Chapter 106: Gentleman's Agreement

Gu Lili asked, "So your name is Changzhi?"

"Indeed, that is I."

"What's your surname?"

"Su," he replied, his voice deep and mellow. "It's said that those born with the ability to see our kind are exceedingly rare. Were you frightened the first time you saw us?"

"I was born with it. As a child, I was indeed afraid, but with time, I outgrew the fear."

Gu Lili felt the pain slowly ebbing away. She rose from the ground and brushed the dust off her clothes.

"Does your husband know?"

"He does—and he doesn't mind."

"That's wonderful."

Recalling the miraculous, poison-immunity substance he had created, Gu Lili asked, "Once you return to life, could you recreate it and give me another dose?"

"You wish to give it to your husband?"

"You guessed right. I want him to be like me."

"I can agree to that, but on one condition. The ingredients are exceedingly rare and difficult to obtain. If you can gather all the necessary components, I will craft it for you. And we must also make a gentleman's pact."

"What kind of pact?" she asked.

"That aside from your husband, I shall offer it to no one else. You must never ask me for it again. And apart from myself, I will reserve only one final dose—for the one I love. There shall never be another."

"Why? It's an extraordinary creation. Don't you want it to be passed down, to benefit more people?"

Changzhi stood with his back to her, unmoving. "No. While it brings benefits, it is also a curse. In my previous life, it was the cause of my death. The man who betrayed me sought its formula. I gave him a false version, hoping to preserve my life. But greed knows no bounds. Believing it genuine, they killed me to erase all trace. Sometimes, what you create no longer belongs to you. It must not be passed on. So aside from your copy, I will make only three more. Even if I have children, I shall never reveal it was of my making. Let its story end with me—that is best."

He paused, then added, "Let me make one thing clear. I will give you the names of the required materials. But do not assume that with those alone, it can be replicated. There is still one crucial, irreplaceable component."

"You fear we might try to recreate it? We won't. After hearing what you've told me, I know I never will. Even if you give me another dose, I swear I will never tell a soul—not even my husband—that it came from you."

Hearing her words, Su Changzhi felt a sudden clarity within. "You are someone who understands the weight of things. We could be friends."

At that, Gu Lili, now completely free from pain, smiled and replied warmly, "Of course we can."

…

Upon returning home, she immediately restored all settings on her phone to their original state.

She needed proof that what he'd said was true.

Gu Lili pulled a bottle of paraquat from her bag—something she had purposefully purchased on her way back.

Staring at the warning label, she drew a deep breath, raising the bottle to her lips only to lower it again.

She couldn't quite summon the courage.

At last, squeezing her eyes shut, she tipped it back and drank.

Dear heavens.

It tasted absolutely vile.

Moments after it entered her system, a fresh wave of agony surged through her. Foam frothed in her mouth.

Her head began to spin.