The Byoukidere Is Her Sweetie

Chapter 133: 133: Fang Bao takes Jiang Zhi for infertility treatment
 

“Luo Yinghe, did you slip something else into the drink?”

Jiang Zhi didn’t turn around but offered a sideways glance, “If you’re that curious, go join the criminal investigation unit.”

He didn’t say it, but Qiao Nanchu had guessed as much and didn’t press further. He shrugged, half-jokingly said, “Forget criminal investigation, I might not be able to resist arresting you.”

“Arrest me?” Jiang Zhi threw a provocative look from the corner of his eye, “Do you think I’m that easy to catch?”

Qiao Nanchu cursed with a laugh, “You lawless bastard!”

Jiang Zhi ignored him and continued looking out the window.

The room was filled with antiques, each piece a rare treasure, except for an odd painting hanging above the bed that seemed out of place.

Qiao Nanchu then noticed the painting and took a closer look, unable to figure it out, “What is this painting supposed to be?” he guessed, “A talisman to ward off evil spirits?”

Jiang Zhi turned his head, a cold light coating his face from the lamp overhead, “That’s Zhou Xufang.”

“…”

Qiao Nanchu looked back at the painting again.

Was sure this wasn’t just a blotch of ink splattered on paper?

“So it’s Zhou Xufang,” he said nonchalantly, “does Zhou Xufang know this is supposed to be her?”

Jiang Zhi kept a straight face, barely containing his irritation, “She knows.”

Qiao Nanchu grinned, slyly and maliciously, “And she didn’t hit you?”

Jiang Zhi’s peach blossom eyes went icy, “Get lost.”

Qiao Nanchu laughed even harder, pocketing his lighter, his tone quite sincere, “Jiang Zhi, you really should stop painting.”

Jiang Zhi: “…”

This damn bastard!

As soon as Qiao Nanchu left, a servant came with a message: “Young master, the Old Madam is asking for you.”

The Jiang Family had dispersed, only Old Lady Jiang was in the main hall, sitting in a loop chair with a brazier underneath. Jiang Zhi walked over.

The Old Lady nudged the brazier with her foot, beckoning him to sit, “You just touched that flower, do you feel unwell anywhere?”

Jiang Zhi sat on the armchair, one hand propping him up, his complexion slightly pale, “It’s nothing.”

“If it were just a banned plant, you could have been bailed out, but this involves the Luo Family, so Shiyu might have to stay in the police station for a while,” the Old Lady took a hand warmer from a servant and handed it to him, “For now, let Vice President Sun look after you.”

He half-closed his eyes, listless, “Hmm.”

Seeing his poor complexion, Old Lady Jiang was quite worried, “Are you tired?”

He pinched his forehead, lacking energy and half-reclining in the chair, “It was too noisy earlier, I have a bit of a headache.”

Hearing him mention being tired, Old Lady Jiang dropped the subject, “Then you should rest early.”

He hummed a response, “I’ll go to my own place.”

At the doorway, Ah Wan went over to help him.

Old Lady Jiang glanced at Ah Wan’s bruised face, deliberating, then called out, “Lin… Lin… Lin…” What was his full name again?

She could never remember this bulky fellow’s name.

Ah Wan, with a ‘colorful’ face, replied, “Lin Wanwan.”

That name… Old Madam Jiang really couldn’t say it, so she opted for another address, “Lin Xiaodi, who hit you?”

Lin Xiaodi: “I fell by myself.”

In reality, he had been beaten by Ming Saiying, that tomboy, with a handbag. His face was the least of it; his back was the real disaster area. He couldn’t hold on much longer; he had to call an ambulance for himself soon.

Old Lady Jiang gave him another complicated look but said nothing.

Jiang Zhi went upstairs, changed into an overcoat, “Hand me the car keys, you can head back.”

“Oh.”

Lin Xiaodi handed over the keys, perfect; he needed to call an ambulance.

Jiang Zhi, his mind full of his girlfriend, didn’t even notice Lin Xiaodi’s ‘injured yet pretending to be strong’ expression as he walked out while texting his girlfriend.

“Xu Fang.”

No response.

Jiang Zhi sent another message: “Xu Fang.”

Still no reply.

“Zhou Xufang!”

She responded with a voice message, “Hmm.”

