Chapter 46 He Zhao Detoxifies

Chapter 46: He Zhao's Detoxification

"Can't you cure the poison from the Bone-Crushing Pill?" Xie Nai questioned, looking at Xiao Baiyu.

"I can! I will!" Xiao Baiyu replied through gritted teeth, his tone barely contained his fury.

Xie Nai nodded knowingly. Xiao Baiyu had developed that Bone-Crushing Pill himself. Although it was a deadly poison, as long as the antidote was given in time, it wouldn't cause any harm to the body.

And He Zhao probably didn't even know that having grown up in the Apricot Forest Manor, while he wasn't completely immune to all poisons, the Bone-Crushing Pill definitely couldn't harm him.

But unfortunately although He Zhao came from a family of apothecaries and had such a skilled senior brother as Xiao Baiyu, he still squandered his advantages. He could only detect that he had been poisoned, but didn't know the poison wouldn't kill him. Because his skills were lacking, he had been fooled all these days for no reason.

Seeing Xiao Baiyu still rooted to the spot, Xie Nai said, "Aren't you going to detoxify him? And you've been in Nanzhou for several days now—you only discovered he was poisoned today?"

Xie Nai gave Xiao Baiyu a look that unmistakably said, "You're not up to it."

"I..."

Xiao Baiyu was so taken aback he nearly lost his usual composed demeanor.

To be fair, it wasn't Xiao Baiyu's fault he discovered it so late. Since arriving in Nanzhou, He Zhao hadn't let him near—even the slightest touch made the little peacock flare up. Xie Nai certainly wasn't about to confess, "I poisoned your Flowery Peacock." So it wasn't until today, when Xiao Baiyu forcibly pulled He Zhao close for some affection, that he sensed something off in He Zhao's pulse.

Xiao Baiyu composed himself. After a moment, he reverted to his trademark gentle and refined manner.

His voice was gentle as he said, "Your Highness, after some thought, I've decided that asking you to keep Zhou Zhou here doesn't count toward your medical fees. I'll need to collect the consultation fee from Young Master Qin. How about thirty thousand taels of gold?"

Xie Nai: "..."

Before Xie Nai could respond, Xiao Baiyu's white robes fluttered as he strode off after He Zhao and Qin Jiao.

As for the harsh words Xiao Baiyu left behind, Xie Nai dismissed them as lightly as a petal blown by the wind. He turned and continued toward the main tent. The only one who'd suffer was Qin Jiao, still oblivious to the massive thirty-thousand-tael debt he'd just racked up.

——

By the riverside near the camp, the clear water rippled gently, and the reeds swayed in the night breeze.

Qin Jiao and He Zhao sat facing each other, neither speaking. Qin Jiao propped his chin on his hands and watched He Zhao toss small stones into the water. The tiny pebbles skipped several times before sinking with a "plop" into the depths.

Earlier, they had chatted, and Qin Jiao learned about He Zhao's background and why he'd come here.

According to He Zhao, he was originally a street urchin. As a child, he was rescued by Xiao Qisheng, the master of the Apricot Forest Manor. Xiao Qisheng took him back to the manor and adopted him as his son.

Xiao Baiyu was Xiao Qisheng's only son and He Zhao's senior brother. He Zhao and Xiao Baiyu had grown up together, sharing everything in close intimacy—until one day, He Zhao accidentally overheard Xiao Qisheng saying to Xiao Baiyu, "You're not young anymore. Your father has chosen a match for you. That young lady is gentle and virtuous, an excellent candidate for marriage."

He Zhao might look carefree and bold, but deep down he was insecure and hesitant about love. The news that Xiao Baiyu was going to discuss marriage cut him deep. He felt agitated but didn't want to talk about it.

One day, while Xiao Baiyu was talking to him, they inexplicably started arguing. In the heat of the argument, He Zhao blurted out that he knew about the marriage talks and told Xiao Baiyu to mind his own business.

Xiao Baiyu was stunned for a moment and tried to explain, but the Flowery Peacock, once enraged, wouldn't listen to anything. He Zhao didn't say how that argument ended, but the final result was:

Furious and refusing to hear Xiao Baiyu out, He Zhao ran straight out of the Apricot Forest Manor. Then, out of curiosity about Xie Nai's bracelet, he got into trouble, was chased, poisoned, and dragged into the Nanzhou murder case.

