The deep, dark night sky stretched above the lonely path, dominated by the brilliant full moon riding high. Tens of thousands of stars flickered across the open expanse, casting a weak, silvery light that did little to pierce the gloom of the undergrowth.
Hidden within the tall, dense grass, Yong Taihua and Cao Yanmei lay side by side, utterly helpless as the poison slowly seized control of their bodies. The only sounds accompanying their mounting distress were the natural noises of the wilderness: the wind-swept rustle of the tall grass, a soft, continuous sigh that masked any faint cries, and the occasional, haunting call of an owl echoing from the nearby trees.
Cao Yanmei's struggle was no less intense than Yong Taihua's. Her lust was fierce and relentless, mirroring his physical agony. Every few hours, a new episode of hot flashes would rush over her, making her body feel scorching hot. The impulse for intimacy was now an overwhelming, constant demand, consuming her thoughts entirely. Her body began to tremble violently, convulsing with the sheer force of the passion and despair that the exotic venom was driving through her veins.
Cao Yanmei stirred, murmuring with a trembling voice, "Yongzheng... Yongzheng..." She turned to the left and realized it was night. In the weak moonlight, she could see the back of Yong Taihua sleeping beside her. Driven by the burning heat and desire coursing through her, she reached out and hugged Yong Taihua. She kissed him urgently on the neck. "Yongzheng... Yongzheng..."
Yong Taihua stirred, his mind clouded by the same feverish heat. "Cao guniang, please stop!"
Ignoring him, Cao Yanmei kissed Yong Taihua's lips and murmured desperately, "Yongzheng... please don't leave me..." She reached out, grabbing Yong Taihua's belt and beginning to untie it, continuing to kiss him relentlessly.
Yong Taihua's own body was now fully overwhelmed by the poison. His adrenaline surged, and he shoved Cao Yanmei to the ground. He began to frantically strip off his own pants. He then pulled down Cao Yanmei's pants, violently spread her legs, and inserted his member into her body, beginning to thrust violently.
Cao Yanmei felt a sharp pain on her bottom, yet Yong Taihua's fierce, animalistic thrusts fully satisfied the powerful desire that possessed her. She wrapped her arms around Yong Taihua's waist and moaned, "Yongzheng... Yongzheng... I want more..."
Yong Taihua pressed down on Cao Yanmei's body. Hearing her pleading for more drove him to thrust even more mercilessly. When he finally released inside Cao Yanmei, he discovered that she had passed out. However, the poison's impulse still drove him, and he continued to thrust again. After he released inside Cao Yanmei a fourth time, his strength was finally and utterly exhausted. He rolled from Cao Yanmei's abdomen to her left side and then, mercifully, fainted as well.
Yong Taihua was the first to wake when the early birds began to sing and the sky was just barely lit. As soon as he turned around, he saw Cao Yanmei lying beside him. He saw dried blood smeared on her inner thighs. He then realized with a sickening lurch that he was completely naked. He slowly stretched out his hand and pulled Cao Yanmei's skirt to cover her. He quickly scrambled to pull on his own pants.
A wave of profound guilt and shame crashed over him. Deep in his heart, he felt that he had betrayed Chen Dandan and committed an unforgivable act. He fled from the unconscious Cao Yanmei in a panic, leaving her alone on the cold ground.
In the distance, Yongzheng had searched for Xue Horan all night, his worry mounting. He finally stopped, realizing he'd walked far enough, and spotted a faint trail of footprints. He followed them down a small path until the trail vanished beneath the high Pampas grassland. He scanned the area, then suddenly saw the Pampas trembling. He quickly followed the movement, which led him to a small open area. There, he saw Cao Yanmei lying on the ground, unconscious.
"Yanmei..." Yongzheng murmured, rushing to her side. Seeing the blood on her inner thighs, a cold dread seized him; he understood what had happened. He instinctively wanted to chase the perpetrator, but fear of leaving her compelled him to stay. He gently helped her sit up. "Yanmei..."
Cao Yanmei opened her eyes and instantly hugged Yongzheng tightly. She said happily, "Yongzheng, I must be dreaming!" Then she felt the pain in her lower body.
Yongzheng, his face grim, asked, "Who did this to you?"
Cao Yanmei looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"
Yongzheng insisted, "I saw someone running from here. Who did this to you?"
Cao Yanmei looked at him with growing anger. "Yongzheng, we made love last night!"
