Chapter 59 Gu Removal: “Your brother-in-law treats you so well.”

Chapter 59: Breaking the Gu: Your brother-in-law is so good to you.

Xie Tanwei accompanied Tian Qin as they alighted from the carriage together. The sun shone brightly, white clouds hung like scales high in the sky, and the east wind carried the scent of herbs, a cool breeze soothing her limbs and making her feel comfortable.

The old physician of the Thousand Gold Hall had opened a clinic to teach apprentices, and at this moment, the crowd was bustling. Patients attracted by his fame filled the hall, bustling with a cacophony of voices.

Xie Tanwei kept a low profile, not taking any carriage bearing the emblem of the Xie family, nor wearing any conspicuous ornaments. From the outside, he looked merely like a handsome young gentleman—who would guess he was the man who held the reins of the imperial court, whose achievements rivaled the Duke of Zhou's, the most powerful minister of all?

"Make sure you get the medicine for your sister properly."

Xie Tanwei instructed. "Come back when you're bored with playing. Don't make me come get you myself."

He gently pressed a small patch of skin beneath Tian Qin's sleeve on her wrist, where a faint purple bruise had formed—the mark left by the Love Gu from her repeated disobedience.

Tian Qin looked away, her dark lashes lowered, veiling her eyes. "I understand."

Xie Tanwei let go of her hand.

She fled into the medical hall as if in a panic. Xie Tanwei stood calm and unmoved, gazing into the distance. His white robe was lifted by the gentle breeze as he routinely performed his duty of watching over his sister-in-law. His unseen gaze locked onto her like a silent surveillance.

He still felt like playing this cat-and-mouse game, so the dying fish wouldn't keel over too soon.

Tian Qin walked through the bustling crowd of Thousand Gold Hall, looking left and right, searching for Su Tiaotiao's silhouette. That day when she left the Su residence, the two had secretly agreed to meet here.

For a friend to go this far was enough. Su Tiaotiao had a chivalrous heart, which was why she was willing to get involved in Tian Qin's affairs.

But Tian Qin didn't want Su Tiaotiao to intervene. Everyone who got close to her ended up in trouble. The small Su family couldn't stand against the Xie family.

"Over here—"

Su Tiaotiao, to avoid attracting attention, had blended into Master Xizhong's school within the hall, pretending to study medicine. Tian Qin had a flash of inspiration and knelt down among the disciples, right next to Su Tiaotiao.

On the stage, the white-bearded Master Xizhong swayed his head rhythmically as he lectured on the eight extraordinary meridians and the flow of blood in the human body.

Master Xizhong's open school attracted countless students.

Su Tiaotiao bumped Tian Qin's arm. "Your brother-in-law personally brought you here?"

Tian Qin mumbled vaguely, "No."

"Don't lie. He's dignified and poised, every expression glows with radiance, standing out in the crowd and drawing everyone's eyes."

Su Tiaotiao blinked. "Such a good man—why do you want to run away from him?"

Tian Qin pretended to stroke her hair, her wrist still carrying the lingering scent of his body, a burning warmth.

"You're overthinking."

Su Tiaotiao clicked her tongue, clearly unconvinced. "Just now I saw him holding your hand, so gentle. Tian'er, you're living in a honey pot—what could you possibly be unhappy about?"

Tian Qin lowered her head, staring at the honey-colored Su embroidery patterns on her skirt. "Is it normal for a brother-in-law to be extremely strict with his sister-in-law? I mean, like, super strict?"

Gentleness was just a protective camouflage for intimidation and control. His highly deceptive appearance—cultured, graceful, poised—once you tore off the sugary coating, the inside was bitter and poisonous.

Xie Tanwei's strictness exceeded what she could bear. Food, clothing, shelter, tracking her movements, even manipulating her spirit through the Love Gu that seeped into her limbs and bones—she was tense even in her breathing.

Her body had long been possessed by him—but not by force. Every time, he used masterful tricks to bewitch her and make her willingly dive into that sweet, sacrificial game.

She was utterly broken.

Su Tiaotiao, upon hearing this, thought it over for a while. "I see."

