guard's arm as if he were her savior, Chu Chu exclaimed, "Brother Guard, you're here to find Wang Ye too, right?"
The guard was taken aback. Wang Ye had tasked him with monitoring the area near the cave; there had been no activity for days until he noticed movement and followed it, only to discover it was her... She had come up the mountain in the dead of night to find Wang Ye?
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