Outside the door, Gu Ran quietly slipped away, though her heart felt much heavier than when she had first arrived.
“Birds of a feather flock together,” she mused. Even when it came to being poisoned, the two of them had managed to share the experience. It seemed she would have her hands full in the days to come.
Gu Ran didn’t linger at Elegant Garden and instead returned to the main building. Xiao Ya was directing the servants in rearranging the master bedroom. Watching the bustling crowd carrying boxes in and out, Gu Ran gradually felt her tension ease.
“Miss Gu, you’re back. Are you tired? The kitchen has prepared bird’s nest soup. Would you like a bowl?”
Xiao Ya immediately approached when she saw Gu Ran return.
Gu Ran shook her head and went straight upstairs.
Upon reaching the third floor, she encountered Liu Ma and Zhang Sao bustling about.
“Good morning, Miss Gu. The walk-in closet in the master bedroom was too small, so Zhang Sao and I reorganized it. We moved some rarely worn clothes to the adjacent room.”
Liu Ma, holding a stack of women’s formal dresses, quickly explained upon seeing Gu Ran, afraid of upsetting the young mistress again.
Gu Ran wasn’t in the mood to deal with such matters. She nodded and turned into the study.
Shortly after, Gu Ran emerged with a piece of paper and found Xiao Ya.
“Have someone purchase these items on the list for me.”
Xiao Ya took the list and glanced at it casually, looking puzzled.
“Miss Gu, these are acupuncture needles? And Chinese herbs? Are you still feeling unwell? You shouldn’t take herbal medicine randomly. Should I ask Doctor Li to come and examine you again?”
“No need. These are just herbs for regulating my health. Don’t worry—I studied with an old Chinese medicine practitioner in the village for several years and know some tonic formulas. Just prepare what’s on the list.”
Xiao Ya was skeptical but didn’t press further and went downstairs.
About ten minutes later, in the study at Elegant Garden, Fu Sijue held the list Xiao Ya had brought him, seemingly deep in thought. He then returned the list to Xiao Ya and said, “Do as Ranran says. Prepare everything according to her instructions.”
After Xiao Ya left, Fu Sijue turned to Dan Zuo beside him.
“Earlier, I asked you to look into Ranran’s years in Yangtian Village. Did you find any record of her studying medicine?”
Dan Zuo thought carefully and shook his head. “It’s unclear. However, the information I gathered shows that there was indeed an old Chinese medicine practitioner in Yangtian Village, but he passed away many years ago. At that time, Miss Gu was only twelve or thirteen.”
Hearing this, Fu Sijue’s brows furrowed so tightly they could almost crush a fly.
“And what about her whereabouts during those months each year when she left Yangtian Village? Still no clues at all?”
Dan Zuo nodded dejectedly. He had been investigating for half a month, but during those months when Miss Gu left Yangtian Village each year, it was as if she had vanished into thin air—not a single trace could be found.
Logically, with surveillance cameras everywhere and identity verification required for travel, Dan Zuo should have been able to find something. Yet, he could only trace Gu Ran’s departure from Yangtian Village, with no records of where she went or what she did afterward.
“Forget it. Stop investigating. Also, arrange for Ranran to continue her studies. She just turned eighteen—she should be doing what people her age normally do.”
Hearing this, Dan Zuo looked even more troubled.
“Milord, what should we arrange for Miss Gu to study? Middle school? The records show she didn’t even finish elementary school?”
Fu Sijue was also stumped upon hearing this. Sending the nineteen-year-old Gu Ran to middle school would deliberately make her unhappy. After some thought, he said, “High school. Arrange for her to enter directly into the twelfth grade. The college entrance exams are in a few months. We can arrange for university afterward.”
Dan Zuo nodded, thinking to himself that his master was like a fatherly boyfriend—it almost felt like he was raising a daughter.
The day passed quickly. That afternoon, Gu Ran stayed in the main building while Fu Sijue remained in Elegant Garden. Both were occupied with their own matters, not disturbing each other. However, during dinner, Gu Ran asked Liu Ma to invite Fu Sijue from Elegant Garden to eat together.
At the dinner table, Fu Sijue recalled the matter he had discussed with Dan Zuo that morning and said, “Ranran, do you have any plans for the future?”
“Huh?”
Gu Ran looked up at Fu Sijue, confused.
Meeting her innocent, questioning, and utterly clear eyes, Fu Sijue felt a softness in his heart, and his tone gentled. “The winter break will be over in a few days. Have you thought about continuing your studies?”
Hearing this, Gu Ran frowned slightly.
Studying—this didn’t seem to be an option in her original plans.
She had lived in the countryside for twelve years. Two months ago, just after her eighteenth birthday, she was brought to Nan City by so-called family members she had never met in over a decade.
During her years in the countryside, although she had countless friends and elders who cared for her like family, people often yearn for what they lack. It was under these circumstances that the Gu family’s appearance stirred her longing for relatives. She wanted to ask her mother why she had been so heartless as to send her to the countryside back then.
