Chapter 24: Let Me Go, and I Will Give You the Antidote

She was his wife. She had once promised that even if he drove her away, she would not leave. He would not drive her away; he only wanted her to return. The Qin family and Wang Dalin would all have to pay the price.

The day arrived for Qin Hanxiao to go to the Huang residence to treat the Old Madam, but when the young attendant reached the Pei residence, he could not find her. After clarifying the situation, he hurried back to report, filled with self-reproach: why had he not insisted on escorting her all the way to her door?

Huang Yuezhi was equally anxious upon hearing the news, concerned both for his mother and for Qin Hanxiao. After careful deliberation, he and the Old Madam took gifts to pay a visit to Magistrate Zhang and his wife. The two old women were long-time friends, and originally, the Old Madam had intended to introduce Qin Hanxiao to the Magistrate’s wife to treat her chronic headaches and tinnitus. Now, however, the physician had gone missing before the introduction could even take place.

Magistrate Zhang was a devoted son who had sought out many famous doctors for his mother’s condition, yet the results had always been unsatisfactory. Upon hearing from Huang Yuezhi about such a renowned physician, he was immediately intrigued. Even though he knew Huang Yuezhi had his own motives, he was still tempted—for he, too, had his own agenda.

Just then, a subordinate came to report that someone had come to the county office to file a complaint, accusing their father-in-law of kidnapping their wife. The Magistrate glanced at Huang Yuezhi, assuming it was his doing. Huang Yuezhi, however, secretly praised Qin Hanxiao’s husband’s family; they had arrived just in time.

At that moment, Qin Hanxiao was applying acupuncture needles to Young Master Zheng. Though he was paralyzed, he glared viciously at her every time she leaned in. Qin Hanxiao pretended not to notice, whispering in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Don't glare at me; I'm only doing this to protect myself. Rest assured, as long as I am alive, you will certainly not die."

Young Master Zheng’s eyes widened further, as if he wished to cut her to pieces with his gaze alone. Qin Hanxiao deliberately pressed harder, and the resulting pain taught him a lesson. Zheng’s eyes filled with tears, and he no longer had the strength to glare.

Taking advantage of the fact that they were alone, Qin Hanxiao said to him, "Let's make a deal. I will restore the use of one of your hands, and you tell me where this place is. If you agree, blink twice."

Young Master Zheng glared again, but perhaps his eyes were sore, so he reluctantly blinked twice. Qin Hanxiao applied needles to restore his right hand and then fetched paper and a brush for him. "Write."

As she held the paper and handed him the brush, Zheng glared at her once more before beginning to write. As the character for "poison" began to take shape, Qin Hanxiao jabbed a needle deep into the inner part of his thigh. "If you don't behave, I will ensure you stay paralyzed for life."

Young Master Zheng turned pale with pain, his forehead breaking out in a fine, dense sweat. He opened his mouth wide, yet could not emit a single sound.

"Write quickly."

Having suffered, Young Master Zheng finally became obedient. He wrote on the paper: *Outskirts of the city.*

Qin Hanxiao continued to ask, "North, South, East, or West? Point to the direction."

He tapped on the character for "South." Afraid that Wang Dalin might return at any moment, Qin Hanxiao did not dare let him write more and burned the paper immediately.

She had just tidied up when Wang Dalin walked in. "How is he today?"

Young Master Zheng raised his hand excitedly to get Wang’s attention, but Qin Hanxiao jabbed a needle into him, and he calmed down. Qin Hanxiao said, "It won't happen so quickly, but Young Master Zheng’s complexion is clearly much better today."

Wang Dalin looked and saw that Zheng’s face was indeed more ruddy than the day before; he did seem to be recovering. It was just that the look in Young Master Zheng’s eyes was sharper than the day before.

Qin Hanxiao turned to look at Wang Dalin once, then twice, then scanned him from head to toe. Her gaze left Wang Dalin full of suspicion and feeling deeply uncomfortable. "You little wench, why are you looking at me like that?"

Qin Hanxiao glanced at him again, pursed her lips, and shook her head. "I'm looking at how weak you are."

Wang Dalin was furious. "I am stronger than an ox! Do you want to see if I can kill you with one punch?"

"I believe you," Qin Hanxiao agreed without hesitation, then shook her head again. "But you are suffering from kidney deficiency. Aching lower back, cold knees, and incomplete urination. Most importantly, you don't last long in the bedroom."

The more Wang Dalin heard, the uglier his expression became; it was clear she had hit the mark. He clenched his fists tightly, his face and neck turning red with suppressed rage. "Bullshit! My body is perfectly fine."

Qin Hanxiao raised an eyebrow and said softly, "I can cure it."

Wang Dalin gritted his teeth and remained silent, staring intently at Qin Hanxiao. As she withdrew the needles, she said, "Go sit over there. Take off your clothes, and I'll give you a few needles. I guarantee it will be effective by tonight. If you don't believe me, try it."

Wang Dalin was half-skeptical, fearing she might be playing a trick. After some hesitation, he decided to give it a try. Qin Hanxiao stood behind him and applied the needles, a faint arc appearing at the corner of her mouth. "Don't worry, I won't harm you. It was my father who sold me; he sold, you bought—it’s just a transaction. I don't blame you."

"It's good that you know. Your life is in my hands now."

Wang Dalin had been gritting his teeth in anticipation of pain, but he felt nothing at all, only a slight sensation of bloating as the needles were inserted. He heard Qin Hanxiao add, "I know. I'm not asking for anything else; I just want to protect myself."

Wang Dalin tentatively believed her, for at that moment, he felt a warm current rising in his lower abdomen. "You behave yourself and stop playing tricks. Once Young Master Zheng is healed, perhaps he will be magnanimous enough to spare your life." He did not know that Young Master Zheng had already thought of countless ways to kill Qin Hanxiao.

When he returned the next day, he was clearly radiant and full of energy. Young Master Zheng, however, remained in a deep sleep and did not wake up during the half-hour Wang was there. After the acupuncture, Wang left, telling her to take good care of Young Master Zheng, though his tone was much better than before.

Qin Hanxiao asked for a wheelchair, saying she wanted to take Young Master Zheng out to get some sun and fresh air, and he agreed immediately. At noon, the wheelchair was delivered, and Qin Hanxiao pushed Young Master Zheng around the garden. Although Wang Dalin followed them the entire time, at least she was finally outside.

That night, Qin Hanxiao was awakened by a sudden commotion, and shortly after, someone arrived. "Master Wang asks for Madam Qin to come over."

Qin Hanxiao had a rough idea of what was happening, but she asked, "Is something the matter?"

The messenger only replied, "You will know when you get there, Madam."

Qin Hanxiao followed the man through several twists and turns to Wang Dalin’s living quarters, where she was told to enter alone. Once inside, she heard Wang Dalin’s voice: "Get on the bed."

Qin Hanxiao could not be certain if things were going as she had planned, but she had no way out now. By the bed, clothes and shoes were scattered across the floor. Qin Hanxiao pulled back the curtains and met Wang Dalin’s bloodshot, furious eyes.

"What the hell did you do to me? What is going on?"

Qin Hanxiao glanced at him and looked away in disgust, finding him filthy. "Right now, it is only swollen and painful. If it isn't resolved before dawn, you will be permanently crippled."

Wang Dalin’s eyes seemed to split with rage as he hissed, "I’ll kill you."

Qin Hanxiao looked down at him and nodded. "Kill me, and you will truly be ruined."

After a long moment, Wang Dalin gritted his teeth and asked, "What do you want?"

Qin Hanxiao stated her condition directly: "Let me go, and I will give you the antidote."