Everywhere possessed its own unique charm.
So this is what he looked like under the mask!
Even though they were standing in the cold moonlight, she felt as if she were in the warm sun.
It was because of this man, warm as the sun himself, that even in the pitch black of night, the radiance from deep within him could not be concealed.
Getting closer, he remained motionless.
Gu Youyou felt something was off and called out softly again, "Zijin?"
Before her words even faded away, she saw the tall figure collapsing towards her.
Gu Youyou was taken by surprise, knowing full well her small frame couldn’t catch him, yet she didn’t dodge and let him fall on top of her.
The two of them tumbled to the ground together, the fall leaving her feeling as if all her bones were softened.
"Zijin, what’s wrong with you?"
In her pain, she didn’t forget the man whose breath was now ragged on top of her. It took almost all her strength to push him off and lay him flat on the grass.
Jin Zijin’s eyes were tightly closed, yet they trembled unrestfully.
On closer inspection, she found his lips were cracked and dry, and his face had an unnatural rosy hue, as he lay there in a semi-conscious state.
Gu Youyou had her pride and normally wouldn’t deign to diagnose him, but she couldn’t be bothered with that now.
Annoyed and in pain, she said, "This is what you get for overreaching yourself. You couldn’t withstand it, could you? I’m doing this to save you, not to pry into your secrets."
She took his hand to check his pulse.
But the moment she touched his hand, she felt the temperature in his body, far higher than that of an ordinary person.
It was scalding to the touch.
Gu Youyou knew his body was always warmer than the average person, not a fever, but what about this time?
Gu Youyou, who usually remained calm in the face of illness, was suddenly panicking, shivering as she felt for his pulse.
The pulse was deep and strong yet overly erratic. Was he...
As Gu Youyou was trying not to rush to a conclusion, another burning hot hand grabbed hers.
Jin Zijin had opened his eyes at some point, but they were only weakly ajar.
He said, "You needn’t check; it’s the poison of the Flame Pond Fire Lotus, and you can’t cure it."
So, he too was poisoned.
"Flame Pond Fire Lotus? What’s that?" Gu Youyou looked at him in surprise, feeling a sense of relief in her heart at the same time.
He had made progress—he was willing to tell her about his physical condition proactively.
This time, however, Jin Zijin did not answer her question but closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as if he were gathering strength.
A moment later, he opened his eyes again and struggled to sit up, saying softly to Gu Youyou, "Let’s go back first!"
Some things can’t be rushed. Gu Youyou did not continue to ask and stood up, taking the initiative to help him up.
His tall frame leaned against her, and she found it rather heavy, especially as he seemed to sway on the verge of falling. Thinking of Yue Rujing made her angry—at the crucial moment, she had fled. With your hefty size, how am I, a frail woman, supposed to drag you back home?
They hadn’t gone far when Gu Youyou felt a chill behind her. A cold wind blew in, and with it, the black-clad people who had retreated were coming back.
Bad luck—it was a ruse all along, and Yue Rujing had been played like a fiddle.
"Jin Senior, so you were injured? If I hadn’t encountered one who escaped from you, I would have been completely fooled."
The man in black’s tone was filled with mockery and an irrepressible excitement.
He was about to achieve a great feat. How could he not be thrilled?