Chapter 517: Su Xiaoyu finds her out
Hearing this, Han Yunxi grew nervous and immediately dismissed all of their surrounding servants. Baili Mingxiang and Su Xiaoyu were still fuming over Mu Linger’s treatment, but had no choice but to leave in the face of a visiting guest. Out in the courtyard, they saw Gu Beiyue. Soon enough, everyone began to whine to him instead.
“Doctor Gu, what were His Highness and esteemed wangfei thinking this time? They yielded so easily!” little Yi’er was the most gloomy one of all. He had hoped that Mu Linger could join them so he’d get another genius teacher.
“Doctor Gu, that surnamed Xie was so full of it. Say, do you think esteemed wangfei and His Highness will kill their way to Medicine City tomorrow and suppress their haunts by force?!” Su Xiaoyu asked seriously.
“Doctor Gu, the Xie Clan’s eldest young master was involved in the black market drug trade. The evidence’s still in our hands, so how could esteemed wangfei fear Head Elder Xie?” Zhao mama wondered.
“I don’t understand it, either. If we make a big enough deal, we don’t even need to fear the likes of Medicine City!” Chu Xifeng scratched his head, his expression looking lost.
Everyone except Baili Mingxiang was chattering about the events. She simply sat by Gu Beiyue’s side and smiled quietly. Gu Beiyue enjoyed peace and quiet, but he didn’t reject all the noisy attention around him now. It hadn’t been long since he came, but everyone seemed to consult him whenever anything happened.
“Pill Fiend Pharmacy’s just set its first steps into the medical community. If it causes a big stir so soon, it’ll only be rejected and avoided by powers in the community. As for the Xie Clan’s affairs—aren’t you all more curious over why Mu Yingdong didn’t speak up?” Gu Beiyue asked back.
“Mu Yingdong’s on a path of no return, but Head Elder Xie still has room to yield! As soon as esteemed wangfei exposes eldest young master Xie’s misdeeds, Head Elder Xie will have no choice but to deny any knowledge of the face and bite esteemed wangfei back. Most likely, Mu Yingdong wanted to see that happen since he already has evidence of Mu Chaoran’s misdeeds in his hands,” Baili Mingxiang proposed.
“Miss Baili is indeed intelligent,” Gu Beiyu smiled.
“Doctor Gu praises wrongly, I’m just making a guess,” Baili Mingxiang said modestly.
Instead of replying, Gu Beiyue rose to leave instead. Once he was gone, Su Xiaoyu added, “Baili Mingixang, Doctor Gu’s not bad, isn’t he?”
Baili Mingxiang nodded, but then Su Xiaoyu giggled and said, “He makes for a good match with you, think it over!”
Everyone rose in an uproar at her words, while Baili Mingxiang exclaimed angrily, “Stinking girl! Don’t say such nonsense!”
“And what if I insist on it?” Su Xiaoyu provoked her, infuriating Baili Mingxiang. In truth, she disliked arguing with little children. She cast Su Xiaoyu a glare before turning to leave. While everyone was still laughing, Su Xiaoyu actually chased Baili Mingxiang all the way to the back courtyard.
Baili Mingxiang was too lazy to acknowledge the girl and kept walking quickly with her head bowed, but Su Xiaoyu’s voice suddenly turned cold. “Baili Mingxiang, stop right there!”
Baili Mingxiang sensed something off about the girl’s tone. Su Xiaoyu was still young, but she had a wicked heart. Her words were filthy and she always earned Baili Mingxiang’s scoldings everyday. It was apparent that the little girl disliked her, but she’d never spoken to Baili Mingxiang in such a voice.
Baili Mingxiang turned around and asked, “What’s wrong with you?”
Su Xiaoyu looked around to make sure there was nobody else there before beckoning Baili Mingxiang closer with her finger. Baili Mingxiang walked over and bent down, allowing Su Xiaoyu to slowly whisper in her ear, word by word, “Baili Mingxiang, you’re shameless. You like His Highness Duke of Qin.”
