So you want to trade barbs?
Jiang Youli has never lost a verbal battle!
She smiled disdainfully and said:
"Jiang Yonghe, I think it's you who's afraid of ending up with nothing. If I cure Qi Huan and give up the marriage alliance with him, you'd regret it terribly, wouldn't you?"
"That's not all. Originally, you had other options, like Zhou Yi."
"But unfortunately, you missed your chance with Zhou Yi as well. Now, is the entire Jiang Yangxu family putting pressure on you? You must be under a lot of stress."
"Oh, right. That day you went to apologize to Zhou Yi, he happened to be visiting me in my hospital room. He put your conversation on speakerphone on purpose."
"I must say, your apology to Zhou Yi was almost moving. Pity Brother Zhou Yi didn't give you a single chance."
"So, you're worried you can't secure Zhou Yi, and you're starting to consider turning back to Qi Huan if I can really cure his legs?"
"I bet you're still thinking, with my charm, if I just lower myself and actively try to please him, how could I possibly fail to win Qi Huan over? No matter how excellent or formidable Qi Huan is, he's still a man. How could any man not be tempted by beauty?"
With every word Jiang Youli spoke, Jiang Yonghe's pretty face grew uglier.
Finally, Jiang Youli looked at her with a face full of pity: "Jiang Yonghe, as an adopted daughter of the Jiang family, I can see you're under immense pressure. I understand. Keep at it, continue currying favor with the Jiang Yangxu family! If all your efforts come to nothing, I'm afraid you'll truly have to rely on your looks to get by in the future. As the true heiress of the Jiang family, I don't have such worries. No matter what, I already hold 10% of Jiang's Pharmaceutical Group shares and 30% of Starlight Entertainment shares."
"And those 30% of Starlight Entertainment shares were what Qi Huan exchanged for me using the compensation from his injury. Ah, actually, his sweet words would have been enough for me, but he insisted on showing such tangible sincerity." Jiang Youli shook her head with a look of feigned annoyance.
Just as she finished speaking, the elevator arrived at the basement level two. Jiang Youli swaggered in with her lunchbox and pressed the button for the sixth floor where Qi Huan's room was.
Jiang Yonghe, clutching her own lunchbox tightly, her face pale, followed in silently and pressed the button for the seventh floor where Jiang Zhao's room was.
Jiang Youli grew even more spirited. "At my engagement party with Qi Huan this Saturday, do you want me to give you another chance to perform? Maybe you'll catch the eye of some big shot."
"Last time at my welcome banquet, you only performed a piano piece. You haven't had the chance to showcase the other three arts of 'qin, qi, shu, hua' (music, chess, calligraphy, painting). I heard Old Master Qi loves playing Go. How about you find him for a live match?"
"Calligraphy and painting would work too. I can prepare the Four Treasures of the Study for you in advance."
"Why so quiet?"
Jiang Yonghe forced a smile. "No need, thank you."
"The guests at my engagement party this time will be even more impressive than at my previous welcome banquet. Are you sure you don't want to?" Jiang Youli confirmed again.
Jiang Yonghe, suppressing her anger, forced a cheerful smile. "Really, no need."
Jiang Youli scoffed. "Tsk, when given an opportunity, why are you suddenly so useless?"
When the elevator reached the sixth floor, she walked out.
Inside the elevator, once the doors closed, the smile on Jiang Yonghe's face instantly melted into intense hatred.
If not for the surveillance camera in the elevator, she would have kicked the door.
Damn Jiang Youli, what the hell are you so smug about!
She refused to believe Jiang Youli could calmly handle the suppression and difficulties from the other members of the Qi family at the engagement party and shine as brilliantly as she did at the welcome banquet!
...
Arriving at Qi Huan's hospital room, Jiang Youli walked to the bedside, placed the lunchbox on the nightstand, and said, "Eat. My mom asked me to bring this for you."
Qi Huan sensed a hint of emotion in her tone. He put down the magazine he was holding, looked up at her with a smile, and asked, "Who upset you?"
Jiang Youli sat down, taking out her acupuncture pouch. "Jiang Yonghe, of course. Listening to her talk is as uncomfortable as being constipated."
The analogy was quite vivid, making Qi Huan chuckle.
"She still wants to come back to you, now that she knows I can cure your legs," Jiang Youli shot him a glance.
Qi Huan looked somewhat innocent. "I don't think I've done anything to give her the wrong idea. Where does her blind confidence that she can come back to me come from?"
Jiang Youli said, "Because you're a man."
Qi Huan picked up the lunchbox, raising an eyebrow. "And all men like someone like Jiang Yonghe?"
Jiang Youli said, "That's what she thinks."
Qi Huan unscrewed the lunchbox lid and couldn't help but remark, "That's hard to judge. Anyway, I'm not one of them."
Jiang Youli shrugged. "Forget about her. She can't cause any real trouble for me anyway. Keeping her around is just to let her, in desperation, betray the Jiang Yangxu family."
Qi Huan agreed. "Mhm, our time alone together, why waste it talking about her?"
Jiang Youli giggled and began Qi Huan's treatment.
Qi Huan ate the meal Jiang Youli brought, finding today's food exceptionally delicious.
Although he didn't know exactly what Jiang Yonghe had said to her, from her reaction, she cared about him.
He was very happy.
...
When Jiang Yonghe arrived at the hospital room, she saw Jiang Xing standing quietly by the window. He was looking down at some documents clutched tightly in his hand, his brows furrowed as if something of great importance held his complete attention.
"Big brother? What are you looking at?" Jiang Yonghe asked softly as she slowly approached Jiang Xing.
Jiang Xing snapped out of his thoughts, looked up at Jiang Yonghe, his face still carrying a grave expression. Then, he handed the documents over. "See for yourself."
Jiang Yonghe was momentarily stunned, then placed the lunchbox and purse she was carrying on a nearby table before reaching out to take the few pages Jiang Xing handed her.
She lowered her head and began carefully reading the mysterious documents.
At first, her expression was relatively calm, but soon her face gradually turned pale, her eyes revealing disbelief and shock.
After a long while, Jiang Yonghe finally looked up, finding it hard to believe. "Jiang Youli actually has such a terrifying past..."
Jiang Xing nodded gravely. "More than terrifying, it's downright chilling."
Jiang Yonghe didn't dare read further. She quickly folded the documents. "Big brother, where did you get these?"
Jiang Xing said, "From a file in Jiang Zhao's phone. It arrived the day before yesterday. He probably had his people investigate Jiang Youli's past. I printed it out to read."
The day before yesterday? Hearing this, Jiang Yonghe was startled. Wasn't that the day she found out Jiang Zhao was investigating her? So Jiang Zhao wasn't just investigating her, but Jiang Youli as well.
She looked somewhat flustered but still maintained her composure, probing, "Are there any other documents in second brother's phone?"
Jiang Xing shook his head. "No, just this one."
Jiang Yonghe secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the investigation into her hiring people to assault Jiang Youli hadn't been uncovered yet.
Then, with a lingering sense of trepidation, she added, "I ran into Jiang Youli in the parking lot when I arrived. We took the elevator together. Just thinking about it now still gives me the creeps. Big brother, if Old Master Qi were to find out about her... sinister past, do you think he could ever accept it..."
