25. Could Her Cover Be Blown?
Of course, no matter how strange the Gu poison was, it wasn’t a problem for Yan Chuyue.
Miss Yan’s medical skills were on a completely different level, practically a cheat.
First, she identified the specific Gu used, then prescribed the appropriate antidote to neutralize its effects.
All of this, Yan Chuyue accomplished in a single day.
As for the details of the Gu poison, they kept it from Lan Suqin until they could fully understand its origin, simply returning the dozen or so fully recovered cultivators to her.
Lan Suqin was stunned.
Even the academy’s own physicians couldn’t figure out what was wrong, let alone what kind of poison it was.
But after just one trip, the problem was solved.
She had wanted to host a banquet for the two of them, to ask about the poison and how to prevent it in the future.
However, Gong Yiling and Yan Chuyue declined, claiming they had other matters to attend to, and quickly left that evening.
Of course…
This wasn’t just an excuse.
What should they do at this time?
Naturally—
“Sizzle!”
Gong Yiling tossed the marinated beef and green peppers into the large iron pot, the pungent aroma making her cough.
This happened every time she cooked, but the girls had unanimously requested meat, so she had to show off her skills.
And this iron pot, having been used in battle today, could be considered “consecrated.”
“Ahem… you’re something else.”
Yan Chuyue coughed lightly and handed her some spices.
They worked together with a tacit understanding born of a hundred previous collaborations.
But Yan Chuyue’s attention wasn’t on the food, but on the surrounding forest.
“Why are we cooking here?”
“There’s no fireplace inside.” Gong Yiling gestured to the firewood beneath the pot. “You don’t want me to start a fire in the corridor, do you?”
“That’s true…”
“What, don’t you like the feeling of camping in the forest?”
Miss Gong looked up at the girls gathering fruit, wrapping spring water in clean leaves, and playing with small animals. It was a peaceful and idyllic scene.
“The forest… ahaha, ahahaha, ahahaha…”
Yan Chuyue’s laughter sounded a bit…
Forced.
She took a sip of the sweet spring water from the leaf, trying to suppress her awkwardness.
Only she knew the reason why.
“By the way, where were you this morning? Why were you so late?”
“Pfft—”
Gong Yiling’s question made Yan Chuyue spit out her water.
“Ahem… ahem, ahem!”
“What’s wrong? It’s not a strange question.” Gong Yiling looked at her, puzzled.
“No…” Yan Chuyue quickly waved her hand. “I had some business in the South Courtyard and met an interesting auntie, so I was delayed.”
“An auntie?”
“An auntie who loves crayfish tails. Maybe I can invite her over for a meal sometime?” Yan Chuyue asked expectantly. “She’s quite fun.”
“Sure.” Gong Yiling didn’t mind. “Whatever Miss Yan says.”
“What do you mean, Miss Yan? Aren’t you a young miss yourself?” Yan Chuyue retorted instinctively.
As soon as she said it, she realized her mistake and glanced at Gong Yiling, checking her reaction.
However, Miss Gong simply took it as a joke, not as a serious accusation.
So, she didn’t mind, continuing to focus on the fire, and said casually, “Instead of ‘young miss,’ why don’t you call me ‘young master’? I prefer that.”
Seeing no particular reaction, Yan Chuyue relaxed and started teasing her. “What? You really think you’re handsome and cool when you’re dressed as a man? ‘Young master’?”
“It’s only fair. I’m calling you ‘young miss.'” Gong Yiling, adding the final touches to the dish, said, “If ‘young master’ isn’t to your liking, then ‘brother’ is also fine.”
“Get lost.”
“Hahaha.” She tossed the contents of the pot into the air, leaped up, and used her claw technique to gather the food onto a plate, landing gracefully.
“Tada—applause, please!”
Yan Chuyue’s lips twitched. “How about you break a stone on your chest next?”
“Hmph, I’ve always wanted to do that, but I’m afraid of getting beaten at home.” Gong Yiling placed the beef and green pepper stir-fry in front of Yan Chuyue. “Want a bite?”
The pungent yet enticing aroma made Yan Chuyue’s mouth water. She picked up a piece of beef and put it in her mouth. “Mmm!!!”
The taste was so good she almost bit her tongue.
But… but this taste… for some reason, it felt incredibly familiar.
“I told you to wash your hands first, young miss.” Gong Yiling chuckled and tapped her on the head—pfft! She almost forgot.
You couldn’t touch a tiger’s head, and yet she was tapping this tiger’s head. Would she be bitten?
But looking at Yan Chuyue’s lazy, squinting expression, Miss Gong found it difficult to connect her with the legendary mercenary queen who could single-handedly kill over a hundred assassins.
Did the mercenary queen have this side to her? Or was she, from the beginning, not…
“Sister Chuyue is sneak-eating!”
Chun Lian’s voice startled them. Yan Chuyue reflexively stepped back and turned away, so Gong Yiling couldn’t see her expression.
“Your Sister Chuyue was just helping me taste-test.” Gong Yiling calmly retracted her hand and placed the dish on a flat stone.
“And you, go and call Qiu Shui and Xinyao. It’s time to eat.”
“Okay!”
Chun Lian, having only seen them briefly, ran off towards Qiu Shui.
Leaving the two of them, the atmosphere was a bit strange.
“Yan…”
Just as Gong Yiling was about to speak, the girl suddenly turned around and hugged her, then quickly released her, took a deep breath, and smiled.
“It’s delicious. Thank you.”
