Chapter 113
Su Yan was sitting at the table grinding medicine. The copper millstone made a soft "crunching" sound as it ground the dry herbs. His brows were furrowed, as if he was struggling with the herbs.
Su Zhelan hesitated at the door for a moment before tiptoeing in, picking up a broom from the corner, and pretending to tidy up the scattered medicine residue: "Master, let me help."
Su Yan didn't even look up, and ground the millstone even harder: "You were tired from shopping yesterday, why don't you rest a little longer?" There was a hint of reproach in his tone, but he didn't really send him away.
As Su Zhelan swept across the table, his gaze fell upon the towering pile of files—the edges of the pages were worn and frayed. A thought struck him; he put down the broom and gently touched the top file with his fingertips: "Master, these medical records…may I take a look?"
Su Yan paused with his millstone, finally raising his eyes and sharply scanning him: "What are you looking at? It's bad luck."
“I want to learn more.” Su Zhelan lowered her head, her voice softening, just like when she used to beg for medicine. “The symptoms of these victims are all related to Gu poison. I want to write them down, in case I encounter them again in the future…”
"Even if you encounter it, it's not your place to step in." Su Yan put the millstone on the table, and the medicinal powder splashed up fine white foam. "Be careful not to get yourself into trouble again."
Su Zhelan's fingertips curled slightly. He knew his master was worried, but those words about his term of office felt like a thorn, making him restless. "It's not that I want to stand out,"
He whispered, "I just... want to know where these poisons came from. Will the files record... the strongholds of cults?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Su Yan's eyes turned cold, and he grabbed the pestle from the table and slammed it on the table: "I knew you had no good intentions!"
He stood up, glaring down at Su Zhelan, his tone both urgent and angry, "You've just recovered and you want to cause trouble? You think you can touch those strongholds? Sheng Chi has already lost quite a few men!"
Su Zhelan shrank back at his shout, but didn't back down. Instead, she raised her head, her eyes filled with stubbornness: "Master, I didn't..."
He pointed to the place names on the file, "Some of those patients came from Black Wind Village, some from the frozen tundra... Their methods of using Gu poison are similar, they must be related. I want to find out, not for any other reason than fear..."
The last sentence was spoken very softly, but it struck Su Yan's heart like a hammer blow. His anger visibly subsided, his brows furrowed even more, and he turned his back to Su Zhelan, tapping his fingers on the medicine jar on the table.
The pharmacy was quiet for a while, with only sparrows chirping outside the window.
Su Zhelan stood there, her palms sweating, afraid that her master would really get angry.
Su Yan tapped the medicine pot more rapidly, the "thump-thump" of the porcelain pot hitting the wooden table revealing a pent-up anger.
The sparrows chirping outside the window were annoying. He turned around abruptly, grabbed the bamboo curtain hook from the table, and threw it down into the corridor with such force that it startled the birds under the eaves: "Gu Linzhao! Where the hell have you been?!"
A series of dragging footsteps came from under the eaves. Gu Linzhao strolled in, a blade of grass dangling from his lips, his sleeves still damp with dirt, as if he had just been tilling the soil in the backyard: "Are you trying to call back your soul? I'm just planting some mint for you here..."
Before he could finish speaking, he was glared at irritably, his chin resting on the files on the table: "Go to the front camp and find that bastard Sheng Chi. Bring me all the new files on those cults that he has—the kind that show the symptoms of Gu poison and the movements of their strongholds."
Gu Linzhao raised an eyebrow, his gaze lingering on Su Zhelan's tense shoulders before returning to Su Yan's puffed-up face. He suddenly laughed, "What do you need that thing for? Didn't you say a while ago that it was 'disturbing' to look at?"
"Enough with the nonsense!" Su Yan grabbed a handful of dried herbs and threw them at him. "I have a use for this! When prescribing medicine for patients, you have to follow the instructions carefully, otherwise, if you make a mistake, it's your fault!"
He was only half telling the truth; he was indeed researching a cure for the curse, but his tone was as hard as a rock.
Gu Linzhao took the herbs, brought them to his nose and smelled them. The smile in his eyes deepened, but he didn't expose it: "Alright, since you're the teacher."
