Chapter 5: Marry Her

Liu Ruoshui slowly threaded her way through the crowd. Her back was held straight as she turned the corner step by step, only letting out a sigh of relief once she had completely escaped Jun Tianxiang's line of sight.

Golden stars danced before her eyes, and cold sweat continuously seeped from her forehead. Had it not been for her hand hidden within her sleeve, pressing hard against her Hegu acupoint, she might have fainted right in front of the gates of Prince Gong's Mansion.

She had thought her remaining physical strength would be enough to support her return to the Prime Minister's Estate, but she realized she had made a very serious mistake.

Her current body was not like her previous life's body—a bronze-like, iron-clad physique forged through twenty years of being soaked in medicinal waters since birth and tempered by daily physical training—but rather the weak, fragile constitution of an ancient, sheltered young lady, soft and easily toppled.

At this moment, her entire being was in a state of exhaustion; her feet felt as if they were stepping on cotton, her legs were as limp as noodles, and waves of darkness washed over her vision.

*Oh no! I'm going to faint!*

That was the last conscious thought that flashed through her mind.

As her body slumped down limply, she felt as if she were being caught by something.

A slightly mocking voice faintly echoed in her ear: "Ha, my timing really is impeccable!"

In a private room on the second floor of the teahouse, the door was suddenly burst open.

The man in black's eyes sharpened, the knuckles of his hand gripping the teacup protruding abruptly, as his gaze shot piercingly toward the door...

Only to see the white-clad youth from moments ago, carrying a green-clad young girl in his arms, crashing inside.

The man in black's expression instantly relaxed. He took a sip of tea and said indifferently, "Eighth, what are you doing?"

In the private room sat a carved rosewood Luohan bed intended for tea guests to take short rests. The white-clad youth walked over, carefully placed the green-clad girl in his arms onto the bed, and then turned around, scratching his head sheepishly. "Well, it's like this. When I rushed over, I just happened to see her faint right in front of me. This... this, I couldn't just stand by and watch her die, could I?"

"You're saving your person, but why bring them here? Is this a medical clinic? Am I a doctor?" the man in black said coldly, without even sparing a glance at the unconscious Liu Ruoshui on the bed.

"I was afraid of being seen! It's quieter here, no one will come," the white-clad youth said, walking to the table, picking up a teacup, draining it in one gulp, and wiping his mouth.

"It seems her injuries are not light. Why didn't you send her to a clinic? Or send her directly back to her estate?" The man in black finally raised his eyes, his gaze drifting indifferently over Ruoshui's face before drifting back.

"I didn't dare!" The white-clad youth made a bitter face and gave a hollow laugh. "Seventh Brother, this Eldest Miss Liu is quite the celebrity in our Imperial Capital right now. Walking down the street, there's hardly anyone who doesn't recognize her face. Men and women should not touch... if someone saw me carrying her... this, the consequences would be unimaginable!"

"What consequences? Weren't you curious about her? Just go with the flow and marry her!" The man in black looked at him with a mocking tone.

"Marry her?" The white-clad youth turned to glance at Liu Ruoshui on the bed. Seeing that swollen, festering face, he suddenly shuddered, shook his head, and said, "Seventh Brother, don't ruin your little brother. This Miss Liu is a decent person, but that face... it's truly terrifying. If I married her, I guarantee I'd have nightmares every single night!"

"Then by leaving her here, do you intend for me to have nightmares every night?"

"I am a worldly man; I look at outward appearances. Seventh Brother, you and I are not the same. To you, a beautiful woman and a skeleton are no different; beauty or ugliness is nothing more than a mere skin," the white-clad youth said with a grin. "Since that's the case, I'll trouble Seventh Brother to look after Miss Liu on my behalf. I have urgent business, so I shall take my leave first."

Having said that, he unleashed his lightness skill. With a flash of white, the white-clad youth's figure vanished from the room, even taking the opportunity to close the door behind him.

Anger gathered in the man in black's eyes. Just as he was about to lose his temper, the person was already gone. He slammed his teacup heavily onto the table, causing tea to splash everywhere, and his gaze, filled with fury, swept coldly toward the unconscious Liu Ruoshui on the bed.

***

Ruoshui had a very, very long dream. She dreamed of her self before the transmigration, working in a laboratory to develop a type of detoxification reagent. As a chief military physician, others only knew of her peerless medical skills, but they did not know that her mastery of toxins was even greater; she was most skilled at using poison to combat poison to overcome difficult and complex diseases.

With a loud bang, the test tube in her hand suddenly exploded, and a flash of white light passed...

She jolted awake. Opening her eyes, she found herself lying on a completely unfamiliar bed. She rubbed her eyes, propped herself up with her elbows, and looked around.

It was a square room furnished with extremely simple furniture. A window was built into the right wall; the window was tightly shut, and the window panes were covered with translucent white paper.

The time should have been evening; the orange glow of the sunset dyed the window paper red, adding a touch of warmth to this simple room.

Where was this? How did she get here? She was certain that this place was definitely not the Prime Minister's Estate.

She frowned slightly, trying hard to recall the moment before she fainted.

It seemed there was a man's voice speaking in her ear.

It appeared she had been rescued by someone.