Chapter 109: Captured During Rest and Recovery

At the same time, his attitude made Yan Heru’s heart ache. She reached out and touched Shen Hezhi’s face. "You must have suffered so much being all alone for all these years."

Upon hearing this, Shen Hezhi trembled. He reached out to clasp her hand, pressing it against his own cheek, and looked at her with infinite tenderness. "Life was indeed bitter before, but ever since I met you, I no longer feel the bitterness. Perhaps all the hardships I endured in this world were merely to ensure I could meet someone as wonderful as you. For that, I am willing to bear all those pains in exchange for knowing you."

Hearing such honeyed words, Yan Heru blushed with shyness. She was becoming increasingly accustomed to Shen Hezhi speaking so boldly. She had never realized before that he was such a silver-tongued man; he had always appeared to be such a modest gentleman.

However… Yan Heru suddenly remembered something. Her husband used to be a frequent patron of the Flower House, and she knew exactly what kind of place that was. Thinking of that, it didn’t seem so strange that he could speak so flirtatiously.

This thought made her unhappy. She immediately pinched Shen Hezhi’s ear, leaving him momentarily dazed. A moment ago, the atmosphere between them had been incredibly intimate; why did his little wife suddenly seem angry?

"You are so eloquent. Looking at you, it doesn't seem like you learned to speak like this overnight. You must have said these things to other women many times before, otherwise, how could you be so practiced?" Yan Heru said, thick with jealousy.

Shen Hezhi gave a bitter laugh. "My lady, have you heard the rumors in the capital about me being a regular at the Flower House, and that is why you think I have said these things to others?"

Yan Heru did not answer, but her eyes confirmed it. Shen Hezhi looked at his little wife with a mix of amusement and frustration. "That place belongs to me. It is primarily a hub for gathering intelligence, and as the owner, I naturally had to visit often."

Upon hearing this explanation, Yan Heru felt a sudden pang of embarrassment and quickly averted her gaze. "I didn't mean anything else. Since you've explained it, let's start discussing how to treat the cold poison in your body." She hurried to change the subject, desperate to move past the awkwardness.

Although Shen Hezhi saw through his wife’s intentions, he did not expose her; his wife was quite adorable when she acted this way. "Very well, then please tell me your plan, my lady."

They began a serious discussion on how to transplant the cold poison, focusing primarily on the timing. Yan Heru was concerned that Shen Hezhi’s military camp might have unexpected emergencies, so they could not truly go into seclusion. They would simply use "seclusion" as a pretext.

Ultimately, they decided on the nighttime hours. Shen Hezhi explicitly stated that Dongfang Qing could manage the camp every night, rain or shine, so he could safely be away during that time.

Yan Heru began preparing the medicinal herbs. Although the treatment would happen at night, he needed to take medicine during the day and undergo acupuncture.

Since Shen Hezhi had returned just in time for his acupuncture session, Yan Heru set aside further talk, took out her silver needles, and asked him to remove his upper garment.

Though she had seen his back more than once, every time she looked at the scars covering it, her heart ached. She couldn't help but reach out and touch his back. "It must have hurt so much when you received these injuries..."

"It’s alright. The past is behind us; having you by my side now is enough," Shen Hezhi replied.

Yan Heru smiled faintly and began the acupuncture treatment. The session lasted for half an hour—or an hour, by the standards of the modern world she once knew. It was neither long nor short, but both were drenched in sweat by the end; Yan Heru from exhaustion, and Shen Hezhi from the toxins being drawn out of his body.

After pulling out the final needle, Yan Heru let out a sigh of relief. "Today's treatment is finished. All that remains is the medicated bath tonight."

Shen Hezhi put on his clothes and sat up. "My wife is truly the most brilliant. You are skilled in everything. Marrying you is the greatest fortune of my many lifetimes!"

Yan Heru playfully pushed him. "I am not as good as you say. You are getting better and better at sweet talk; you were not like this when you first married me."

"Alright, rest here for a while. After acupuncture, you need to sleep quietly. It just so happens that I need to attend to Yan Yi, and when you wake up, we can have dinner together." As she spoke, she began packing her needles.

Shen Hezhi nodded and lay down on the bed quite obediently, pulling the quilt up over himself like a well-behaved child. His actions made Yan Heru laugh. "You really are becoming less and less like your old self. I think I still find the cold and aloof version of you quite handsome."

After saying this, she left the room with her needles, never imagining that this departure would lead to their sudden separation.

Shen Hezhi lay in bed, drifting off to sleep, but before he could fully succumb to slumber, he smelled a peculiar fragrance. Because he had been vigilant against plots for years, he startled awake upon catching the scent. Yet, despite his caution, he had been outmaneuvered; the moment he inhaled the scent, he was poisoned. It was a fragrance that took effect with the slightest inhalation.

Thus, Shen Hezhi was drugged and taken away. When he awoke, he found himself confined in a dark, damp dungeon. Standing before him was a stranger, though Shen Hezhi could vaguely guess who he was.

"Prince Jiu, your constitution is truly remarkable. The drug I used was specially crafted; one shouldn't wake for eight hours, yet you have regained consciousness in a mere three," the man said.

Shen Hezhi glanced at him coldly. "You must be Nan Ye, the Fourth Prince of the Nanyang Kingdom, correct?"