He turned and walked out. As he passed Su Zhelan, he nudged her waist with his elbow and whispered, "Your master is just so stubborn."
Su Zhelan's ears turned red as she watched Gu Linzhao's figure disappear outside the moon gate. Then she looked at Su Yan, who had already sat back down at the table and picked up the millstone again, but he was grinding the medicine with less force, and the lines of his profile were not as cold as before.
“Master…” Su Zhelan wanted to say something, such as “Actually, there’s no need to trouble yourself, I can go by myself…”, but was interrupted by Su Yan.
"Go and organize my medical records." Su Yan didn't even look up as the millstone ground the herbs, making a soft "shh" sound. "Wait until Gu Linzhao brings the things before you leave."
Su Zhelan responded softly with "Yes," and as she turned to flip through the medical records, her fingertips touched the creases in the pages, and she suddenly felt her eyes welling up with tears.
He knew that his master didn't mean to "prescribe medicine according to the instructions," but rather that he was afraid that if he went to Sheng Chi himself, he would cause trouble again; he was even more afraid that if his master directly rejected him, he would hurt his pitiful stubbornness.
As dusk settled over the pharmacy, the copper lamps were already lit.
The dim light shone through the lampshade, casting a warm shadow on the medical table. Su Zhelan was making annotations on the edge with a vermilion pen. The "rustling" sound of the pen tip gliding across the paper mingled with the soft sound of Su Yan grinding medicine, creating a rare sense of tranquility.
The sparrows outside the window had long since gone to rest; only the evening breeze blew across the medicine rack, carrying a bitter fragrance.
Su Zhelan rubbed her aching wrists and looked up to see that Su Yan had put down the millstone and was staring blankly at a cup of cold medicinal tea.
He was about to get up to pour himself a hot drink when Gu Linzhao's loud voice came from the corridor: "Finally back—I'm exhausted!"
Before he could finish speaking, Gu Linzhao burst in carrying a heavy cloth bag, with pages of files peeking out from the corners.
He put his bag on the ground, sat down on the threshold, and rubbed his stomach, panting: "That guy Sheng Chi insisted on checking everything, and he's been dragging his feet until now... Ugh, I'm starving."
Su Yan glanced at him, her tone cold: "Where's the stuff?"
"It's right here." Gu Linzhao kicked the cloth bag. "There are several stacks, all labeled in detail. It has the symptoms of the Gu poison and the movements of the stronghold that you asked for. Tell me, where do you want it?"
Su Yan didn't reply, but gestured with his chin toward Su Zhelan, his voice stiff: "Ask him. He's the one who wants it."
Su Zhelan paused, put down his pen, stood up, walked to the cloth bag, and bowed deeply to Gu Linzhao: "Thank you, Mr. Gu Linzhao, you've worked hard." He reached out to untie the cloth bag, "I can take it back myself in a bit, no need to trouble you."
Gu Linzhao waved his hand, jumped up from the threshold, and patted his shoulder: "What are you thanking me for? If your master asked me to go, how could I refuse?"
He glanced at the untouched dinner on the table—the food sent from the kitchen, long since cold. “You don’t need to take it. I’ll have a servant bring it to your courtyard in a bit. You should sit with your master for a while longer. He hasn’t said much all afternoon, just been arguing with the pestle.”
As he spoke, he winked at Su Yan, turned and walked out, his voice fading into the distance: "I'm going to the kitchen to grab a bite to eat, I'm starving..."
The cloth bag was still on the ground, bulging. Su Zhelan squatted down, and just as her fingertips touched the cloth rope, she heard Su Yan snort.
"Watch if you want." Su Yan's voice was a little hoarse, as if he had choked on the medicine powder, "but you're not allowed to stay up late. You've just gotten a little better, if you ruin your health again, I won't treat you."
Su Zhelan lowered her head, her fingertips clenching the cloth rope tightly, and mumbled, "Mm."
"And another thing," Su Yan added, his tone as harsh as an unpolished medicinal herb, "No matter how clearly those outposts are marked, don't wander off on your own. Any of those things could kill you. Who do you think you are?"
