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Gu Xiaoxi calculated the time; at her current speed, it would take at least six days to reach Aotai in Dong State and bring back the antidote.

By the time she returned, Long Ji would have been long dead.

Therefore, at a time like this, she needed Young Master Quan’s help.

Inside Long Ji’s body was a chemical agent that caused his blood to gradually coagulate. It could be referred to as a poison, yet it was not one at all.

At least her Spiritual Energy could not save him in one go.

So, she had to go to Aotai for the antidote.

Gu Xiaoxi left Qiao Bu’s home and then called Quan Shaoqing, asking him to come over and take her to Dong State.

Quan Shaoqing had just finished work for the evening and was not busy, so it was perfect timing to come and help her.

With Young Master Quan, the journey from Yi State to Dong State was a mere blink of an eye.

Quan Shaoqing took Gu Xiaoxi’s hand and, looking curiously at the unfamiliar city, said, "How did you think to get involved in these matters?"

"What do you mean involved? I’m here to solve problems," said Gu Xiaoxi as she explained, "Aunt Jing is on a mission, and the International Alliance has postponed recruiting.

I had nothing to do, so I came over to test it out.

To see if I am qualified to stay with the International Alliance. But now, it seems I am."

Quan Shaoqing looked at her confident expression and pinched her cheek, "You just can’t sit still, can you? I have some good news for you!"

Gu Xiaoxi and Quan Shaoqing walked on the main streets of the imperial city in Dong State.

She turned her head to him, puzzled, "What good news do you have for me? Have you been promoted?"

"That’s not happening so quickly. Let me tell you! Our Lingling has learned to call daddy," Quan Shaoqing said with narrow, phoenix-shaped eyes, obviously proud as he spoke.

Gu Xiaoxi gave him a wordless stare, "What’s there to flaunt? The child will grow up sooner or later; they’ll not only call mom and dad but also speak and express their own thoughts."

"It’s different," Quan Shaoqing said as he wrapped his arm around Gu Xiaoxi’s waist, pulled her into a secluded alley, lifted her chin, and stared at her rosy lips with a smile.

The streets of Dong State, with their white layered buildings, the beautiful and luxurious Roman columns, the blue circular towers, and the statues of the Sun God, all endowed the city with a sacred ambiance.

Gu Xiaoxi’s mind went blank from his sudden kiss.

She could feel his longing and reluctance to let her go.

Some things, even if he didn’t say them, she understood.

She too was lost in his kiss, his passion, his warm embrace, and she even enjoyed all the beautiful things he offered her.

Only now did she feel like she was truly in love.

After a long while, Quan Shaoqing reluctantly released her lips and suddenly lifted her into his arms.

Gu Xiaoxi was startled, "Stop it. We are on the street!"

"What’s there to fear? We are abroad. No one recognizes us!" Quan Shaoqing enjoyed holding her delicate waist, "We seldom have time to ourselves, let’s go check that out!"

As he spoke, Quan Shaoqing pointed towards a bustling square not far off.

Gu Xiaoxi looked at the man’s handsome profile, his fair skin brimming with vitality. Without his military uniform, he lacked his usual coldness and sternness, replaced by a sense of chivalrous tenderness.

She felt somewhat overwhelmed by this side of him, and her heart warmed even more.

Not wanting to reject him, she let him carry her towards Century Square, the busiest and most majestic place in Dong State, "Don’t play for too long; I still need to find the medicine to save Long Ji."

"With me here, you can rest assured. Now your time is mine, and you’re not allowed to mention other men’s names," Quan Shaoqing said as he flicked her forehead.

Gu Xiaoxi sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Alright! We are on a date now. We’ll relax at Century Square first, then, you have to buy me dinner. Also, I want flowers..."

"Whatever you want, I’ll provide it!" Quan Shaoqing pinched her nose affectionately and called out, "Wife!"

Gu Xiaoxi was instantly covered in metaphorical black lines. She was only twenty-three years old.

Being called ’wife’ made her feel like she was thirty.

At Century Square, Quan Shaoqing held Gu Xiaoxi’s hand as they stood under the statue of the Sun God.

They strolled across the tidy square, and Quan Shaoqing, gazing at Gu Xiaoxi’s delicate profile, asked with a light smile in his eyes, "Wife, how long can you love me?"

"Why ask such a sudden question?" Gu Xiaoxi felt perplexed. Isn’t love supposed to last a lifetime?

"I fear that one day in the future, you might not like me anymore," Quan Shaoqing suddenly said, his expression turning serious.

