Chapter 235: Plan Failed

When Su Ruo saw Song Jingyu, her expression was one of great surprise; before she could even open her mouth to ask, Song Jingyu collapsed straight into her arms.

Su Ruo immediately felt that Song Jingyu's body was burning hot, and she hurriedly asked, "Song Jingyu, what's wrong, are you sick?"

"Help me..." Song Jingyu said, then immediately fainted.

Su Ruo reached for Song Jingyu's pulse, and a flash of shock instantly crossed her eyes.

Su Ruo never expected that someone would drug Song Jingyu, and it was such a potent drug that even a tiny amount would render an ordinary person completely unconscious.

That Song Jingyu could, under these circumstances, insist on running to her for help shows how astonishing his willpower is.

Su Ruo didn't have time to think further; she brought Song Jingyu into her own tent and filled the bathtub with herbs and hot water.

The urgent priority was to quickly find a way to neutralize the drug in Song Jingyu's body, otherwise his future marital life would be affected.

Song Jingyu soaked in the bathtub, and Su Ruo also added finger-tip blood and gave him two pills that clear heat and detoxify.

After such an ordeal lasting two hours, Song Jingyu slowly regained consciousness.

Su Ruo looked at him and said, "Tell me, what exactly happened?"

Song Jingyu also did not hide anything, and recounted in full detail how Hao's mother had invited him to dinner tonight.

Although Su Ruo had already guessed something in her heart, hearing that it was indeed the doing of Hao Manru and her mother still shocked her.

Even if parents dote on their daughter, there are probably few who would indulge her in such behavior, let alone Hao's mother actively helping.

Given Hao's mother's status and position, even if Hao Manru were crazy, she could not possibly act so wildly unless there were some hidden circumstance she did not know about.

Su Ruo felt that perhaps there was a larger conspiracy behind this, but she had not yet discovered it.

Although the drug's effect in Song Jingyu's body had been resolved, after such an ordeal his body was still relatively weak.

When Song Jingyu was about to leave, Su Ruo stopped him: "You'd better not return to your own tent to sleep today.

"There are many affairs in the military camp; you can go see the old leader to discuss official business, and if you're tired, you can sleep at his place."

Su Ruo worried that Hao Manru might still be waiting in Song Jingyu's tent; at that late hour, with a lone man and woman alone, if Hao Manru merely called out twice, Song Jingyu would have no way to explain himself even if he had a hundred mouths.

Song Jingyu is not stupid; he immediately understood Su Ruo's meaning: "Okay, I know."

Su Ruo reminded him again: "If possible, you had better find a way to move your tent next to the leader's tent, since the leader's tent has guards on duty twenty-four hours a day, making it difficult for anyone to do anything."

Upon hearing this, Song Jingyu nodded firmly; if it had been before, he might not have taken Su Ruo's words to heart, thinking she was making too big a fuss.

Because in Song Jingyu's mind, the military camp is the safest place, and here no one could harm him.

But after tonight's incident, Song Jingyu no longer thinks that way; the baseness of certain people in this world far exceeds his imagination.

It's not only a thrown fist that can hurt someone; some underhanded tactics make it even harder to hide from.

"Okay, I'll remember that."

Looking into Su Ruo's eyes, Song Jingyu saw deep gratitude, yet he did not say any words of thanks.

Because he had long since regarded the person before him as someone he would protect for life; even if Su Ruo would not marry him in the future, this would never change.

That night, Song Jingyu heeded Su Ruo's suggestion; in the leader's tent, they played chess while discussing military matters, talking all night until dawn, and still feeling unsatisfied.

Meanwhile, Hao Manru waited all night in Song Jingyu's tent; she took off her clothes, lay on his blanket, and had already made up her mind that as soon as Song Jingyu returned, she would immediately shout for help.

Even if doing so would make Song Jingyu hate her, Hao Manru would not hesitate, for she knew that after tonight's incident, Song Jingyu would surely despise her, and missing this chance would mean she would never again have an opportunity to get close to him.

This was Hao Manru's last chance; she had to seize it firmly, even if it meant later kneeling to apologize.

But contrary to Hao Manru's expectation, Song Jingyu did not return to his tent at all that night.

As time passed, Hao Manru's heart grew increasingly panicked; she kept wondering where Song Jingyu would go and whether something might happen to him.

Was he going to find Su Ruo, and are the two of them now sleeping together?

Thinking of this, Hao Manru could no longer control her emotions; she wished she could immediately go to Su Ruo's tent to see what was happening.

But she feared that if she left and Song Jingyu returned, she would have missed her last chance.

Moreover, even if she caught them in bed, when that moment truly came, she would be the one who permanently lost Song Jingyu, fulfilling Su Ruo's wish.

Thus, Hao Manru gradually harbored a feeling of nervousness, unease, and anger, waiting until daybreak.

Hao Manru looked at the time on her watch; in another hour, it would be time to rise for morning exercises.

Hao Manru knew Song Jingyu would definitely not return; after a while, when everyone got up and saw her, she would truly have no way to explain herself even with a hundred mouths.

Therefore, Hao Manru could only sneak out of Song Jingyu's tent while everyone was still asleep.

Hao Manru did not return all night, and Hao's mother waited the entire night.

Upon seeing her daughter return, she immediately stepped forward anxiously to ask: "Manru, how are you? Are you injured or feeling unwell? Did Song Jingyu hit you or lash out at you?"

Hao Manru, however, directly shoved her hand away angrily and said:

"Your plan is completely useless, and that drug of yours, which you claimed was foolproof—Brother Jingyu didn't even touch me.

He pushed me away and ran off; I waited in his tent all night, and he never came back—he must have gone to find that slut Su Ruo, and they definitely slept together last night."

Hao's mother, upon hearing her daughter's words, was so shocked she couldn't utter a sentence; she never imagined that after all her painstaking scheming, disregarding her own reputation, she would end up with this result.

Although Hao's mother was extremely unwilling, she had no choice but to comfort her daughter.

But at this moment, Hao Manru simply could not listen to her mother's words; she shoved her mother away angrily and shouted: "Enough, don't say anything more!"

Hao's mother, caught off guard, fell to the ground, but Hao Manru didn't even glance at her as she ran into her own tent.