CHAPTER 245: 224: THE THINGS I RAISE NEVER COME WITH ANTIDOTES.

Bai Shirui: "..."

She forced a smile, her lips twitching with an aching stiffness, embodying the attitude of agreeing with whatever Meng Han said: "Alright."

A moment later, the sound of rushing water mixed with faint rustling noises drifted out from the bathroom.

After sipping her coffee for more than ten minutes, Bai Shirui finally stiffly placed the cup down.

She leaned back, attempting to relax herself.

Yet the uneasiness nestled deep in her heart continued to stir her thoughts, making it impossible to find peace.

She closed her eyes, then reopened them.

When her peripheral vision caught sight of the phone sitting on the table, her hand resting on her knee clenched subconsciously.

Bai Shirui hesitated for a moment and glanced towards the bathroom. Upon hearing the cheerful humming from inside, she finally made up her mind.

She held her breath, swiftly picked up the phone, and unlocked it, frantically searching through the contacts list.

Although she understood the significance of that matter to Meng Han, she had not expected her to be so meticulous.

As the contact list neared its end and the bathroom fell silent once more, Bai Shirui couldn’t help but panic.

"Shirui, can you grab the hairdryer for me?" Wrapped in a bath towel, Meng Han wiped her dripping hair as she walked straight to the dressing table.

"Sure." Bai Shirui hurriedly handed it over.

She glanced apologetically at the reflection in the mirror: "Han Han, I just got a call from home. They need me to go back for a bit."

Meng Han halted her movements: "Oh, then go ahead."

"Sorry, I’ll come find you once I’m done."

"No need, trying on wedding dresses doesn’t take long anyway. I’ll just ask someone else to accompany me."

Meng Han’s frustration was written all over her face, but Bai Shirui didn’t have the heart to placate her right now.

She packed her belongings, muttered "I’ll contact you later," and vanished from Meng Han’s line of sight.

Leaving behind only a cup of cold coffee and the phone, untouched in its original spot.

**

As winter approached, the air in the green hills was thick with a biting chill.

It was noon, and a few pale beams of sunlight filtered through the dense branches overhead.

Though barely warm, the sunlight provided a faint sense of comfort.

The path uphill wasn’t easy to traverse. Fortunately, Bai Shirui had come prepared, donning comfortable casual wear, avoiding her clothes being caught by stray branches along the way.

Before coming, she’d already called Fifth Granny.

The route leading to the halfway point of the mountain was one she’d earlier memorized, fearing she might get lost.

"Knock knock knock—"

Bai Shirui took a deep breath and cautiously knocked on the aged, weathered door.

Suppressing the fear crawling inside her, she called out: "Fifth Granny, are you home?"

It took a good few minutes before there was movement inside.

As the door creaked open, seeing Fifth Granny’s scar-riddled face, missing an eye, Bai Shirui felt her temples throb.

She was dressed in the same long black robe that draped down to her feet, its hem stained with brownish-yellow dust.

It seemed she neither cared to clean it nor minded its squalor.

"Fifth Granny, sorry to trouble you." Bai Shirui didn’t dare continue to scrutinize her. She subtly pinched her palm, forcing a gentle smile.

Fifth Granny said nothing, merely casting her a long look before letting go of the doorframe.

Perhaps accustomed to years of darkness, the wooden shutters inside were fastened tightly, leaving the room void of light except for the dim table lamp—its sole illumination.

Reentering this place, Bai Shirui couldn’t help but recall what had happened the last time, fearing venomous snakes or insects might suddenly appear.

Sensible as ever, she naturally chose not to distance herself from Fifth Granny, fully aware that her proximity to the elderly woman offered the only semblance of safety.

"Why are you here?" Fifth Granny took a sip of water, her wrinkled face devoid of expression.

"Well, Han Han previously came to you to buy a poisonous insect, right? I was wondering when it might be ready."

"Two more months."

"I see... But is there any way to make it faster?"

Fifth Granny fixed her gaze on her eyes, her rasping voice sharp like fragments of stone cutting through: "Are you asking for her sake, or your own?"

Bai Shirui’s smile froze: "For a friend."

Standing straight before her, her posture immaculate as she endured the probing scrutiny. Yet, the hand concealed within her wide sleeve trembled uncontrollably.

"Two months is already quick." Fifth Granny dismissed her lie, having long since grown accustomed to deceit. After living so many years, she’d seen every kind of duplicity.

Even when they presented a front of asking for others, weren’t they ultimately bowing to self-serving desires?

"Then... is there an antidote?"

"Antidote?"

"Something to break the poisonous insect’s effects. Do you have that?"

Upon hearing this, Fifth Granny let out a mocking laugh. It was her first time encountering someone asking for an antidote.

Her gaze sharpened with malice: "The things I raise are never paired with antidotes."

Bai Shirui fell silent.

If there was no antidote, then once Meng Han succeeded, the man she admired would be compelled to worship her for life, cherishing her like a treasure.

That outcome wasn’t what she wanted.

Summoning courage, Bai Shirui spoke earnestly: "Fifth Granny, I know you must have a way. Can you... prepare an antidote for me?"

"You’re in love with that man?" Fifth Granny’s interest piqued.

Bai Shirui denied it hastily: "No, I just don’t want to see Han Han become like that. Force is always force, no matter how you disguise it."

Shi Wei shouldn’t belong to anyone as a possession.

And these unspeakable things shouldn’t exist either.

"There’s no antidote. But." Fifth Granny deliberately paused, her gaze landing on the ceramic bottle in her hand: "There is another solution."

"What’s that?"

"Use another poisonous insect—target someone else."

The insect would still be the same, but the person trapped to love could be swapped.

Bai Shirui seemed to understand her meaning, though uncertainty lingered: "You mean using the insect on someone new would counteract the previous one?"

"Yes." Fifth Granny spoke no further.

Whatever decision followed was entirely up to the individual.

Bai Shirui couldn’t deny her shock. Her heart thumped violently, momentarily confused by these deceptively simple words.

She pinched her palm harder, using the pain to regain a shred of clarity: "Fifth Granny, thank you. Let’s pretend I wasn’t here today."

She respectfully placed a prepared check on the table, fully conveying her intentions without words.

Fifth Granny glanced indifferently at the thin slip of paper: "When you’ve made your decision, you can come find me anytime."

She was quite satisfied with Bai Shirui’s approach but felt certain it wouldn’t be long before the same figure knocked on her door again.

"Alright, thank you." Bai Shirui didn’t elaborate, knowing that maintaining politeness and respect was sufficient.