He did not dare pursue his train of thought.

  At this point, she needed more than just general first-aid.

  Bending down, Han Xiao swept Qin Shu into his arms in a bridal carry. He spoke urgently as he launched into a trot, “I’ll carry you. We’ll cover more ground that way. Snake bites aren’t to be taken lightly. We’ll need to get ourselves to the hospital as soon as possible.”


  Qin Shu didn’t struggle or protest. All her energy had been sapped by their ordeal in the mountains. She surrendered control of her body to Han Xiao and hung limply in his arms. Han Xiao’s words reminded her of the severity of her condition. If she really had been poisoned by the snake……

  Qin Shu pushed her morbid thoughts aside. She was so dizzy that it made her feel nauseous. Leaning into Han Xiao’s arms, her eyelids drooped heavier and heavier until they shut completely.

  Despite his lamed right arm, Han Xiao was able to carry Qin Shu with little difficulty. She did not weigh much and he was strong enough to move unencumbered.

  He stared at Qin Shu’s vulnerable form. He was not sure if she had fallen unconscious or whether she was simply dosing out of fatigue. Her eyes were tightly shut. Han Xiao frowned with concern. He was both afraid and worried for her.

  He quickened his steps.

  Just then, he heard a sound emanating from the forest’s depths.

  Han Xiao scanned his surroundings warily and saw a group of people walking towards him. He grimaced in consternation. The last thing he wanted was to be accosted by strangers.

  When they caught sight of Han Xiao, they were surprised. It seemed like they had not expected to meet people out in the wilderness.

  Gu Yan was dressed casually in clothes that would not restrict his movements. He had ventured into the mountains to pick herbs. He did not expect to meet anyone this deep in the mountains. Yet, now he was face to face with two individuals – a man and a woman.

  Believing it to be fate, Gu Yan strolled towards them and asked, “Are you both here to pick herbs as well?”


  Han Xiao glanced at the man who had addressed him. He was accompanied by five bodyguards that stood behind him. Call it instinct but he could tell that they were well trained and each of them possessed combat capabilities reaching the gold tier.

  He acknowledged the man with a calm tilt of his head.

  Gu Yan’s eyes landed on the woman in the man’s arms. Seeing that she looked familiar, he couldn’t help but take another step forward.

  Han Xiao wrapped his arms around Qin Shu in a protective manner. He regarded the approaching man warily. “I’m sorry but I have urgent business to attend to, please excuse me.”


  He hurried past the man with Qin Shu cradled in his arms.

  Being over 1.5 metres tall, Gu Yan was able to catch a glimpse of the figure resting in the man’s arms and did a double-take. Was that Qin Shu?

  Gu Yan hastily called out to the man who had brushed past with such urgency, “Wait a moment.”


  Han Xiao paused checking Qin Shu’s condition as he responded, “What’s the matter?”


  Gu Yan marched to his side and studied the figure being carried by the man more closely. This time he was sure. It was Qin Shu.

  He glared at Han Xiao angrily and demanded, “What did you do to her?”


  Han Xiao’s expression turned frosty. “What has it got to do with you? I have pressing matters to attend to. Step aside.”


  Gu Yan stopped him again. “Why shouldn’t it be any of my business? You, on the other hand, look quite unfamiliar. Did you kidnap her?”


  Hearing Gu Yan’s words, Han Xiao glowered but asked, “Do you know her?”


  Gu Yan surveyed Qin Shu’s unconscious figure with some apprehension. She was pale, frighteningly so. His voice rose a few decibels in distress, “Of course I know her. What have you done to her? What is she doing here?

  Seeing as he did not seem to be lying, Han Xiao decided to explain a little of what had transpired. “She was bitten by a venomous snake. I’m taking her to a hospital to be treated.”


  “Qin Shu was bitten by a venomous snake?” Gu Yan blanched. “Quickly, put her down and let me take a look.” Immediately thereafter, he said to Ji Fei, “Bring me my medicine bag.”


  “Are you a doctor?”


  Han Xiao stared at Gu Yan apprehensively but still did as he was instructed. He squatted down and placed Qin Shu on the ground, allowing her upper body to lean against his chest for support. He lifted the hand that had been bitten, offering it to Gu Yan.

  Gu Yan examined the back of Qin Shu’s hand carefully. Her fair skin was mottled in a bluish-purple hue. Two puncture wounds stood in stark contrast, twisting his expression into a hideous scowl. “What can you tell me of the snake that bit her?”


