Ji Yu pricked up her ears, waiting to hear what he would say and how he would explain what had just happened.
“Miss Ji, I frightened you with my sudden illness, and… I hurt you. I am sorry.” Nan Xing looked at her with a serious expression and sincere tone.
*Illness?* Ji Yu frowned, peering at him through the screen. So that terrifying transformation was due to sickness? What kind of disease could be so horrible, turning a man into something neither human nor ghost?
In the book, Qi Yu was described as healthy and robust; there was never any mention of a strange illness. His life had been smooth sailing—aside from matters of the heart, the only time he had ever been seriously injured was when she found him.
So where was the discrepancy? Was her memory failing her, or was the novel inaccurate? As confusion filled her mind, Nan Xing’s slightly hoarse voice spoke again.
“Injuring you is my fault. However, I am currently penniless and cannot repay your kindness immediately. If you trust me, I will leave tomorrow. Give me three days. Once I return home, I will surely bring you a proper reward.”
“What? You’re leaving tomorrow?” Ji Yu stepped out from behind the screen in shock, but seeing him look at her, she immediately shrank back in fear.
“Although this illness takes hold against my will, I must leave. I cannot risk hurting you again,” Nan Xing said slowly, lowering his eyes.
Every fifteenth day of the lunar month, when the moon was full, the Gu poison in his body flared up. If he did not take the antidote within three days, the pain would be unbearable, and he would lose his mind, becoming a monster. Next time, it might not end with just hurting her.
Logically, he had to go. But the Princess had ordered him to stay in Qingzhou, to stay by Miss Ji’s side. Therefore, he could not leave.
Seeing no response from behind the screen, Nan Xing’s gaze darkened. His pale hand slowly rose to his left chest, and he pressed down hard. Blood instantly seeped through his clothes, flowing like water and staining the fabric red.
He stared blankly ahead, then cupped his bloody hands in a bow toward the screen. “I shall return to my room to pack my things and leave at dawn. Thank you for your hospitality these past few days.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and walked slowly toward the door.
He moved with great difficulty, his body swaying as if he were extremely weak. Worried, Ji Yu poked her head out to look. In that instant, Nan Xing collapsed, crashing heavily onto the floor. Her heart leaped into her throat, and she rushed over immediately.
Seeing the blood gushing from his wound, her mind went blank. For a moment, she was transported back to seeing her own father lying in a pool of blood, bleeding uncontrollably no matter how hard she tried to stop it.
Terrified, tears streamed down her face. She tremblingly pressed her hands over the reopened wound, but it was useless; the blood kept flowing.
Hot tears fell onto Nan Xing’s face—on his nose, lips, and eyelids. His eyelashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes, looking weakly at her crying. His heart felt a strange, numb pang.
He tried to speak, to tell her not to cry. He had never met a girl who cried such big, heavy tears. But before he could make a sound, Ji Yu spoke first.
“We finally got the wounds to heal, and now they’ve burst open again! Was all my care for nothing? Why is it worse than the first day? Young Master Qi, have you been taking care of yourself at all?”
Faced with her questioning, Nan Xing nodded weakly. “I have listened to everything you said. I barely left the bed except to eat and use the latrine.”
“Yet you went out in the rain today! Is that what you call listening to me?” Ji Yu was so angry she forgot to cry, though her eyes were brimming. She forced herself not to blink, afraid that if she did, the tears would fall uncontrollably.
She had always been easily moved to tears. Whenever her emotions fluctuated, her eyes would water first, even if she didn’t actually feel like crying. She hated this trait, having been called sensitive and dramatic growing up.
“I only… saw that the rain was getting heavy,” Nan Xing explained softly, sounding somewhat innocent. “You were out so late, and I was worried you didn’t have an umbrella. I wanted to bring one to you.”
“Even so, walking in the rain shouldn’t have caused your wounds to burst open this badly,” Ji Yu said, leaning closer to examine him.
The injury was a mess. It had scabbed over just days ago, but now it was ruined, looking even more severe than before. Her heart ached.
She looked at him suspiciously. His lips were pale, and there was blood at the corners of his mouth. The red veins on his face had mostly faded. Suddenly, a realization struck her.
She reached out and took his wrist to check his pulse. Her brows knitted tightly together.
“Young Master Qi, what exactly was that illness that made you go mad just now? Why did you change like that?”
