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Zhao Cong, leading a team, hurriedly searched around Fanyin Temple, his expression anxious and urgent.
Just as his worry reached its peak, fate intervened—he spotted the figures of two young women under the matchmaking tree in the distance.
Zhao Cong’s eyes immediately brightened, as if he had seen a life-saving straw.
He slowed his pace, drawing closer while straining to listen to their conversation.
The young woman, referred to as “Miss,” spoke in a soft and gentle voice, her words filled with dreams and hopes for her future marriage.
It seemed that she already had an engagement, and from the tone of her words, it was clear that she was eagerly awaiting her forthcoming union.
However, as she continued to speak her wishes—such as wishing for a handsome husband, an everlasting bond, and countless other desires—the more she spoke, the more they seemed to float in the air, disconnected from reality.
Zhao Cong stood off to the side, unable to stop the twitch at the corner of his mouth.
This young lady’s thoughts were far too naive!
In the world today, finding such a perfect match—a handsome and devoted husband—was far from easy.
Having witnessed the intrigues and calculations of imperial concubines and court officials, Zhao Cong couldn’t bear to take such a pure, innocent girl to the master.
But, Zhao Cong wasn’t in the mood for sentiment or charity.
What was pressing now was that the master had been poisoned with an aphrodisiac and urgently needed a woman to counteract the drug.
The master was the most revered person in the world, and his health could not afford even the slightest risk.
Even if this young lady had an engagement, in comparison—what did that matter?
Having the chance to relieve the master’s distress was a fortune that others would beg for, and who knew—this young lady might have an unexpectedly bright future ahead.
With this thought in mind, Zhao Cong no longer hesitated. He signaled to his team, and they swiftly moved in.
“Who are you!”
Xi Tong, who had been chatting with her mistress, was suddenly startled when she saw the group of people appear out of nowhere. In a panic, she immediately stood protectively in front of her mistress.
Her eyes revealed wariness, and though her voice trembled slightly, she still tried to maintain composure, issuing a sharp reprimand.
Zhao Cong didn’t respond but exchanged a glance with one of his subordinates.
One of the men, dressed in black and lithe in movement, immediately understood the command. Like a shadow, he glided forward and swiftly knocked Xi Tong unconscious with a quick, efficient strike.
Seeing this, Shen Yuling’s face drained of color in fear, and her voice quivered.
“What do you want? Do you know who I am? If you dare harm me, my father or my future husband will never let you go.”
She backed away, fear coursing through her.
Yet, she tried to appear strong, hoping to intimidate the uninvited guests.
Zhao Cong still didn’t speak, but his brows furrowed slightly, and a sense of doubt stirred within him.
Could this young lady be of an unusual background?
However, the situation was urgent, and the master’s condition could not wait. No matter what family she came from, it could never compare to the master’s safety.
With this in mind, Zhao Cong no longer hesitated. He raised his hand.
Another man in black quickly moved forward, and with a swift, precise touch, he pressed a pressure point on Shen Yuling’s neck, rendering her unconscious.
Her body softened, and she collapsed into his arms. Without delay, the black-clad men swiftly carried her away.
Everyone, however, failed to notice that Xi Tong, who had been knocked unconscious, opened her eyes after lying on the ground for a moment. Watching in the direction where her mistress was being taken away, a subtle smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
Her mistress truly lived up to her reputation as a top-tier actress—her acting skills, her scheming mind. Xi Tong’s system could only take notes and learn from the host.
But honestly, her acting today had been pretty good too!
In the room, the candlelight flickered, casting wavering shadows on the walls.
Quan Minghe was alone in the room, the heat from the aphrodisiac raging through his body, spreading like wildfire.
His face was flushed, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.
The black and gold brocade robe he wore, which had once been a symbol of prestige, now felt like a restraint.
Irritated, he unbuttoned it and carelessly tossed it aside.
Quan Minghe tried to use his internal energy to resist the effects of the aphrodisiac.
But the formula of the drug was unknown to him, and no matter how much he resisted, the heat would subside momentarily only to rebound even stronger.
Wave after wave of burning desire nearly overwhelmed his reason.
Half-lying on the bed, Quan Minghe struggled to hold onto the last shred of clarity.
At that moment, the sound of a door creaking open cut through the silence.
Quan Minghe, who had his eyes closed, initially thought it was Zhao Cong returning.
He shifted slightly, listening intently to the footsteps that followed. His heart sank immediately.
The footsteps… weren’t Zhao Cong’s!
In an instant, he snapped his eyes open, and sharp, blade-like glints flashed in his gaze.
The door slowly creaked open, and a young woman appeared in the doorway.
She appeared to be about sixteen or seventeen years old.
Her looks, while fair, weren’t strikingly beautiful—she had a pleasant appearance but wasn’t the kind to turn heads.
However, her eyes—clear and innocent—held a sense of naive confusion in the dim candlelight.
“Who are you?”
Quan Minghe’s voice was hoarse, dark, and rough, as though sandpaper had been used to scrape it.
It was strained, filled with irritation.
The young woman, upon entering, was greeted with the sight of a man with his upper body bare, his face hidden by a terrifying mask.
She froze, panic flashing across her face.
She was from a poor family, with a sick younger brother in dire need of medical attention. Desperate for help, she had been instructed to come to Fanyin Temple to take care of a patient tonight, in exchange for money to help her brother.
For the sake of her brother, she had gritted her teeth and come.
Now, faced with this unfamiliar and clearly dangerous man, she was too frightened to even speak properly.
“I… I…” she stammered, her face turning bright red.
The man’s thin lips pressed into a tight line, his gaze as cold and unfeeling as that of a death god.
Her fear grew stronger, and her tongue seemed tied, struggling to utter a complete sentence.
Quan Minghe looked at the trembling woman before him, a wave of disgust creeping through him.
Another one trying to climb the social ladder.
“Who sent you?”
“A… an aunt sent me…” she answered in a near whisper, her voice so faint it could barely be heard over the sound of a mosquito’s hum. Her hands twisted the hem of her clothes, the nervousness evident in every movement.
An aunt?
Could it be that a concubine from the harem was scheming against him?
But, the overwhelming sensation of the aphrodisiac in his body was so intense, and his reason was already hanging by a thread.
He had no choice but to compromise.
Fine, tonight, he would use this woman to relieve the effects of the drug.
Tomorrow, though—tomorrow would be her end.
Quan Minghe never did things that made him feel humiliated. But everything that had happened tonight felt like a festering curse, and he was filled with nothing but disdain and frustration.
“Come here.”
His voice was cold, a command that penetrated her ears like ice.
She, with her lowly status, was used to obeying orders. Hearing such a cold and merciless command, she didn’t dare to disobey in the slightest.
With her head lowered, she took slow, tentative steps toward him.
Was this the “patient” she was supposed to care for tonight?
Powerful, and likely a high-ranking official or even royal, how could a poor girl like her possibly “care” for such a man?
Quan Minghe leaned forward slightly, lifting her chin with one hand.
In the flickering candlelight, he studied her face with keen interest.
Though her beauty didn’t quite reach the level of being world-shattering, it was still enough to catch his eye.