Chapter 8: Misunderstanding

"Can it really be treated?" Song Qingshu was somewhat skeptical, after all, Wuming had no solution.

"Brother Song, don't raise your hopes too high. I can only do my best to give it a try. The chances of success are only about ten or twenty percent. Would Brother Song like to proceed?" After careful consideration, Zhang Wuji frowned and said.

"Ten or twenty percent is good enough; please do your best." For Song Qingshu, who was already resigned to despair, ten or twenty percent was quite high. If Zhang Wuji had overly assured him with a guarantee of more than fifty percent success, Song Qingshu might not have believed him. After all, even Wuming was at a loss. Now that Zhang Wuji had offered to try, a glimmer of hope ignited within Song Qingshu.

"Brother Zhang, I think you shouldn't attempt this. It might lead to misunderstandings if the treatment doesn't succeed," Zhao Min felt that her beloved's approach was somewhat hasty. If he succeeded, no one would be particularly grateful. But if he failed, all kinds of rumors might spread.

"Rest assured, I have a plan," Zhang Wuji said in a deep voice. Zhao Min thought he might be trying to compensate for his debt to Zhou Zhiruo by saving Song Qingshu, so she didn't say more.

"Miss Zhao, please rest assured. If the treatment fails, it's Song's destiny; I won't blame anyone," Song Qingshu's words left Zhao Min surprised. When did Song Qingshu become so magnanimous?

Zhou Zhiruo also found it strange, but feeling guilty herself, she didn't dwell on it and added, "Leader Zhang, do your best. As a couple, we will be forever grateful."

Initially, Song Qingshu was worried that Zhang Wuji might be attempting to end his life, but after a second thought, he realized that Zhang Wuji had promised to treat him in front of so many people today. If the treatment failed, it would be unfortunate, but if Zhang Wuji accidentally killed him, considering the well-known history between him and Zhou Zhiruo, the martial world would likely think Zhang Wuji was a heartless villain who killed a husband to steal a wife.

For the next while, Zhang Wuji frequently visited Song Qingshu to perform acupuncture, administer medicine, and use internal energy to heal him. He was busy and exhausted, and after a few days, his internal energy was depleted.

Song Qingshu felt a bit guilty, thinking that he had treated his rival with generosity.

"Take your medicine, Qing Shu," Zhou Zhiruo brought over a bowl of dark herbal medicine and helped him sit up, feeding him spoon by spoon.

Nestled against Zhou Zhiruo, feeling her body's elasticity and catching hints of her faint fragrance, Song Qingshu's thoughts wandered. During this time, he hadn't let his guard down, remaining vigilant against Zhang Wuji attempting to approach him for secret rendezvous like before. After days of this, nothing unusual had happened. No one had activated his pressure points, and he remembered that the resourceful Princess Shao Min might not be an ordinary person. If she discovered Zhang Wuji's nightly visits with Zhou Zhiruo, her title as "ingenious" wouldn't hold up.

Days had passed, and Zhou Zhiruo's chest seemed to have grown larger again. When he was drinking medicine, Song Qingshu's peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the lady's bosom, and an evil grin spread across his face. Suddenly, he had a dreadful suspicion, and his smile disappeared.

"Zhiruo, I'm not feeling well in my stomach. I need to go out for a moment," Song Qingshu pretended to sound shy.

Zhou Zhiruo chuckled and rose gracefully, adjusting her dress to clear a path. Song Qingshu dashed to the outhouse and looked around to ensure no one was watching. Hastily, he inserted a finger into his throat and vomited all the medicine he had just drunk.

He had noticed Zhou Zhiruo's chest becoming more rounded lately and remembered that a girl's bosom would grow with regular moistening, as if it had been nurtured by rain and dew. He had been guarding against secret rendezvous during the night, but he realized that similar encounters could happen during the day.

In the past, he had relaxed his vigilance because it was broad daylight. Now that he thought about it, he would feel somewhat drowsy after drinking the medicine each time, like he had experienced with some western medicine in his past life. Combined with the broad daylight, he hadn't taken it to heart.

Back in the room not long after, Song Qingshu pretended to be fatigued and his eyelids fluttered. Soon, he fell into slumber.

"Qingshu, Qingshu?" Zhou Zhiruo gently pushed him a few times, puzzled, "Why do you fall asleep so quickly every time after taking the medicine?"

"No need to call him. He's been administered my modified Shixiang Softening Powder. He won't wake up within an hour." At this moment, Zhang Wuji's voice sounded, and Song Qingshu was startled, immediately being hit by a sleep-inducing acupoint.

Hearing their conversation, before slipping into unconsciousness again, Song Qingshu finally understood that the two were indeed having an affair. His anger erupted like a volcano. He had been so naive, thinking they were trying to save him, but now he realized it was merely a ruse for them to have their secret meetings.

"Zhang Wuji, what do you mean?" Seeing Song Qingshu's head tilt, Zhou Zhiruo quickly checked his breathing by holding her finger to his nose, breathing a sigh of relief. She turned to Zhang Wuji, her expression turning grim.

"We wouldn't have a chance to speak candidly if he were awake. It's not convenient," Zhang Wuji replied, glancing at Song Qingshu.

"Leader Zhang, I urge you to show restraint!" Zhou Zhiruo stood up, her tone carrying a trace of coldness. "I did agree to reconcile with you before, but I owe something to Song Qingshu. You must cure him. Otherwise, there will always be a thorn in my heart, and reconciliation with you will be impossible."

Zhang Wuji fell silent for a moment before answering, "Naturally."

"Do you really... really think you can cure Qingshu?" Zhou Zhiruo noticed his uncertainty and asked suspiciously.

Zhang Wuji hesitated for a moment before saying, "Song Senior's meridians are severed, beyond the help of medicine or martial arts. My claim of being fifty percent confident is an exaggeration."

"So you used treating Qingshu's injuries as an excuse to get close to me!" Zhou Zhiruo glared at him, infuriated. "No wonder every time Qingshu drank his medicine, he fell asleep. You're behind it all."

"Otherwise? If I visited you during normal times, rumors would surely spread, which would be detrimental to both of us." Zhang Wuji sighed bitterly.

"I may not hold you accountable for the past, but you must heal Qingshu," Zhou Zhiruo said firmly.

"Repeatedly saying 'Qingshu, Qingshu,' do you really care so much about him?" Zhang Wuji's voice was tinged with jealousy.

"Perhaps this was just an excuse to persuade me to leave my husband for you," Zhou Zhiruo's tone was filled with sorrow. "Brother Wuji, you know very well the feelings I have for you, but I am a married woman. I have my own concerns."

"Can't I make a mistake, Sister Zhiruo?" Zhang Wuji quickly apologized.

"You have exceptional medical skills. How could you fail to heal Qingshu's injuries?" A sudden thought flashed through Zhou Zhiruo's mind. She looked at him and asked, "Could it be because Qingshu is my husband? Are you intentionally not treating him due to male jealousy?"

"How could that be?" Zhang Wuji quickly waved his hands. "I've indeed done my utmost."

Zhou Zhiruo stared at him fixedly until his expression became slightly unnatural. She said in a cold voice, "Very well, I'll temporarily trust you. However, this treatment cannot continue. I will take Qingshu back to Emei for recovery. When you come up with a way to cure Qingshu, you can find me again."

Zhang Wuji opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but Zhou Zhiruo didn't give him the chance. With a cold tone, she ordered, "Guards, escort Leader Zhang out."

Watching Zhang Wuji's resigned figure leave, Zhou Zhiruo muttered to herself, "Brother Wuji, I know you have a way to save him. It's just a matter of whether you're willing to pay the price for me."