Baili Mingxiang was thunderstruck by the admission and turned completely stiff. Su Xiaoyu’s lips curved into a cold smile. Like a little devil, she continued, “You should know your place and follow Gu Beiyue instead, and I’ll pretend I don’t know a thing. Otherwise, you’ll have your share of suffering in the future!”
“I… I…”
“…I’m not!” Baili Mingxiang backed away, her heart pounding as her face paled. She snapped back, furious, “Su Xiaoyu, don’t prattle such nonsense! I feel no such thing! Did you tell esteemed wangfei? Speak!”
“What’s with the rambling? You want to attract everyone else over here?” Su Xiaoyu scolded fiercely. She was only around eight years old, but her tough attitude left Baili Mingxiang frightened. Baili Mingxiang muffled her mouth in fear of saying any more.
She was afraid of being found out! She had hidden her feelings so well that nobody had any idea! And yet, this little child had found her out!
Children have frightening intuition!
“Are you going to chase after Gu Beiyue or not?” Su Xiaoyu asked stubbornly.
Baili Mingxiang had no idea what to say. She could only keep up her denials. “I haven’t done anything. Little Yu’er, why do you think that way? Who told you?”
“I could tell with my eyes! Do you dare to swear before Heaven that you’ve never felt a thing?” Su Xiaoyu asked coldly.
“I dare!” Baili Mingxiang was ready to risk everything. For the sake of hiding her secret, she was willing to bear any kind of curses. “I, Baili Mingxiang, swear that if I ever like His Highness Duke of Qin, may Heavenly thunder come strike me with an unnatural death!”
But Su Xiaoyu only turned more venomous at her words. “Can you swear that if you ever like His Highness Duke of Qin, the man will be torn asunder by five horses and left to die without a resting place?”
“Su Xiaoyu! Shut your mouth!” Baili Mingxiang cried out before slapping the girl!
She used so much strength that Su Xiaoyu’s head was left tilted by the impact. The little girl only looked scornfully at Baili Mingxiang and laughed. “You didn’t dare! You admitted your feelings!”
Baili Mingxiang could only fume until she finally calmed herself down. “Just what do you want?”
“Either you go after Gu Beiyue or leave this place. There are only two choices, take your pick,” Su Xiaoyu said coldly.
“What right do you have to dictate terms to me?” Baili Mingxiang retorted.
“You can choose to follow neither, but…I’d make sure you regret it,” Su Xiaoyu grinned.
“You’ll tell esteemed wangfei?” Baili Mingxiang felt her heart tense.
“You’re afraid? Scared that your esteemed wangfei will see through that sham, hypocritical face of yours? Or are you more afraid that His Highness Duke of Qin will find out?” Su Xiaoyu asked with amusement.
Baili Mingxiang’s hands shook. At this moment, her mind was nothing but a blank white space. She could tell herself that she’d already given up, but she could never make herself leave this place. Then again, if she had really given that man up, she would’ve left here long ago, right?
Su Xiaoyu waited for a long time until her patience ran out. She roughly jerked Baili Mingxiang by her waistband and murmured, “Don’t you worry, I won’t tell esteemed wangfei or His Highness Duke of Qin in case it disgusts them both. I’ll only…torment you slowly! If you’re not afraid of that, stay as much as you want!”
She left after that, but paused to come back and add, “You better hide your feelings better. If esteemed wangfei ever finds out one day and gets her feelings hurt, I’ll definitely….boil you to death!” Then she swaggered off, leaving Baili Mingxiang to stand blankly in place, her heart thumping against her chest.
A long while later, she finally recovered her senses to flee back into her rooms, throwing herself onto the bed and bawling. Her sobs were muffled by her bed covers, so nobody heard her in the still and quiet night.
Meanwhile, Han Yunxi and Long Feiye were both furrowing their eyebrows in the guest hall because Third Elder Shen had given them a piece of unexpected news. Back when Han Yunxi had cured Long Tianmo in Medical City, she’d hid the fact that Jun Yixie had poisoned the crown prince with Gu. In order to thank her for the discretion, Third Elder Shen had promised to help her with anything she needed. Han Yunxi then asked him to look into how Lady Tianxin had helped Han Congan gain a position as a medical academy director. Third Elder Shen managed to discovered that the year Han Congan was picked, two elders passed away. It was the two vice chairs of the board who personally hosted the selection. With Han Congan’s age and medical skills, he never would’ve gotten the post without a push from somewhere. Because of the sensitive nature of the issue, Third Elder Shen couldn’t ask the two vice-chairs directly; he could only investigate slowly from the shadows.
