Chapter 1: The Young Man from Miaojiang Skilled in Gu

"Miaojiang youth are skilled with poisons."

The man's face in front of me is alluring, with a small green snake coiled around his vein-bulging arm.

"Since Wanwan knows, why did she still come here?"

I turned my head to look at the distant, vast green waters and hills, responding indifferently, "Anyway, I won't live long."

1

The moment I received the medical report, I didn't know what kind of mood I was in.

I only felt as if I had fallen into an icy cave, with stiff and cold limbs.

How could I have cancer at just twenty-five years old...?

The doctor's words still echoed in my ears.

"This illness, can't be cured."

"If relying on medication, you might live for three more years; if you give up treatment, you only have six months left."

I stuffed the medical report into my handbag and returned heavily to the studio.

"What's wrong?" He Yu, wearing a sleek suit, walked over, looking at me seriously.

I shook my head, "Nothing."

His voice was as cold as ever, "If it's nothing, then hurry up and prepare for tonight's birthday party. Many fans will come, and you've already taken the morning off, delaying a lot of work."

I kept apologizing, and as I turned, a stream of nosebleed burst forth.

I was startled and hurriedly looked behind, only to find that the man's attention wasn't on me at all.

Of course, how could He Yu ever care about me?

I've been the one chasing after him all along, and it's only ever been one-sided.

He Yu and I were high school classmates.

Due to transferring schools, I was quite isolated in the class and didn't talk much.

He Yu, being the class monitor at the time, took good care of me, with excellent grades, good physique, and high looks, I inadvertently fell into a whirlpool of secret love.

But I didn't know then – he was only nice to me because he was the class monitor.

Yet, I still worked hard to get into his university, and then joined his studio as his assistant.

Later, I gradually realized that He Yu was just superficially kind, but privately indifferent.

So, in the ten years that I've liked him, except for the initial care as a class monitor, he has always maintained a business-like attitude towards me, barely ever giving me smiles.

...

Tonight is He Yu's twenty-fifth birthday party, also his debut five-year anniversary.

He has always been generous to his fans, and this time invited many of them, also promoting his new drama.

I stood in the corner, watching the man on stage greet everyone with a faint smile, layers of gentle waves in his light brown eyes.

Turns out, he just won't smile at me.

In the last six months of my life, I suddenly want to leave time for myself and not waste a second on He Yu anymore.

Taking advantage of some free time, I went to Sister Lucy and submitted my resignation application.

She looked at me with a headache, "Wanwan, there's a meeting with a CEO at xx hotel later, which concerns whether He Yu's new drama can be aired. You can resign after handling this."

It's no secret that I like He Yu, and people in the industry always exploit this to make me do things for them.

Even though, that's not my job.

But I also know how much He Yu loves this drama.

In the end, I still nodded in agreement but pondered opening my mouth to make a request.

"If I can manage it, can I have a bonus of ten thousand dollars?"

Sister Lucy paused for a moment, then smiled, "Don't worry, you are our studio's excellent employee; not just ten thousand, even a hundred thousand wouldn't be a problem for you."

I left Sister Lucy's office feeling at ease.

After closing the door, I happened to see He Yu's anxious-looking figure as if searching for someone.

The moment our eyes met, his anxious figure stopped, and there was a hint of reassurance in his eyes.

It's probably just an illusion.

I've clung to him for ten years; he should be eager not to see me.

...

This CEO is more difficult to deal with than I imagined.

It wasn't until I'd worn out my mouth, drank ten glasses of wine, and endured his wandering hands eight times that he finally agreed.

I walked along the street at night, wearing a professional suit with a face flushed.

Not far away, some hooligans were whistling at me.

Is this the life you want?

I felt a burst of grievance in my heart.

My phone rang sharply, and upon answering, it was He Yu's overwhelming complaints.

"The party's not over, where did you go?"

"I've called you over ten times but you didn't pick up."

My stomach churned, salty tears streamed down my cheeks.

"I...I went to deal with the chairman of xx company." I held my breath, trying not to let He Yu notice the abnormality in my voice.

Sister Lucy's voice came from the other side of the phone, explaining for me.

He Yu's tone softened a bit but remained indifferent.

"Next time when you leave early, remember to inform me first."

There won't be a next time.

I murmured to myself, but still obediently replied "Hmm."

When I got home, Sister Lucy sent a long message on WeChat to explain for He Yu.

