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

The charcoal fire is lit.

The room was incredibly hot.

Yin Huaixi couldn't help but move closer to Sang Che. She reached out and hugged Sang Che's waist. The coolness emanating from Sang Che's body brought relief to Yin Huaixi, who was almost burning up.

I don't know if it's because the illness is too serious.

The cold poison is still too torturous.

Sang Che had his eyes closed and was already asleep.

Only Yin Huaixi opened her eyes, lost in her own thoughts.

She turned her head and stared at Sang Che's weak face. She considered that Sang Che had fabricated the story that her second sister had left Fengming Mountain in order to deceive and trick her.

But is all of this really necessary for Sang Che?

If she had wanted to lie to her from the beginning.

Why wait until today to tell her this?

If we tell her this while she is bedridden and at her most desperate moment, wouldn't that get what Sang Che wants most?

Thoughts churned in my mind.

Yin Huaixi reached out her finger to touch Sang Che's face, but hesitated.

She was inclined to believe that Sang Che hadn't lied to her about her second sister's departure from Fengming Mountain.

Yin Huaixi did not believe Sang Che's claim about planting Gu worms.

During the time she was sick, she really felt like she couldn't get enough sleep no matter how much she slept, her whole body ached, and it felt like there were worms crawling inside her.

I was not only tired and exhausted, but also extremely thirsty and kept wanting to drink water.

They kept drinking.

But I don't really feel like going to the toilet.

But she was too ill at the time, and Yin Huaixi didn't think about it in any other way, only assuming that it was all due to the illness.

It wasn't until she was completely cured and emerged from that dazed state that Yin Huaixi realized something was wrong.

However... as her wounds healed, Yin Huaixi's symptoms gradually decreased and returned to normal.

Furthermore, if Sang Che really did feed her the Gu worms...

Why couldn't she feel the extreme cold within Sang Che's body, but instead felt as if her body was on fire?

They crave the coolness emanating from Sang Che.

This completely dispelled Yin Huaixi's concerns. Her fingertips finally fell, touching Sang Che's cheek, and tidying up the stray strands of hair at her temples.

It feels cool to the touch.

It was as if he was telling Yin Huaixi over and over again that Sang Che had not lied to her.

Completely at a loss, Yin Huaixi suddenly fell into despair.

Should she really consider choosing Sang Che...?

My resolve wavered.

At that moment, as if sensing something, Sang Che reached out and hugged Yin Huaixi. She was like an innocent and ignorant young animal, and she pressed her chin against Yin Huaixi's collarbone.

A gentle, light touch.

Sang Che lightly touched his lips, and Yin Huaixi's body trembled. She couldn't help but respond to Sang Che's small gesture.

Reason prevented Yin Huaixi from continuing, and she swallowed hard.

He was breathing rapidly.

Yin Huaixi chose to close her eyes tightly, refusing to look at Sang Che's alluring sleeping face.

However, the more Yin Huaixi tried to stop thinking about it, the clearer the things Sang Che had done in the past became in her mind. She couldn't help but reminisce about their skin touching, their hair damp with sweat... and their soft lips...

The thought made me break out in a sweat.

Yin Huaixi attributed this to the stove being too hot, which warmed the entire house.

That's why she acts like this...

With her toes curled up, Yin Huaixi forced her excited mind to sleep.

She shouldn't be thinking about these things...

The last thing I should be thinking about is her…

...

The gentle moonlight spilled onto the flower stand.

Yin Qingyue dismissed the maids around her and walked up the stone steps alone, coming up behind the woman in black, still holding the lantern that the maid had been carrying.

The candlelight flickered slightly.

"Are you from the capital, sir?"

Having been exposed, Yin Qingyue didn't want to get entangled with this person any longer; what she wanted to know was what his purpose was.

Was it on Lord Tian's orders, or on the orders of another guard, or on the orders of the current emperor?

In short, this person must have some ulterior motive, otherwise he would have come all the way from the distant capital to Lingshui.

With her thumb pressing on the hilt of the knife, the woman in black smiled leisurely and raised an eyebrow.

She simply turned her head slightly to show respect.

"My master meant no harm. He sent me here to do everything he could to help Lord Yin bring back his missing sister and all his captured men."

Her dress fluttered slightly in the night breeze, and she spoke with utmost politeness.

Yin Qingyue frowned: "Words are meaningless; how can I believe you, sir?"

"Since you are from the capital, I will not hide it from you. The Imperial Guards have also been here, but they had no intention of rescuing you. You are surely not an Imperial Guard, so why pretend to be mysterious and deceive my elder sister?"

The clothes this woman was wearing were not something ordinary people could afford; only the imperial palace possessed such precious items.

She also led a well-equipped elite force, which, if not His Majesty's men, could only be princes, nobles, or imperial relatives.

Yin Qingyue hadn't stayed in the capital for nothing; she understood that the new emperor had just ascended the throne, the regime was unstable, and the other princes and generals each had their own thoughts and ulterior motives.

If the new emperor cannot eliminate the old forces in one fell swoop, then his throne will only be temporary.

However, her position was not high, so if that person really wanted to win her over, why would they need to come to her?

For the past few days, Yin Qingyue has been racking her brains trying to figure out why this woman in black, who seems to have a powerful background, would accept an order to help the Yin family.

"I dare not presume to know what my master is thinking, but as for other matters, my master has given other instructions."

"Lingshui is indeed an inconspicuous little place in the capital, but its location is crucial. If it is developed and the canal is expanded in the future, it will become an essential route for merchants."

"But like in Jiangnan, merchants in Lingshui stick together. If the head of the family wants to persuade these people, he will naturally have to show some sincerity."

"The Yin family of Lingshui is highly valued by the patriarch. Why should the Second Miss belittle herself like this?"

This is very clear.

It's like speaking frankly and openly.

Yin Qingyue gripped the lantern tightly, took a deep breath, and followed after him in two steps.

"Wait a minute."

"There is still one question you haven't answered for me."

"What is the background of your homeowner?"

The woman in black turned her head.

Looking at Yin Qingyue, she put her index finger to her lips and said softly, "It's enough that you know what's going on, Second Miss. It's inconvenient to reveal my master's identity, as it might bring you a fatal disaster."

"The second young lady knows too much. In the end, even my master will not be able to save her."

With her index finger lowered, Yin Qingyue did not chase after the woman in black as she left.

She looked up at the moon, her heart heavy as if filled with lead.

...

Another person who couldn't sleep while gazing at the moon was Jiawan, who tossed and turned until finally sat down in a chair with her long, messy hair.

She clutched the things Zhao Huining had left behind tightly in her hand, now she could be sure that Sang Che hadn't lied to her, that everything he had said was true.

But there is one thing Jiawan does not believe.

A-Che always says that A-Ning will return here, but Jia-Wan doesn't know when that will be, since she already knows that A-Ning is in the palace.

Should she take the initiative to find Aning?

With the Gu worms protecting her, Jia Wan was not afraid of the Central Plains people she encountered along the way doing anything excessive to her.

She has the ability to avoid risks.

But once you get to the imperial city, how do you get in?

Jiawan's curiosity grew stronger and stronger.

If we include the journey from Fengming Mountain all the way to the imperial city, her Gu worms must have already been formed by then.

As long as she sees A-Ning again and plants the Gu worm inside, she only needs to reach out slightly.

Aning would then "obediently" return with her to the depths of Miao territory, to a place that the Han Chinese court could no longer find.

Then she can completely possess Aning.

The desire in his eyes grew stronger and stronger.

Jiawan made up her mind.

She couldn't wait any longer...

She has to personally bring Aning back.