Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince
Chapter 226 Why Don’t You Expose Me?

Chapter 226: Chapter 226 Why Don’t You Expose Me?

Shi Zhou heard his question, then glared at him once more.

Shen Xihe touched his nose, feeling somewhat guilty for no apparent reason.

The two just stared at each other, big eyes to small eyes, without making any progress.

Finally, Shi Zhou fiercely left behind a sentence, "You’re not allowed to drink alcohol in the future!"

Then he went out the door.

Shen Xihe was left sitting there, a look of utter bewilderment on his face.

Two days later, Qi Yu and Li Mingjue arrived at Tuyun Village.

Originally, she had intended to come alone, but Li Mingjue could not be at ease.

Moreover, as soon as Mo Qingshan heard that Shi Fuyou had been poisoned, he insisted on coming to witness the excitement no matter what.

Additionally, Song Ting also made a fuss about wanting to go out for fun.

Despite Qi Yu’s several explanations, Song Ting covered his ears, refusing to listen to anything.

So, she had no choice but to bring him along as well.

As Song Feng was getting older and had sustained many injuries from years of battling on the fields, Qi Yu examined his pulse and prescribed medicine, ordering him to recuperate at the residence.

Otherwise, only Gu Jingping would be left at home.

Originally, Gu Jingping also said he wanted to come, but Qi Yu managed to persuade him, explaining that going to the mountain wasn’t a casual outing and that there might be danger.

Furthermore, it was necessary for someone to stay with the old man to alleviate his loneliness at home, and this responsibility could only fall on Gu Jingping, who did not know martial arts.

Gu Jingping and Song Feng sent the group out of the city, their eyes revealing genuine envy as they watched the travelers ride away.

To hurry on their way, everyone rode briskly, carrying enough dry food for two days, and they traveled non-stop toward Tuyun Village.

Having grown up on the borderlands, Song Ting was thoroughly accustomed to marching and made no complaints along the way.

On the other hand, Mo Qingshan, who had to abandon his beloved donkey and ride horseback at his age, grumbled incessantly.

Fortunately, by noon the next day, they arrived at Tuyun Village.

After the gatekeeper went in to report, Shi Zhou, Shen Xihe, Zhou Hong, and Zhou Ruhai, among others, came out to greet them together.

After the weary travelers arrived, they rested for a while and ate a meal before they felt recovered.

After finishing the meal, Mo Qingshan didn’t even bother to check on the patient and rushed back to his room to rest.

His old bones could no longer endure such rigors.

Besides, with that girl present, what trouble could Shi Fuyou, that old fellow, get into?

Qi Yu condemned his act of deserting before the battle, but before he left, Mo Qingshan generously left her a newly refined bottle of elixir.

Song Ting had been yawning tiredly for a while, and Qi Yu sent him back to his room to rest as well.

Qi Yu was still feeling alert, she took a grain of a revitalizing elixir, then headed to the back courtyard.

Right now, the urgent matter at hand was to investigate the situation with Shi Fuyou’s poisoning.

Seeing Shi Fuyou lying on the bed, she slightly furrowed her brows.

Shi Zhou and Zhou Ruhai immediately became nervous, watching her intently.

Qi Yu’s eyelids twitched, and she spoke in a calm voice, "You all go out first."

Zhou Ruhai disagreed, but Shi Zhou, without a word, led the others out.

Outside the door, Zhou Ruhai kept sighing, "Miss, do you really trust her that much?"

Shi Zhou could understand his concerns, but didn’t he see that Prince Qi beside them was already giving off a chilling glare?

She quickly covered Zhou Ruhai’s mouth and nodded, "Of course, the Princess’s medical skills are unparalleled in the world. With her here, father is sure not to encounter any trouble."

Zhou Ruhai had a questioning look on his face, but since the guest had rushed here day and night, to continue this conversation would make him seem heartless and ungrateful.

He had no choice but to hold his tongue, his face filled with worry as he looked toward the door.

Shen Xihe saw his unrest and comforted him, "Uncle Wu, there’s no need to worry. With Princess Qi Yu here, Village Chief Shi Fuyou will surely recover."

Zhou Hong nodded reservedly, his expression leaving no room for doubt.

Zhou Ruhai managed a forced smile, thinking hopefully that would be the case.

However, separated by just a door, the scene inside the room was vastly different from what they had imagined.

Qi Yu was neither taking Shi Fuyou’s pulse nor had she taken out any acupuncture needles.

Instead, she was sitting leisurely on the side, drinking tea, looking completely at ease.

She didn’t seem to be in a hurry at all; rather, it was the person on the bed who was struggling to keep up the pretense.

Shi Fuyou’s eyelids twitched. After a long while, feeling no movement, he could not hold back anymore and opened his eyes.

After pretending for several days and lying motionless on the bed, his neck had become stiff.

He turned his head with difficulty, only to meet Qi Yu’s mocking gaze.

In her hand, she held a transparent blue and white porcelain cup, which she lifted toward him in a toasting gesture, "Would you like a cup?"

Shi Fuyou: "...No need."

Qi Yu smiled, set the cup down, walked over, took an acupuncture needle from her sleeve, and quickly pricked him on the head.

After removing the needle, Shi Fuyou immediately spat out a mouthful of black blood.

He coughed a few times, then, regaining his composure, he said with a smile, "Princess Qi Yu’s medical skills are indeed formidable, no wonder my daughter was so happy to hear that you were coming."

Qi Yu made no comment on his words, but instead looked at his somewhat pale face and said, "If Shi Zhou knew that you had taken the poison yourself, she might be furious."

Shi Fuyou’s face stiffened for a moment and, after a long pause, he said dryly, "I have my reasons for this matter, and I hope the Princess will not disclose it to her."

It was rare for him to feel so powerless, but the person in front of him had seen through his feigned illness at a glance; naturally, he could not hide anything else from her.

Qi Yu did not dwell on it further but simply asked, "Why did you pretend to be sick?"

Shi Fuyou remained silent.

The corners of Qi Yu’s lips curved up as she said slowly, "I suspect it was to deceive Shi Zhou into returning, wasn’t it?"

As soon as she finished, Shi Fuyou shifted his eyes away uncomfortably, clearly feeling guilty.

Qi Yu continued, "However, I think there’s more to the truth than just that. If it was only to lure her back, you could have simply faked an illness; why would you need to take poison personally?"

Within just a few minutes, Shi Fuyou was getting restless as his secret was completely exposed.

He turned his head to look at the cunning-eyed girl, who at the young age of sixteen or seventeen, was already so intelligent and perceptive.

One could only imagine how formidable she would become in the future.

Just now, as soon as she entered the room, she had guessed that he was faking his illness, but she didn’t expose him publicly, allowing him to retain some dignity.

Otherwise, with her tactics, she had plenty of ways to wake him up in disgrace.

And after sending everyone out, she did not immediately put on an act of checking his pulse. Instead, she patiently waited.

At such times, whoever loses their composure first also loses the upper hand.

And naturally, Shi Fuyou lost.

He was the one to open his eyes first, handing the upper hand over to her.

Otherwise, if she had acted first, he could have denied all the charges.

Shi Fuyou’s mind raced, and his expression slowly turned serious.

He now dared not underestimate the woman before him and asked in a deep voice, "Since you already knew I was feigning illness, why didn’t you expose me?"