After two years of digging, Third Elder Shen finally found some hints. Lady Lianxin from the medical academy was involved during the year Han Congan got his position; she had a significant relationship with the head of the medical academy then. The only reason Han Congan got his post was because Lady Tianxin asked Lady Lianxin for help. But Han Yunxi had long heard the news from Gu Qishao.
Gu Qishao had said that Lady Lianxin had an illicit love affair with Vice Chair Lin, but who knew she was involved with the president of the academy as well? It had to be said that the news amazed both Long Feiye and Han Yunxi.
“This isn’t a simple woman…” Han Yunxi shot a glance at Gu Qi Sha, who was squatting on one of the chairs in a corner. He had been staring at Third Elder Shen the entire time and was still ignoring her now. Without a choice, Han Yunxi withdrew her gaze.
Third Elder Shen only felt uneasy at being stared at so constantly, but it was inconvenient to bring up the topic. The enmity between Gu Qi Sha and the medical academy wasn’t something he could resolve on his own.
“Indeed, she’s not simple. But since she helped out in the past, why does she refuse to acknowledge you now? It’s really an enigma,” Third Elder Shen murmured significantly. Han Yunxi could catch his implied meaning.
Back then, Lady Lianxin had helped Han Congan gain his position, but it was probably done through coercion and threats rather than a true willingness to help. Han Yunxi just couldn’t understand. Mu Xin even changed her name to Lady Tianxin and married Han Congan, so why did she get in touch with Lady Lianxin again? What other facts were hidden beneath the circumstances? Long Feiye was wondering a similar thing as well. After Mu Xin assumed the identity of Lady Tianxin, she even stopped contact with Mute Granny, who was ignorant of everything that happened afterwards. This left him ignorant as well.
But the fact that Mu Xin was a descendent of the West Qin imperial line was something no one in the Mu Clan knew, so he allowed Han Yunxi to probe as she wished. After some silence, Han Yunxi said coldly, “Your Highness, it looks like we should negotiate quickly with Medicine City. It wouldn’t do to keep Mu Linger waiting too long!”
A frosty smile rose on Long Feiye’s lips. Head Elder Xie had given Pill Fiend Pharmacy such a show of strength today that he’d have to pay him back on Han Yunxi’s behalf. Moreover, Medicine City was part of his long term goals to begin with. Third Elder Shen didn’t know about the relationship between Lady Tianxin and Mu Xin, nor why Han Yunxi wanted to investigate these matters. But since she didn’t tell him, he wasn’t at liberty to ask.
“Esteemed wangfei, in the end these matters involved the president of the medical academy. This old man is really…”
Han Yunxi quickly interjected with clasped hands in front of her chest. “Since Third Elder could reveal something such classified information, Yunxi can’t thank you enough!”
Third Elder smiled and presented a congratulatory gift. “Your Highness, esteemed wangfei, here is a small token of my appreciation to congratulate Pill Fiend Pharmacy’s grand opening. The fact that it was able to get a medicine token from the Mu Clan has caused Medical City to…” Third Elder wanted to say that Medical City looked upon Pill Fiend Pharmacy unfavorably, and even with hostility, for its unclear relationship with Gu Qi Sha. Mu Yingdong had to speak a bunch of rhetoric and tired out his tongue before Medical City finally changed their views. He was quite curious to know how Qin Wangfei had convinced an old schemer like Mu Yingdong to do such a thing.
But he’d hardly started his question when Gu Qi Sha started pounding on the table. Third Elder could only give up and leave after a few parting words. Once he was gone, Han Yunxi walked to Gu Qi Sha and asked, “Hey, just what’s your deal with Medical City?”
Gu Qishao lifted his face mask to reveal his seductive looks and gave her a slight smile. Instead of answering, he looked towards Long Feiye instead. “Long Feiye, get out and let’s duel!”