Tian Qin also remained silent. The two sat leaning against each other.

On the stage, Master Xizhong was explaining the meridians in simple terms, and the disciples chimed in enthusiastically, making the two of them feel even more isolated.

Su Tiaotiao couldn't think of a way out of the situation. First, Xie Tanwei's power was supreme; second, Tian Qin was now an orphan living under someone else's roof—she had nowhere else to go if she left the Xie family.

Su Tiaotiao compassionately took Tian Qin's cold hand. "Don't get stuck obsessing over it. The world is small, things always work out. In fact, look at it from another angle—the world is harsh. If someone is willing to take the trouble to watch over you and care for you, it's a rare blessing."

Tian Qin choked. "That's not..."

She couldn't stand it when others romanticized Xie Tanwei's control as protection. Only when you wore this yoke could you know how heavy it was. This was not a blessing—it was a curse.

"Hmm?" Su Tiaotiao raised an eyebrow. "What about the beggars on the streets who can't eat or keep warm? That's real hardship, my dear lady."

Tian Qin smiled bitterly and didn't want to say more. "Maybe."

Su Tiaotiao said, "Honestly, how many people out there envy you for having such a strikingly charismatic brother-in-law."

The Love Gu inside Tian Qin flowed cheerfully, as if silently mocking her struggles. Behind the "envy" lay a heavy price.

"Mm."

Xie Tanwei was a master at manipulating people's hearts. Loyal to the emperor, filial to elders, considerate to his wife, courteous to subordinates—the most perfect disguise, impossible to see through. With the aura of a sage, wherever he went, he drew attention and won praise.

But only toward her, he revealed his most primal, unmasked side. His possessiveness was like a venomous snake's fangs.

He wears two faces.

Though she was his sister-in-law, the repeated line-crossing had blurred the boundaries. Now, she was neither sister nor concubine.

"I also have a brother-in-law. After he married my sister, he treated her terribly. He made her wait on his mother hand and foot, and when he was upset in court, he took his anger out on her. Toward me, he was even stingier—he never gave a single red pocket for holidays."

"As for his appearance, he's worlds apart from the Head of the Xie Family—you wouldn't spot him in a crowd."

Su Tiaotiao patiently tried to comfort her. "Could it be that Lord Xie is just too good to you, and that scares you? Better to make peace than hold a grudge. Just act a little cute with him from now on, and it'll pass. In the future, you'll have to rely on him to find you a good marriage."

Tian Qin couldn't listen at all. Their situations were different. Others couldn't understand the living hell she was in, nor Xie Tanwei's cold, pathological need to control her. Marriage? A pipe dream.

No, it's never been the same.

At that moment, Master Xizhong's session ended. The students below were eager, asking questions enthusiastically.

Tian Qin and Su Tiaotiao put aside their worries and strolled around Thousand Gold Hall. Apprentices, physicians, pharmacists, accountants settling bills—each performed their duties, keeping the small business running in an orderly way amidst the rich scent of herbs.

Tian Qin was staring at a ginseng soaked in a jar when her peripheral vision suddenly caught Zhao Ning, who was carrying a lunchbox. She had no idea when he'd shown up in the medical hall either.

She was instantly alarmed.

How was Zhao Ning here?

Had Zhao Ning been watching her all along?

Zhao Ning, however, acted perfectly normal. When he saw her, he walked over quickly. "You haven't had breakfast. The master asked me to bring you lotus seed soup and golden-thread rolls."

With that, he pushed the warm lunchbox into her hands.

Before Tian Qin could react, Su Tiaotiao beside her exclaimed in disbelief. "Tian'er, your family's just way too good to you. You don't know how lucky you've got it."

Zhao Ning ignored Su Tiaotiao and gave the order to Tian Qin: "It's not much. The master wants you to finish it all."

Tian Qin's mood darkened and nodded in acknowledgment.

Zhao Ning turned and left.

Tian Qin opened the food box, and the fragrant aroma filled her nostrils—it was from the Xie family kitchen. She had no appetite, her heart troubled; he had to interfere even with something as trivial as breakfast.

Su Tiaotiao sniffed: "So fragrant and exquisite, way better than what my family's cook makes."

