Chapter 47 Pharmacological Effects

Gu Xinyao carried Dugu Yi on her back as she ran into the forest. The woods were dense, with intertwined branches completely blocking out the sunlight. If it were not for Shang Ran and Ah Fei clearing the way ahead, she truly would not have been able to break through this thicket.

Qin Rou's car was waiting on a slope at the northeastern corner of the forest. Seeing the disheveled group running toward her, she was stunned for a moment, then tossed away the cigarette at the corner of her mouth, opened the car door, and shouted, "Xinyao! Over here!"

Seeing Qin Rou, Shang Ran's eyes filled with smiles. With Ah Fei following close behind, they reached the car one after another.

"A-rou, I really didn't expect you to be holed up here." Shang Ran seemed to know Qin Rou; she punched her playfully on the shoulder, had Ah Fei get into the car first, and then helped Gu Xinyao place Dugu Yi in the backseat before getting in herself.

Seeing Shang Ran, Qin Rou smiled helplessly, then jumped into the car and took the driver's seat. Just moments before the car started, several people rushed out from the forest, among whom were the bodyguards from outside the hospital room.

Qin Rou saw the figures rushing out through the rearview mirror, slammed her foot down on the accelerator, and surged forward.

People with two legs naturally could not outrun a four-wheeled car. Having lost their target, the bodyguards swung their fists in frustration and could only trudge back to the hospital room with dejected spirits.

Back in the hospital room, Dr. Fang was still standing by the window. Although she could not see the situation outside the forest clearly, seeing the bodyguards return empty-handed told her that they had failed to catch them.

A strange glint flashed across her eyes. Instead of punishing the bodyguards, she merely instructed, "Tonight, monitor the port terminals and docks closely, especially the private docks. Send extra men there."

Knowing they had failed in their duty, the bodyguards were grateful that their master had not punished them; they dared not ask why they were instructed to watch such insignificant places like ports and docks.

After the bodyguards left, Dr. Fang gripped the window frame tightly. With a sharp *crack*, the sturdy steel frame snapped, and blood oozed from between her fingers.

Qin Rou's car was a spacious four-door wagon that could seat quite a few people. At this moment, apart from Qin Rou in the driver's seat, there were only the four passengers in the back, making the interior very roomy.

Gu Xinyao had no time for pleasantries. She sat beside Dugu Yi, holding him close in her embrace. He was still fast asleep.

"Yi, Yi, wake up!" Gu Xinyao had all along assumed that Dugu Yi was merely sleeping deeply, completely unaware that he had been injected with Huyu Mian.

Ah Fei sat in his seat, catching his breath while casting a sidelong glance at Gu Xinyao as she labored to wake Dugu Yi.

Shang Ran had just wanted to exchange a few casual words with Qin Rou when she heard Gu Xinyao calling out to Dugu Yi. She turned her head and saw Gu Xinyao gently whispering into Dugu Yi's ear.

"He's been given that drug called Huyu Mian. No matter how much you call him, he won't wake up. By the way, Ah Fei, since you know about this stuff, you must know how to cure it, right?" Shang Ran asked halfway through, turning to address Ah Fei in the back.

"Do you think you're watching a television drama? What do you mean, *how to cure it*?" Ah Fei snorted. He had jumped down from such a great height—what was it all for anyway? Goodness, they couldn't even let him catch his breath.

Hearing Shang Ran's words, Gu Xinyao looked up, her face a mix of bewilderment and panic now that she knew what she was dealing with.

"Mister, big brother, do you know how to make Yi wake up?" Gu Xinyao hugged Dugu Yi and leaned forward anxiously, asking with urgency.

Ah Fei shook his head, sighed, and said, "I've only heard others mention it. Anyone injected with this drug suffers brain damage. The worst-case scenario is becoming a fool, and even in milder cases, it's very difficult for their intelligence to return to its previous level. I really don't know why this Dr. Fang would do such a thing to him. Women... it's better not to be too venomous."

Gu Xinyao listened with a chill in her heart, her arms instinctively tightening around Dugu Yi. Her Yi was such an outstanding man; if he became like that, how could he bear it?

"Then how can he wake up?" she asked with a trembling voice.

Ah Fei looked at her, then at the man she held in her arms.

"I don't know if this method actually works, but you can give it a try. Desperate times call for desperate measures—if you don't try, he definitely won't wake up."

Shang Ran was so anxious listening to this that she urged Ah Fei, "What is the method? Tell us quickly!"

Ah Fei glared at her and said reluctantly, "Bleeding. Poke a hole in his left big toe and let out a bit of blood; he should wake up then. Let me state beforehand, I only heard about this method myself, so I have no idea if it works or not."

Hearing Ah Fei's words, Gu Xinyao hurriedly asked Qin Rou, "Sister Qin, do you have a needle or something similar in the car? The finer, the better." She did not want him to suffer, so naturally, the finer the needle, the better.

Qin Rou raised her chin and instructed Shang Ran, "There's a sewing kit in the storage compartment, and the needles inside aren't thick. Take one out."

