Chapter 101: A Giveaway Exam

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

‘A’ university’s exam tested entrants in three main categories: their mastery of Chinese medicinal herbs, their ability to adjust prescriptions based on a set ratio, and their fundamental grasp of Chinese medicine.

The first two were extremely easy for Qu Xiao. The only thing she needed to do was revise and memorise the theoretical knowledge again.

Qu Xiao, who had just returned from school, was in her bedroom, memorising everything she would need for the exam; her expression was serious.

Shang Yan drank in the sight of her hair as it cascaded in loose waves down her neck and shoulders. His heart clenched, and his mouth felt dry as he swallowed unconsciously.

He wheeled himself to the bathroom and rummaged in the drawer for a hairdryer. Afterwards, he rolled his wheelchair to Qu Xiao’s side, motioning for her to sit on his lap.

Shang Yan’s slender fingers gently threaded through Qu Xiao’s hair, twirling them playfully. Resting his head on her shoulder, he peered down at the 4-page paper scribbled with notes and asked, “Studying for an exam?”

Qu Xiao nodded. She was so focused that she did not notice Shang Yan’s hands twitching restlessly.

“Is that a table comparing the body’s acupuncture points?”

“Isn’t rote learning rather boring? Wouldn’t it be better if you practised a few sample exam questions? I’m sure that would help you remember better,” Shang Yan remarked brightly.

Qu Xiao turned around with a question on the tip of her tongue.

In the next second, her delicate red lips were caught in a passionate kiss.

The tip of Shang Yan’s tongue pried open Qu Xiao’s fruit-scented teeth and played with her fragrant tongue agilely.

A pair of scalding hands lifted the hem of Qu Xiao’s clothes, exploring the contours of her form. He kneaded her supple skin, eliciting muffled moans from her sweet lips. Shang Yan smiled proudly, “Now… What is the name of this acupoint?”

Qu Xiao frowned. She curled her slender legs around Shang Yan’s muscular waist, stealing the initiative as she pressed herself against him.

“Since you want to be my sample, you can’t move around as you wish!”

Qu Xiao conveniently picked up her pen from the bedside table and gently placed it on Shang Yan’s Adam’s apple, slowly sliding it downward.

Shang Yan narrowed his dark eyes. His breathing grew rapid, and he struggled to sit up, but he was powerless under Qu Xiao’s unforgiving hand.

Her pen drew a line down to his lower abdomen, stopping above his naval. Teasingly, Qu Xiao planted kisses tracing the line she had drawn, her curly hair bouncing as she repeated her actions. She felt a stirring in his loins and stopped. Like a cheeky fairy, she turned off the lights and whispered sweet promises to a night of merrymaking.

Qu Xiao woke up the next morning and felt a burning gaze beside her.

She turned her head and looked over. She found Shang Yan’s upper body naked, and he was staring at her with an inscrutable gaze.

“What are you planning?”

Qu Xiao subconsciously covered her chest. Seeing the strawberry-coloured marks all over her body, she shook her head, desperately trying to refute the evidence screaming at her.

Shang Yan grabbed her wrist and pulled Qu Xiao into his arms, continuing their unfinished business. Dawn might have arrived, but dusk was far from over.

–

Three days later, at the exam hall set up by the school…

Qu Xiao held two ballpoint pens in each of her hands and answered the questions on the exam paper at record speed, seemingly unperturbed by their difficulty. She was so fast that she finished the paper well before the allotted time expired and even submitted her papers in advance.

Qu Qi, and many others taking the exam, watched her exit the hall, feeling anxious.

“What is she pretending for? She doesn’t know how to do it; that’s why she handed in the papers in advance!”

“Why do I feel that this year’s exam questions are much more difficult than the previous years? Is it because the professors at ‘A’ university want to raise the bar?”

“The exam content is completely different from what I revised. Maybe I should have taken the college entrance exams more seriously…”

Qu Qi and her friends walked out of the exam hall, discussing the exam’s contents among themselves. They felt that something was not right.

It was not long before the university released the examinees’ results.

Qu Xiao ranked first with a full score. Results were open for public viewing, and anyone could see how each candidate scored on the internet.

“How is that possible!”

Qu Qi stood up abruptly, voicing the public’s dissatisfaction, “Qu Xiao! You must have gotten the exam questions ahead of time!”

Qu Xiao sat calmly in front of the desk, tilted her head, and stared at Qu Qi’s clown-like expression as she asked in return, “Are you questioning the professors of ‘A’ University? A panel of professors prepared the exam questions, and they were in charge of everything from the release of the paper to their distribution. No one could have possibly obtained the answers to the exam questions before we sat for the paper.”

