GTB Chapter 103

Chapter 103: Choose Me, or the Antidote

Chapter 103: Choose Me, or the Antidote

In the Imperial Hospital, Shí Xiū received a water pouch from a young apothecary, carefully poured the decocted medicine into it, quickly plugged the pouch, and hurried out of the Imperial Hospital.

Just as he reached the path leading to Cining Palace, he saw a moon-white figure in the distance, heading towards Cining Palace with extreme speed.

His eyes paused, he glanced at the medicine pouch in his hand, and hurriedly quickened his pace forward.

Shí Yǎn entered the gate of Cining Palace and asked a palace maid, “Where are the Empress Dowager and the Princess Consort?”

“In the east wing of the west hall.” Before the palace maid could finish her sentence, Shí Yǎn had vanished from her sight.

The old nanny waiting outside the wing room caught sight of Shí Yǎn striding towards them, her face lit up with joy, and she immediately opened the door and reported inside, “Empress Dowager, His Highness has arrived.”

As soon as the old nanny finished speaking, Shí Yǎn strode in. Looking at Jiang Jiuchu, disheveled in the bathtub, the anxiety in his eyes turned to anger and heartache.

Jiang Jiuchu’s wet hair stuck to her wrinkled face, her forehead a mixture of sweat and water, and upon hearing Shí Yǎn’s arrival, she immediately opened her tightly closed eyes and looked towards the doorway.

Her usually bright eyes were now covered with a layer of scarlet mist, making the man in front of her appear sometimes blurry and sometimes clear.

However, she could feel his icy aura with just a glance. The desire in her body seemed to pause for a moment in response to the coldness she felt.

The Empress Dowager and Shí Qingya saw Shí Yǎn enter and, without a word, immediately got up and walked out.

As the sound of the door closing echoed, Shí Yǎn stepped forward, treading on the water stains on the floor, and scooped up the drenched Jiang Jiuchu from the bathtub, holding her against his chest.

His slender, pale fingers reached for her waist, and with a gentle tug, the belt slipped into the bathtub.

However, the soaked clothes remained tightly clinging to her waist, not coming apart.

Jiang Jiuchu’s flushed face was pressed against Shí Yǎn’s chest, soaking the fabric of his chest.

As Shí Yǎn took off her outer garment, she could no longer control herself and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.

Seeing this, Shí Yǎn reached out and gently pulled Jiang Jiuchu away a little. “Be good, bear with it. I can’t take your clothes off if you stick to me like this.”

As he spoke, he began to pull at Jiang Jiuchu’s inner garment. As the burning hot inner garment was removed, Jiang Jiuchu only felt a chill wash over her.

Ignoring her shyness, she could no longer withstand the desire raging within her and once again wrapped her arms around Shí Yǎn’s waist.

She didn’t know what to do? Nor did she dare to take off his clothes, only holding him tightly, trying to get closer and closer.

Shí Yǎn’s body stiffened, feeling a soft furnace pressed against his chest, making his breathing unsteady.

He lowered his eyes, looking at the glaring red string on the woman’s fair neck, his eyes darkened, and he slowly reached out towards the tie of her bodice.

However, before he could touch the red string, the person in his arms suddenly pulled away, startling his fingers, which had been about to untie the string, into a momentary freeze. He stared blankly at Jiang Jiuchu in front of him.

Before he could think further, Jiang Jiuchu’s arms directly hooked around the man’s neck, and she rose on tiptoe, kissing Shí Yǎn’s beautiful thin lips.

She really couldn’t bear it anymore. Was this man unwilling? Why had he not acted for so long? Even if she didn’t understand the details, she knew that this kind of thing was definitely not just about stripping naked and hugging.

Didn’t he like to kiss? She would kiss him, kiss him… would he be willing then?

Hot but soft lips covered Shí Yǎn’s lips, nibbling messily. Although without method, it stirred his breathing, and his Adam’s apple rolled.

He lowered his head slightly, as if to make it easier for the woman so she didn’t have to strain so much to stand on her tiptoes and tilt her head. His slightly lowered eyelashes curved into a beautiful arc, hiding the desire surging in his eyes.