"Don't be mad at him; he's just too worried about you."

"Do you remember the incident where the sasaeng fan almost kidnapped him? Since then, he's been very concerned about the safety of those around him, especially you."

Especially...me?

Sister Lucy is the head of our CP fandom, so it's not strange for her to say such a thing.

If it were in the past, I might deceive myself a bit, but now I only have six months left, and I don't want to deceive myself anymore.

2

A message from someone named "Mu Zi" popped up on WeChat.

I opened the chat window and couldn't help but, in my drunkenness, vent all today's grievances to her.

Mu Zi is a pen pal I met in high school, and her experience is quite similar to mine; we both have people we like but can't catch them.

Perhaps because of shared misery, we've managed to maintain online contact for eight years.

But I've never talked to her about work-related matters; such excessive negative emotion venting, I feared she wouldn't like.

As expected, the chat log stayed on the sentence I sent, "The boss is a pervert, keeps touching my thighs," and there was no response for a long time.

I felt a bit disappointed, yet it seemed only natural.

Eventually, I fell asleep.

Early the next morning, Sister Lucy's messages kept coming.

"Check the news, dear!"

"Yesterday's CEO got arrested, hahaha."

"Serves him right for blocking our new drama!"

I opened the top trending news on Weibo and saw that indeed the CEO was jailed for embezzlement.

Good always prevails over evil.

Thinking about what he did to me yesterday, I felt much lighter.

Upon checking WeChat, I saw that Mu Zi also sent many messages last night.

She said she had just gone for a shower and comforted me like an elder sister, telling me I could always turn to her for unhappy matters.

She's really kind.

I've never seen her, don't even know her name, and only guessed her gender through her avatar.

Yet in my heart, I've already quietly formed the image of a gentle older sister.

I expressed my gratitude and shared the good news of the CEO going to prison. She replied immediately:

"You seem unhappy recently; would you like to travel? I know a place with beautiful scenery."

With the little savings I have, it's impossible to sustain three years of treatment.

Rather than barely hanging on for three years, I'd rather use the last six months to explore the splendid landscapes of my homeland alone.

I agreed and asked her for a travel guide.

…

A thousand miles away in Mountain City, a tall and handsome man sat in front of a computer desk.

He lightly kissed the tail ring, staring at the girl laughing heartily on the computer screen, with eyes full of intense possessiveness.

"I'll come find you, Wanwan."

3

The place Mu Zi recommended to me was called "Mountain City," a famous tourist destination over the years.

I've grown up by the seaside since I was a child, and I have a special sense of anticipation for the lush, desolate mountains.

Before leaving, Sister Lucy called me repeatedly, asking three times, "Are you really leaving?"

"Yes, I'm already twenty-five. I can't keep hanging on to He Yu forever."

"Then… should I notify him?"

"No, just a small employee resigning, he won't care."

After hanging up the phone, I threw the SIM card into the sewer.

As if declaring a farewell to the past.

…

The day I was about to reach Mountain City, the car radio timely broadcast entertainment news:

"Recently, actor He Yu was spotted entering and leaving the same neighborhood as popular starlet Ni Zheng, displaying intimate gestures..."

Ni Zheng is the female lead of his new drama, and stirring up a bit of scandal before the release is a normal marketing tactic by the studio.

However, He Yu has always been very disciplined since his debut, never being caught in close situations with other women.

I was distracted for a moment, and the car hit the mountain beside it with a "bang."

The collision wasn't intense, but the engine wouldn't start.

Oh no, won't I be stuck here?

"Do you need help?"

A clear and pleasant male voice sounded from behind.

I turned my head to look, and a man just got out of a black SUV, wearing simple casual attire, looking about twenty-six or seven. His features were deep, his skin porcelain pale, and his slightly alluring eyes added a hint of charm.

The man walked to the engine of the car, "Is the engine not starting? I happen to know a friend who can help tow the car."

I awkwardly nodded but looked at him defensively.

He was too enthusiastic.

Mu Zi had warned that unexpected kindness from strangers in the mountains usually indicated trouble.

The man immediately raised his hands in a surrender gesture, smiling gently, "Don't get me wrong, I'm Li Juan, the owner of 'Dengfeng Inn' up the mountain. I just saw you here alone and worried you might be in danger. I'm not a bad person."

Dengfeng Inn seems quite famous.

