Chapter 204
"Today is my mother's birthday."
Nangong Mo's body trembled violently. He propped himself up with his hands on the bed and sat up. His wheelchair was by the bedside. As he moved to sit in the wheelchair, he shifted his legs. This scene was seen by Gu Qianying.
In front of her, Nangong Mo never wanted to hide anything and intended to explain. However, Gu Qianying quickly said, "Ninth Imperial Uncle, it seems Qianying's medical skills are still passable. From now on, Qianying will definitely ensure your legs are completely healed and will also help you resolve the chronic poison in your body."
After speaking, Gu Qianying sat up and tidied her clothes.
Nangong Mo looked at her, a bitter smile playing on his lips.
As they were drinking,
Nangong Mo asked, "Wife, your mother..."
It was common knowledge that Madam Gu had passed away.
"She's not dead, she's just sleeping," Gu Qianying stated the facts as she knew them. However, she knew Nangong Mo wouldn't believe her, nor would she let anyone else believe this. That day, she had her master take her mother's body away. Apart from Duan Xifeng and her master, no one else knew.
"Yes, you are absolutely right. Come, this king will drink with you."
Nangong Mo did not want to expose Gu Qianying's self-deceptive lie, because he knew that directly exposing it would be like rubbing salt into Gu Qianying's wounds, causing her great pain.
As long as it made her a little happier, he would indulge whatever she said.
"Come, we won't go home until we're drunk tonight." Gu Qianying put down her wine cup, picked up the wine pot, and drank directly from it.
Nangong Mo watched her, wanting to stop her, but thinking of Gu Qianying's mood today, he let her have her way.
At worst, if she got drunk, she would fall asleep, and he would watch over her.
Nangong Mo was injured and it was not advisable for him to drink alcohol. However, to accompany Gu Qianying, Nangong Mo drank quite a lot that day.
That day, the two of them drank and chatted, like close friends, and even more like lovers who had opened their hearts to each other.
During this time, Nangong Li, unwilling to give up, came to find them with two jars of wine but was driven away by Bai Qi.
Night fell.
Both of them were drunk. They lay embracing each other on the bed.
Not long after, Gu Qianying, who had been embraced by Nangong Mo and fallen asleep, suddenly opened her eyes, got up, and, without disturbing Nangong Mo, fumbled around on him. A jade token inlaid with gold thread and carved with a Xuanlong was taken into her sleeve. Then, she turned and opened the window.
Glancing back at the drunken Nangong Mo lying on the bed, she turned her head. A trace of wine still clung to her right index finger. She forcefully expelled the wine she had just drunk using her internal energy.
She was now very clear-headed, while Nangong Mo, unable to hold his liquor, was still fast asleep. This made certain matters much easier.
Gu Qianying, who had already changed into a set of night-traveling clothes, slipped out through the window and merged with the darkness. However, she did not know that the moment she left, the man she had gotten drunk and who lay on the bed frowned, opened his eyes, and sat up.
The door was pushed open, and Bai Qi walked in, his face filled with indignation.
"Master, for the Princess Consort to treat you like this, why do you bother with such an ungrateful person..."
"Silence!"
A cold voice interrupted Bai Qi's words.
Bai Qi knelt on one knee, his heart filled with unconcealable anger.
"Pfft!"
Nangong Mo supported himself by the edge of the bed and coughed up a mouthful of black blood, covering his chest.
"Master!"
Bai Qi exclaimed, knelt and rushed forward to support him.
Nangong Mo pushed him away, his voice low and hoarse, "This king is fine."
However, his pale, almost bloodless face revealed how severe his internal injuries were at the moment.
"Master, when Du Chun was here, he advised you that given your current physical condition, you should not drink much alcohol. You drank so much today, it must be..."
"Enough, this king is fine. You may leave."
Nangong Mo pushed Bai Qi away. Bai Qi wanted to say more, but he opened his mouth and finally did not dare to speak.
Nangong Mo stayed alone in the room for a long time. No one knew what he was thinking, but under the dim candlelight, his shadow by the window was so lonely and desolate.
Bai Qi, who was guarding outside the door, felt immense heartache seeing his master like this.
At this moment,
Gu Qianying leaped onto the rooftop, avoiding the patrolling guards in the mansion, and climbed over the wall. She arrived at a secluded alley. At the corner was a pawnshop. At this hour, the shop, which should have been closed, was brightly lit with candles.
