Competition (Revision)
The woman's voice was alluring, sending a shiver down your spine the moment it entered your ears. If an ordinary man heard it, even the scarred giant would probably be intoxicated by it.
No matter how hard Lin Xu racked his brains, he still couldn't remember where he had heard that voice before.
She was momentarily stunned by the turbulent, chaotic memories that surged like mountains and seas.
The woman in red glanced at Lin Xu's stunned expression and couldn't help but chuckle again.
"What's wrong? You've only been poisoned by aconite, which has only damaged your lungs and internal organs. It won't make you stupid."
After she finished speaking and saw that no one answered, she raised her head without thinking. She saw Lin Xu, a thin and small person, sitting blankly on the bed with lifeless eyes.
The woman in red became somewhat nervous and quickly stepped forward to check the woman's pulse, then touched her forehead, her face filled with worry as she murmured to herself:
"Strange, my antidote should be fine, and I just fed it a century-old ginseng..."
Could it be that its small body couldn't handle it and it had the opposite effect?
Lin Xu suddenly grabbed the woman's slender wrist. This abrupt action startled the woman who was sitting by her bedside, lost in thought. In her panic, she spoke in a hoarse voice, her face deathly pale:
"Who are you? Where am I?...Where is Dou Yanxun?"
She stared intently at the woman in red, noticing a fleeting hint of embarrassment in the other woman's eyes. The woman in red then smiled broadly and subtly withdrew her hand from Lin Xu's.
"My lady has just woken up. Don't be in such a hurry now, lest you aggravate the remaining poison in her body."
The woman in red shook her hand, which had gone numb from being gripped so tightly, in the air, while inwardly grumbling:
This young lady may seem delicate, but her wrist strength is quite different from her appearance...
Seeing Lin Xu still staring intently at her without saying a word, the usually fearless woman couldn't help but feel a little intimidated. The woman in red quickly stood up, backing away as she said:
"Dou Yanxun, is that right? Come, come, he's resting in the back hall. Here, take him back—"
Before she could finish speaking, she hurriedly slipped into the inner room, as if afraid that if she was even a moment late, Lin Xu would catch her and interrogate her with a barrage of questions.
Her evasiveness, in fact, avoided the main issue, omitting the first two questions Lin Xu had just raised.
Lin Xu saw it clearly, but didn't speak for a moment. Not long after, the curtains at the door started to sway, and soon Dou Yanxun, who had changed into a bamboo-green casual outfit, yawned and strolled out from the inner room.
She was still unaware of the time, but she noticed that although Dou Yanxun's steps were still slow, his complexion looked much better. Seeing that she was still sitting on the bed, Dou Yanxun covered his mouth with his hand before pulling out a round stool and sitting at the round wooden table by the window in the hall.
He still had that lazy and carefree look.
Lin Xu thought for a moment and said, "Your injuries...are they much better now?"
Dou Yanxun shifted his gaze from the window, glanced at her, his expression cold and unreadable, and simply said, "It's nothing serious."
She had been dressed in different clothes at some point, and was now wearing a light peach-colored silk undergarment with a cross-collar, and beneath the cross-collar was a pink lace overlay. She hadn't noticed it before, but after Dou Yanxun's gaze lingered on her neck for a moment, Lin Xu suddenly realized the slight coolness under her neck and shoulders, and her face immediately turned red.
In a moment of panic, he hurriedly grabbed the blanket next to him and covered himself with it.
Upon seeing this, Dou Yanxun couldn't help but slightly curve the corners of his lips.
His gaze slowly returned to the table, and he leisurely poured himself a pot of tea. Only then did he say slowly:
“Fu Qing, the clothes here are indeed not the style you usually wear.”
What styles does she usually wear? When did he start paying attention to what styles she usually wears?
Before he could ask any questions, Dou Yanxun slowly sipped his tea and said:
"Fu Qing is quite knowledgeable in pharmacology. With her diagnosis and treatment for us, and the antidote being taken on time, the poison in our bodies should be completely neutralized now."
He held the teacup in his right hand, turned around to look at her, who was curled up in the thick quilt, his eyes cold yet deep.
"Who would have thought that Prince Mao's personal guards would have dipped their blades in aconite poison? This is a method that the Prince's mansion has never used before. Fortunately, Fu Qing has the extremely rare snow lotus from the northern mountains, which saved our lives. Otherwise, we would probably be drinking this tea in the underworld by now."
Aconite poison... Upon hearing this, Lin Xu's heart tightened. He could only lower his head as if it were unintentional, avoiding his gaze, afraid that Dou Yanxun would see through his thoughts.
Suddenly, a flash of white light appeared in her mind, making her realize something.
Fu Qing... She hadn't noticed it before, but now she suddenly realized how familiar this name was!
But that day, in the dark alley on the street corner, Zhao Qi chatted with Qingqing, the girl Zhao Qi longed for but could not have.
No wonder her voice sounded so familiar just now.
"Qing... Miss Qing is gentle and considerate, but I never expected her medical skills to be so superb. Today, I owe her a debt of gratitude."
Lin Xu lowered his head, clutching a corner of the quilt tightly with both hands, and whispered.
Dou Yanxun waved his hand dismissively, and smiled, saying:
"You must never call her that. It's true that she used to work in a brothel, but she's a straightforward and vengeful person. If she offends you one day, she might secretly poison your food and kill you without leaving a trace. I would never dare to mess with her."
Lin Xu watched carefully and felt that the tacit understanding and intimacy between Dou Yanxun and Dou Yanxun did not seem to be acting at all.
