Gu Sui, who had been choked a bit, hazily opened his eyes and saw the familiar face magnified in front of him. For a moment, his memories were confused.

After feeding him the medicine, Mu Jiulu helped him lie down. Gu Sui suddenly gripped her wrist.

“Baby…”

His voice was extremely low, and Mu Jiulu had to lean in close to hear.

“I don’t want to break up with you. I regret it.”

“But where are you?”

Mu Jiulu’s heart suddenly ached. She lay on top of him and sighed softly.

“I can’t find you anymore… Are you angry and blaming me?”

“I don’t want to break up anymore. Will you come back?”

“Wuwuwu, I’m so terrible. My money was scammed away by Gu Shi. I can’t pay it back.”

“I’m afraid they’ll come after you…”

Gu Sui mumbled incoherently, his words disconnected. After listening, Mu Jiulu’s brows furrowed.

“Who would come after me? What money?”

Gu Sui curled up, as if unconscious, repeatedly whimpering one sentence.

“I don’t want to break up. Don’t break up…”

Mu Jiulu felt extremely heartbroken. At this moment, how could she care about these things? She comforted him in a low voice.

“Okay, we won’t break up. I’m here, be good.”

This reassurance seemed to take effect. Gu Sui’s whimpering gradually stopped.

“Baby, you’re back.”

“Mm, I’m back.”

“Wah, baby, you’re so good. I’m not worthy of you. I have debts. Why don’t we still separate?”

He started crying softly again, inconsistently. Mu Jiulu listened, feeling both angry and heartbroken.

“What did you say?”

He has debts? Was this why he wanted to break up back then?

Gu Sui said, sobbing: “I don’t want to separate, but what if you despise me? So let’s still separate. If I propose it first, it might be a bit better. But, wah, baby, I can’t bear to…”

Mu Jiulu: “……”

If you can’t bear it, then why break up!

“I’m so conflicted. I’m troubled. So I went drinking, then I drank too much, and in a moment of impulse I broke up. Baby, am I so terrible? Wuwuwu.”

The weak and sad voice came intermittently to her ears. After listening, Mu Jiulu really didn’t know what to say.

How could she have known that the reason for his breakup back then was self-abasement?

He was clearly such a positive and upbeat person. She never knew he was carrying these burdens behind her back.

He also didn’t want her to see this side of him. If not for this illness, he probably would never have told her this truth.

Mu Jiulu was still angry in her heart. Why did he just assume that she would definitely despise him? And why did he make the decision on his own, resolutely choosing to break up?

But now, how could she bear to blame him for these things?

“Alright, alright. You’re not terrible at all. It’s just debt, right? I don’t despise you. You’re not allowed to despise yourself either. We’ll be together, just fine.”

“Wuwuwu, really?”

He looked so pitiful like this. Mu Jiulu raised her hand to caress the corner of his eye.

“Really. Don’t cry anymore. Go to sleep. You’ll feel better after sleeping.”

Mu Jiulu coaxed patiently. Gu Sui suddenly hugged Mu Jiulu.

“Then baby has to stay with me.”

Mu Jiulu flicked his nose, her eyes gentle and doting.

“Okay, I’ll stay with you. Sleep peacefully.”

A good night’s sleep.

When Gu Sui woke up the next day, the feeling of heaviness and fatigue had subsided a lot, but he still didn’t quite understand what had happened.

Mu Jiulu brought the second bowl of medicine to feed him.

“How do you feel? Still uncomfortable?”

Gu Sui obediently shook his head: “Much better. What medicine is this?”

His voice was still a bit weak. Mu Jiulu carefully wiped away the remaining medicine at the corner of his lips.

“You don’t remember anything about yesterday?”

Gu Sui was a bit confused: “Ah?”

He vaguely remembered that he seemed to have had a dream. In the dream, he kept crying to her, crushingly unlike himself.

He didn’t want to admit at all that it was him.

It must have just been a dream.

Mu Jiulu shook her head helplessly, not wanting to expose him.

Since he didn’t want her to know so much, she would pretend not to know.

“Yesterday, the imperial physician developed the prescription. Your illness will get better soon.”

Only then did Gu Sui show some joy: “Really?”

“Of course.”

Gu Sui crashed into Mu Jiulu’s embrace, speaking with relief.

“That’s great, baby. I don’t have to leave you now.”

Mu Jiulu smiled slightly, gently patting his back.

“I told you I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”

Another ten days or so passed before Gu Sui’s illness completely improved. During this time, Mu Jiulu told him the ins and outs of the matter. Gu Sui, growing healthier day by day, was furious.

“I even thought Mu Jingyao was a good person who cared for her husband. I didn’t expect her to be worse than a beast!”

Even regarding Zhu Ning’s illness, Mu Jiulu had uncovered the truth.

The so-called evil spirit, which was actually witchcraft, was set up by Mu Jingyao herself. It was all to find an excuse to enter the capital and spread this epidemic.

“She’s not human at all. No, I can’t get over this. When I’m better, I have to go to Liang Province myself to demand an explanation!”

Gu Sui felt he had gained some benefit from this misfortune. After recovering from the serious illness, he felt the restriction in his dantian had weakened considerably, and he could now use the original host’s internal energy.

He sparred with Sui Yu, who said his martial arts had recovered at least fifty percent, which was a good sign.

“You don’t need to act personally. Mother and I will help you get revenge.”

She had already received intelligence reports. Mu Jingyao had set out with fifty thousand Liang Province troops, heading straight for the capital, and was spreading rumors that the epidemic in the capital was divine punishment, using this to establish her reputation.

