C13 The Bamboo Basket Was Empty after Being Filled with Water.

Certainly, Hu Yang was powerless to alter the current situation. His only option was to leverage the system to maximize the benefits he could extract from it.

After all, even poison, when used correctly, can be medicinal!

Hu Yang's gaze settled on the gleaming box beside him, inscribed with the bold words "Reversed Golden Pill of Rebirth," beneath which lay a line of blurry annotations. With a mere thought, he enlarged the annotations, bringing them into sharp focus.

He read the explanation intently. Simply by consuming the Reversed Golden Pill, any negative reactions from the Rebirth Spirit Pill would revert to their original state.

With no better alternative and time running out for Xiao Wan, Hu Yang had no choice but to purchase the pricey pill, hoping against hope it would work.

But the cost was staggering—4500!

The price caused Hu Yang a twinge of financial pain, yet he steeled himself and made the exchange.

He passed the Reversed Golden Pill to Xiao Wan, who, without a moment's hesitation, popped it into her mouth and then inquired, "This is the antidote, right?"

Would I carelessly let you take it if it weren't? Hu Yang mused, marveling at her audacity to take medicine without proper inquiry.

Hsiao Xinya watched the exchange with wide-eyed astonishment. She opened her mouth to speak, but before a word could escape, Xiao Wan dashed into her room, swiftly shutting the door behind her.

Despite his apprehension, Hu Yang consoled himself with the thought that the system, despite its dubious nature, wouldn't drive someone to their demise. After all, it had provided the Reversed Golden Pill. It seemed its ultimate purpose was to have him accrue points.

"Hsiao Xinya, let me take you home," Hu Yang offered.

"The young man in armor who carried me back earlier—who is he to you?" Hsiao Xinya remained seated, her question earnest.

"What if I told you he's the legendary first hero of the Sui Dynasty, Lee Yuanba, who has traveled through time to our world—would you believe that?" Hu Yang replied, deadpan.

"Don't take me for a fool, will you?" Hsiao Xinya responded, clearly unamused.

"Fine, he's someone I hired to assist us," Hu Yang conceded, providing the more plausible explanation she sought.

"That's more like it!" Hsiao Xinya said with a satisfied smile.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

Hu Yang was taken aback. He lived in this modest house, and it was rare for anyone to know where he was.

He walked over and opened the door, only to be greeted by a familiar face.

"Lin Xin?" Hu Yang's brow furrowed slightly, his emotions instantly tangled.

"I left something here and need to get it back," Lin Xin said icily, her gaze fixed on Hu Yang. "Don't get your hopes up about us. I'm not changing my mind. And don't bother trying to win me back! My new boyfriend is waiting downstairs. If I'm not back in three minutes, he'll come up to protect me."

A wave of sadness washed over Hu Yang. Three years of affection, now so cold and heartless. No, it was three years of lies! She had never truly loved him.

"What is it? I'll fetch it for you," Hu Yang responded coolly.

"What, scared I'll steal your money?" Lin Xin sneered. "How much could you possibly have? My new boyfriend's family owns mines—they're swimming in money!"

Lin Xin's disdain was palpable.

"No, there's someone else in the room. It's not a good time for you to come in," Hu Yang said sternly.

"Oh, found yourself a girlfriend already? I wonder what poor soul is desperate enough to be with you. She must be hideous, right? Probably no one else would have her, and you, in your utter loneliness, aren't picky," Lin Xin taunted as she tried to push past him. "But don't worry, I have no interest in wrecking whatever low-budget romance you've got going on."

Ignoring him, she shoved past Hu Yang and stormed into the room.

The sight of Hsiao Xinya stopped her in her tracks, her eyes bulging in astonishment. "My god, who is this? She's stunning! Absolutely flawless. And she's selling herself? How much did Hu Yang pay you?"

Caught off guard, Hsiao Xinya asked, "Who are you? Selling what?"

"Don't play dumb. I know Hu Yang too well. If you weren't selling, why else would you be with him?"

"Enough already! Lin Xin, grab your stuff and get out! You're not welcome here anymore!"

Hu Yang's expression turned stern as he quickly positioned himself beside Hsiao Xinya, eyeing Lin Xin with caution. He was all too familiar with her temperament—capricious, unreasonable, and notoriously difficult to appease.

"Pfft, like I'd want to stay!" Lin Xin scoffed, her gaze sweeping across the living room.

"Hsiao Xinya, this is my ex-girlfriend. She's just here to pick up some things she left behind," Hu Yang hastened to clarify to Hsiao Xinya.

A subtle shift crossed Hsiao Xinya's face, a flicker of understanding, followed by a sly smile. "It doesn't bother me in the slightest."

Hu Yang blinked, confused. What was there for her to mind? How did this even concern her?

Lin Xin, however, picked up on the implication—Hsiao Xinya was unfazed by Hu Yang's romantic history.

Standing next to the stunning Hsiao Xinya, Lin Xin was suddenly struck by a wave of insecurity, feeling plain in comparison. Yet, her pride wouldn't allow her to concede. She confronted Hu Yang bitterly, "You knew I was coming, so you deliberately paid someone to come and put me down, didn't you?"

Her accusation only served to extinguish the last ember of fondness Hu Yang had for her.

"Lin Xin, don't flatter yourself. Hsiao Xinya isn't someone you can just hire with a little cash!"

"Hsiao Xinya?" It finally dawned on Lin Xin, her face paling as she gasped, "You're the Hsiao Xinya who performed at the Hundred Joy City concert last night?"

With a nod, Hsiao Xinya responded coolly, "I've had three back-to-back concerts this month. I'm quite worn out, and my voice was a bit raspy last night."

"How... how could you be interested in Hu Yang?" Lin Xin's voice quivered.

"That's a matter between us, and I'm afraid I can't disclose the details," Hsiao Xinya said with a slight smile, giving Hu Yang a conspiratorial wink as if to say, "I'm quite the actress, aren't I?"

Hu Yang shook his head. What was the point of putting on a show for Lin Xin?

"Hsiao Xinya, just so you know, Hu Yang is an orphan and comes from a poor background. Don't come crying to me when you realize you've been duped!" Lin Xin spat out spitefully.

"Who says he's poor? Take a look at this—it's the gift he gave me, a suit of gold armor crafted from pure gold wire." Hsiao Xinya gestured as she picked up the dragon-embossed golden armor resting on the chair.

Lin Xin's gaze was fixed on the golden armor, her eyes wide with astonishment as she reached out a trembling hand to touch it. A moment later, she seemed to drift into a daze.

Hsiao Xinya chuckled and remarked, "This suit of golden armor isn't all that heavy, probably around ten kilograms or so."

While speaking, she cast a meaningful glance at Hu Yang.

Hu Yang instinctively nodded in agreement. Judging by the weight in his hands, the armor was indeed over ten kilograms.

"Ten kilograms means ten thousand grams, and with gold selling for over two hundred dollars per gram on the market!" Lin Xin's fingers flew to her lips as she gasped in realization, "This golden armor is worth over two million dollars! Can that be true?"

"You doubt me? You think I, Hsiao Xinya, would claim a price that wasn't justified?" Hsiao Xinya pouted slightly, then continued, "The value of the gold alone is trivial. This armor has a legacy of a thousand years, making it an extraordinary artifact. Its worth far exceeds that of mere gold. Do you believe that?"

"I believe... I do believe," Lin Xin turned, her eyes alight with fervor as she gazed at Hu Yang, her voice softening. "Hu Yang, I know you still care for me, and my heart holds you just as dearly. The misunderstanding the day before yesterday was my mother's fault. Let's make amends. I promise I won't be fickle with you ever again…"