Chapter Seven: Time to Lay the Cards on the Table?

“Xiao Chen, you want to sneak out and fool around again…” As soon as she heard Xiao Chen’s words, Sun Ling strode out of the room, her expression fierce and angry. But all she saw was Xiao Chen’s back as he dashed out the door.

Xu Qingran witnessed this too, her brows knitting together, clearly displeased.

Xiao Chen, however, had no time to care about any of this. Even with his endurance, his face contorted, the agony in his chest radiating through his entire body. His skin burned red-hot, as though flames threatened to devour him.

This torment was the result of an injury sustained during a classified mission. According to the so-called “God of Medicine,” Xiao Chen’s body had been invaded by pure yang essence—a force no human could withstand. An ordinary person would have been reduced to ashes long ago. Only Xiao Chen, through sheer tenacity, could survive the ordeal, but every so often the pain would flare, like fiery knives carving through his soul.

Previously, he’d relied on a special pill, concocted by that legendary healer, to suppress the pure yang essence within. Yet all those precious pills had just been confiscated by the Xu family matriarch.

He hadn’t thought much of it, believing the next attack wouldn’t come for days, giving him ample time to request more from the healer. But fate had other plans—the agony struck early.

“The attacks are becoming more frequent,” Xiao Chen muttered, frowning. But now was not the time to worry. He hurried to a nearby river, stripped off his outer garments, and plunged into the water.

The pills worked from within, subduing the pure yang. With none left, he could only attempt relief from without.

The instant Xiao Chen entered the river, the water around him began to boil. Fish floated to the surface, belly up, releasing fragrant steam—their bodies cooked by the heat. And this was no mere pond, but a wide, flowing river, several dozen meters across. It was nearly unimaginable how high Xiao Chen’s body temperature must have been.

He paid no mind to such matters. His body sank to the riverbed, and for half an hour, he endured, until at last the pain ebbed away.

“Phew! I made it through,” Xiao Chen breathed, finally relaxing as he let himself rise to the surface.

Seeing the devastation he’d wrought upon the river, even he was startled. Had he been at home, he would have destroyed the house—and Xu Qingran and the others might have regarded him as a monster.

He shook his head and hastily left. If he were caught, he’d never be able to explain himself. And most importantly, if Xu Qingran found out, it would be disastrous.

Not long after Xiao Chen departed, an elderly man in traditional Tang attire appeared at the riverbank, accompanied by a young woman.

“Hiss!” The old man drew in a sharp breath at the sight. The young woman stared in astonishment. “What happened here? The river’s boiling—such a wide river! How could this be possible?”

Her eyes widened, her face full of shock.

“Who could have done this?” The old man was equally stunned, taking a long moment to recover. “Shuang’er, check the nearby surveillance cameras. Find out which extraordinary expert has taken up residence in Linzhou—how could I, Zhou, not know?”

“If we find out, I must pay my respects personally.”

“Yes, Grandfather!” Shuang’er replied.

Xiao Chen, unaware of all this, left the river and headed to the hospital, where he sold several vials of his blood.

This was his routine after every attack. With so much yang energy in his body, his blood would leak—nosebleeds and the like. Rather than waste it, he preferred to sell it for a little income, two birds with one stone.

Just as he finished, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen—it was Xu Qingran.

He was surprised; Xu Qingran had never called him of her own accord. In person, they barely exchanged a word, much less on the phone.

Still, he answered without hesitation.

“Xiao Chen, where are you?” she asked. Before he could reply, she continued, “Never mind where you are. Come to my company at once. I have something to discuss with you at noon when I finish work.”

With that, she hung up.

Xiao Chen wasn’t troubled—in fact, he felt a surge of excitement.

Previously, Xu Qingran had forbidden him from coming to her office, worried about gossip. Now, she had invited him herself. It was a tremendous breakthrough.

It seemed that everything he’d done today had meaning. Even though he’d given that priceless pill to the Xu matriarch at Xu Qingran’s request, triggering his injury’s early onset and nearly causing disaster, it was all worthwhile.

If Xu Qingran could develop even a hint of affection toward him, Xiao Chen was confident he could win her heart back, step by step.

Suppressing his excitement, Xiao Chen hurried straight to Beauty City Cosmetics.

“Hm?” As he arrived outside the building, he spotted a sports car parked at the entrance. Beside it stood a young man—Jiang Yichen.

He held a bouquet in one hand, his other wrist turned to display a luxury watch. He stood poised and elegant, glancing at his watch and then at the company doors, as if waiting for someone.

Employees exiting the building cast frequent glances at Jiang Yichen, murmuring among themselves.

“Wow, Young Master Jiang is here again.”

“He’s so devoted to President Xu—young, wealthy, and handsome. If it were me, I’d say yes without a second thought.”

“Exactly, where could you find such a man? It’s only because Young Master Jiang doesn’t fancy me—if he did, I’d be willing to be his mistress.”

Yet others whispered, “But you know, President Xu is already married.”

The previous group scoffed, “You mean that useless Xiao Chen? They should divorce! I’ve heard their marriage is in name only.”

“Yeah, I heard that too. Supposedly, after three years, that loser hasn’t even touched President Xu’s hand.”

“I wonder if Xiao Chen is… incapable… of certain things.”

Laughter erupted.

Xiao Chen ignored them, glancing at Jiang Yichen with a slight frown. His excitement faded.

Was Xu Qingran’s summons related to Jiang Yichen? Did she want to lay things on the table for his sake?