Qi Zhenzhen didn't know what to say. Xie Chen's attendant was too vague! What did he mean by Xie Chen having dealings with her? Anyone would misunderstand!
Bai Su misunderstood that Xie Chen liked her, and she misunderstood that Bai Su liked Gu Sinian.
The misunderstandings were truly significant.
Qi Zhenzhen explained to Bai Su how she met Xie Chen and their subsequent interactions.
Of course, she didn't mention the past between Da Qin Shi and Xie Chen, as it wasn't her place to discuss such matters.
In short, the main point was to inform Bai Su that she had no improper relationship with Xie Chen.
Bai Su felt quite embarrassed. "It was my fault for not clarifying and causing you to misunderstand. I apologize."
Qi Zhenzhen waved her hand. "It's not entirely your fault; I was a bit confused myself."
"Then are you still going to make me leave?" Bai Su asked pitifully.
"No, I'm not. But it's not a solution for you to stay here," Qi Zhenzhen sighed. "You want to see Xie Chen, but he's never come here. His attendants are the ones who send things.
"But he won't let me go to his place either," Bai Su said helplessly.
"Have you thought about what you'll do next?" Qi Zhenzhen asked.
"I'm at a temple now, and it's inconvenient to do anything. When he returns to his own home, I'll just latch onto him and not leave," Bai Su said after thinking. "Since I've come all the way to the capital, I won't return to Nanjiang until I get a result."
This was a pursuit of love across thousands of miles, a boldness that was truly rare for a woman in ancient times.
Qi Zhenzhen could only inwardly hope that Bai Su's wish would come true.
However, Xie Chen had remained unmarried for decades due to his mother. The chances of Bai Su getting what she wanted were slim.
Qi Zhenzhen didn't want to dampen her spirits, so she just said, "Then you can stay here for now! By the way, do you want me to compensate you for the medicinal oil?"
Bai Su was ashamed. "It was just an excuse I made to latch onto you, so of course not. That kind of medicinal oil is very simple to make! Besides, it's clearly not as convenient as the pills you took out, and your pills are obviously more effective!"
"How do you know?"
"I could smell it. These pills use twenty-one medicinal ingredients, much more complex than my medicinal oil," Bai Su said.
"Didn't you say your medicinal oil used hundreds of rare medicinal ingredients?"
"That was clearly a lie. You believed that too?" Bai Su couldn't help but laugh. "You seem smart, so why are you so foolish?"
"I don't know anything about medicinal ingredients, so it's normal to believe you, isn't it? From what you're saying, you're very familiar with medicinal ingredients?" Qi Zhenzhen asked curiously.
"Our Nanjiang people have lived in the mountains for generations. Only in recent years have we gradually moved outside the mountains. The mountains have all sorts of medicinal herbs, and most Nanjiang people can identify some of them. My grandmother was the shaman of our tribe, and I grew up by her side, so I've inherited her true teachings," Bai Su said with a hint of pride.
Nanjiang, shaman.
"I've read in ancient books that people from your region practice gu?" Qi Zhenzhen asked with a look of curiosity.
"I can't believe you even know about gu insects. It seems our Nanjiang has quite a reputation," Bai Su said with a playful smile. "But you're wrong to say everyone practices gu; it's the opposite. Only a small portion of people do."
"Then do you?" Qi Zhenzhen asked again.
Bai Su instantly became vigilant. "Why are you asking this?"
Qi Zhenzhen then recounted the matter of Xu Miaoniang and the symptoms of Gu Sinian and the others.
"You were very lucky. If the person you mentioned had only learned the basics, the divine doctor you spoke of might not have been able to remove the gu," Bai Su said very seriously. "If someone skilled in gu techniques casts it, unless the caster actively summons the gu insects, both the person afflicted and anyone who forcibly tries to remove it will be harmed by the gu insects!"