“Professor Li, I’m sorry, but my friend is quite reclusive and doesn’t like to socialize,” Zhao Xueqing explained, trying to brush off the topic. “Besides, he’s not in Linzhou right now, and I’ve lost contact with him.”
“That’s such a shame…” Professor Li’s excitement was instantly doused, and he slumped into a chair, looking utterly dejected.
“Professor Li, can we start mass-producing this prescription now?” Zhou Liwen interjected.
“Of course! Just follow this prescription, and I guarantee there won’t be any issues!” Professor Li exclaimed, his face filled with admiration. “The person who came up with this prescription must be a genius in pharmacology, with an unparalleled understanding of medicinal properties. Honestly, there are only a handful of people in all of China who could reach this level. What a pity I never got to meet them…”
“That’s fantastic!” Zhou Liwen was thrilled.
Suddenly, Zhao Xueqing had an idea. She rummaged through her bag, pulled out a small bottle, and handed it to Professor Li. “Professor Li, this pill was also made by him. What do you think?”
Even from a distance, Professor Li could smell a refreshing, soothing fragrance. He quickly put on a pair of rubber gloves and carefully took the pill, examining it closely.
“This isn’t just any ordinary pill. This is a dan pill!” Professor Li’s hands trembled with excitement as he spoke.
“What? A dan pill?” Zhao Xueqing looked puzzled.
“Yes, a dan pill! This is a dan pill!” Professor Li was so excited he was on the verge of tears. “The art of alchemy, which involves heating and sublimating medicinal ingredients, has been practiced in China since the Warring States period. It’s the earliest of its kind in the world.”
“Dan pills harness the power of heaven and earth. Consuming them can cure all diseases, strengthen the body, and even lead to immortality and ascension to the heavens. Emperor Qin Shi Huang was obsessed with this practice, and it reached its peak during the Eastern Jin Dynasty with Ge Hong, who supposedly ascended to immortality after consuming dan pills!”
“While this pill may not have the legendary effects of those ancient dan pills, it’s undoubtedly a true elixir. I never thought I’d live to see a real dan pill in my lifetime!” Professor Li was so excited he could barely contain himself.
“I was wrong… so wrong…” Zhao Xueqing was stunned, her scalp tingling.
She now realized that Jiang Tian wasn’t crazy—or at least, he wasn’t anymore. He really had been treating her last night. The blood and sweat on the bed must have been his.
After Professor Li left, Zhao Xueqing spent the entire morning feeling lost and confused, her brow furrowed with unanswered questions.
In the afternoon, her secretary knocked on the door. “Director Zhao, a woman named Liu Yating is here to see you. She says she’s Jiang Tian’s classmate…”
“Let her in!” Zhao Xueqing’s heart skipped a beat. Maybe Liu Yating had news about Jiang Tian.
“Hello, Miss Zhao. I’m Liu Yating, the owner of Mei Ruo Tian Cheng Beauty Salon!” Liu Yating couldn’t help but marvel at Zhao Xueqing’s beauty the moment she saw her. She had always considered herself quite attractive, but compared to Zhao Xueqing, she felt like she fell short.
“How did you find me?” Zhao Xueqing asked.
“Oh, Jiang Tian and I are classmates. At a recent class reunion, he didn’t have a phone, so he left your number with me,” Liu Yating explained. “I came to thank him. He gave me a prescription, and after testing it, the results were amazing! When I went to apply for a patent, someone told me the prescription could be worth millions!”
According to Liu Yating, the medicinal concoction made from Jiang Tian’s prescription had transformed her customers’ skin, making it look as if it had been reborn. Her salon was now selling millions of yuan worth of membership cards daily, pulling her business out of its slump and propelling it to new heights.
“He’s better… he really is better. But I drove him away…” Zhao Xueqing’s face twisted with emotion, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
“What? You drove Jiang Tian away? How could you do that? He’s such a good person!” Liu Yating was furious.
“I’m sorry, it’s my fault…” Zhao Xueqing’s eyes reddened, her gaze empty.
Liu Yating forced an awkward smile. “Miss Zhao, where is Jiang Tian? This prescription is so valuable. I want to give him half the shares of my salon so we can run it together…”
“But I don’t have his contact information. I can’t find him anywhere, so I came to you. Where is he?”
Ever since their last meeting, Liu Yating hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Jiang Tian. He had left a profound impression on her. Moreover, she always felt a sense of calm and joy whenever she was around him, which made her eager to see him again.
“How would I know where he is? He said he’s leaving and will never come back…” Zhao Xueqing’s heart ached, her eyes reddening as she fought back tears.
But sensing Liu Yating’s affection for Jiang Tian, Zhao Xueqing suddenly felt a mix of jealousy and pride.
She lifted her head and said firmly, “Jiang Tian isn’t here right now, but I’m actually his wife. Didn’t he tell you?”
“Oh… I see…” Liu Yating’s heart sank, and she forced a smile. “No wonder he was so eager to go home that day. He was afraid you’d get upset…”
She felt awkward, having just confessed her feelings for Jiang Tian to his wife.
