Su Ruanruan silently looked up at the patches of silvery-gray clouds in the sky. The north wind was biting, and the cold was piercing, as if foreshadowing an impending blizzard.
As expected, after nightfall, large snowflakes fell in abundance, instantly transforming the entire capital into a pristine white world.
In the stillness of the night, under a dark and windy sky, Su Ruanruan was suddenly jolted awake from a nightmare.
She blinked her sleepy eyes and, through the hazy gauze curtain, vaguely saw a man sitting quietly in a chair.
Seeing that she had woken up, Xiaoyu got up and slowly walked over, then drew the curtains.
"What's wrong? Have you been doing too many bad things and are starting to have nightmares?"
Su Ruanruan composed herself and asked, "What are you doing here?"
"What am I doing here? Of course, I'm here to find out exactly what you're planning! After you've broken ties with Huo Yan, how are you going to steal the defense map of the capital and hand it over to me?"
Xiaoyu slowly sat down on the edge of the bed, gently lifting Su Ruanruan's chin with one hand, her tone carrying a hint of questioning, "Tell me, what exactly are you planning?"
Su Ruanruan stubbornly turned her head to one side, avoiding Xiaoyu's hand, "I have kept my promise not to expose you, why do you still come to my door?"
"Besides, there's still some time before the agreed three-month deadline. Why are you in such a hurry? I just want to know, is it you who wants this defense map, or someone else hiding behind you?"
Xiaoyu smiled slightly and said, "I didn't expect you to be so curious. But it's alright. Since you want to know, I'll tell you, so you can die knowing why. Actually, getting the map of the capital's defenses was just a small test for me."
He paused, then continued, "But don't blame me for not warning you beforehand. If the three-month deadline has passed and you still haven't handed over the defense map to me, then the Heart-Eating Gu hidden within you will gradually erode your lifeblood. At that time, even the most miraculous elixirs will be powerless to save you. Your only fate will be death."
Upon hearing this, Su Ruanruan showed no fear. Instead, she smiled slightly and said softly, "I should thank you for your kind reminder."
As she spoke, she swiftly flicked her wrist, and in the blink of an eye, a sharp dagger gleaming with cold light was already positioned against Xiaoyu's neck.
"Speak!" Su Ruanruan's eyes were fixed on Xiaoyu with an icy gaze, her voice cold and piercing as she questioned her.
"Who exactly are you working for? At first, I mistakenly thought you were sent by Chu Ran, but you firmly denied it."
"Then tell me directly, who exactly is the real mastermind behind all this, pulling the strings? Furthermore, what is your purpose in going to such lengths to capture me?"
Facing the razor-sharp blade pressed against her neck, Xiaoyu remained calm and even chuckled softly. The laugh was low and tinged with sarcasm. "You absolutely dare not kill me. If you kill me, you'll never find the truth you seek."
"You don't even know who to seek revenge on. Besides... with your current abilities, you can't possibly kill me." After saying this, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
Before she could finish speaking, Su Ruanruan suddenly felt a sharp pain in her wrist. She looked down in shock and saw that the dagger she had been holding had been taken away by Xiaoyu at some point.
Holding a dagger, Xiaoyu looked at Su Ruanruan with pity and sighed softly, "Alas, what a pity! I have a strong feeling that not only will you be unable to complete the mission, but your chances of even being able to remove the poison and live to see that day are also very slim."
"Shouldn't the most urgent task be to steal the defense map? Why are you so fixated on who your enemy is? Is your life more important or the truth? You should weigh the pros and cons yourself."
Su Ruanruan leaned back weakly on the soft pillow and laughed, "What if I do nothing and still don't die?"
Xiaoyu stared at her intently for several moments, her face filled with disbelief, and said firmly, "Absolutely impossible! Only my master can cure this kind of Gu worm. Without his help, anyone afflicted by the Gu will surely die, without exception."
"Maybe... I'm that special person." Su Ruanruan smiled softly.
Xiaoyu suddenly swung her arm, and the dagger in her hand shot out like lightning, embedding itself firmly into the cabinet door, its blade gleaming with a chilling light.
She stared intently at Su Ruanruan and said sternly, "If you are still alive and well three months from now, I will naturally tell you the clues you want to know."
Su Ruanruan lowered her eyes slightly, silently making plans in her mind, "Okay! It's settled then. When the three-month period is up, I'll quietly wait here for your news..."
After watching Xiaoyu walk further and further away until she disappeared from sight, Su Ruanruan turned around and went back to her room. She sat down gently at the table and carefully began to look through the detailed booklets in her private treasury.
After Xiaoyu left, Su Ruanruan looked through the detailed list in her private treasury. She had already exchanged the real gold and silver in her spatial storage. The remaining rare treasures were not accepted by her spatial storage, as these and the shops were all imperial gifts, and she could not take them out to sell.
Including what I got from Chu Ran's secret chamber, I'm still a full 100,000 taels short of my goal!
Even if you rent out all the shops, it's absolutely impossible to raise that much money in a short period of time!
Moreover, those shops haven't even had time to be cleaned and tidied up yet. If they want to open for business, they'll not only have to repaint and renovate, but also buy new tables, chairs, and benches. This will take a lot of time and effort, and they probably won't even be able to recoup their costs within three months.
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