Chapter 91: Poisoned

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Doctor Su lowered his head and stammered, "Matriarch Gu's pulse… She seems to have been poisoned."

Qiao Nian's heart jumped to her throat.

Jiang Yue seemed to have been severely provoked by Doctor Su's words. She immediately stepped forward and pushed Qiao Nian aside, looking at Doctor Su anxiously.

"Doctor Su, you just said that my grandmother only has a cold. How could she have been poisoned?" Jiang Yue asked, her words piercing the air like firecrackers.

Jiang Yue's words echoed everyone's thoughts.

At that moment, Doctor Su became even more afraid.

He had never seen anything like this in his twenty-odd years as a doctor. Matriarch Gu clearly only had a cold. Why did her pulse suddenly indicate symptoms of poisoning after she took some cold medicine?

He could not help but doubt himself. Had he misread her pulse?

At this moment, Qiao Nian's frown deepened. She had a nagging feeling that something was wrong.

Gu Zhou clenched his fists involuntarily. The veins on the back of his hands bulged in a sinister manner. He said coldly, "Purge the poison now!"

'When Doctor Su heard Gu Zhou's words, he grew even more afraid. He lowered his head like a child who had done something wrong.

"Speak!" Gu Zhou's tone turned even colder.

"Tm afraid… I'm afraid there's no hope lett.." Doctor Su mustered his courage and spoke.

Gu Zhou's breathing faltered. His eyes were filled with coldness as he stared unblinkingly at Doctor Su.

At that moment, Zhao Qian passed out from the shock. Fortunately, a servant caught her in time. At the butler's signal, the servant helped Zhao Qian out of the room.

Jiang Yue's face was filled with pure shock. She staggered back, almost passing out, but managed to hold onto a cabinet for support just in time. Her mind was in a mess, and she only came back to her senses after a long while.

"Qiao Nian!" Jiang Yue looked at Qiao Nian as if she was the murderer. She said furiously, "It was you! You were the one who poisoned Grandma! You must have wanted to kill Grandma!"

Jiang Yue's words made everyone in the room turn to look at Qiao Nian.

Gu Zhou's eyes darkened and his expression turned cold. Ignoring Jiang Yue's words, he walked to Matriarch Gu's bed and looked at her intently, his gaze tinged with sorrow.

Jiang Yue glanced at Gu Zhou from the corner of her eye. Seeing that Gu Zhou didn't attack Qiao Nian, her mind raced.

Jiang Yue knew that this was the best time to bring Qiao Nian down.

Seeing Qiao Nian walk towards the bed, Jiang Yue quickly stepped forward to stop her.

"Qiao Nian, what exactly do you want?" Jiang Yue's eyes were red, and her expression displeased. She began to fire accusations at Qiao Nian. If you didn't give Grandma the medicine you made, why would Grandma have vomited blood and fainted?"

Seeing that Qiao Nian was staring fixedly at Matriarch Gu, Jiang Yue used her body to block Qiao Nian's view. In tears, she questioned, "Just now, you also read Doctor Su's prescription. There's nothing wrong with his prescription. Now, Grandma is poisoned because of the poison in the medicine you gave her!

Grandma treats you like her own granddaughter. Why do you want to harm her?"

Jiang Yue's forceful questions made everyone cast resentful gazes on Qiao Nian, pushing her to the forefront of the matter.

By now, Gu Zhou understood the situation. His dark eyes were fixed intently on Qiao Nian. No one could be sure if he believed Jiang Yue's words.

The atmosphere in the entire room turned very tense.

Qiao Nian stood there calmly. She looked at Jiang Yue, as if she was holding back something, Her voice was cool as she said, "There's nothing wrong with my medicine. As long as I take Grandma's pulse, I'll know why she was poisoned!"

Upon hearing Qiao Nian's words, Doctor Su frowned and said without hesitation, "Second Young Madam, are you implying that I'm harming Matriarch Su? Or that my medical skills are not good enough?"

Qiao Nian gave Doctor Su an indifferent glance. Her medicine did not come into conflict with the medicine Doctor Su had just prescribed. Logically speaking, Matriarch Gu should not have vomited blood after taking both kinds of medicine.

Prev ChapterNext ChapterReport chapterChapter 92: Let Her Treat Grandma

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Now, Matriarch Gu's condition had worsened. What exactly was going on?

"I's good that you're aware of it," Qiao Nian said calmly. Her gaze was as cold as ice.

Doctor Su was so angry that he could barely breathe. If his medical skills were not good, how could he have become a private doctor of the Gu family?

Indeed, the fact that made Doctor Su the most displeased was that he was being questioned by such a young, inexperienced lass.

This young lass clearly overestimated her own abilities.

Frenzied with rage, Doctor Su said, "I've eaten more salt than you have rice. Your years of experience can barely compare to mine. How dare you…"

"Quiet!" Qiao Nian gave Doctor Su an indifferent glance, then looked at Gu Zhou and said, "If you want Grandma to survive this ordeal, bring me all of Grandma's previous medical records. All useless people are to leave! You are not to disrupt my treatment of Grandma!"

With that, Qiao Nian's gaze fell on Doctor Su and Jiang Yue's faces. She fell just short of calling them by name.

This was the first time Doctor Su had seen someone so brazen. He had been in the medical field for more than twenty years, and this was the first time he had been questioned by anyone so young.

This young lass still dared to show off in front of him. She really overestimated her own abilities. He had been worried that if Matriarch Gu died, the Gu family might blame him. Now, someone was willing to take the blame. He was overjoyed.

At the thought of this, Doctor Su's mood improved. However, he did not dare to show any of his happiness on his face.

"Second Young Madam, if you can cure Matriarch Gu today, I vow to never treat anyone else ever again," Doctor Su said with utter seriousness.

"It's a deal." Qiao Nian said mercilessly. "In that case, you'll have to quit the medical field very soon."

Doctor Su stood at the side and did not speak. He had already taken Matriarch Gu's pulse just now. Matriarch Gu was already deeply poisoned. Coupled with the fact that her body was already on the verge of collapse, it would be useless even if he were to pump her stomach right now. It would only make

Matriarch Gu suffer more.

Sometimes, death wasn't so scary. What was much scarier would be suffering greatly while staying alive.

At the thought of this, Doctor Su became much calmer.

Qiao Nian walked to the bed and was about to take Matriarch Gu's pulse when she was pushed aside by Jiang Yue.

Jiang Yue's face was dripping with tears as she sobbed. "Qiao Nian, what have you done? You were clearly the one who poisoned Grandma, yet you're still putting on an act…"

"shut up!" Gu Zhou glared at Jiang Yue.

Jiang Yue was startled by Gu Zhou's voice. Frightened, she looked at Gu Zhou in disbelief and asked hesitantly, "Second Brother, do you believe her? She clearly…"

"Let her treat Grandma." Gu Zhou retracted his gaze indifferently. It was akin to giving Jiang Yue an affirmative answer.

Qiao Nian looked at Gu Zhou in surprise. She didn't expect Gu Zhou to believe her.

Right now, Matriarch Gu's condition wasn't great. She reached out to push Jiang Yue away and walked towards the bed. For just a moment, there was a murderous glint in her eyes, frightening Jiang Yue so much that she began to tremble.

Jiang Yue walked to the side unwillingly and lowered her gaze slightly to hide the dissatisfaction in her eyes. She wouldn't mind seeing what Qiao Nian could do to bring a dead person back to life.

Qiao Nian sat by the bed and took Matriarch Gu's hand, beginning to feel her pulse.

At this moment, Matriarch Gu's pulse was extremely weak, as if her heart would stop beating at any moment.

Indeed, Matriarch Gu had been poisoned.

This was very strange.

Neither the medicine she had given Matriarch Gu nor the medicine Doctor Su had prescribed would poison Matriarch Gu.

Qiao Nian's brow furrowed. She turned to look at Doctor Su and asked, "Doctor Su, are you sure that Grandma just had a cold when you first took her pulse?"

Doctor Su had already cursed Qiao Nian and all her ancestors many times over in his heart, but he didn't let it show on his face. He said calmly, "Even if my medical skills aren't good enough, I've never misread anyone's pulse. The first time I took Matriarch Gu's pulse, she was indeed only suffering from a

cold.."

Prev ChapterNext ChapterReport chapterChapter 93: Safflower?

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This time, Qiao Nian didn't doubt Doctor Su's words. She believed that his medical skills were definitely solid. Only then could he have become Grandma's attending physician.

However, this time, Grandma's pulse did indicate that she had been poisoned.

This time, she was not entirely confident that she could save Grandma.

But now, if she could find out the cause of Grandma's poisoning, she could save her.

Qiao Nian's heart was beating wildly, but her expression remained calm. Her gaze fell on a table not far away.

'There was a blue and white porcelain teacup on the table. Jiang Yue had handed this cup to Matriarch Gu just now, and Matriarch Gu had finished all the tea in it.

A servant handed Matriarch Gu's medical records to Qiao Nian. Qiao Nian took the documents from him and looked up at the butler. "Butler, go and get the dregs of the medicine I've brewed, as well as the dregs of the cold medicine from just now."

"Yes, ma'am,." the butler answered and quickly walked out.

Jiang Yue turned pale. She tugged at her sleeves uneasily.

Qiao Nian wasn't idle either. She took a brief look at her grandmother's medical records over the past two months. Her grandmother had been in good health lately, and it had been a long time since her last asthma attack.

Qiao Nian took out the silver needles she always carried with her. After disinfecting them, she helped Matriarch Gu up.

Seeing Qiao Nian's actions, Doctor Su thought that Qiao Nian was trying to seal Matriarch Gu's pain acupoints to give her relief from the pain. He rolled his eyes silently.

He had been looking forward to seeing Qiao Nian perform something amazing, but it tuned out that she was just putting on a show!

Just as Doctor Su was looking at Qiao Nian with scorn and disdain, he saw Qiao Nian picking up a silver needle and inserting it into Matriarch Gu's larynx.

After that, Qiao Nian pressed down on Matriarch Gu's stomach, her movements sharp and professional.

Doctor Su frowned deeply. He didn't understand what Qiao Nian was doing.

Qiao Nian then clapped Matriarch Gu hard on the back. Matriarch Gu, who was still unconscious, immediately reacted. She threw up everything she had just eaten.

Doctor Su was stunned. This was the first time he had seen someone use acupuncture to induce vomiting.

Doctor Su straightened his back and took a step towards Matriarch Gu's bed, wanting to see what Qiao Nian was going to do next.

However, the servants were crowding the area. Doctor Su simply couldn't approach the bed any further.

