Even someone as calm as Qi Huan was choked up by Jiang Youli's directness. He couldn't help but chuckle, then explained, "When I said I didn't have to hold back, I didn't mean I had already taken care of it. I meant that before I met you, I never had that kind of interest in other women."
Jiang Youli looked at Qi Huan, half-skeptical.
Of course, she felt that Qi Huan had no reason to lie to her.
But—
She still wanted to tease him a little.
"Huanhuan, you're not exactly young anymore. A normal man at your age would surely have needs, right?" Jiang Youli asked deliberately, with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Qi Huan smiled gently. "Little Li'er, you know the situation in our Qi family. My third and fourth uncles' families have been coveting the position of the Qi family's heir. If I had been even slightly distracted, I wouldn't have reached where I am today. With the company's affairs keeping me busy every day and my career in full swing, where would I find the leisure to think about such things? In the beginning, even the marriage alliance with Jiang Yonghe was decided by my grandfather. It's only now, with my legs crippled, that I finally have some free time. Coupled with meeting you, Little Li'er, I've truly just begun to understand the matters between men and women."
At the end, he asked another question, "Little Li'er, you wouldn't happen to despise me for being too old, would you?"
Jiang Youli couldn't help laughing. "I don't despise you. Huanhuan, your age is just right, not old at all."
Pausing for a moment, she asked curiously, "Speaking of this, I'm actually quite curious. Your father, Qi Tianxiang, is the youngest in the family, yet you are the eldest young master of the Qi family."
"It's all because of early romance. While my aunts and uncles were still fighting for their careers, my father was busy with romance," Qi Huan said, complaining in the most serious tone. "I've mentioned before that the reason my mother fell for my father was simply because he was handsome back then."
Jiang Youli nodded. "Understood."
Although they both had incredibly high good looks, Qi Huan didn't inherit his father's precociousness. Instead, he had selectively inherited only the good traits.
"Alright, I'm heading back. I still have a pile of things to deal with tomorrow."
"Okay."
By the time Jiang Youli returned to the Jiang family's East District villa with her beautiful new mom and handsome new dad, it was nearly eleven o'clock.
Returning to her room, she discovered that, as expected, there were traces of someone having entered.
A moment later, Xiaohui, Xiaobai, and Xiaolv slithered out.
Xiaolv was the fastest to climb onto the bed, slithering right over to Jiang Youli's side.
Seeing that they were unharmed, Jiang Youli sat on the bed and patted Xiaolv, who had been the first to poke its head forward. "You guys are as awesome as always."
She had guessed that Jiang Xing would try to find someone to sneak into her room again to gather evidence of her keeping venomous snakes, and then make a huge fuss about it at the engagement banquet. Unfortunately for him, Jiang Xing didn't succeed. Instead, he completely lost Starlight Entertainment and forfeited his own right to inherit the Jiang family business.
Jiang Yonghe was also plunged into the agony of disfigurement due to the residual poison.
Seeing these two end up like this was truly satisfying.
Having received praise, Xiaolv excitedly rubbed against Jiang Youli's fingers, then suggestively pointed the tip of its tail toward the window, its eyes full of expectation.
"Alright, tonight I'll reward you by letting you go to the garden to find an all-you-can-eat buffet."
Xiaolv scrambled off the bed, tumbling as it went, and then showed off in front of Xiaohui and Xiaobai, taking credit for speaking up and winning them the chance to go out for a buffet.
Jiang Youli burst into laughter. This little guy Xiaolv was exactly the same as always.
Xiaohui and Xiaobai couldn't be bothered with it and successively slithered out the window.
Xiaolv quickly followed them.
After watching the three little snakes leave through the window, Jiang Youli stood up, walked to the window, and watched as they slithered further and further away, her eyes brimming with anticipation.
This wasn't the moment of ultimate despair for Jiang Xing and Jiang Yonghe yet.
If she guessed correctly, Jiang Xing, knowing that Jiang Yonghe's face was ruined by the residual poison, would definitely bring her along to the auction house tomorrow to find the Poison Doctor.
She wondered what their reactions would be when they saw her.
...
City Hospital.
"Why can't I have a blood exchange?" Upon hearing the doctor's diagnosis, Jiang Yonghe could not accept the fact and yelled loudly in agitation.
