Antidote (1)

The sun was rising, and the crisp morning air had yet to dissipate. The gentle dawn light pierced through the clouds, awakening the sleeping creatures.

The entire campus suddenly came alive.

"Third Brother, still not up? You're not forgetting you have class this morning, are you?" Zhang Bo ran a hand through his hair, looking disheveled, but his voice was clear and loud.

"Whoa, Third Brother, this is rare. You're actually sleeping in?" Zhuge Yun fussed with his hair, teasing him. They all knew Third Brother was always the first one up in their dorm, his routine so disciplined it was astonishing.

Was the sun rising from the west today? Third Brother was actually late?!

"Third Brother, are you not feeling well?" Zhao Luzheng, a thoughtful kid, was the first to wonder if something was wrong with Third Brother's health.

Unlike the other two dense idiots.

Xiao Xiao felt a flicker of relief.

"It's nothing, I might have caught a slight chill yesterday. My head's a bit uncomfortable."

"Can you ask the teacher to give me a leave of absence?"

After the dorm room door closed, Xiao Xiao couldn't help but groan.

"Damn it, why is my head still hurting so much?"

Last night, he had practically crawled back to the dorm, struggling every step of the way, just barely making it back before curfew.

Thinking about it brought tears to his eyes.

As soon as he got back to the dorm, he'd collapsed onto his bed, his mind a complete blank.

But even though he was exhausted, his head throbbed painfully, so he couldn't fall into a deep sleep. He remained in a state of semi-consciousness.

Even after a night's rest, he didn't feel refreshed at all. He just felt even more tired.

It was truly disheartening.

If he had known summoning Ling Yao would have such dire consequences, he would have definitely thought twice!

Now that he thought about it, maybe Qin Yuan and Ear Mouse could have dealt with Ban Zhen. Why did he have to be so foolish and use Ling Yao?

Why use a butcher's knife to kill a chicken, you know?

Xiao Xiao groaned, clutching his head, filled with regret.

Xiao Xiao rolled over and felt something pressing against his back. He reached out and touched it, immediately knowing what it was.

Huh? Was it his imagination? His headache seemed to have lessened slightly?

Xiao Xiao grabbed the Monster Compendium and felt it carefully.

It felt like something was being transmitted from the Monster Compendium through his fingertips.

It was cool and soothing, flowing down his arm to his brain, providing a subtle relief to his throbbing head, which felt like it was being violently twisted by knives.

Xiao Xiao was overjoyed and clutched the Monster Compendium tightly.

He had had enough of this headache, even after just one night.

The frown on Xiao Xiao's face, which hadn't eased since last night, finally relaxed a little.

Even though his head still hurt, it was within his tolerance.

And the Monster Compendium could probably only reduce his headache to this extent, right?

Xiao Xiao held the Monster Compendium for a while longer and found that the intensity of his headache didn't change at all.

He knew it had reached its limit.

Even though the headache wasn't completely gone, Xiao Xiao was still pleasantly surprised. This Monster Compendium was truly a treasure.

It was both good and bad, sucking his essence dry one moment and helping him heal the next.

Was this considered a complete cycle?

Heh, Xiao Xiao weakly curled the corners of his mouth.

Xiao Xiao finally regained some strength.

He got out of bed, washed up briefly, and then took out his tea set, preparing to make himself some tea.

His throat felt uncomfortable, dry and stuffy, and his voice was equally dry and hoarse.

At this moment, he desperately needed a cup of clear tea to soothe his wounded soul.

Xiao Xiao's family owned a teahouse, and he had been exposed to it since childhood, so he naturally knew how to brew excellent tea.

Given the limited conditions of the dorm, he wasn't overly concerned with minor details.

The balcony doors were wide open, letting large patches of sunlight stream directly into the bedroom, casting dappled shadows.

Xiao Xiao's face was pale, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness, but his gaze was calm and his expression focused. His hands moved with fluid grace, like a gentle breeze and bright moon, devoid of any worldly taint, not showing the slightest instability or hesitation.

A clear, mellow, and sweet tea aroma wafted up, mingling in the pale golden morning light, so beautiful it made one hold their breath in a daze.

Within the warm, clear, and lustrous plum-green teacup, the apricot-yellow tea liquid was clear and bright. The Silver Needle tea, which had stood vertically in the air when first brewed, had now sunk and settled at the bottom of the cup.

Xiao Xiao sat upright, pinching the rim of the cup with his thumb and index finger, his middle finger supporting the bottom. With a gentle sniff, the tea aroma already filled his nostrils. He took another deep breath, feeling a pure energy flow through his entire body, as if even the pain in his head had lessened.

Xiao Xiao took a large gulp of the tea, letting it linger in his mouth for a moment before swallowing.

The initial slight bitterness made the subsequent sweetness even more satisfying.

A wave of pure energy rose from his throat, and Xiao Xiao felt refreshed, with much of his discomfort dissipating.

It wasn't until he had finished a pot of tea that Xiao Xiao reluctantly put down the teacup.

Excellent, my condition has finally recovered seventy percent. Now, it's time to get down to business.

Yanjing Third People's Hospital, as bustling and noisy as ever, with people coming and going.

Passing through the clamoring crowd, Xiao Xiao no longer felt the previous irritation and stuffiness.

Even the smell of disinfectant, which he usually disliked, didn't seem as unbearable.

The reason? Simply because he was in a good mood.

"Uncle, Auntie, hello." Not surprisingly, he encountered Lin's Father and Lin's Mother at Lin Zhenzhen's hospital room door. Xiao Xiao's lips, which had been subtly curved upwards since arriving at the hospital, curved even more.

"Xiao Xiao?" Lin's Father and Lin's Mother were quite surprised. He had only visited yesterday; why was he here again today?

"Xiao Xiao, could it be..." Lin's Mother suddenly remembered Xiao Xiao's words from yesterday—I will cure Lin Zhenzhen's face—and blurted out the question, but then swallowed the rest. She wanted to know the answer, but was afraid of a negative one. Her heart pounded uncontrollably, making her feel almost breathless.

Lin's Father's gaze was intense. He was much more rational than Lin's Mother. Lin's Mother was just overly worried. If Xiao Xiao hadn't been sure, why would he have appeared at the hospital the day after making his promise?

However, Lin's Father could hardly believe it. A condition that had essentially been given a death sentence by the hospital, a condition that all doctors were helpless against, and a student actually had a solution?

"Yes, I've obtained the antidote."

"Antidote?"

"Yes, the antidote for the poison on Lin Zhenzhen's face."

Xiao Xiao walked into the ward with Lin's Father and Lin's Mother.

Lin Zhenzhen was not sleeping soundly, so she opened her eyes as soon as they entered.

Seeing Xiao Xiao, Lin Zhenzhen froze for a moment, then suddenly sat up, her eyes fixed on him.

Yesterday's promise, yesterday's tears, still echoed in her ears, vivid in her mind. Lin Zhenzhen slowly clasped her hands together beneath the quilt, forming tight fists. Her ragged fingernails left deep marks on her soft palms.

Xiao Xiao was direct. Looking at the girl before him, who had become emaciated in such a short time, he knew she had already suffered too much because of it.

"Drink this."

Xiao Xiao handed Lin Zhenzhen a small glass bottle containing a scarlet liquid. The gentle ripples within it flowed with varying shades of color, appearing somewhat eerie and inexplicably ominous.

This was precisely the Tears of Banzhen.

And the antidote for Lin Zhenzhen's poisoned face.