Then, he placed his large hand on the woman’s slender and smooth lower back, parted his thin lips slightly, and took the initiative.

Unable to bear the desire any longer, he scooped up Jiang Jiuchu from the bathtub and walked towards the bed.

“Royal Grandmother, this is the antidote that Miss Jiang requested, it can cure the poison in her body.” Facing the Empress Dowager’s question outside the door, Shí Xiū deliberately spoke out his intention loudly, trying to let Jiang Jiuchu inside the room hear.

Shí Yǎn had just carried Jiang Jiuchu to the bed when he heard the voice outside the house.

A trace of doubt appeared in his eyes. Although he didn’t know why Shí Xiū had come, he could hear from his words that the antidote he had brought was what Jiang Jiuchu had asked him for.

Seeing the person beneath him open her hazy eyes wide upon hearing the words outside, he leaned close to her ear and asked in a low voice, “Do you want me, or the antidote?”

Jiang Jiuchu’s chest rose and fell sharply, her breathing slightly heavy. She subconsciously wanted to say that she wanted him, but the words that reached her lips were ultimately swallowed by reason.

She looked at Shí Yǎn in front of her with heavy breaths, both antidotes were before her eyes, and she seemed to be able to temporarily quench her thirst by thinking about it.

Jiang Jiuchu suppressed the desire in her body and looked at Shí Yǎn without saying a word. At this moment, she felt that both antidotes were acceptable, as long as Shí Yǎn continued, she wanted him. After all, he had arrived before the antidote.

Shí Yǎn looked at Jiang Jiuchu, who was silent and only staring straight at him, his eyes darkened slightly. Then he pulled over a quilt from the side and covered Jiang Jiuchu, got up and walked outside.

The sound of a door opening drew everyone’s attention.

“Bring it.” Under the puzzled gazes of the crowd, Shí Yǎn walked down the corridor and took the medicine pouch from Shí Xiū’s hand.

Seeing this, the Empress Dowager’s voice deepened slightly: “With you here, why bother with this extra effort?”

Shí Yǎn’s hand, which had taken the medicine pouch, paused, and then said, “Your grandson is not accustomed to doing such things in Royal Grandmother’s place, and even less accustomed to a pile of people waiting outside.”

Upon hearing this, aside from the Empress Dowager and Lǐ nanny, who knew the inside story, Shí Qingya and Jiang Jiuche both showed embarrassed expressions. Their presence here was inappropriate, but they were worried!

Shí Xiū looked at the closed door and once again affirmed his guess. He didn’t leave but silently retreated to the side and stood still.

With an inscrutable expression, he thought: they had been married for a month, but had not yet consummated their marriage?

Why? Did she dislike him, or did he dislike her, or did they dislike each other?

But recalling the scene of Shí Yǎn rushing over, he felt somewhat puzzled.

But thinking carefully, it seemed normal. After all, if she had been poisoned with such a drug, he couldn’t possibly let others save her or watch her die, right?

Inside the room, Shí Yǎn poured the scalding hot medicine into a teacup, filling it completely three times.

Looking at the steaming medicinal soup in the teacup, his deep eyes glanced outside, and then he picked up a cup, blew on it, and quickly walked to the bed, helping Jiang Jiuchu up.

“Drink it!”

Jiang Jiuchu raised her smooth and tender arm and drank the soup that Shí Yǎn brought to her mouth in one gulp.

However, before she could lie down, she saw Shí Yǎn bring another cup.

Jiang Jiuchu paused and drank the soup that was brought to her mouth again in one gulp.

As a result, as soon as she lay down, Shí Yǎn brought another cup. She frowned and asked hoarsely, “Is there more?”

“Yes, there are seven more cups.” Shí Yǎn said deliberately, looking at Jiang Jiuchu whose face instantly fell. “If you don’t want to drink, then change the detoxification method.”

Jiang Jiuchu, who had already drunk two cups of medicinal soup, felt the heat in her body slowly decreasing, and she quickly reached out to take it. “I’ll drink, I’ll drink.”