Shen Xiaoyan took a deep breath and took out a porcelain bottle.
"Here is the antidote. After taking it, you should wake up, and the poison you were previously afflicted with will be resolved."
As Shen Xiaoyan finished speaking, Ru Mo Du and Yi Zhiye's faces lit up with joy. Seeing Yin Susu awaken was their greatest hope.
"It's just..."
Upon hearing Shen Xiaoyan's hesitation, Yi Zhiye's heart tightened, but he still pressed on, "Just what? Speak your mind."
Shen Xiaoyan nodded and said, "As you should know, being afflicted with a gu poison is a fate worse than death, especially since we don't know what kind of gu it is, and we are completely unprepared. If she wakes up, the suffering she endures might be even more intense."
Yi Zhiye and Yi Mo Du exchanged a glance, and both fell silent.
What Shen Xiaoyan said was very true.
Though Yin Susu was unconscious, at least she wasn't suffering so much pain.
Once she awoke, to be tormented by the gu poison, what kind of agony would that be?
Before the two could ponder the implications, Shen Xiaoyan added, "However, if we don't detoxify soon, it will also be troublesome. You saw it yourself, in just one night, she has become this way."
Shen Xiaoyan knew she was presenting a difficult dilemma to Yi Zhiye and Yi Mo Du.
But she had no choice; ultimately, they had to make the decision.
After a moment, Ru Mo Du finally spoke, "Miss Shen, administer the antidote."
Yi Zhiye, standing beside him, also said, "I know you've done your best. Please treat my mother first, and we'll discuss the rest later."
Since they had made their decision, Shen Xiaoyan naturally respected it.
Opening the porcelain bottle, Shen Xiaoyan fed the liquid to Yin Susu.
Fortunately, Yin Susu could still swallow the medicine, which saved Shen Xiaoyan some trouble.
Watching Yi Mo Du gently wipe away the medicine residue from Yin Susu's lips, Shen Xiaoyan stood up. Should she leave them some privacy now?
But before she could take more than a few steps, Yi Mo Du called out to her.
"Miss Shen, please wait. When my wife wakes up, she will definitely want to see you first, so..."
Shen Xiaoyan had intended to leave them space for a family reunion. Since Yi Mo Du had said this, she was happy to stay.
After all, she also wanted to know if Yin Susu knew anything that could help them find the location of the mother gu.
The three waited for about fifteen minutes, and then Yin Susu woke up.
During this time, Yin Susu's complexion gradually returned to normal, and the grayish pallor on her face gradually disappeared.
Seeing Yin Susu open her eyes, Ru Mo Du and Yi Zhiye cried out in surprise.
"Susu, you're awake?"
"Mother, you're awake?"
Yin Susu, having just regained consciousness, was somewhat disoriented. How could she hear Yi Zhiye's voice?
Hadn't Ah Xie left a hundred years ago? How could he be by her side again?
Was she dying, and Heaven took pity on her, allowing her to hear Ah Xie's voice?
But gradually, she also sensed something was amiss. This room she was seeing, was it not her own?
Could it be that she wasn't dead?
Her eyes flickered, and Yin Susu saw Yi Mo Du's face, filled with surprise. For a moment, she was stunned. Was she truly not dead?
"Susu, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell anywhere else?"
Seeing his mother's dazed state, Yi Zhiye became a little worried and asked softly, "Mother, what's wrong?"
If Yin Susu had thought she was hallucinating before, then hearing Yi Zhiye's voice again now, she became fully alert.
It was Ah Xie. Her Ah Xie had returned.
Yin Susu mustered all her strength to turn her head and indeed saw Yi Zhiye's face, full of concern.
"Ah Xie!"
After a century, to finally hear his mother's voice again, Yi Zhiye's eyes immediately welled up with tears.
He knelt by the bedside with a thud, his voice choked with emotion, "Mother, your son is unfilial. Your son has returned."
Looking at Yi Zhiye kneeling beside her bed, Yin Susu felt as if she were dreaming, yet it also felt real.
