The man with his mouth gagged immediately panicked. There was no need for anyone to tell himâhe could see it clearly. His accomplice was definitely going to spill everything, so what was the point of him clenching his jaws any longer? They were just hired to do a job for money. Now that theyâd failed, it was likely they wouldnât even get paid. Thereâs no need to risk his life over it, so he began struggling desperately.
"Are you going to confess, too?" Yang Ruxin raised her eyebrows slightly. "Think it through. I really hate being deceived."
The man nodded vigorously.
"Alright, then both of you spill. Whoever says something useful, Iâll believe them," Yang Ruxin waved a hand.
Miao Jian dropped the man to the ground and reached out to pull the rag from his mouth.
"Iâll talk. It was a woman who hired us..."
The two men began talking over each other, eagerly sharing what they knew.
There wasnât any particularly valuable information. These men were just small-time thugs from nearby villages and towns, idlers who took whatever work came their way as long as money was involved. Naturally, they didnât refuse when offered payment.
From their confession, it could only be deduced that the one who paid them to act was Lady Alian. However, there was no concrete proof, as she had worn a straw hat, and none of them had ever clearly seen her face.
Upon stepping out of the woodshed, Yang Ruxin exhaled deeply. So, the Gu Family had decided to strike first against her. Very well. It would be rude of her not to respond in kind. Theyâd already provoked her, hadnât they? If she didnât fight back, wouldnât that be simply too polite? She immediately summoned Shadow Eleven and Long Qia, handed over a porcelain bottle, and instructed, "Find a way to make Lady Alian consume this."
Long Qia looked at the porcelain bottle, his eyes lighting up for a moment. Though deeply curious about its contents, he didnât ask. Instead, he left joyfully with a spring in his step.
Shen Family residence.
Shen Jiashi looked at her son lying on the bed, tears rolling down her face incessantly. It had been half a year now. Her excellent son... Looking at the blanket lifted at a certain part of her sonâs body, she felt utterly hopeless. She had hired every doctor she could find, but not a single one could cure him.
Back then, Shen Wenbi had sought to ruin Yang Ruxin but ended up being drugged by her instead. The drug, hailed as a "little manâs blessing," was originally tested on stray cats; effects began within three days. The cats suddenly grew larger, and then...
However, when used on a human, the effects were much slower. Initially, Shen Wenbi didnât feel anything unusual. Instead, the affected part of his body began growing gradually. He felt immense pleasureâabsolute ecstasy.
But that pleasure lasted only two months before things became abnormal. The growth hadnât stopped; it continued, remaining perpetually rigid. Eventually, he couldnât even wear pants, let alone step outside the house.
Now, a month had passed. He was confined to the bed, unable to move. Though it wasnât painful, if this kept goingâwell...
Shen Wenbi was already deeply agitated. Seeing his mother crying made him even more irritable. "Stop crying. Iâm not dead yet," he snapped.
Shen Jiashi froze briefly but forced a smile nonetheless. "Donât get upset. Mother wonât cry..."
"Mother, Iâm not scolding you. Iâm just miserable," Shen Wenbi suddenly started bawling. "What am I supposed to do? Am I really going to stay bedridden for the rest of my life? If thatâs the case, I might as well die..."
"Donât worry. Your father has already sent word to your uncle, asking him to find a renowned doctor in Beijing. Youâll surely be healed," Shen Jiashi hurried to comfort her son.
"How long will that take?" Shen Wenbi pouted.
"Soon," Shen Jiashi could only offer an ambiguous answer.