Because everyone was busy cleaning up the mess made by Matriarch Gu's vomit.

Doctor Su began to observe Qiao Nian's techniques. For some reason, he suddenly recalled a few years ago, he had once read in an acupuncture book that acupuncture could be used to induce vomiting.

However, ordinary doctors would not dare to use this method. This method would put the acupuncture skills of a doctor to the test.

If the technique was used incorrectly, the patient might suffocate and die.

Doctor Su no longer dared to underestimate Qiao Nian. He was very curious now if Qiao Nian could save Matriarch Gu.

Matriarch Gu was already halfway to death's door.

After vomiting, Matriarch Gu was placed back onto the bed by Qiao Nian.

Qiao Nian glanced at the clock and inserted a few more needles into Matriarch Gu's body. Only then did she heave a sigh of relief. At long last, Matriarch Gu was safe.

At this moment, the butler had already brought over the medicinal dregs.

Qiao Nian first inspected her medicinal dregs. Be it the ingredients or the proportions used, there was no problem she could see.

After that, she examined the medicinal dregs used to treat Grandma's cold, and her expression gradually turned serious. When she saw the safflower in the black medicinal dregs, her eyes widened and her breathing quickened.

How could this be?

Previously, when she was preparing her medicine, she had added only a little safflower.

But there was no safflower in Doctor Su's prescription. Why was there safflower in the dregs?

There was a great quantity of safflower. It would be dangerous for ordinary people to consume this amount, let alone Grandma, who was physically weak and who suffered from heart disease.

Safflower was effective in promoting blood circulation, and was helpful in treating heart disease to a certain degree.

If a lot of safflower was consumed, patients with heart disease would likely suffer severe side effects..

Prev ChapterNext ChapterReport chapterChapter 94: Framed

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"Who brewed this medicine?" Qiao Nian turned to look at the butler and asked sternly, "Why did you add so much safflower?"

The butler glanced at Qiao Nian and frowned slightly. He said, "I weighed the ingredients for the medicine myself, and brewed it myself too. I followed Doctor Su's prescription exactly."

Qiao Nian's expression grew darker and darker. She frowned slightly. She trusted the butler. He would never do anything to harm her grandmother.

Qiao Nian looked up at Gu Zhou and said, "Someone wanted to harm Grandma by swapping the medicinal ingredients in the medicine cabinet!"

The butler did not know much about medicine. All he knew was to select the medicinal herbs according to the labels on each compartment of the medicine cabinet.

Gu Zhou turned to look at the butler and said coldly, "Lock the medicinal room. Investigate who's been in there lately."

'When Jiang Yue heard Gu Zhou's words, a trace of panic flashed across her face. However, she quickly steadied herself.

"Second Sister-in-law, aren't you always in the medicinal room?" Jiang Yue smiled coldly, looking at Qiao Nian with heavy suspicion.

Once again, Jiang Yue's words attracted everyone's attention.

After all, Qiao Nian was the only one who entered the medicinal room on a regular basis. If Qiao Nian swapped the herbs in the medicine cabinet on purpose, no one would notice.

Gu Zhou looked at Qiao Nian calmly. His face was expressionless, and she couldn't tell what he was thinking.

Qiao Nian gave an impassive smile and looked at Jiang Yue with contempt. "What a joke. If I wanted to poison someone, why would I use such a crude method? Why would I let everyone know that I'm the culprit? Am I that stupid?"

"Second Sister-in-law, you've only joined the Gu family for a few days, and this has happened." Jiang Yue sneered and said disdainfully, "Does this really have nothing to do with you?"

Qiao Nian smiled coldly at Jiang Yue, her beautiful eyes filled with anger. "I didn't expect Miss Jiang to be so good at fabricating fiction. Looks like you can become a screenwriter!"

"Second Sister-in-law, why did you change the medicinal herbs in the medicine cabinet?" Jiang Yue fired the question at Qiao Nian, her expression stony.

Qiao Nian ignored Jiang Yue and picked up the bowl of medicinal dregs again. She wanted to see what kind of ingredients had been used.

In the beginning, Grandma only had a cold and a fever. Why did she become poisoned after taking this medicine?

Could it be that some medicinal ingredients had come into conflict with each other?

Indeed, that was the case.

Qiao Nian had to admit that the culprit was quite a clever person.

Qiao Nian narrowed her eyes and looked up at Jiang Yue. If she remembered correctly, Jiang Yue studied medicine as well, and she had already received a PhD.

"In the cold medicine, there's an extraneous dose of safflower. There shouldn't have been a problem with the combination of these and my medicine, but because the dosage of the safflower was incorrect, Grandma was poisoned." Qiao Nian said coldly, a slight frown on her face.

Hearing Qiao Nian's words, everyone was stunned.

Qiao Nian walked over to the table and looked at the teacup Matriarch Gu had drunk from. There was the faint smell of Chinese medicine emanating from the teacup. She brought the cup to her nose. Sniffing carefully, she caught the scent of safflower.

"There are traces of safflower in this cup." Qiao Nian's gaze fell on Jiang Yue's face, and she handed the cup to the servant. "Go and investigate if this bow! has been previously soaked in safflower solution."

Jiang Yue turned pale. She remained quiet.

Qiao Nian didn't name names. Instead, she continued, "This person is very smart. They know that Grandma's pulse will go haywire when she takes the medicine. It might seem as if she's got a cold or a fever, but if she takes medicine which contains safflower, she'll be poisoned. She might go into a coma,

but if it's serious, she'll die."

Gu Zhou's eyes were filled with ice. His hands were clenched tightly into fists as he swept his gaze over everyone present. It was as if he were a wild beast about to capture its prey. His gaze was suffocating, striking fear in everyone who met his eyes.

Doctor Su leaned over and carefully looked at the two portions of medicinal dregs. He nodded thoughtfully. "Indeed!"

At this point, Doctor Su no longer dared to look down on Qiao Nian. He sensed that this young lass was quite capable.

Jiang Yue coughed twice. Glaring at Qiao Nian resentfully, she raged, "Qiao Nian, why did you harm Grandma? Grandma likes you so much. She's treated you so well.. Do you still have a conscience?"

Prev ChapterNext ChapterReport chapterChapter 95: Biting The Hand That Feeds You?

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"Jiang Yue, after I left the medicinal room yesterday, did you enter the medicinal room?" Qiao Nian looked at Jiang Yue intently. When she spoke to Zhao Qian yesterday, she had vaguely sensed that someone was outside.

Jiang Yue frowned. She said angrily, "Qiao Nian, you're trying to frame me. I'm telling you, Grandma has raised me since I was young. How could I do such a thing?"

Holding the fruit knife, Qiao Nian stepped towards Matriarch Gu. She sneered when she heard Jiang Yue's words. "You know very well whether you did it or not."

"I didn't do anything." Jiang Yue argued loudly. Seeing Qiao Nian pick up the fruit knife, she took two steps back in fear. When she saw that Qiao Nian wasn't about to rush at her with the knife, she hurriedly stepped forward again to stop Qiao Nian. "W-What are you going to do with the knife?"

"Tm going to save Grandma's life. You'd better go somewhere else. Don't interfere with my work!" Qiao Nian reached out and pushed Jiang Yue's arm away.

Jiang Yue hurriedly grabbed Qiao Nian's hand, her eyes full of vigilance. "You won't need a knife to save Grandma!"

"Let go of me!" Qiao Nian looked at Jiang Yue, practically speechless with frustration. Without hesitation, she mercilessly dislocated one of Jiang Yue's arms.

The pain was so great that Jiang Yue screamed, instantly turning pale.

1

Qiao Nian walked over to the bed. Seeing Gu Zhou looking at Matriarch Gu worriedly, she comforted him. "Grandma will be fine. I'll start letting some of Grandma's blood now…"

"You're spouting nonsense! Who treats patients like this?!" Right now, Jiang Yue had more on her mind than just the pain. She couldn't even be bothered to scream about it any longer. Instead, she shouted, "I've already called 120. The ambulance will be here soon!"

Seeing that Gu Zhou trusted Qiao Nian, Jiang Yue grew so anxious that tears began to stream down her face. "Second Brother, you mustn't believe what she's saying. She has always been a suspect in this incident. We can't let her torment Grandma anymore, unless she can prove her innocence."

Gu Zhou did not speak. He lowered his gaze, seemingly in thought.

"I don't need to prove anything, If we miss the optimal window for treatment, that will be a big problem for Grandma." Qiao Nian looked at Gu Zhou and said calmly, "Moreover, Jiang Yue is clearly full of nonsense. She's not thinking of how to stabilize Grandma's condition. Instead, she wants to sow

discord at this critical moment. She likely has other intentions."

Gu Zhou glanced at the butler and said impassively, "Tie her up and throw her out!"

Jiang Yue thought that Gu Zhou was going to throw Qiao Nian out of the room. She looked toward Qiao Nian with arrogance, but when the butler walked up to her, she was completely stunned.

"What are you doing? Why are you tying me up? Second Brother asked you to throw Qiao Nian out, not me!" One of Jiang Yue's arms had been dislocated, and she was in a lot of pain. Seeing that the butler was still trying to tie her up, she turned red from exertion and anxiety.

The butler did not speak. Instead, he swiftly tied Jiang Yue up. Although Jiang Yue was Matriarch Lin's god-granddaughter, Second Young Master's words were the imperial edict.

'As Jiang Yue was led out of the room by the butler, she turned back to glare resentfully at Qiao Nian.

Grandma trusted Qiao Nian!

Gu Zhou trusted Qiao Nian!

Even Zhao Qian, who liked Gu Zhou, was beginning to trust Qiao Nian!

How was this fair?

'Why did everyone believe Qiao Nian? Why not her?

'When Jiang Yue had been taken out, the room fell silent.

Gu Zhou looked up at Qiao Nian and said coldly, "If you don't make a move now, I'll believe for the time being that this has nothing to do with you. If you make a move now, but fail to save Grandma, you won't be able to live either!"

Qiao Nian's dark eyes were fixed intently on Gu Zhou. She knew very well that Gu Zhou was testing her.

Moreover, she knew that Gu Zhou was not joking. If she did not manage to save Grandma, he would kill her without hesitation.

Qiao Nian gripped the fruit knife in her hand tightly. Lowering her gaze, she cut open her grandmother's hand without hesitation.

Blood gushed out instantly, dying the bedsheets crimson. It was a ghastly sight!

Qiao Nian was using an action to answer Gu Zhou's question.

If Grandma lived, she would live. If Grandma died, she was willing to die with Grandma!

Everyone was stunned by Qiao Nian's actions.

