Those words finally shattered the last bit of resistance in Qin Rou’s heart.
She could tell now—this Marquis Yongning and his attendants were absolutely capable of carrying out such things.
All strength drained from her. She collapsed to the ground, wailing bitterly.
“I’ll give you the antidote! I’ll give it to you!”
Qin Rou fumbled out a small bottle from her sleeve, containing a brown pill.
Gu Heng took it and sniffed it, detecting a faint, fragrant aroma.
After capping the bottle, she looked suspiciously at Qin Rou. “You’re not lying again, are you? If you give me a fake antidote, I will make you pay.”
By now, Qin Rou was already scared out of her wits. She didn’t dare harbor any deceitful thoughts anymore.
Though her family was the richest in Changle County, compared to someone from the capital, they were nothing.
She understood clearly—if this marquis so much as said the word, her entire Qin family could vanish without a trace.
At that moment, she grabbed Quan Minghao’s robes, weeping as she swore a venomous oath. “I swear, this really is the antidote! If there’s even one lie in my words, then… then let Yue’er and Feng’er die miserable deaths!”
Seeing her swear on her own children—those she cared about most—Gu Heng finally felt reassured. She turned urgently to Ziyun. “Do you know where Ah Zheng is now?”
Ziyun nodded and pointed to the neighboring courtyard. “Young Master Shen is resting there. The doctor came earlier too and said his external injuries aren’t serious, but if the poison isn’t neutralized by tomorrow, it may reach his organs.”
Gu Heng’s heart tightened with anxiety.
“Then I need to see him now!”
Without another word, she rushed to the next courtyard. Quan Minghao, worried for her, immediately followed and told Liu Feng to stay behind and continue disciplining the Gu family.
As soon as Gu Heng pushed open the door, she saw the pale, weak young man lying on the bed.
In the time they’d been apart, his complexion had worsened. His lips were dark, and there was a bloodstain on his chest—the result of the mouthful of blood he’d coughed up saving her the night before.
She hurried to his side, took out the pill, and slipped it into his mouth. When she saw him swallow it, she finally relaxed a little.
Quan Minghao, however, was stunned the moment he saw Ah Zheng.
For some reason, the young man’s face felt eerily familiar—but no matter how he tried, he couldn’t recall where he had seen him before.
Just then, he saw Heng’er kneel in front of him, startling him into quickly helping her up.
“Heng’er, what are you doing?”
Gu Heng pursed her lips and hesitated before speaking. “Father, I want to ask… once everything here is settled, will you take me home to our house in the capital?”
Quan Minghao looked at her in surprise, then nodded. “Of course. You’re my daughter. Your mother and your older brother—none of us ever stopped searching for you. Now that we’ve reunited, we’ll naturally be together from now on.”
He gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and smiled warmly. “From now on, you’re no longer Gu Heng. Your real name… is Quan Heng.”
A faint emotion stirred in Heng’er’s eyes. “…Very well. Then from now on, I’ll be Quan Heng. But Father, I have another request—will you promise me?”
Quan Minghao had spent over a decade looking for her. Knowing she had suffered so much made him feel deeply guilty. He would grant her anything—even the moon in the sky.
“Speak, my child. Whatever it is, Father promises you.”
Quan Heng glanced at the sleeping Ah Zheng and sighed. “Father, this man is Shen Zhengyu. He’s the older brother next door I grew up with. A while ago, after I fell off a cliff, I found him injured at the bottom. He had lost his memory and his family.”
In that moment, scenes of their time together flashed through her mind, and her heart was full.
“He’s been protecting me through this whole ordeal—even his poisoning was because of me. In this world, I’m the only one he remembers. I can’t abandon him now. If I’m going to the capital, could you bring him too? Let’s say he’s a distant cousin of our household—he can stay with us until his memory returns. Please?”
For a while, Quan Minghao was lost in thought.
Though relations between men and women weren’t overly strict nowadays, an unrelated man and woman being so close would still affect reputations.
But when he looked into his daughter’s earnest eyes, he knew he couldn’t refuse her.
At last, he nodded. “Alright. As you wish.”
Hearing this, Quan Heng beamed and continued, “Since we’re bringing him, can we also take Ziyun and Qin Momo? They’ve been with me since childhood. If we leave them here, I’m afraid the Gu family’s vicious lot might harm them.”
Quan Minghao smiled helplessly and fondly patted her head. “Very well! Everything my Heng’er says is good. We’ll do as you wish.”
Hearing this, Quan Heng’s smile bloomed radiantly, warming his heart.
Though she grew up in the Gu household, she was nothing like those vile people—kind, loyal, and grateful. How could anyone not cherish her?
As for those Gu scoundrels still scheming revenge against Heng’er? Not a chance.
