"How could this be?" Shen Yuanshu murmured.
He reread the data from beginning to end.
No mistake!
Shen Yuanshu's hands trembled slightly as he opened another file on his computer and compared them one by one.
He turned to look at the sleeping Huo Rou, who was still frowning restlessly. His voice held a hint of panic, "How could it be..."
"Samael!"
"How could you be poisoned by this?" Shen Yuanshu reached out, wanting to sweep everything on the table away.
Considering Huo Rou was asleep, his hand, about to touch the cup on the table, stopped. He clenched his fist tightly.
Huo Rou's tightly closed eyes fluttered.
Samael? So this poison was called Samael?
She had just woken up when she heard Shen Yuanshu utter those words.
Shen Wuyou had studied it for so many years, calling it "X". This poison was actually called Samael. Shen Yuanshu knew this, which meant he...
Huo Rou remained still, quietly gathering information.
A chair was pulled back, followed by the sound of keyboard typing. The entire space fell silent.
Huo Rou endured the excruciating pain of the poison's onset, her expression serene.
The driver, who had just left, knocked on the door. "Boss, the food is here."
"Put it on the bedside table," Shen Yuanshu's voice was hard and cold, a sign of his anger.
The driver placed the food on the bedside table, wanting to leave quickly to avoid getting into trouble. However, remembering the information he'd gathered outside, he couldn't *not* report it.
"There's one more thing, boss..."
A flicker of light crossed Shen Yuanshu's eyes. He growled impatiently, "Speak!"
"It's just that... around Huán Hú Park, many people have suddenly appeared. It seems we've been exposed..."
Shen Yuanshu remained calm. "He won't find it. If he's so timid, why don't I send you to train him?"
The driver broke out in a cold sweat. "Thank you, boss. I know what to do. I'll take my leave."
He also added cleverly, "Enjoy your meal with Miss Huo."
When Shen Yuanshu heard his name mentioned with Huo Rou's, a strange sense of satisfaction washed over him.
"You may go."
He turned and met Huo Rou's gaze.
Shen Yuanshu's laughter echoed as the door was about to close.
He looked at Huo Rou. "I knew you'd wake up eventually."
Huo Rou's poison was acting up, reaching an unbearable level. If she didn't wake up, she'd be exposed.
Sweating profusely, her deep eyes looked at him without a word.
"Why aren't you speaking?" Shen Yuanshu walked over and sat by the bed.
Looking at the still steaming food, he picked up a bowl and said, "Eat something first."
Huo Rou looked at the food he brought to her. Her hand under the blanket pressed against her abdomen. She pursed her lips and shook her head.
"Afraid I'll poison you?"
Shen Yuanshu didn't seem to mind her attitude. He just smiled self-deprecatingly.
"I won't," he said dejectedly. "Even if I wanted to poison you now, besides a deadly poison, how many others would even be effective?"
"Huo Rou, Huo Rou, you actually managed to make America use Samael. I don't know how I should admire you." He picked up a tissue, intending to wipe the sweat from her forehead.
Huo Rou coldly turned her head and took the tissue, wiping her sweat herself.
"I can't develop an antidote for the pain right now. If you can't stand it, just cry out," he offered the food again. "Can you eat now?"
Of course, she had to eat.
She needed to eat to figure out a way to leave here.
Since people were looking for her outside, her task would be much easier.
Seeing her yielding, Shen Yuanshu was quite pleased. He scooped some soup with a spoon, intending to feed her himself.
Huo Rou naturally reached out and took the spoon. Her gaze lingered on a scar on his wrist for a moment.
A thought flashed through her mind and then disappeared.
After eating, Shen Yuanshu saw that Huo Rou was in better condition and chatted with her.
"What is Samael?"
Huo Rou sat on a stool, looking at the instruments and equipment not far away with an inscrutable expression.
Shen Yuanshu burst into laughter. "You don't know that the poison you have is called Samael?"
"I'm curious, who has been helping you delay the onset of this poison? Looking at your data, you've been poisoned for more than just a year or two."
His expression was relaxed now, completely unlike his usual unpredictable demeanor.
"A divine doctor."
Huo Rou replied concisely.
Shen Yuanshu gritted his teeth, suppressing the sudden surge of anger.
"You praise him so highly? Yet he still can't cure you?"
"If he can't, can you?" Huo Rou retorted.
"I was involved..."
Shen Yuanshu stopped midway, looking at her with a half-smile.
"Trying to trick me?"
He let out a soft snort.
"Huo Rou, Huo Rou, aren't you a top student? Haven't you ever thought of researching it yourself?" he asked, with a hint of longing that he himself didn't notice.
Huo Rou became suspicious at his words. Her major was indeed in biology, but...
"Who are you?"
Someone involved in the development of American poisons, a Chinese person, and who knew about her past studies. She searched her mind but couldn't recall anyone like that.
There was one pharmaceutical genius who developed drugs for America whom she had apprehended.
That person had died later, it seemed.
Shen Yuanshu moved closer to her. "That's not important."
"Let me show you around."
He took Huo Rou around the room, showcasing each instrument to her.
"Look at this, does it look familiar?" he asked, pointing to the machine on the table that had been used to analyze the data.
"However, mine is the latest version. America just developed it, and it fell into my hands."
Walking a few more steps, he pointed to the reagent bottles.
"I've always been curious. Everyone says you're very capable, but I've never seen you conduct an experiment. Since you have so much free time now, why don't you help me out for a bit?"
...
Shen Yuanshu tirelessly introduced everything to Huo Rou. Even though Huo Rou didn't engage in conversation with him, as long as she stayed by his side.
He didn't care if she was observing his situation or something else.
After all, she couldn't escape.
Especially with Samael in her system. In all of China, no one understood Samael better than he did.
And only he could possibly develop an antidote.
"You're very confident," Huo Rou said calmly after the tour. "Aren't you afraid I'll find a chance to run away?"
Shen Yuanshu smiled confidently. "The secrecy of this location means others won't find it."
"I believe in your abilities, but without anyone to find you here for support, you can't escape. Moreover, you have Samael in your body."
"You can endure the pain, but don't you want to live?"
Shen Yuanshu was confident that no one would refuse the temptation of "life," especially after experiencing the torment of Samael.
Just as he was feeling smug, he saw Huo Rou's lips suddenly turn pale. He asked anxiously, "What's wrong?"
"Is the poison acting up?" He grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards the bed.