Prev ChapterNext ChapterReport chapterChapter 96: Everything Is Fine Now

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Seeing how bold Qiao Nian was, Doctor Su broke out in a cold sweat.

In his eyes, Qiao Nian's actions were tantamount to suicide.

Qiao Nian took out a silver needle and continued to purge the poison in Matriarch Gu's body. When she was done, she stood up and began to walk out of the room.

Seeing this, the butler thought that Qiao Nian was trying to escape the situation. Just as he was about to chase after her, Gu Zhou shot him a look, and the butler quailed.

Two minutes later, much to everyone's astonishment, Qiao Nian ran back into the room, holding a white porcelain bottle.

Her forehead was covered in sweat, perhaps because she had been running too fast.

Qiao Nian didn't even have time to wipe her sweat away. With a solemn expression, she helped Matriarch Gu up again. After feeding Matriarch Gu the medicine, she glanced at her watch and removed the silver needles from Matriarch Gu's body.

After she was done, Qiao Nian bandaged the wound on Matriarch Gu's wrist and helped her lie back down.

Everyone's attention was wholly on Matriarch Gu. Only after seeing her chest rise and fall did they all heave a sigh of relief.

Jiang Yue stood at the side with her head slightly lowered. No one could tell what she was feeling.

"Ah!" The butler screamed.

Everyone turned to frown at the butler. They all felt displeased with his behavior; he was acting overly flustered.

A trace of joyous surprise flashed across the butler's face. He said loudly, "Why are you looking at me? Look at Matriarch Gu instead. Her fingers moved!"

His words instantly attracted everyone's attention, and they all turned to look at Matriarch Gu's hands.

When Gu Zhou saw Matriarch Gu's fingers move, delight flashed in his eyes. For a moment, the world of darkness that had shrouded the onlookers seemed to be filled with light.

Doctor Su looked at Matriarch Gu's fingers in disbelief.

H-how was this possible

Did Qiao Nian really save Matriarch Gu?

suppressing the joy he felt, Gu Zhou lowered his gaze before glancing at Qiao Nian, who was sitting next to him. His expression was complicated.

Qiao Nian placed her hand on Matriarch Gu's forehead. After a beat, she retracted it.

Matriarch Gu was no longer running a fever, and her condition had already stabilized.

Qiao Nian's heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled back down. She looked up at Gu Zhou and met his dark eyes. His eyes were as calm as the surface of a lake, almost as if he didn't care if Matriarch Gu lived or died.

"Grandma's fever has already subsided and her life is no longer in danger. However, her body is still very weak right now and she can't move around. She can only recuperate in bed. After this, I'll prescribe some medicine for Grandma to recuperate," Qiao Nian said calmly. Her gaze inadvertently fell on Gu

Zhou's hands, and she saw Gu Zhou's clenched fists slowly loosen.

So he was still very worried about Matriarch Gu.

Jiang Yue, who had been standing at the side, widened her eyes in disbelief. "Grandma… Is she really okay?"

How was this possible?

Apart from feeding her some medicine, Qiao Nian had only inserted a few needles into Grandma. She had also let quite a lot of Grandma's blood. Was that really all it took to save Grandma?

Not only that, but this also meant that Qiao Nian was no longer a suspect.

Qiao Nian gave Jiang Yue a meaningful look, then her gaze fell on Doctor Su's face. She said, "Doctor Su, you can come over to examine Matriarch Gu again."

Doctor Su had been waiting for Qiao Nian to say this for a long time. He had never expected Qiao Nian to rescue Matriarch Gu in just two or three moves.

He stepped forward quickly and began to examine Matriarch Gu. His hand first fell on Matriarch Gu's wrist.

A person's pulse was the best indicator of their health condition.

Strange. How strange.

Although Matriarch Gu's pulse was weak, it had calmed down significantly.

Matriarch Gu was not running a fever now, and her complexion was gradually getting better. She was truly out of danger.

Doctor Su looked at Qiao Nian in disbelief, forgetting to even breathe… After a long while, he finally asked stammeringly, "Which hospital are you from? Why haven't I heard of you before?"

Prev ChapterNext ChapterReport chapterChapter 97: Awaken

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"Tm not a doctor in any hospital. It's normal for Doctor Su to not know of me. But Doctor Su, do you remember what you said just now?"

A trace of embarrassment flashed across Doctor Su's face. He still remembered what he had just said.

He felt that he had truly overestimated his own abilities.

However, he had to concede defeat. He was not a sore loser, nor one who would go back on his word.

Letting out a helpless sigh, Doctor Su replied, "I know. I will withdraw from the medical field in the future, and will no longer treat anyone else ever again."

Qiao Nian's expression was blank as she spoke. "There's no need for that. I hope Doctor Su can nurse Grandma back to good health."

At Qiao Nian's words, everyone was stunned.

Even Doctor Su was stunned.

His attitude just now had been dreadful. He had practically accused Qiao Nian of being a liar.

Now that he heard Qiao Nian's words, he felt immensely guilty. When he looked at Qiao Nian again, his eyes were filled with admiration.

Qiao Nian was so young, but she was so magnanimous.

Most people would not be able to achieve the same level of character.

"I'm sorry, Second Young Madam. In the future, I'll take proper care of Matriarch Gu's health. If there's anything you need from me in the future, I'l definitely go through hell and high water for you without hesitation!" Doctor Su said sincerely.

Qiao Nian's expression was indifferent. "That won't be necessary."

Actually, Qiao Nian could understand what Dr. Su had just done.

If this were to happen to an ordinary doctor, they would naturally think that there was no chance of Grandma making it out alive. Hence, Doctor Su just wanted for Grandma to pass away in peace.

This was because Doctor Su's medical skills were not entirely up to standard.

Hence, the blame shouldn't lie on only Doctor Su's shoulders.

Qiao Nian's gaze fell on Jiang Yue. Jiang Yue began to feel a little uncomfortable under her gaze. She lowered her head, her mind racing as she thought about how to get rid of the suspicion that had fallen on her.

Just as she was about to speak, Matriarch Gu awakened.

Matriarch Gu opened her eyes slightly and looked at Gu Zhou, who was standing by her bed. Her eyes were slightly red-rimmed as she said weakly, "Ah Zhou…"

"Grandma!" Seeing that Matriarch Gu had awoken, Jiang Yue looked as if she had seen a ray of hope. She hurriedly rushed over with teary eyes, calling out excitedly.

However, Gu Zhou turned around and blocked Jiang Yue from view.

Gu Zhou looked down at Matriarch Gu and reached out to grab her hand. His voice was as low as ever. "Grandma."

"Tseem to have had a very long dream. I dreamed that I met the king of the underworld, He wanted me to reincarnate." At this point, Matriarch Gu began to sob.

A trace of worry flashed in Gu Zhou's eyes, but he quickly recovered his usual composure. "It was just a dream."

Matriarch Gu's eyes were red. This was actually the first time she had had such a close brush with death.

However, when she thought about leaving Ah Zhou and Little Qi behind after her death, her heart ached terribly.

Actually, the person she was most worried about was Ah Zhou. This child had a phobia of women and was extremely paranoid. If he didn't get together with Nian Nian, he would probably be alone for the rest of his life.

Now, her greatest hope was to see Gu Zhou live a happy life before she passed.

Matriarch Gu turned to look at Qiao Nian, who was standing at the side. She said softly, "Nian Nian."

"Grandma." Seeing Matriarch Gu in such a weak state, Qiao Nian thought of her own grandmother, who had raised her since she was young, She felt terrible.

"Theard a little of what just happened." Matriarch Gu looked at Qiao Nian gratefully. "Without you, I might not have woken up. You're really the lucky star of the Gu family."

"It's all my fault that you've suffered so much this time." Qiao Nian shook her head slightly. In her heart, she blamed herself greatly. "If I had been able to keep an eye on the medicinal room, such a serious mishap would not have happened."

"This has nothing to do with you. No one can possibly keep their guard up forever, nor maintain constant vigilance." Matriarch Gu spoke up to comfort her. "This is someone else's fault, not yours. Don't blame yourself for this…"

Prev ChapterNext ChapterReport chapterChapter 98: Forcing Her to Take an Oath

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Qiao Nian chose to no longer dwell on this matter. Instead, she said softly, "Grandma, you've just woken up and you're still very weak. You need to recuperate in a quiet environment. Don't worry, Second Young Master will definitely investigate what happened today."

Hearing Qiao Nian's words, Matriarch Gu nodded in agreement. "Alright, I'l sleep for a while. You should go back and rest too!"

Jiang Yue, who had been standing at the side, had tears running down her face.

Grandma had called for Second Brother and Qiao Nian, but not her.

It was as if she wasn't even a member of the Gu family.

So Grandma didn't care about her at all.

While Jiang Yue was thinking this, the butler was still untying the knots around her wrists!

Jiang Yue now understood that the only person she could count on in the Gu family was Grandma. Hence, she stepped forward and said, "Second Brother, I want to stay here and take care of Grandma."

Qiao Nian wanted to object, but she didn't want to quarrel with Jiang Yue in front of Grandma. She could only hope that Gu Zhou wouldn't let Jiang Yue stay.

Gu Zhou gave Jiang Yue an indifferent glance. Showing no mercy, he refused her request. "Grandma needs to rest quietly. She won't need company."

The last bit of blood drained from Jiang Yue's face. Biting her lip, she walked out with everyone else.

The butler was the last to leave Matriarch Gu's room. He closed the door and instructed two servants to guard Matriarch Gu's door.

The butler brought Doctor Su to the medicinal room. They still had to investigate what had happened there.

As the group gradually dispersed, Gu Zhou stood at the entrance of Matriarch Gu's room. He did not leave immediately. Instead, he looked worriedly at Matriarch Gu's door.

Qiao Nian didn't leave either. She believed that the truth about what had happened in the medicinal room would come to light very soon.

Hence, she chose to stand guard at Matriarch Gu's door, thinking that if Matriarch Gu needed anything, she could provide assistance as soon as possible.

Jiang Yue had initially wanted to return to her room, but seeing that Gu Zhou and Qiao Nian had both stayed behind, she decided to stay as well.

With her head slightly lowered, Jiang Yue glanced at Gu Zhou out of the corner of her eye, then at Qiao Nian. Her mind was racing.

"Second Sister-in-law." Jiang Yue walked up to Qiao Nian, breaking the silence in the corridor. Her voice was as gentle as ever, and tinged with a shade of apology.

Qiao Nian leaned on the wall with her arms crossed. Standing at half a head taller than Jiang Yue, she looked down at Jiang Yue impassively. The displeasure in her eyes was obvious.