For now, he’d just beaten them up. Later, he would strip Gu Changfan of his official title and quietly send assassins to eliminate them all.
In this world, no one could harm Heng’er and still live at ease.
“Come, you must be hungry. Let Father take you for a good meal—let’s leave all this unpleasantness behind.”
“Mm!”
Smiling and chatting, the two left.
As the main gates closed behind them, Ah Zheng on the bed suddenly opened his eyes wide.
In truth, though unconscious since the night before, he had heard everything around him.
He heard the fire in the woodshed, struggled desperately to wake but failed.
Then he heard someone named Quan Minghao had arrived—a marquis from the capital claiming to be Heng’er’s birth father—and had dealt with the Gu family. He was overjoyed.
And he heard Heng’er say she wanted to take him away.
Last time, when she was returning to the Gu house from Baixue Manor, he had cried and begged to go with her.
This time, she had said herself that she wanted to take him.
She said she’d keep him by her side until he regained his memory.
At that moment, he trembled with emotion.
He thought, even if his memory does return someday… he would still pretend to have forgotten, just to stay by her side.
Even if he had to resort to the lowest means—it didn’t matter.
***
After resting for ten days in Changle County, Quan Heng and the others finally departed.
When Quan Minghao arrived, he had come alone with just a few bodyguards, no carriage—just a fine horse.
Now on the return trip, he was bringing back his long-lost daughter, a long-standing regret finally resolved. He was in the best of moods.
Before leaving, he had prepared several carriages to take Heng’er and her closest people, turning what could’ve been a short journey into nearly a month-long return.
During this time, he had sent letters ahead to the capital. The rest of the family already knew the good news.
When the carriages reached the Yongning Marquis Manor, the whole family was already waiting.
As soon as Quan Heng stepped out, she saw a woman who looked much like her. Though time had left some traces on her face, she was still beautiful and elegant.
The moment she saw Heng’er, the woman rushed forward and pulled her tightly into an embrace.
“Heng’er, Heng’er, let Mother take a good look at you. Have you been well all these years?”
Seeing her flustered expression, Quan Minghao teased with a laugh, “Heng’er, on the road you were so eager. Why are you shy now that you’re home? Call her ‘Mother.’”
At his words, Quan Heng softly murmured, “…Mother?”
At that, the woman’s tears fell like pearls from a broken string. She sobbed so hard she could barely breathe.
Seeing this, Quan Heng immediately hugged her back and gently patted her. “Mother, I’m back now. I won’t leave again. Don’t be afraid.”
Hearing her daughter’s soft voice of comfort, Zhao Qingrong’s heart ached even more.
Just now, when she held Heng’er, she could feel how thin the girl was—nothing but skin and bones. The scars beneath her sleeves, though much faded, still hinted at the suffering she had endured not long ago.
From the moment Heng’er disappeared fourteen years ago, Zhao Qingrong had not had a single restful night.
Day and night, she worried about how her daughter was living all these years. And now, finally, finally, the moment of reunion had come.
At that moment, Quan Heng noticed a tall man standing nearby. He was staring at her, his eyes red with emotion, barely able to contain his sorrow.
“Heng’er, do you still remember me? I’m your eldest brother, your full-blooded older brother. My name is Quan Ye.”
Hearing this, Gu Heng hesitated, then softly said, “…Brother?”
At her words, Quan Ye immediately burst into tears. “Yes! Little sister Heng’er, from now on, I’ll protect you well. I’ll never let you suffer again.”
Standing beside Quan Ye was a boy of about five years old, who looked at Quan Heng in confusion. In a childlike voice, he called out, “Older Sister.”
Everyone burst into tears and laughter upon hearing that.
Zhao Qingrong pinched the little boy’s cheek and introduced him to Gu Heng, “This is your youngest brother, Quan Kai. He’s at that mischievous age now.”
Suddenly, she remembered something and led out a young girl from behind her.
The girl looked to be about fourteen years old and bore a slight resemblance to Quan Heng. Like her, she had a birthmark behind her right ear—though while Quan Heng’s was a peach blossom, the girl’s was a plum blossom.
“Heng’er, this is Rui’er. She was adopted from a collateral branch of the family. Technically, she’s your cousin, but she’s been raised at my knee, so she’s no different from a true younger sister to you.”
Gently pushing Quan Rui forward, Zhao Qingrong said cheerfully, “Rui’er, come greet your sister Heng.”
Quan Heng looked up and noticed something off in the girl’s expression. Her eyes were filled with tears, and she seemed deeply aggrieved. She softly said, “Hello, Sister Heng,” then burst into tears and ran off toward the rear courtyard, as if someone had bullied her.
For a moment, the atmosphere became awkward.
Quan Heng fell silent.
