After provoking the holy maiden of Miao territory, she was infected with a love curse.

The empty house was filled with brown pottery jars.

With her hands on her hips, Jiawan waited for the insects to be fattened up before putting them into the same earthenware jar to fight each other.

The last one remaining became a Gu.

"Lord Ah Shui, with such a grand setup... can you control this Gu worm once it's raised?"

The maid holding the broom broke out in a cold sweat as she listened to the eerie, crawling sounds of insects filling the empty room.

She was extremely careful even when cleaning.

Jiawan wasn't annoyed by the questioning. She reached out, took a fruit, chewed it, and swallowed it.

His voice was muffled as he said, "You don't need to worry about that, I know what I'm doing."

"My previous small-scale operations were indeed beneath me, but now I have to be more serious... I will have a use for these Gu worms once they are refined."

When Jiawan first learned of Zhao Huining's departure, she refused to believe that she had truly left voluntarily, so she stayed by Sang Che's bedside, keeping herself busy like a spinning top so that she wouldn't overthink things.

But this self-deception trick doesn't work.

Jiawan couldn't lie to herself. The clearer she realized the truth, the more her heart ached, and she secretly cried several times because of it.

Her eyes were red and swollen. She covered herself with a blanket in bed and slept until the afternoon before daring to get up.

She simply didn't want her subordinates to see her in such a disheveled state, or to be heartbroken by a Han Chinese woman.

If word gets out, doesn't she have any pride?!

The maidservant, carrying a broom, didn't dare come in, but she showered the maidservant with compliments.

"What Lord Ashui says is true. Now the area outside the village is inhabited by Han people. The Holy Maiden has already ordered some of the villagers to move out. It seems... there's going to be a tough battle. Lord Ashui should refine more powerful Gu worms!"

Jiawan knew that Sang Che had ordered some of the villagers of Fengming Mountain to relocate.

She also knew what Sang Che was planning.

Just as Sang Che said, the imperial army will sweep in again, and will the leader be the escaped A Ning?

Strolling among the neatly arranged pottery jars, Jiawan began to seriously consider the question, her index finger pressed against her chin as she gazed intently.

If the team leader really is Aning, then she must persuade Sang Che to spare Aning's life.

She hated her, but didn't want her to die.

It's normal for a puppy that's been brought home to run away and become disobedient. You need to put it on a collar and treat it well with good food and drink so that it will gradually become dependent on its owner.

This evening is very clear.

She'd already been bitten by the puppy, and she wasn't going to let it get away with it.

We will definitely not let her go.

...

Medicine cabinets lined the streets.

Separated by countless medicinal herbs.

The long silence almost overwhelmed Yin Huaixi. Without receiving a response, Yin Huaixi couldn't help but walk towards Sang Che's direction.

Could it be that she has a good chance of turning the tide today?

"Ah Che, why aren't you answering me?"

As Sang Che heard her voice getting closer, he thought, even if Yin Huaixi learned from her mistakes and became as cautious as a cat.

But as long as you offer the right bait, she will always take the bait.

"Not tonight."

"Can't it be done here too?"

I'll never rest until I say something shocking!

Sang Che really has a mouth that can spout anything; she's truly shameless!

The footsteps stopped.

Sang Che keenly sensed that Yin Huaixi was about to retreat again, it seemed that she did not want to keep her promise.

"Huaixi, what's the difference between here and in the bedroom? Or are you just too scared?"

"Huaixi, if you're too scared, just tell me. I won't..."

Before she could finish speaking, Sang Che's shoulders were suddenly pressed down by a pair of hands. Her thin back was pressed against the medicine cabinet, and countless medicinal herbs fell down, causing her indigo dress to sway slightly.

The silver bells rang crisply.

With her braids billowing up, Sang Che looked up and saw Yin Huaixi's face suddenly close to hers.

"Who says I wouldn't dare?"

"Sang Che, I take back what I said before. I'll go along with you. Tell me, what do you want now?"

"If you dare to say it, I dare to do it."

Unable to break free from Yin Huaixi's grasp, Sang Che stared straight at Yin Huaixi, making Yin Huaixi feel somewhat embarrassed.

She did have doubts about whether Sang Che's eyes had healed, but she never asked or sought confirmation from Sang Che.

Yin Huaixi feared receiving the answer she had inferred: that her eyesight would only be restored when Sang Che was suffering from a cold-related illness.

The medicine she fed her that day aggravated Sang Che's cold ailment, causing her body to become as cold as a snow mountain every night, and even during the day, Sang Che could see her face.

That means that Sang Che is constantly suffering from the aftereffects of the medication she feeds him, experiencing excruciating pain from the cold.

As it turns out, deliberate avoidance cannot cure any problems; the more Yin Huaixi tries to avoid thinking about it, the more she focuses on it.

He remained silent for a long time.

Sang Che noticed that Yin Huaixi was about to leave, so she pressed her fingers on Yin Huaixi's lower back, binding her firmly and fixing her in place.

"What I want, Huaixi...don't you know best?"

One sentence was like igniting a firecracker; at this moment, Yin Huaixi couldn't care less about feeling sorry for Sang Che's health.

"Sang Che, my dear A Che, don't you Miao people have anything else to do? Do you have to... do that?"

Although the words were sarcastic, Sang Che found them sweet to hear.

"Yes, I have."

"We can raise Gu worms."

"Let's go...to enjoy the bonfire and pay homage to the great god Chiyou."

Hearing the words "Gu worm" made Yin Huaixi feel uncomfortable all over. She was about to politely refuse when the last two words caught her attention.

As long as you don't raise Gu worms, you can do anything!

"How about we go enjoy the bonfire?"

Having chosen the safest option, Yin Huaixi eagerly asked Sang Che, because she really didn't want to do that kind of thing day and night.

She wasn't that sexually frustrated.

Hearing her say that, Sang Che's smile deepened.

In Miao areas, there is a custom.

A campfire is a place where people who have taken a liking to each other and become husband and wife or partners can go together.

If one party invites the other to enjoy a bonfire together, it clearly indicates that they are in love with the other person.

Knowing that Yin Huaixi might not be familiar with the customs of Fengming Mountain, Sang Che was still very happy.

She nodded.

Yin Huaixi was somewhat surprised to see that Sang Che agreed so easily. She didn't remember that Sang Che was usually so easy to talk to!

"Huaixi, you said it yourself."

"You'll come with me to the campfire."

"You still have a chance to back out, I'll allow you to back out now, but after this time, I won't allow it anymore."

Sang Che's reaction was a bit strange.

Yin Huaixi immediately became alert and asked, "Is your bonfire party a proper bonfire party?"

"Is there some other surprise I don't know about?"

Although he didn't quite understand what kind of nonsense Yin Huaixi was thinking, Sang Che could still figure it out.

She said, "It's a proper bonfire party, with food, drinks, music and dancing around the fire, and stargazing."

Listening... it doesn't sound like there's any messy ceremony going on, so Yin Huaixi relaxed.

She remembered that the original novel also described a bonfire party, which was a proper party, but it became improper in the latter half of the night!

But what's the big deal about her going to a campfire?

Wait... campfire party...

The plot of the bonfire party!

Isn't that the major plot point in the original novel where she, as a cannon fodder character, and Sang Che confess their feelings for each other for the first time?!