Jiang Yue seemed to be frightened by Qiao Nian's gaze. Her eyes grew red-rimmed in an instant, brimming with tears.

suppressing her tears, Jiang Yue spoke, her voice choked-up. "Second Sister-in-law, I was in the wrong just now. I'm really sorry."

Qiao Nian didn't say anything, She just looked at Jiang Yue calmly.

Jiang Yue felt a little uncomfortable under Qiao Nian's gaze. She lowered her head, tears flowing down her cheeks in silence. "If anything happens to Grandma, I won't want to live anymore."

Qiao Nian didn't speak for a long time. She just stared at Jiang Yue. When she saw Jiang Yue sneaking a glance at her, she spoke. "Jiang Yue."

Qiao Nian's voice was cold, like ice in the dead of winter. It chilled one to the bone.

Jiang Yue looked up at Qiao Nian with teary eyes. She felt a chill run down her spine.

Qiao Nian continued looking at Jiang Yue calmly, her brow raised. She enunciated each word clearly as she spoke. "Can you swear on the souls of your deceased parents that you didn't tamper with any of the herbs in the medicine cabinet?"

Qiao Nian's words attracted the attention of the servants. One by one, they looked toward Jiang Yue, waiting to watch a good show.

Jiang Yue tended to act high and mighty in the Gu residence, and often bullied the servants. They had long found Jiang Yue an eyesore.

Jiang Yue's face was now as pale as a sheet of paper. Her teeth were chattering, and her hands were clenched tightly.

"If you're the one who harmed Grandma, your parents' souls will never be reincarnated. You'll never be able to be with the person you love for the rest of your life!" Qiao Nian narrowed her eyes at Jiang Yue. "Do you dare to take this oath?"

Jiang Yue's breathing grew more and more rapid, and her heart gradually rose to her throat. Her forehead was covered in sweat, and she swayed on the spot, as if she would faint at any moment..

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"Second Brother, I didn't harm Grandma!" Jiang Yue looked toward Gu Zhou pleadingly, as if she hoped that Gu Zhou would stand up for her. "Everything I've done has been for Grandma's sake."

Gu Zhou merely stood there in silence, his entire body radiating a cold aura.

"Second Brother, Grandma raised me since I was young. How could I be so ungrateful?" Jiang Yue looked at Gu Zhou anxiously, tears trickling down her face. She looked extremely pitiful. Those who didn't know better would think that someone had bullied her.

"Since you didn't do anything to let Grandma down, then take the oath!" Qiao Nianfeng said lightly.

"Second Sister-in-law, how can you say that?" Jiang Yue questioned tearfully. "My parents were already in great pain when they were alive. Why do you still want to disrupt their souls?"

"Since you said that you didn't do this, then even if you were to swear on their souls, you wouldn't be disturbing them, would you?" Qiao Nian said carelessly. She glared coldly at Jiang Yue, her gaze like a venomous snake.

Jiang Yue's scalp began to go numb under Qiao Nian's glare. She shook her head and said stubbornly, "I didn't do it. I didn't harm Grandma!"

"Then swear on it!" Qiao Nian said relentlessly, reminding Jiang Yue of her words once again.

Jiang Yue clenched her fists tightly, tears falling from her eyes. After a long while, she said with red-rimmed eyes, "If I'm the one who made Grandma fall ill, then my parents will never be able to reincarnate. They will never, ever be happy."

After taking the oath, Jiang Yue started to cry even more pitifully.

'When Qiao Nian heard Jiang Yue's words, a faint smile appeared on her face. "Since you've already sworn on it, I'll believe you for the time being."

Jiang Yue wiped her tears and asked pitifully, "Second Sister-in-law, why are you targeting me?"

"Miss Jiang, are you sure that statement is entirely accurate?" Qiao Nian asked.

Jiang Yue looked at Qiao Nian strangely, not understanding what she had said wrong.

"Out of everyone in the Gu family, you've always been the one targeting me, haven't you?" Qiao Nian asked, looking at Jiang Yue.

Jiang Yue froze for a moment. Indeed, she seemed to be the only one who had suspected Qiao Nian just now. She had been too anxious just now.

Qiao Nian looked at Jiang Yue thoughtfully, then turned to look at Gu Zhou and said, "T'll go prepare some herbal cuisine for Grandma."

With that, Qiao Nian left without looking back.

Jiang Yue watched as Qiao Nian left. For some reason, she had a bad feeling about this.

"Jiang Yue."

Gu Zhou's voice rang out from the side. Jiang Yue turned to look at Gu Zhou.

"Do you still remember how your parents died?" Standing where he was, Gu Zhou asked coldly.

Jiang Yue looked at Gu Zhou. She understood what Gu Zhou meant. Gu Zhou was still suspicious of her.

Back then, their family of three had been kidnapped. In order to protect her, his father and mother had been tortured to death by the kidnappers.

When the police arrived, she had been shielded by her parents, who had bracketed her on both sides. It was because of this that she managed to survive the ordeal. However, her parents had already been beaten black and blue.

Jiang Yue could still remember her parents' groans of pains when they were tortured. Even now, she often dreamed of her parents being tortured in the hands of the kidnappers.

"Second Brother, I've had nothing to do with any of this. A clear conscience is not afraid of slander." Forcibly maintaining her composure, Jiang Yue spoke, enunciating each word.

Gu Zhou gave Jiang Yue a meaningful look, then left.

Jiang Yue was drenched in cold sweat. Seeing Gu Zhou leave, her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground, sobbing.

The two servants, who had been guarding Matriarch Gu's room, looked down at Jiang Yue and pretended not to see anything.

Jiang Yue cried hysterically, as if she had suffered a tremendous grievance.

Jiang Yue sobbed until she passed out..

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Qiao Nian walked to the kitchen and carefully examined all the utensils there. She was worried that some of the utensils might have been soaked in safflower solution as well.

After Qiao Nian had made sure that all of them were clean, she got ready to head to the medicinal room to prepare some herbs for Grandma. Just as she turned around, she accidentally bumped into someone.

Startled, she instinctively stepped backwards. However, she stumbled over a small stool next to her, falling backwards uncontrollably.

Qiao Nian quickly shut her eyes, bracing herself for the impact. However, the expected pain from the impact did not arrive.

She opened her eyes and saw Gu Zhou standing in front of her. He had already secured an arm around her waist.

Gu Zhou's arm flexed. In one swift motion, he pulled Qiao Nian towards him.

Qiao Nian found herself falling clumsily into Gu Zhou's arms. Her ear was pressed against his chest.

His heartbeat echoed clearly in her ears. She could smell the faint aroma of medicine from his body.

Qiao Nian's ears turned red without her permission. Hurriedly, she pushed Gu Zhou away and lowered her gaze. Pursing her lips, she asked, "Aren't you going to stand guard by Grandma's door?"

Gu Zhou straightened his clothes. Immediately, he glimpsed a red lipstick stain on his white shirt. He looked up and saw that Qiao Nian's lipstick was slightly smudged.

Extending a hand, he gently touched the corner of Qiao Nian's mouth with his thumb. His movements were exceedingly gentle, as if he was terrified of hurting her.

Qiao Nian's heart began to race as she looked up at Gu Zhou. Suddenly, the memory of that night five years ago flashed into her mind.

1

The man had caressed the corner of her mouth like this, too.

Their actions were practically identical.

Qiao Nian stared at Gu Zhou, frozen. After a moment, she ducked away, avoiding his hand. She tucked her hair behind her ear awkwardly and said, "I'm going to make some porridge for Grandma."

"Thank you for today." At this moment, Gu Zhou was wholly certain that Qiao Nian had nothing to do with those people. If she had, he guessed that he would have died under her silver needles by now.

"That…" Qiao Nian pursed her lips and looked up at Gu Zhou. "She's my grandmother now. It's only right that I save her. You don't have to thank me specially."

With that, Qiao Nian walked towards the medicinal room.

She was worried that others would retrieve the wrong medicinal ingredients, so she decided to retrieve the herbs herself. After calculating the dosage, she returned to the kitchen to prepare the medicinal porridge.

Gu Zhou remained standing at the entrance of the kitchen. He watched as the kitchen bustled with activity. Steam rose from the pots on the stove, curling in the air. Gu Zhou felt an indescribable warmth in his heart. That warmth seemed to adhere to his blood, flowing through his entire body.

He lowered his head slightly. His thumb was still pink from Qiao Nian's lipstick. He couldn't help but recalll the touch of Qiao Nian's lips. Something in his heart began to stir.

Gu Zhou frowned, forcibly suppressing the strange feeling in his heart.

'While Qiao Nian was making the porridge, she noticed Gu Zhou standing behind her the entire time. When the porridge was almost ready, Gu Zhou had disappeared. Only then did she heave a sigh of relief.

She was really too tired right now. She would ask the butler to bring the porridge to Matriarch Gu.

At the fifth mental hospital in An City.

Decked in haute couture, high heels, and a pair of sunglasses, Qiao Xin stepped into the mental hospital.

At this moment, the patients in the mental hospital were playing outside. Some of them were defecating in the courtyard, and some were even running around naked.

Qiao Xin frowned, her eyes filled with contempt.

However, when she thought of Qiao Nian living with these people, she felt a spark of joy.

"Second Young Mistress Qiao, this way, please!" The nurse smiled at Qiao Xin and led her to a building not far away.

Just as she reached the entrance of the building, Qiao Nian's attending doctor, Yang Ze, walked out with a smile. "Second Young Mistress Qiao, you're here."

Qiao Xin walked up to Yang Ze and took off her sunglasses, displaying a sweet and polite smile. She asked, "Doctor Yang, what has my sister been doing when she lived here for the past five years?"

Qiao Xin was curious. How did Qiao Nian become the principal of An University?

Hence, she came down here to investigate.

It would be great if Qiao Nian had made a fool of herself here. Then, she could publicize Qiao Nian's "excellence" to the Gu family.

Yang Ze thought for a while and said, "Miss Qiao would either be reading or gardening. She has never left the hospital."

Qiao Xin's expression faltered just a fraction. How was this possible?

Prev ChapterNext ChapterReport chapterChapter 101: Leisure?

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Reading?

Gardening?

Had Qiao Nian lived such a refined and leisurely life for those five years?

"How was she able to stay idle?" Qiao Xin asked.

Yang Ze said calmly, "Second Young Mistress Qiao, if you don't believe me, why don't I take you there?"

"Alright, thank you for your trouble, Doctor Yang."

Qiao Xin followed behind Yang Ze and walked towards the small courtyard where Qiao Nian used to live.