She had detected something else—a second type of poison hidden deep within his body. It had been dormant before, so she hadn’t noticed it. She knew nothing about this toxin, but its pulse was strange and powerful, far more dangerous than the poison from the arrow wound. The severe rupture of his injuries was definitely linked to this.
Her expression grew grave. Two deadly poisons were ravaging his body simultaneously. It was a miracle he was still alive; any normal person would have died long ago.
Was this man really the Third Prince Qi Yu, who had lived a life of luxury? She began to doubt everything.
Seeing her looking at him, Nan Xing stared back through half-lidded eyes, looking so weak he might faint at any moment. His pale lips parted slightly. “You are a doctor, Miss Ji. Could you tell what kind of poison it is?”
Ji Yu shook her head honestly.
“It is Gu poison.”
Ji Yu was startled. *Gu poison?* She knew about that from the book.
The male and female leads had met precisely because of Gu poison. The hero, Pei Ziheng, the heir of the Duke’s manor, had been poisoned with Southern Land Gu. On the brink of death, he was saved by Lan Xi, a girl skilled in medicine from the Miao regions. That was how their romance began. Ji Yu knew that scene by heart.
But in the story, only Pei Ziheng had suffered from Gu poison. Qi Yu was never mentioned to have it!
Now was not the time to dwell on plot holes, however. The priority was stopping the bleeding. If he died from blood loss before she could cure him, she wouldn’t get her money or her house, and she would have her first patient death on her record.
“Let me help you lie down over there.”
Nan Xing hummed in agreement. She draped his arm over her shoulder, supported his waist, and carefully helped him move to the bed nearby. “Rest here and don’t move. I’ll get medicine and bandages.”
“Alright.”
She left and returned quickly with supplies and a clean set of clothes. Efficiently, she removed his wet garments, cleaned the blood away with cloth, applied medicine, and wrapped the bandages. The room was silent except for the sounds of her work.
While she focused on treating him, Nan Xing lay perfectly still, his eyes fixed intently on her face.
She looked so serious and stern, completely different from her usual smiling self. Her brows were furrowed, and her eyes were red. Such a bright and beautiful face shouldn’t be frowning or crying; it was meant to be smiling, he thought. Just like his mother used to say—smiling suits you better.
“You have had this Gu poison for many years, haven’t you?”
Brought back from his thoughts, Nan Xing was silent for a long time. Under her piercing gaze, he finally spoke. “I cannot hide it from you, Miss Ji.”
“I was poisoned when I was nine years old. Every full moon, the poison awakens, and the pain is like tearing my body apart. I must take a special medicine just to keep it under control.”
Nine years old? He was just a child! Judging by his age, this poison had been inside him for over ten years. How could anyone endure that? Ji Yu couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy.
“If you don’t take that medicine, will you go mad again and turn into… that terrifying thing like before?” she asked seriously.
“Yes. That is why I must leave tomorrow to get the medicine.”
“No! You cannot leave!” Ji Yu exclaimed.
“I haven’t even cured the poison from your arrow wound yet! On top of that, the Gu poison flared up, your wounds have split, and you’ve lost so much blood. You are extremely weak right now. If you leave like this, you will die on the road before you even get home.”
“But if I don’t take the medicine, I might lose control again and hurt you,” Nan Xing said helplessly. “How could I live with myself if you were harmed because of me?”
Ji Yu fell silent. He was right. What if he attacked her again and really killed her this time?
Thinking of his terrifying eyes and the feeling of being choked, she shivered. The pain on her neck was a stark reminder of how close she came to death.
She wasn’t a bad person, but neither was she a saint. Putting herself in danger was not her style. She always prioritized her own safety first.
Nan Xing saw her hesitation and didn’t want to pressure her. “Miss Ji, please do not worry yourself. You have already saved my life once; you have done more than enough. You are a good doctor, even if I were to die…”
Before he could finish, he was seized by a violent coughing fit. Blood sprayed from his mouth. He managed to cover it with his hand so it wouldn’t hit her face, but a few drops stained her sleeve.
“I’m sorry for dirtying your clothes, I…”
“Enough. Stop talking,” Ji Yu interrupted, looking at him with mixed emotions. She took a clean cloth and wiped the blood from his lips and face.
Seeing he wanted to say more, she sighed. “Rest and focus on healing. I will find a way to deal with the Gu poison. My mother was originally from the Miao regions. She brought many medical books with her when she moved here. I will look through them; there must be a cure.”
Relief flashed in his eyes. He coughed a few more times, then looked up at her with absolute sincerity. “Miss Ji, I will repay you for this! I swear!”