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墨書 Inktalez
"How is Jinluo doing?"
The speaker was the owner of Hongxiu Villa, equivalent to the madam of an ordinary brothel. No one remembered her original surname; they only knew that she was in her thirties and everyone in Luoyang called her Hong Gu.
Hong Gu, true to her name, loved to wear red clothing. It was already midnight, and the candlelight in the room flickered uncertainly. Standing in the corner, Hong Gu looked ghostly. When she suddenly spoke, it startled everyone; Liu, the shopkeeper, who was checking a pulse, dropped his hand. Seeing it was Hong Gu, he took a deep breath and said, "Miss Jinluo has an old ailment combined with poisoning. She probably won't wake up for a while, so I suggest you make arrangements early."
"Poisoned?" Hong Gu was someone who had been in the scene for a long time and could easily understand what Liu had just said. But how could Jinluo be poisoned out of nowhere? Her sharp gaze swept across the room and landed on Xing Ruyi's face, at which point she rushed over like a gust of wind. If Rui Tong hadn't been there to block her, Xing Ruyi's face would have likely been scratched by Hong Gu.
"You treacherous thing! Your sister has been poisoned by someone, and you still protect the culprit. Call the constable quickly; someone is going to die at Hongxiu Villa!" Hong Gu shouted as she slapped Rui Tong hard across the face, then pushed her aside and grabbed Xing Ruyi by her collar. A strong fragrance wafted over, causing Xing Ruyi to sneeze unexpectedly.
Rubbing her nose, Xing Ruyi raised an eyebrow at Hong Gu. "Fox Demon, are you too dull to understand what I just said?"
"What do you mean? You dare ask me what I mean?" Hong Gu snorted several times. "Be honest! Did you poison our Jinluo? What is your motive? Did that old enemy from Baihua Tower send you here? What a despicable place Baihua Tower is; their top performer was stolen away, and now they want to harm my people."
"Do you have a persecution complex?" Xing Ruyi asked as she pushed Hong Gu's hand away.
"First of all, I know nothing about Jinluo being poisoned. Secondly, I have no connection with Baihua Tower; I'm just someone who sells rouge and face powder. Though I don't earn much, it's enough for my own expenses. Therefore, there's no reason for me to work for Baihua Tower either emotionally or financially. Hong Gu is a smart person; surely you understand such simple logic."
"Hmph!" Hong Gu snorted coldly. "You do have quite a clever tongue. If Jinluo's poisoning has nothing to do with you, then how do you explain this?"
With a loud bang, Hong Gu placed a teacup in front of Xing Ruyi. The cup was water blue in color and had thick black residue at the bottom, with a faint herbal scent wafting through the air.
"Xing Ruyi, do you dare say this bowl of medicine has nothing to do with you?"
Xing Ruyi merely smiled without speaking and picked up the teacup to smell it: "Silver Bupleurum, Ground Rehmannia Root, Roasted Turtle Shell, Codonopsis Pilosulae, Angelica Sinensis, Hundred Parts Herb, Ejiao Pearl, Mother Zhi, Fritillaria—this is the prescription I wrote for Jinluo."
"Admit it, right?" Hong Gu said coldly with a smile. "The people from Hongxiu Villa can all testify that Jin Luo fainted only after drinking your so-called medicinal Prescription. Xing Ruyi, do you still dare to say that Jin Luo's poisoning has nothing to do with you?"
"Ruyi?" Rui Tong, who had been protecting Xing Ruyi, turned around to look at her upon hearing Hong Gu's words, his eyes filled with confusion and hostility.
"Although the Prescription from the Fox Demon cannot compare to that of Old Master Liu from Jishengtang, it consists of gentle herbs and absolutely cannot cause poisoning."
"The facts are right in front of you, yet you still want to argue." Hong Gu said, calling over the thugs standing outside the door. "Come on, bind this poisonous woman and take her to the magistrate. I don't believe the magistrate's authority can't pry open her mouth."
"Wait." Old Master Liu from Jishengtang stood up holding the bowl. "I may not know if Ruyi's Prescription is effective, but just based on the ingredients in this Prescription and the soup, it cannot poison Miss Jin Luo."
"Who doesn't know that your Jishengtang has always been close to her Ruyi Workshop? I suspect you are partners in this." Hong Gu's face grew increasingly ugly.
"To catch someone red-handed and seize evidence, even if Hong Gu wants to wrong an innocent person, she must provide solid proof." Xing Ruyi briefly closed her eyes for a moment and, taking advantage of Hong Gu's distraction, pulled a silver hairpin from her hair.
"It is rumored that Hong Gu treats Miss Jin Luo well because she is your illegitimate daughter. Is this rumor true or false?" Xing Ruyi played with the silver hairpin she took from Hong Gu's hair while looking into her eyes.
"Of course it's false. My sister comes from a prestigious family; if it weren't for our family's decline, how could she end up in such a place?" Before Hong Gu could respond, Rui Tong began to defend.
Xing Ruyi smirked slightly. "But as far as I know, Hong Gu, you indeed have a daughter who grew up in the villa. Although she has a bit of a bad temper, she is still a beauty just like you were in your youth. If I remember correctly, her name should be Flower Bud."
"Flower Bud? Isn't she our sworn enemy at Hongxiu Villa, the top courtesan at Baihua Tower?" The maid beside Hong Gu began to whisper but was silenced by a glare from Hong Gu.
"So what if Flower Bud is my daughter? In business, deceit and trickery are perfectly normal." Hong Gu's lips twitched slightly, but her gaze had already shifted from Xing Ruyi's face to the silver hairpin she had taken. "Don't think that knowing my secret will allow you to escape the crime of poisoning. Xing Ruyi, quickly return my silver hairpin; otherwise, when we get to the magistrate, I will add another charge of theft against you."
"To add a crime, why not add one more?" Xing Ruyi smiled and turned to hand the silver hairpin to Rui Tong. "Under the wutong tree, a young girl cries; do you still remember who caused your sister's misfortune?"
Rui Tong stared at the silver hairpin, her eyes suddenly brightening.
In the courtyard, a uniform sound of footsteps approached. Xing Ruyi stretched her arms and said to Aunt Hong, "The person you were looking for has arrived."
In Luoyang City, the night fog was thick. Xing Ruyi, looking very sleepy, walked out from the Yamen and saw a figure dressed in white standing under the orange glow of the lanterns.
"Here you are!"
Rubbing her eyes and stifling a long yawn, by the time she opened her eyes again, she found herself already in his arms.
"Why didn't you notify me?"
The fox frowned, looking at the Yamen of the Tang Dynasty behind Xing Ruyi. Chang Tai, dressed in official robes and holding a dark cloak, noticed the fox. Their eyes met, and he nodded slightly before turning back.
"It was sudden," Xing Ruyi said sleepily. "Besides, you're a demon and I'm a human. It's easy for you to find me, but it's difficult for me to find you."
"That won't happen again," the fox whispered as he lifted her up.
Feeling tired and weary, she nuzzled her head against the fox's chest like a pet and fell into a peaceful sleep.
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