Gu Qianying walked in. Inside the pawnshop, two busy shop assistants, both dressed in plain linen and blue shirts, greeted her with smiles.
"Esteemed guest, may I ask what you wish to pawn?"
"Is this item valuable?"
Gu Qianying casually took out a jade pendant from her purse and held it in her hand, her palm open.
As soon as the shop assistant saw the jade pendant in Gu Qianying's hand, his expression changed immediately, and his tone became very respectful, "Miss Gu, please follow me."
Gu Qianying nodded.
She followed the shop assistant upstairs and entered a private room.
"Miss Gu, please wait a moment. I will inform the master."
"Alright, go ahead."
Gu Qianying sat down casually, waiting for good news.
Before leaving, the shop assistant brought a cup of hot tea, placed it down, and gently closed the door.
A moment later, the door to the private room was pushed open again.
A man in a crimson robe, accompanied by his personal subordinate, walked in.
"Please forgive Miss Gu for waiting. I am late."
Gu Qianying looked at Ouyang Qinglin, who was walking towards her. She did not stand up. Instead, she directly took out the coveted Yanwang Ling from her sleeve and placed it on the table. "I have brought you what you wanted."
The jade token with golden edges and the depiction of a Xuanlong faintly glowed in the candlelight.
Ouyang Qinglin approached, picked up the Yanwang Ling from the table, and said with an evil smile, "Miss Gu, you did very well. You did not disappoint me."
He put the Yanwang Ling into his sleeve, turned to look at Gu Qianying, and maintained his wicked smile. "I heard that after Little Qianqian came out of the Poison Medicine Saint Hall, she became a disciple of the Poison Medicine Divine Son and concurrently managed all affairs within the Poison Medicine Saint Hall, becoming the successor of the Poison Medicine Divine Son. Little Qianqian is so capable, it is likely that Miss Gu's poison skills are also among the best in the capital..."
Ouyang Qinglin's words were loaded with meaning. Gu Qianying stood up and walked past him. "The strange poison that Nangong Mo is currently afflicted with is even more potent than before. No one can cure his poison."
"Hahaha," Ouyang Qinglin laughed, his charming eyes falling behind Gu Qianying. "Miss Gu, your capabilities make me like you more and more."
Gu Qianying paused, not turning her head, and said in a cold tone, "Your Majesty the Grand Tutor is so despicable, it makes me dislike you more and more."
"Hahaha, Miss Gu, you are truly humorous."
Ouyang walked past, and Gu Qianying finally looked at him. "Grand Tutor, I have done what I promised you. Then, should the Grand Tutor fulfill what he promised me?"
Ouyang Qinglin chuckled, "Of course. Miss Gu, please follow me."
Ouyang Qinglin walked out of the private room.
Looking at his receding back, a cold glint flashed in Gu Qianying's eyes.
Hidden beneath her sleeve, the item she had obtained was silently returned to her purse as her fingers loosened.
After all the trouble she went through to get it, how could she bear to give it to Ouyang Qinglin?
After following Ouyang Qinglin out of the pawnshop, Gu Qianying got into another carriage.
Inside the carriage, Ouyang Qinglin leaned softly into the embrace of a beautiful woman with his eyes closed. That woman was wearing a pink dress and had no makeup on her face. Her eyes were vacant, and she carefully allowed Ouyang Qinglin to lean on her, not daring to move at all.
She gently fanned herself with a fragrant fan, and a light breeze wafted before Ouyang Qinglin.
Gu Qianying glanced up. Her indifferent gaze fell upon the faintly visible skin beneath the woman's collar. The skin, which should have been smooth as silk, was now bloody and mangled, looking as if it had been peeled off and the wound had been casually treated with simple methods.
Her gaze then shifted to the woman's fan. The fan surface was painted with a vibrant and dazzling butterfly orchid, its material as crystal clear and smooth as the woman's skin.
She withdrew her gaze and lifted the curtain to look out the carriage window.
Pitiable people must have hateful reasons. She was not a saint and would not meddle in messy affairs.
Even if the woman in front of her was incredibly tragic, it had nothing to do with her.
The carriage traveled along the street. In the dark night, there were very few people passing by.
Outside the Dali Temple, the carriage stopped...