But now, none of that mattered to Gu Ran. In the Nan City Gu family, the only person who had truly cared for her had been gone for twelve years.
As for that mother, who had never once visited her in over a decade—what was there to expect?
The Gu family’s real intention was merely the shares left by her father when he passed away. In her previous life, she had been foolish enough to be tricked into giving them away.
But now? Not only would she hold onto the shares in her possession, she would take control of the entire Gu Corporation.
However, now was not the time to dwell on these thoughts. Facing Fu Sijue’s intense gaze, Gu Ran thought for a moment and said, “Hmm, do I really have to go to school? Actually, I could support myself even without studying.”
Gu Ran thought of the assets under her name—not only could she support herself, but they would last her several lifetimes.
Hearing her words, Fu Sijue assumed she was saving face, afraid of being exposed for her poor academic record. He smiled and said, “Ranran is very capable. Besides, you have me. As long as you stay by my side, I’ll take care of you. Sending you to school is just so you can do what’s appropriate for your age, and I don’t want you to be wronged.”
Gu Ran roughly understood Fu Sijue’s intentions.
Having returned to Nan City for over two months, rumors were spreading that the eldest daughter of the Gu family was an uneducated country girl, an illiterate fool.
Well, it was no wonder such rumors existed. After all, her public records showed she was an academic dropout—a semi-illiterate who hadn’t even finished elementary school.
As for grievances, what did they have to do with her? People had mouths of their own, and even if she flaunted her academic credentials, those who wanted to slander her would always find an excuse.
However, seeing the eager anticipation in Fu Sijue’s eyes, Gu Ran couldn’t bear to refuse. After a moment’s thought, she said:
“Well, let me think about it. There are still a few days left anyway, right?”
Schools usually started around the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and today was only the tenth. She could use these few days to come up with a better excuse to discuss this matter with Fu Sijue.
Hearing this, Fu Sijue said nothing more. Compared to Gu Ran’s relaxed demeanor, he felt quite uneasy, afraid that any poorly chosen words might upset the girl before him.
Fu Sijue nodded and reached out to pick up a piece of beef for Gu Ran, placing it in her bowl.
Dinner was very cozy. Throughout the meal, Fu Sijue kept feeding her in various ways, almost putting the food directly into her mouth.
After the meal, Gu Ran didn’t let Fu Sijue leave. Instead, she found an excuse to have him accompany her for a walk in the back garden.
Gu Ran held onto Fu Sijue’s arm the entire way, one hand subtly resting on his wrist to check his pulse.
As time passed, a sharp glint flashed in Gu Ran’s eyes.
There were actually two types of poison. One was a slow-acting poison called Heart-Devouring. Based on Fu Sijue’s pulse, this poison had likely been in his system for two or three years.
As the name suggested, Heart-Devouring slowly consumed the victim’s heart meridians. Ordinary medical methods couldn’t detect it at all.
Moreover, the poisoner seemed to carefully control the dosage, ensuring the victim wouldn’t die immediately from poisoning. Only when the toxins reached a certain level would the victim die from sudden cardiac arrest, and doctors would simply assume the patient had died from heart disease.
In the two months Gu Ran had been at Tan Palace, she had come to understand how cautious Fu Sijue was.
Tan Palace might seem like just a residence, but it was surrounded by bodyguards and Shadow Guards at all times. Fu Sijue’s food, clothing, housing, and transportation were all strictly inspected.
Yet, it seemed these layers of inspection weren’t as foolproof as they appeared. There were still overlooked areas.
Over the past two months, though she and Fu Sijue hadn’t shared every meal, much of what they consumed overlapped. Therefore, the poisoner likely hadn’t tampered with their food.
Aside from the Heart-Devouring poison, Fu Sijue had also been poisoned with G3 Agent, a particularly torturous toxin.
The victim’s organs would gradually fail, but that wasn’t the worst of it. As the effects of the G3 Agent took hold, the victim would experience intermittent, full-body pain—an excruciating, bone-deep agony that ordinary painkillers couldn’t alleviate.
Those poisoned with G3 Agent would ultimately lose their lives amidst suffering and organ failure.
Gu Ran’s frown deepened. Given Fu Sijue’s current condition, even with so-called special medicine, he would only have a year to live if no antidote was found.
Though Fu Sijue appeared normal now, that was precisely what made G3 Agent so dangerous. Before the full toxicity manifested, it periodically tormented the victim with intense physical pain.
With each episode, the toxins slowly eroded the victim’s organs until the final toxic outbreak, when the organs would fail instantly. At that point, even Hua Tuo himself couldn’t save the victim.
What made Fu Sijue’s situation even more complicated was the presence of two toxins in his body, which significantly accelerated the time until the toxins would fully manifest.
One year may seem like ample time, but currently, there is no G3 antidote available. Developing one would make it impossible to control the timeline.
Moreover, this one-year estimate was the maximum duration Gu Ran deduced based on the pulse readings. If any unforeseen circumstances arise during this period, Fu Sijue could succumb to the poison at any moment.