[Poison Timer: 02:00:00]
Ruoshui's face darkened.
He glanced at Jiang Xue. This young man didn't seem to be aware of what was happening—otherwise, he would have reacted angrily by now.
He had been too careless to just drink it himself! The system had only hinted at alcohol but never told him to drink it.
Recalling the last line of the summary, "I offer you a cup of wine—yet do not drink the chill of river‑snow." the warning was very clear.
Now was not the time to regret. He immediately checked his health bar. The value was dropping, but very slowly. Combining this with the system's prompt, it seemed the poison acted slowly—there was still time.
Additionally, his senses were not yet impaired, and his body felt no pain.
The situation wasn't that bad. He tried to calm down and analyze.
First, every action and decision in this quest could be crucial, so he must be doubly careful from now on.
Second, the system's hints were very helpful—he needed to think deeply and extract useful information.
From the clues and story development, Jiang Xue was not favored at home, the wine was poisoned, and he was unaware. This meant someone intended to poison and harm him secretly. The system told Ruoshui to protect Jiang Xue, implying more danger was coming.
Was the same mastermind behind both incidents? If so, they were truly ruthless—if the first attempt failed, they had prepared a backup.
If not, what was so special about Jiang Xue that multiple people wanted him dead?
The system's last hint mentioned "one cup of wine with three flavors"—what did that mean? Were there multiple poisons mixed together? Was it a single concoction from the start or several poisons added by different people over time?
If it was the former, the goal was to slowly kill him through chronic poisoning. Ruoshui shuddered at the sinister thought.
If it was the latter, the situation was even more complicated...
Suddenly, a distant shout came through—not very clear, but the person was yelling, "Third brother!"
The shout interrupted Ruoshui's thoughts. He quickly summarized: no matter the case, the mastermind behind this was formidable.
What would happen next was unpredictable—the visitor's purpose, whether the poison would worsen and when—all unknown.
In such uncertainty, staying hidden was the best strategy.
Ruoshui opened his eyes and looked at Jiang Xue, who was absentmindedly rubbing the corner of his sleeve with his right hand, looking somewhat wronged.
Jiang Xue had just seen Ruoshui drink the wine and frowned at him. He didn't know what he had done wrong.
He had felt a sudden familiarity and warmth toward this stranger, thinking maybe he could share his pain. Now, seeing that the man ignored him, his old hurt resurfaced and he felt wronged again.
Ruoshui smiled, signaling him to relax.
Jiang Xue saw the smile and realized he had misunderstood, feeling embarrassed and annoyed with himself.
Observing these subtle details, Ruoshui thought, "This young master's temperament is almost like a girl's, but he seems pure-hearted, so he can be trusted."
It was good that he had drunk the poisoned wine instead of Jiang Xue—better he suffered now than lose his innocence early and become cynical and cold.
"Third brother! Are you there?"
"Third brother! Your brother-in-law wants to talk to you!"
The voice was persistent, getting closer and clearer, while Jiang Xue's face gradually showed disgust.
He clearly did not like this brother-in-law.
Having such a brother-in-law who was always around, whom you couldn't offend out of respect for family hierarchy, yet he came looking for you himself—how helpless he must feel. Ruoshui patted Jiang Xue's shoulder sympathetically.
"Your family troubles are about to get worse. I'll hide for now—don't tell anyone I'm here."
With that, he grabbed the wine flask and cup from the table, adding, "This wine is too strong. Young master, better not drink it." Then he leapt into the shadows of the riverside forest.
Hidden in the trees, Ruoshui could observe without being seen, ready to help if things turned urgent. He placed the flask and cup in his "bag" and slowed his breathing, watching carefully.
Why did Ruoshui take the wine flask and cup?
First, to prevent Jiang Xue from poisoning himself.
Second, because items in this quest could sometimes be taken out and transformed into various tools.
He was curious what they might turn into.
Watching the departing figure of Ruoshui, Jiang Xue stood silently, suddenly struck by a strange thought:
"That fine jade wine flask and cup must be very valuable."
"Also, if the flask was taken away to stop me from drinking, why take the cup too? Wait, maybe that's not important."
