The restaurant was filled with warm laughter.

Looking at the undisguised worry and tenderness in Pei Wuwang's eyes, Shen Qingtang felt as if her heart had been warmed by water.

It's so soft it's unbearable.

She knew that her secrets couldn't be kept hidden, including the sudden appearance of supplies, her knowledge far beyond what was available in this era, and her occasional "disappearances" with Pei Nian'an.

Anyone would have become suspicious. But Pei Wuwang never asked a single question. He simply supported her with his actions, offering her a cup of hot tea when she needed it, taking care of Pei Nian'an when she was busy, and always standing in front of her when she clashed with the Pei family.

This respect and trust.

It moved her more than any sweet words.

Once, Shen Qingtang was organizing a map of the county town in her study late at night when Pei Wuwang brought her a bowl of hot soup and said softly, "Don't stay up too late, I'll keep watch over you."

I didn't ask her why she was studying maps, nor did I ask her what her next step was. I just sat quietly to the side reading a book.

The dim candlelight cast long shadows of the two people, so warm that Shen Qingtang almost forgot she was a visitor from another world.

With Pei Wuwang's silent support, Shen Qingtang's career flourished in the county town.

She not only expanded the restaurant, but also opened a cosmetics shop, a clothing shop, a grain shop, and even took over the largest wharf in the county to start a canal transport business.

Her shop offered fair prices and novel products, and she quickly monopolized most of the market in the county. The once-glorious Lü and Jiang families were left far behind by her.

The Jiang couple, now penniless and a laughingstock, could only survive by selling their last remaining old furniture.

Because he had no money, even beggars on the street dared to roll their eyes at him.

That evening, Pei Wuwang suddenly found Shen Qingtang and said with a solemn expression, "We have a clue. It seems that someone is secretly moving children in the dilapidated temple in the west of the city." Shen Qingtang's heart tightened, and she immediately picked up her weapon and rushed to the west of the city with Pei Wuwang.

As soon as they approached the dilapidated temple, they heard the cries of a child and the shouts of a man coming from inside.

Shen Qingtang and Pei Wuwang crept over quietly and, through the window of the dilapidated temple, were shocked to see Pei Mingjie directing several burly men.

They stuffed several trembling, frightened children into a sack. The children were the same age as the previously missing children!

"Pei Mingjie, how dare you abduct a child!" Shen Qingtang was furious. She kicked open the temple door and rushed inside.

Pei Mingjie turned around and saw Shen Qingtang. He was so frightened that he almost jumped out of his skin. Just as he was about to run away, Shen Qingtang kicked him in the back, causing him to fall heavily to the ground. He winced in pain.

"Shen Qingtang... how did you get here?" Pei Mingjie lay on the ground, his voice trembling, his eyes filled with terror.

"I'll ask you one more time, who instructed you to do this?" Shen Qingtang looked down at him, her tone as cold as ice.

Pei Mingjie swallowed hard, his voice a mix of bravado and fear, and shouted, "Mind your own business! What I do is none of your concern! You bitch, don't think you're so great just because you have some skills..."

"Slap!" Before he could finish speaking, Shen Qingtang slapped him across the face, causing blood to instantly trickle from the corner of his mouth. "I'll ask you one last time, who's behind this?"

Pei Mingjie was beaten senseless, but he still gritted his teeth and refused to say, "I...I don't know! I did it myself!"

Shen Qingtang's eyes turned cold. She raised her foot and stepped on his wrist, slowly applying pressure. "Ah! It hurts! It hurts so much!" Pei Mingjie screamed in pain, his forehead covered in cold sweat.

"Will you talk or not?" Shen Qingtang pressed her foot down a little more, and Pei Mingjie's wrist made a "crack" sound.

It seemed like it might disconnect at any moment. Pei Mingjie had barely finished speaking.

Suddenly, a sharp "whoosh" came from outside the dilapidated temple, and an arrow with a black gleam came flying through the air, accurately piercing his back!