Yongzheng desperately tried to pull her hands away. "I just arrived! I will never do this with you!"
Cao Yanmei yelled, her voice breaking. "Yongzheng, you robbed me of my virginity last night, now you're denying it!"
"I have not!" he insisted. He tried again to remove her hands, but Cao Yanmei held on tighter.
Cao Yanmei began to cry, her voice pleading. "Yongzheng, please don't do this to me. I like you and always liked you. If you want me to be second to Horan, now I don't mind at all!"
Yongzheng's face was hard with frustration and anger. "I mind, because I only love Horan!" He gritted his teeth. "Let go of me now!"
Approaching from the left side of the tall pampas grass were Rao Zhengsheng, Xue Horan, Yong Caixia, and Yan Zhanjin.
Yongzheng looked up, saw Xue Horan, and instantly pushed Cao Yanmei to the ground. He walked straight to Xue Horan, taking his hands. "Horan, are you safe?"
Xue Horan smiled gently. "I am safe. What happened?"
Yongzheng explained urgently, "This is how I found her. I also saw someone escaping from here, but I worried about her, so I didn't chase after that person."
Cao Yanmei stood up, resisting the pain, and aggressively walked to the couple. She shoved Xue Horan away from Yongzheng. She yelled, her voice raw with conviction, "Stay away from Yongzheng! He is my husband now! I will not let him be with you! He is responsible for his actions!"
Yongzheng pulled his hand away from Cao Yanmei. He looked deeply into Xue Horan's eyes, ignoring everyone else. "If I tell you that I didn't do it, do you believe me?"
Xue Horan smiled, a wave of calm trust washing over him. "I believe you."
Rao Zhengsheng, however, was filled with immediate anger. He looked at Xue Horan and demanded, "Why do you trust him so easily?!"
Xue Horan still looked at Yongzheng as he spoke. "Yongzheng will never lie to me."
Rao Zhengsheng firmly turned Xue Horan to face him, looking into his eyes. "Horan, do you completely trust him?"
Xue Horan's reply was unwavering. "Da shixiong, Yongzheng and I have experienced life and death together many times. I have no reason not to believe him. If I have doubts about him, then I am not worthy to be the one he risked his life to protect again and again." He looked back at Yongzheng. "I don't believe that Yongzheng would do such a thing to Dong guniang."
Yan Zhanjin questioned the certainty. "Why are you so sure?"
Xue Horan smiled, the trust in his eyes absolute. "Because if I encounter the same situation, Yongzheng will not doubt me." He stood beside Yongzheng, holding his hand. "Also, there is no secret between him and me, so there is no reason not to believe him."
Rao Zhengsheng's eyes snapped wide with a sudden, devastating clarity: the silent, brutal truth had finally dawned on him. He realized that Xue Horan now completely belonged to Yongzheng, and any flicker of hope he held for reconciliation was utterly extinguished.
This personal heartbreak, coupled with the chaotic and dangerous situation unfolding before them, sent a surge of boiling rage through Rao Zhengsheng's heart. The pain was magnified by a chilling sense of history repeating itself, a profound betrayal mirroring past family wounds.
He was trapped in an impossible emotional vise, forced to look upon the figures who represented his entire world, yet unable to assign blame to any one of them: On his left stood his younger brother, Yongzheng, bound to him by blood. On his right was his only cousin, Cao Yanmei. Stood in front of him was the person he loved and had always loved, Xue Horan.
His mind screamed, the turmoil rendering him paralyzed. He was consumed by the internal struggle to point the finger—to identify the precise source of this agony—knowing the very act would tear his fragile world apart.
Seeing that the situation was about to erupt into something potentially beyond anyone's control if Yongzheng and Rao Zhengsheng finally decided to fight, Yan Zhanjin quickly stepped forward, positioning himself directly in the middle of the two brothers.
"Listen everyone, I suggest that we return to the temple and discuss this further," he announced, looking pointedly at the two brothers. He knew deeply in his heart that his opinion was likely to be immediately refused by both of them. His gaze flashed to Xue Horan, silently gesturing with his eyes for desperate help.
"Yan Yisheng is right," Xue Horan immediately affirmed, stepping closer. He gently held Yongzheng's hand, trying to calm his rising anger. "Yongzheng..."
Yongzheng, however, ignored Xue Horan's plea, locking eyes with Rao Zhengsheng. The two brothers stared at each other, trapped in a silent, furious standoff with no intention of backing down.