Volume One, Chapter 116: An Unexpected Turn
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A few days ago, Yang Jing had still been lying listlessly in a hospital bed. Today, she was already full of vitality.
Too many things had happened during that time, however, and a few short days were not enough to make up for what she had lost. Though she had dressed herself with great care, she still looked considerably older.
Grandma Xiao did not appear, nor did Xiao Peiyuan. Instead, Zhu Yaru acted as though she had taken the wrong medicine, showing not the slightest disdain for the scandal Yang Jing had caused before and chatting with her warmly.
Yang Jing was flattered and grew even more spirited.
Sitting to one side, Chi Zhenghua’s eyes were inscrutable. He seemed to be weighing how much benefit he could gain by using Yang Jing for hostess diplomacy.
Chi Yueyao watched anxiously from nearby. Of course, she knew why Zhu Yaru was trying to curry favor with Yang Jing. Wasn’t it simply because she wanted to sound out Chi Xingwan on behalf of Xiao Duo?
Even if the person sitting there had not been Yang Jing but her mother, Pan Shuyun, Zhu Yaru’s attitude would have been the same. Chi Yueyao knew this perfectly well, but Chi Zhenghua did not.
There was nothing she could do but worry. Unwilling to waste time, Chi Yueyao made an excuse to go look for Xiao Jin. In the past, Xiao Jin had treated her like a biological older sister and had taken her to her room several times.
Thus, Chi Yueyao went upstairs as though she knew the place by heart and found Xiao Jin’s room. She knocked for a long time, but there was no response.
The door beside it opened, and Xiao Rui emerged with an annoyed expression. “Stop knocking. She isn’t here. Even if she were, she might not bother answering you.”
Chi Yueyao’s heart sank little by little. Biting her lower lip, she asked Xiao Rui, “What do you mean?”
A mocking look appeared on Xiao Rui’s face. “Exactly what I said. She’s grown up. She isn’t as easy to fool as she used to be.”
Chi Yueyao’s expression darkened at once, and a chill entered her eyes. “There may be some misunderstanding between Xiao Jin and me, but that’s a matter between the two of us. I hope you won’t interfere.”
She had long since figured it out. The incident at the nursing home had clearly been a scheme devised by Xiao Rui and Xiao Jin to manipulate her. She knew Xiao Jin well. Even if Xiao Jin had begun to waver in her feelings toward her, she could never have come up with such a plan. It must have been Xiao Rui’s idea.
Xiao Rui let out a mocking laugh. “If you walk too often by night, you’re bound to run into a ghost. You’ve been using Xiao Jin. Given enough time, she’ll see through it herself, even if no one warns her.”
With that, Xiao Rui slammed his bedroom door shut.
The retort on Chi Yueyao’s lips was cut off, and she was so furious that her face flushed crimson.
She went downstairs absentmindedly and sat back down beside Chi Qianyu in a daze.
She could not understand why. She had done nothing. Everything was just as it had always been. Why, then, did everything keep going against her original intentions?
She had not changed at all. Why had everyone else changed their opinion of her? This was not how things should be!
Chi Yueyao suppressed her rage as her thoughts ran wild on the way home.
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She was indeed unwilling to give up on Xiao Yue, but she knew that she was isolated and helpless now. She did not even have a chance to approach him.
When she returned home, she locked herself in her room and immediately sent Pan Shuyun a message.
“How is the love parasite I found for you?”
After waiting for a while, Pan Shuyun replied.
“Other than having a bigger appetite lately, I don’t feel anything else.”
“Yueyao, is this really reliable? It’s a bug. Will planting it directly in my body truly be all right? I’m a little worried.”
A trace of impatience appeared on Chi Yueyao’s face. It had already been planted. What use was there in worrying now? She held back her anger and replied:
“Don’t overthink it. The love parasite was crafted by a reclusive master, and it has never failed before. You only need to make sure the offspring parasite is removed smoothly after forty-nine days.”
“But I’m still a little worried. What if your father finds out?”
Chi Yueyao angrily drew several deep breaths.
“If you’re going to be this hesitant and fearful, then forget about becoming Madam Chi. Go abroad on your own, and I’ll continue being the adopted daughter!”
After she sent that message, Pan Shuyun did not reply for a long time. Only after quite a while did another message arrive.
“Yueyao, don’t be angry. I was confused just now. We’ll proceed according to the original plan.”
Only then did Chi Yueyao’s anger subside somewhat.
Nothing had gone smoothly lately. Things with Xiao Yue had ground to a halt, and she could not afford to waste time for nothing. At the very least, she had to become the Chi family’s legitimate heiress first.
Besides, she was desperate to see how powerful the love parasite really was. If it was truly as formidable as claimed, she could use one on herself as well…
The New Year holidays passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was already the fifth day of the lunar new year. They were due to meet a collector from the Lan Kingdom the following day, so they planned to set out early and spend an extra night there.
Apart from Chi Xingwan and Xiao Yue, Wei Shian would be going too. There was also a servant who usually took care of Xiao Yue.
The four of them bought high-speed rail tickets and arrived in Tongyang City, neighboring Yanjing City.
Like Yanjing, Tongyang was a city with a large migrant population, so during the New Year it was actually less lively than usual.
Because of Xiao Yue and Wei Shian’s unusual circumstances, staying in a hotel would have been inconvenient. Fortunately, the Xiao family owned a property in Tongyang.
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That evening, Chi Xingwan and Xiao Yue went out for a walk. The streets were deserted, and there was really nothing much to see. But Chi Xingwan thought that Xiao Yue still had a little time left that day, and it would be a waste not to use it, so she dragged him outside and insisted on buying him a gift.
The next day, they arrived more than ten minutes ahead of the appointed time.
The three of them stood before the collector’s villa. Xiao Yue raised his hand and pressed the doorbell. The sound of the door opening came almost immediately.
Wei Shian murmured in surprise, “That was fast. Did they send someone to wait by the door?”
As it turned out, she had overthought it.
The moment the main gate opened, a large crowd came rushing out. In the middle of them was an old man in a wheelchair. His face was pale, his eyes were closed, and he looked unconscious.
“Hurry, go check whether the ambulance has arrived. Go guide it here.”
“Slowly, don’t jostle him. Be careful not to knock Dad.”
“It’s here, it’s here! I can hear the ambulance. I’ll go with it. Drive yourselves and follow behind.”
Chi Xingwan and the other two stood at the entrance, watching as the frantic group hurriedly handed the old man over to the medical workers, then scrambled into their cars and followed the ambulance away.
Soon, the surroundings fell silent, leaving only the three of them standing helplessly in the cold wind.
Another person emerged from the villa. From her attire, she appeared to be a servant of the household.
“May I ask if you are Miss Chi, who made an appointment to visit today?”
Chi Xingwan stepped forward. “I’m Chi Xingwan. I’m the one who arranged to come today.”
The servant frowned apologetically. “I’m terribly sorry. The old gentleman had an accident just now, and I’m afraid he won’t be able to receive you.”
They understood the situation. The people who had just rushed out were probably the old gentleman’s children, and they had all gone to the hospital. There was likely no one from the family left at home.
Wei Shian asked, “What should we do, then? Should we come back tomorrow?”
Chi Xingwan shook her head. “Let’s go to the hospital and take a look.”
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