“He… he just wanted to come home to me? And he was afraid I’d get upset?” Zhao Xueqing listened in a daze, feeling a warm sensation in her heart.
It was as if she could suddenly receive a call from Jiang Tian, hearing his familiar voice saying, “Honey, I’m on my way home.”
“Was he afraid I’d get upset? Did he think I was scary?”
Zhao Xueqing muttered to herself, then suddenly burst into laughter. He must have let it slip.
But after laughing, she remembered how she had scolded Jiang Tian over the past few days and even hit him on the head that morning. Did he go to the hospital to get it treated? Would there be any lasting effects?
“Miss Zhao, I’ll take my leave now. When Jiang Tian comes back, please let him know how grateful I am…” Seeing Zhao Xueqing distracted, Liu Yating felt awkward and got up to leave.
—
That evening, Zhao Xueqing returned to her mansion. When she opened the door, she didn’t see Jiang Tian’s familiar figure.
Suddenly, there was a frantic knock at the door. Zhao Qianru rushed in, beaming with excitement. “Sis, great news!”
“What great news?” Zhao Xueqing asked listlessly.
“Liu Wangfeng and Wu Chaohui’s families were robbed! Their parents were beaten into comas, and the two of them were kidnapped by fugitives. They drove off a cliff at Baizhangya, and their car caught fire. They’re dead!”
Zhao Qianru was ecstatic. “This is great! Liu Wangfeng won’t be able to harass you anymore!”
“Oh, Liu Wangfeng is dead…” Zhao Xueqing felt a wave of relief, but thinking about Jiang Tian’s departure, she couldn’t feel any joy.
Just then, the doorbell rang. Zhao Xueqing hurried to answer it.
Two police officers stood outside. “Miss Zhao, did you hear any unusual noises around 1 a.m. last night?”
“No, why?” Zhao Xueqing was confused.
“Well, last night, two robbers kidnapped two hostages and drove near your residence,” one officer explained. “We’re just checking to see if they might have committed any other crimes in the area. Since you didn’t hear anything, that’s good. But please stay safe and lock your doors and windows.”
After the police left, Zhao Xueqing felt a growing sense of unease.
Suddenly, she rushed upstairs to a storage room, turned on the surveillance footage, and fast-forwarded through the recordings.
The camera was pointed at the front gate. When the footage reached a certain point, Zhao Xueqing nearly screamed.
Two burly men had climbed over the wall, opened the gate, and let Liu Wangfeng and Wu Chaohui in.
Seeing the guns in their hands, Zhao Xueqing’s scalp tingled. It was clear they had malicious intentions.
Liu Wangfeng was terrifying, utterly insane. Zhao Xueqing shuddered at the thought.
It seemed Jiang Tian had been telling the truth. He had likely been poisoned and was in danger.
If Jiang Tian hadn’t intervened, what kind of tragedy might have befallen her? She couldn’t bear to think about it.
Zhao Xueqing clicked the mouse to play the video at normal speed.
The footage showed Jiang Tian walking out of the villa, talking to the men, and then being led away at gunpoint.
“Mr. Liu, let’s talk this out. I’m sure you don’t want Zhao Xueqing to see you kill someone. It might scare her. How about we talk outside?”
Hearing Jiang Tian’s words, Zhao Xueqing burst into tears, covering her mouth to stifle her sobs.
Even with two guns pointed at him, in mortal danger, he was still worried about scaring her…
They had driven off the cliff, but Jiang Tian had returned the next day. It had to have been Jiang Tian who saved her.
“No one can ever find out…” Zhao Xueqing’s heart raced as she dismantled the computer, removed the hard drive, and smashed it to pieces with a hammer.
“Sis, what are you doing? We were in the middle of talking, and you just ran off!” Zhao Qianru walked in, saw Zhao Xueqing’s pale face, and immediately supported her, alarmed. “Sis, you look terrible! You’re sweating so much. Are you sick?”
“I’m fine. Help me downstairs…” Zhao Xueqing shook her head, breathing heavily.
Once downstairs, Zhao Xueqing suddenly had an idea. She found Jiang Tian’s backpack, pulled out a bottle of coconut juice, and handed it to Zhao Qianru. “Qianru, take this to the company and have the lab analyze it for toxins.”
“What? There’s poison in this? What’s going on?” Zhao Qianru was baffled.
“Just go! Hurry!” Zhao Xueqing urged.
“Okay, I’m on it!” Zhao Qianru rushed off, while Zhao Xueqing sat on the sofa, anxiously waiting.
Half an hour later, Zhao Qianru returned. “Sis, there really is poison in it! It’s called Spanish Fly, a highly toxic substance that can cause loss of consciousness and has aphrodisiac effects…”
“He’s not crazy… he’s not crazy… he’s better…” Zhao Xueqing sat in stunned silence, then suddenly burst into tears. “He was protecting me when he fought Liu Wangfeng, but I treated him like a madman. He was protecting me all along!”
