Your Highness, your wife has had her virginity mark applied and married someone else.

Linyun Town.

Wei Ziye sat on the edge of the bed, still wearing his blood-stained clothes, his eyes fixed on Shen Mingshu.

Liu Yi wearily packed away his medicine box and let out a long sigh.

"I once heard my master mention that there is a sacred object from beyond the realm called the Living Gu, which can revive the dead and restore flesh to bones. If it is nourished with the blood of one's heart, it can save one's loved ones from life-or-death danger."

"However, once this Gu enters the body, it will live and die together with the host."

"I had my doubts about this from the beginning, but you said that Fifth Sister's father and mother are dead, and even if she got the living Gu, there would be no one to support it, so how could it be inside her body?"

"Who would have thought that the most impossible answer is often the most likely one? The most powerful Gu King is truly within the Fifth Sister's body!"

"But where are her relatives?"

"..." Wei Ziye remained silent for a long time before finally speaking in a hoarse voice, "How is she?"

"Not bad." Liu Yi raised an eyebrow slightly: "The living Gu is very resilient, and Fifth Miss is not determined to die, so she should wake up soon."

Thinking of Shen Mingshu's resolute decision at that moment, Wei Ziye closed his eyes, feeling troubled.

"First, take a drop of your heart's blood and send it to Afu."

"You're still giving it away?" Liu Yi asked, puzzled. "Second Miss needs to maintain her life while her wounds heal. One drop definitely won't be enough. How will you get more in the future?"

He added, "I can't guarantee that Fifth Sister will wake up a second time."

"I know." Wei Ziye lowered his head, pressing his fingertips against his forehead. "I've already sent someone to find the divine physician. Before that, I'll try to persuade her. Also—"

Wei Ziye looked at Liu Yi: "Don't tell her about the living Gu for now."

……

"Ah Shu".

A gentle voice called out from afar, and Shen Mingshu's heart stirred: "Mother."

When I opened my eyes, I found myself submerged in the dim, turbulent water.

The current was swift, the rocks and underground river clashed, and a surge of water came and soon extinguished Shen Mingshu's breath.

When her leg bone struck the hidden rock, she winced in pain and frantically grabbed the rock as if it were a lifeline, refusing to let go.

"Mother."

Suddenly, she heard a child's cry from below. Shen Mingshu looked over in confusion, and the water swayed as her stomach slammed against a rock.

The child suddenly burst into tears: "Mommy, it hurts...it hurts so much, Mommy."

A deep, bone-chilling pain made Shen Mingshu tremble all over.

In an instant, the impact of the water and the suffocating darkness filled her with fear and pain, but her maternal instinct made her take a gamble and desperately swim towards the surface of the river.

A series of undercurrents surged in, causing her leg bones to fracture and her spleen to rupture. The excruciating pain made her scream as if her very soul was being torn apart.

She couldn't tell if she had arrived in hell, and could only desperately cling to the water plants on the shore with a sliver of hope.

Just when he thought he had finally saved his life, he looked up and suddenly saw Shen Fu's cold and terrifying face.

She was forced to take the abortion pills, and then stones were pounded into her fingers one after another. Her fingers were connected to her heart, and she coughed up mouthfuls of blood.

The pain was unbearable; she was in so much pain she didn't want to live anymore. She could only loosen the water plants and be swept away by the river once more.

"It hurts—" Shen Mingshu murmured as she struggled in her nightmare, "I'm sorry, it hurts so much—"

Wei Ziye woke up with a start. He looked up from his arms and gazed at Shen Mingshu, whose face was still pale in the darkness.

He slowly reached out and gently wiped away the tears from the corners of Shen Mingshu's eyes.

In the chaos, Shen Mingshu sensed a gentle warmth and instinctively moved closer to the source, calling out, "Mother—"

Wei Ziye: "..."

He wanted to pull his hand back, but then he heard Shen Mingshu sobbing and muttering with endless grievances, "It hurts, I don't want to live—"

Wei Ziye's hand paused for a long while, and in the silence, the warm candlelight in the room melted away exceptionally quickly.