She reached out, and after touching Yi Zhiye's hair, her tears instantly flowed like a broken dam.
The feeling in her hand was warm, and the person before her was real!
Her son had truly returned.
Shen Xiaoyan stood to the side, watching the three, her eyes also stinging.
Looking at Yin Susu's pained expression, she couldn't help but wonder if her own missing mother, if given another chance to reunite, would she be like Yin Susu?
A bitter smile touched her lips, and Shen Xiaoyan banished the thought from her mind.
Why dwell on such things?
It would only add to her troubles.
Yi Zhiye did not cry for long. Although his heart was still aching, he understood that Yin Susu had just woken up, and her body and spirit were weak. She was not suited for such emotional outbursts.
Wiping away his tears, Yi Zhiye stood up, a smile on his face. "Mother, you are awake this time all thanks to Shen Xiaoyan. If not for her... let me introduce you. This is Shen Xiaoyan. I met her in Da Chu."
As Yi Zhiye spoke, he led Shen Xiaoyan to the bedside.
Shen Xiaoyan smiled and met Yin Susu's gaze, "Auntie, hello."
Yin Susu scrutinized Shen Xiaoyan from head to toe, nodding as she looked, "Not bad, not bad. Beautiful and capable."
After speaking, Yin Susu looked at Yi Zhiye, her face showing a hint of reproach. "But you already have Mu Zhong, don't you? Why have you brought back another Miss Shen? What about Mu Zhong?"
Yin Susu had successfully stunned Shen Xiaoyan, Yi Zhiye, and Yi Mo Du.
After recovering his senses, Yi Zhiye couldn't help but laugh and cry.
"Mother, in your heart, am I that kind of person?"
"Then tell me, what is going on?" Yin Susu asked.
She had clearly seen how familiar her son was with Shen Xiaoyan.
"Susu, you've truly misunderstood. Mu Zhong naturally returned with us. This Miss Shen is already married and has three children. Her husband is a good brother to Ah Xie. You shouldn't say such things in the future, lest it cause misunderstandings. Don't you think so?"
Yin Susu was taken aback. She truly hadn't expected things to be this way.
She smiled apologetically at Shen Xiaoyan and said, "Ah, Miss Shen, I am truly sorry. I didn't mean to, I just..."
Shen Xiaoyan smiled gently, "I understand, Auntie. You've just woken up and are not fully aware yet."
Yin Susu nodded vigorously. "Yes, my mind isn't clear yet. Oh dear, I think I'll sleep for a while longer."
With that, Yin Susu actually closed her eyes.
Shen Xiaoyan was somewhat surprised.
No wonder they say children resemble their mothers.
Yi Zhiye's occasional eccentricities, did they stem from his inheritance from Yin Susu?
Shen Xiaoyan and Yi Zhiye walked out one after another and saw Zheng Wei and the others in the main room.
As soon as Na Muzhong saw them emerge, she hurried to meet them. "How is it? Has Mother woken up?"
Yi Zhiye's face was full of smiles. "She has woken up. This time, it's truly thanks to Shen Xiaoyan."
Hearing this, Na Muzhong also looked at Shen Xiaoyan and said gratefully, "We must thank Xiaoyan properly. If not for Xiaoyan, I don't know..."
Shen Xiaoyan waved her hand. "Alright, do we need to say so much among ourselves? What's more important now is to find a way to locate the mother gu. Otherwise, I fear Auntie will suffer more."
Zheng Wei pondered for a moment and said, "Yi Zhiye, do your father and mother have any enemies in the ancestral hall? Or have they had conflicts with anyone?"
Yi Zhiye looked bewildered. "I truly don't know. As you know, in the past, my focus wasn't on such matters. Naturally, I saw everyone as good people. Otherwise, I wouldn't have..."
Though he didn't finish his sentence, Shen Xiaoyan and the others understood his implied meaning.
After the group had a simple breakfast and before they could stand up, Fujiwara Shifei and Bai Ying entered one after another.
"I heard Sister Ruan has woken up?" Fujiwara Shifei asked as soon as she entered.