Chapter 167: Poisoned
A moment later, Shishi came out of the bathroom and placed Lin Chuyue on the bed in the guest room.
Then she personally helped cover her with a blanket, not daring to show the slightest hint of reluctance.
"Master Xiao, she's all cleaned up."
Xiao Ye nodded. "She isn't feeling well. You stay here and watch over her."
"When she wakes up, make her something light to eat and make sure she drinks plenty of water."
"Then, send her back to Jiangcheng. Don't let her stay in the Imperial City."
'This place is too dangerous.'
"Yes, Master Xiao. Rest assured, I will take good care of Miss Lin."
After giving his instructions and making sure he hadn't missed anything, Xiao Ye turned and left.
He returned to the Xiao Family estate. The moment he entered his room, he could no longer hold it in, and fresh blood trickled from the corner of his lips.
Xiao Ye took out a handkerchief and wiped away the bloodstain.
When he turned on the light, he saw the glaring red spot on the white cloth!
Sitting on the bed, he placed his fingers on his own wrist.
The pulse indicated that he had been poisoned!
'How is this possible!'
He had been extremely careful ever since arriving in the Imperial City. Even if he encountered poison, he could always detect it in time.
Unless… the other party had placed the poison in an unexpected place.
Xiao Ye immediately thought of Lin Chuyue. He first took an Antitoxic Pill to suppress the poison's effects.
Then, he pulled out his phone and dialed Shishi's number.
"Get a blood sample from Chuyue, have it analyzed, and then tell me the results."
"Be careful when you draw the blood. Don't let Chuyue find out."
'She should still be asleep at this hour.'
To prevent Lin Chuyue from feeling uncomfortable, Xiao Ye had used a little trick to let her sleep a while longer so her body could get some proper rest.
Shishi agreed. She opened a hidden compartment filled with various pieces of equipment.
She took out a blood collection needle, drew a small amount of blood from Lin Chuyue, and immediately had someone come pick it up.
Two more hours passed.
Lin Chuyue's eyes slowly fluttered open.
She was stunned for a moment, but upon seeing the person sitting beside her, she snapped fully awake.
She immediately sat up, shuffling backward. "Who are you!"
Seeing her like this, a flash of mockery crossed Shishi's eyes.
'I really don't know what Master Xiao sees in this kind of woman. She's weak and useless!'
"I'm a friend of Xiao Ye's. He's the one who brought you here."
Lin Chuyue tried hard to recall what had happened earlier. A few images flashed through her mind, and her face instantly turned crimson.
Shishi suppressed her dissatisfaction. "It seems you remember now. In that case, you should get up, have some water, and eat something."
"Your clothes are at the head of the bed. Xiao Ye bought them for you."
"I've booked you a flight for tonight to send you back to Jiangcheng. A place like the Imperial City isn't suitable for you."
"That's not necessary. I can leave on my own."
For some reason, Lin Chuyue didn't want to be around Shishi.
She hadn't forgotten that this was the woman from the bar who had been so intimate with Xiao Ye.
Shishi crossed her arms and watched her coldly.
Lin Chuyue forced her aching legs to support her, put on the new clothes from the bedside, quickly tied her hair into a ponytail, and then left.
Shishi said nothing, but she silently followed behind her.
She had to ensure Lin Chuyue's safety. Otherwise, if something happened, she wouldn't be able to escape the blame.
Sitting in the car on the way to the airport, Lin Chuyue once again recalled the scene from the afternoon.
She took out her phone and dialed Xiao Ye's number, but she hung up before it could connect.
'No, no matter what happened between them, breaking off the engagement is a must!'
'At worst... I'll just consider it an antidote!'
If she got involved with Xiao Ye now, he might just get clingy again.
Lin Chuyue put her phone away and closed her eyes.
The last flight to Jiangcheng was scheduled to take off at ten o'clock at night.
Shishi watched her go from the departure lounge. Just as she was about to leave, her phone suddenly rang.
Hearing what was said on the other end, her expression changed drastically. "What did you say? Poison?"
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP—!
The phone's ringtone was exceptionally clear in the dark of night.
Xiao Ye opened his eyes, his body feeling slightly weak and feverish.
He answered the call, and Shishi's voice, heavy with suppressed grief, came from the other side. "Master Xiao, the test results are in."
"Lin Chuyue's blood contains a toxin called 'Sweet Dream'."
"It's a very ancient toxin. It's harmless for a woman to ingest, and it will be completely metabolized within three months after she stops taking it."
"But… if she has intimate relations with a man during that time, the toxin will be transferred to the man's body!"
"And for a man, this poison… is fatal! Once infected, there is no cure!"
Xiao Ye had heard of this poison, Sweet Dream.
His master once had a copy of the Hundred Poisons Scripture, which described this substance in detail.
It was developed by a Western Princess of old. She took the poison day and night, and on the night of her political wedding, she successfully infected the Emperor of that time.
He passed away in just three short months.
And that was only because he had the help of countless Imperial Physicians and precious medicinal herbs.
Otherwise, he probably wouldn't have even lasted a month!
Shishi continued, "This toxin has been purified, so its onset is much faster. A conservative estimate is that once poisoned, the victim only has seven days to live!"
Xiao Ye's tone was placid. "I understand."
"Go investigate Wang Qiaoqiao. See if she has this toxin in her system."
"Yes."
Shishi stared at the disconnected call, a sense of unease in her heart.
'Master Xiao isn't worried. Could it be that he has an antidote?'
Xiao Ye did have a way, but it could only suppress the poison in one part of his body; it couldn't completely cure it.
He still needed some precious medicinal herbs to concoct the real antidote.
But for Xiao Ye, this was enough.
He immediately took out his silver needles and, in conjunction with the Antitoxic Pill, began to suppress the poison.
Half an hour later, Xiao Ye pulled out the needles. Their tips had turned completely black.
Xiao Ye sneered. "Trying to use this kind of method against me? Perfect. I'll just beat you at your own game!"
「The next day.」
Xiao Wenbin came downstairs, looked at the empty dining room, and frowned slightly. "Where's Xiao Ye?"
His schedule was very regular; he should have been down for breakfast by now.
The maid immediately said, "The Young Master came back last night and hasn't come downstairs since."
"Alright, I understand." Something occurred to Xiao Wenbin. He raised an eyebrow and strode upstairs.
He pushed open the door to a dark room.
Xiao Ye was lying on the bed, looking extremely weak.
"Xiao Ye, what's wrong?"
Xiao Wenbin asked, feigning ignorance. "Are you not feeling well? Should I call a doctor?"
"Mm."
Xiao Ye just grunted in response, not even opening his eyes, as if even speaking a single word was a great effort.
Xiao Wenbin immediately called for the family doctor to come and examine him.
"It's probably just a common cold. He has a slight fever. Just have him take some fever reducers, drink plenty of water, and rest for a day. We'll see how he is then."
"If he doesn't improve, then we can take him to the hospital for a more detailed examination."
Xiao Wenbin nodded. After the doctor left, he personally poured a glass of water and placed it on the bedside table.
"Get some good rest. I'm sure you'll be better soon."