Chapter 10: The Fish Takes the Bait

His words were hesitant and stammering, extremely awkward. The face beneath his mask was flushed bright red; fortunately, since he was wearing the mask, she didn't see it.

With his status and position, appearing outside the private chambers of an unmarried woman in the middle of the night to wait for a young lady... such a thing... let alone doing it, even just thinking about it... he had never once considered it!

But even so, this was far more acceptable to him than following her to the Prime Minister's Estate.

Ruoshui's bright eyes stared directly at him. Feeling a sense of guilt in his heart, the man averted his gaze.

Ruoshui suddenly sighed and said plaintively, "I treat Benefactor with all my sincerity, yet Benefactor does not believe me. It truly makes Ruoshui sad."

Her tone was resentful and her expression sorrowful, as if she had suffered a great injustice.

The man in black couldn't help but look at her.

"Benefactor, do you think Ruoshui asked you to return to the estate with me because I intended to harm you? Benefactor has truly misunderstood Ruoshui. There is something you do not know: although the Gu poison in your body acts during the Hour of the Rat every night, they can come to life at any time. Therefore, Ruoshui must stay by Benefactor's side at all times to diagnose him constantly. Only in this way can the little insects in Benefactor's body be killed without leaving a single one behind. Ruoshui sincerely wishes to detoxify Benefactor, but as an unmarried woman, I cannot follow you by your side. I have no choice but to trouble Benefactor to stay at the Prime Minister's Estate with Ruoshui for a period of time. Once Ruoshui has driven all the poisonous insects out of Benefactor, Benefactor will no longer have to endure the pain of ten thousand insects devouring his heart every night."

Ruoshui's words were perfectly logical and extremely sincere. The man in black was moved and murmured, "So that is how it is."

"Otherwise, what did Benefactor think?" Ruoshui's gaze was resentful, with a faint shimmer of tears in her eyes.

The man felt another wave of guilt; he had indeed let his mind wander just now.

He had originally thought that Liu Ruoshui was bringing him back to the estate to—to—offer herself to him.

A wave of shame washed over him. He thought to himself how he had become so indecisive today; the young lady clearly had good intentions, yet he was suspicious of her at every turn.

"Then... if I return to the estate with you, how will you explain it to your father?"

The fish is finally taking the bait! Ruoshui felt a surge of secret joy.

She raised her head, her face filled with openness and honesty.

"What difficulty is there in that? I will simply say you are a newly recruited guard, providing... providing close protection for my safety."

The man in black nodded inwardly; that was a good explanation.

"Fine... very well. Then I shall accompany Miss Liu to the estate to stay for a period of time. I only wonder... how many days will it take to drive out the Gu poison?"

"Benefactor, I will not hide it from you. You have been afflicted by this poison for twenty years, and the poisonous insects in your body have long since multiplied endlessly. If we are to drive them all out completely, even Ruoshui does not know how many days it will take. But please rest assured, Benefactor—as long as Ruoshui stays by your side, whenever your toxicity flares up, Ruoshui will be able to relieve your pain at any time."

The man was very intelligent and understood instantly. As soon as Ruoshui's voice fell, he understood her meaning: as long as his poison was not fully eradicated, he would have to stay by her side without moving a single step...

If things went poorly, from this day forward, this woman... would become like a maggot on his bones, just like the poisonous insects in his body—impossible to disperse, impossible to drive away...

He suddenly shuddered. He lifted his head, his eyes staring intently at Ruoshui as if trying to see through her.

Ruoshui's eyes were clear, her expression completely composed.

No flaws could be seen...

But a vague intuition in his heart told him that there seemed to be a trap right beside him, already dug and waiting for him to jump in.

Was it staying by this troublesome woman's side? Or enduring the excruciating pain of ten thousand insects devouring his heart every night?

The man in black fought an internal battle, hesitant and uncertain.

His gaze fell upon Ruoshui's face, and he suddenly felt relieved. She was merely a frail woman, not a tiger; could she really eat him? Once she had cured his Gu poison, with his own skills, he could naturally withdraw at any time...

"Very well. Since that is the case, I shall trouble Miss Liu," he agreed readily with a nod.

Success!

Ruoshui secretly wiped a bead of sweat. Fishing for this big fish was... so exhausting!

She had performed the entire play, from the lines to the gestures, and finally got the man in black to take the bait.

The two left the inn, with Ruoshui leading the way. After walking a few steps, she stole a glance back at the man in black, who was only a step behind her, and felt a surge of intense triumph in her heart.

"By the way, I do not know what line of work Benefactor is in. How should Ruoshui address you?" Ruoshui stopped her steps and turned back to ask.

"..." The man in black paused, thinking for a moment.

"An assassin. Nameless and faceless," he said briefly.

An assassin? So, an assassin, Ruoshui thought, eyeing the man in black suspiciously. This man's temperament was upright and honorable; he didn't look like an assassin who hid in the dark of night to kill people at all.

However, seeing his black attire and thinking of the human-skin mask on his face, she believed him somewhat. Because assassins usually preferred black clothing and did not show their true faces.

"Then how should Ruoshui address you? I cannot keep calling you Benefactor forever."

"I am the seventh in my line." The man in black felt a wave of irritation. Could this woman just shut her mouth? He was being driven mad by her.

"You are seventh? Then I shall call you Xiao Qi. Does that sound good? Xiao Qi?"