357: Chapter 357 Gu Insects 357: Chapter 357 Gu Insects The mottled ceiling inscribed the marks of time.
The simple teachers’ dormitory lacked the slightest hint of warmth.
Lying in bed, Mo Xiaoqing could only calmly gaze at the ceiling, although a flurry of thoughts raced through her mind.
Most of all, she dwelled on the morning’s events.
How many “first times” does a woman have in her life?
Once a woman’s body is entirely given to a man, forgetting him becomes next to impossible.
Mo Xiaoqing’s mind was in turmoil.
It was only now that she realized she had fallen for Tangyu.
However, she understood that Tangyu already had a girlfriend.
Perhaps the greatest pain in life is no more than this.
Coupled with her best friend Yan Yan’s advice, even encouraging her to “steal him away,” Mo Xiaoqing could only wryly smile.
Could she really do something like that?
Does loving someone mean you have to possess them?
Just because she had given her body to him, did it mean he had to take responsibility?
Mo Xiaoqing wasn’t as noble as the heroines in TV dramas, nor could she force herself to do such things.
“Perhaps, this is what they call ‘fated but not destined.’ Forget it, having this memory is good enough.
It’s also nice to just be friends.
I shouldn’t expect more, nor can I.” Mo Xiaoqing shook her head as she whispered to herself.
“Xiaoqing, are you there?”
A voice came from outside the door.
It was Tangyu’s voice.
Mo Xiaoqing felt a surge of happiness, but then she laughed mockingly at herself.
Was she experiencing auditory hallucinations?
Why would Tangyu come at this time?
“Xiaoqing, are you there?” However, the voice came again, and Mo Xiaoqing then realized it wasn’t her imagination; Tangyu had really come.
She quickly got out of bed, ran to the door, and upon opening it, she indeed saw Tangyu standing there with a bunch of fruits and vegetables in his arms.
Seeing Tangyu holding several bags, Mo Xiaoqing was taken aback, and a wave of emotion welled up inside her.
“Tangyu, what’s all this?” Mo Xiaoqing tentatively asked.
“You need to replenish your strength.
It’s not convenient for you to go out and eat, and it’s even less suitable for you to cook for yourself.
So, I bought some things to make you a nutritious soup, and I’ll have dinner with you tonight.
It’s not good for a girl to be sick without anyone to take care of her,” Tangyu explained.
His concern made Mo Xiaoqing secretly delighted.
“Actually, you don’t have to.
Yan Yan will come back later to keep me company.”
“Then I’ll wait until Yan Yan comes before I leave.
You go rest for now, and I’ll start cooking,” Tangyu said.
“Oh.” Mo Xiaoqing didn’t refuse any further.
Instead, she nodded obediently like a sweet little girlfriend, returning to her bed with a smile on her lips.
Watching Tangyu’s busy figure, she felt a sense of happiness but also a deep sadness.
Another thought flashed through Mo Xiaoqing’s mind: how wonderful it would be if he didn’t have a girlfriend.
Some things, you only deeply feel at a certain time.
Emotions have their barriers, and once broken through, everything becomes as clear as the sky after rain clouds disperse.
Love is indeed a wondrous thing that can leave a deep imprint on your heart when you least expect it.
A single touch of emotion, one heartfelt moment, can last an eternity.
About half an hour later, Tangyu had prepared three dishes and also finished making the nutritious soup.
Mo Xiaoqing wasn’t able to eat much at the moment, so Tangyu had kept it light and simple.
“Come on, get up and have some dinner,” Tangyu approached the bed and said with concern to Mo Xiaoqing.
“I don’t have the strength,” said Mo Xiaoqing.
“Then I’ll help you up,” Tangyu suggested and helped Mo Xiaoqing up and seated her at the table.
The two of them really seemed like a loving couple, with an air of mutual affection.
Tangyu had already served a bowl of soup for Mo Xiaoqing: “You need to drink all of this soup.
You should be much better by tomorrow morning.”
“All of it?
What kind of soup is this?
It feels strange.
Is it going to be very bitter?” Mo Xiaoqing furrowed her brows slightly, most women dread bitterness.
Tangyu smiled and replied, “How could it be bitter?
It’s very fragrant, even more so than pork rib soup.”
“Oh, in that case, I’ll taste it.” Mo Xiaoqing immediately took a sip and then heaped praise, “Mmm, it really is delicious, the best soup I’ve ever had.
Tangyu, you’re incredible.”
“Ha, cooking is my specialty.
If it tastes good, drink up quickly, and have some more food,” Tangyu grinned and said, revealing a useful skill.
Having an extra skill certainly comes in handy at key moments, especially for impressing girls.
Mo Xiaoqing obediently nodded: “You should eat too.
Don’t just watch me.”
“Alright, let’s eat together,” Tangyu nodded in agreement.
The atmosphere grew even thicker with affection, and for many years afterward, Mo Xiaoqing would recall this night as one of her most cherished memories.
Some things are destined to be remembered for a lifetime, some people you can never fully let go of.
The simple dinner lasted nearly half an hour.
After they finished, Tangyu helped Mo Xiaoqing back to bed to rest, then he tidied up everything.
Looking at that figure, Mo Xiaoqing even had a ridiculous thought flash through her mind: if possible, she would be willing to be a concubine.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t ancient times, there were no concubines, only mistresses and second wives.
Having packed up her things, Tangyu sat on the edge of the bed and checked on Mo Xiaoqing’s condition.
Everything was still okay for the time being, and the recovery was going quite well.
