Blame me
Gu Jinghong received a palm strike from Xie Yan on his left side, let out a muffled groan, and felt a metallic taste rise in his throat.
The intense pain caused her to fall to the ground, unable to get up. But she hated Xie Yan, hated the man who had pushed her back into darkness just as she was about to see the sunlight. She wished she could kill him immediately to vent her anger!
She coughed up blood, gritted her teeth, and slowly got up again, attempting to push herself forward.
Her attacks became even more frenzied, completely disregarding her own injuries. Poison needles, claws, and hidden weapons poured out like a storm, all targeting Xie Yan's wounded areas.
"You madwoman! You crazy woman!" Xie Yan was both shocked and furious, and she blocked and dodged in a disheveled state.
He found that his proud agility and strength seemed somewhat hampered in the face of this frenzied attack that disregarded his own life and death.
Every time he tried to finish her off, he would meet her crazed yet icy eyes, and that strange palpitation would resurface, making him involuntarily slow down.
At the same time, Gu Jinghong became increasingly fierce in his attacks, and almost every time he managed to exploit Xie Yan's weaknesses.
Watching Gu Jinghong fight while spitting blood, Xie Yan, who had never been afraid of anything before, felt a chill run down his spine for the first time.
"Gu Jinghong! Are you fucking insane?!"
"Bang!" Finally, despite the excruciating pain from the aftershocks of another palm strike to his ribs, Gu Jinghong unleashed a vicious palm strike, imbued with all his internal energy, at Xie Yan's right elbow joint, which was paralyzed by poison and unable to move.
The immense force sent him staggering backward, crashing heavily against the cold stone wall. Gravel fell in a shower, and a sweet taste rose in his throat as a trickle of blood escaped from the corner of his mouth.
She was also forced back several steps by the combined impact and recoil from her ribs. Her legs went unsteady, and she could no longer support herself, falling heavily to the ground. The excruciating pain in her ribs made her vision blur...
Xie Yan leaned against the wall in a disheveled state, his right arm hanging limply at his sides. A tingling, numb sensation spread from his right arm to half of his body. He was panting heavily, his eyes filled with anger, astonishment, and a lingering fear after being stunned by the madness.
Gu Jinghong was also forced back several steps by the recoil and fell to the ground, unable to get up. The sharp pain in her ribs made her sway slightly, her face was pale, and the bloodstains at the corner of her mouth were even more conspicuous.
But her eyes remained incredibly bright, cold and crazed, fixed intently on Xie Yan.
Just as Xie Yan was trying to forcefully circulate his qi to open his acupoints and suppress the toxins, Gu Jinghong's figure approached again like a ghost.
Her fingers moved with lightning speed, precisely pinching Xie Yan's chin and forcing him to open his mouth. With her other hand, she flicked out a black pill the size of a grain of rice, emitting a strange, sweet-smelling odor, and accurately placed it into his mouth.
"Gulp!" The pill went down her throat.
"Ugh...!" Xie Yan tried to spit it out, but it was too late. He felt a spicy sensation rush to his throat.
Gu Jinghong was completely exhausted and had no choice but to resort to this last resort.
She collapsed to the ground, coldly watching Xie Yan futilely try to choke, her eyes as icy as frozen ice.
"'Dumb Cicada' will make your tongue rot for a month, and you won't be able to speak... Enjoy this peace and quiet."
Xie Yan's eyes were bloodshot, knowing that this was Gu Jinghong's punishment for his loose tongue. However, the pill took effect very quickly, and after only a moment, Xie Yan could only make hoarse hoarse sounds and could not speak.
"From this day forward, whenever I, Gu Jinghong, carry out any mission for the Zhuangmu Pavilion, you, as a member of the Pavilion, must give way! If I ever find you or any of your people within my mission area again, even if it's just a fleeting glance or the slightest interference..."
"I will expose the document you hid in the Southern Border Villa to the public, so that the entire Zhuoyue Tower, and all those who covet the position of Tower Master, can see what you, Minister Xie, are really planning! Then... let's see how you manage to sit in that position!"
Gu Jinghong's words struck Xie Yan like a thunderbolt from the heavens.
His eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at Gu Jinghong.
How could she know?! He handled that matter with utmost secrecy; it was his biggest trump card and reliance in his competition for the position of Pavilion Master. Once exposed, not only would his chances of becoming Pavilion Master be gone, but he might even become the public enemy of the entire Zhuoyue Pavilion!
Seeing Xie Yan's instantly dejected and desperate expression, as if his spine had been removed, Gu Jinghong knew that his warning and threat had achieved their purpose.
She was about to say something when suddenly, with a "pfft," a mouthful of blood gushed from her mouth. Gu Jinghong felt a sharp pain in her chest, her mind went blank for a moment, and then she lost consciousness...
...
Three days later
Consciousness struggled to rise from the cold, dark abyss.
The burning, tingling pain below her left scapula, as if bitten by a venomous snake, returned first, followed by a heavy feeling of exhaustion throughout her body. Gu Jinghong's raven-feather-like eyelashes trembled as she laboriously lifted her heavy eyelids.
The vision gradually cleared from blurry.
The first thing that catches the eye is the brocade quilt with a cloud and dragon pattern embroidered in gold, which is luxurious but not vulgar; beneath her is a brocade quilt that is soft and smooth to the touch and of considerable value.
Then Gu Jinghong smelled a clear, cool scent in the air, like pine needles after a snowfall—this was definitely not her maid's room.