Gu Tingsong’s whetstone was almost worn out. She was just waiting for her to come.

Gu Sui was still very angry: “When she comes, I want to deal with her too. You can’t stop me!”

Mu Jiulu laughed helplessly: “Alright, my young general.”

“By the way, how are the others’ illnesses?”

Mu Jiulu comforted him: “Don’t worry. Yours was the most serious. They’ve all recovered greatly. It’s just that the Empress Dowager is advanced in years. After this ordeal, her vitality was greatly damaged. She doesn’t look as spirited as before.”

“Ah, what about the Empress Consort?”

“He’s okay. After all, he’s just past thirty. But his vitality has also been damaged. The young emperor was furious, vowing to cut Mu Jingyao into a thousand pieces.”

“She deserves it. Someone like Mu Jingyao should go to hell!”

“I won’t let her off easily.”

Mu Jiulu’s voice contained a coldness. If Mu Jingyao had simply wanted to usurp the throne, she might have spared her life for the sake of being sisters, and just imprisoned her for life.

But she dared to use Gu Sui as a pawn, and almost killed him.

She would make her life worse than death.

*

After the prescription was successfully developed, the panic caused by the epidemic in the capital gradually subsided. But in the streets and alleys, many people were privately discussing the matter of the Princess of Liang’s rebellion.

After Gu Sui’s health greatly improved, he didn’t want to stay in the mansion anymore. He went out to the streets for a walk, accompanied by Li Fuyu, who had been on tenterhooks at the General’s mansion for nearly a month.

Li Fuyu’s eyes were red. When he saw Gu Sui, he hugged him and burst into tears.

“Wah, I thought you were going to die!”

Gu Sui: “……”

“It’s alright. I’m fine now. I won’t die.”

“Aunt Gu wouldn’t let me go out. I didn’t know how you were doing. This past month has been terrifying. How can the Princess of Liang be so evil? I don’t even want to admit she’s my fourth aunt. She’ll definitely face retribution when she goes out!”

Li Fuyu cursed viciously. Gu Sui rubbed his head.

“Right, she’ll definitely face retribution. Let’s not be angry anymore. How about I treat you to something delicious at Douxing for lunch?”

Li Fuyu wiped away his tears and nodded repeatedly.

“Yes, yes! I’ve heard about this restaurant for a long time but never had the chance to go.”

Gu Sui looked at the dutiful Sui Yu and Yun Mu behind him: “You’ve all worked hard during this time too. Come on, let’s go have a meal together.”

Sui Yu and Yun Mu were a bit overwhelmed: “Young Master…”

“Yun Mu, if I hadn’t infected you, you wouldn’t have suffered this ordeal. And Sui Yu, I heard from Mu Jiulu that you’ve been taking care of me wholeheartedly. No need to decline. Treating you to a meal is a must.”

Although this epidemic didn’t really spread, dozens of people died before the imperial physician developed the prescription. Yun Mu was also very close. Gu Sui felt extremely guilty about this.

“Young Master, you’re too kind. This is what Yun Mu and I should do. We’ve been your attendants since childhood!”

Yun Mu was also too moved to speak, only nodding in agreement with Sui Yu.

“I know, but we still need to eat, right? Let’s go.”

Gu Sui said with a smile. After getting tired of walking on the street, he took everyone directly to Douxing for an all-you-can-eat and drink set meal per person.

The dishes were quickly served, filling two large tables. Li Fuyu saw that everything in front of him was indeed what he loved, and was amazed by this.

“How amazing, I don’t think even my mother understands my preferences this well!”

It was the same for Sui Yu and Yun Mu, as well as Little An.

“Do they even know the preferences of us attendants?”

“Indeed, we shouldn’t underestimate them.”

Gu Sui had already marveled at this last time, so he appeared much calmer this time. He lifted the lid of his soup bowl and couldn’t help but take a deep sniff.

Ah, Douxing’s radish and shrimp soup, a long-lost taste from his memory.

“Eh? The young master’s is actually radish and shrimp soup?”

Sui Yu exclaimed in surprise. Gu Sui, who had already taken a sip, raised his head slightly, somewhat puzzled.

“What’s wrong?”

Sui Yu pondered: “Young Master, you never ate radish before. Why would Douxing serve you this soup?”

Gu Sui’s hand holding the spoon tightened slightly: “I’ve never had radish and shrimp soup before?”

Sui Yu and Yun Mu nodded in confusion: “Yes, Young Master. Have you come to like it now?”

Gu Sui felt that something was amiss, but he couldn’t pinpoint the source.

To say that he didn’t like radish when he was young was true, but Gu Shi liked it.

At that time, Gu Shi would still cook for him, and there was often a clay pot of stewed radish and shrimp soup on the dining table.

He didn’t like to drink it then, and each time Gu Shi would coax him into finishing a small bowl before letting him off.

Later, Gu Shi was nowhere to be seen all day, let alone cook for him.

Forced by life circumstances, he quickly learned to cook for himself, and at least he didn’t have to drink radish soup every day anymore.

But as he grew older, he began to miss that taste.

It was one of Gu Shi’s rare moments of motherly love, which he could never forget.

He learned to make it himself. At first, he could never recreate the taste of those years. It took countless attempts before he succeeded, and from then on, he fell in love with this soup.

He still didn’t like eating radish, but he had a special fondness for this soup.

However, a problem arose.

If Gu Sui didn’t like this soup, how did Douxing, which claimed to serve dishes based entirely on customers’ preferences, dare to serve him such a radish and shrimp soup?