Under the moonlight in the forest, with the rustling of green bamboo, Gu Lang found himself trapped in the bamboo chair by the Crown Prince, their breaths intertwined with the strong scent of alcohol.
"I..." Gu Lang struggled, "I don't not believe you."
The Crown Prince slightly tightened his grip on Gu Lang's wrist, "Don't? Fine, tell me, speak out everything in your heart, I'm listening."
Sweat formed in Gu Lang's palms, his limbs growing colder, "You already know everything..."
"I want to hear it from your own mouth, not have to guess or investigate!" The Crown Prince's eyes were as deep as a cold pool, making Gu Lang's chest tighten. "Gu Lang, you've been avoiding me. The closer I get, the more you escape... What are you really afraid of?"
Gu Lang tilted his head slightly, saying, "I'm not avoiding you."
The Crown Prince lowered his eyes, smiling ambiguously, unable to discern if it was joy or anger. "Fine..." He suddenly lifted his hand, pinching Gu Lang's chin, and kissed him.
"Um..." The taste of alcohol lingered as their tongues entwined, intense and sharp, choking Gu Lang. The person on top kissed as if he wanted to tear him apart and consume him, biting his lips and tongue painfully.
"Let go..." Gu Lang struggled, pushing the person off him, "Murong Yan, don't go too far!"
"I want to go too far!" The Crown Prince pulled off the mask on his face, revealing Murongs face. "I didn't come back to listen to your hypocritical words! Gu Lang, what am I to you in your heart?!"
Gu Lang, still catching his breath, his bitten tongue still tingling, looked at the face he hadn't seen in over two months. Gripping the bamboo chair with five fingers, he finally squeezed out two words from his mouth after a long while, "Good friend."
"Good friend?" Murong Yan grabbed his hand, his expression seemingly mad and erratic. "Gu Lang, do you know what I was thinking during that month when I faked my death and was healing? Several times... Several times, I wanted to send you a message, tell you I wasn't dead. But my selfishness got the better of me, wanting to see if you would grieve for my death. I thought, if you never had feelings for me, then Murong Yan would die, never to appear in front of you again... But you cried! Sun Fang didn't lie to me. On the night of July 7th, you cried in front of my grave, didn't you?!"
"So what if I did?" Gu Lang's knuckles turned white, as if each word was burning his throat. "It was just mourning a good friend... If Sun Fang had died, I would have..."
Murong Yan let go of his hand, covering his face, and suddenly laughed uncontrollably. "Gu Lang, your heart is truly stubborn..." Laughing and laughing, he stood up, glanced at the bright moon in the sky, and walked away.
Gu Lang leaned against the bamboo chair, feeling a bit cold from the evening wind.
The bamboo window on the second floor suddenly made a "creak" sound. He turned his head to see Zhao Zhuo holding onto the window, looking embarrassed. "Young Master..."
Zhao Zhuo came down, cautiously saying, "So, the Crown Prince is Young Master Murong?"
Gu Lang looked at the shattered wine jar by his feet and nodded.
"As long as Young Master Murong is fine." Zhao Zhuo said, "When did Young Master discover this?"
Gu Lang, looking somewhat lost, sat in the chair without saying a word.
Not knowing what else to say, Zhao Zhuo reminded him to rest early and went back upstairs.
When did I discover? Gu Lang thought, probably when that person...
Spending effort to save Uncle Zhao, he only accepted a piece of bamboo as a token of gratitude.
In this world, only you would engage in such an unprofitable deal.
Qu Fengyun and Ruan Nian went to the medical house to search for books, only to find records of symptoms caused by the poison, with no prescription for an antidote.
Ruan Nian sought his master for advice, but Physician Wang had little knowledge of such poison. Helpless, Ruan Nian had to try concocting an antidote on his own. After several days of experimentation with different herbs, none seemed to work, and he managed to frighten Liu Daming, who cried at the mere sight of him.
Every time Ruan Nian formulated an antidote, he had to test it on Liu Daming. The first time, Liu Daming asked if the medicine could kill a person.
"People won't die from it," Ruan Nian said, "but there might be some side effects."
"What side effects?" Liu Daming inquired.
"I'm not sure, probably just minor discomforts," replied Ruan Nian.
So, Liu Daming hesitantly took the medicine. The result was that day, he made more than ten trips to the outhouse.
The second time, Liu Daming, still traumatized, asked, "It won't give me diarrhea again, will it?"
Ruan Nian confidently assured him, "No, don't worry."
As a result, after taking the medicine, Liu Daming laughed uncontrollably for half a day, his face twitching, and his mouth almost unable to close.
The third time, Liu Daming refused to take it again, and Qu Fengyun forcefully stuffed it into his mouth. Subsequently, Liu Daming's entire body went numb, and he couldn't move for a whole day.
The fourth time...
Later, whenever Liu Daming hesitated, Ruan Nian would shout, "Ah Ying!"
Liu Daming would immediately swallow the medicine himself, muttering, "Unfaithful husband!"
Ruan Nian didn't hear it clearly, "What did you say?"
"Nothing," Liu Daming changed his words, "I said this medicine tastes really good!"
Qu Fengyun entered and asked about the effectiveness of the medicine today.
"It's not clear yet," Ruan Nian asked Liu Daming, "Do you feel any discomfort in your body?"
Liu Daming moved his limbs, shaking his head.
"Master!" At this moment, a servant rushed in anxiously, "Master, there are many North Qi soldiers outside the gate!"
"North Qi soldiers?" Ruan Nian looked at Qu Fengyun, worriedly asking, "Is it related to last time..."
Qu Fengyun seemed unsurprised, "Gao Cheng probably remembered meeting me before."
Ruan Nian said anxiously, "What should we do?"
"You two stay here and don't go out," Qu Fengyun said, "I'll go outside to take a look."
Ruan Nian hurriedly said, "No! What if they want to capture you?"
"They won't dare to kill me," Qu Fengyun replied.
"But what if they beat you?" Ruan Nian clung to his arm, unwilling to let go, "They are so fierce!"
Qu Fengyun looked at Ruan Nian's upturned face and couldn't help but raise his hand to pinch his cheek.
Ruan Nian: "..." Why are you pinching me?
Sun Fang stood outside the bamboo forest, imitating bird calls with his fingers in his mouth. In no time, Qian Xi flew out from the bamboo forest.
"Doggie," Sun Fang asked, "Where is the young master? Old Qu is in trouble."
"At that time, the Crown Prince had a quarrel with the prince consort, and he hasn't come back since," Qian Xi said.
"What?!" Sun Fang exclaimed, "He dared to quarrel with the Prince Consort?" Doesn't he want his wife anymore?
"I was far away at the time and didn't hear clearly," Qian Xi thought for a moment, "The Crown Prince seemed to have taken off the face mask and said something..." He imitated Murong Yan's voice, shouting, "'Gu Lang, what am I to you in your heart?!' Then, I don't know what the Crown Princess said, but as he spoke, the Crown Prince walked away alone."
Sun Fang slapped his thigh, saying, "Uh-oh, the Crown Prince is in trouble, he angered the Crown Princess."