Dusk fell on the top floor of Shang Group’s branch building in the Southern Hemisphere.

Shang Yan rubbed his temples with a tired expression. The two-and-a-half-hour video conference had caused his voice to be hoarse.

His phone had been silent the entire time. Qu Xiao did not send him any messages.

Shang Yan thought for a while. His fingertips tapped on the screen lightly.

Ding!

Qu Xiao was soaking in the bathtub. She lazily lifted her arm to grab her phone. When she saw Shang Yan’s message, the corners of her lips curled up.

“I’m sorry. When I received the anonymous message in my email, I couldn’t control my emotions.”

“But I definitely didn’t mean to doubt you. I was anxious and angry because I was worried that you were in danger. Will you forgive me?” Shang Yan did not seem to have any experience in apologizing, but his pureness touched Qu Xiao’s heart.

The grudge that lingered in Qu Xiao’s heart dissipated with his efforts.

—

On the weekend, the Chinese medicine store located in the bustling business street was very quiet.

Qu Xiao was not in a hurry to attract customers. She brought two rattan chairs and placed them under the shade of an osmanthus tree. As she sipped her cup of jasmine tea, she flipped through a few yellowed ancient medical scriptures that were packed in the corner of the Chinese medicine store. The medical scriptures with a hundred year’s worth of content recorded contained the treatment methods for many complicated diseases. There were also records of the effects of various medicinal herbs.

Qu Xiao read two pages to kill time. Her gaze slowly fell on the effects of “Nanjiang Blood Essence.”.

“This item is extremely rare. If it is ground into powder and boiled with medicinal soup, it can have the effect of activating blood circulation and removing blood stasis. It can help patients who have been bedridden all year round stand again. It also has a significant curative effect on paralysis caused by blood clots.”

Qu Xiao thought of Shang Yan’s leg paralysis and immediately ran to the former boss with the medical scripture in her hands. She asked, “Do we have any Nanjiang Blood Essence in our shop?” The boss wiped the glass on the counter and raised his eyes to shake his head.

“It’s very difficult to buy rare medicinal herbs. If you need anything, you can go online and ask around. There might be someone who has them and may contact you, but I advise you not to have too much hope. This kind of thing is very rare.”

“Thank you.”

Qu Xiao nodded heavily. She immediately posted online that she was looking for Nanjiang Blood Essence. She even made two posters and stuck them at the door of the shop.

She wanted to try everything she could to help Shang Yan stand up again.

On the second floor of the store opposite, Qu Qi narrowed her eyes and stared at the posters on the door of the Chinese medicine store. An evil idea suddenly popped up in her mind. With a smirk, she dialed the number of a close friend and said in a deep voice, “Hello? Do me a favor!”

In the evening, Qu Xiao checked her messages from time to time.

Seeing that no one had contacted her, Qu Xiao could not hide her frustration and disappointment.

Ding Dong!

Two anonymous messages appeared on Qu Xiao’s phone.

She opened them eagerly and saw two pieces of Nanjiang Blood Essence lying in a red velvet cloth.

Qu Xiao opened her mouth in surprise and zoomed in to confirm the contents in the red velvet cloth. Her eyes could not help but shine with joy.

“Tonight, 8:30 pm, Lotus Club.”

“If you want the Nanjiang Blood Essence, bring the money to room 2202. We can trade face to face.”

The joy of being able to cure Shang Yan’s leg paralysis made Qu Xiao lose her rationality and ability to reason. She informed the boss before stopping a taxi to go to Lotus Club.

The streets were a little congested during rush hour. Qu Xiao sat in the back seat and wrung her fingers. She bit her red lips anxiously.

Lotus Club was the most popular high-end private club in the financial world where powerful people were introduced to each other.

Only people with connections were able to make reservations in advance. The people who came and went were all wealthy people with noble statuses.

When the manager saw Qu Xiao, whom he had never seen before, he immediately stopped her outside.

He politely asked, “Hello, Ma’am. How can I help you?”

“I’m looking for someone.”

Qu Xiao showed the message on her phone to the manager.

When the manager saw her phone, a strange look flashed across his eyes.

He had just heard that the guests in room 2202 had ordered a call girl, but he did not expect her to come so soon.

He sized up Qu Xiao with his eyes and thought to himself that she did not look like a call girl.

Then, with a smile on his face, he guided her to the private room at the end of the corridor.

The sound of lively conversation in room 2202 could be clearly heard. Qu Xiao felt that it was a little strange and stopped in her tracks.

Dong dong. The manager gently pushed the door open. His palm gently pushed Qu Xiao’s waist. “Go in.”

The music suddenly stopped.

In the private room, Ling Chi, Qu Qi, and Qu Zhen raised their champagne cups and turned around. Many rich second-generation heirs around them were a little surprised to see Qu Xiao.

They looked at Ling Chi and Qu Xiao with gossipy eyes, then bent their fingers to their lips and whistled.

“Yo! What’s going on? Why is the illegitimate daughter of the Qu family here?”

“The security measures at Lotus Club sucks! How did she know that we’re here to celebrate Qu Zhen’s return?”

“Qu Xiao! Did you eagerly run over here to celebrate or to see Ling Chi? Haha…”