Only Yingzi silently watched Gu Chuan go to the back courtyard.

She lowered her head, fearing her excitement would be noticed. After waiting for a while, Yingzi also got up and walked towards the back courtyard.

Gu Chuan was unbearably hot and started to remove his robe even before entering the room.

He took off his outer gray squirrel fur robe, instantly feeling much cooler, though a strange heat still seeped from his bones, causing his body to react oddly.

Just as Gu Chuan was planning to find a thinner garment to wear, he suddenly felt a cold breeze come in through the doorway.

Turning his head, he saw Yingzi step inside.

Yingzi bit her lip, looking at him, then blushing deeply, she began to unfasten the buttons under her padded robe’s armpit.

Gu Chuan froze for two seconds, suddenly curled his body, grabbed his fur robe that he had just thrown on the floor, and dashed outside.

Yingzi’s hand paused under her armpit for a moment before a white figure sprinted past her, seemingly flying.

Gu Chuan rushed to the area behind the inverted room, quickly threw on his robe, tidied up, and then opened the door to go out.

Exiting, he glanced towards his east wing room. The thick cotton drapes were still hanging; he wasn’t sure if Yingzi was still inside.

He swiftly walked through the moon gate, entered the front courtyard, bent, and went into the kitchen, waving to Nanxing, who was squatting and eating with a bowl in hand.

Nanxing quickly put down his bowl and came out.

Gu Chuan whispered a few words to Nanxing, who promptly went to the courtyard and found Yun Jiao, whispering quietly to her.

Yun Jiao’s face darkened, and she instructed Yang Ying beside her in a few words. Yang Ying got up, called a few maids, and headed to the back courtyard.

Yingzi still lingered in Gu Chuan’s room.

She was now at a loss as to what to do.

Her initial plan was to wait for the medicine to take effect on Gu Chuan and have a fait accompli, but it seemed she hadn’t used enough or had arrived too early, as Gu Chuan didn’t react as expected.

Moreover, Gu Chuan reacted too swiftly; she hadn’t even undone the first button before he ran off.

Yingzi stood in Gu Chuan’s room, filled with regret, thinking she should have just lunged at him — then it might have worked.

But now, what to do? Should she continue waiting there or hurry and leave?

Yingzi steeled herself and continued unfastening her buttons.

As soon as she finished, Yingzi pulled open her padded robe and planned to lie on Gu Chuan’s bed. Just then, a cold wind blew in, and as Yingzi started to turn her head, a cloth band was tightly wrapped around her mouth, allowing her to only make a muffled "er—er—" sound.

Then a large mass was stuffed into her mouth, and her hands were tied behind her back.

Behind her, Yingzi heard a woman’s voice say, "Tie her tightly, take her to the room behind the inverted room."

Yingzi soon recognized the voice as that of the woman always following Yun Jiao — Ah Tie and the others called her Miss Yang.

Yingzi wanted to scream, but not a sound came out.

She was dragged out of Gu Chuan’s room and taken to the area behind the inverted room. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Yang Ying checked the binding ropes before looking at Yingzi and asked, "What kind of medicine did you give Mr. Gu?"

Yingzi was nearly petrified; gagging and tying had gone far beyond anything she had known in her life.

A profound fear enveloped her, and she trembled, looking at Yang Ying in terror.

Yang Ying crouched down, coldly gazing at her, "Don’t scream; we’re having a wedding today. If you ruin this joyous occasion, you won’t live."

"Understand? Nod your head and answer my questions properly."

Yingzi nodded in terror.