She tilted her head slightly, her gaze sweeping across the spacious and luxurious bedchamber. Then, she saw a familiar figure.
Xiao Chengyan lay fully clothed on an exquisite reclining couch, with only a black fur coat casually draped over his body. His face, with his eyes closed, was incomparably handsome.
This was the first time Gu Jinghong had seen Xiao Chengyan without any external disturbances. He had slightly raised sword-like eyebrows and a face as handsome as jade, with a high and straight nose like a hanging gall bladder, but his lips were extremely soft. This combination of strength and gentleness in his bone structure, coupled with his tall and slender figure, made him look like a noble and elegant gentleman lying on the reclining couch.
The only regret was that his angular face showed obvious signs of fatigue, with a faint bluish shadow under his eyes, and his lips were tightly pursed. Even in his sleep, there seemed to be an unyielding solemnity between his brows.
He stayed here... all night?
Gu Jinghong's heart trembled slightly, then she lowered her eyes to look at the butterfly birthmark above her collarbone, and a self-deprecating smile rose up.
As if sensing her gaze, Xiao Chengyan's eyelashes fluttered and he opened his eyes.
Those deep eyes held a rare hint of confusion upon waking, but almost instantly regained their usual sharpness, accurately capturing Gu Jinghong, who was already awake on the bed.
"Awake?" His voice was hoarse from just waking up, but he immediately sat up and walked to the bedside in a few steps. His concerned gaze was fixed on Gu Jinghong's pale face. "How are you feeling?"
Gu Jinghong quickly suppressed her self-deprecation, her face showing only the reaction of pain.
She tried to speak, but found her throat terribly dry, only able to utter a few breathy sounds. She instinctively tried to sit up, but as soon as she moved, a dull pain in her left rib surged like a tidal wave.
"Hiss..." She gasped in pain, her delicate brows furrowing instantly, fine beads of cold sweat appearing on her forehead, and her body trembling uncontrollably.
"Don't move!" Xiao Chengyan shouted in a low voice, his face instantly darkening.
He bent down, and with an extremely careful and somewhat awkward gentleness, he reached around her back with one hand, avoiding the wound on her left shoulder, and steadily supported her. With his other hand, he gently supported her uninjured right arm, and with moderate force, helped her slowly sit up.
Then, looking directly at Gu Jinghong without turning her head, she said, "Zhixin, the medicine!"
Soon, Zhixin carefully walked in, carrying a bowl of medicine that emitted a strong, bitter smell.
Xiao Chengyan sat down on the edge of the bed and gently pulled Gu Jinghong's weak and powerless body into his arms, letting her lean against his firm chest.
The sudden closeness made Gu Jinghong freeze.
She could clearly feel the warmth and steady heartbeat emanating from his chest, and smell the cool, slightly ink-scented scent emanating from him. Their breaths almost intertwined in that small space, and the atmosphere instantly became subtle and ambiguous.
Xiao Chengyan didn't find anything wrong with it. Instead, he took the medicine bowl from Zhixin's hand, scooped up a spoonful of dark brown medicine with a jade spoon, and gently blew on it.
Then he held the spoon to Gu Jinghong's lips, his voice low and gentle: "Drink your medicine."
Gu Jinghong took his hand, frowned, and drank the first sip. The indescribable bitterness instantly filled her mouth, making her want to spit it out.
"Bear with it." Xiao Chengyan's voice rang out at the right time, carrying a hint of barely perceptible helplessness.
Watching her forcefully take another sip, Xiao Chengyan slowly spoke: "Now you know pain? You dared to break into the water dungeon of the Jingzhao Prefecture? Gu Jinghong, are you made of iron?"
After finishing his sentence, he seemed to add with regret, "...It's also my fault."
Gu Jinghong was obediently drinking her medicine when she heard Xiao Chengyan say that, and suddenly looked up at him.
"Cough, cough..." The movement caused Gu Jinghong to instinctively clutch his ribs. "What does Your Highness mean? Did you transfer Xie Yan to the water dungeon?!"
Xiao Chengyan's eyes suddenly darted away. He scooped up another spoonful of medicine, blew on it to cool it, and said, "The water prison is heavily guarded, and there's a lot of danger around it. Couldn't you... turn back? Stupid..."
Gu Jinghong's heart skipped a beat, and she instantly became alert. She abruptly looked up at Xiao Chengyan, who was standing close by, her eyes sharp: "You sent someone to follow me?!"
Yes, the guards at the Jingzhao Prefecture water dungeon yesterday were clearly much stronger than Gu Jinghong had anticipated. If it weren't for the decree issued by Prince Jin, why would they have gone to such lengths against Xie Yan? In the end, Xie Yan's "crime" was simply snatching a piece of candy in the street, wasn't it? Was it really necessary to treat him like a death row inmate?
Xiao Chengyan paused almost imperceptibly as he handed over the medicine.
“Following you? I don’t have the time for that. It was the Prefect of the Capital who came to report last night that someone had broken into the dungeon and was found unconscious at the exit. The guards recognized you as someone from my residence, so they brought you back.”
After a pause, Xiao Chengyan recalled the mud on Gu Jinghong's face that day, and smiled again, saying, "I thought you were going to do some 'dirty work,' but it turns out you just came back covered in mud... You shouldn't do any more 'dirty work' in the future. My Prince Jin's mansion has always been clean, so you just need to stay in the mansion clean."
He cleverly avoided the crucial point of Changfeng's proactive appearance, describing "rescue" as "send," which made him appear passive and official.
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