After provoking the holy maiden of Miao territory, she was infected with a love curse.

Finally, Sang Che called out softly, "Little Ya'er, don't get your teeth dirty."

"Just scare him a little."

The beggar killed and ate countless snakes.

Where have I ever seen such a sinister snake!

His legs went weak with fear.

Panting, his eyes darted around in terror, fearing that a single drop of venom from the bright red snake could kill him!

The obedient little tooth climbed off the beggar's wrist; it would never have climbed onto the stinking beggar's body if it hadn't been ordered by its master.

What a miserable fate for the snake!

"Who...who exactly are you...?"

"I'm just a beggar... I have nothing of value on me..."

Seeing how terrified he was by the snake, Sang Che knew this man was useless and sneered, "Of course I know you have nothing on you."

"What I want... is what's in your head."

The person in front of me was clearly dressed as a refined scholar, androgynous, so beautiful that he didn't seem like a man, but rather like a pretty woman, yet his smile was like that of a ghost.

The beggar's mind was instantly filled with the "ghostly gentleman" and "ghostly scholar" stories his companions had told him that evening, and his jaw trembled.

He had seen young masters from wealthy families, some of whom were indeed pampered and raised like daughters, but he had never seen anyone... skilled at handling snakes!

"Alright, Che."

"Stop teasing him."

Yin Huaixi stared at the person, whose face was hidden under the brim of her hat, making it difficult to see clearly.

It was as if even the sounds were muffled.

Yin Huaixi looked up and tossed the cloth bag from Sang Che's hand. The bag opened wide, and several golden sesame seed cakes sprinkled with white sesame seeds rolled out.

The aroma of sesame cakes filled the alley, attracting the attention of beggars who had been fast asleep.

"Gentlemen, we want to ask if there has been anything unusual in the capital these past few days. Anyone who can answer this will be rewarded with a sesame seed cake."

Beggars are the most well-informed. Yin Huaixi knew that some of them would tell a mix of truth and lies in order to get the pancakes, but she and Sang Che came prepared and could tell who was lying at a glance.

One of the beggars scrambled up, grabbed a large flatbread, wolfed down a bite, and then raised his hand.

"Young masters."

"The Eldest Princess returned to the capital not long ago! I heard that His Majesty wanted to arrange a marriage for her, which is why he allowed her to return!"

Another person shoved him, saying with disdain, "What's so strange about your well-known news? I know something you've never heard of!"

The man smugly touched the sesame seed cake, grinned sheepishly, and stuffed it into his pocket.

Yin Huaixi became interested and, imitating what Sang Che had taught her, reached out and played with the folding fan. The handle was shiny and clear, obviously something its owner cherished.

"Oh, tell me about it."

The beggar said smugly, "Young master, listen carefully!"

"A few days ago, a brother of mine was helping people pluck chicken and duck feathers at the market to earn some pocket money. Guess what? He ran into a purchasing agent from the Princess's residence."

"Those few who didn't notice my brother started whispering among themselves, saying that the reason why Her Highness the Princess hasn't chosen a husband all these years is because Her Highness the Princess has a... fondness for mirror polishing."

Yin Huaixi: "..."

Saying it is pointless!

Please, she already knew about this!

Yin Huaixi's silence was the complete opposite of Sang Che's keen interest.

Reaching out to touch the snake's head, Sang Che's skillful touch made the snake feel extremely comfortable.

She asked, "If what the servants in the princess's residence say is true, then over the years... has the princess ever had any darlings in her household?"

The beggar was completely bewildered by these words. He gave an awkward smile and shook his hair, which resembled a tangled mess of weeds.

"Young master, if you ask that, then I really don't know."

"The eldest princess is a member of the Tian family, and only those within her household know about the affairs of the Tian family."

"How am I supposed to know that..."

He took out a flatbread and chewed it.

He shrugged helplessly.

...

Princess House.

Bright lights.

Looking at the red butterfly that had been captured and placed in a crystal dome, Zhao Huining's eyes sharpened.

Now she can confirm that this is a Gu poison.

"Ah Shui, tell me... what is this?"

The butterfly lay dying on the ground, desperately trying to break through the crystal and escape, but to no avail.

Because of her previous desperate resistance, Jiawan's wrists were bound with silk. She lowered her eyes, trying her best not to show her domineering temper.

"have no idea…"

"It's just an ordinary butterfly."

Now that things have come to this, Jiawan is still deceiving her like this. Zhao Huining had drunk some wine at the wedding banquet, and her emotions were inevitably turbulent. She was filled with anger.

She reached out and grabbed the inkstone from the table, then threw it hard to the ground. The ink soaked the luxurious carpet, startling Jiawan, who slowly moved her feet backward.

"An ordinary butterfly."

"Jiawan, do you think I look easy to fool, so you're taking advantage of me?"

"Back in Fengming Mountain, didn't you tell heaven and earth, and your gods, that you loved me the most? Why do you keep calling out 'A-Che...A-Che' now?"

Jia Wan, who had originally intended to ignore it, became alert as soon as she heard Zhao Huining mention Sang Che's name.

"I did say that I like you the most."

"But so what?"

"Back in Fengming Mountain, this is Fengming Mountain. Now I'm in the capital. I want to find a medicinal herb practitioner I like. Where can I find one?"

Whether I like you or not has nothing to do with A-Che.

Jiawan tried her best to distance herself from Sang Che and not let him get involved in the matter, but the more she explained, the worse it got, and Zhao Huining began to resent Sang Che, a woman who had not yet appeared in the capital.

Standing up, Zhao Huining went straight to Jiawan. She looked closely at Jiawan's face, her eyes like hooks, making Jiawan feel embarrassed.

"You told me a few days ago that you wanted me... to be your Ah Ning again."

"Is this your answer to me now? Ah Shui, you're just trying to find an excuse to keep me calm while you wait for your good Ah Che to come and save you."

"You'll cause a huge scene here, and then go back to Miao territory all happily together?"

Am I right?

Feeling utterly guilty, Jia Wan swallowed hard. Zhao Huining forced her to back away, and the strong smell of alcohol emanating from him rushed into her nostrils.

Jiawan defended herself: "You always overthink things. You don't believe what I say anyway, so there's nothing I can do..."

Seeing the guilty look in Jia Wan's eyes, Zhao Huining's chest pounded, and even her breathing became erratic.

She reached out and grabbed Jiawan's wrist, her eyes filled with a mixture of hatred and love.

"Ah Shui, you're still lying to me."

"Do you really think I don't know the origin of that red butterfly? It's a Gu worm, and a top-quality one at that."

"You think I can't see through you? You can secretly have an affair with your good Ah Che... and then play me for a fool before running away, leaving me to look at my pathetic state."

"Is it interesting?"

Her wrist ached from being gripped so tightly. Jiawan frowned and instinctively cried out, "You're hurting me... Aning... let go..."

Zhao Huining showed no intention of backing down, staring intently at Jiawan with her hateful eyes.

"Ah Shui...you feel pain too?"

"No, you're not in pain yet..."

"Since that's the case, then I'll let your dear A-Che die in front of you. Let's see if you'll still care about her then!"

"If I can't be the one you love the most, Ah Shui, then I'll be the one you hate the most."

"From this day forward, I will haunt every nightmare you have... so you'll know what it means to be inseparable from someone."