As he spoke, he suddenly grabbed the pestle from the table and smashed it hard into the grinding stone. Powder flew up and landed on the case file like a layer of snow. "If you really find anything, tell me and Gu Linzhao first. We can always come up with a comprehensive solution. Don't be like that hothead, rushing forward with all your might and ending up ruining yourself."
Su Zhelan's Adam's apple bobbed, wanting to say "I won't," but Su Yan's next words cut her off.
Su Yan's voice suddenly lowered, as soft as the sound of an evening breeze brushing against a medicine shelf: "I really... I'm at my wit's end..."
He paused, his fingertips rubbing against the edge of the medicine grinder, as if making a great decision. "Gu Linzhao and I will take you away. We'll find a small town where nobody knows us. I'll open a small pharmacy, and you... you'll just be an ordinary apprentice. We don't care about anything else. Hiding for the rest of our lives is better than losing our lives."
The last few words were spoken very softly, yet they struck Su Zhelan's heart like a stone.
“Master…” Su Zhelan’s voice trembled, her eyes burning with tears. She quickly lowered her head and pretended to tidy her cloth bag. “I understand. I won’t run around. I’ll tell you everything.”
Su Yan snorted, picked up the pestle and continued grinding the medicine, but with such light force as if afraid of breaking something. "Good to know," he said, "Get rid of this junk quickly, it's annoying to look at."
Su Zhelan didn't say anything more. She untied the cloth rope and picked up the stacks of files. The cloth bundles were empty, revealing the worn-out fabric underneath, like an old leather bag that had been unloaded of its burden.
As he walked towards the door with the files in his arms, Su Yan's voice came from behind him, not loud, but clear: "There's some porridge warming in the kitchen, remember to drink it."
Su Zhelan paused, and when she turned around, she saw that Su Yan had lowered his head again, staring intently at the medicine grinder. His profile was in the lamplight, and he looked so gentle that he was unlike his usual temperamental master.
"Hmm." He responded, turned around and stepped out the door. The evening breeze carried the fragrance of flowers, mixed with the bitter scent of the medicine shop, making his nose tingle.
The files in his arms were heavy, but Su Zhelan walked steadily because he knew that the bronze lamp behind him would keep burning until he returned.
Su Zhelan hadn't gone far when Gu Linzhao's shouting came from the medicine courtyard, carried on the evening breeze and the aroma of food: "Where's Su Zhelan? Did she leave?"
The light from the copper lamp shone through the window of the pharmacy, casting the shadow of Gu Linzhao standing at the door with his hands on his hips. There was still a bit of oil on the corner of his mouth, indicating that he had just finished eating in the kitchen.
"You brat, I already told you I had someone deliver it, why are you in such a hurry to leave..." He glanced down the corridor, didn't see Su Zhelan, scratched his head, and turned back into the house. "Su Yan, do you think he's in a hurry to look at those files?"
Su Yan didn't answer, slowly wiping the powder off the medicine grinder with a cloth. The copper lamp in the medicine shop flickered, casting his shadow on the wall, making it appear somewhat heavy.
Gu Linzhao leaned closer, wrapped his arms around his waist from behind, rested his chin on his shoulder, and asked in a voice still warm from the food, "Still thinking about it?"
Su Yan paused, his handkerchief crumpled in his fist: "Is this really a good idea?" He asked in a low voice, "Those things are too dangerous. With his temperament, he probably wouldn't be able to resist."
Gu Linzhao tightened his grip, pulling Su Yan closer to him. His nose brushed against Su Yan's temple, and he smiled with a hint of roguishness: "Let him see if he wants to. If we stop him, will he stop thinking about it? That kid has something on his mind; it's better to guide him than to suppress it."
He paused, his fingertips tracing Su Yan's wrist. "Besides, with us here, how could we let him really cause trouble?"
Su Yan didn't say anything, but his ears turned red.
Gu Linzhao chuckled as he looked at him, then suddenly picked him up in his arms.
Su Yan exclaimed in surprise, dropping the cloth in her hand to the ground. She reached out to push him, saying, "Gu Linzhao! Are you crazy! Put me down!"
