Qin Fuhua had walked home with the phoenix hairpin out with his hands. This was the first time that he will give someone something, so it felt bizarre for someone like him to suddenly hand Suyin a gift like this. Would she laugh at him? Would she just shrug the item off like it was nothing? A bit annoyed that he was uneasy about something trivial like this, he wandered down to the gate of his manor, until Weizhe met up with him as the gates opened.
Qin Fuhua slid the hairpin into his sleeves, to hide it from him, and felt an odd feeling from the looks of Weizhe's expression. His eyes met up with the Prince of Qin, as his eyes enlarged with worry.
Qin Fuhua's posture began to stiffen, his comfortable self now alarmed and attentive at his right-hand man's reaction. "What happened?"
Wu Fei was holding Weizhe's hands. Her eyes were now pink and puffy from all of the cryings that she had done before this.
Weizhe had summarized what went on with Wu Fei and Suyin when they were in the market. From the looks of it, it could have been the works of Wu Fei's father because of the man that Wu Fei had mentioned that was talking to her father before she ran away from home.
The Prince of Qin was always a calm man. No one could tell if his heart ever wavered in front of anyone, and he was always cold and distant from everyone, but Weizhe knew that the Prince was loaded with rage. His hands were clenched into a fist, so for once, the Prince of Qin couldn't help but glare at the crying child.
Wu Fei could feel the fear in herself as she stared at Fuhua.
"Bring me to your father's home."
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Suyin had regained enough consciousness to allow the old man to keep the Doctor with her to read the prescription before he sent it.
"Do you not trust me?" The doctor questioned. Irritated at the way that Suyin had to read the ingredients and items they needed for her, Suyin nodded her head.
"You could be with the old man and try to kill me. Who knows." Suyin looked at him, "But with my death, all hell will break loose when the father learns that I know where his daughter is located."
Suyin couldn't trust anyone at the moment, but it seems like the ingredients were correct for a pain reliever.
The Doctor frowned in displeasure at the person in front of him Although he was a bit impressed at her knowledge, he wanted to know why she was so important to even be kept alive. Ignorance is bliss, after all. The old man did help save his life before, and he was indebted to do him a favor. The Doctor left to grab the ingredients, leaving Suyin behind the doors.
There was nothing that she could do now but be careful of her surroundings. She didn't feel safe here. Especially since she was in a tiger's den.
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Hours passed on while Suyin lay on the bed. Sore with a burning sensation, she couldn't do anything except endure everything right now. Suyin needed to find a way to not anger this man out of spite because that would be the most dangerous for her to do.
Footsteps could be heard from the distance and the sound of a shackle moving began to catch Suyin's attention. The door slowly opened as the Doctor and a servant maiden stepped in with a blue porcelain bowl on the tray, probably the herbal remedy for Suyin as he closed the door carefully.
"Here." The Doctor uttered, placing the bowl down. The maiden nodded her head, sitting next to Suyin at the feet of the bed as she grabbed the bowl to feed Suyin.
Irritated, Suyin stared at the Doctor and the maiden, unable to trust them. While the servant used a spoon to scoop up some of the medical broth to feed Suyin, Suyin moved her head away.
"Drink it first before you feed it to me," Suyin commanded. The servant looked at the Doctor with a worried expression on her face. The Doctor nodded his head, commanding her to follow what Suyin had ordered. The servant took a sip of the medicine while Suyin stared at her for a while.
"Will you drink it now?" The Doctor questioned, folding his arms this time.
Qin Fuhua made his way home, the weight of the phoenix hairpin nestled in his palm, a precious offering for Suyin.
Despite his cold personality, his thoughts churned with apprehension. It was an unfamiliar sensation, this desire to give, to express something beyond the realm of strategy and governance that he was accustomed to. Would Suyin appreciate the gesture, or would she dismiss it as an excuse?
As he approached the gates of his manor, his steps slowed, his mind preoccupied with uncertainties.
Would his offering be met with ridicule? These doubts gnawed at him, unwelcome intruders in his otherwise composed demeanor. And then, like a timely interruption, Weizhe emerged, the gates parting to reveal him.
Quickly concealing the hairpin within the folds of his sleeve, Qin Fuhua sensed a shift in Weizhe's behavior, a subtle indication of distress. Weizhe held Wu Fei's hand, as her eyes were puffy from all of the tears she had spilled for Suyin.
Meeting his right-hand man's gaze, Qin Fuhua's stance stiffened, his usually relaxed posture replaced by alertness. "What happened?" he inquired, his voice betraying none of the turmoil brewing within.
Weizhe, accompanied by Wu Fei, relayed the events that had transpired between Wu Fei and Suyin in the market.
The mention of Wu Fei's father and a suspicious conversation with a certain individual hinted at sinister machinations at play.
Despite his usual facade of calm, Qin Fuhua's facade cracked, revealing a simmering anger beneath the surface. Clenching his fists, he cast a steely gaze toward the tear-streaked Wu Fei, a rare display of emotion that spoke volumes of his fury.