Her voice was sleepy, drowsy.

Jiang Zhi asked her, “Where are you?”

“In your car.”

It was Jiang Zhi’s other car, and the keys were with Zhou Xufang. That car wasn’t parked in the Jiang Family’s garage but out on the street.

Jiang Zhi sped up his pace, “Honey, wait for me five more minutes.”

“Hmm.”

He got there in three minutes.

Zhou Xufang had locked the car and was sleeping inside. Jiang Zhi knocked on the window, “Fang Bao.”

She immediately sat up, rubbing her eyes, somewhat groggy, and opened the car door, “If you didn’t come soon, I’d have fallen asleep.”

Jiang Zhi got in and noticed her clothes were wet, “Why are your clothes wet?” The car’s heater wasn’t on, and her clothes were almost icy.

She explained, “I got sprayed when I used the hose on Luo Qinghe.”

Jiang Zhi pinched her icy cold little face, scolding, “Don’t you know to turn on the heater? What if you catch a cold?”

She shook her head with a mischievous smile, claiming she wasn’t afraid of the cold.

Acting as if she were made of iron.

Jiang Zhi got out of the car and retrieved a bag of clothes from the trunk, “Put these on.”

Inside was a set of men’s clothing, complete from inside out.

“Yours?”

“Mhm, make do with these.”

The car was all decked out in pink and girly decorations. Previously, to please her, he had even hung pink tassel curtains on the windows. Now, they came in handy. He pulled down the curtains, shielding the drenched girl as he carried her to the back seat, “I’ll stand guard outside. You change out of your wet clothes first.”

She obediently replied, “Okay.”

Jiang Zhi stepped out and looked around, fortunately, there was no one around.

Zhou Xufang crouched between the back seat and the driver’s seat, quickly stripping off her wet clothes.

Jiang Zhi called out to her from outside, “Xu Fang.”

“Mhm.”

He leaned against the car, hands in his pockets, casual leg propped up, kicking at the gravel intermittently. Suddenly, he asked Zhou Xufang, “Do you like children?”

Zhou Xufang didn’t think much and replied, “I do.”

After a while.

He hesitated before speaking, the tone awkward, “Then should I get checked?”

Zhou Xufang was puzzled for a moment, “What’s wrong with you?”

He mumbled something indistinctly.

Zhou Xufang had good hearing and understood clearly.

He said, “Infertility.”

Before, she never thought much of this topic, but ever since Zhou Xufang read novels and about novel benefits, she found it embarrassing to discuss, equivocating, “It’s…up to you.”

“It being up to me isn’t helpful, you need to decide,” Jiang Zhi said awkwardly but assertively, “If you want to, I’ll have children with you.”

He was serious.

He didn’t mind whether or not they had offspring; it all depended on Zhou Xufang’s wishes.

“What about you?” Zhou Xufang asked softly from within the car, “Do you like children?”

Without a second thought, Jiang Zhi shook his head, “No.”

He had seen the children in Qiao Nanchu cousin’s family, loud and mischievous, too little to understand scolding yet unable to be smacked, just a bothersome little burden.

He had no fondness for children, lacking the patience.

However, if it was a little bun born from Zhou Xufang, a dark little bun, quiet and coolly adorable… the corners of his mouth lifted, “I would like it if it’s yours, especially if it’s a powerful little Black Impermanence like you.”

Zhou Xufang didn’t respond.

She didn’t wish to be like herself.

She hoped to be like Jiang Zhi, entirely like him.

Seeing her silent, Jiang Zhi worried she was upset and said, “If you don’t want—”

She interrupted him, “Go get treated.”

Jiang Zhi’s eyes crinkled, “Okay.”

“I’m done changing.” She packed the wet clothes and placed them under the seat.

Jiang Zhi got in the car, pulled her close, and adjusted her shirt collar. The sweater was a bit large, so he rolled it up at her wrists.

She clutched her pants with one hand, not letting go.

Jiang Zhi lifted the sweater to check, “Too big?”

“Mhm, it’s falling.”

It was his suit pants, loose at the waist and, unfortunately, there were no spare belts in the car. Jiang Zhi had no other choice but to pull two threads from that fringed pink curtain, tying them together.

“Raise your hands.”

