"I can," Shen Wuyou finally answered.
"However..." Shen Wuyou paused before continuing, "this isn't life-threatening. The Sammael poison needs to be dealt with first." Dr. Tao glanced subtly at Shen Wuyou as he spoke.
Huo Rou trusted Shen Wuyou's judgment implicitly and nodded in agreement. "I'll trouble you then."
Shen Wuyou's eyes flickered. "Shen Yuanshu's formula has some effect. I don't have a better method for now. How about I prepare a few doses for you first?" He then explained, "It can suppress the symptoms when the poison flares up. I'll quickly identify the other substances he added..."
"I know." Huo Rou replied calmly. She could detect a hint of flusteredness in Shen Wuyou's voice and tried to use her composure to ease his emotions. She smiled, "You are a miracle doctor." She had said the same thing years ago when Shen Wuyou came up with the idea of using poison to counteract poison. She didn't explicitly state her belief, but Shen Wuyou could discern her affirmation and trust from her tone.
His eyes flickered, and he eventually turned to organize his equipment, chattering about many things. Regardless of what he said, Huo Rou's response was always the same three words: "Got it."
After listening for a long time, Shen Wuyou seemed to remember something. He shook his head and walked to the door. He opened it to find a few people anxiously waiting outside. He pursed his lips and approached An An and Qin Ningyi.
"Take good care of her. I'll prepare some doses temporarily to suppress it. There are side effects, but give it to her if she's in pain." He knew Huo Rou's personality and couldn't rely on her.
An An listened intently and committed it to memory. "Mom won't be in pain anymore if she takes it, right?" Shen Wuyou patted his head and smiled, nodding. "Yes."
Qin Ningyi, however, frowned. "What are the side effects?"
Shen Wuyou lowered his gaze, not looking at him, his eyes seemingly fixed on An An or perhaps somewhere in the distance. He stated plainly, "Shen Yuanshu added some other substances that will affect memory. But there isn't a better solution for now."
Qin Ningyi's brow furrowed even tighter. He thought for a moment, then seemed to recall something. He turned his head to look at Huo Rou inside the room. "A Rou, did the painkiller I gave you work?" That night, when Huo Rou's poison flared, the medication he sourced from Q Company seemed to have had an effect.
Receiving Huo Rou's affirmative reply, he breathed a sigh of relief and asked Shen Wuyou, "If we alternate between the painkiller and your medication, could reducing the frequency of medication lessen the side effects?" Shen Wuyou hadn't expected him to obtain Q Company's painkiller. He had heard of it and had always wanted to try it on Huo Rou but never had the opportunity. He nodded, "Yes."
He had said all he needed to say. Now, he had to rush back to study the information Huo Rou had given him, hoping to find a clue for the antidote.
Before leaving, Huo Rou, while on the phone, turned back and asked him, "Wuyou, are you going back to the lab or staying here?" Shen Wuyou, not fully understanding, instinctively replied, "Back to the lab."
"Okay, then I'll have someone send the materials to your lab. They copied the original files." Seeing him nod, Huo Rou relayed the address to the person on the phone.
After they left, the room fell silent. Dr. Tao looked at Shen Wuyou. "What were you hesitating about just now?" Based on his understanding of Shen Wuyou, such a poison shouldn't be difficult for him. He had noticed Shen Wuyou's hesitation earlier and secretly suspected his words.
"You are the most talented doctor in the Shen family." Dr. Tao said this with some weight, and his worry was evident in his tone. Shen Wuyou didn't answer, silently walking to the washbasin and turning on the tap. The water was very cold, and as it hit his hands, he couldn't help but blink.
Dr. Tao watched him and then walked over, turning on his own tap. He asked tentatively, "Is there a personal stake involved?" He held a very high opinion of Shen Wuyou's medical talent. Precisely because of this, he worried more about Shen Wuyou taking the wrong path...
Shen Wuyou's hand-washing motion paused. The water gurgled. After a long while, he forcefully turned off the faucet with his long, slender fingers. As the sound of the water stopped, his low voice echoed, "Isn't such a poison also a kind of medicine?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Dr. Tao's eyes upon hearing this answer. Shen Wuyou didn't say anything more, simply placing his hands under the hand dryer. The "whoosh" of the wind drowned out all unspoken thoughts.