In the days that followed, neither Jin Shanyao nor Meng Anzhi mentioned Shi Chong again, and the matter seemed to have passed just like that, until the first day of June.
A man suddenly burst into the shop; he was covered in sweat and his trousers were stained with mud.
" Doctor Meng! Doctor Meng, please help... My wife is breech, I'm afraid she's going to die."
Meng Anzhi stood up. "Where do you live?"
" Willow Alley in the south of the city isn't far, only a quarter of an hour away!"
Meng Anzhi glanced at the sky, picked up her medicine box, and said to Su Mu, "I'll be right back. Tell my aunt when she comes in."
Su Mu responded.
Meng Anzhi followed the man out the door.
The two turned into a dead-end alley. A carriage was parked inside. The man stopped in front of the carriage and called out, "Sir."
The carriage curtain was lifted, Shi Chong stepped down from the carriage.
He was dressed more elegantly than usual today, his dark blue robe making him appear even more refined. He held a wooden box in his hands, carved with orchid patterns, which looked quite valuable.
" Miss Meng," Shi Chong said with a gentle smile, "I apologize for blocking your way."
Meng Anzhi took a step back, creating distance between them. "Is there something you need Lord Shi?"
Shi Chong handed the wooden box to her, saying, "I heard that Miss Meng's birthday is approaching, so I have prepared a small gift as a token of my respect."
Meng Anzhi didn't answer. "I appreciate Lord Shi's kindness, but there's a difference between men and women. I hope Lord Shi will understand."
After speaking, he tried to leave, but Shi Chong blocked his way.
His smile remained unchanged, but his eyes darkened as he looked at Meng Anzhi.
" Miss Meng, why be so formal? We've known each other for a year. Your younger brother and I are even officials in the same court. This gift is merely..."
" Lord Shi," Meng Anzhi interrupted him, "I think I made myself very clear last time, so please be mindful of your words."
Meng Anzhi walked past Shi Chong toward the alley entrance.
Shi Chong stood there, his hands holding the wooden box slowly tightening, the gentle smile on his face gradually fading away.
Just as Meng Anzhi was about to leave the alley, four or five thugs suddenly jumped out and blocked her way. Meng Anzhi turned her head sharply to look at Shi Chong.
"What does Lord Shi mean by this?"
Shi Chong smiled, dropping his pretense and approaching her step by step, " Anzhi... my patience is limited. You shouldn't keep rejecting me."
He reached out to brush away the stray hairs at Meng Anzhi's temple, but she turned her head away. " Lord Shi, I advise you to let me leave."
Shi Chong chuckled softly. "Leave? I tricked you into coming out today, I never intended to let you go." He took a step back, his voice turning cold. "Tie him up and send him to my estate."
As soon as she finished speaking, four or five thugs rushed towards Meng Anzhi.
Meng Anzhi hooked her finger around the purse and dodged the attack. The powder inside the purse immediately scattered in the air, and the thugs fell to the ground one after another in the blink of an eye.
Seeing this, Shi Chong not only didn't back down, but became even more excited, "I knew you were different from others, but I didn't expect Movement Method so agile."
Meng Anzhi laughed without warning. She walked step by step to Shi Chong. " Lord Shi... my patience is also limited. You shouldn't have bothered me time and time again, and even tried to imprison me."
Shi Chong felt a blur before his eyes, and the fragrant aroma wafted into his lungs on the wind. His eyes were sharp, and he was about to resist when he found himself powerless. He lost his balance and fell to the ground.
Meng Anzhi squatted down in front of him and slowly took out silver needles from her medicine box. "I saved you out of kindness, and I took care of you only because you once went alone to the Northern Rong as a spy for the Sheng Dynasty. But my kindness has never been the basis for you to bully me at will."
As she finished speaking, the silver needle slowly pierced into Shi Chong's fingertip. Shi Chong's excitement intensified, and the more pain he felt, the brighter his eyes became.
Meng Anzhi didn't care at all. She continued pricking her fingers and pleaded, " Lord Shi... how about I follow you this time?"