It had cost him a Detoxification Elixir and his Pure Yang Qi—if that couldn’t do the job, then Tangyu might as well bang his head against the wall.
“Xiaoqing, can you recall how you got poisoned?” Tangyu asked.
Although Tangyu had some suspicions that this was the work of someone from the Yin Medical Sect, it was still better to clarify the situation.
If it was the work of someone from the Yin Medical Sect, why did they single out Mo Xiaoqing instead of going directly after Lin Feifei?
This was also puzzling to Tangyu.
Mo Xiaoqing tried hard to remember, then shook her head and said, “I’m not too clear on it either, I only know that I went to class this morning, and as soon as I got into the classroom, I began to feel itchiness all over my body.
Then I heard the students’ screams, and that’s when I noticed red welts rapidly forming on my skin.
After that, some braver students carried me back to the dormitory.”
Tangyu frowned slightly and said, “Normally, such a poison acts very quickly.
Did you begin to feel itchy as soon as you entered the classroom, or did it start a bit later?”
“Actually, I felt a little before entering the classroom, but I didn’t pay much attention to it and then as soon as I started teaching, it began to flare up,” Mo Xiaoqing replied.
“Did you feel any sense of discomfort when you left your dormitory?” Tangyu asked.
“No, I felt quite good when I left my dormitory,” Mo Xiaoqing shook her head in response.
Tangyu nodded and said, “Then we can be sure that you were poisoned on the way to the classroom.
Now that we’ve narrowed the scope, it should be easier to find the cause.
Xiaoqing, think carefully, did anything happen on your way there?
For example, did you eat anything, or did anyone touch you, and so on?”
After thinking for a while, Mo Xiaoqing shook her head and said, “I usually don’t eat outside in the morning; I have dry food.
I usually just drink some milk and eat dry food in the dormitory.
On my way, I didn’t have contact with anyone; I went straight to the classroom, though a few teachers did greet me.
Apart from that, nothing much happened.”
Tangyu frowned again and shook his head, saying, “This is strange because I’ve already checked your dormitory and there shouldn’t be any issues there.
No, the problem must have occurred on the way.
Xiaoqing, try to remember closely, did you touch anything on the way, not just people, anything will do.”
“That—oh right, when I passed by a tree, a strange insect dropped onto my hand, which startled me.
But with a shake of my hand, the insect ran away, and I didn’t get a good look at it,” Mo Xiaoqing said.
“Oh, an insect, let me see where the insect landed on you,” Tangyu said.
Mo Xiaoqing stretched out her hand, and Tangyu quickly found a small red spot as tiny as a pore on the back of her hand, clearly the spot where the insect had bitten her.
Evidently, Mo Xiaoqing’s poisoning had been transmitted by this insect.
Such a formidable insect was definitely no ordinary insect.
“Strange, how could there be such a terrifying insect in Linshan Middle School?” Tangyu also found it puzzling.
“Xiaoqing, can you roughly describe what the insect looked like?” Tangyu asked.
After pondering for a long time, Mo Xiaoqing hesitantly described the insect: jet black in color, with three red antennae on its head—those were the details Mo Xiaoqing could give with more precision.
“Hmm, a Three-Rotted Gu Insect, so there were Gu Insects,” Tangyu said somewhat surprised.
It appeared that the situation might not involve the Yin Medical Sect after all.
The Yin Medical Sect excelled in all sorts of exotic poisons but were not known for dealing with insects.
Those with the most experience in handling insects were the Gu Medical Sect from Miaojiang.
Tangyu slightly raised his eyebrows, lost in thought, “Could this be a Gu Insect raised by Doctor Xiao?
However, Bi Yue Pavilion is not close to here, so why would Doctor Xiao keep such a thing at the school to rear?
Gu Insects generally don’t leave their master, nor can they survive without one.
Where there are Gu Insects, their master must be nearby.
Could it be that there are people from the Gu Medical Sect at Linshan Middle School?”
“What’s a Three-Rotted Gu Insect?” Mo Xiaoqing asked with a puzzled face.
“It’s a type of very formidable and poisonous insect,” Tangyu said, giving a simple explanation.
“By the way, Xiaoqing, have you noticed any particularly odd students?”
“Particularly odd, in what way?” Mo Xiaoqing looked at Tangyu, still confused.
“Just odd,” Tangyu replied.
“I’m not sure about that, but if you’re asking about someone very unconventional, I do have someone in mind,” Mo Xiaoqing shook her head.
“Who?” Tangyu’s interest was piqued.
“Xiao Yudie, one of the three beauties of Linshan Middle School, she is the most unconventional.
Even I have seldom seen her.
Does that count?” Mo Xiaoqing said.
“Xiao Yudie,” Tangyu’s heart stirred.
She shared the same surname as Doctor Xiao—could the two be related in some way?
Could Xiao Yudie be Doctor Xiao?
However, it seemed unlikely, as Xiao Yudie was only a senior in high school, and quite young.
Doctor Xiao had come to Donglin City three years ago and quickly made a name for himself.
If it were Xiao Yudie, she would have been no older than fifteen three years ago.
At such an age, it was hard to imagine her accomplishing so much.
Nonetheless, better safe than sorry.
Even the smallest possibility could not be overlooked.
This matter had to be investigated.
Regardless of whether or not it involved Xiao Yudie, meeting her in person might reveal the answer.
“Could a mere Linshan Middle School be a place where crouching tigers and hidden dragons lie?” Tangyu chuckled to himself.