Gu Ran suddenly recalled Fu Sijue from her previous life. She had never understood why the Alliance Commander, who intimidated both the underworld and legitimate society, had seen his combat abilities plummet in his later years.
Back then, Gu Ran had thought Fu Sijue’s reputation was merely built on hearsay. But now, reflecting on it, she suspected it was due to this poison. Two types of toxins were gnawing away at his body—no matter how robust his physique, even the strongest would eventually crumble.
“Ranran, Ranran…”
A man’s anxious voice sounded in her ears. Gu Ran finally snapped back to reality, her gaze meeting Fu Sijue’s eyes filled with concern.
“Ranran, what’s wrong?”
Fu Sijue watched Gu Ran nervously. They had been walking together just fine when suddenly he sensed something off about her. No matter how many times he called her, Gu Ran seemed trapped in some emotional turmoil—unresponsive and motionless.
“I’m fine. I was just lost in thought about some things. Ah Jue, let’s head back. It’s a bit cold outside.”
Gu Ran offered a casual excuse. She needed to return and carefully consider how to help Fu Sijue eliminate the toxins from his body.
But if she intervened personally, the alias she had maintained for years would likely be exposed.
After wrestling with the dilemma, Gu Ran steeled herself. An alias wasn’t as important as the man. Hadn’t she been reborn precisely to walk this path with him? She couldn’t let this second chance at life be wasted if he were gone.
With that thought, Gu Ran quickened her pace, pulling Fu Sijue toward the main building. Once inside, she headed straight upstairs.
However, she paused at the staircase the next moment, glancing at the person following behind her.
“Don’t follow.”
Dan Zuo was taken aback and looked toward Fu Sijue. Fu Sijue nodded at him, then followed Gu Ran upstairs.
This time, Gu Ran didn’t return to the bedroom but went to the study instead.
Once inside, she got straight to the point.
“Ah Jue, you’ve been poisoned. Did you know?”
Fu Sijue’s expression shifted abruptly, his gaze toward Gu Ran growing more complex.
“What do you mean, Ranran?”
Even though she was his beloved, at this moment, Fu Sijue couldn’t help but feel a surge of wariness toward the girl before him.
Gu Ran paid no mind to the change in his demeanor. Instead, she retrieved a bag from the desk drawer—items she had asked Xiao Ya to purchase that morning.
A set of silver acupuncture needles and some traditional Chinese herbs.
“Ranran, you…”
Seeing Gu Ran take out the needles, Fu Sijue was merely puzzled, not surprised, as these items had been bought with his permission.
“I know a bit about medicine, and I have a way to detoxify your body. Do you believe me?”
Upon hearing this, Fu Sijue stared at Gu Ran for a few seconds before nodding.
“I believe you.”
His response caught Gu Ran off guard, but then she remembered everything this man had done for her in her past life and found it no longer surprising.
Gu Ran pointed to the nearby sofa, signaling Fu Sijue to sit. She settled beside him, reached out, and began taking his pulse.
Her earlier examination outside hadn’t been thorough enough. Now that things were out in the open, Fu Sijue was her patient, and she intended to take full responsibility for his treatment.
At this point, Fu Sijue no longer concealed anything and spoke up.
“Over half a year ago, during a mission, I was accidentally exposed—it’s G3. There’s currently no antidote for this toxin. Jun Nan developed some special medicine that can only suppress the poison in my body and delay its onset. Ranran, to be honest, I’ve already decided to let go this time. Jun Nan said if no antidote is found, I have at most two years left…”
“No, one year. At most one year.”
Gu Ran interrupted before Fu Sijue could finish speaking. Li Junnan had only detected the G3 toxin in Fu Sijue’s system but had misjudged its severity.
Hearing this, a flicker of panic flashed in Fu Sijue’s eyes.
“What did you say?”
Fu Sijue was afraid—not of death. For someone like him, his head was always hanging by a thread, and he could lose his life at any moment. What he feared was having finally gained a sliver of concern from this girl, only to leave before he could fully cherish it. He couldn’t bear to part with the girl before him.
Gu Ran pressed her red lips together. From Fu Sijue’s words just now, it was clear he didn’t know he was also poisoned with the Heart-Devouring Poison.
Suddenly, Gu Ran felt a pang of sorrow. So this man had been living such a difficult life, surrounded by dangers, yet he remained completely unaware.
At this thought, Gu Ran stood up abruptly, then nestled into Fu Sijue’s embrace, sitting on his lap. She wrapped her arms around his head, pressing her forehead against his.
“Ah Jue, have you heard of the Heart-Devouring Poison?”
Fu Sijue was taken aback, then a complex emotion stirred in his eyes, the ink-black depths gradually losing their luster.
Fu Sijue wasn’t foolish. For Gu Ran to bring this up now, it was clearly related to him.
The Heart-Devouring Poison—he had heard of it. A colorless, odorless poison that killed without a trace. Victims would believe they died of heart failure.
The reason Fu Sijue knew of this poison was because it originated from an ancient text in the Fu family archives. However, the text only recorded the poison’s lethality, with no mention of its formula or antidote.
“Ranran, you know about the Heart-Devouring Poison too?”
This poison only existed in rare ancient texts—ordinary people wouldn’t know of it. Yet judging by Gu Ran’s demeanor, she seemed quite familiar with it.