Gu Xiaoxi glared at him, her voice filled with anger, "How is that possible! Do you think I’m the kind of person who changes her feelings easily?"

"You may not be, but in this world, there are always many unpredictable factors," Quan Shaoqing said, tightening his embrace of the woman even more. But there were some things that came to his lips that he just couldn’t say.

Looking into his deep, doubt-filled eyes, Gu Xiaoxi spoke firmly, "In this life, I will only marry one person. I love you, and I love our treasure. Shaoqing, are you perhaps overthinking? Or did you have some unpleasant dream?"

When Quan Shaoqing heard Gu Xiaoxi ask that, he pulled her into his arms, his voice filled with sorrow, "Yes! I had a dream. I dreamt that you were taken away, and I couldn’t find you ever again."

"Nonsense, who in this world could take me away and hide me from you?" Gu Xiaoxi wrapped her arms around his neck, tiptoed, and gently kissed him. Instead, she blushed, let go of him, and ran off.

However, she had only run a few steps before Quan Shaoqing caught her again.

"Maybe I am overthinking it! Let’s go have dinner! What do you want to eat? ..."

Quan Shaoqing and Gu Xiaoxi chose a restaurant with Dong State signature dishes, and as promised, Quan Shaoqing also bought her beautiful roses.

After the meal, the two of them felt even closer.

What worried Gu Xiaoxi the most was still the spell inside Quan Shaoqing’s body.

Despite her repeated inquiries, he kept saying that there was nothing wrong at the moment, but for the future, he didn’t know either.

Because of this, she was still very concerned.

She hoped they could complete the task soon so he could return earlier. If they grew too close and his spell activated, she wouldn’t know what to do.

To find the antidote for Long Ji, the first thing they had to do was to locate Aotai’s biological research laboratory.

And Quan Shaoqing just so happened to know who managed Aotai’s biological research laboratory.

So, this directly reduced the time Gu Xiaoxi needed to investigate.

Quan Shaoqing took her directly to follow the person managing the laboratory.

In the end, they easily found the laboratory.

With Quan Shaoqing’s spatial teleportation, even if the doors of the laboratory were locked, he could still take Gu Xiaoxi inside.

In the important laboratories of Dong State Country, there were many animal research specimens and countless varieties of chemicals.

Gu Xiaoxi and Quan Shaoqing searched for a while without success, only to feel even more confused.

"The medicine to counter Long Ji would surely be very important, and the antidote wouldn’t be carelessly placed by Aotai. Let’s check the inner labs," Gu Xiaoxi suggested after searching for a long time and only finding various kinds of medicines with names she couldn’t even remember.

Quan Shaoqing held Gu Xiaoxi’s hand, and with a flash, they entered a sealed private room.

Inside, various kinds of medicines were stored.

Each small bottle was labeled, but none referred to information concerning Long Ji’s condition.

Gu Xiaoxi touched her hair, sighing, "It’s all my fault for not investigating clearly what poison he contracted and which medicine we need to detoxify him. Now that we’re here, we can’t do anything even with the laboratory found."

Quan Shaoqing thought for a moment, looking at the surrounding bottles. This random search was indeed not the solution, "What if we kidnap a researcher? He must know which one is the antidote."

"No, setting aside the fact that your identity must not be revealed to them, there’s also that before Long Ji wakes up, we mustn’t startle the snake," said Gu Xiaoxi, who hadn’t failed to consider this but ultimately decided against the idea.

"Then let’s call Jing Rui and ask her what she found! With the power of the International Alliance, it shouldn’t be hard to find out about Long Ji’s injury. If we know which antidote is needed, this matter can be successfully resolved."

"Right! How could I not think of that?" Gu Xiaoxi clapped her hands, took out her phone, and dialed Jing Rui’s number.

At that moment, Jing Rui was in Dong State.

Moreover, she had met Aotai and tried to persuade him to give up his ambitions for conquest.

Of course, she didn’t know about Long Ji’s injury.

Ultimately, Gu Xiaoxi didn’t get any useful information from her.

She simply briefed Jing Rui on her own situation.

In the end, she couldn’t be certain which was the antidote.

She could only stuff all the bottles from the secret room into her bag and take them back to Yi State.

Quan Shaoqing escorted Gu Xiaoxi back to Yi State, then he left.

Carrying two big bags of medicines, Gu Xiaoxi again appeared in Qiao Bu’s room, startling both the doctor and Qiao Bu himself.