"Lu Yi, you said you have the antidote for Yuexue. You aren’t lying to me, are you? Where are you now? I’ll come right over."
Hearing the anxious tone in Shen Heyu’s voice, Lu Yi knew that betting all his fortunes for this antidote wasn’t a bad deal, as it had finally made Shen Heyu sad for him. Previously, Shen Heyu had never been so concerned or troubled about him.
"I’m at home right now. Come over."
After hanging up, Lu Yi opened a bottle of red wine and slowly savored it while glancing at the clock. Shen Heyu didn’t make him wait very long as he hurried in just ten minutes later.
This was the fastest Shen Heyu had ever arrived when Lu Yi needed him. Watching Shen Heyu enter, Lu Yi swirled the red wine in his glass, whereas Shen Heyu was frantic, all for an antidote.
"Lu Yi, I want to confirm again, you aren’t joking, right? Do you really have the antidote that was on Yuexue? When did you get it and from where? These past days, just the thought of Yuexue still poisoned made me frantic and sleepless."
Shen Heyu was genuinely overjoyed. If it were Pei Yansi standing in front of him, he would’ve embraced him in happiness, but the man in front of him was none other than Lu Yi, so he restrained himself from hugging.
"There’s no lie, I really got the antidote. Don’t worry about how I obtained it; just know that I can save Yuexue’s life now." Lu Yi leisurely took a sip of red wine, and upon hearing this, Shen Heyu’s eyes brightened. This was the best news he had heard in a long time, and he almost fainted from happiness.
However, Lu Yi didn’t let him stay happy for too long, as he slowly gestured for him to take a seat, then said, "Let’s sit down and talk. I called you here today to discuss what you can give me in exchange for this antidote. After all, it took a lot of efforts to acquire it, and I can’t be at a loss."
As long as Lu Yi had that antidote to save Yuexue, Shen Heyu didn’t mind negotiating terms, figuring Lu Yi also must have struggled greatly to secure it.
"What do you want me to do?" Shen Heyu obediently sat down across from Lu Yi, who then sipped his wine, his eyes gleaming with pleasure. This was the first time Shen Heyu had been so docile to him, as docile as if in a dream.
Even in his dreams, Lu Yi hadn’t imagined such a scenario; he was so delighted he almost choked on his wine. Setting down his glass, he laughed until his shoulders shook, while Shen Heyu’s heart leaped to his throat, eagerly anticipating what he would say next.
"Lu Yi, stop beating around the bush. We’ve known each other for some time now. Besides, when I left Pei Yansi’s side, it was you who stayed and took care of Yuexue. You’ve developed deep feelings for her, can you bear to see her continue to suffer in the hospital?"
"Just tell me what your conditions are. As long as it’s within my power, I’ll do my best to meet them."
Shen Heyu was incredibly anxious. Doctor Gu had informed him that the poison would gradually deteriorate Yuexue’s organs as time went on. Considering how young Yuexue was, the thought of her enduring the agony of her organs being corroded made him wish he could bear the pain for his daughter.
"Will you agree to whatever I ask? This is the first time you’ve been so kind to me. Do you remember how you treated me previously? You thought I colluded with Chen Wenzhou, so you looked down on me with disdain."
Lu Yi was one to hold grudges and hadn’t forgotten how Shen Heyu had treated him before. He wanted to use this opportunity to vent all his pent-up discontent. Hearing his words, Shen Heyu’s eyes dimmed momentarily.
Shen Heyu took a deep breath and slowly said, "I was wrong in how I treated you before, and I won’t do it again. Even if you were to act excessively, considering you’re Yuexue’s savior, I’ll just let it be. So can you now tell me how I can get the antidote from you?"
Since receiving Lu Yi’s call ten minutes ago, Shen Heyu felt like he was on cloud nine, but now Lu Yi was playing coy, torturing him as if roasting his heart over a flame.
"Don’t be so anxious. You must be tired from rushing over. Why not sit down and drink some red wine with me while I think about what demands to make that will justify the heavy price I paid?"
Lu Yi lifted his wine glass, but Shen Heyu, looking at the glass of red wine before him, felt no desire to drink. His mind was wholly occupied with the antidote; it was the only way his daughter could escape her predicament.
Yet, seeing Lu Yi’s demeanor, it didn’t seem like he would easily hand over the antidote, so Shen Heyu reluctantly took a sip of the red wine, treating it as if it were plain water, and quickly set down the glass.
"I’ve drunk the wine. Now can you tell me whether you’ve thought over your demands? I’ve been sitting down for quite a while, and you keep wasting time. Don’t you realize that with every second you waste, my daughter suffers more in the hospital?"
Shen Heyu was so frantic he wished he could pry Lu Yi’s mouth open and force him to speak rather than playing this cat-and-mouse game with him.
"Do you understand I gave up everything for that antidote, and now I’m left with nothing. Considering the heavy price I paid, what do you think would be a fair demand from me?"
Shen Heyu paused his breath for a moment and slightly furrowed his brow, "Is this antidote from Chen Wenzhou? He asked for all your wealth, and you agreed? Did you consider it might be a scam?"
"Don’t worry, he won’t deceive me."