Volume 1, Chapter 9: Poisoned by an Eight-Year-Old

"What did you say?" Ran Shuyi reacted as if she had heard the most ridiculous joke in the world. Her eyes widened, and she stared at the other person in disbelief, as if trying to find even a trace of jest in her expression.

"Do you have any idea how many renowned experts, both at home and abroad, Gu Ruoruo has consulted to treat that birthmark on her face?" Ran Shuyi’s voice dripped with sarcasm. "And yet, you stand here and nonchalantly claim you can cure it? Are you treating the Gu family like fools?"

Yan Chu remained composed, responding with measured poise, "The reason seeking doctors yielded no results is that conventional treatments are only applicable to ordinary birthmarks, but Ruoruo’s..."

It was clearly a case of poisoning.

Yan Chu closed her eyes and performed a quick mental calculation. The scene of the Gu household from ten years ago instantly surfaced in her mind, playing out like a revolving lantern.

*

"Hmph, why does everyone always praise you for being pretty!"

A little girl in a red dress held a small black bottle in her hand. She uncorked it and dripped the black liquid into a bowl of white congee.

"I’ll make you ugly right now!"

Suddenly, the white congee turned black, as if mixed with ink. Seconds later, the ink-black porridge gradually returned to its original state.

If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, Yan Chu would never have believed that the person dripping medicine into the congee was an eight-year-old Ran Shuyi! She had always believed that a child’s heart was pure and flawless. Yet, as the Gu family ate breakfast, Ran Shuyi watched Gu Ruoruo consume the tainted porridge, a look of distinct triumph appearing in her eyes. It was not a look an eight-year-old should possess!

The aftermath unfolded exactly as Yan Chu had expected. By that afternoon, Gu Ruoruo was hospitalized due to severe facial pain. The doctors, helpless in the face of the birthmark, passed her around like a hot potato, referring her to hospitals across the globe. Unfortunately, there was no cure.

Of course there was no cure. Gu Ruoruo’s birthmark could not be resolved by standard medicine.

"What about Gu Ruoruo’s?" Ran Shuyi asked sharply. "Why did you stop? Could it be that you have no actual skill and were just bragging earlier?"

As soon as Ran Shuyi finished speaking, Gu Rong, eyes filled with mockery, prepared to chime in. The old Madam Gu slammed the table to interrupt. "That's enough! Shuyi, you are not allowed to be so disrespectful in front of your aunt!"

Ran Shuyi glared at Yan Chu with deep resentment.

Old Madam Gu turned to Yan Chu with a smile. "Xiao Chu, I am truly sorry. Please don't mind the spectacle. As for Ruoruo’s birthmark... you really don't have to push yourself." It was clear that the old lady did not truly believe her.

"Mother, I actually think Yan Chu might have a way," Gu Chenxiao’s voice resonated through the room, carrying a hint of imperceptible anticipation. He trusted Yan Chu. If it weren't for her saving him earlier, he would have been killed by a semi-truck long ago. Since Yan Chu said she could handle the birthmark, it was not a fabrication.

Yan Chu offered a faint smile. Since Gu Chenxiao was willing to trust her, she would not let him down.

With that thought, Yan Chu reached out and whispered a mantra. A golden pill suddenly appeared in the palm of her hand. It was the Nine-Turn Xuanqing Pill, capable of neutralizing hundreds of toxins in the world. If Gu Ruoruo consumed it, the "birthmark" on her face would surely vanish.

"The condition on Ruoruo’s face is actually a rare form of toxic staining," she explained calmly, deliberately concealing the fact that Ran Shuyi was the culprit. She did not want to alert the enemy. Ran Shuyi was surely being directed by someone behind the scenes; exposing her rashly would either cause the culprit to act out in desperation or lead to the Gu family accusing her of slandering Ran Shuyi. Without solid, irrefutable evidence, she could not make this truth public.

"This type of toxic stain likely resulted from ingesting something harmful. The toxins circulate through the blood, gradually eroding the skin and forming birthmark-like patches." Yan Chu paused, giving everyone time to digest her words. "And I have the means to neutralize this toxin."

The moment she finished, the atmosphere in the room shifted. A flicker of panic and guilt flashed across Ran Shuyi’s face, while Old Madam Gu and the other sisters looked on in shock.

The most composed of all was Gu Chenxiao. He knew that given Yan Chu’s previous displays of foresight, it was no surprise she could discern the origins of the birthmark.

A glimmer of hope appeared on Gu Ruoruo’s face. "Is it true? Can I really become like everyone else?"

Yan Chu nodded affirmatively. "Of course you can."

Yan Chu handed the pill over, but just as Gu Ruoruo reached to take it, Gu Rong slapped it to the floor.

"You don't even know if this thing is clean, yet you dare to eat it?" Gu Rong scolded. "Sixth sister, are you not going to manage your daughter?"

Gu Rong was panicking. This woman named Yan Chu seemed to have some genuine ability. If she really cured Gu Ruoruo...

Back then, because Gu Ruoruo was beautiful, she was favored by all the elders in the family. Ran Shuyi, unable to bear being ignored, had begged her to find a way to make her pretty as well. But how could she have such ability?

At that time, a self-proclaimed wandering Taoist had divined Ran Shuyi’s inner desires and given her a bottle of poison. He said that as long as she dripped it into Gu Ruoruo’s food, she would become ugly. Gu Rong hadn't believed the Taoist at first, thinking it was nonsense, but she couldn't resist Ran Shuyi’s desperate pleading. If her daughter wanted it, she would buy it. The poison wasn't expensive—only three thousand. But it worked with just a single drop!

The Taoist had also told her that if the poison wasn't neutralized, Gu Ruoruo would remain ugly forever. But if it were ever cured, the person who administered the poison would suffer a double backlash. If Gu Ruoruo’s face returned to normal, wouldn't her own daughter’s face be ruined? She could never allow such a thing to happen!

Gu Rong’s outburst caused Old Madam Gu’s brows to knit tightly together. "Gu Rong, what are you doing?" The old lady’s voice carried a hint of severity. "Do you not want Xiao Chu to treat Ruoruo?"

Gu Rong kept a vigilant eye on Yan Chu. "Of course I don't have such thoughts. I’m just worried about Ruoruo. What if she gets hospitalized after eating her medicine? After all, her pill isn't any sort of regulated item; it doesn't even have a certificate of quality. It’s probably just some 'three-no' product, isn't it?"

Old Madam Gu looked at Yan Chu, half-doubting. "Xiao Chu, do you... really have a way?"

Yan Chu remained calm and collected. She bent down to pick up the pill from the floor and gently blew the dust off.

"The 'three-no' product in my hand just happens to be exactly what can treat Ruoruo."

"Ruoruo, are you willing to trust me?" Yan Chu’s voice was filled with confidence and warmth.

Gu Ruoruo looked into Yan Chu’s eyes; there was not a hint of deceit there. She nodded and took the pill. Just as she was about to eat it, she was interrupted by Ran Shuyi again.

"Then do you dare to make a bet with us? If you don't cure Ruoruo, get out of the Gu family!"