Before she reached the small courtyard, Qiao Xin could already smell the fragrance of flowers.

"Miss Qiao, Young Mistress Qiao's residence is right in front," Yang Ze explained with a smile.

In front of them was a garden filled with a variety of flowers and plants. The flowers were in bloom, attracting many bees and butterflies.

In the middle of the garden was a small hut.

That was where Qiao Nian used to live.

"Were these all planted by Qiao Nian?" Qiao Xin looked at the flowers in disbelief.

Yang Ze's eyes were filled with admiration. From the bottom of his heart, he truly respected Qiao Nian. He said, "This piece of land used to be dry and barren. Miss Qiao came here every day to garden for the past five years. She's single-handedly turned this place into one of the most beautiful areas here in

our mental hospital."

Qiao Xin nodded and pointed at the hut. "Did she usually live there?"

"Yes."

Yang Ze brought Qiao Xin towards the wooden hut.

When Qiao Xin walked to the hut, she saw that the door was locked.

"Unlock the door!" Qiao Xin was curious. What was in the hut?

Yang Ze looked troubled. He stammered, "We don't have the key."

Qiao Xin's expression darkened and she clenched her fists involuntarily. Her nails dug into her palms, but she didn't feel any pain.

How was it that Qiao Nian could enjoy life wherever she went?

"This is a mental hospital. How can you let a patient do whatever she wants? Don't you know that these gardening tools can pose a danger to her life?" Qiao Xin questioned, forcibly suppressing her rage as she turned to look at Yang Ze.

"Our biggest investor has already approved of Miss Qiao gardening here," Yang Ze explained.

"Investor? Isn't our Qiao family the biggest investor here?" Qiao Xin looked at Yang Ze in surprise. Because the Qiao family was the biggest investor in this mental hospital, Su Xue had faced no trouble in sending Qiao Nian here five years ago.

"Two weeks after Miss Qiao entered, someone else has become the biggest investor in our hospital," Yang Ze said with a serious expression.

"Who is it now?" Qiao Xin asked curiously, frowning.

"Mr. Fang."

Qiao Xin's frown deepened. If she wasn't wrong, Mr. Fang was a hacker.

Very few people had heard of Mr. Fang. It was rumored that Mr. Fang was extremely rich.

If Mr. Fang was so rich, why would he invest in a mental hospital?

What made Qiao Xin unhappy was that she had thought that Qiao Nian would lead a life worse than death here. She had never expected Qiao Nian to lead such a pleasant life here, as if she were a member of a high profession who had chosen to live in solitude, away from society.

Could it be that Qiao Nian and Mr. Fang had an improper relationship? Was that why she received Mr. Fang's favor and special treatment?

However, Qiao Xin quickly dismissed the thought. Mr. Fang was a member of the high society. Perhaps he had simply taken Qiao Nian to be a gardener here.

Indeed, Qiao Nian had always been a country bumpkin. After all, she had grown up in the countryside. Apart from gardening, she knew nothing else.

At this thought, Qiao Xin felt much better.

Perhaps Mr. Fang had let Qiao Nian become the principal of An University on account of how well the garden had been taken care of.1

It seemed that Mr. Fang was very capable.

Qiao Xin thought that if she could meet Mr. Fang, she would have to be on good terms with him. Perhaps if she managed to get Mr. Fang into a good mood, he would let her become the principal instead.

At this moment, a pickup truck drove over and two nurses alighted.

Qiao Xin watched as the two nurses began to move the plants into the truck.

Could it be that Mr.. Fang had instructed them to move the plants?

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With this thought in mind, Qiao Xin stepped forward and gave a gentle smile, asking politely, "Excuse me, sisters, where are you moving these plants to?"

"The Gu family's villa."

The smile on Qiao Xin's face froze. The Gu family's villa. Wasn't that where Qiao Nian lived?

Did Qiao Nian ask these people to move the plants?

"Are you moving all of these over?" Qiao Xin asked with a smile.

"Just these few."

Qiao Xin's gaze swept across the garden. These plants should belong to Mr. Fang. Qiao Nian definitely wouldn't dare to move all of them away.

However, why was Qiao Nian taking away some of the plants?

Could there be a secret hidden in these plants?

At this moment, the nurses got into the van and prepared to leave.

Qiao Xin stepped forward quickly and smiled at one of the nurses. "Sister, please wait."

The two young nurses looked at Qiao Xin in surprise.

Qiao Xin gave a sweet smile and said, "Sisters, my name is Qiao Xin. A while back, my sister said that she would give me a potted plant. I came here today to pick one. I'l bring it home tonight myself, in case my sister asks someone else to send one over again."

The two nurses looked at Qiao Xin warily. Their gazes finally landed on Yang Ze's face, as if questioning if that was the case.

Yang Ze nodded and introduced, "This is the Qiao family's Second Young Mistress."

The two nurses were instantly enlightened, and fawning smiles appeared on their faces. One of the nurses said, "In that case, Second Young Mistress Qiao, please choose any pot you want!"

Qiao Xin smiled and thanked them. She walked to the truck and took a few glances, then selected one of the plants at random. She thanked them again and left.

Although Qiao Xin didn't recognize this pot of greenery, she had a strange feeling that this plant was very important.

After Qiao Xin drove home, she moved the pot into the house.

'When she placed the green plant on the table in the courtyard, panting heavily, she finally realized that she had really moved a potted plant home herself.

She must be out of her mind.

Otherwise, why would she move a random pot home?

Su Xue came out of the house and saw Qiao Xin standing next to a potted plant, panting heavily. She said, "You're the Young Mistress of the Qiao family. Moving potted plants is such a simple matter; why not ask someone to do it for you? Why would you need to do it yourself? Oh dear… this is…"

Before Su Xue could finish her sentence, she froze, staring at the green plant in disbelief. Her eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Qiao Xin asked casually, panting heavily.

"Daughter, tell me, where did you get this plant?" Su Xue's voice was trembling with excitement. She stepped forward quickly and grasped Qiao Xin's dirty hand.

Qiao Xin looked at Su Xue in surprise. Su Xue had always liked to be clean. "Mom, my hands are still dirty."

"My dear daughter, tell me!" Su Xue looked at Qiao Xin excitedly.

Qiao Xin's gaze fell on the pot of greenery. Puzzled, she asked, "Mom, what's wrong?"

"Tm fine. Let me tell you, this is an extremely rare specimen of Suranne Grass. It's hard to come by even in a hundred years!" As Su Xue said this, she was practically jumping in excitement.

Qiao Xin gasped in shock. Stunned, she stood frozen to the spot.

Suranne Grass.

Although Qiao Xin wasn't a medical student, she still knew a little about top-grade herbs.

Three years ago, a mysterious buyer had bought a stalk of Suranne Grass for fifty million dollars.

Now that three years had passed, it was rumored that the price of Suranne Grass had already increased by more than 30 times.

Qiao Nian, this country bumpkin, could actually cultivate Suranne Grass?

How was this possible?

Yes, this had to be impossible!

Qiao Nian couldn't have known that this was Suranne Grass.

"Mom, are you sure? Actually, this is just an ordinary plant. Perhaps it just looks like Suranne Grass!" Qiao Xin said, frowning.

"Daughter, have you forgotten? I studied Chinese medicine in the past. How could I be mistaken about this medicinal herb?"

Qiao Shan, who had just come out of the house, heard everything Su Xue and Qiao Xin said.

Qiao Shan quickly walked over and said excitedly, "Honey, are you sure that this is Suranne Grass?"

"I swear, this is definitely Suranne Grass!" Without hesitation, Su Xue raised three fingers and swore. After that, she looked anxiously at Qiao Xin. "Where exactly did this Suranne Grass come from?"

Qiao Xin felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She was utterly stunned. She had never expected this to truly be a priceless pot of Suranne Grass..

Prev ChapterNext ChapterReport chapterChapter 103: We're Rich!

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At the incessant urging of Qiao Shan and Su Xue, Qiao Xin told them all about her trip to the mental hospital.

This time, it was Qiao Shan and Su Xue's turn to be dumbfounded.

"Is that really true?" Su Xue asked hesitantly.

Qiao Xin nodded and said, "Mom, why would I lie to you? There's still a lot of greenery in the courtyard where Qiao Nian lived! Mom, tell me, how would Qiao Nian know how to cultivate Suranne Grass?"

Qiao Shan sat on a stone stool nearby and said thoughtfully, "Are you sure it was Qiao Nian who planted it?"

Qiao Xin nodded. "Qiao Nian's attending doctor said so."

"Then, this matter will be easier to handle." The corner of Qiao Shan's lips raised as a peculiar light flickered in his eyes.

Qiao Xin looked at Qiao Shan in confusion, not understanding what Qiao Shan meant. "Dad, what are you saying?"

Seeing Qiao Xin like this, Su Xue couldn't help but explain with a smile, "Silly child, you don't understand. She's your sister, and she's a member of the Qiao family. The things she owns will naturally belong to the Qiao family."

Qiao Xin looked at Su Xue in surprise and said doubtfully, "Mom, are we going to be rich?"

Su Xue gave Qiao Xin an affirmative look.

Qiao Xin couldn't help but smile. She said triumphantly, "That's great! Then I can buy what I like!"

Su Xue's smile grew a touch more reckless. "Our Qiao family has never been very high up on the social ladder. Since Qiao Nian is so capable, then our family will no longer be afraid of being bullied!"

Qiao Shan nodded. At this moment, he suddenly felt that Qiao Nian was quite pleasing to the eye. "Little Xin, do you remember how many pots of Suranne Grass there were in the mental hospital?"

Qiao Xin thought for a while, then said, "At the mental hospital, the nurses moved about seven or eight pots away. There were still many potted plants in the courtyard. I don't know if there's any left."

"You're saying that she cultivated a lot of greenery?" Qiao Shan asked eagerly.

"Yes, about 200 square meters' worth, but I didn't recognize any of those plants," Qiao Xin said.

Qiao Shan turned to look at Su Xue and said, "Hurry up and go to the hospital to take a look. She might have planted many expensive medicinal herbs. Move them all home!"

Su Xue nodded.

Qiao Xin, who was standing at the side, said approvingly, "Father, you have to get back the Suranne Grass that Qiao Nian moved to the Gu residence. That's the treasure of our Qiao family. How can you let Gu Zhou have it so easily?"

Qiao Shan nodded in agreement. "That's right. That belongs to our Qiao family. This traitorous wretch is truly too shameless!"

Suddenly, there was the sound of clapping. The few of them looked over and saw Qiao Nian standing not far away.