Tian Qin shoved it all to Su Tiaotiao, adding that if she didn't eat it, she would throw it away.

Su Tiaotiao was flattered: "Really?"

Tian Qin continued wandering around Thousand Gold Hall, hoping to find someone who knows about Gu.

The lecture had ended, and the apprentices were gradually dispersing. Master Xizhong shouldered his medicine box and was about to leave when Tian Qin approached him. "Master, you are skilled in medicine—do you also know about poisons?"

The old man was taken aback. "Why do you ask, miss?"

Tian Qin made up an elaborate lie, wiping away her tears: "A family member of mine has fallen ill with a strange disease, suspected to be a Gu affliction. My family has gone everywhere looking for doctors, draining our money. Hearing that you teach here, I came because of your reputation."

Master Xizhong had been about to leave but turned pale at the mention of Gu. He lowered his voice: "Gu? Are you certain? There are many illnesses that resemble Gu symptoms—don't say things like that lightly."

Tian Qin nodded: "Absolutely sure."

Master Xizhong asked: "What are the symptoms? Vomiting and diarrhea with worm eggs, persistent high fever? A swollen, hard abdomen, delirium, high fever, or white eyes, coughing up black blood?"

Tian Qin shook her head and spoke with difficulty: "None of those. The symptoms are very strange—just feeling suffocated every day, tired and depressed, uncontrollably thinking of one person and obeying that person's words."

Master Xizhong stroked his white beard and laughed softly: "Miss, that's lovesickness."

Tian Qin swore: "Definitely not."

She also couldn't explain what Xie Tanwei had planted in her, but she was certain because she had seen him insert long needles all over her skin, implanting the Love Gu one stitch at a time—it was no delusion.

Seeing her sincere expression, Master Xizhong took out a medical text he had kept at the bottom of his trunk, dusted it off, and carefully opened it. "I have little knowledge of this subject—only what I've read in ancient books."

He pointed to the grotesque insects depicted on the yellowed pages. "For example, the Golden Thread Gu, the king of Gu—a golden pupa. Its victim's spine feels like it's coming apart and their complexion withers like gold leaf. Another is the Three Corpses Gu, which causes the victim to develop corpse-like spots, with their belly bursting and intestines pierced. Or the Mantis Gu, which makes its victim violent and irritable, tormenting them for forty-nine days until they die..."

Tian Qin focused intently, watching and memorizing. The Gu on the pages were hideous, but none matched her symptoms. Finally she saw "Lovesickness Gu"—its victim becomes mentally confused, having hallucinations and imagining sex. In fact, it was similar to an aphrodisiac, not the sophisticated Love Gu that Xie Tanwei had used.

Master Xizhong closed the book. "I've also heard rumors that Love Gu comes in pairs—it harms both the user and the victim equally. One must be placed in the user's body and the other in the victim's body, enabling one to control the other. But I've never witnessed it myself."

"Moreover, it's said that Love Gu can only be dispelled once..."

Tian Qin realized from Master Xizhong's words that his knowledge of toxicology was inferior to Xie Tanwei's. The true methods and secrets of Love Gu were beyond Master Xizhong's reach.

Still, she benefited greatly—it was like the clouds parted and she saw a crack of light. Love Gu was not invincible.

There is always someone better; there is always someone out there more skilled at dispelling Gu than Xie Tanwei. Everything in the world has its nemesis—even a poison as deadly as bamboo viper has an antidote within five steps.

"Thank you, Master."

Seeing her melancholy expression, Master Xizhong felt a touch of sympathy. She was beautiful, dressed in expensive clothes, clearly of noble birth—it was rare for a young lady her age to have such heavy worries.

"If it's convenient, miss, you could bring your family member to Thousand Gold Hall. I'll take their pulse myself and determine if it's Love Gu. I also have friends in the medical field who are skilled in detoxification and can offer some help."

Tian Qin smiled and expressed her thanks. Master Xizhong concluded with a sigh: "Gu arts are unorthodox. The one who tied the bell must untie it. Some poisons penetrate deep into the organs—forcing a removal will only harm yourself."