"Plop—"

When He Zhao threw his twenty-second pebble, Qin Jiao couldn't help but ask, "So, are you going back to the Apricot Forest Manor with your senior brother?"

"No, I'm going to roam the jianghu. Who wants to go back and watch him get all lovey-dovey with someone else?"

"What are you worried about? Didn't Divine Doctor Xiao say he's already refused his father? How could there be any 'lovey-dovey'?"

Qin Jiao thought, even if there were lovey-dovey, it would be with you.

"I..." He Zhao frowned. His clothes, usually so bright, seemed dull now. He sighed, unsure whether he could share some things with Qin Jiao.

What was he worried about? Xiao Qisheng had been immensely kind to him, turning him from a homeless orphan into a child with a family. Yet he had gone and turned the man's only son into a lover of men, cutting off the family line and leaving no descendants...

The two fell silent for a while. In the end, He Zhao didn't voice his inner conflict to Qin Jiao.

Seeing He Zhao's silence, Qin Jiao didn't press further. They sat by the river for a while longer. Just as He Zhao threw his forty-ninth pebble, Xiao Baiyu arrived.

As soon as Xiao Baiyu appeared, He Zhao grabbed Qin Jiao, trying to use him as an intrusive third wheel. But Qin Jiao was smart enough to make a graceful exit. He pried himself free from He Zhao's grip and walked away without hesitation.

"Qin Jiao, you traitor!"

He Zhao's furious shout came from behind, followed by Xiao Baiyu's voice: "Don't move, Zhou Zhou. Let me detoxify you first..."

The next day dawned clear and sunny.

A gentle breeze was blowing.

Cong Shuang had cooked some congee for Qin Jiao. He sat at the table with a small bowl, eating slowly, while He Zhao was beside him, mooching a meal.

As Qin Jiao stirred his congee, he asked, "So, is the poison in your body neutralized?"

He Zhao shot Qin Jiao a dirty look: "You traitor, how dare you ask? You bolted yesterday and left me to be thoroughly worked over by Xiao Baiyu."

Qin Jiao, confused by the glare, was about to speak when the tent flap was suddenly pushed aside. Xie Nai appeared at the entrance, dressed in white. The instant Qin Jiao saw him, he recalled how close Xie Nai had leaned in last night, and he felt flustered and embarrassed.

Not far away, Xiao Baiyu strolled over leisurely. As soon as he saw He Zhao, he smiled, but He Zhao turned away, completely ignoring him.

Qin Jiao stole a glance at the pair and thought, "Haven't they reconciled yet?"

"Are you done eating?" Xie Nai asked Qin Jiao.

"Hmm, what's up?" Qin Jiao pretended to be nonchalant.

"Xiao Nianzhang sent word that Li Chengwei has been caught. Want to come see?"

Compared to the little embarrassments of last night, Qin Jiao was more concerned about Li Chengwei's capture. He asked urgently, "Where did you find Li Chengwei?"

"The Nanzhou Mortuary."

That place... Qin Jiao fell silent. "How did he end up at the Nanzhou Mortuary? Didn't he take Xu Rujin away?"

Earlier, word had come that something had happened at the Nanzhou Mortuary and Xu Rujin's body was missing. Qin Jiao assumed Li Chengwei had taken her, but if he was captured near the mortuary, there might be more to it.

"Xu Rujin wasn't taken by Li Chengwei. She's at the Nantai Temple."

"What?"

When Xie Nai finished, not just Qin Jiao but also He Zhao was stunned, eyes wide.

"The theft of the unnamed female corpse from Nanzhou charity morgue was just a false message I spread to lure Li Chengwei into the trap."

"It's one trap layered on another—all a setup," He Zhao clicked his tongue in amazement beside him.

No wonder Xie Nai had repeatedly said before that there was no need to worry about Li Chengwei.

"Even if it's a trap, only those with feelings would fall for it. If Li Chengwei hadn't cared at all about Xu Rujin and had fled alone, we wouldn't have caught him," Qin Jiao sighed in a low voice.

In the end, Xie Nai was fishing, and Li Chengwei, because of his feelings, willingly took the bait.

The future top scholar (tanhua) and the bride-to-be—the unforeseen cruelty of human nature, an irreversible tragedy. "Sigh..."

Thinking of Li Chengwei and Xu Rujin's plight, He Zhao could only let out a helpless sigh. "Let's go. Let's head to Nantai Temple together and take a look."

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