The antidote began to work half an hour after it was administered.
"Mother..."
Feng Jin Chen, his small legs pumping, tried to run forward. However, the moment he moved, Ye Ting Lan scooped him up by the belly and pulled him back.
His feet dangled in the air, and he immediately kicked his legs in protest.
"What are you doing? Let me go!"
Why was he stopping him from going to his mother!
Turning his head, he met Ye Ting Lan's gaze, which was shifting between unpredictable moods. The target of his gaze, however, was not Feng Jin Chen himself, but Feng Yin Wan and Song Qing An in the distance.
Feng Jin Chen's heart gave a jolt, and his alarm bells went off.
"You... What are you looking at! Uncle Yu Zhi is here, he won't let you bully Mother and me again!"
"If you know what's good for you, let me go quickly. That way, I can tell him to go easy on you when he beats you up!"
He felt a little guilty saying this.
He secretly glanced at Ye Ting Lan and then compared them in his mind.
According to Qi Wen, Uncle Song and his maternal grandfather often sparred in secret.
Although they always stopped short of actually harming each other, it was clear that in terms of martial arts, the two were evenly matched.
In his heart, his maternal grandfather was already formidable. Since Uncle Song was on par with his maternal grandfather, he should have no problem defeating this detestable old king, right?
He glanced at Feng Yin Wan beside him and nodded, a look of determination on his small face.
Yes, he thought, it would work!
If all else failed, there was always Mother. No, it was Mother and him!
Unexpectedly, Ye Ting Lan narrowed his eyes and, with a cold expression, lifted him higher.
The chill emanating from him almost touched Feng Jin Chen's face.
"Do you like him very much?"
Feng Jin Chen's small body shivered slightly.
"Of course... Of course!"
Uncle Song was so good to Mother, of course he liked him.
As soon as he finished speaking, he felt the cold air in front of him intensify.
This bad old king, for some unknown reason, lowered him back to the ground with a dark expression.
"Didn't your mother teach you to respect and love your father?"
After saying this with a dark face, he looked up and happened to see Song Qing An tucking up Feng Yin Wan's sleeve.
Ye Ting Lan's expression became even more grim.
A married woman getting so close to an unclear man was a serious lapse in character and would teach the child bad habits!
Frowning, he was about to embark on a moral correction of the little dumpling. However, when he looked down, he met the boy's righteous little face.
"No!"
"Mother said that my father died a long time ago. A dead person who never took care of Mother or me, why should I respect him?"
And that wasn't the most important thing.
The most important thing was that he had secretly discussed it with Qi Wen and others in the sect. His father was a scumbag before he died, and he never treated Mother well!
The thought of this made him angry.
His little face scrunched up, and he immediately slapped Ye Ting Lan's hand away.
"Don't stop me. My father died young, and I'm going to find myself a stepfather!"
He thought Uncle Song was a good candidate.
With that, he prepared to dash towards them. However, after only two steps, he was stopped by Ye Ting Lan again.
The words of this little dumpling were completely unexpected.
But even if his father had passed away long ago, and he was eager to find a stepfather, he couldn't... be so casual about it.
A subtle feeling arose in his heart, and he coughed unnaturally, speaking with utmost seriousness.
"I find myself quite drawn to you. Since you lost your father at a young age and are so eager to find a stepfather, how about I take you as my adopted son?"
He was certainly better than this Yu Zhi.
Moreover, this dumpling was still young. Although he came from a place as corrupt as the Xuan Sect, if he were to bring him up by his side and personally guide him, he would surely cast aside his previous unruly nature and tread the righteous path.
He felt that this proposal was perfectly reasonable. However, the little dumpling turned to look at him, his eyes widening in horror and disgust.
"You?"
"Dream on!"
"..."
The large hand holding him tightened its grip, and Ye Ting Lan's face turned darker than the bottom of a pot.
However, before he could vent his anger, the voice of a guard reached him.
"Your Highness, Guard Qi's poison has subsided."
Ye Ting Lan was slightly startled by this. Suppressing his anger, he strode forward.
After a night's rest, Qi Xuan's complexion had returned to normal.
The imperial physician, who had been taking his pulse, stepped aside as he approached.
"Your Highness, Guard Qi's pulse is stable, and his body is out of danger."
Ye Ting Lan nodded, paused, and then asked, "What about the others?"
The imperial physician stammered, "That woman was still administering acupuncture just now. I was about to go and check..."
Following his gaze, they saw Feng Yin Wan had just finished her acupuncture. After sheathing the needles, she casually let down the rolled-up sleeve.
Ye Ting Lan narrowed his eyes, a chilling aura emanating from him for no apparent reason.
"Go and check immediately."
"Yes."
The imperial physician trotted away. At the same time, Feng Yin Wan and Song Qing An had also approached.
The woman looked at the dumpling in his arms with a gentle and loving gaze, but when she looked at him, it instantly turned into a cold glare.
A strange sense of irritation welled up in Ye Ting Lan's heart. He frowned, and then heard her speak indifferently.
"The poison has been resolved. Your Highness, can you now fulfill your promise and let us leave?"
She had worked through the night to refine the medicine and didn't want to spend a single second more in this wretched place.
She spoke patiently, but Ye Ting Lan glanced at her, showing no intention of letting them go.
"They haven't woken up yet, so the poison is not considered fully resolved. If you wish to leave, you must wait until they wake up."
"???"
Feng Yin Wan almost laughed out loud in anger.
"What does Your Highness mean by this?"
What was the point of changing his mind at the last minute?
Was it amusing?
Ye Ting Lan completely ignored her. "If you want to leave, wait until they wake up and are confirmed to be well."
He said this in a cold voice and then left, taking Feng Jin Chen with him.
Feng Yin Wan was furious and leaped forward to stop him, but a cold voice fell before her.
"Don't forget, the matter of the Bai Mu Ling Xi has yet to be investigated, and your Xuan Sect cannot escape responsibility."
Feng Yin Wan's voice grew colder. "Your Highness, don't forget, Princess Chao An is still in my hands!"
The theft of the Bai Mu Ling Xi was something she was more anxious about than anyone else, but now, being trapped in the prince's manor by him, she was like an ant on a hot pan, only able to worry.
Ye Ting Lan's brow furrowed deeply upon hearing this, a chilling intent in his eyes.
"If Chao An is harmed, you will not fare well. And I will not let go of the matter of the Bai Mu Ling Xi so easily."
"Are you forcing my hand?"
Ye Ting Lan glanced at her, his grip on Feng Jin Chen tightening.
"Do you dare?"
Yes, she didn't.
Her knuckles turned white from clenching her fists. Feng Yin Wan's lips pursed and then fell.
"Release Jian Ye and the others."
Ye Ting Lan raised an eyebrow and nodded. "I can agree to this request."
He then took a step forward. However, after only two steps, the little dumpling sandwiched in his arm grunted and his body trembled slightly.
Sensing something was wrong, Ye Ting Lan looked down and saw the little dumpling's face contorted in pain before he fainted.
Almost as soon as he frowned, the woman behind him had already caught up.
"Chen Chen!"