"I won't let go." Gu Linzhao held him even tighter, striding into the inner room, his chin resting on the top of his head, his voice carrying a hint of playfulness, "I've been running around all day, my legs are about to break, don't you have to make it up to me?"
"Compensation my ass!" Su Yan struggled in his arms, but not really with force, poking his arm with her fingertips. "Put me down, the medicine grinder hasn't been cleaned up yet..."
"We'll clean it up tomorrow." Gu Linzhao lowered his head and blew a breath of warm air into his ear, carrying the aroma of food. "Besides, weren't you just worried about this and that? Why are you worrying about medicine now?"
He gently placed the person on the bed in the inner room, leaned over and supported himself above him, his smile as soft as melted candy. "Let's rest for a while, okay?"
Su Yan turned her face away, her ears turning bright red, but she didn't push him away again. The copper lamps in the medicine courtyard were still lit, and the evening breeze carried the scent of medicine through the window cracks, mingling with the aroma of food on Gu Linzhao, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.
Su Yan's voice muffled on the pillow, carrying a barely perceptible softness, "You're the only one who's right."
Gu Linzhao chuckled softly and reached out to turn off the bronze lamp. The last glimmer of light flickered on the tent ceiling before being swallowed by the thick darkness.
Su Yan felt a breath on his neck, the heat carrying the aroma of food mixed with a slight hint of alcohol, hotter than the evening breeze in the pharmacy.
As Gu Linzhao spoke, his hand slowly slipped inside Su Yan's clothes, his fingertips tracing the old scar left from years ago. Now it only felt faintly raised, but it could still make Su Yan's body tense instantly.
"Don't move..." Su Yan's voice was muffled on the pillow, slightly breathy, but he didn't actually push her away.
Gu Linzhao's hands were steady, unlike the clumsy hands of his youth. His fingertips brushed against the soft flesh of his waist, sending a slight shiver down his spine. The rustling of the fabric against the fabric felt warm, as if it were melting inside the tent.
Gu Linzhao chuckled softly, kissing Su Yan behind the ear with a deliberate, light bite: "Didn't you say I was right?"
His hand slid down Su Yan's spine, touching the back of his neck, and gently pressed it. "Then why don't you relax a little?"
"Get out..." Su Yan's curse was cut off by a suppressed groan.
The evening breeze outside suddenly picked up, making the windowpanes creak softly, as if covering up the unspoken words they hadn't said.
Gu Linzhao's kiss grew deeper and deeper, spreading from the side of Su Yan's neck to his collarbone, carrying a hint of plunder, but softening its force when it touched Su Yan's trembling shoulder.
In the darkness, Su Yan's hand had somehow become entangled around Gu Linzhao's clothes, the fabric wrinkled from being gripped. He could feel the other's body heat seeping through the thin fabric, warmer than the charcoal fire in the medicine grinder, soothing the weariness and worry hidden in the wrinkles.
"Why worry about this and that," Gu Linzhao's voice brushed against his lips, slightly breathless, "You might as well worry about me instead..."
Before she could finish speaking, Su Yan turned his head and covered her mouth.
This kiss wasn't as intense as it had been in their youth; it carried a touch of the clatter of teeth and the familiarity honed by time, like the force of grinding medicine—too much and it would be bitter, too little and it would be bland, but just enough to disrupt each other's breathing.
The evening breeze lifted a corner of the curtain, letting in a sliver of moonlight that illuminated Gu Linzhao's hand gripping Su Yan's wrist.
In the latter half of the night, the wind in the pharmacy died down.
The breathing inside the tent gradually evened out. Gu Linzhao pulled Su Yan closer to his chest, letting him rest his head on his arm, and placed his other hand on Su Yan's waist. Su Yan's hair brushed against his chin, carrying a slightly bitter scent of mugwort, which was more reassuring than any medicinal herb.
"Damn it..." Su Yan mumbled sleepily, snuggling closer to him, "I still have to grind the medicine tomorrow..."
Gu Linzhao smiled with his eyes closed, gently patting his back: "I'll grind it for you tomorrow."
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