"Marvelous. Truly amazing!" Qiao Nian looked at the three of them with a sarcastic expression. This was the first time she had seen anyone with such thick skin. She was so disgusted that she felt like vomiting.

Seeing Qiao Nian walk over, Su Xue subconsciously stood in front of the pot of Suranne Grass, blocking Qiao Nian's line of sight.

Qiao Xin clenched her fists nervously and looked at Qiao Nian, her expression wary.

Now that Qiao Nian was the principal of An University, if she wanted to graduate successfully, she would have to get Qiao Nian's approval. Hence, she had no choice but to tuck her tail between her legs.

Qiao Shan remained calm and composed. Sitting on the spot, he put on the airs of the head of the family. "Qiao Nian, you're back. This is good timing. I have something to tell you!"

"Sure, but you have to return the Suranne Grass to me first!" Qiao Nian couldn't even be bothered to greet Qiao Shan as her "father". Her voice was cold.

'When Su Xue heard Qiao Nian's words, she immediately jumped out and said impatiently, "What are you saying? The Suranne Grass belongs to the Qiao family. How dare you mention it now? If you get your hands on anything good, shouldn't you know to bring it home?"

"Why would I be embarrassed to mention it?" Qiao Nian raised her eyebrows and her gaze fell on Qiao Xin, who was standing next to Su Xue. "Qiao Xin is a thief. She stole my things. Why can't I mention it?"

Qiao Nian simply couldn't understand what the three of them were thinking.

Qiao Xin had been born after Su Xue had spent ten agonizing months pregnant. Now, according to Qiao Nian, Qiao Xin was a thief. Su Xue rebuked angrily, "What nonsense are you talking about? Qiao Xin just went to the hospital to take back some things of the family.. How can you say that she stole

anything of yours?"

Prev ChapterNext ChapterReport chapterChapter 104: Bastard

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The atmosphere grew more and more awkward.

Qiao Xin stood up shakily, mustering her courage to look at Qiao Nian. "Sister, you're back. Would you like to have a meal at home before you leave?"

Qiao Nian simply couldn't bear to stay in the Qiao family home any longer. Her entire body was now radiating a frigid aura. Ignoring Qiao Xin's words, she snapped, "Give me back the Suranne Grass!"

Su Xue sensed the coldness radiating from Qiao Nian. For a moment, she was a little dazed. She felt that Qiao Nian was changing more and more. She was no longer the obedient Qiao Nian she used to be.

She was indeed a bastard child. This willful girl would never mature, not even after a lifetime of raising her.

A trace of coldness flashed in Su Xue's eyes.

Qiao Shan had also sensed the change in Qiao Nian. Casually, he slammed the teacup onto the ground and glared at Qiao Nian. He raged, "What are you talking about? How dare you speak to your mother and sister like that?! Do you want me to send you back to the mental hospital? Maybe then you'll learn

how to speak properly to your family!"

Qiao Nian's gaze moved from Su Xue's face to Qiao Shan's. She snorted and questioned, "In that case, how do you think I should speak to a thief?"

"shut up! You wretch! If we didn't have your best interests in mind for your marriage, and arranged for you to marry into the Gu family, you would still be stuck in the mental hospital!"

Qiao Shan's heart ached at the mention of the Gu family. If he had known that Gu Zhou was good-looking, and that he was healthy and had a bright future, he would have asked Qiao Xin to marry into the Gu family. "Since the moment you got home, you've been talking about nothing but 'stealing'. How

does your family owe you anything?"

Before Qiao Nian could speak, Qiao Shan continued, "If your sister didn't go to the mental hospital, we wouldn't have known that you were planning to move all the Qiao family's assets out!"

Qiao Nia

Qiao Nian had never seen such brazen people in her life. This had truly broadened her horizons.

But Qiao Shan himself did not think that there was anything wrong with his words. With a cold expression, he commanded, "I order you to move all of the Suranne Grass in the Gu family home back to our house. As for the green plants in the hospital, move them all back to the Qiao family home as well!"

"Are you dreaming?" Qiao Nian couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Qiao Shan could hear the disdain in Qiao Nian's words. He said angrily, "What are you laughing at? Hurry up and move these things back!"

Qiao Nian stood there smiling, her gaze fixed on Qiao Shan, as if she was looking at a performing clown.

Qiao Shan could clearly see the disgust in Qiao Nian's eyes. He stood up angrily. "Do you not understand the English language? Do you think I'm spouting nonsense?"

Seeing that Qiao Shan had gotten himself worked up, Su Xue glared daggers at Qiao Nian. "Apologize to your father now!"

Qiao Xin was secretly overjoyed, but she pretended to be as pious and innocent as a white lotus. "Sister, do listen to Dad. His heart isn't well. Don't make him angry! Hurry up and bring the Suramne Grass back!"

Qiao Nian completely ignored Su Xue and Qiao Xin's words. Staring directly at Qiao Shan, she mocked, "Aren't you indeed spouting nonsense?"

Su Xue looked at Qiao Nian in astonishment. She hadn't expected Qiao Nian to say something so outrageous.

Qiao Shan was so irate that he choked, falling into a coughing fit.

Su Xue hurriedly patted Qiao Shan's back, attempting to relieve his coughing fit. Her gaze fell on Qiao Nian's face and she said in the tone of an old fogy, "Qiao Nian, don't anger your father. Hurry up and move the Suranne Grass back home. Let's forget about what happened today!"

"Wretch! You wretch!" Seeing how unruffled and uncaring Qiao Nian looked, Qiao Shan couldn't help but rage at her.

"Can you use another insult? I'm sick of hearing that!" Qiao Nian sneered, speaking unhurriedly.

"You… You have no respect for your elders!" The moment Qiao Shan thought of the priceless Suranne Grass, his anger exploded. "You traitorous wretch! Without a word, you just moved everything belonging to our family to the Gu family home!"

"What did you say?" Qiao Nian raised an eyebrow. There was only coldness in her eyes as her red lips opened slightly. "You never gave me a chance to speak. After you threw me into the mental hospital, did you even bother to visit?"

At this moment, both Qiao Shan and Su Xue looked extremely displeased.

At that time, Qiao Shan felt that Qiao Nian was already useless as a chess piece. Thus, he didn't think of visiting her.

If he had known that Qiao Nian had the ability to cultivate Suranne Grass, he would have brought her back home a long time ago..

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"Lspent so much effort cultivating the Suranne Grass myself. How has it suddenly become the property of the Qiao family?"

Su Xue knew very well that Qiao Nian was displeased with the Qiao family. Putting on a polite demeanor, she said, "Qiao Nian, what happened back then was our fault, but at that time, your father and I were both busy with the company. The reason we didn't visit you was to cover up the fact that you were

once pregnant and had a child. Everything was for your marriage. If others knew that you were pregnant and even gave birth to a child, they might look at you differently."

Seeing that Qiao Nian was silent, Su Xue thought that Qiao Nian had been swayed by her words. She continued, "Back then, if news of what happened to you got out, you wouldn't be able to marry anyone for the rest of your life. Qiao Nian, we're family, after all. Your father also has you in his heart. He

dotes on you a lot. Often, because of you, he secretly wipes his tears at night."

Qiao Nian stood there expressionlessly. She looked toward Su Xue and asked curiously, "Then, can I take everything the Qiao family owns, and chase you out of the family home? Didn't you say that we're family? What's yours is mine."

"You…" Su Xue's face turned red with anger.

"Were you lying to me just now?" Qiao Nian looked at Su Xue. She wanted to see what other preposterous lies this woman could make up.

"How… How is that the same? We are your elders!" Su Xue stammered.

"Elders? For my sake, you sent me to a mental hospital?" Qiao Nian's expression was cold, her voice even colder. "If the same thing happened to any other child of a rich family, the parents would just send their child overseas to study. But why was I sent to a mental hospital? When I was alone in the

mental hospital with no one to rely on, what were you doing? Why didn't you say that you were my elders back then?"

Qiao Xin immediately said gently, "Sister, it's a blessing in disguise. If Mom and Dad didn't send you to the mental hospital, how could you have settled down to cultivate Suranne Grass?"

Qiao Nian smiled. There was anger in her eyes. "Why don't I send you to a mental hospital for five years? Will that do?"

Qiao Xin turned pale in fright. She lowered her head, not daring to say another word.

Su Xue's eyes darted to the side and she hurriedly said, "Qiao Nian, your sister is right. You don't have to thank us for sending you to the mental hospital, though that was why you were able to cultivate Suranne Grass. How about this? As long as you bring back all the remaining Suranne Grass, that will do.

Write down the method to cultivate Suranne Grass, and we won't make a fuss about it with you!"

Qiao Nian glared at Su Xue coldly. Su Xue was clearly asking for too much. She gritted her teeth and spat out three words. "In your dreams!"

"What do you mean?" Su Xue looked at Qiao Nian in confusion. She felt that what she said made sense. She already had Qiao Nian's interests in mind. "As long as you hand over the Suranne Grass and write down the method to cultivate it, you will be the greatest contributor to our family. Your father and I

will prepare a richer dowry for you!"

Qiao Nian couldn't be bothered to reason with these idiots. She enunciated each word clearly as she spoke. "I spent many years of effort nurturing the Suranne Grass. This belongs only to me. It has nothing to do with your Qiao family!

"If you know what's good for you, hand over the Suranne Grass immediately. Otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite!" Qiao Nian continued, forcibly suppressing her anger.

Qiao Xin looked at Suranne Grass reluctantly. It was such a valuable item. Of course she couldn't bear to return it.

Previously, after Qiao Nian had made a name for herself in An University, Brother Su Yan was longer paying Qiao Xin any attention. If she gave the Suranne Grass to Su Yan, he would definitely think highly of her and reconcile with her.

Qiao Xin looked imploringly at Su Xue, signaling for her to keep the Suranne Grass.

Su Xue instantly understood what Qiao Xin meant. She looked at Qiao Nian and said helplessly, "Qiao Nian, you're the elder sister. How can you fight with your younger sister over a pot of Suranne Grass? Can't you give in to her a little?"

Qiao Nian hated it when Su Xue played the family card.

The Qiao family might not be good at anything else, but they were good at moral abduction.

Qiao Nian said impatiently, "Enough nonsense. Are you returning it or not?"

"Not!" Su Xue said, her expression dark.

Qiao Nian had never spoken to her in such a tone before she went to the mental hospital.

Qiao Nian's eyes turned cold. "Is that so?"

Qiao Shan also felt that Qiao Nian had gone too far. Haughtily, he said, "Hurry up and bring back all the Suranne Grass that you've taken to the Gu residence. Then, I won't pursue the fact that you talked back to your elders today!"