After a long while, Wei Ziye wiped away the remaining tears on her face, his voice hoarse and low.

"Shen Mingshu, you are my living Gu. We have not yet atoned for our sins. You cannot die like this."

Not hearing her disturb him any further, Wei Ziye withdrew his hand and was about to get up and leave when he heard the woman behind him mutter, "I'm not full, I'm so hungry—"

"..."

……

When Shen Mingshu woke up again, there was a crab roe pastry on the bedside table, still warm.

"You're awake!"

Liu Yi's voice came from behind her, and Shen Mingshu stood up to look at him: "I'm not dead?"

Liu Yi: "No way, don't worry about me."

Shen Mingshu stood up and glanced at her hands, which were free of any injuries.

She looked coldly at Liu Yi: "You took blood?"

Liu paused, then quickly shook her head: "No, of course not. The divine doctor already extended Second Miss's life last night, Fifth Miss, please rest assured."

Shen Mingshu scrutinized him, her cold eyes seemingly able to see through his heart. Liu Yi nervously swallowed, feeling that Shen Mingshu was emanating wisps of black energy.

He was struggling to cope and was about to grab his medicine box and run away when Shen Mingshu suppressed her cold aura.

"I've already missed the deadline for the official appointment letter, are you still not going to let me go?"

She looked at her middle finger and knew that even though Wei Ziye had already drawn blood, her wound had already healed and couldn't prove anything.

But she couldn't believe the miracle doctor had appeared so conveniently!

Anyone who dares to steal her blood will be made to pay for it in every way possible in the future!

"Uh..." Liu Yi hesitated for a moment, but seeing the look in Shen Mingshu's eyes, he still chickened out: "Young Master Lu and Young Master Wei are already in the front yard, and Ah Ye is negotiating."

Seeing Shen Mingshu preparing to get out of bed, Liu Yi asked curiously, "Fifth Miss, who do you want to go with?"

"..."

……

Seeing Shen Mingshu appear unharmed, Lu Yanzhi and Wei Yuan both breathed a sigh of relief.

Wei Yuan quickly stepped forward, grabbed Shen Mingshu's hand, and asked worriedly, "Mingshu, where's the bone whistle?"

Shen Mingshu: "..."

She looked at Wei Zishi silently, "It was stolen."

Without Wei Ziye saying anything, the guard respectfully returned the bone whistle to Wei Yuan: "Second Young Master, I found this. The young master said it was yours, so he asked me to keep it. Now it is returned to its rightful owner."

"Ha, you found her?" Wei Yuan grabbed the guard by the collar, suppressing his anger as he asked, "Found her in Ming Shu's arms?"

"I dare not!" The guard knelt down in fear. "I found it on the stairs of the post station. Please, Second Young Master, investigate thoroughly!"

"you!"

"Alright." Shen Mingshu looked at the bone whistle in his hand, her voice gentle and melodious. "A-Yuan, I don't need it. Take it back."

Wei Yuan glared at Wei Ziye, shook off the guard, turned around, and tied the bone whistle to Shen Mingshu's waist with a wronged expression.

"Ming Shu, this is the betrothal gift; it cannot be returned."

Shen Mingshu's gaze froze, and she looked up in surprise.

Lu Yan stepped forward and pulled Shen Mingshu straight behind him. The warm moonlight in his eyes completely disappeared, leaving only a cold and clear light.

"Wei Yuan, if you want to stay in the capital, don't go looking for death here!"

Wei Yuan's eyes flashed with a dangerous frost. Just as he was about to snatch the person back, Wei Ziye put his arm around his shoulder, pulled him behind him, and looked at Lu Yanzhi with a cold smile on his lips.

"Young Master Lu, you have quite the arrogance. Do you think the people of the Wei family have to defer to your Lu family's wishes?"

Lu Yanzhi's voice was gentle and clear, even his cold snort carried a hint of frankness: "Young Master Wei, you might as well investigate what he has done. If he dares to be heartless and ungrateful again, or to do anything else, I won't hesitate to seek justice from the Emperor!"

Wei Ziye raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Wei Yuan indifferently.

"Oh? What have you done?"