“What a pretty girl! Today, I’ll do a good deed and take you in! When I take you home and fatten you up, I might even make you my concubine!” He ended with a lewd chuckle.
The girl was terrified, trembling and trying to back away. Lan Lan stepped forward and declared, “I’ll take this girl!” Turning to the girl, she asked, “Are you willing to come with me?”
“Yes, thank you, madam, for your kindness. This servant will work to repay you,” the girl replied joyfully, seeing Lan Lan as a protector.
The wealthy man was furious but stunned upon seeing the ethereal Lan Lan, drooling in admiration. Lan Lan smiled sweetly, asking, “Sir, can I have this girl today?”
“Of course,” the man replied distractedly, his mind on Lan Lan rather than the situation.
“Then I thank you,” Lan Lan said with an insincere smile.
“Xiaoyue, go call some people to help the young lady handle the aftermath.” He instructed, and Xiaoyue went to find help.
“Miss, wait a moment! This is something I had my eye on first. How can you take what belongs to others?”
Seeing Lan Lan tell Xiaoyue to call people, the local wealthy man finally came to his senses, his beady eyes shifting as he thought of a plan.
“Unless…” The local wealthy man stared at Lan Lan, purposely keeping her in suspense.
“Unless what?” Lan Lan coldly laughed, feeling disgusted and not wanting to entertain him further, her gaze turning cold.
The local wealthy man noticed Lan Lan’s sudden icy demeanor, which made her seem even more alluring. An obscene smile crept across his face as he suggested, “As long as you come with me, I can get you as many girls like this as you want.” He reached out to touch Lan Lan’s delicate face, but before he could, she slapped him hard.
“You dare hit me?” The local wealthy man looked at Lan Lan in disbelief, his face shifting from embarrassment to rage. “You damn whore, since you won’t take the toast, I’ll make you drink the punishment. Get her!” He ordered his men to use force and drag her home.
Before they could get close, several men in black jumped out from the crowd.
After a series of “pili-palala” sounds, the local wealthy man and his men collapsed with swollen faces, crying out in pain. The wealthy man shook his dazed head, trying to see who hit him. At that moment, a large foot stomped on him, causing a crisp sound from his bones. “Mercy, great hero! I won’t do it again!” he pleaded.
“This is a lesson for you. Next time, be careful about who you provoke. Not everyone is someone you can mess with. You won’t be so lucky next time,” warned the man standing over him, patting his distorted face and causing him more pain. He could only squint as they retreated.
Lan Lan recognized that those who had come to her rescue were from the Dark Hall. Long Junhao had sent several people to follow them, ready to assist if problems arose.
How awesome! She could be a hero without lifting a finger. Lan Lan felt inwardly delighted.
“Xiaoyue, hurry up, help the girl settle things and then bring her back. I’ll take the children back first.” She instructed Xiaoyue, leading the children toward the royal residence.
“Mom, you’re so amazing!” Xiner said admiringly.
“Xiner, be good. People should stand up for justice and help when they see injustice. Do you understand?”
She turned back and asked Long Zhen and Long Lei.
“Understood! I want to be a powerful hero, just like Dad!” Long Zhen answered loudly.
“Good child.” Lan Lan patted Long Zhen’s head and continued walking, chuckling at the discussions about her from behind.
Thinking she was just trying to show off, Lan Lan took a drink. As she put down the bowl, her eyes briefly caught Qi Xi’s face, noticing a fleeting glimmer of glee before Qi Xi returned to a respectful expression. Lan Lan dismissed it, assuming she must have misinterpreted.
Qi Xi watched the Wang Fei drink the sugar water, feeling reluctant. However, thoughts of her father’s tragic death and her family locked away in that beautiful house quickly outweighed her emotions. They had promised that completing her task would result in her loved ones’ release and a large sum of money for their escape. With her task nearly complete, she felt a moment of joy but quickly suppressed it when Lan Lan looked her way.
“Wang Fei, Lin Bo has some matters to attend to, so this servant will take her leave,” she said, picking up the bowl after Lan Lan drank the doctored sugar water.
Ten minutes after drinking the sugar water, Lan Lan wanted to find the two children, wondering what they were up to. As she stood, she felt dizzy and fell to the ground. She quickly took an antidote pearl, and after a while, her consciousness cleared. Although still weak, she could stand up.
Could there be something wrong with the sugar water Qi Xi brought? A doubt flashed in her mind. It seemed unlikely since she was her benefactor. Was the story of the farmer and the snake about to repeat itself? Something unusual happened only after Qi Xi arrived.
That night, Long Junhao returned to the mansion and saw Lan Lan lying on the bed. He walked over softly and felt her forehead. “What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?” he asked.
“I feel weak all over, Junhao. Take this bowl of sugar water to the imperial physician and have it checked. I felt unwell after drinking it and only recovered after the antidote pearl,” she said, pointing to the sugar water that Qi Xi had brought earlier.
“What? This is outrageous! Who made this sugar water?” Long Junhao sat up nervously.
“These past few times, I’ve felt dizzy and almost fainted after drinking it. Only when I put the antidote pearl in my mouth did my mind clear up. I want you to investigate whether there’s something wrong with this sugar water,” Lan Lan explained, still feeling weak and leaning against him.
“How could you only tell me about this now? What would I do if something happened to you?” Long Junhao exclaimed, frightened and angry. He tightened his hold on her, unable to bear the thought of losing her again after living like a walking corpse for three years.
“Don’t worry about this. I’ll handle it. Rest a bit, and I’ll call Long Yun,” Long Junhao said, gently laying her down, covering her with a blanket, kissing her mouth corner, and taking the sugar water as he left, unwilling to delay any moment regarding her safety.
Long Yun quickly appeared in the mansion’s secret room. Seeing Long Junhao’s tense expression, he was summoned to sit.
“Long Yun, someone in the mansion is trying to harm the Wang Fei. Take this sugar water to Imperial Physician Cheng and determine what poison it contains. Investigate everyone in the mansion, check who has been acting suspiciously and whom they’ve contacted. I want to know who dares to provoke the Wang Fu,” Long Junhao instructed coldly, emanating a chilling aura.
“Master, the sugar water contains ‘Xue Si’, a colorless and tasteless poison rumored to be fatal with just one drop. It seems someone is determined to kill the Wang Fei. ‘Xue Si’ is difficult to produce, and the master who created this poison, Bai Xue Xian Weng, has long disappeared. Currently, ‘Xue Si’ is only…” Long Yun paused, recalling something.
“Only what? Speak!” Long Junhao said impatiently.
“Master, some words are not appropriate for me to say,” Long Yun hesitated, aware this involved matters beyond a guard’s control.
“Speak freely. I’ll take responsibility. This stays between us,” Long Junhao assured.
“‘Xue Si’ is currently only found in the imperial palace,” Long Yun finally revealed.
“The palace? Could it be…?” Long Junhao was shocked. Could it be his mother? Would she hate Lan Lan to this extent? Especially since Lan Lan brought Zhen’er and Xin’er back, his mother had seemed very happy. How could she resent Lan Lan? Was there someone else in the palace wanting to eliminate her?
“Who poisoned her? Have the mansion’s people been investigated?” he asked.