Blood instantly stained Pei Mingjie's clothes. His eyes widened, a mouthful of black blood gushed from his mouth, and his body went limp as he collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

"Mingjie!" Madam Qin was the first to react. She screamed and rushed to Pei Mingjie's side. When she saw the arrow in his chest and the black blood gushing out, she collapsed to the ground and burst into tears.

Uncle Pei rushed over, his hands trembling as he touched Pei Mingjie's nose and breath. His face turned deathly pale.

Old Madam Pei stumbled in, leaning on her cane, and saw the corpse on the ground.

Trembling with rage, he pointed at Shen Qingtang's nose and cursed, "Shen Qingtang! You vicious woman! It was you! You drove Mingjie to his death! You're a jinx, you brought misfortune upon the Pei family!"

"How dare you stand here! If you hadn't relentlessly pressured him, how could Mingjie have ended up like this? Now that he's dead, are you satisfied?" Madam Qin cried, her eyes red and her voice hoarse as she roared.

Those extremely offensive words were like knives thrown at you: "You slut, you'll die a horrible death! Our Pei family will never let you off the hook!"

Uncle Pei, his eyes also red, glared angrily at Shen Qingtang: "Shen Qingtang, even if Mingjie is wrong, he doesn't deserve to die! Why can't you let him go? You are a murderer!"

Shen Qingtang ignored their insults, her gaze fixed on Pei Mingjie's corpse. She noticed that the blood at Pei Mingjie's wounds was turning black and congealing at a visible speed, even emitting a faint fishy smell. "Oh no, the arrows in his body are poisoned!"

As soon as she finished speaking, a gentle breeze swept by, carrying the scent of poisonous blood towards Shen Qingtang.

Pei Wuwang reacted quickly, immediately stepping in front of Shen Qingtang and pushing her back: "Watch out!"

However, he inadvertently inhaled a mouthful of poisonous mist, and the black blood splattered from Pei Mingjie's corpse got onto the wound on his wrist (an old wound from his previous fight with the man in black). In just a moment, Pei Wuwang's face turned pale, his lips turned bluish-purple, and his body swayed, almost collapsing.

"How are you?" Shen Qingtang's heart tightened, and she quickly supported him. When her fingertips touched his skin, she felt that it was ice cold.

Pei Wuwang leaned against Shen Qingtang's chest, his breathing gradually becoming rapid. He looked at Shen Qingtang's panicked eyes, but a gentle smile appeared on his lips: "Qingtang, don't panic... I'm fine."

But his body was getting weaker and weaker, and the toxins were rapidly eroding his internal organs.

He knew he wouldn't last much longer. He had already been poisoned by the man in black during his exile, but he had been suppressing it with his internal energy. Now, with this deadly poison added to his list, the two toxins were intertwined, and there was no hope of recovery.

"Qingtang, there's something... I've always wanted to tell you." Pei Wuwang held Shen Qingtang's hand, his eyes filled with deep affection. His voice was weak, yet exceptionally clear, "I love you. I love your strength, I love your kindness, I love how you risked everything for Nian'an... It's a pity I couldn't protect you, and I couldn't accompany you any further..."

"Don't speak! I can save you! I can definitely save you!" Shen Qingtang's voice trembled, and tears fell uncontrollably, dripping onto Pei Wuwang's hand.

"Auntie, is Father going to die?"

Pei Nian'an ran over, clutching Pei Wuwang's clothes, her little face streaked with tears, and sobbed, "Daddy! Don't die! Nian'an still wants to play with you..."

Pei Wuwang's eyes softened even more when he heard the word "father".

He raised his hand and touched Pei Nian'an's head, then looked at Shen Qingtang and said with his last bit of strength, "Qingtang, take good care of... Nian'an..."

Before he could finish speaking, Pei Wuwang's hand fell limply to his side, and his eyes slowly closed.

"No!" Shen Qingtang held Pei Wuwang's cold body and cried loudly. Pei Nian'an also threw herself on Pei Wuwang, crying her heart out.

Inside the dilapidated temple, the Pei family's cursing had long since ceased.

Only Shen Qingtang and Pei Nian'an's desperate cries echoed in the empty, dilapidated temple, sounding exceptionally desolate.