Chapter 9: The Smiling Tiger’s Gift (2)
[What should I do? What should I do? What if Yanyan thinks I was the one who poisoned the tea and believes I’ve changed my mind about killing him?!]
Since Rong Mingze had already shown that he was close to her from the very beginning, it wasn’t possible for Rong Shuyan to think that the two of them were working together to poison him.
While Lin Xueyi was still drowning in a sea of panic, Rong Shuyan suddenly spoke. "I recently hired a new physician," he said calmly. "He prescribed me another medicine to help suppress the cold poison in my body, and it doesn’t mix well with tea."
Lin Xueyi blinked in confusion because she hadn’t expected Rong Shuyan to play along with her lie so easily.
[Is he really going to hire a new physician? Of course not, you dumb dumb! He probably noticed there was something wrong with that tea too!]
[But what if he really thinks I’m working with Rong Mingze?!] Lin Xueyi panicked all over again. [If I beg for forgiveness, will he forgive me? Oh, dear... any God who’s listening, can’t you please help me out here?!]
Across from them, Rong Mingze looked genuinely surprised. "Oh, I had no idea," he said. "Sixth Brother, you should have told me you wanted to hire a new physician. I would have found someone even more skilled for you."
[No!!! Yanyan, the new physician he’s going to give you is just as cunning! He’ll only make you suffer even more!]
In the novel, Rong Mingze hadn’t only brought the tea as a gift. He had also introduced a new physician to Rong Shuyan and that physician was one of the main reasons Rong Shuyan continued to suffer for the next twenty Chapters.
However, since Rong Shuyan had already said that he had just hired a new physician, the chances of Rong Mingze introducing another physician to him were very small.
A faint smile suddenly appeared on Rong Shuyan’s face, a sight so rare that very few people had ever seen it. Even Lin Xueyi didn’t dare to blink because she was fraid she might miss such a beautiful moment.
"I simply didn’t want to trouble Third Brother," Rong Shuyan said calmly. "Still, thank you for your gift. I’ll be sure to drink the tea once I’ve finished taking this medicine."
Rong Mingze waved his hand with a soft chuckle. "It’s alright, Shuyan. The tea won’t taste as good if you leave it sitting for too long."
He then gestured for his servant to take the tea away before looking back at Rong Shuyan. "I’ll bring you a fresh batch once you’ve recovered."
[If I remember correctly, the poison in that tea has an expiration date...] Lin Xueyi thought. [If no one drinks it within a month, the poison becomes useless, and the tea ends up tasting absolutely awful.]
[This smiling tiger... if he dares bring Yanyan another batch of tea, I’ll throw it straight into the lake!]
Rong Shuyan lowered his eyes and gave a small nod. "Then I’ll have to thank Third Brother in advance."
Rong Mingze smiled as warmly as ever, making him look like a caring older brother who only wanted the best for his younger sibling.
"There’s no need to be so polite between brothers," he said warmly.
[Liar...] Lin Xueyi grumbled inwardly. [If someone didn’t know the truth, they’d really think you’re the kindest brother in the world.]
[Ugh... I’m starting to get a headache just from looking at this liar for so long.]
To be honest, Rong Shuyan had an even bigger headache. Not only did he have to listen to his brother’s endless nonsense, but he also had to hear Lin Xueyi complain in her mind every other minute.
"Third Brother, I’m glad that you came to visit me, but unfortunately, it’s already time for me to take my morning medicine," Rong Shuyan said with a polite smile. "The medicine is quite strong, so I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep you company."
Rong Mingze’s gaze slowly shifted to Lin Xueyi, as though he wanted to suggest that she could keep him company instead. However, after a brief pause, he simply smiled and said nothing weird.
"I understand," Rong Mingze said with a polite smile. "It’s actually my fault for visiting you so early and even bringing you the wrong gift."
Rong Shuyan gave a small smile in return. "Your visit means more than the gift."
[Yanyan is way too trusting!] Lin Xueyi complained in her heart. [In the novel, he even drank the tea because he believed his Third Brother was being kind to him!]
Was that really the case? Even Rong Shuyan wasn’t sure.
He had eight brothers, making them nine siblings in total. Most of them treated him badly, while some hardly ever spoke to him. The ones he was most careful around were those fighting for the position of Crown Prince, and Rong Mingze was one of them.
Even so, Rong Shuyan had grown up without much warmth from the people around him. Because of that, even a simple smile or a few kind words were enough to make a small part of him hope that maybe there was no hidden meaning behind them.
He still didn’t fully trust Rong Mingze and often found himself annoyed by him. But deep down, a small part of his heart remained in denial. That part of him still wanted to believe that his Third Brother wasn’t as cruel as he thought.
Perhaps that was why, according to Lin Xueyi’s remarks, he had been destined to suffer.
"Take care of yourself, Shuyan," Rong Mingze said as he rose from his chair.
A moment later, he turned to Lin Xueyi. "Xueyi, you must take good care of your husband as well."
Lin Xueyi finally spoke. "Of course, Your Highness."
After saying their goodbyes, Rong Mingze and his servants finally left Prince Rui’s Manor.
The moment the smiling tiger disappeared from sight, Rong Shuyan spoke in a calm voice. "Next time, it would be better if you didn’t do anything so reckless in front of my brothers."