Chapter 1201: Wedding, discovering an abnormality (2/2)

“There are plenty of people who court death in this world. Not everyone’s intelligent,” Han Yunxi argued.

“Anyone who dares to make an enemy out of Beiyue is either an idiot to the extreme--in which case they wouldn’t be able to get in--or an unparalleled genius--in which case, they wouldn’t appear now. Since the two of you can appear soundlessly by my side, you aren’t just anyone.” Eldest Miss Qin thought it over, then said, “Princess, please forgive Qin Min for being unable to bow in greeting. Miss Linger, did I guess correctly?”

“Big sis, she’s so smart,” Mu Linger blurted.

“Don’t be rude,” Han Yunxi scolded unhappily.

Mu Linger only stuck out her tongue and grinned. “Sister-in-law, you can call me Linger in the future.”

“Alright, then I won’t put on any pretense,” Eldest Miss Qin smiled as well.

Judging from her voice, she seemed open and generous. But they had no idea what she looked like. Mu Linger was dying of curiosity to know! She didn’t know why her big sister had entered the bridal chambers either. She assumed Han Yunxi was curious about the bride’s looks too.

Han Yunxi couldn’t judge Eldest Miss Qin’s intelligence from a single incident, but she was certain this lady was no fool. Besides that, she admired her calm. At the very least, Eldest Miss Qin hadn’t shown any obvious signs of panic when they popped in. However, Han Yunxi was certain her next actions would stir her calm.

“Qin Min, what’s wrong with your legs?” she asked.

“They were fine when I was still 16, but I felt uncomfortable during my birthday. They couldn’t find anything wrong, but my legs gradually lost all strength,” Qin Min remained serene as she shared her experiences.

“I heard they’ve atrophied. Even Gu Beiyue can’t cure them?” Han Yunxi asked. Since he knew Eldest Miss Qin since young, he should be clear about her leg problems.

“It’s incurable. He’s tried for many years but couldn’t find the source of the problem. They’re not really atrophied. I’ve been using needles on them for the past few years so I’ve preserved the muscles. I just can’t put any strength into them to stand,” Qin Min replied.

Actually, Gu Beiyue had never sought her out. She was the one who found him after the Apricot Woods Conference, which was also when they first met. She remembered he had been extremely busy then, but still stopped to examine her. However, he gave her a hopeless answer: there was no cure if he couldn’t understand the problem. Recently, he’d met with her privately again to have another thorough examination, though in vain, before sending someone with a marriage proposal to the Qin Clan.

She remembered him clearly asking her, “Do you have anyone you want to marry?”

His eyes hadn’t been gentle then, but absolutely serious. He’d proposed terms to her. They wouldn’t be real husband and wife, but she knew if she nodded, he would ensure her safety for the rest of her life so she could live without any worries. Wasn’t this what she always wanted?

As the Qin Clan’s eldest young Miss, her talent was outstanding and her medical skills superb. When it came to a fair match, she wouldn’t lose against the currently trending Fourth Young Miss Ren. However, her decline in fortunes after her 16th birthday sent her plummeting from the clouds and down into an abyss. She knew that even the best medical skills made her more useless than a mediocre beauty in the Qin Clan if she couldn’t be married off.

She had never wanted to vie for anything. Her medical skills weren’t for competing against others or winning benefits, but to save people. She wanted to create an all new acupuncture system to stop pain and save lives. But she couldn’t.

There was no such thing as an unmarriageable woman of the Qin Clan. If the elder sister didn’t get married, the younger sisters couldn’t, either. She either had to die or submit herself to a man older than her father and become his concubine.

Gu Beiyue was her fortune and hope. She agreed to his terms with feelings of gratitude, taking him as her savior. But he only smiled and said, “As long as I’m not delaying your prospects, that’s even better.”

She had no idea why this man wanted to marry her. Even as husband and wife in name, there were plenty of outstanding females in this city and continent. At the very least, they were women who could stand on their own two legs who were still content enough to spend their lives in an empty house after marrying him!

She’d asked him once, “Wouldn’t I delay your prospects?”

He had laughed out loud and said, “You can save me a lot of trouble. That counts as helping me out.”

She couldn’t help asking, “Do you have anyone you love?”

He said, “I’ve respected and admired a woman once, but someone loves her more than me. That’s why my love doesn’t count.”

She hadn’t understood, but she agreed to give her life to him anyways. While Qin Min was lost in her memories, Han Yunxi’s words suddenly startled her out of the blue.

Han Yunxi said, “Qin Min, your legs have been poisoned. It’s a very rare toxin. Leaving aside the fact that Gu Beiyue doesn’t know poisons, even Gu Qishao’s skills wouldn’t be able to detect a thing.”

Qin Min tore off her wedding veil in shock. “Poisoned?”