Shang Ran quickly rummaged through the compartment, picked out a hair-thin needle, and handed it to Gu Xinyao. After putting the sewing kit back, she complained to Qin Rou, "I must say, A-rou, it's been so long, and you're still the exact same. You just love bossing me around!"

Qin Rou glanced in her direction, smiled, and said, "A-ran, you haven't changed either. Still just as fond of eyeing handsome men and hitting on studs?"

She and Shang Ran were alumni. For a period of time, they had even run a detective agency together. Later, after graduating, Qin Rou returned to her hometown, while Shang Ran went to Brill Island, and the two lost contact. She hadn't expected to reunite under such circumstances.

"Appreciating handsome men is a necessary means for me to relax. Even if I'm not working, I can't stop looking at handsome men," Shang Ran leaned back against her seat and said with a chuckle.

"The one in the back—your man?" Qin Rou lowered her voice and asked Shang Ran. That man was not bad-looking either, even if he fell slightly short compared to Ge Yue.

Shang Ran rolled her eyes, curled her lips, and said with some dissatisfaction, "Him? Forget it. He's fierce and overbearing; I can't handle someone like that. He belongs to my eldest sister—she didn't have time, so she asked me to look after him for a while."

Qin Rou nodded in understanding. She had met Shang Ran's eldest sister twice; it was hard to imagine that a woman so fanatically devoted to her work would also have a man fond of her.

In the backseat, Gu Xinyao carefully and gently pricked the bare left big toe of Dugu Yi, but no blood came out. She waited for a moment, yet lacked the heart to pierce him again.

Ah Fei had been watching her movements. Seeing her being so overly cautious just to poke a hole, he felt a mix of mild envy and disdain. Why was this woman so indecisive? Did she want the guy to wake up or not?

"Give that to me!" Ah Fei snatched the needle from Gu Xinyao's hand, located the big toe, and pierced it decisively. When he withdrew the needle, blood immediately welled up.

"Why is there so much blood?!" Gu Xinyao flurriedly tried to stop the bleeding. Noticing marks left by bindings around Dugu Yi's ankles, a wave of heartbreak washed over her. The thought that he might have been tied up because he refused to obey made her heart ache even more.

Pressing a handkerchief against the wound to stem the bleeding, she checked Dugu Yi's wrists, where there were also marks of bondage. She gently rubbed them, wondering how much suffering he had endured.

Ah Fei leaned back into his seat, threw the needle to Shang Ran, and turned his gaze toward the window. How he wished the person he loved could cherish him with such tenderness. Unfortunately, that person was like a wooden block—other than physical needs, when had he ever spoken gently to him?

"Who are you?"

Just as Ah Fei was sinking into self-pity, he heard that question. He turned his head to look back, finding the situation both ironic and amusing. It seemed the silver needle acupuncture method really worked, though the side effects of the drug were also fully apparent.

Gu Xinyao never imagined that when Dugu Yi finally woke up, his very first words to her would be, "Who are you?"

His innocent gaze and fearful expression filled her with both joy and sorrow.

"I... I am Gu Xinyao, your wife." She closed her arms, gathering him into her embrace. Fortunately, he did not struggle; otherwise, she truly did not know if she would burst into tears.

"Wife?" A look of confusion flickered across Dugu Yi's face. Then he asked again, "Then me? Who am I?" As if this question troubled him, he furrowed his handsome brows, struggling to search his own mind while asking her.

Gu Xinyao's eyes turned red. She did not understand why he had become like this. Could such a drug truly exist in this world, making someone forget everything they ever knew?

"You are Dugu Yi, my husband, my love." She tightened her grip around his waist to keep him from falling if he moved restlessly.

Dugu Yi frowned and thought for a moment, but still could not recall what she spoke of. Instead, he gave her a shy smile—a smile lacking his usual reserve, yet devoid of the seductive charm he wore when they were alone.

Gu Xinyao forced a smile back at him, her heart a tangled knot of complex emotions. Could she take good care of such a simple and pure Dugu Yi? And when his memories eventually returned, would he regret his current state of utter helplessness?

*Rumble—*

A strange sound echoed in the quiet car interior. Dugu Yi lowered his head, his cheeks burning red.

Since Gu Xinyao was sitting closest to him, she heard it very clearly. On one hand, her heart ached for the suffering he had endured; on the other, she felt a profound sense of wistfulness.

"I... I'm a little hungry." If it were the former Dugu Yi, even if he were hungry, he might never have admitted it, let alone spoken with such a shy yet expectant expression.

"Sister Qin, please find a place where we can eat. Yi is hungry." Gu Xinyao smiled, patted Dugu Yi gently, and spoke to Qin Rou driving in front.

"Okay!" Qin Rou responded. The car turned a corner and headed into a deep yet wide alleyway.

Tonight, they would not leave Connor Leung. If her calculations were correct, once the Dugu family discovered that Yi had been snatched away, they would likely dispatch numerous people to hunt them down.