Qin Yulian, who was beside her, was startled by her outburst.
Coming back to her senses, Jiang Yonghe took a deep breath and softened her tone. "Doctor, you can see it for yourself. Because of the residual poison in my body, my face has swollen up like this."
Qin Yulian also chimed in hastily, "Doctor, money is not an issue. If the hospital's blood bank doesn't have enough blood, we will find a way to get it."
The doctor said solemnly, "Of course we can perform a full blood exchange surgery, but I must make it clear beforehand: not only does this surgery carry risks, but even if the blood is exchanged, the condition of your face might not necessarily improve."
Hearing that even a blood exchange couldn't guarantee her face would heal, Jiang Yonghe fell into despair. She couldn't accept living with a face like this!
If her face couldn't be cured, she would rather die!
But before dying, she would definitely drag Jiang Youli, the main culprit, down with her!
...
Inside Jiang Zhao's hospital room.
Seeing his mother Qin Yulian and sister Jiang Yonghe push the door open and walk in, both looking listless, Jiang Xing couldn't help but ask worriedly, "What's wrong?"
Qin Yulian sighed and relayed the doctor's words to him.
Learning of his sister Jiang Yonghe's condition, Jiang Xing said heavily, "Xiao He, come with me to the largest auction house in Jing City tomorrow. A Poison Doctor will make an appearance there. Perhaps that Poison Doctor can cure the residual poison in your body."
Hearing this, hope reignited in Jiang Yonghe's ashen eyes. "Really?"
Jiang Xing looked at her and nodded. "Yes, according to Boss Lin of the auction house, that Poison Doctor is extremely formidable and can cure any poison."
Jiang Yonghe grabbed his arm in excitement and said, "Okay, I'll go with you to the largest auction house in Jing City tomorrow."
Looking at his sister so close before him, Jiang Xing quickly averted his gaze.
This swollen, red face was truly too hideous.
He hoped that Poison Doctor could cure Xiao He's poison; otherwise, looking at her current state, let alone her being unable to bear it, even he, as her brother, couldn't bear to look at it.
Although Jiang Zhao, lying on the hospital bed, still couldn't wake up, his consciousness remained as clear as ever. Upon hearing from his mother Qin Yulian about what Jiang Yonghe had encountered at Jiang Youli's engagement banquet tonight, he cursed inwardly, "Serves you right!"
Such a vicious and hypocritical woman like her deserved to be ugly and unpresentable for the rest of her life!
After cursing enough, a surge of pride and joy swelled in his heart. His biological sister was as formidable as ever. Not only had she avoided being harmed by that vicious woman Jiang Yonghe, but she had also made Jiang Yonghe suffer so miserably.
It was truly immensely satisfying!
"That wretched girl Jiang Youli truly has the heart of a venomous scorpion! Yonghe was poisoned and on the verge of death, and she actually had the gall to stand by and do nothing!" Qin Yulian trembled with anger, furiously hurling abuses.
Jiang Yonghe's face was covered in tears as she cried out, feeling as if her heart were being twisted by a knife, "Isn't Jiang Youli very good at controlling venomous insects and snakes? I suspect that my getting bitten and poisoned by a venomous scorpion this time wasn't an accident at all. She did it on purpose; she just wants me dead."
Hearing Jiang Yonghe start acting pitiful to garner sympathy again, Jiang Zhao spat in his mind. If his sister Jiang Youli did it on purpose, then she did an absolutely fantastic job!
"It's possible... No, it's not just possible, Jiang Youli definitely harmed you on purpose!" Qin Yulian came to a realization, the anger in her heart blazing even more fiercely. "No wonder she would leave you for dead, she wanted nothing more than for you to die! I have never seen anyone so vicious!"
The more she thought about it, the more she seethed with indignation. Qin Yulian felt as if her chest was about to burst open.
"The most outrageous part is that the old master actually announced in public that you, Xing'er, cannot inherit the Jiang family business. I think he has truly gone senile!"
As she continued to rant, Qin Yulian felt that something was amiss the more she thought about it. "Jiang Youli is so sinister. Could the old master be under her mind control? Like she planted a Gu worm in him?!"
