How did you get this?
Bai Hua glanced at Su Xiaoning with surprise, then casually took the dried flowers from her hand.
Su Xiaoning scratched her head awkwardly and said softly, "I thought these flowers were pretty, so I secretly picked some. Later, I found that the fragrance of these flowers was similar to the strange smell in the food, so I didn't dare to mention it and have been carrying them with me ever since."
"You did a good job." Bai Hua didn't say much, and started studying the dried flowers.
Although these strange flowers had become very withered, it did not affect Bai Hua's ability to identify them. No one knew what trick Bai Hua used, but he simply pierced the petals a few times with a golden needle, sprinkled some powder on the needle, and then cried out in alarm.
"I know! This is not something ornamental at all; it's clearly a poison! This poison is called 'Heartbreak Red,' which I've only read about in medical books before. The toxins in this flower cannot be detected with a silver needle. Eating this flower will cause mental confusion, and over time, other dangerous symptoms will appear... To cultivate such a thing on such a large scale is truly despicable!"
After hearing Bai Hua's explanation, Su Xiaoning looked horrified.
She had suspected there might be something wrong with the flower, but she never expected it to be so potent!
“I understand…” Su Xiaoning murmured to herself, then suddenly realized, “The plague in Ye City probably originated from this flower. Miss Gu personally distributed porridge; I wonder if she knows about this…”
But even if she didn't know, Gu Zeyin was already an accomplice.
After a moment of silence, Su Qingcai made a decision and broke the silence first.
"We can't stay at the Gu residence any longer. We must leave immediately and figure out a solution once we get back to the capital!"
"If we stay like this for so long, what will happen to the people in the city who are suffering from the epidemic?" Su Xiaoning shook her head, hesitating and unwilling to agree.
Su Qingcai gently took her hand and earnestly comforted her, "I know you can't bear to see those plague victims suffer, but even if we stay here, we can't help them. When I said we should leave first, it didn't mean I was abandoning them. It just means we need to have the means to help others before we can consider other things."
They arrived in Ye City while being hunted down, and were also burdened with the mission of returning to the capital. Even though they wanted to save the people of this city, they were powerless to do so.
Su Xiaoning understood the implications, and despite her distress, she nodded in agreement with Su Qingcai for the sake of the bigger picture.
After rescuing Ding Yi, Bing Er, and the others, the group discussed for a while and decided to leave the next day. To avoid any accidents, they pretended that nothing had happened and informed Gu's father and Gu Zeyin. However, upon learning of this, Gu's father hosted a banquet that very night, saying he wanted to see them off.
Now that everyone knows the effects of the poisonous flower, no one wants to eat any more of the food. No one touches their chopsticks, and the scene is very strange.
"What, everyone's leaving, can't you give me some face?"
Father Gu smiled, raised his glass to Su Qingcai and the others, and drank it all in one gulp, his eyes revealing a subtle sense of oppression.
He wasn't stupid; he could guess that his plan had likely been leaked. But it didn't matter. He held absolute power in Ye City, and these people would have to get past him if they wanted to leave.
No one responded to Gu's father. Gu's father's eyes darted around, and he directly addressed Su Qingcai, saying, "I thought Young Master Su was well-mannered and had the demeanor of a great family, but I didn't expect that you wouldn't eat a single bite at this farewell banquet. What? Are you used to fine clothes and delicacies, so you look down on the cooks from my small town?"
Father Gu was being aggressive, and it seemed he was determined to force Su Qingcai to eat the problematic food tonight.
Su Qingcai did not answer. His face was ashen, and he was thinking of ways to deal with the situation, but it seemed that he could not avoid it now.
Left with no other choice, Su Qingcai picked up his chopsticks. Just as he was about to start eating, a pair of small hands reached out and took away the food in front of him. He looked to the side in surprise and saw Su Xiaoning giving him a reassuring look.
Su Xiaoning picked up her chopsticks and began to eat heartily, completely disregarding her table manners. Amidst everyone's astonished gazes, she ate most of the dishes on the table. Only when her stomach was completely round did she finally have a moment to speak to Gu's father:
"I'm sorry, I'm just too hungry, so I'll have to eat this first! Since they don't have any appetite, I might as well eat it. It's all the same, don't you think?"
Father Gu's eyes were like a deep pool, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking. He stared intently at Su Xiaoning, and after a long silence, he finally laughed.
"Of course, Miss Su, if you like it, then eat as much as you like. But you must get a good rest when you get back."
"Then you won't have to trouble yourself," Su Xiaoning said, her chopsticks still busy in her hand.
Fearing that it would arouse Gu's father's suspicion, Su Qingcai did not dare to interrupt Su Xiaoning. On the surface, he appeared calm and composed, but in reality, a storm was raging inside him.
That night, Bai Hua and the others didn't eat a lot, but they still all passed out in the end. If Su Xiaoning ate so much, wouldn't she...?
Su Qingcai was increasingly afraid to think about it; he couldn't bear this torment. He opened his mouth, wanting to stop Su Xiaoning. Su Xiaoning, however, seemed to sense his thoughts and silently made a "no" gesture to him, while continuing to chew her food heartily.
This absurd banquet ended with no one stopping Su Xiaoning, and it concluded with Su Xiaoning finishing all the food.
After the banquet, Gu's father and Gu Zeyin left the table first.
As Gu Zeyin walked, she kept turning back, saying worriedly, "Dad, isn't it bad for her to eat so much? Should I take her some medicine to help with digestion?"
She simply disliked this love rival; she had no intention of tormenting him in this way.
Mr. Gu merely sneered and forcefully pulled Gu Zeyin away, saying, "Don't worry, she's fine. Even if something were wrong, she wouldn't have acted out at this time."
"Father... what do you mean by this?" Gu Zeyin was very confused and did not know what her father meant.
Of course, Gu's father couldn't tell Gu Zeyin directly that he was waiting for Su Xiaoning to take the poison out of her head. He didn't answer, but a barely perceptible sinister smile appeared on his face.
Meanwhile, in Su Xiaoning's room.
Bai Hua tried to induce vomiting in Su Xiaoning, but no matter what she tried, she couldn't get her to vomit.
He was extremely frustrated and regretfully pounded his head.
"I shouldn't have watched you eat that food! Now look what's happened, you can't vomit it up, and you're definitely going to be poisoned soon. With such a large amount of food, I don't know how I'm going to save you..."
Su Qingcai's expression was equally grim. He pursed his lips tightly and even began to wonder what he would do if something happened to Su Xiaoning.
Su Xiaoning gave a bitter smile and said nothing. She didn't know what the future held for her, so she could only sit quietly on the bed and wait for the poison to take effect.
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