Wu Fei recoiled under his intense stare, her fear palpable as she met his gaze.
"Bring me to your father's home," he commanded, his voice cutting through the tension like a sharp blade.
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Suyin's consciousness flickered back into existence, a dim light illuminating her surroundings just enough to discern Old man Wu hovering nearby.
With a cautious nod, she allowed the doctor to remain by her side as he reviewed the prescription, his query tinged with a hint of offense at her mistrust.
"Do you not trust me?" His words carried a prickling irritation, yet Suyin's response was firm. She couldn't afford blind faith, not in her situation. With a solemn nod, she articulated her concerns.
"You could be working with the old man, plotting against me," she countered, her gaze unwavering. "But my demise would unleash chaos upon you when he knows I know where his daughter is."
Her words hung heavy in the air, a stark reminder of the delicate balance of power in which she was entangled. Trust was a luxury she couldn't afford, not when her life hung in the balance.
Despite her skepticism, the ingredients laid out before her seemed to align with her knowledge of medicinal concoctions, confirming their legitimacy as a pain reliever. Yet, even as she acquiesced to the doctor's expertise, a lingering sense of unease gnawed at her.
The doctor's displeasure was evident in the furrow of his brow, his curiosity piqued by the curiosity before him.
Suyin's significance remained shrouded in mystery, a puzzle he was eager to unravel. Yet, he recognized the debt he owed to the old man, a debt that tethered him to this perilous alliance.
Leaving Suyin behind closed doors, the doctor departed in search of the necessary ingredients, leaving her to grapple with her circumstances. Alone in the confines of her surroundings, Suyin's senses remained on high alert.
Every creak of the floorboards, every whisper of the wind outside, served as a reminder of her vulnerability in this tiger's den, a place where danger lurked in every shadow.
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Hours stretched into eternity as Suyin lay upon the bed, her body throbbing with pain and discomfort. Each moment seemed to drag on endlessly as she grappled with her pain, her resolve tested by the relentless ache that consumed her.
Footsteps echoed in the distance, drawing Suyin's attention as the sound of a shackle rattling sent a shiver down her spine. Holding her breath, she watched as the door creaked open, revealing the figure of the doctor accompanied by a servant maiden bearing a tray adorned with a delicate blue porcelain bowl, its contents likely the herbal remedy prescribed for her ailment.
"Here," the doctor murmured, his voice a somber echo in the dimly lit room as he set the bowl down. The maiden nodded silently, taking her place beside Suyin at the foot of the bed, her gaze a mixture of apprehension and obedience.
Suyin's irritation simmered beneath the surface as she regarded the doctor and the maiden with guarded suspicion. As the servant prepared to administer the broth, Suyin's instinctual distrust flared, prompting her to interject.
"Drink it first," she commanded, her voice tinged with authority as she refused to yield to their ministrations without assurance.
The servant's eyes darted nervously to the doctor, seeking validation for this unexpected request. With a subtle nod, he signaled his approval, compelling the servant to comply with Suyin's demand.
Reluctantly, the servant took a tentative sip of the medicinal concoction, her actions scrutinized by Suyin's unwavering gaze.
Only then did Suyin relent, allowing the maiden to proceed with feeding her the broth, though her wariness remained palpable.
"Will you drink it now?" the doctor inquired, his arms folded across his chest as he awaited Suyin's response, his demeanor a curious blend of curiosity and restraint.
"Since the broth is too hot, I will wait for it to cool down," Suyin declared, her voice steady despite the tremors of uncertainty coursing through her veins. "Leave it on the table if you want me to finish it."
The doctor's features contorted with barely contained fury at Suyin's continued suspicion, his anger simmering just beneath the surface.
"If the medicine is not consumed by the time I return, you will be force-fed," he warned, his command sharp as he motioned for the servant to depart, the door slamming shut behind them with a resounding finality.
Alone once more, Suyin's gaze lingered on the steaming bowl before her, tendrils of vapor rising in the dim light of the room. Despite its appearance of freshness, she couldn't shake the nagging doubt that gnawed at her resolve.
Summoning her dwindling strength, Suyin mustered every ounce of determination to rise from the confines of her bed, using the sturdy frame for support as she navigated towards the nearby table.
With a fierce determination, she swept the bowl aside with all the force she could muster, the contents spilling onto the floor in a silent protest against her captors' plan.
As she grappled with the agony of her injuries and the weight of her mistrust, Suyin's thoughts raced with the urgency of her predicament. The servants had tended to her wounds before the doctor's arrival, their actions veiled in secrecy that only deepened her sense of unease.
The door crashed open once more, revealing the old man flanked by two silent attendants, their eyes downcast in deference to his authority.
His gaze fell upon the shattered remnants of the bowl, a silent indictment of Suyin's defiance. With a pointed gesture, he issued his decree.
"If you do not wish to heal, so be it," he pronounced, his voice heavy with the weight of consequence as he motioned for her removal. "Take her to the gates."