Nonsense! She’s Not a Bad Woman! - Chapter 80

Joe Wanyan didn’t slow her steps at his call. Yunheng, reacting faster than his brain, rushed after her to intercept.

“Wanyan, I didn’t know it was you. Don’t be mad—it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have spoken to you that way.”

Under the bright moonlight, silver hues spilled across the earth. Joe Wanyan’s eyes shimmered in the moonlight, and hearing his words, she lifted her gaze to see the slight guilt on his face.

“Who came looking for you?”

Yunheng didn’t hide anything and answered truthfully.

Joe Wanyan understood. So Lu Jinye had come here. Presumably, he had wanted to get the antidote for the Mother-Child Gu from Yunheng, but there was no way Yunheng would give it to him.

“Did you come for something? It’s cold outside—come in and speak inside.”

Joe Wanyan didn’t refuse. She had intended to get something discreet from Yunheng anyway, so speaking casually outside was out of the question.

She had no martial arts skills; how could she know if someone was hiding nearby? What if that despicable Lu Jinye was still lurking outside?

“I want to ask a favor.”

“Go on.”

“I want a poison that won’t kill immediately after ingesting it.”

Yunheng glanced at her but said nothing, turning instead and returning from the inner room a moment later, holding a small porcelain vial.

“Canxin. If an antidote is taken within half a month, one can survive. Otherwise, within three days, the heart will feel as if eaten by worms, and death will follow. The red in the vial is the poison, three black pills are life-extending antidotes, and the white one is the effective antidote.”

Joe Wanyan asked, “You’re not going to ask why I need the poison?”

Yunheng said, “Probably for Lu Jinye, right? He’s not obedient, but the Mother-Child Gu is enough. If you don’t trust him, give him this to be safe.”

Lu Jinye had just left when she arrived—likely she came knowing he had been there.

Joe Wanyan didn’t explain. Since he assumed the poison was for Lu Jinye, it saved her a lot of words.

“He indeed doesn’t obey. For certain reasons, if I didn’t place the Mother-Child Gu on him, he would kill me.”

Yunheng turned back to the inner room and returned moments later with another small porcelain vial.

“I’ve never liked making poisons. This was concocted a few years ago and never used.”

He handed the vial to her. “Take this, and you won’t die, but for three hours, it will be agonizing, worse than death.”

Joe Wanyan blinked, a spark of excitement lighting her eyes.

“Isn’t this a bit… cruel? So torturous…”

Yunheng paused for a moment, then chuckled. “Wanyan, the anticipation in your eyes is about to overflow.”

Joe Wanyan: “……That obvious?”

She left fully satisfied. She had intended only to give Liu Yanran a poison to keep her quiet, but unexpectedly, she also managed to hand Lu Jinye that vile little pup a vial. Served him right.

She had cared so much about him, yet he had no gratitude—truly a rotten dog!

As for Liu Yanran, she couldn’t just hand her a sugar pill. Liu Yanran’s father was a famous physician in Yongzhou, and she herself knew some medicine. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have taken such good care of Joe Yihuan in Yongzhou.

If the poison wasn’t real, Liu Yanran would detect it. Even if she didn’t, a doctor’s examination would reveal it.

Why bother using a ready-made poison? That would be nothing but asking for trouble.

The cold wind brushed against her face as Joe Wanyan wrapped her fox-fur cloak tighter. She lowered her gaze, staring at the snow that glittered under the moonlight, her mind swirling with endless thoughts.

What exactly did Liu Yanran mean by the twenty-third century? Modern people? Novel? Car accident? These words were completely foreign to her.

If Liu Yanran wasn’t from Jiuzhou, then… where on earth was she from? A god?

The thought barely formed before Joe Wanyan dismissed it. Gods wouldn’t be so foolish. Even a god would fall headfirst to the ground.

Before she could return to the courtyard, she spotted Lu Jinye’s figure. She paused, curling her fingers to beckon him over.

“Have you forgotten your place after just a few days? You’re nothing but my dog. Your life is mine to have spared, so you’d better wag your tail properly and protect me.”

Lu Jinye lowered his eyes, his gaze cold and unreadable.

As always, he maintained a stance that kept everyone at a distance.

“On the day we set out for the Apothecary Valley, you were nearby but deliberately didn’t save me. Did you know it was the people from the Valley who had taken me?”

Lu Jinye remained silent. Joe Wanyan pressed on.

“You wanted to go to the Apothecary Valley to get the antidote for the Mother-Child Gu, so you let me be captured, hoping to follow secretly and find the entrance.”

She pinched his chin, squeezing until it turned pale and bruised.

“Too bad. You useless thing, you got lost and couldn’t make it in. Yunheng is my friend now—he won’t give you the antidote.”

She patted his cheek. “But don’t worry. I’m not angry enough to take your life. I’m too timid to kill—so I’ll just make sure you live worse than death.”

After a long silence, Lu Jinye finally sneered, “Master, you’re truly kind.”

Joe Wanyan laughed suddenly, a smile like spring sunlight breaking the ice, warm and intoxicating, dazzlingly bright.

“Mm, everyone says so.”

She turned and walked away, then suddenly stopped and looked back.

“Right. Tonight, you’re on night watch. On your knees.”

When they returned to the capital, she would enjoy watching Lu Jinye suffer, trapped between life and death. But for now, she had more important matters to attend to.

Lu Jinye glanced toward the Flowing Light Pavilion.

“Hopefully, Master sleeps well tonight.”

Joe Wanyan returned and slapped him. “How dare you threaten me? I’ll teach you a lesson once we’re back in the capital!”

Lu Jinye watched her retreating figure and stepped into the courtyard, a trace of schadenfreude flickering in his eyes.

Joe Wanyan had left without her soup pot, and Lu Jinye’s interference had cost her time; her fingertips were numb with cold.

Hurrying into the courtyard, she reached for the door—but froze.

On the Grand Tutor’s chair directly before the entrance sat He Zhiyu. His right hand rested on the armrest, fingers tapping a rhythmic pattern, the faint sounds like drumbeats pressing down on her chest.

His black, bottomless eyes fixed on her, deep and unfathomable.

Ziyuan knelt at his side, head lowered, not daring to breathe.