Snowball let out a tiny whimper after noticing the Fox Lord's frown. He lowered his body to the ground, his long tail wagging rapidly.
What could he have possibly done wrong? Bai Yu couldn't help but wonder, his long, pointy ears drooping down in confusion and sorrow. 'I don't understand His Lordship… I'm trying to assist him, yet he seems angry with me! Is it because Her Ladyship just opposed him to defend me?'
"Is it really true?" Li Meirong's gasp snapped Bai Yu out of his thoughts. She addressed him with relief evident in her voice.
The little Fox Spirit's eyes wandered from the Sovereign Lord's obviously displeased appearance to Her Ladyship's delighted one and felt at a loss. 'What should I say? Her Ladyship wants to know, but His Lordship seems furious. Should I concoct an elaborate, convincing lie?'
"Yes…?" Finally, Bai Yu's answer came out in the form of a question.
Bai Qingyue's face instantly blackened, while Li Meirong appeared glad, albeit a little bit suspicious.
Glancing at His Lordship's displeased demeanour, Bai Yu unconsciously cowered in terror once more.
"Do you know where he found the cure?" Li Meirong inquired from her little Fox Spirit, wondering why he seemed a little flustered after informing her of the matter.
"T-the Eastern Continent!" Bai Yu exclaimed. At the same time, he internally cried as Li Meirong continued to press him for answers. 'My Ladyship, after I answer your question please save me from your husband's wrath!'
"How do you know all this?" Li Meirong's eyebrow rose up as she questioned.
"Zhu Qingyue's servants told me while you were away." Bai Yu craftily added the fox twins into the mix. Should he fall into the pit that was his Lordship's ire, they'll fall right down with him!
Behind Snowball, Xiao An Hua and Xiao An Fei kept their heads bowed low and quietly gnashed their teeth, wishing to throttle the devious former second in command!
"What was the cure?" Li Meirong skeptically continued to pry for more information.
"It's an incredibly rare cure for Gu poison, a powder extracted from the entrails of the same venomous creature that was used to create the poison to begin with." Bai Yu blurted out off the top of his head.
"Gu poison?" Li Meirong breathed out the words in surprise. "Didn't you say that you were afflicted by poison from an extremely venomous bug? You never mentioned Gu poison before." She turned to glare accusingly at the Sovereign Lord who still kept her successfully trapped in his arms, and added, "If you had specified, I might have been able to find a cure for you too."
Bai Qingyue no longer smiled, though when facing his wife, he likewise didn't appear upset in any way. He looked composed and aloof. His bewitching countenance reverted back to its usual blank appearance, like that of a porcelain doll. It became impossible to decipher his emotions.
Under Li Meirong's scrutiny, Bai Qingyue kept a cool facade, shrugging helplessly. He calmly replied, "I didn't wish to needlessly worry you."
Li Meirong scowled at him, leaned down beneath his arms and managed to slip from his grasp.
Similar to predators keeping their prey within their field of vision, Bai Qingyue's eyes followed Li Meirong's every move as she retreated towards the open doorway and stood by Snowball's side, folding her arms together.
Li Meirong shut her eyes and shook her head disapprovingly. The corners of her lips curved into a sneer.
"After the countless nights I spent searching for a cure... All this time, and you refused to tell me the one important detail that could have helped me to find it. Senior Zhu, you sure do make it easy for me to feel my time was wasted. It also makes me wonder what other sort of secrets Senior Zhu refused to tell me." She opened her eyes, faced Bai Qingyue with a light bow and suddenly changed her behaviour, growing more distant and speaking in a respectful manner as one would address their superior. "Be that as it may, This Junior Disciple is glad to see Senior Zhu again, and even more glad that Senior Zhu is no longer ill. I should be going to class now, it was nice seeing you."