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

The bed creaked.

The warm chain swayed.

Yin Huaixi was held down tightly, and Sang Che's fingers gripped her shoulders until they were red, leaving no room for retreat.

"Trying to leave?"

"Huaixi, answer me now, do you still want to leave?"

Sang Che's clothes had been removed at some point, and the originally cold silver ornaments had been warmed by Yin Huaixi's body temperature.

Her hair was all stuck to her neck, and Yin Huaixi was panting heavily, her eyes red and glazed as she stared at the person in front of her.

Sang Che's condition wasn't much better. In the pitch-black night, her pale face was faintly visible, and her hair was wet on her face, making her look like a female ghost pulled out of the water.

"Do you really have to ask... such a pointless question? Ah Che... if I really say it, you'll get upset again..."

A provocative chuckle.

Yin Huaixi was tormented to the point of near death, but still refused to admit defeat in front of Sang Che.

"Are you unhappy?"

"Huaixi, how could I not be happy?"

"The fact that you can sense my emotions means that you care about me."

Their bodies were locked in a fierce struggle.

Sang Che seemed determined to get back at everyone.

Sang Che loosened his grip on Yin Huaixi's fingertips and put his arm around Yin Huaixi's shoulder. Without wiping his hair clean, he used his fingers to twirl Yin Huaixi's long hair, which was also soaked with sweat.

Circle after circle.

"Huaixi, you've been here for so many days, you should have a deep understanding of what it's like to be unable to see."

"Are you living in fear? Do you wish for an oil lamp to appear in the dark to light up your dim room at the slightest disturbance?"

"I've been through all of these."

"So is it wrong for me to want someone to stay with me?"

Sang Che's face was as clear as a wild deer in the forest, but the words he spoke were chilling.

"You...you are truly...unreasonable!"

If it weren't for the fact that I had no strength left in my body.

Yin Huaixi really wanted to raise her hand and slap Sang Che. Did she really think that Sang Che would be soft-hearted and scared because she said these threatening words all the time?

"Incomprehensible?"

"Huaixi, I've heard many people say this to me, but only with you do I feel so bad."

After playing with the damp strands of hair for a while, I finally had my fill.

Sang Che put his hand down and then took Yin Huaixi's weak, limp hand in his again.

It was pressed against her chest.

He moved even closer, their noses touching, and with just a slightly larger movement, Sang Che could kiss Yin Huaixi's thin lips.

"Huaixi, can you feel the pain in my heart?"

"It...is crying for you."

Although she was supposed to be "crying," Sang Che was actually smiling. The only warmth between them was their chests touching; otherwise, Sang Che's smooth back was ice-cold.

The rapidly rising chill almost made Yin Huaixi breathless.

"Sang Che, kill me or torture me...do as you please...but please...please don't..."

Before Yin Huaixi could finish speaking, her lips were covered by Sang Che's other hand, silencing her whispered words.

Not a single word could be uttered.

"You know I can't bear to kill you, so you deliberately say these things to provoke me?"

"Yin Huaixi, I won't fall for your tricks."

A tear rolled down from the corner of her eye.

Overwhelmed by a sense of despair that she couldn't escape, Yin Huaixi cried for a moment but then stopped.

Sang Che, like a ghost, clung to her again, his warm lips pressing against her cheek, slowly swallowing Yin Huaixi's moist, salty tears.

"You won't die... Huaixi."

"You're not like those ants, I can't bear to kill you."

The tears have dried up.

It's as if the water in your body has evaporated.

Yin Huaixi's fingers hooked around the bed sheet, clenching it tightly to create wrinkles, as she prayed for daylight.

This madman inside her can get rid of it.

...

Inside the majestic temple, the high priest sat solemnly.

He was wearing a long robe and had various ritual implements for consulting the gods laid out before him.

"High Priest, that's all the Holy Maiden told me."

The servant kowtowed to the ground, not daring to look directly at the person in front of him.

"Didn't she tell you when she planted the curse on that Han woman?"