She obediently let go and raised them.

Jiang Zhi bent down, clumsily threading the makeshift belt, stumbling through the task, and after much fumbling, finally tied a knot, “There you go.”

Yes, the belt was fixed.

But she moved—

She looked down, avoiding Jiang Zhi’s gaze, and pushed him gently, “Get out of the car, wait for me a little longer.”

“What’s wrong?”

Her voice was soft, timid, “The shoulder strap.”

Jiang Zhi didn’t understand at first, lifting her face, “Hmm?”

Her face was beet-red, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s, “…it’s loose.” It must have snagged while she was changing.

Jiang Zhi was initially stunned but then chuckled, “I’m not getting out.”

She lifted her head, looking at him puzzled, her expression blank, utterly bewildered.

Jiang Zhi leaned in, embracing her, his hand moving around her waist, from under the hem of her shirt to her back.

He fumbled for a long time before finding the clasp, and once fixed, he straightened up proudly, “There.” He adjusted her shirt and fastened her coat’s buttons.

Zhou Xufang stole a glance at Jiang Zhi, “Your face is so red.” She touched it with a finger, “Like you have a fever.”

He didn’t know if he had a fever, but Zhou Xufang might have.

He leaned closer to her ear and whispered something.

Zhou Xufang’s ear tips turned red as she pushed him away. Unable to curse, she just glared at him with a ferocious look, “You have no shame!”

Jiang Zhi went with the flow, “Yeah, I have no shame.”

“You scoundrel!”

He smiled, “Yeah, I’m a scoundrel.”

Zhou Xufang had no comeback.

He reached out and touched her head, his eyes filled with a tender shadow, “The shameless scoundrel now wants to take you home— to your place or mine?”

Zhou Xufang didn’t want to deal with him, stubbornly silent for seven or eight seconds, “To my house.”

Jiang Zhi opened the car door and led her to the passenger side.

The next day, a video of Luo Qinghe being doused and beaten was exposed. Although it was mosaic-blurred, Luo Yinghe appeared in the video and, being known in the circles, was quickly recognized; and following the clues, Luo Qinghe was also implicated.

This wasn’t the first time Luo Qinghe was in the news. Normally, she was featured in the business sections as an entrepreneur, but this time it was because of an embarrassing video that she topped the entertainment trending searches.

As soon as the video came out, onlookers swarmed for a feast of gossip.

“The one hitting others is Luo Yinghe, right? Who’s the other one?”

“Luo Group’s current CEO, Luo Qinghe. You’re welcome.”

This netizen’s comment even included a recent photo of Luo Qinghe from a business interview. Despite the mosaic, her build, attire, and hairstyle were a match; even the eagle-eyed could tell that the humiliated haute monde lady in the video was the same person.

Then, Luo Yinghe’s detractors came forward to leak information, claiming that the pair were fake, plastic sisters.

More and more netizens gathered, with comments flooding in.

“This rage disorder is just terrifying.”

“I won’t accept Luo Yinghe being whitewashed!”

“The high society sure knows how to play.”

“I feel like I’ve stumbled upon something huge.”

“They’re sisters? The kind that hits you with flowers?”

“…”

With a loud bang.

The tablet was fiercely smashed onto the ground, immediately shattering into pieces.

Luo Qinghe, decked in a hospital gown, still pale, clenched her fists with the IV needle still drawing blood. Her lip was bitten red, eyes seething with raging fury, “Take down the trending search.”

Secretary Shen Yue stood beside the hospital bed, “We’re already on it.”

Her hair draped over half her face, the exposed side sharp and severe. Her voice was hoarse from a fever all night, “Who released the video?”

Shen Yue replied, “The young master from the Jin Family.”

Of course, it had to be the Jin Family.

The Luo Family wanted to bid on a plot of land, which happened to belong to the Jin Family. At this junction, she couldn’t afford to offend the Jin Family.

She threw off the blanket, stood up, yanked out the IV, and walked out of the hospital room.

Luo Yinghe was also in this hospital, right next door. She had been injected with a sedative last night and had just woken up, weak and feeble. Seeing Luo Qinghe coming in, she was so frightened that she immediately sat up.

“Sister.”

Luo Qinghe’s eyes were cold and sharp, filled with chilling frost and brimming with murderous intent.