I went online to check Dengfeng Inn's information, comparing the owner's photo with Li Juan's appearance, before feeling relieved.

Li Juan's friend who came to tow my car had a simple, honest look. To conveniently express gratitude, I wrote my name and contact information on a piece of paper and handed it to him.

But he glanced at Li Juan and didn't take it.

How should I put it? His eyes held a mix of respect and a trace of fear.

Li Juan approached with a gentle smile and explained, "He's a local Miao person, doesn't speak or understand standard Mandarin. If you need to contact him in the future, just find me."

I understood and looked at the pitch-black sky, eventually nervously asked, "Mr. Li, it's getting late, I... can I hitch a ride to your inn to stay for a few days?"

He just helped me with the car, wouldn't it be too much trouble for him?

"Of course. Also, just call me Li Juan, no need for honorifics," he paused, then added, "Can I call you Wanwan?"

Li Juan's voice was low and seductive, especially when he said "Wanwan," which made my ears tingle along with the evening breeze.

Quite a few people I know call me that.

I nodded uneasily, missing the spark of excitement in Li Juan's eyes as he turned away.

4

The inn's environment was better than I imagined. I chatted briefly with Mu Zi and soon succumbed to drowsiness and fell asleep.

In the middle of the night, I was awakened by a violent shaking.

E-earthquake?

I panicked, hurriedly slipped on two shoes, and ran outside, soon crashing into a warm embrace.

A muffled grunt came from above, followed by Li Juan's gentle, clean voice.

"Not sleeping at night, why are you running out?"

I backed away, confusedly pointed at the shaking wall painting in the hallway, "Isn't... isn't there an earthquake?"

He laughed softly, "Mountain City is located on a seismic zone, earthquakes of this level occur frequently and don't cause much harm."

No wonder when I ran out, no other guests came fleeing with me.

Seeing I was still nervous, he suggested, "If you're scared, you can come to my room for a while, until the tremors subside."

The shaking made me dizzy, and when I came to my senses, I was already sitting on the sofa in Li Juan's room.

"I'll go take a shower, you rest here for a while."

I smiled apologetically at him.

The sound of water came from the shower, and Li Juan's figure was vaguely visible behind the frosted glass.

And the sofa I sat on happened to face the frosted glass directly.

I uncomfortably turned my head away, but secretly assessed:

With wide shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs, his muscles are lean but well-defined, on par with He Yu's physique management.

Almost simultaneously, the tremors and the sound of water ceased, and Li Juan came out of the bathroom wearing a robe.

Droplets of water rolled from his hair down beneath the exposed skin at his neckline, continuing downward, vanishing from sight.

I quickly got up, "The tremors are gone, I'll head back now."

Li Juan leaned against the door, nodded, his long eyelashes casting shadows under his eyes.

He adjusted his intentionally loosened neckline and smiled with a meaningful expression.

…

Perhaps due to last night's small earthquake, I slept till noon.

Thought the inn didn't provide meals, but unexpectedly, Li Juan brought lunch delivery to my door.

I took a bite, exclaiming, "It's so delicious!"

I've been picky about food since childhood, and there aren't many dishes that suit my taste.

"Do all guests here get a chance to taste your personally-cooked meals?"

Li Juan stood in the shadow, expression unreadable, "Yes, it's one of 'Dengfeng Inn's specialties."

After eating, I suddenly remembered today's first travel destination, so I consulted Li Juan.

He paused in collecting plates and said casually, "If you're alone, maybe you should hire a guide."

"But I don't know any guides."

He took out an advanced guide certification from his side pocket, half joking, "These days, it's hard to earn money. I happened to pick up a few more certifications."

5

In the end, with no car and unfamiliar with the roads, Li Juan drove me to the first tourist spot.

Maybe because it wasn't spring yet, the place was sparsely populated.

"There's a temple at the top said to be very effective in granting wishes. Want to check it out?" Li Juan suggested.

I stared at the seemingly hundreds of stone steps ahead, silently nodded.

Having rarely exercised, I was already short of breath halfway up.

Li Juan, on the other hand, wasn't tired, and enthusiastically recounted the temple's history.

"Legend has it that the first Miaojiang King built it specially for his wife who was a devotee of Buddhism."

"Miaojiang King? Do the Miao people really use gu poison?" I asked curiously.

Li Juan chuckled, a dark glint passed through his eyes.

"They do."

A cold sweat broke out on my back, and I stopped to look back at him.