Be that as it may, the male lead's beauty was supposed to be unmatched. If a mere side character looked this good, how handsome would the male lead in this novel be? The mere appearance of this side character would clearly eclipse the many male consorts in Su Ye's manor.
Even as the thought crossed her mind, that man tugged her sleeve with a bony hand. Like before, his eyelids were half-closed and his black brows were twitching. "Where are you going?" His voice was shaky, and his pale skin was almost painful to look at.
Su Ye stared at him for a while, then quietly held him up with both hands. This was the first time she had met someone who looked as if he could be blown away by a gust of wind. So weak!
Su Ye reached out to hold his wrist, and went silent. His pulse was so weak she was almost unable to sense it. She pondered for a while, then took out a white porcelain bottle from her pocket. Taking a pill out of it, she held it in front of his lips.
The man's brows twitched, but he said nothing as he stared at the pill.
"This will help ease your symptoms for now," Su Ye said softly.
***
In her novel, after Su Ye's family had been destroyed by the male lead, he had taken away two things: one was the spirit stone in Su Ye's cinnabar field, and the other was a pill recipe that had been kept within the family for generations.
The pill she was holding right now had been made using that particular recipe, and it could counteract all symptoms of poisoning. This sickly man had been poisoned extensively, so it would be difficult to remove the poison otherwise.
The man's vulpine eyes gazed into hers, and he asked, "Are you an alchemist?"
Su Ye thought about it, and replied, "I guess so."
The Su family had been a clan of alchemists for generations, having secured a foothold in Mystic Moon City with their alchemical arts.
Likewise, Su Ye herself was not a professional novelist in her past life, but rather a practitioner of traditional medicine. As such, she more or less counted as a doctor.
Hearing those words, the pale man opened his mouth and swallowed the pill. Soon after, he stopped coughing. The man stared at Su Ye for a long time, then asked quietly, "You've saved me twice now… How can I repay you?" His voice was musical and alluring.
So... he was considering catching him and giving him the pill two different ways of saving him. Su Ye stared distractedly at his face, then shook her head as she regained her senses. "You're not indebted to me. It's what I should do." As she spoke, she let go of him.
The man studied Su Ye intently. "Su Qing."
"Eh?" Su Ye had yet to recover and was a bit perplexed.
The man smiled faintly and repeated softly, "Su Qing—that's my name."
Su Ye's smile stiffened at those very words. Staring blankly at the man, she then reached for his collar, frowning uncertainly. "Can I see under your clothes?"
Su Qing did a double take, startled and confused.
Nonetheless, Su Ye did not give him a chance to answer. She quickly undressed him—the rustling sound exceedingly loud in the quiet forest.
Underneath Su Qing's inner garb was a cluster of black vines on his chest, extending outwards and growing rampantly all the way to his nape.
Since his long hair had been covering his nape, it had concealed the black vines, which was why Su Ye had not noticed it. Now that she had stripped him, however, it was exceedingly clear.
Su Ye only had a single glance before she promptly pulled his clothes back together.