After learning of Zhao Qi's weakness that day, she immediately sent Zhi Yuan to Bihua Tower to deliver Qingqing's ransom, a full three hundred taels of gold, in exchange for Zhao Qi's unwavering loyalty. It was well worth it.
But that young woman, Qingqing, had disappeared without a trace since Bihua Tower. She had assumed that Zhao Qi had found her a safe place to stay, but unexpectedly, she encountered her here today.
What was even more unexpected was that Fu Qing was quite knowledgeable about pharmacology and even had a close personal relationship with Dou Yanxun. After all, someone who could make Dou Yanxun visit him at a critical moment in life and death must have a solid past relationship with him.
As his thoughts raced, Dou Yanxun's voice suddenly broke the silence in the hall, but it was as indifferent as ever, revealing no emotion:
"You called me over in such a hurry, is there something important that you need to tell me?"
Lin Xu came to his senses and said softly, "...It's nothing important, I just wanted to ask you where we are now...and how did we escape from Shaojing Garden that day?"
Upon hearing this, Dou Yanxun put down his teacup, but pursed his lips. When he turned back to look at her, his eyes suddenly sharpened.
"That day I said—if you want to live, don't ask any questions."
All the previous mischievousness and nonchalance vanished in those unfathomable amber eyes.
He stared intently at her, but his words were full of warning.
Lin Xu had never seen Dou Yanxun so serious and indifferent before. She unconsciously tightened her throat and her fingertips turned white from gripping the corner of the blanket so tightly.
Dou Yanxun stood up. His bamboo-green hair was adorned with intricate ruyi and auspicious cloud patterns. Against the backdrop of the warm, gentle light streaming into the hall, his nose appeared even more prominent. His profile was coated with a faint layer of warmth, yet it exuded a subtle air of sternness.
It seemed as if it ruthlessly shut out everything around it.
Just as he reached out to push open the door, she couldn't help but ask again:
"Then my father—"
Dou Yanxun's hands didn't stop moving, but he turned around and suddenly threw something at her.
Before Lin Xu could react, he instinctively reached out and took it, only to find it was very cool to the touch.
It was a jade ring made of lustrous, warm-to-the-touch green jade. It contained several dark green clumps of mixed colors. Although it was not as valuable as a flawless, naturally formed jade, its smooth, rounded shape without any sharp edges showed that it had been polished and handled for a long time.
It was a piece of jade that had been nurtured for a long time.
When I looked up again, I only saw his back as he walked away alone in the sunlight, his bamboo-green clothes slowly disappearing into the bright sunshine until he was gone.
The hall returned to silence.
Lin Xu glanced at the bedside, casually picked up a light blue-purple gauze and draped it over himself. Just as he was about to get off the bed, he heard a soft rustling sound coming from the inner room. It turned out that Fu Qing had heard the noise and returned.
Her red dress was still dazzlingly beautiful, each step as graceful as a lotus blossom, captivating the heart. Her red lips against her snow-white skin were particularly striking. Before she could speak, Fu Qing rushed towards her, then knelt down before her with a thud.
She was startled, but then saw Fu Qing kowtow heavily on the ground before speaking slowly:
“In the past, it was Miss Lin who righteously helped Fu Qing out of danger. Fu Qing will never forget such a great kindness. From now on, please feel free to ask Miss Lin for anything you need. Although Fu Qing is of humble origin, he is somewhat skilled in medicine and incense. From now on, he will be at Miss Lin’s beck and call.”
Lin Xu quickly helped Fu Qing up from the cold floor tiles.
A hint of gratitude welled in her eyes, and the beauty mark at the corner of her eye shone even more brightly in the sunlight streaming into the hall. No wonder Zhao Qi was willing to give everything for her.
"No need for thanks, it was nothing more than a small favor. If it weren't for Guard Zhao's deep affection for Miss Fu Qing..."
She spoke softly, but saw a flicker of hesitation cross Fu Qing's face. Sure enough, Fu Qing parted her lips slightly, revealing a hint of embarrassment:
"This is Fu Qing's dilemma. Miss Lin is chivalrous and righteous, and Fu Qing is naturally deeply moved by her generosity and chivalry, but I..."
Fu Qing bit her red lips slightly, and as if she had made up her mind after a moment, she spoke again, her voice already a little hoarse:
"Brother Zhao and I are from the same hometown. Brother Zhao is honest and kind, and he has helped me a lot. Fu Qing is naturally very grateful, but I don't think I have any personal feelings for Brother Zhao..."
Lin Xu's brow twitched slightly. She glanced at Fu Qing's rather embarrassed and conflicted expression, and after a long pause, slowly said:
"It's alright. Of all things in this world, love is the one thing that cannot be forced. Miss Fu Qing, there's no need to worry like this."
“Miss Lin, would you blame me for being heartless? I know that ordinary people would look down on me just because they hear about my background, and Zhao Qi has been devoted to me. If I were more sensible, I would naturally be grateful for the benefits I've received, but I…”
"—But you already have someone else in your heart?"
Lin Xu spoke slowly, his face expressionless.
Fu Qing was taken aback when Lin Xu, who appeared calm, managed to hit her sore spot with just a few words, leaving her momentarily stunned. She paused, then quickly recovered and said with an awkward smile:
"I never expected Miss Lin to be so intelligent; I couldn't possibly hide it from her..."
Lin Xu strolled to the round mahogany table. The warm sunlight streamed into the teapot in the hall, filling the room with a delicate fragrance that mingled with the aroma of tea. She poured herself a cup, using the same cup that Dou Yanxun had just drunk from.
After a long while, he slowly spoke:
"—I just wonder if the person Miss Fu Qing is in love with is my fiancé?"
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