Gu Yan hesitated for a few seconds, but he still answered the phone. As he held it close to his ear, he heard Qin Shu’s slightly anxious tone.

  “When you were at Bright Garden, you hadn’t spoken the whole truth, right? I need to know the details.”


  Gu Yan had felt his head hurt as he used his fingers to pinch his eyebrows. He was in a bit of a dilemma.

  Seeing that he was silent, Qin Shu guessed, “He didn’t want you to say it, did he?”


  Gu Yan sighed, “The poison has spread. His internal injuries are also critical. I wouldn’t recommend him to be involved in any fighting anymore.”


  Hearing that the poison had spread, Qin Shu’s heart tightened. It was as if her heart was being grabbed by a hand, and she had felt difficult to breathe. The more she feared, the more likely it would happen. She knew too well what the consequences were even if Gu Yan did not mention it.

  After quite a while, she finally came to her senses. “Do you mean that if he performed martial arts, it would result in the poison spreading?”


  Gu Yan nodded. “Yes.”


  Hearing Gu Yan’s answer with her own ears, Qin Shu was stunned. Fu Tingyu’s martial arts strength had already exceeded any other person’s level. If he had to stop using it, having someone to always protect him would be unpleasant.

  “In the absence of an antidote, what will be the consequences of the poison spreading to a certain extent?” This was what she wanted to know the most.

  Gu Yan knew the impact better than anyone else—that was why he was mad at him. He knew too well.

  “I won’t let such a thing happen.” Gu Yan said firmly.

  As Gu Yan said those words, Qin Shu’s breathing seemed to have stopped for a few seconds as if she was trapped in an ice cellar. Her whole body was stone-cold, freezing.

  She did not dare to continue asking—she was afraid to hear something she was reluctant to know.

  After hanging up, she sat on the sofa as she pondered for a long time. Qin Shu clenched the phone in her hand. Neither Gu Yan nor she would let such a thing happen to Fu Tingyu. She had to think of something.

  As Qin Shu stood up and went to the study, she found Boss had curled up on the sofa, its head drooping on its forelimbs, looking like it was not in spirit and lethargic.

  Boss had looked listless since they were back in Xijin. Could it be that it was not acclimatized to the surroundings there?

  She walked to the sofa and squatted down in front of Boss, then she reached out her hand and rubbed its head.

  “What’s wrong, Boss? Are you feeling unwell?”


  Boss lifted its eyelids and stared at Qin Shu with its emerald eyes. It sounded lazy when it let out a meow.

  “I’ll get Ning Meng to ask the vet to come over and take a look at you.”


  After saying that, Qin Shu got up to her feet and left the bedroom. Ning Meng was walking upstairs when she saw her, “Ning Meng, get the vet to take a look at President Ba.”


  “Yes, Madam.” Ning Meng turned in the opposite direction and walked down the stairs in light steps.

  Half an hour later, Qin Shu was sitting on the beanie in the living room with Boss in her arms. On the coffee table in front of her was the fish cooked by the chef in Bright Garden. Just by the smell, one could tell that it was mouthwatering. Yet, Boss just stared at it, having no intention of digging in. Instead, it remained to lie on Qin Shu’s lap—it was slothful—and it did not want to move.

  At this instance, Ning Meng had brought along a vet with her as they entered the living room.

  The veterinarian was a woman who was younger than thirty. She wore a white coat and carried a medical kit over her shoulder, and it was the first time she had entered such majestic and classical residence. She felt like a country bumpkin walking into a city.

  As she saw the girl sitting on the beanie, a glimpse of surprise flashed through her eyes.

  “Madam, the vet is here.”


  Qin Shu raised her head and saw the woman in the white coat behind Ning Meng. “It hasn’t been in good spirits since the past few days. Please take a look at him.”


  “Okay.”


  The veterinarian walked towards Qin Shu and placed the medical kit on the coffee table. She opened the box and took out a stethoscope.

  Boss was resting with its eyes closed, but as it sensed a stranger closing in, it suddenly got up, leaped off Qin Shu’s lap, and sprinted out. It was not before long that it disappeared from the doorway.

  The vet was perplexed, and so was Qin Shu. Boss had run faster than a rabbit, and the contrast was too big from the lethargic look it had before. It would not have dashed away just at the sight or touch of a stranger.

  The vet had thought that the black cat was in good condition, and it looked healthier than any of the cats she had seen.

  “I think it’s in good spirits. It doesn’t look like it’s sick.” She deduced, “Maybe it’s not in a good mood.” As she had examined countless house pets of all kinds, she could make a rough assumption.

  Not in a good mood? Could it be because Ye Luo was not at home? Qin Shu thought.

  Seeing that it was as healthy as a horse, she did not force Boss to have the vet look at it. She had paid the fees and let Ning Meng saw her out.

  Qin Shu walked out of the living room and headed to the ginkgo tree in the backyard. She had hoped that Boss was at its usual spot, resting under the swing at the tree—she was right—and there it was as the tree was in sight, looking dull. She had guessed that it was in low spirits because it was sad.

  Qin Shu looked at Boss for a while, then walked in front of it and crouched down. She reached out to pick it up and rubbed its head.

  “Let’s head back to the bedroom. Ye Luo will be back the day after tomorrow. I’ll have him play with you then.”


  Boss did not make a sound.

  As they returned to the bedroom, Qin Shu put Boss back into its pillow bed, and she noticed the silver business card. It had belonged to Jun Li. It was a surprise to her that Boss had not lost it and thrown it out, and it had let the card remain in its bed.

  Boss was even lazier to move around when it got back to its bed. It had stretched its limbs, then continued to curl up in a crescent.

  “Do take a nap in your bed. I’ll go read.”


  Qin Shu rubbed its head, then stood up and walked into the study.

  The pharmacology of medicinal plants was the hardest among medicine, and it was even more difficult for Qin Shu, who did not have the basics. Not only that she had to go through everything, but she also had to memorize them all.

  She would categorize anything that possessed similar characteristics with the missing herb under the same group. She had eliminated the need to look at commonly used herbs because Gu Yan, being a genius in traditional Chinese medicine, would have already tried them all. Not to mention, many of the herbs mentioned in the Compendium of Materia Medica were no longer available in the market. Qin Shu had written down all of them, as well as their general appearance.

  ***

  Gu Yan had arrived at the penthouse office of Fu Enterprise, and he pushed the door open and marched straight in. As he saw Fu Tingyu standing in front of the dark brown desk, he made his way towards him.

  Fu Tingyu heard the noise and looked towards the direction of the door. It was Gu Yan, and he did not seem surprised to see him hear. He was expecting him.

  “Did I not tell you the last time that you must not perform martial arts anymore? Are you taking my words for granted? If things continue like this, you won’t even last two years.” Gu Yan stood in front of his desk and looked at Fu Tingyu. He was glaring, scowling at him. He had lost his usual gentle and refined temperament.

  If his time left was lesser, they would have a lesser chance to have him cured.

  Fu Tingyu raised his eyes, and he held the pen in his hand tightly. He met Gu Yan’s gaze and let out a humorless smile. “What else could I do? Hide behind my people and do nothing like trash?”


  Gu Yan had known the person in front of him since they were young. He was reckless and had always flaunted his superiority, and he had always addressed issues in using force whenever he could.

  “It’s still not a reason to overexert yourself. Nothing is more important than your health.” He continued, “You should bring Ye brothers along with you wherever you go. Do not involve yourself in any unnecessary.”