Qiao Nian clenched her fists tightly..

Prev ChapterNext ChapterReport chapterChapter 106: Scheming

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Qiao Shan also felt that Qiao Nian had gone too far. Haughtily, he said, "Hurry up and bring back all the Suranne Grass that you've taken to the Gu residence. Then, I won't pursue the fact that you talked back to your elders today!"

Qiao Nian clenched her fists tightly.

Ha!

Pursuing the matter.

What a great turn of phrase!

Qiao Nian had never expected Qiao Shan to brazenly shield Qiao Xin, the thief, just for a pot of Suranne Grass.

Qiao Nian was even starting to doubt whether she was Qiao Shan and Su Xue's biological daughter. Why did their attitudes towards their two daughters differ so much?

Qiao Nian put away her thoughts and looked coldly at Qiao Xin, her lips curving up slightly as she said, "Qiao Xin, since you don't want to return the Suranne Grass, then I won't want it either. But you have to think this through carefully. Whether you can afford to keep this pot of Suranne Grass around is a

matter you evidently haven't considered. When the time comes, I hope you won't kneel down and beg me to accept it!"

Qiao Nian's eyes flashed with ice.

Qiao Xin stood behind Su Xue. She hadn't expected Qiao Nian to change her mind.

However, Qiao Xin soon understood. Qiao Nian had grown up in the countryside and had always wanted to return to the Qiao family.

For the sake of the Suranne Grass, her father had been kind to Qiao Nian. Qiao Nian must have been so touched that she wanted to cry.

Qiao Xin smiled and said gently, "Sister, don't worry. I will take good care of this pot of Suranne Grass."

After receiving Qiao Xin's answer, Qiao Nian left without turning back, leaving the Qiao family in a state of confusion.

Qiao Xin heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Qiao Nian had relented.

Qiao Shan looked at Qiao Nian's retreating back and frowned. He said worriedly, "She clearly cared a lot about this pot of Suranne Grass. Why did she suddenly change her mind?"

The more Qiao Shan thought about it, the more worried he became. He was afraid that Qiao Nian would use the Gu family's connections to force them to send the Suranne Grass back.

Qiao Xin's mind was filled with thoughts of gifting this pot of Suranne Grass to Su Yan. That way, the two of them could reconcile.

Thus, Qiao Xin said disapprovingly, "You're over-thinking. Qiao Nian cultivated the Suranne Grass behind our backs. She probably felt that she was in the wrong and wanted to use this pot of Suranne Grass to please Dad."

When Qiao Shan heard Qiao Xin's words, his frown grew deeper. He had a nagging feeling that things weren't as simple as they seemed.

Qiao Xin quickly walked to Qiao Shan's side and tugged on Qiao Shan's sleeve like a spoiled child, saying ingratiatingly, "Alright, Dad, stop letting your imagination run wild. Can you give me this pot of Suranne Grass?"

Qiao Shan was initially worrying over whether Qiao Nian would have other tricks up her sleeve. When he heard Qiao Xin's words, worry was written all over his face. Puzzled, he asked, "Why do you want the Suranne Grass?"

Hence, Qiao Xin told Qiao Shan and Su Xue her plans to firmly secure her relationship with Su Yan.

Qiao Shan and Su Xue had initially wanted to use the Suranne Grass to bring the Gu family to greater heights, but those things didn't seem to be as important as Qiao Xin's lifelong happiness, so the two of them nodded and gave the Suranne Grass to Qiao Xin.

1

'When Qiao Nian stepped out of the Qiao family's residence, she was shrouded in a cold aura. She took out her cell phone and sent a text: [Pay close attention to every move the Qiao family makes. Report to me if anything happens. ]

[Yes.]

Qiao Nian put her phone back into her bag and walked to her car. She opened the door and got in.

1

She had to find a way to get the Qiao family to send the Suranne Grass back. Moreover, she would ensure that they would never dare to have any designs on her medicinal herbs ever again.

When Qiao Nian arrived at the Gu family villa, she saw a pickup truck parked outside.

Lin Tao got out of the pickup truck. When she saw Qiao Nian, she quickly ran over and gave her a big hug. "Nian Nian."

Qiao Nian was beaming as she reached out to hug Lin Tao. After letting go of Lin Tao, she asked, "Isn't there an exam today? Why did you come here personally?"

"The examinations aren't difficult. I can take them quite easily. However, these medicinal herbs are simply priceless. If I lose one of them, my father will probably die from heartache. I'll only feel at ease if I see them for myself." Lin Tao smiled at Qiao Nian.

Qiao Nian thought of what happened to her Suramne Grass and asked, "Did you tell your father how many stalks of Suranne Grass I've grown?"

"Not yet. Didn't you say that you wanted to give him a surprise? That's why I didn't say anything." At this point, Lin Tao couldn't help but sigh and say, "I wonder who has the guts to steal Suranne Grass! If I catch this person, I'll definitely send her to jail!"

Prev ChapterNext ChapterReport chapterChapter 107: Taking the Initiative to Take a Medicinal Bath

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A trace of cunning flashed in Qiao Nian's eyes. She nodded and said, "There's a small surprise!"

"What surprise?" Lin Tao asked eagerly.

"If I tell you, it won't be a surprise anymore!" Qiao Nian said with a smile.

Lin Tao nodded regretfully. She handed a couple of bags to Qiao Nian. "These are the Moonlight Fruits you wanted."

"Thank you for making the trip!" Qiao Nian said sincerely.

"There's no need to thank me given our relationship. By the way, how are you doing in the Gu family? If you're not being treated well, I'll protect you! I'll make sure that no one in the Gu family dares to bully you!" As Lin Tao spoke, she patted her chest, looking as if she was unafraid of anything, even if it

meant going through hell for her good friend.

"Little girl, you're only twenty years old this year. You should call me Elder Sis!" As Qiao Nian spoke, she pinched Lin Tao's nose dotingly.

Lin Tao coughed. Seeing that no one was looking over, she said in a low voice, "There are outsiders here. Give me some face!"

"Okay, okay. You're not young anymore. You're an adult now." Qiao Nian went along with Lin Tao's words.

Lin Tao instructed the people in the pickup truck to unload all the medicinal herbs. After she was done, she said to Qiao Nian, "Nian Nian, I have to leave. I have to go back and help Dad take care of the opening of the hospital in the northern suburbs tomorrow. You have to come tomorrow!"

As Lin Tao spoke, she stuffed an invitation into Qiao Nian's hand.

"Okay, I'll definitely go tomorrow." Smiling, Qiao Nian saw Lin Tao off.

After that, Qiao Nian got the servants in the villa to move the medicinal herbs in. She was tending to the medicinal field when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw Gu Zhou standing by the rockery in a well-tailored suit.

Seeing Gu Zhou staring at her, Qiao Nian casually asked, "Are you going out?"

"Doctor Qiao, isn't it time for the medicinal bath?"

Gu Zhou's shirt was all buttoned up, and he was wearing a dark blue tie. He looked sultry, yet exuded a strong air of propriety.

Qiao Nian's ears turned slightly red. This was the first time she had seen Gu Zhou so cooperative. She quickly said, "Tl go get the medicine bag!"

Qiao Nian had just taken two steps when Gu Zhou stopped her again.

She looked at Gu Zhou worriedly and asked in confusion, "Are you feeling unwell?"

"No."

Qiao Nian frowned but didn't leave immediately. Walking up to Gu Zhou, she reached out to grab his hand.

Gu Zhou lowered his head and watched Qiao Nian. Carefully, she unbuttoned the cuffs of his shirt and rolled up his sleeve, resting her fingers on his wrist.

The skin on her hand was a little warm. That delicate heat traveled through his blood to every part of his body, warming up his cold body.

After taking Gu Zhou's pulse, Qiao Nian heaved a sigh of relief and said, "You can use the same medicine bag we used previously to treat your current condition. Go back to your room and wait for me. I'll get the medicine!"

After retrieving the medicine bag, Qiao Nian walked towards Gu Zhou's room. When she passed by Gu Zhou's office, she heard a scream.

Qiao Nian frowned slightly. She opened the office door and saw Gu Zhou's snake coiled around a young girl's neck. There was a dangerous glint in its eyes.

It was as if the snake was going to snap the girl's neck in the next moment.

The girl screamed in despair.

Qiao Nian didn't have time to think. She quickly ran forward and grabbed the snake, snatching it off the girl's neck.

In pain, the snake bit Qiao Nian's wrist without hesitation.

Qiao Nian's face contorted in agony. Carelessly, she tossed the snake away, revealing a ghastly bite mark on her pale wrist.

The snake was in pain from the fall. Without hesitation, it pounced on Qiao Nian, but Qiao Nian grabbed the seven-inch snake before it could attack.

Qiao Nian hurriedly took out a silver needle and pricked the snake, causing it to faint!

The young girl in the office had already collapsed to the ground in shock.. She had never expected there to be a snake in this room!

Prev ChapterNext ChapterReport chapterChapter 108: Brother Gu Zhou

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At this moment, footsteps came from the corridor.

Qiao Nian turned around and saw Gu Zhou walking in. She met Gu Zhou's intriguing gaze.

Gu Zhou's gaze fell on Qiao Nian's arm, which was still bleeding.

At this moment, the butler walked over. Gu Zhou said coldly, "Lock it in the cage."

The snake seemed to realize that it had done something wrong. It sat there aggrievedly, unmoving. It allowed Butler Zhao to lock it up.

Qiao Nian frowned.

The girl, who had been too shocked, seemed to have only just come back to her senses. Weeping pitifully, she said in a weak voice, "Brother Gu Zhou, I'm so scared."

With that, the girl prepared to throw herself into Gu Zhou's arms.

Gu Zhou frowned. Under his suffocatingly cold gaze, the girl stood rooted to the ground in fear.

"Brother Gu Zhou…"

Gu Zhou's expression was abnormally dark. His eyes were ice-cold as he asked impatiently, "Who are you? Why are you in my study?"

The young girl looked at Gu Zhou in shock. She raised her hand to wipe her tears and said pitifully, "Brother Gu Zhou, I'm Wang Miao, Wang Lin's biological sister. We met at the hospital back then!"

Qiao Nian was slightly stunned.

'Wang Lin.

This name sounded familiar. She seemed to have heard it before.

Qiao Nian's gaze fell on Wang Miao's face. Suddenly, the realization struck her. She remembered now. Wasn't Wang Lin a woman Su Xue had casually made up in order to help Qiao Xin get out of the situation?