The servant shook his head: "I wasn't told."

Upon hearing this, the high priest closed his eyes, sighed deeply, and said slowly, "I told her before that the Han people are difficult to tame."

"Although the woman was told to me by the gods that she was his destined match, if she does not plant the love potion, it may become a disaster in the future."

Hearing the high priest's concern, the servant took another step forward on his knees, his eyes darting around, and said, "High Priest, when I returned from Phoenix Cry Mountain, did I hear from the people in the village that the Han woman had run away a few days ago, and that the Holy Maiden was angry?"

"She was imprisoned in the building for several days."

"I think... the Holy Maiden must have been thinking about using a love potion."

This news surprised the high priest, and his usually serious face finally relaxed.

Sang Che was someone he had watched grow up since childhood. If that Han woman really had the idea of ​​escaping, Sang Che would definitely take action.

However—she will probably use her own blood and essence to nourish the love potion, in order to keep that woman firmly by her side.

You're right.

"She is capable of having that kind of thought."

"In this Miao region, what can't she get? This is the first time she's been humiliated like this by the Han people, so her revenge will surely be fierce."

Put away the ritual implements in front of you.

The high priest stood up; he had to do what the saintess had instructed him to do.

Otherwise, that would be dereliction of duty.

With a flick of his long sleeves, the silver ornaments swayed.

The high priest looked at the kneeling servant and said in a deep voice, "Have someone prepare medicinal herbs to replenish qi and blood and suppress the cold poison, and send them to Phoenix Cry Mountain tonight."

"If the Holy Maiden feeds the Gu worms with her own blood and essence, her body will inevitably become weak."

Upon hearing this, the servant immediately tried to get up.

The high priest added, "The troops will split into two groups. You must send someone to report what the saintess said to the king."

After receiving the order, the servant hurriedly left, and the high priest stared at his retreating figure.

He turned around and rummaged through the drawers and cabinets again, finding an ancient book with yellowed parchment. The high priest reached out and brushed the dust off.

He frowned and examined the object closely, trying to figure out what would happen if the owner were to suffer a backlash from feeding the love gu with their own blood essence, or what would happen if the owner's blood essence was insufficient to feed the love gu.

...

Phoenix Singing Mountain, a corner of the courtyard.

Busy running around.

Jiawan, having finally finished decocting the medicine, pushed open the door and returned to find the medicine doll she had brought back, now so sleepy that it was asleep on the table.

He put down the scalding hot medicine pot.

Jiawan pulled over a bamboo chair and sat down next to Zhao Huining, carefully looking at her sleeping face, a smile unconsciously appearing on her face.

The more I look, the more I like it.

Hua He had told her that Han people who had attended private schools and were educated were generally reasonable and wouldn't make trouble unreasonably.

She had previously disagreed with this.

Looking back now, it makes a lot of sense!

Yin Huaixi treated A Che so rudely and had such a fiery temper; he must have never attended a private school and was illiterate!

Her Aning was the one who had attended a private school.

Seeing that Zhao Huining's entire face was covered by stray hairs, Jiawan couldn't help but reach out to help her tidy her hair. As soon as she got close, she heard Zhao Huining whispering in her ear.

"Mother..."

"Why...am I...not as good as him?"

Empress Dowager? Your son?

Why are there so many strange and varied ways of addressing people in Han Chinese culture? What's going on here?

Jiawan suspiciously extended her knuckles and brushed aside Zhao Huining's hair. The moment her fingertips touched her, the burning heat on Zhao Huining's forehead startled Jiawan.

Without bothering Zhao Huining, Jiawan grabbed Zhao Huining's arm in a moment of panic and shook it violently.

"Ah Ning!"

"Get up! Time to take your medicine!"

The two shouts were particularly loud, and Zhao Huining suddenly woke up and looked up. His upturned nose and warm lips brushed against Jiawan's cheek, leaving her skin wet.

Jiawan froze, like an ice sculpture.