Upon hearing Jiang Youli's words, Jiang Xing stiffened, his gaze growing even colder. "Jiang Youli, threatening me is useless. Even if I don’t spend money to remove the trending topics or interfere in this matter, Jiang Zhao is perfectly capable of handling it himself!"
Jiang Youli chuckled on the other end of the line.
"Oh, quite the backbone you’ve got there. I was just teasing you. The reason I called is that there’s something I need you to do."
"What is it?"
"I’m setting up a medicinal herb garden in the courtyard. Since you’ve got free time these days, I want you to till the soil, loosen it, and buy some fertilizer for me."
"What?!" Jiang Xing’s eyes widened, his teeth nearly grinding in fury. "Jiang Youli, don’t push your luck! I’m the eldest young master of the Jiang Family—how dare you make me do farm work?!"
After all, he had received elite education since childhood and was now the CEO of a major company!
And Jiang Youli wanted him to plow the fields?!
Was she treating him like livestock?!
"Oh, so farm work is worse than death for you, huh?" Jiang Youli’s tone was dripping with mockery.
Remembering the agony of his poison flare-ups, Jiang Xing suppressed his rage. "I’m not familiar with this kind of labor. Why force me to do it? The results will only be half the effort for twice the work."
"As long as there’s progress, that’s fine. The one putting in double the effort is you, after all. The sooner you finish tilling, the sooner I’ll give you the antidote."
Her indifferent tone made it clear she was deliberately toying with him.
Jiang Xing: "..."
"Well? Are you doing it or not? If not, don’t expect the next dose of antidote before your next flare-up."
Each antidote pill only suppressed the poison for a week.
"...Fine. I’ll do it."
"Good boy. Remember to buy the tools today and start tomorrow."
After delivering her instructions, Jiang Youli let out a light laugh and hung up.
She had gone too far! Furious, Jiang Xing hurled his phone to the ground, shattering the screen.
After calming down, he called in his secretary, Little Yang.
"What do you need, President Jiang?" Little Yang asked cautiously, noticing the stormy expression on his boss’s face.
"Arrange for someone to purchase a set of tools for tilling soil today," Jiang Xing said coldly.
Little Yang blinked. "Huh?"
"What’s with the hesitation? Get it done now!" Jiang Xing’s voice dropped several degrees colder.
"...Understood, President Jiang." Not daring to question further, Little Yang hurried out of the office, though inwardly grumbling: The president’s temper has become even more unpredictable and impossible to please!
---
At Jing City’s largest auction house.
When the receptionist escorted Jiang Youli inside, Boss Lin’s eyes lit up, and he rushed forward to greet her personally. "Little Ancestor, you’re here! What rare herbs have you brought us today?"
Jiang Youli handed over a wooden box to the receptionist.
"Nothing new for now, just the usual high-demand medicinal herbs for common ailments among the elderly."
Boss Lin eagerly took the box and opened it, revealing three premium-grade herbs.
"Excellent! I’ll arrange the next auction immediately. As before, we’ll take a five percent commission."
"Mm." Jiang Youli had no objections. Having worked with Boss Lin for so long, she trusted his integrity. "Just transfer the earnings to the usual account."
"Of course..." Boss Lin closed the lid, then hesitated. "Who would’ve thought the Little Ancestor is also the Jiang Family’s young miss?"
Jiang Youli smiled. "Boss Lin is as well-informed as ever. You found out quickly."
"Ha! At this point, everyone in Jing City’s elite circles knows." Boss Lin then mentioned Jiang Xing’s earlier inquiry. "A few days ago, that eldest young master of your family called me, asking if I knew any miracle doctors who could cure poison. I told him I did—and that it was you, Little Ancestor."
Jiang Youli raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
How amusing. Jiang Xing wanted to find a way to break free from her control, only to circle back to her.
She wondered how despairing he’d be when he learned the truth.
"I told him I’d notify him the moment you visited the auction house again," Boss Lin continued, watching her reaction. "But I’ve also heard you and the Jiang Family’s eldest branch aren’t on good terms, so..."
Jiang Youli understood his implication—whether to inform Jiang Xing depended entirely on her mood.
"Boss Lin, why do you think I poisoned him in the first place?" she asked with a laugh.
Realization dawned on Boss Lin, and he chuckled respectfully. "Understood. I won’t reveal your identity to Young Master Jiang, then."
After seeing Jiang Youli off, Boss Lin shook his head.
What a pity for the Jiang Family’s second branch. If they had acknowledged their own daughter and sister, with her money-making skills, they wouldn’t just secure the Jiang Family’s wealth—they could’ve soared to unimaginable heights in Jing City. Instead, they foolishly rejected her, handed her over to the eldest branch, and thoroughly offended her in the process.
Now, they were truly doomed!
Talk about losing the battle and the war!
Not long after Jiang Youli left, Jiang Xing called.
Boss Lin smirked—what perfect timing.
He answered the call.
"Boss Lin, any updates on that poison expert I asked about?" Jiang Xing’s voice was weary and anxious.
Glancing at the wooden box on his desk, Boss Lin replied politely, "Apologies, Young Master Jiang. There’s still no word on that poison master."
Tsk, tsk. This young master had no idea the very person he sought was right under his nose—his own sister, Jiang Youli!
After a pause, Jiang Xing sighed. "I see. Please keep an eye out. If that poison master appears, arrange a meeting for me. You’ll be handsomely rewarded."
"Of course, of course!" Boss Lin replied cordially.
Once the call ended, he shook his head again.
Ah, to have one’s life in the hands of the Little Ancestor, all while remaining completely oblivious—how tragic!
---
After the call with Boss Lin, Jiang Xing was so frustrated by his string of misfortunes that he nearly smashed his backup phone. But his last shred of rationality held him back.
Destroying phones wouldn’t solve anything. He needed to stay calm. Even if he couldn’t find the poison master Boss Lin mentioned, there had to be another way.
If all else failed, he’d just steal the antidote!
That’s right—Jiang Youli must keep the permanent antidote at home.
The thought reinvigorated him. With enough money, he could hire a skilled thief to snatch the antidote from Jiang Youli’s grasp!