Shi Chong's temples bulged with pain, and his fingers trembled uncontrollably. His gaze was fixed on Meng Anzhi as he managed to utter a strained "Okay."
Meng Anzhi raised an eyebrow. "Then it's settled. No one is allowed to go back on their word."
She took a pill out of her purse and put it into Shi Chong's mouth, then clapped her hands, picked up her medicine box, sat on the carriage, and swung her legs as she watched Shi Chong's face gradually contort.
This was a newly developed poison that she hadn't tested on humans yet. Seeing Shi Chong's body convulsing in pain, Meng Anzhi knew the poison was ready.
A dense, needle-like pain swept through his entire body, Shi Chong couldn't help but cry out.
Only after the air passed through his throat did he realize he had lost his voice. He tried desperately to shout, but no sound came out. Damn it... He stared intently at Meng Anzhi.
He saw her standing with her hands at her sides, slightly bent over, smiling radiantly at him.
The woman who used to speak gently and smile at everyone was now completely different. She was like a vengeful ghost crawling out of hell, sending chills down everyone's spine.
Seeing that it was almost time, Meng Anzhi got up, dusted off her clothes, picked up her medicine box, and left without looking back, leaving Shi Chong alone lying on the ground struggling.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but by the time Shi Chong could move again, it was already dark. He dragged his tired body onto the carriage, regretting that he had underestimated Meng Anzhi's strength.
Jin Shanyao, through Meng Anzhi's necklace, saw the whole story clearly. Not bad, not bad... that's her little one's style.
This plot seemed familiar. Jin Shanyao pondered for a long time, then suddenly a flash of inspiration struck her: wasn't this just like the novel " The Overbearing Prince's Forced Love "?
She strode into the study and began searching through the bookshelves, finally finding the book in the farthest corner.
He pulled out the Jin Shanyao, turned to the first page, and saw two lines of text written there.
The typical female lead setup: a mother who died young, a faithless boyfriend, a missing male lead, and a broken heart!
The male lead's typical setup: a cold-hearted father, a substitute woman, a missed opportunity with the female lead, and a man driven mad!
Jin Shanyao at it and then turned the page. The story was about her imprisonment, his torment, the crazy male protagonist who lost his love, and how the ending was that the female protagonist fell hopelessly in love with him.
Oh my god... he's seriously ill.
Jin Shanyao saw the book filled with dense annotations, all of which were solutions from Meng Anzhi and Meng Anci, and felt increasingly smug. It was worth it for her to read so many books to her child; now they were coming in handy.
The next day.
Shi Chong slowly opened his eyes and found that the pain in his body had receded like a tide, and he could speak again. He couldn't help but feel grateful that he was still alive.
He got up, changed into his official robes, and went to court. The whole day passed peacefully.
I finished my shift in the evening.
As soon as he stepped out of the government office, he saw Meng Anzhi standing outside with a satchel on her back, smiling at him. Shi Chong's heart skipped a beat, and the pain from yesterday seemed to be awakened, making his limbs feel somewhat unresponsive.
He avoided Meng Anzhi's gaze and hurried home, but the footsteps behind him were getting closer and closer. Just as he was about to run, his vision blurred and a familiar fragrance filled his nostrils. Before Shi Chong react, he had already collapsed to the ground.
Meng Anzhi took out a silver needle and began to prick her finger without saying a word. After she finished, she took out a black pill and stuffed it into Shi Chong's mouth.
He then rummaged through his bag and pulled out books and charcoal pencils, staring intently at Shi Chong... meticulously recording his pharmacological reactions. Once finished, he got up, dusted himself off, and left.
Shi Chong was selected by the imperial court at the age of thirteen and trained to become a top spy. What kind of torture had he not endured? But this pain was far beyond what he had experienced before. Such a small pill brought him the agony of being torn to pieces.
Pain surged through him, his vision blurred, and Shi Chong was drenched in cold sweat from the pain, wishing he could die on the spot.
Fortunately, a passerby helped him and took him back to the Shi Residence.
The doctors in the manor took turns examining the patient, and after a whole night of effort, they still couldn't find a way to detoxify.
The next morning, she was miraculously cured.