"Oh!"

Gu Junze merely sneered, taking Gu Zhixing's anger as a result of the other party's unfulfilled desires.

He curled the corners of his mouth, his eyes full of disdain, too lazy to bother with the other party.

He slowly sat down in a seat to the side, his gaze sharp as a hawk's, coldly observing the other side, as if waiting to see what other tricks they could come up with.

"You wait here, and don't come out."

As Gu Zhixing gave the orders, he casually picked up the cloak next to him and draped it over his body to cover the bloodstains.

He grabbed Gu Junze's arm and started to walk out.

"Tuizhi, what are you trying to do?" Gu Junze pressed down on Gu Zhixing's hand, his eyes filled with wariness, not intending to leave easily.

Gu Zhixing turned to look at Gu Junze, his eyes cold and his tone icy: "Cousin has so many black-armored guards under his command, Uncle probably doesn't know that, does he?"

Since ancient times, the position of crown prince has been more difficult than that of emperor.

If it's not done well, the emperor will naturally be dissatisfied.

If you do too well, the emperor will become wary.

Either way, it's like walking on thin ice; the slightest misstep could lead to an abyss.

Upon hearing this, Gu Junze's expression instantly turned ugly, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes: "Are you threatening me?"

"I wouldn't dare." Gu Zhixing looked at him coldly, but his tone was somewhat sarcastic. "I just felt that since my cousin brought so many people over, they should be put to use."

After saying that, he didn't care about Gu Junze's reaction and grabbed his arm to walk out.

This time, Gu Junze didn't put up much resistance; he simply followed Gu Zhixing's lead and walked out.

Just before leaving, he turned to look at Shen Jintang, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

After the two left, Shen Jintang stood alone in the same spot, her hands trembling slightly and stained with blood, a shocking sight.

She looked down at her hands; the blood was particularly glaring in the candlelight, as if it were telling a story.

She stood there, silent for a moment, lost in thought.

The candlelight flickered gently in the breeze, illuminating her and casting her face in shifting light and shadow.

After a moment, Shen Jintang's eyes suddenly changed, as if she had made a decision in her heart.

She raised her head, took a step, and slowly walked outside.

With a soft creak, the door was pushed open, revealing Chongyang guarding the outside.

Upon seeing Shen Jintang emerge, Chongyang immediately reached out to stop her, saying in a deep voice, "My master ordered me to guard you and not allow you to come out."

Shen Jintang glanced outside slightly, but Xing Hui had already disappeared.

She sneered inwardly: Look, now Gu Zhixing can even make her people disobey her.

She glanced coldly at Chongyang, then casually pulled a medicine bottle from her sleeve and tossed it over.

The medicine bottle traced an arc in the air before landing steadily in Chongyang's hand.

Her tone was icy, with an unquestionable air: "Why aren't you sending it to him right away? It's highly poisonous; if you delay even a moment longer, he'll be dead."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chongyang subconsciously grabbed the medicine bottle and turned to leave.

But he had just taken a step when he suddenly stopped and looked at Shen Jintang hesitantly.

A hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, as if he was wondering whether Shen Jintang's words were true or false, or just an excuse to transfer him away.

Shen Jintang glanced at him coldly, her tone tinged with disdain: "Then let him wait to die."

After saying that, she turned around and closed the door, leaving Chongyang to think whatever he wanted.

Before long, she heard no more noise at the door, and knew that Chongyang had finally gone to find Gu Zhixing.

Shen Jintang finally breathed a sigh of relief, and the tension in the back of her neck finally relaxed.

She raised her hand to rub her aching temples, her fingertips touching something cool, and realized that fine beads of sweat had already seeped from her forehead.

The candlelight flickered inside, casting trembling shadows on the blue brick floor, as if telling a story.

Shen Jintang walked to the round table. The Junshan Silver Needle tea in the teacup had long since gone cold. The floating tea leaves looked like dead little fish, with a dull luster under the dim candlelight, lifeless.

She picked up the teacup; the cool, sky-blue porcelain felt as if it chilled her heart as well. The tea went down her throat, its stale, astringent taste spreading across her tongue, carrying a musty, overnight odor.

Whether the tea had gone cold or her sense of taste was off, she couldn't taste any of its usual sweetness.

Sudden--

Clang—

The teacup slipped from his fingers and shattered on the bluestone bricks, the crisp sound echoing in the quiet room.

The splashed tea water left dark stains on the ground, resembling a grotesque ink painting, a shocking sight.

Shen Jintang instinctively reached out to pick it up, but her knees suddenly buckled, and she fell forward.

There's medicine in the tea!

In the instant before she fell into darkness, she heard the water clock ticking, a sound that seemed to strike her heart, heavy and slow, one beat at a time.

She saw her hair scattered like a spider web in the candlelight, messy and disordered.

The sound of hurried footsteps seemed to come from afar, but it was as if there was a thick layer of cotton wool between them, sometimes near, sometimes far, ethereal and indistinct.

The scents of sandalwood, bitter herbs, and rust suddenly became exceptionally vivid, only to quickly fade away as if they had never existed.

The last wisp of consciousness vanished like a candle flame extinguished by the wind in the cold early spring night.

——

"Boss, there's no trace of them here. It's like they've vanished into thin air."

Ye Qingzhou stepped forward, her voice tinged with anxiety, and reported to Gu Zhixing.

He had led his men to search Qingyakou inside and out several times, carefully examining every corner. They found nothing, not even a fly, let alone a person, as if Qingyakou had never existed.

Gu Zhixing looked at Ye Qingzhou, but felt that his voice seemed to be coming from a very far place, and he could not hear it clearly.

A dull pain came from his abdomen, the stab wound from Shen Jintang. Although the wound had been bandaged, it still ached faintly.

He didn't know when it started, but his strength began to gradually disappear. Every step he took was extremely difficult, and his steps were unsteady, as if he would collapse at any moment.

"Boss, what's wrong?" Ye Qingzhou asked anxiously.

He keenly noticed that Gu Zhixing's complexion was abnormal; his face was frighteningly pale, his forehead was covered in fine cold sweat, and his eyes were somewhat unfocused.

Gu Zhixing clutched his abdomen, slowly leaning against the tree trunk, using all his strength to support himself. Cold sweat kept seeping from his forehead, sliding down his cheeks and dripping to the ground.

The dull pain in his abdomen gradually intensified, as if a knife was twisting inside, and the excruciating pain made him involuntarily furrow his brow.

His hand gripping the tree trunk tightened unconsciously, his knuckles turning white. He tore off several pieces of bark, the debris falling to the ground, but no one paid any attention.

His vision blurred, the surrounding scenery seemed to spin, and Ye Qingzhou's anxious questions became indistinct, as if they were behind a thick veil, making them impossible to hear clearly.

Gu Zhixing took a deep breath, trying to stay awake, but the pain came in waves, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

He struggled to lift his head and look at Ye Qingzhou. His lips moved slightly, but he found that he didn't even have the strength to speak.