After delivering lunch to Gu Qinghuai, Lin Xihe hurriedly returned to her residence to discuss the trip with Mu Ruoyan.
She and Mu Ruoyan asked a few people to follow them.
Mu Ruoyan had nothing to do, so he naturally wouldn't miss the opportunity to travel with Lin Xihe, and personally took Lin Xihe around.
Along the way, Mu Ruoyan meticulously explained everything that interested Lin Xihe.
Lin Xihe didn't know if Mu Ruoyan was too confident or completely unaware of her intentions, as she showed no guard against her whatsoever. She was told exactly where she had planted her men, where the population was sparse, and where the place was a mixed bag.
A few days later, Gu Qinghuai's health gradually improved, but Lin Xihe became increasingly anxious.
She knew that even if the curse was lifted, Gu Qinghuai would need a period of rest to recover his strength. The sooner the curse was lifted, the less pain Gu Qinghuai would suffer.
Finally, the opportunity came.
On the twenty-first day after arriving in Nanzhao, Mu Ruoyan left early in the morning. Before leaving, she specifically instructed Lin Xihe: "I have something to do today and will be back very late. You can eat by yourself and don't wait for me."
Lin Xihe nodded obediently on the surface, but as soon as Mu Ruoyan's figure disappeared from sight, she immediately took action.
Before delivering breakfast to Gu Qinghuai, she locked herself in her room and took off the necklace around her neck.
The pendant of the necklace was exquisitely crafted, resembling a fine work of art. Who would have thought that this small pendant contained the antidote to the curse?
Recalling the time when Mu Ruoyan casually picked up the pendant and played with it after he had satisfied himself, Lin Xihe still felt lingering fear. At that time, her heart was in her throat, afraid that Mu Ruoyan would discover the secret.
At that moment, Lin Xihe took a deep breath, suppressing her fear and tension, picked up the hairpin, and steeled herself to stab it into her chest.
She was in so much pain that her brows furrowed and large beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, but she gritted her teeth and didn't make a sound.
She took out a small cup, placed it on her chest to catch the gushing blood, and then soaked the pills hidden in the pendant in the blood.
The pill changed rapidly upon contact with fresh blood, instantly doubling in size.
Seeing this, Lin Xihe quickly put down the small cup in her hand and went to stop her bleeding.
Fortunately, the bleeding stopped quickly, and everything went according to plan.
However, the delicate pendant was accidentally broken by Lin Xihe when it was opened, and it could never be restored.
Lin Xihe took the pills to the kitchen, retrieved the prepared breakfast, and headed towards Gu Qinghuai's room.
When they arrived at Gu Qinghuai's place of imprisonment, she waited quietly for him to finish his meal before taking out the pill soaked in blood from her bosom. Her palms were already soaked with sweat.
Gu Qinghuai took the pill, his brows furrowing instantly. His voice was low and tinged with unease: "Why is there blood?"
Lin Xihe tried to keep her expression calm and her tone light: "This antidote is very special; it requires the heart's blood of a loved one. Don't blame me if it doesn't work."
But her slightly trembling hands betrayed her inner tension. She wasn't sure if this blood draw was correct, and a sense of panic welled up inside her.
Upon hearing this, Gu Qinghuai's hand trembled violently. He looked up at Lin Xihe, his eyes filled with heartache: "Does it hurt?"
Lin Xihe shook her head slightly, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Her tone was gentle yet firm: "It will hurt a little. But after you take this medicine, you will definitely be in a lot of pain. But no matter how much it hurts, you have to bear it. I want to go home, Qinghuai."
Her eyes were full of trust as she looked straight at Gu Qinghuai.
Gu Qinghuai met her gaze, nodded heavily, and put the pill into his mouth.
As soon as the pill was swallowed, Lin Xihe nervously stood by her side, her hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, her palms sweaty.
"Is there any reaction?" Lin Xihe's eyes never left Gu Qinghuai.
"Don't rush, I just swallowed it. Why don't you go back first?"
Gu Qinghuai endured the discomfort in his stomach, afraid that his pain would frighten Lin Xihe.
Lin Xihe shook her head decisively: "I'm not leaving today."
As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Qinghuai's forehead broke out in a fine layer of cold sweat, and he abruptly pulled his hand back from holding Lin Xihe's.
Lin Xihe's heart tightened, knowing that the medicine had taken effect.
Gu Qinghuai clenched his teeth, his facial muscles twitching slightly from the pain as he tried his best to endure it.
Lin Xihe quickly picked up a handkerchief and gently wiped the sweat from his forehead, her movements tender and tinged with concern.
"Xihe, you go back first." Gu Qinghuai's voice was squeezed out from between his teeth, each word seemingly using all his strength.
How could Lin Xihe leave at this time? There were people guarding outside all the time. She lowered her voice and quickly stuffed the prepared handkerchief into Gu Qinghuai's mouth: "Bite down, Qinghuai, don't make a sound. I will always be watching over you."
Gu Qinghuai was in so much pain that he couldn't speak. His body collapsed uncontrollably to the ground, curling up into a ball.
He didn't want Lin Xihe to see him in such a wretched state, but the excruciating pain surged like a tidal wave, one wave after another, leaving him defenseless and unable to maintain even a semblance of dignity.
Gu Qinghuai's pain intensified, and Lin Xihe gripped his hand tightly, as if she could share some of his suffering.
Soon, Gu Qinghuai began to convulse silently, his body contorted, and his consciousness gradually became blurred.
Looking at him like this, Lin Xihe felt a surge of fear in her heart, and tears welled up in her eyes. She was really afraid that Gu Qinghuai would die like this.
She watched Gu Qinghuai with deep concern while also keeping a close eye on the guards outside. To make things easier today, she closed the door each time she entered, and unless there were special circumstances, the guards shouldn't come in.
Lin Xihe gently lay on Gu Qinghuai's body. With each tremor of his body, her heart felt as if it were being struck by a heavy hammer, causing her unbearable pain.
After a long while, Gu Qinghuai, who was lying on the ground, suddenly vomited several mouthfuls of black blood.
Lin Xihe looked closely and saw that there were even wriggling worms in the black blood, which was shocking.
Immediately afterwards, Gu Qinghuai lost consciousness.
Lin Xihe reached out her trembling hand to check Gu Qinghuai's weak breath, and tears finally welled up in her eyes. She suppressed her fear, stomped hard on the wriggling worms on the ground, and then picked up a handkerchief to wipe away the clump of black blood.
“Xihe…” Gu Qinghuai uttered a weak voice.
Lin Xihe finally broke down completely, tears streaming down her face: "Does it still hurt?"
"It's nothing... You should go quickly..."
Gu Qinghuai regained some of his composure. He knew that they had been together for much longer than usual this time, and every extra minute they stayed together increased the danger.
Lin Xihe was already sobbing uncontrollably, but she knew she couldn't delay any longer.
"Hmm... the Gu worms have emerged. I... I'll come back at noon."
She worked quickly, hiding the soiled handkerchief in the food box, and hurried back into the house.
Once inside the house, Lin Xihe used the candlelight to burn the bloodstained handkerchief to ashes.
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