Zhao Xing and Zhang Zhengyang waited for Xiao Chen to return along with Xi Xi, because only then would Old Man Su release the antidote.
"Granddad!" A little girl's sweet voice called out from the distance, drawing all attention towards her direction.
Old Man Su saw his granddaughter walk into the courtyard with Xiao Qi holding her little hand, he immediately got on his feet and rushed to meet her.
"Xi Xi!" Old Man Su held the Xi Xi in his arms.
"Did you miss grandfather?" He asked with a smile.
"You already visited last week, Xi Xi doesn't miss you yet." She responded with a cute annoyed look, that made people laugh.
Everyone present involuntarily smiled at the scene.
Zhao Xing watched the family reunion, and suddenly missed her family back at home, her heart felt heavy.
Xi Xi looked over her grandfather's shoulder at the people sitting at the round stone table.
"Eh?" She had a confused look on her face.
Zhao Xing stood and walked over, "Xi Xi, do you remember big sister? That time big sister dressed as a man and fooled you"
Xi Xi seemed to have recalled what happened, and her big eyes widened. "So big brother is actually big sister?"
Zhao Xing nodded as her smile grew bigger, Xi Xi was too cute, too sweet. She couldn't believe she had the heart to kidnap her!
Xi Xi's eyes wandered to Zhang Zhengyang, "…Big sister, this big brother isn't also a girl?"
When the words came out of her small mouth the expression on everyone's face was a sight to behold.
Apart from Zhang Zhengyang whose face seemed to have darkened, Xiao Chen and Zhao Xing and Old Man Su tried their best to hold their laugher, Xiao Qi had a funny expression on her face as if she didn't understand why Xi Xi would ask such a silly question. Every man was a woman just because she had been fooled once? Why didn't she doubt Xiao Chen's gender before?
"Why does Xi Xi think so?" Zhao Xing asked.
Xi Xi blushed embarrassedly, as she thought she had said something wrong, seeing everyone had on weird expressions.
"I just thought that big brother was too handsome…"
Everyone: "…"
'What a way to praise someone!'
At the end of the day, Old Man Su handed the antidote for Zhao Xing as well as the poison, antidote for the Icy Heart poison.
"I've already told young master how the poison is used, but don't worry, Xi Xi and I would stay a while more, to make sure there isn't any accident after taking the antidote, of course, not that anything wrong would happen, just to reassure young master." Old Man Su reassured.
Zhang Zhengyang smiled. "Old Man Su is smart."
The old man turned to Zhao Xing, "Once you take the antidote you would have a long sleep." He turned to Zhang Zhengyang, "Make sure you have people watch her during this period."
"How long will I be asleep?" Zhao Xing asked curiously. She never heard of an antidote that'll make one sleep.
"Depends on how tired you are." He said with a straight face. One couldn't tell whether it was a joke or not.
"…?" 'Ok, that only makes me more confused...'
He then continued "After that you needn't take remedies everyday as you used to, but do remember to rest and not strain yourself, the poison has after all weakened your body."
Zhao Xing nodded.
But when Zhang Zhengyang heard this, his brows creased. "Didn't you say it won't have much effect on her?"
Old Man Su gave him a look, "I meant it won't have any major effects, she still has to recuperate even if she had consumed the least harmful poison. You should at least know this much. Besides, it's a poison I created myself, of course it has to be formidable."
Old Man Su looked at the bottle in the Crown Prince hand. That bottle contained what they would use to poison the Emperor of the land! He sighed inwardly, some people were indeed brave.
Zhao Xing only wanted to go home, she already started feeling quite uncomfortable being here. "Then we'll be taking our leave, I'll visit Old Man Su and Xi Xi when I have time." She smiled.
Zhang Zhengyang watched her as she spoke like she were the master. "Who said we're leaving?" He asked with a teasing smile.
"Well you can stay, I'm leaving." Her job here was done, she even had the antidote in her hands, was there a need to waste time here doing nothing when delicious food was waiting for her along with her bed? She thought about this and turned to leave.
"Xiao Qi, let's go."
Xiao Qi: 'Pa! The master didn't say go and you want to go?'
Zhang Zhengyang stopped teasing her, with his long legs he quickly caught up with her, and they left together, to Xiao Qi's dismay.
Old Man Su saw them off with Xi Xi. He had always felt uneasy when he want to visit his granddaughter, feeling like something would happen to her along the way, he would only feel secure if he could take her back with him. But it was better now, he had his granddaughter by his side. Hopefully something like this doesn't repeat itself again, if not if it happened to be someone that wanted to get rid of him after using him, he wouldn't be able to protect his Xi Xi anymore.
Both Xiao Qi and Xiao Chen were kicked out the carriage by the Crown Prince, leaving only the two inside. But there was a deep silence in the carriage, and all they could hear was the rolling of the tires, and the noises on the streets.
"I heard you got into an accident at the banquet." Zhang Zhengyang spoke first.
Zhao Xing scoffed. "Just consider me dead, I can no longer dwell among the living."
Zhang Zhengyang chuckled. "But you're here and also doing fine. Or it wouldn't be your ghost sitting here, right?"
Zhao Xing gave him a warning look to stop teasing her. "Well Lu Man won't be bothering me for the time being. But you will have to be more careful in the future, because she has had a change of tactics."
"Oh? Grand Tutor is indeed formidable! Managing to turn the enemy's attention."
Zhao Xing smiled triumphantly. "Of course"
"In the future try to avoid using your ability." Zhang Zhengyang said changing the subject.
Zhao Xing was confused, didn't he know that she had no idea how to use it? "Why?"
But Zhang Zhengyang knew if he told her the reason it would only make her worry, so he refused to answer. "Anyway, for now I won't be needing it, so you might as well recuperate as the poison master has said."
Zhao Xing: "??"
After that the carriage silence once again took over the atmosphere, none of the two had anything more to say to the other as they were stuck with their own thoughts.
When Zhao Xing returned to the Noble Princess manor, she had her lunch. Old Man Su had told her to make sure she was ready to sleep, and had her people around her. Nuo Nuo and Lan'er were with her, while she took the antidote as she was told. Immediately after that, she blacked out.