Luo Yinghe shivered with fear, her memories of the previous night fragmented. Doubting herself, she timidly shrank into the bed, not daring to look up, apologizing with her head low, “I’m sorry, sister. I was drugged last night and wasn’t in my right mind.”

Luo Qinghe sneered, “Not in your right mind, but your mind was clear enough to remember how much you despise me.”

Yes, she despised her.

But she was even more afraid of her.

She crawled out of the blankets, kneeling on the bed, wringing her hands and pleading miserably, “I was wrong, I was wrong, sister. I’ll get better, I won’t dare do it again.” Her body weak, she staggered, her back sweating cold, “Sorry—”

She couldn’t finish her plea.

Luo Qinghe grabbed her hair violently and dragged her off the bed.

Luo Yinghe, with no strength in her legs, fell to the ground, the IV stand toppling over and hitting her calf. Ignoring the pain, she cried out in shock, “Sister!”

Her hair tugged by Luo Qinghe, tears sprang from the pain, “Sister, please, spare me this once.”

Luo Qinghe yanked her head back forcefully, forcing her to meet her eyes, “You were not lucid, you said? Now, I’ll make you lucid.”

The sedative was still in effect inside Luo Yinghe, leaving her powerless as Luo Qinghe dragged her by the hair across the floor, pulling her into the restroom.

“Sister!”

“Sister!”

Luo Yinghe screamed, tears streaking her face, shivering as she tried to back away.

She knew what kind of person her cousin was— a vengeful spirit that was utterly terrifying. Last night, her high fever was the only reason she was at a disadvantage.

If Luo Qinghe suffered a loss, for every bit she lost, she would repay tenfold.

Luo Qinghe grabbed Luo Yinghe by the hair, lifting her up and turning on the tap, violently forcing her head under the running water.

Luo Yinghe screamed, “No!”

“No, sister!”

Cold water poured down on her head.

With both hands, Luo Qinghe pressed her down into the sink, turning the water to full blast, “Are you lucid yet?” The water soon filled up to her face, her eyes blazing with excitement, laughing as she asked, “Are you lucid now?”

Luo Yinghe struggled violently, water splashing everywhere, her head forcibly held down, icy water pouring into her nose and mouth.

She coughed violently, twisting her head, “Cough cough cough… Sister… cough…”

As the water level rose, Luo Qinghe’s laughter grew louder. Beads of blood formed where the needle had been, but she felt no pain, pressing down harder, water splashing her face; she wiped it away, “Speak up, are you lucid yet?”

“Qing…”

As soon as he opened his mouth, water rushed into his throat: “Cough cough cough…”

Water spilled everywhere on the ground, Luo Yinghe’s struggling movements became smaller and smaller, her whole head was submerged in water, and there was no sound anymore.

At that moment, the door was forcefully pushed open.

Luo Yinghe’s mother, Xu Yunci, rushed in and saw the mess all over the floor and her daughter in the sink, she cried out in panic, “Yinghe!”

Hearing the voice, Luo Yinghe suddenly struggled to come up: “Mom… cough… help…”

Luo Qinghe leisurely pushed her down again.

Xu Yunci’s eyes were frantic: “Qinghe, Qinghe, let go of your sister.” Seeing that Luo Qinghe still hadn’t let go, she ran over to pull and started crying as soon as she spoke, “I’m begging you, Qinghe, she’s your sister, let her go, Qinghe, your auntie begs you.”

Hmph, such a weak and incompetent thing.

Luo Qinghe shrugged off Xu Yunci’s hand and finally released Luo Yinghe.

She immediately raised her head from the sink, dizzy and short of breath from swallowing too much water, and sat on the ground, supporting herself with her hands, coughing violently.

Luo Qinghe took a towel, leisurely wiped his hands, then threw it on the ground, and slowly approached.

Luo Yinghe backed away in panic, her eyes red with fear.

Luo Qinghe squatted down, grabbed her chin and lifted it up, picked up the towel from the ground, covered her face with it, and rubbed hard, softly asking, “Will you dare again in the future?”

Luo Yinghe shook her head vigorously, her wet hair sticking to her face, she gasped heavily, “No, I won’t dare anymore.”

Xu Yunci sat aside, covering her mouth, afraid to cry out loud.

