The car came to a halt in the garage, and a thunderclap resounded through the sky—signaling an impending downpour.
She hurried briskly back into the living room.
"Where have you been?"
"I went back to Xiliang Mountain to see Su Changzhi. He's finished crafting the pill for me." She slipped off her shoes as she entered. "After you eat, take it—so it won't upset your stomach."
He frowned. "You want me to take it? You expect me to ingest poison?"
She chuckled softly. "Poison? Not at all. It's a precious remedy, not poison. No amount of money could ever buy it."
"What kind of precious remedy?"
Gu Lili smiled coyly. "I'll tell you once you've taken it. Rest assured, I wouldn't harm you. You absolutely must take it."
Without hesitation, he said, "I won't."
Her anxiety flared. "What if it made you immune to all poisons hereafter? Would you take it then?"
Long Yubei looked puzzled. "Immune to all poisons? You mean nothing toxic ingested would ever harm me?"
"Exactly!" Gu Lili replied solemnly. "A treasure you could never purchase with any sum. And this, my dear husband, is the only one I possess."
He cast her a sidelong glance. "If it's truly so miraculous, why haven't you taken it yourself?"
Seeing his skeptical expression, Gu Lili retorted, "Are you afraid I'd poison you deliberately?"
"We'll split it—half for you, half for me. You go first, then I will."
Gu Lili had intended to tell him she already took it, but hearing those words, a pang of sadness welled up inside her. His distrust left her speechless.
"Then don't take it at all."
She retreated to the side room to eat dinner.
Long Yubei followed swiftly behind. "You don't want to split it anymore? Is there something wrong with this pill?"
"There is. It's designed specifically to poison you. Don't take it."
He studied her sulky face and smirked. "I'll take it anyway. Don't be mad."
"Do you realize how precious this is?" She lowered her gaze and picked up her chopsticks.
"How precious could it be? The herbs you asked Qingli to find aren't exactly rare." To him, it was nothing extraordinary. "If it were truly as miraculous as you say, science would have discovered and applied it widely by now."
"Then after you take it, ask Qingli to gather those herbs again and make another pill. You'll see for yourself how difficult it really is."
"I will do that," Long Yubei added, "to prove you wrong."
"Shall we make a wager?" Gu Lili asked with a playful yet serious smile. "Ten million. If I'm right, you give me ten million. If you're right, I'll give you ten million."
"You only have a few million in savings now. Do you really have ten million?"
"I'm a walking wallet. I can raise that kind of money with a few rituals, or if worse comes to worst, I'll mortgage one of my properties to you. Are you willing to bet?"
Long Yubei regarded her resolute expression and inquired, "Besides those herbs, was there anything else added?"
"There's one crucial ingredient. He only had me collect these few herbs. What, are you backing down now?"
"If you can reveal all the ingredients, then I'll wager with you."
"I've told you everything already. Do you think he'd let me take that knowledge and profit from it?" Gu Lili's voice turned grave. "He would never disclose it to anyone, because what begins in his hands ends in his hands. The reason I came here is because you are my husband."