Su Wei didn’t stay long. The woman prescribed her some medicine that only needed to be applied to her eyes. Afterward, the Master dismissed her to wait outside, as she still had matters to discuss.
She had no intention of lingering anyway. For some reason, this place gave her a terrible feeling, a desperate urge to flee.
The palace attendant entered and helped her out. Inside the room, only Su He and the woman remained.
The woman wore the most common attire of a Jiangnan woman, but her features were delicate, making the simple clothes look exceptionally suited to her.
“This gu is called the Life-Death Gu. One Life Gu, one Death Gu. You carry the Life, she carries the Death. The Life Gu holds a fatal attraction to the Death Gu. This means she cannot stray far from you, or the gu insect will act up.”
“Furthermore,” the woman looked directly at Su He, “the Death Gu will flare up every month. When it does, only the blood of the Life Gu can ease the pain—that is, Your Majesty’s blood.”
The woman turned away to pack her belongings. “You must remember this: if the Life Gu dies, the Death Gu cannot live.”
Su He frowned. “What do you mean?”
“It means… you possess the chance at life. That little shadow guard of yours does not. Also, this gu has another property: life and death are intertwined. The Death Gu can draw upon the Life Gu, and it can also kill the Life Gu.”
“All in all, you can still control that shadow guard. Under the gu’s influence, she will develop a dependence on you, and she will never be able to escape your side again.”
Su He raised an eyebrow, placed a pre-prepared jade pendant on the table, and smiled faintly. “Your payment.”
The woman’s face instantly broke into a beaming smile. She bowed respectfully to Su He. “Long live Your Majesty, ten thousand years!”
Su He paid little mind to her false flattery. She had other matters to attend to. Setting the item down, she turned and left without looking back.
“Master.” Su Wei called out softly when she saw Su He emerge. “Will I really get better?”
Seeing the anticipation in her eyes, Su He nodded. Disregarding any onlookers, she boldly took Su Wei’s hand. “Don’t worry. You will definitely recover.”
The gu insect alone wasn’t enough. She needed to secure the person herself. She simply had to use the gu’s power and show Su Wei kindness.
“Don’t.” Su Wei tried to pull away, the panic on her face plain to see. “There are too many people. We’ll be seen.”
“We won’t. If you make too big a move, that’s what draws attention.” Su He’s gaze towards Su Wei was incredibly gentle. “What are you afraid of? No one else knows our relationship.”
Su Wei’s fingers curled inward. She lowered her eyes, pressed her lips tightly together, and said nothing more.
Su He had already arranged their itinerary. After finding a suitable inn, she took the Leader and went out, leaving Su Wei confined to the room once more.
She knew nothing. Everything was arranged for her. Before, it had always been like this—receive orders, then wait obediently. But now, it felt different. Though she couldn’t pinpoint exactly how.
Su Wei didn’t dwell on it. She drank her medicine, slept, and obediently applied the poultice to her eyes. Soon, she fell into a deep sleep. When she woke up again, Su He was already sitting in a chair.
It looked as if she had been waiting for a long time.
“Master.” Su Wei moved to get out of bed, but before she could make a big move, Su He pressed down on her shoulder.
She heard her Master say, “Don’t rush. No need for formalities, don’t be flustered.”
“I’ve already handled the matters. I plan to stroll around here this afternoon. Will you come with me?”
It was naturally impossible for Su Wei to refuse. Her eyes were still not fully clear, but she still answered, “Yes.”
When they went out, they deliberately changed their clothes. Both wore black, trying to appear as inconspicuous as possible.
Su Wei only had scattered childhood memories of Jiangnan, mostly forgotten. Her eyes still held the curiosity of a first-time visitor as she looked around, feeling the urge to buy almost everything.
But a shadow guard’s personal savings weren’t much. Repairing the jade hairpin had cost her significantly, and she still needed to find an opportunity to return it to her Master.
“Is there anything you like?” Su He suddenly spoke beside her ear. “Go pick something. I brought money.”
She slipped a pouch of money into Su Wei’s hand. “I permit you to indulge yourself. Go buy something.”
Su Wei instantly tensed. She always felt her Master was acting strange. Why else would she give her money for no reason and tell her to buy things?
Was she not going to live past tonight?
As if reading her hesitation and thoughts, Su He didn’t get angry. She bent down and pressed close to her. “Go on. I won’t kill you.”
Su Wei forced a smile. Somewhat stiffly, she went and bought a stick of candied hawthorn. She hadn’t eaten these in a long time.
Her appetite wasn’t large. After two bites, she found it too sweet and her teeth ached a little, so she just held it without eating, looking around but buying nothing.
In the end, it was Su He who broke the stalemate first. She asked Su Wei to give her the candied hawthorn, then, right in front of the shadow guard, bit one off herself. She went to a small stall and picked out some trinkets, stuffing them all into Su Wei’s arms.
“This is too sweet. Pick something else next time.”
Listening to Su He’s voice, Su Wei felt dazed for a moment. She froze, then clutched the items in her arms tighter.
Later, Su He took her to look at clothing shops, but it was obvious Su Wei didn’t like them. She even showed some resistance.
Tonight, her Master was exceptionally agreeable. When she resisted, Su He didn’t push her.
Too strange. Su Wei’s heart remained suspended all evening. Such unprovoked kindness… she feared it signified some impending change.
Perhaps because she couldn’t hide her feelings, Su He looked at her for a long time before finally bringing her back to the inn.
“You bathe first. I have some things to handle.”
Su He left the room as soon as she finished speaking. Su Wei only breathed a sigh of relief when the person was completely gone. She stared blankly at the pile of useless purchased items.
Master really was… so strange.
She thought too much. She wanted to find the Leader and talk, to explain everything that had happened lately. Just as Su Wei stood up, she froze in place. Suddenly, she found it hard to breathe, her body trembling uncontrollably.
Su Wei fell to her knees, hands braced on the ground, gasping for air. Her eyes widened as her lower abdomen began to spasm. She frowned, sweat continuously dripping down, even her fingertips going numb.
How could this be?
Su Wei thought. She laboriously propped herself up, but just as she was about to step forward, she collapsed uncontrollably. Her vision gradually blurred, fixating on one spot. Clutching her chest, she slowly moved towards the place where Su He’s clothes were kept.
Her entire body was drenched in sweat, yet she seemed oblivious to the pain. With a frantic expression, she stumbled towards them, only completely collapsing onto the floor once she touched the clothes.
Su Wei held the clothes in her arms, curling up her body, hiding in the corner. Her eyes were vacant, staring blankly at one spot without speaking.
This was the sight Su He returned to find. Su Wei was almost asleep, her clothes clutched tightly in her arms. When she saw Su He return, her gaze fixed on her, unwavering.
Su He’s lips curved upwards. She crouched down in front of her shadow guard. She wasn’t annoyed that this place was a mess; instead, she was very satisfied.
Su He cut her fingertip and casually smeared the blood across Su Wei’s lips. Then, pressing the back of Su Wei’s neck, she tilted her head up slightly.
She bent down and kissed Su Wei’s lips, taking in the long-lost light in the shadow guard’s eyes.