Luo Qinghe let go, stood up, and looked down at the mother and daughter on the ground: “If there’s a next time, I’ll kill you.” After saying that, she wiped the blood from the back of her hand and left the restroom.

Only when Luo Qinghe was far away did Luo Yinghe no longer suppress herself, sitting on the ground and crying out loud, screaming Luo Qinghe’s name.

“Mr. Luo.”

Shen Yue was waiting at the door, and when he saw Luo Qinghe come out, he immediately handed her a blanket.

She wrapped herself in the blanket and walked towards the ward.

A click sounded behind her, someone was stealthily taking pictures.

She turned her head and glanced at Shen Yue, who understood and went after the person taking pictures.

More than twenty minutes later, Shen Yue returned to the ward.

Luo Qinghe had already reinserted the needle and was sitting on the hospital bed, checking her emails on a laptop, without looking up, she asked, “Did you catch him?”

Shen Yue bowed his head and replied, “Caught.”

She slightly curled her lips, a smile that was not quite a smile: “Break his hands for me.”

Shen Yue’s expression changed slightly, but then returned to normal: “Understood.”

Luo Qinghe looked at the computer, the light from the screen reflecting cold white on her face, “Did you find out anything about last night?”

“Qin Shiyu is still in police custody for illegally cultivating prohibited plants, he’s been detained. His testimony claims the flowers were stolen, but it’s still unclear who took them,” Shen Yue paused before continuing, “As for whether Miss Second’s illness is related to those flowers, there’s no research indicating that.”

How could it be such a coincidence.

It must be done by someone, but who?

Luo Qinghe’s pupils didn’t move, staring at a spot on the computer, her neatly trimmed nails intermittently tapping on the keyboard, pondering for a while: “Who was spraying water upstairs?”

Shen Yue shook his head: “According to the Jiang Family’s butler, it was, it was,” he felt it was absurd and couldn’t say it.

Luo Qinghe raised her head: “Who?”

“Lord Black Impermanence.”

At those words, she scoffed.

Shen Yue, meticulous as usual, continued: “The person disappeared from the Jiang Family’s rooftop, and the Jiang Family hasn’t found out who it was. However, the Jiang Family butler said, the person on the rooftop had red eyes.”

Luo Qinghe paused her tapping on the keyboard: “Red?”

“Yes.”

She pushed the computer away, leaned back, laughing with a chilling glitter in her eyes: “It’s her again.”

Professional errand runner, Z.

The smile at the corner of her mouth slowly faded, her features sharp and ungroomed, her appearance stern and fierce, she took out her phone and dialed a number: “Miss Zhang.”

The gentle female voice on the other end answered, “Hello, Mr. Luo.”

Luo Qinghe, neither hurrying nor pausing, picked up the cup on the cabinet, took a sip: “I have a business proposition for you, Miss Zhang, are you interested?”

“Let’s hear it.”

At nine in the morning, Jiang Zhi and Zhou Xufang went to Ji Feifan’s clinic together.

Ji Feifan seemed to have just woken up, his black and white, sparse hair messy, not covering the shiny ‘Mediterranean’, squinting at the patients entering the door: “Why is it you two again?” He casually pressed down the messy strands of hair, covering the glistening scalp.

If not for his sparse hair, he would be quite a handsome uncle.

Zhou Xufang, very polite, greeted first: “Uncle Ji, hello.”

Ji Feifan looked them over, yawned, barely awake, a few tears of physiological nature seeping from the corners of his eyes: “Which one of you is seeing the doctor?”

Zhou Xufang answered: “It’s Jiang Zhi.”

Jiang Zhi followed behind, looking uncomfortable, her beautiful face brooding, silent.

Ji Feifan glanced at him again, the complexion wasn’t too bad, what on earth was he sick with, let out another yawn, shuffling in slippers: “Follow me inside.”

The couple followed him into the consultation room.

Ji Feifan, from somewhere, procured a bottle of milk, sipped it through a straw, and asked Jiang Zhi: “What’s the problem?”

He didn’t speak, just sat on the chair like a lord, merely watching his girlfriend with a weirdly submissive expression.

Like the bashful young wife at the village entrance.

As he continued to stay silent, Zhou Xufang answered for him: “Infertility.”