"It's just a poison for which only I have the antidote. Don't worry, it won't kill you—it'll just make you wish you were dead when it flares up," Jiang Youli said nonchalantly. "As long as you obey me from now on, I'll give you the antidote regularly. Otherwise, you'll have to endure the agony every time it takes effect."
Hearing this, Jiang Xing didn't believe her. "I've never heard of such a terrifying poison..."
Before he could finish, Jiang Youli snapped her fingers, and suddenly, his insides twisted into knots, wracking him with unbearable pain.
By the time the pain subsided, Jiang Xing looked utterly broken.
Gritting his teeth, he glared at Jiang Youli, seething with anger but not daring to speak.
It seemed his life was truly in Jiang Youli's hands now. The realization made him close his eyes in despair.
Jiang Youli clapped her hands. "Jiang Xing is too badly injured to return to the Jiang Family right now. Keep him with you for now—I'll take him away tomorrow."
"Fine."
Qi Huan gestured for Cheng Jing to carry Jiang Xing to the car.
Following the order, Cheng Jing walked over, bent down, hoisted Jiang Xing onto his shoulder, and carried him out of the abandoned factory.
The four bodyguards Jiang Xing had brought along were also taken away.
Now, only Jiang Youli and Qi Huan remained in the empty factory.
"Now that we're alone, tell me about yourself," Jiang Youli said, intrigued by Qi Huan.
Qi Huan smiled. "Sure, but this place isn’t exactly ideal. Let me take you somewhere quieter."
"Alright." Jiang Youli agreed readily.
...
The "quieter place" Qi Huan mentioned turned out to be a remote countryside spot.
Nestled between mountains and a babbling brook, it was peaceful and serene. A small pavilion stood not far from the water.
"Did you build this pavilion too?" Jiang Youli leaned against one of its stone pillars, stretching lazily as she enjoyed the evening breeze.
Qi Huan nodded. "Yes. I come here sometimes when I'm in a bad mood."
"What could possibly trouble someone like you before your legs were crippled? Born into wealth, living without a care—were you just stressed about having too much money to spend?" Jiang Youli tilted her head, teasing the man seated by the stone table.
The golden glow of dusk illuminated his handsome face, casting a faint radiance on his profile—enough to make anyone’s heart skip a beat.
Qi Huan chuckled at her words. "True, my life used to be smooth sailing. I never faced any real hardships. The only 'problems' I had were when my company’s performance didn’t meet my expectations."
He sighed faintly, his smile turning bitter. "But after the accident that cost me my legs, everything changed."
"All the respect and concern people once showed me vanished overnight. What remained was schadenfreude and avoidance."
"Now, whenever I see those same people smile at me, it feels so hollow."
Jiang Youli shrugged. "That’s how it goes. When you fall from grace, most of the kindness you once took for granted disappears. What’s left is usually people kicking you while you’re down. Finding someone who stands by you in hard times is rare."
Qi Huan turned to her. "Like you? While others avoided me, you were willing to accept me."
Jiang Youli blinked. "Me?"
She burst out laughing. "I wouldn’t call it 'helping in times of need.' It’s more like mutual benefit. I’m drawn to your looks, and you happen to be willing to give me what I want."
With that, she stood and moved closer to Qi Huan, crouching down. "Let me check your legs."
Qi Huan joked, "I should be grateful I only lost my legs and not my face."
Jiang Youli rolled up his pant legs to examine his injuries. "Fair point."
Qi Huan chuckled softly and began recounting his story.
From his words, Jiang Youli learned how his legs had been crippled.
The Qi Family was large.
His father’s generation alone had five siblings.
His father, Qi Tianxiang, was the youngest and the least accomplished among them, looked down upon by his brothers and sisters since childhood.
It wasn’t until Qi Huan grew older and his talents began to outshine his cousins that he earned their grandfather’s favor—and with it, his father’s status in the family improved.
"I have a younger brother, five years my junior. Shortly after he was born, a fortune-teller told my grandfather that his presence would bring misfortune to the Qi Family. Without hesitation, my grandfather sent him away, despite my mother’s protests."
"No one knew where he was taken except my grandfather and father. After my brother was sent away, my mother went out alone to search for him but died in a car accident. Later, I proved myself capable enough to earn my grandfather’s approval, and I used that opportunity to ask for my brother’s return. My grandfather agreed, and three years ago, my brother Qi Yue came back to the Qi Family—along with Qi Yu, a girl from the same orphanage who had grown up with him."
"Though Qi Yu isn’t my blood sister, I treated her like family because she’d been with my brother all those years. Last month, she was kidnapped. The kidnappers demanded that I come alone to pay the ransom."
At this, Jiang Youli’s heart skipped a beat. She raised an eyebrow. "You didn’t actually go alone, did you?"
Qi Huan smiled bitterly. "I did. Of course, I wasn’t foolish enough to go completely unprepared—I had people following me in secret. But I never imagined my plan would be leaked."
Jiang Youli frowned. "A traitor?"
Qi Huan continued, "At the time, I didn’t have the luxury of wondering who betrayed me. My only thought was saving Qi Yu, so I went ahead alone. The place was that abandoned factory from earlier. They didn’t kill me immediately—just broke my legs and left me there. Luckily, Cheng Jing arrived with reinforcements in time and rescued both Qi Yu and me."
Jiang Youli listened, suspicion growing in her mind. "It sounds like they were targeting you specifically. What did the investigation reveal?"
"At first, I suspected someone close to me had leaked the plan. But I never expected the mastermind behind it all to be my own brother, Qi Yue." Qi Huan’s smile turned even more bitter. "I couldn’t understand why he’d do this at first, but after locking myself in my room for a month, thinking day and night, I finally figured it out."
Jiang Youli guessed, "Your brother resents you. He wonders why you got to live in luxury while he grew up in an orphanage?"
"Exactly. Maybe he blames me for all the suffering he endured." Qi Huan lowered his gaze to his legs and smiled faintly. "Tell me—should I take revenge on my own brother?"