Gu Ran nodded but didn’t reveal the whole truth, explaining instead:
“Years ago, an itinerant doctor came to Yangtian Village, where I lived. The medical skills I have were passed down from this itinerant doctor. I learned of the Heart-Devouring Poison from my master.”
At this point, Gu Ran lifted her head and took a deep breath, her expression turning grave as she looked at Fu Sijue before continuing.
“Ah Jue, you must have guessed it—you’ve also been poisoned with the Heart-Devouring Poison. Based on your pulse, it’s likely been two to three years.”
As she spoke, Gu Ran observed Fu Sijue’s expression. Seeing he wasn’t overly surprised, she went on:
“The person who poisoned you was very cautious. They didn’t administer a heavy dose but gradually built it up, using only small amounts each time. In such cases, your body wouldn’t show significant changes. But once the toxin reaches a certain level, it will erode your heart. The poisoned person would only think their heart is failing, and doctors would treat it as heart failure. However, that would only hasten death from the poison, and no one would ever suspect poisoning.”
Here, Gu Ran glanced at Fu Sijue again, her gaze lowering to rest on his heart. She reached out, gently placing her hand over his chest, and parted her red lips to ask:
“The G3 Agent has stimulated the Heart-Devouring Poison in your body. Originally, the G3 Agent would only cause bone-deep pain throughout your body with each episode, but because of the Heart-Devouring Poison, do you now experience sharp, stabbing pains in your chest every time the toxicity flares up?”
If Fu Sijue had harbored any doubt about Gu Ran before, it had now completely vanished.
Yet, thinking of the outcome Gu Ran had mentioned earlier, Fu Sijue still found it somewhat hard to accept.
“So, I have at most a year left, is that it?”
This time, Gu Ran’s face showed none of the earlier concern. Instead, her starry eyes sparkled, her lips curved slightly, and she wore an expression of confident composure.
Gu Ran cupped Fu Sijue’s face. Even though this man concealed all his emotions, she could still detect a trace of reluctance in his deep eyes.
Suddenly, Gu Ran leaned in, her warm red lips gently kissing the corner of Fu Sijue’s eye, then slowly moving sideways to his earlobe, where she whispered softly.
“That was before. Now that I’m here, you’ve promised to stay with me for a lifetime.”
After speaking, her expression shifted abruptly, turning serious, and her tone cooled slightly.
“But for now, we must first catch that rat hiding in the gutter.”
Without needing further explanation, Fu Sijue understood what she meant—even within the tightly guarded Tan Palace, there was someone who wanted his life.
“Alright, I’ll listen to you in everything.”
Gu Ran raised an eyebrow, thinking how nice it was to have an obedient man. She rose from Fu Sijue’s embrace, crossing her left arm over her chest and resting her right cheek on her hand as she paced back and forth in front of him.
Fu Sijue’s lips curved slightly. Far from worrying about having only a year left to live, he gazed deeply at the lively girl before him, his eyes filled with adoration and love.
“Actually, investigating this is quite simple. Start with your daily diet—check everyone who has handled your food, one by one.”
Hearing that it was related to his diet, Fu Sijue’s expression froze. Seeing this, Gu Ran knew exactly what he was worried about and said with a bright, gentle smile,
“Don’t worry, I’m fine. So, the other party is only targeting you, which actually narrows down the scope of the investigation.”
Fu Sijue breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. Knowing the general direction would make the investigation much easier.
However, Fu Sijue was now very curious—why was his Ranran so confident that she could eliminate the toxins in his body?
Li Junnan had repeatedly emphasized that if there was one person in this world who could detoxify him with absolute certainty, it could only be the mysterious and elusive Poison Doctor Yin Xue.
Yet, Fu Sijue kept this doubt to himself. Since his Ranran wanted to treat him, he would cooperate.
After all, Li Junnan had said that if the Poison Doctor couldn’t be found, his fate was certain death. In that case, he might as well try every possible remedy—even if it meant entrusting his life to this young girl. He was willing.
Of course, Gu Ran had no idea what Fu Sijue was thinking. She was already planning how to begin the treatment. Fortunately, her second senior brother would bring the things she had left at her sect tomorrow—among them were many treasures.
As for the actual antidote, Gu Ran wouldn’t claim to have absolute certainty, but if the King of Hell wanted to take a life from her hands, he would have to ask for her permission first.
By now, it was late at night, and the study had fallen into silence, creating an awkward atmosphere.
Noticing Fu Sijue’s intense gaze fixed on her, Gu Ran instinctively touched her face and asked,
“What’s wrong? Is there something on my face?”
“No, nothing, Ranran. I feel like I’ve been dreaming.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Fu Sijue felt a sharp pain on the back of his hand. Looking down, he saw Gu Ran’s small hand pinching the flesh there.
“Does it hurt?”
Gu Ran looked at Fu Sijue with a mischievous, roguish smile. He understood what she meant and shook his head helplessly before pulling her into his embrace.
“Ranran, I’m just afraid…”
If he had never experienced tenderness, he wouldn’t fear losing it. But today, Fu Sijue had encountered a different Gu Ran – the one he had always yearned for but never obtained.
Fu Sijue admitted he was completely captivated. If before last night he still entertained thoughts of letting go, after today, he could never release this woman.
Even if it meant keeping her by his side forever without ever winning her heart, he didn’t care. He only wanted this woman to remain forever within his sight.
“Fu Sijue, wait two years for me. On my twentieth birthday, let’s get married. Okay?”