They appeared to be a couple perfectly attuned to one another, with one showing care and the other exuding gentleness in their presence. It was an ideal pairing…


    Impressive, truly impressive.


    However…


    Fate had decreed that they couldn''t be together.


    It was the Head of Snow Territory who was destined to marry Phoenix Girl, not Ouyang Mingjing.


    "Get to the point," Gu Chaoyan spoke icily, her gaze fixed on Ouyang Mingjing.


    She had a keen ability to see through people and grasp the bigger picture.


    After all, she now stood on the opposite side of the equation.


    Ouyang Mingjing felt a tinge of bitterness, though he managed to conceal it.


    "Cold poison is the most severe type of poison. Those afflicted with it eventually sumb when they can no longer bear its effects. The person who previously helped suppress the poison within you was astute. They utilized a Happiness Drug to bnce out the cold poison. In theory, you shouldn''t have to suffer any further. Your physical condition may be different, but it isn''t as dire as before."


    "…"


    "You find yourself in this state today because of one reason…" Ouyang Mingjing paused, his wordsden with irony as he turned to Zhou Huaijin. "Because of him!"


    "…"


    "He evokes love within you. As you begin to love, the Happiness Drug within your body diminishes. But it''s fortunate that your wedding night wasn''t consummated, or else… you would have perished!"


    "…"


    "You don''t have much time left, anyway," Ouyang Mingjing stated, his gaze fixed on Gu Chaoyan as if she were a woman on her deathbed.


    Gu Chaoyan furrowed her brow.


    She had to concede that there might be some truth to his words. Her current state was indeed a result of her experiencing love.


    However, she wasn''t pleased with how Ouyang Mingjing framed it.


    Why did he portray Huaijin as the culprit?<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>


    Ultimately, it had been her own doing.


    She was a woman.


    A woman was a human being entitled to feelings and emotions.


    She couldn''t control that, and it so happened that Huaijin was the person she had fallen in love with.


    Why was Huaijin being med in this scenario?


    Gently, Gu Chaoyan caressed Zhou Huaijin''s hands, silently assuring him not to take Ouyang Mingjing''s words to heart. They couldn''t control his speech, but they could make their own judgments and decisions.


    "Do you have a solution?" Zhou Huaijin inquired, his mind consumed by the realization that Chaoyan''s time was running out.


    Chaoyan''s life held utmost importance.


    If only she could survive… he would go to any lengths.


    "Yes," Ouyang Mingjing replied. "Within Snow Territory, in my hall, there exists a Fire Lotus that has aged over hundreds of years. It possesses the ability to detoxify the cold poison."


    "…"


    "But the Fire Lotus solely belongs to the Head… It is both practical and invaluable," Ouyang Mingjing added.


    "…"


    "With it, your poison will be eradicated," Ouyang Mingjing whispered.


    "What do you desire in return?" Gu Chaoyan questioned Ouyang Mingjing, her gaze fixed on him.


    She knew he must have a purpose in mentioning the Fire Lotus. Nevertheless, Gu Chaoyan remained steadfast in her principles.


    Ouyang Mingjing smiled.


    She understood everything.


    "The City Lord of Snow Territory can only be epted by the people if he marries Phoenix Girl," Ouyang Mingjing began.