He shook his head, deciding not to be so petty.
Just as he pushed the thought away, another strange one popped up:
"That gentleman burst in suddenly just now, his bamboo cane hit the ground with a hollow sound, and something seemed to shatter mysteriously."
"Third brother!" Another annoying shout—knowing the visitor was close, Jiang Xue reluctantly stepped forward.
They met by the riverbank, and Jiang Xue greeted, "Brother-in-law!" as a formality.
Du Yan ignored Jiang Xue's mood and teased, "Third brother, there's an important guest at home today. Why hide out here instead of greeting them?"
Jiang Xue turned his face away in silent defiance.
Du Yan acted understanding, "I get it, I've been there too. That Miss Han grew up with you but ended up marrying that scoundrel from the Jin family. For the Jin family to still come visiting today... it's understandable you don't want to see them."
Jiang Xue snapped, "Brother-in-law, if you have other business, please leave!"
"Sigh! You're so stubborn. Say two words and you get upset. No wonder your sister dislikes seeing you. It's only thanks to my patience that I don't argue with you."
Du Yan seemed used to this and continued, "I've got huge news for you today."
He glanced around and motioned Jiang Xue closer.
Without hesitation, Jiang Xue said coldly, "There's no one here. Speak."
Du Yan awkwardly withdrew his hand, cleared his throat, and said, "Miss Han ran away on her wedding night!"
Jiang Xue blinked in disbelief for a moment, then asked, "What? Is that true?"
Du Yan grinned, "Absolutely! The Jin family doesn't want this publicized—only a few know. I overheard it outside elder brother's study. They probably suspect Miss Han is hiding at your house and came to spy."
"Impossible!" Jiang Xue said firmly.
He had a letter from Han Suwen herself, declaring she had to sever ties with him for family reasons. If she truly put the family first, why would she run away? She was decisive, not fickle.
Du Yan scoffed at Jiang Xue's reaction, "Oh? You didn't hide her? Then Miss Han really must care for you—risking everything to run away…"
Jiang Xue ignored him, muttering, "It can't be. Her letter was so firm…"
Du Yan snapped back, "Hey! Letters can be forged, handwriting copied! You really are naïve, third brother!"
He rolled his eyes and added, "I saw elder brother secretly burning something in the study once. Maybe he forged the letter. Copying handwriting is easy for him…"
"Shut up!" Jiang Xue was furious.
Du Yan's words struck a nerve.
Born into a martial family, Jiang Xue had a constitution unsuitable for fighting, always looked down upon. His mother was low-born and died young. He was ignored and despised by the family elders and servants alike.
While the old family head was alive, he was distantly treated. His second sister disliked him, and even distant relatives ignored him. But as the third son, no one dared openly offend him for fear of the family head's wrath.
After the old head passed, disdain became more blatant—even servants with some martial skill sneered openly.
Under such conditions, Jiang Xue became insecure and withdrawn. Everyone in the household, from ladies to servants, treated him harshly.
Fortunately, three people treated him well.
First was Han Suwen, childhood companion and fellow martial family member, who never looked down on his weak constitution and often praised his gentle, thoughtful nature—unlike most brawny warriors.
She was Jiang Xue's emotional pillar.
Next was his personal maid, Qin'er, chosen by the old family head as a rare kindness. Though sometimes blunt, she cared for Jiang Xue like an elder sister.
Most importantly was the eldest brother.
Compared to Han Suwen and Qin'er, eldest brother provided real, practical support and was Jiang Xue's anchor for survival.
Han Suwen was an outsider, and Qin'er just a maid—neither could shield him from the household's cruelty. Eldest brother's influence made others at least moderate their behavior.
Thanks to him, Jiang Xue was not abandoned by the family.
In Jiang Xue's heart, this elder brother who stood up for him had a sacred status. No one could slander him!
Hidden in the nearby woods, Ruoshui listened carefully to every word.
A heartbroken youth clashing with a meddlesome brother-in-law—ready to fight but not quite life-threatening.
Although eager to help, Ruoshui knew it was too early to reveal himself.
Better to wait until real danger appeared.