Did Wang Lin actually exist?

Why would Gu Zhou ask Wang Lin's younger sister to come to the Gu residence?

Qiao Nian stood rooted to the ground, studying Wang Miao intently. Could it be that Gu Zhou had taken a liking to Wang Miao?

'The next moment, Gu Zhou's words made Qiao Nian overturn her own thoughts.

"Who allowed you to enter my study?" Gu Zhou's expression was extremely dark. His entire body emitted a cold aura, causing one to shiver in fear.

'Wang Miao froze. She had not expected Gu Zhou to hate her, not when she was the aunt of Gu Zhou's child. "I…"

"Get out! Without my permission, anyone who steps into the study will have to report to the king of the underworld!" Although Gu Zhou's voice wasn't loud, it was frightening.

'Wang Miao was so frightened that she no longer dared to cry. She took two steps back, then hurried out.

'When Wang Miao walked to the study door, she seemed to remember something. She turned back to look at Gu Zhou and said softly, "Thank you, Brother Gu Zhou, for saving me. Otherwise, I might have been bitten to death by that snake!"

Qiao Nian couldn't help but think: Was this person mentally deficient?

Gu Zhou's expression darkened further. He glanced at Qiao Nian, then at Wang Miao. "You should be thanking her. What has that got to do with me? There's no place for anyone with bad eyesight in the Gu family."

'Wang Miao froze. She didn't expect Gu Zhou to be so ruthless when speaking with her. She looked at Qiao Nian with teary eyes.

'That woman was naturally beautiful and gave off a noble and elegant aura. Even though her arm was injured, her composure was completely unaffected.

'Wang Miao felt ashamed of herself. Compared to that woman, she was like a stray dog one found on the streets.

'Wang Miao lowered her head and said reluctantly, "Thank you."

With that, Wang Miao walked out, wiping her tears.

'Wang Miao had thought that Brother Gu Zhou would take good care of her on account of her older sister. After all, she was Little Qi's aunt, and she was a relative of the Gu family.

How could Brother Gu Zhou treat her like this?

Her sister had lost her life because of him.

The more Wang Miao thought about it, the more awful she felt. She couldn't help but burst into tears..

Prev ChapterNext ChapterReport chapterChapter 109: It's Yours Now

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In truth, Wang Miao had not gone far. Her sobs could be heard from within the study.

Gu Zhou's expression turned ugly. He frowned in displeasure, a wave of irritation washing over him.

Gu Zhou's gaze fell on the snake and he said impatiently, "Well, hurry up! Aren't you going to lock it up in the punishment room?"

Hearing this, the butler picked up the cage and prepared to leave the room.

"Wait a minute." Qiao Nian stepped closer to the cage and looked at the snake, which was curled up in an aggrieved ball. "Actually, it didn't do anything wrong. It was just guarding your study."

Gu Zhou looked at Qiao Nian with a complicated expression. His gaze fell on Qiao Nian's injured arm and he said very seriously, "But it bit you."

The man's voice was as deep as ever. There was no emotion in his voice.

Qiao Nian glanced at the bite mark on her arm and said, "The wound on my arm isn't too bad. Once the bleeding has stopped, I'll apply some medicine, then I'll be perfectly fine. We can't punish it just because of an outsider's mistake!"

Gu Zhou gazed intently at Qiao Nian, his eyebrow slightly raised. "So Mrs. Gu thinks that I'm not an outsider? Am I a part of the family?"

Qiao Nian was speechless.

Qiao Nian had not expected Gu Zhou to joke around with her. However, hearing Gu Zhou call her Mrs. Gu caught her off guard, and she was momentarily flustered.

The butler, who was standing at the side, had never expected such flirtatious words to fall from Gu Zhou's lips.

At this moment, the butler felt like the biggest third wheel in existence. It was no longer suitable for him to remain, so he quietly left the room.

Qiao Nian gazed unblinkingly at Gu Zhou. She met his dark, glittering eyes and pursed her lips, her throat working slightly. "I'm talking about the snake and Wang Miao. This snake is closest to you."

Gu Zhou stared unblinkingly back at Qiao Nian. His gaze fell on her fair and slender neck, and he noticed the movement of her throat. Her cheeks were just a little flushed, and the tips of her ears were also tinted red. For some reason, she gave off an air of delicacy.

Gu Zhou's mouth was a little dry, but he quickly recovered his usual impassiveness. His thin lips parted slightly. "As long as it doesn't hurt you anymore, I'll let it off the hook."

Qiao Nian smiled and looked down at the snake in the cage. The snake was looking at her too.

Although the snake had bitten her, she felt that it was the victim this time round.

If the snake had bitten her like it did the last time, she would have boiled the snake alive for its medicinal properties.

Most importantly, Qiao Nian could tell that Gu Zhou cared about the snake a lot.

At the thought, Qiao Nian opened the cage and reached in.

Gu Zhou's usually serene eyes instantly narrowed. He looked at Qiao Nian in disbelief, his heart involuntarily rising to his throat. "Qiao Nian, what are you doing?"

The snake kept flicking out its tongue, staring unblinkingly at Qiao Nian's arm.

In truth, Qiao Nian was also very nervous. Her gaze fell on the snake's teeth, which were exposed from time to time. With extreme effort, she put on a calm facade.

'The temperature in the room dropped.

Qiao Nian placed her hand carefully on the snake's head, caressing it over and over again, as if she were soothing its injured feelings.

Perhaps it was because Qiao Nian's touch was very gentle. The snake didn't seem to sense any aggression. Instead, it lay obediently on the bottom of the cage, letting Qiao Nian stroke it.

Gu Zhou looked at this scene in disbelief. He didn't expect this snake to turn into an obedient and cute kitten under Qiao Nian's touch.

'When Qiao Nian retracted her hand, the snake wound itself around her wrist happily.

Qiao Nian couldn't help but smile. She looked up at Gu Zhou and said proudly, "Look, it won't hurt me anymore, so you don't have to lock it up anymore."

Seeing Qiao Nian's proud expression, the ice in Gu Zhou's heart seemed to melt.

Qiao Nian's smile now was probably the most natural smile she had worn since she arrived at the Gu residence. She looked like an innocent child.

"From now on, it's yours."

"Really?" Qiao Nian was slightly stunned. She looked at Gu Zhou in confusion.

Gu Zhou found himself speechless.

'What was he saying?

'Was there something wrong with his brain?

Other than his grandmother, this snake was the only female who was close to him..

Prev ChapterNext ChapterReport chapterChapter 110: Bandaging the Wound

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However, since he had already spoken, Gu Zhou couldn't go back on his words. He nodded, giving a faint murmur of assent.

Qiao Nian looked at Gu Zhou, overjoyed. She quickly said, "Thank you!"

In her excitement, Qiao Nian reached out to pet the snake a little too forcefully. Forgetting that she was injured, she accidentally bumped against the cage with her arm, right where she had been bitten. She inhaled sharply in pain, going pale in an instant.

Looking at Qiao Nian's wound, the snake lowered its head pitifully and rubbed gently against her arm.

Tugging on Qiao Nian's uninjured arm, Gu Zhou walked towards the door.

Qiao Nian looked at Gu Zhou's side profile in confusion. "Where are you taking me?"

"To bandage your wound."

Gu Zhou's voice was as pleasant as ever, but beneath his words lay an undercurrent of overbearing strength. It would not be easy to disobey anything that voice commanded.

There was a flash of surprise in Qiao Nian's eyes. Without struggling, she let Gu Zhou drag her to the bedroom.

Sunlight filtered through the window, illuminating the entire bedroom.

"sit down on the sofa first." Gu Zhou looked at the sofa not far away. He turned to Qiao Nian and said, "T'll get the medical kit."

Only then did Qiao Nian remember something. Hurriedly, she said, "Don't help me bandage my wound first. Take the medicinal bath first. I'l bandage my wound after I've helped you with the acupuncture. Otherwise, the wound will still need to be bandaged again after coming into contact with water."

1

In the past, Gu Zhou would have hated anyone who spoke too much, But at this moment, Gu Zhou had a different impression.

Qiao Nian's voice seemed to be able to penetrate one's heart. Her voice left its mark on his heart.

This was something he had never felt before.

suddenly, Gu Zhou's breathing hitched. He felt as if someone had clutched at his chest, causing a sudden jolt of pain.

Gu Zhou had never felt this strange before.

Gu Zhou let go of Qiao Nian's hand. His handsome face was expressionless and his voice was several shades hoarser. "Qiao Nian."

Qiao Nian's heart skipped a beat. This was the first time Gu Zhou had called her by her name in such a hoarse, arresting voice.

Gu Zhou looked at Qiao Nian and said with a serious expression, "Mrs. Gu, you're a lady. If you're in pain, just shout. It won't be embarrassing!"

Qiao Nian's eyes widened. She stared at Gu Zhou in disbelief. She hadn't expected Gu Zhou to comfort her in such a manner.

At this moment, Qiao Nian's heart was beating wildly. Before she could react, Gu Zhou had already poured sanitizing alcohol all over her wound.

Without any warning, he attacked.

Pain shot through her arm. Qiao Nian couldn't help but cry out in pain.

In the next moment, Gu Zhou moved right up to her. Without hesitation, he bent down and sealed her lips with his.

"Mimph."

As their lips touched, Qiao Nian's cry was swallowed by Gu Zhou, leaving behind only a whimper.

Qiao Nian looked at Gu Zhou in utter shock. She had not expected Gu Zhou to do this, and her mind went completely blank.

Gu Zhou had actually kissed her!

His lips were slightly sweet, and the lingering scent of Chinese medicine was present. It was intoxicating.

'What was she thinking?

How could she be thinking about whether Gu Zhou's lips were sweet?

He had kissed her!

Qiao Nian came back to her senses in an instant. She pushed Gu Zhou away and looked at him warily.

Qiao Nian's pale face was now slightly red. She frowned, her expression displeased. "What are you doing!"

Gu Zhou observed the mixture of embarrassment and anger in Qiao Nian's eyes, as well as her flustered air. A trace of amusement flashed in his eyes, but his expression and demeanor remained cold. "Does it still hurt?"

For some reason, Qiao Nian's heart began to race. Hearing Gu Zhou's words, a trace of confusion flashed across her face, but she quickly came back to her senses.

Gu Zhou was probably using this method to distract her.

Qiao Nian asked with a serious expression, "Are you using this method to distract me so that I don't feel any pain?"

"What else?" Gu Zhou pulled Qiao Nian's arm over and began bandaging her wound. "The latest research shows that kissing can relieve pain."

Qiao Nian was speechless..

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