Volume One, Chapter 18: The Master Sent a Friend Request

Gu Chenxiao frowned displeasedly and spoke, causing the air around them to seem to freeze.

"Don’t you know how Shuyi ended up in the hospital?" His eyes flashed with a sharp, penetrating light as he stared directly at Gu Rong.

Gu Rong avoided his gaze, feeling guilty, but still responded stubbornly, "It’s all your wife’s fault for curing Gu Ruoruo, otherwise..."

"Enough!" Old Madam Gu scolded sharply. "Gu Rong, if you can’t speak properly, just keep your mouth shut!"

Gu Ruoruo had just stepped out of the room when she overheard this. Her face changed; she clenched her fists tightly and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

She knew this was not the time to argue. If she said anything in rebuttal, given Gu Rong’s temperament, it would spark a family war again.

So she quietly slung her schoolbag over her shoulder and left.

“I’m going to evening self-study.”

Gu Rong saw Gu Ruoruo and a hint of embarrassment flashed in her eyes. Then she thought, if she heard it, so be it. She hadn’t said anything wrong. If it weren’t for Gu Ruoruo’s healed face, wouldn’t Shuyi’s have suffered the backlash?

Thinking this way, Yan Chu was also a culprit!

With that thought, Gu Rong shot a glance at Yan Chu and went back to her room, where she noticed a person with a completely black avatar had accepted her WeChat friend request.

“The master accepted!”

Gu Rong was overjoyed and quickly typed on the screen.

“Master, I’m Rong’er from the forum. What did you say was the cure for my daughter?”

Since Ran Shuyi’s face was ruined, Gu Rong had not only cried to her family but also posted on the “Tree Hole Bar” online forum to vent.

The forum members, after reading Gu Rong’s exaggerated posts, were all righteously angry, cursing Yan Chu and Gu Ruoruo.

One particular stranger privately messaged Gu Rong, claiming he had a way to cure Ran Shuyi.

Gu Rong thought he was a doctor, but he revealed he was a wandering Taoist priest, specializing in handling difficult family matters for a little extra income.

Gu Rong recalled that ten years ago, the person who gave her the potion was also a Taoist priest, so she added the master on WeChat.

So soon, the master accepted!

He replied quickly.

“Give me your daughter’s full name and birth date.”

Gu Rong typed swiftly.

“Ran Shuyi, born April 18, 18 years old this year.”

The black avatar responded: “Your daughter’s face is the way it is because of backlash. She originally poisoned someone else, planting the ‘cause,’ so the ‘effect’ followed. Unless that ‘cause’ is completely eradicated, your daughter’s face will not recover.”

Gu Rong’s heart sank.

Did that mean that only if Gu Ruoruo died would Shuyi’s backlash disappear?!

Though she didn’t like Gu Ruoruo, she couldn’t bring herself to wish her dead!

Her hands trembled slightly as she typed, wanting to ask the master if there were any other solutions.

But as if foreseeing her thoughts, he sent another message immediately.

“Your hesitation will ruin your daughter’s life. Decide quickly and send me your home address. I will send you a bottle of potion—colorless and tasteless—that will kill that person without anyone knowing. One bottle costs only five hundred yuan.”

Five hundred yuan wasn’t much, but enough to buy Gu Ruoruo’s life.

Gu Rong was torn. She wanted to reply, “I need more time,” but the message failed to send, and a red exclamation mark popped up.

She had been deleted by the master.

Not blocked, but deleted. Did the master mean to wait until she made up her mind before letting her add him back?

Gu Rong lay on her bed, overwhelmed and exhaling deeply.

***

That night, Yan Chu received a call from Gu Ruoruo.

“Auntie, I want to visit my sister.”

“Sister” referred to Ran Shuyi.

Yan Chu didn’t object and waited for Gu Ruoruo at the hospital entrance.

Gu Ruoruo arrived carrying bags filled with all the fruits and snacks Shuyi loved.

Yan Chu felt both heartache and helplessness as she held Gu Ruoruo’s hand and went into the ward together.

Ran Shuyi was in a VIP room—spacious, bright, and attended by special caregivers.

Unfortunately, these caregivers were having a hard time.

“Get out! All of you, get out!”

As Yan Chu reached the third-floor stairwell, she heard shouting in the corridor.

Then a loud crash—the sound of something breaking on the floor.

“Is that Sister?” Gu Ruoruo asked Yan Chu with clear eyes before running toward the noise.

The ward was a mess.

Tables and chairs were overturned, shards of glass scattered across the floor, and several caregivers stood trembling at the door. A nurse holding a fruit plate kept apologizing profusely.

“Sorry, Miss Ran, these apples aren’t sweet. I’ll definitely bring sweeter ones next time!”

Ran Shuyi wore a mask, but the black mark exposed on her cheekbone was still visible. She grabbed an ashtray from the table and hurled it toward the nurse’s head.

The nurse dodged too late and squeezed her eyes shut in fright.

Yan Chu’s expression stiffened. She reached out and caught the ashtray firmly.

Such a young girl, yet smoking and causing trouble?

Seeing Yan Chu and Gu Ruoruo, Ran Shuyi’s mood exploded like a drop of oil hitting a hot pan.

“Why are you here! To watch my humiliation?” Ran Shuyi grabbed a pillow and threw it fiercely. “Get out!”

Gu Ruoruo was scared, hiding behind Yan Chu.

Yan Chu held Gu Ruoruo’s hand reassuringly. “It’s okay.”

“Yan Chu, Gu Ruoruo, it’s all your fault I’m like this. What are you doing here?” Ran Shuyi’s voice was sharp.

Yan Chu calmly held Gu Ruoruo’s hand as they entered the ward. “Is that so?”

“Don’t you know what happened ten years ago?”

“Who harmed whom? Don’t you have a clear conscience?”

Ran Shuyi looked panicked. “How... how do you know?”

The caregivers and nurses took the opportunity while Ran Shuyi stopped shouting to quickly escape.

Yan Chu sneered coldly, “You drugged Ruoruo to make her ugly. Ruoruo was kind not to seek revenge, and now you say we harmed you? You truly have no remorse!”

“Ruoruo, leave the things here. Let’s go. She’s not worth your visit.” Yan Chu glanced at Gu Ruoruo.

“Sister,” Gu Ruoruo whispered, “I came because I’m worried about you.”

“Don’t pretend to care. Get lost!”

Gu Ruoruo carefully placed the food on the table without a word and then left the ward with Yan Chu.

Ran Shuyi completely broke down, wailing inside the room.

How did it come to this... why like this...?

Ten years had passed. Even after so long, why was there still karmic retribution?

“Ah!!!” Ran Shuyi screamed, “You all deserve to die! Gu Ruoruo, why won’t you accept your fate? Why won’t you accept it?!”

Outside the ward, Gu Rong heard Shuyi’s cries and rushed in anxiously.

Seeing the wreckage inside, Gu Rong’s heart ached terribly. She hurried to comfort Ran Shuyi.

“Shuyi, don’t cry! Mom’s here.”

“Mom...” Shuyi sobbed, “Gu Ruoruo looks so beautiful now. Will my face never heal?”