  “Its body was a shade of emerald green, and its skin was flecked in purple spots. It was only a little thicker than a chopstick. She tried expelling the venom by sucking it out with her mouth,” Han Xiao recited.

  “Is she tired of living? If she sucked the venom out with her mouth and ingested some of it by mistake she would have only poisoned herself instead.”


  Gu Yan was racked with anxiety and his forehead creased in concern. He did not expect to find Qin Shu wandering about in the mountainous forest.

  A chill ran down Han Xiao’s spine. He stared at her eyes that were glued shut and the ghostly parlour her skin had taken. Worriedly, he asked, “Will she be okay?”


  It was not long before Ji Fei returned with Gu Yan’s medicine bag. Opening it gingerly, he handed Gu Yan an antidote. “Young master.”


  Gu Yan picked up the antidote and administered it to Qin Shu as soon as he had taken all the necessary precautions. He hoped that his intervention had not come too late.

  Disposing of the syringe that had contained the antidote, Gu Yan grabbed her wrist and checked her pulse. His expression clouded over quickly.

  He turned to Han Xiao as he continued to assess Qin Shu’s condition.”How are you related to her, and what were you two doing together?”


  “She is a classmate of mine. My name is Han Xiao. I was just in the vicinity picking herbs.” Han Xiao eyes were fixed on Qin Shu. She looked awful. “What’s wrong with her?”


  Gu Yan listened intently. When Han Xiao described what she had been doing, Gu Yan instantly knew for whom Qin Shu had been picking herbs. It could only be for Fu Tingyu. The question, however, was how did she know of such a remote location harbouring the herbs she was looking for?

  “You’re injured too. Let me treat you.”


  From the moment he had seen Han Xiao’s injuries, he knew that they must have been involved in some sort of accident prior to their emergence from the forest’s depths.

  Han Xiao shook his head and responded, “Let’s head back first.”


  “Your injury is not light. It’s better if you let me treat it for you before it worsens.”


  “It won’t take long.”


  “.…… Okay.”


  Just as Gu Yan was about to lift Qin Shu off the ground, Han Xiao beat him to the punch and carried her with one arm as he made to leave.

  “.……”


  Gu Yan followed shortly after.

  Ji Fei packed up Gu Yan’s medicine bag and trailed behind the young master alongside his four other bodyguards.

  Back at their campsite……

  Han Xiao gently laid Qin Shu on the floor of her tent. Her condition had not improved in the time it took them to return and the unease buried in his chest swelled.

  Gu Yan made his way over and sat close by.

  Han Xiao sent a questioning look at Gu Yan. “Why hasn’t she awoken yet?”


  Gu Yan noted the blood dripping down the side of Han Xiao’s cheek and staining his sleeve. “I’ll take care of her. Ask Ji Fei to bandage that wound of yours before you bleed out.”


  Han Xiao’s eyes stared unblinkingly at Qin Shu, seemingly lost in thought, but eventually nodded and stepped out of the tent.

  With Han Xiao’s departure, only Gu Yan and Qin Shu were left in the tent.

  Gu Yan recalled the promise he made to Qin Shu sometime ago. He had promised to help her in herb hunting. He had been the one to record all the medicinal properties of the herbs she wanted to find. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect her to take the search of those herbs so seriously that she would knowingly endanger herself in a mountainous forest like this.

  If Fu Tingyu saw Qin Shu in her present state, wouldn’t he die from heartache?

  No sooner had this thought flashed in his mind than he saw Qin Shu’s eyelashes twitch. He knew she was about to wake up.

  Qin Shu unconsciousness was not only a result of the venom in her system but also the immense fatigue she had accumulated.

  Slowly, Qin Shu opened her eyes. The first thing she saw when she woke was Gu Yan. It left her bewildered.

  Gu Yan heaved a sigh of relief. “You’re finally awake. I really did not expect to see you here.”


  Qin Shu recovered from her surprise. “Why are you here?” She slowly sat up with the Gu Yan’s help.

  “It’s just a coincidence. I was in the area and thought to have a look around.” Gu Yan uncapped the bottle of mineral water by his side and offered it to her. “Have some water.”


  Qin Shu was indeed thirsty. She took the mineral water and gulped a few mouthfuls. “An old man who was out picking herbs pointed me in this direction. I managed to pick three of them.”