Chapter 9: Come Home With Me

Truly... exhilarating!

Ruoshui's movement caused the man's eyes to instantly brighten. His hands were hidden beneath the table, and he couldn't help but mimic Ruoshui's gesture, clenching his fist and giving a light, phantom swing.

"Speaking of which, there is one thing I truly admire about you," Ruoshui said, suddenly changing the subject.

"Hmm?" A look of doubt appeared in the man's eyes.

"The Gu raised by these Miao people are the little insects inside your body. Their outbreaks follow a pattern. When this Gu first entered your body, it didn't act up quickly—it occurred about once a year. After five years, it became once every six months. When you were ten, it was once a month. From the year you turned fifteen, it became once a day. Am I correct?"

A look of pain surfaced in the man's gaze as he gave a nearly imperceptible nod.

Ruoshui's gaze was filled with sympathy, but even more so with admiration.

"This poison acts every night at the Hour of the Rat. Whenever it strikes, your entire body feels as if it is being pierced by ten thousand needles, the pain piercing straight to the bone. That bone-deep agony will torment you to the point where you'll wish for death but be unable to find it. If I had been struck by this poison, I'm afraid I would have succumbed to the torment and killed myself long ago. Yet, for these past five years, you have lived through this life-worse-than-death existence every single night. Thinking of that, I cannot help but feel sincere admiration for you. Just how much willpower did you use to endure all these years, hmm?" Ruoshui's eyes held a searching look.

The man lowered his eyes, but his hands beneath the table clenched tightly into fists. Only he knew that kind of pain, a pain no human could endure!

"Sigh..." Ruoshui let out a long sigh and fell silent.

"Can you... resolve it?" The man suddenly looked up, his voice cold, yet unable to hide a trace of trembling.

Liu Ruoshui couldn't help herself and rolled her eyes at him. Was there something wrong with this man's ears? She had clearly just said she was going to kill all the little insects inside his body!

"Correct, I can help you detoxify," Ruoshui nodded, her dark pupils staring straight at him.

The man in black fell into a silence.

Liu Ruoshui closed her mouth and stopped speaking as well.

One sitting and one standing, they looked at each other like a pair of mismatched gourds.

"Speak, what are your conditions?" After a long silence, the man finally spoke.

Not bad! This man was quite sensible and smart enough! It wasn't in vain that she had just been talking her head off; she had been waiting for exactly this sentence.

"Benefactor, do you take me for a petty person who takes advantage of a crisis to blackmail you using a favor?" Ruoshui stared at him without blinking.

*Are you not?* the man muttered inwardly. *You just said that whole long speech, weren't you just waiting for me to say this? I'm not an idiot.*

Fearing that Ruoshui would see through his thoughts, the man cleared his throat and nonchalantly averted his gaze.

"If I were to insist that the Benefactor agree to certain conditions of mine before I would help you detoxify, then I truly would become the petty person you think I am," Ruoshui said with a faint smile.

Seen through again! The man was becoming somewhat accustomed to it. He turned his eyes back, looking at Ruoshui suspiciously.

"No conditions?"

"Correct. Please rest assured, Benefactor, Ruoshui has no conditions. I will certainly help you expel the Gu poison so that you no longer have to suffer the torment of pain every night."

Ruoshui smiled softly, walked to the bedside, and sat down. The man in black's gaze involuntarily followed her.

Having stood for so long, she was indeed tired.

This man in black just sat there grandly like some high and mighty ruler, making a young lady like her stand beside him—he truly lacked any gentlemanly grace!

She massaged her aching legs and then stood up, walking in front of the man.

"Let's go."

"Where to?" The man was stunned.

"Home."

"Whose home?" The man was completely bewildered.

"My home, of course. The Prime Minister's Manor," Ruoshui blinked, her expression full of innocence.

"I... go with you, to your home, to the Prime Minister's Manor?" The man finally understood, staring at Ruoshui in disbelief.

"Yes. If you don't come home with me, how can I help you detoxify?" Ruoshui acted as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Can it not be done here?" The man finally questioned, unable to endure it any longer.

"Here? Of course not. This is an inn, not my home. Do you expect me to not return home for the night? If I did, my old man, the Prime Minister, would surely kick this rebellious daughter out of the house," Ruoshui said with a beaming smile.

"You mean, to resolve this poison, we must wait until nightfall?"

"Correct. Your poison acts every night at the Hour of the Rat. Naturally, I must wait until the little insects in your body crawl out to bite you to discover their whereabouts, then find them and kill them."

"..." The man fell silent.

Ruoshui was in no hurry. She stood to the side gracefully, quietly waiting for him to make a decision.

"Miss Liu, how about this?" After a long period of silence, the man finally spoke: "You return to the manor first. Tonight, at the Hour of the Rat, I... I will appear punctually outside Miss... Miss's room to await your detoxification of this humble one."