The antidote to the symbiotic gu is to fight poison with poison. Thanks to it, Xin Jiuwei and Jueming's conversation came to no avail.
When Jueming awoke again, three days had passed.
Xin Jiuwei sat in front of the medicine stove in the small kitchen, mechanically stirring the medicinal soup in the clay pot.
The medicine was bubbling and steaming, the rising heat blurring her vision.
She subconsciously touched the hidden pocket in her sleeve, but it was already empty.
She thought she might as well run away. After all, she was Xiao Xun's savior, and he couldn't possibly keep chasing her, could he?
—This is terrible, it really could be something Xiao Xun would do.
"What are you thinking about so intently?"
A cold voice suddenly came from behind, startling Xin Jiuwei so much that her hand trembled and the medicine spoon clattered against the edge of the pot.
She turned around and saw that Jueming was already standing at the kitchen door.
"Your Highness is able to get up now." She put down the medicine spoon. "It seems that you are alright. Truly, good people are always blessed."
Hearing her say auspicious words, but there was little joy in her tone, Jueming's eyes flickered slightly, and he looked at Xin Jiuwei for a while without making a sound.
He walked slowly over and sat down on the low stool opposite her. His movements were much slower than usual, yet he still maintained that innate elegance.
"Yes, thanks to your antidote," he said deliberately. "The poison is under control."
Xin Jiuwei stared at the boiling medicine in the pot without saying a word.
The kitchen was eerily quiet, save for the sound of the medicine boiling.
Jueming looked at her quietly, then suddenly reached out and gently brushed away a bit of medicine ash from her forehead with his thumb.
Xin Jiuwei was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously took a step back.
Jueming calmly withdrew his hand and suddenly said, "I won't kill you."
Xin Jiuwei was taken aback, feeling that he was being too blunt, to the point that it made her feel that there must be some underlying reasons that were not reassuring.
Jueming frowned at her reaction, seemingly somewhat displeased, which was unusual for him.
"You think," Jueming's voice was soft, yet every word was clear, "that I would blackmail you like Qi Huaiyu did? That I would trade your life for personal gain?"
Xin Jiuwei pursed her lips, offering no reply. She instinctively gripped the hem of her skirt, her knuckles turning white.
"You gave yourself the antidote willingly." Jueming withdrew his hand, his voice as calm as if discussing the day's weather. "In exchange, I can give you a promise—to do what you want to do, to investigate the truth you want to investigate. I won't interfere."
Xin Jiuwei was stunned. In both her past and present lives, she was used to deceit and treachery, used to treating everything as a bargaining chip. Jueming's words, however, left her at a loss.
"Why?" she heard herself ask, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible.
Jueming looked out the window at the pear tree in full bloom, sunlight filtering through the petals and casting dappled shadows on his pale face.
"Perhaps because..." he paused, as if choosing his words carefully, "I, too, once thought that all kindness in this world came with a price."
In the days that followed, Xin Jiuwei would prepare medicine for Jueming every day without fail. This small house hidden in the bamboo forest was a secret hideout left to her by her mother, and even the rest of the Xin family were unaware of its existence.
That afternoon, as she was carefully controlling the heat, Jueming appeared silently at the kitchen door.
"The prescription has changed today?" He frowned slightly and sniffed the medicinal aroma in the air.
Xin Jiuwei didn't even look up: "I added longan pulp, which can replenish qi and blood." She scooped up a spoonful of the medicinal juice, gently blew on it to cool it, and said, "Master, you've come at the perfect time. Drink it while it's hot."
Jueming took the bowl of medicine, took a sip, and frowned: "Bitter."
This reaction was so vivid, so different from her usual aloof and otherworldly "high monk" image. Xin Jiuwei couldn't help but laugh out loud: "So even a master can be afraid of bitterness?" She magically produced a packet of candied apricots from her sleeve. "Try this."
Jueming picked up a piece of dried apricot, his fingertips casually brushing against her palm: "You carry this with you?"
"When I was little, the maids and wet nurses always said that Mother used to comfort my older sister like this, telling her not to be afraid of the bitterness." Xin Jiuwei stopped abruptly halfway through her sentence, her eyes dimming. She turned to tidy up the medicine cabinet, trying to hide the bitterness that welled up in her heart.
Jueming watched her retreating figure thoughtfully, then suddenly said, "Once your injuries have healed, I'll take you to find Ye Qingzheng."
"Mr. Ye?" Xin Jiuwei turned around in surprise.
"He and your mother were old acquaintances," Jueming said softly, finishing the last mouthful of medicine. "There are some things you should know."
Steam rose from the medicine stove, blurring their vision. Xin Jiuwei suddenly realized that, without her noticing, the tense, probing atmosphere between them had vanished, replaced by a strange, unspoken understanding.
=
The moonlight was as clear as water that night, and Jueming's injuries had improved considerably.
Xin Jiuwei set up a chessboard on the stone table in the courtyard, and the two played chess until late at night.
"You lost again." Jueming placed a black piece, a slight smile playing on his lips. In the moonlight, his eyes and brows seemed less aloof than usual, and more vibrant.
Xin Jiuwei glared at the chessboard, unconvinced: "This game doesn't count! A moth was in my sight just now."
"Shall we play another game?" Jueming calmly began collecting his pieces.
"Come on, come on!" Xin Jiuwei rolled up her sleeves, revealing her slender wrists.
By the end of the third round, it was already past midnight. Just as Jueming was about to announce his victory, he suddenly stumbled and grabbed the edge of the stone table for support.
"Your Highness!" Xin Jiuwei quickly stood up and supported his arm.
Through his thin undergarment, she could clearly feel the warmth of his body and the still-healing wound.
The two were so close they could hear each other's heartbeats.
"It's alright," Jueming said softly, without pulling away from her support. "I've just been sitting for too long."
Xin Jiuwei was still somewhat uneasy and stared at Jueming without saying a word.
It seemed that in that instant, she knew that the brief peace that Jueming had gained after the poison took effect would soon come to an end.
Five days later, at dawn, Xin Jiuwei was decocting medicine in the kitchen when she suddenly heard a gentle knock on the courtyard gate. Liu Ya hurried in and whispered a few words in Jueming's ear.
Jueming's expression hardened: "Prepare the carriage; we're going to Chongwu Mountain."
"What happened?" Xin Jiuwei put down the medicine spoon, wiped her hands, and came over.
"The Princess has arrived." Jueming looked at her, his gaze questioning, "Would you like to come along?"
Xin Jiuwei clenched the handkerchief in her hand. This was the opportunity she had been waiting for, and also the greatest danger. But looking into Jueming's calm gaze, she suddenly stopped hesitating:
"I want to go."
Jueming smiled slightly and reached out to brush away a speck of medicine ash from her cheek: "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
At that moment, Xin Jiuwei suddenly realized that what she had given away was not just the antidote.
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