“If you insist on your accusations, please provide evidence to substantiate your claims. Otherwise, your words are nothing more than the ravings of a jealous woman, or am I wrong?” Qu Xiao reposted sarcastically.

Qu Qi’s face flushed red. She stared at her score. It was the lowest of all the candidates who sat for the paper, causing her eyes to bulge, bloodshot. She clenched her fists and pressed them on the desk. Miss Zhang looked at Qu Xiao’s results and was exceptionally happy. Hoping to help Qu Xiao smooth things over, she said, “Let us all congratulate Qu Xiao for her outstanding achievement.”

“I hope everyone will learn from her example and achieve good results in the future.” With those words, Miss Zhang ended all further discussions in the classroom.

𝑓r𝘦𝘦𝘄eb𝒏𝙤vel.c𝙤𝙢

Qu Xiao looked at her phone. She had received a message from Shang Xinchen asking, “How’d you do?”

Qu Xiao replied indifferently, “Well, of course.”

She held the acceptance letter from ‘A’ university and thought of Shang Yan’s legs. She wanted to help him regain movement in his legs as soon as possible.

–

After classes concluded for the day, Qu Qi rushed out of school and cornered a pair of delinquents. “Are you sure that she passed the exam on her own?” she asked, staring down at the two punks.

They weighed the two wads of money in their hands and nodded. “The radio equipment nearby was blocked on the day of the exam. The examinees who bought the answers didn’t succeed. The results of this exam are all valid.”

“Huh. Aren’t you well informed?”

The delinquent wiped his lips against his sleeve, smiling evilly. “How about playing billiards with your two brothers?”

Qu Qi frowned, pushing them away. “Shut up!”

She rigged the exam in her favour, selling the question paper’s answers to her peers, yet she still failed to score better than the rest…

Chapter 102: Emergency Treatment For an Old Woman

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Qu Xiao spent her holidays sequestered in the Chinese Medicine Hall, pouring through large tomes and ancient texts searching for treatment methods for leg conditions.

On the occasions Shang Yan wrapped up his work ahead of time, he would pick her up and send her home.

Qu Xiao eyed the pot of medicinal soup, watching it bubble and foam. She turned around, sharing a smile with Shang Yan, who was soaking his feet. They shared a tacit understanding that needed no words to communicate their thoughts.

Suddenly, a noisy noise came from outside the pharmacy. A young man rushed in with an old woman who looked like she was on her last breath. “Quick! I beg you to save my grandmother. She is dying!” Qu Xiao frowned and gave the old woman a once over; she did not respond immediately.

The boss of the establishment thought that they were looking for trouble. Grabbing his broom, he rushed toward them, wanting to chase them out the door.

The young man placed the old woman on the single bed next to him. He knelt with a plop and continued kowtowing.

The boss was scared out of his wits, being the one receiving the young man’s entreaty.

Thankfully, he quickly recovered from his shock and said, “This is the Traditional Chinese Medicine Health Centre; it is not the A&E. I’ll call for an ambulance…” Qu Xiao walked to the old woman’s side. Using the tips of her fingers, she checked the old woman’s pulse. Her vital signs were still stable.

“Grandma always gave me medicine dispensed by the Traditional Chinese Medicine Health Centre, which always helped my condition. There must be something you can do!”

“Grandma returned from her check-up at the hospital, and they said… they said she was too old to be operated on. They fear she might die on the table. I don’t believe it. No, they must be lying! There has to be another way. Doctor, please, please save my grandmother!”

The young man hugged the boss’s thigh, his eyes burning pitifully.

The boss quickly tried extricating himself from the young man’s death grip but to no avail; his strength was too great. Helpless, he looked to Qu Xiao, motioning for her assistance.

“Prepare the list of medicine I’m about to give you. It would be best if you could steam it for a while. Also, bring me my needles…” As soon as Qu Xiao finished speaking, the boss stared at the boy who refused to let go and urged, “She’s the doctor here, not me! If you don’t let go, don’t blame us if your grandmother experiences complications because of the delay!”

The young man’s eyes flew open. Shock mingled with incredulity as he stared blankly at Qu Xiao as if he could not process the words said to him.

She looked young, exceedingly so. Could she save his grandmother?

Qu Xiao remembered the old woman. She was one of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Health Centre’s earliest patients.

The old woman overworked herself in her youth, supporting her entire family with nothing more than a pair of hands and slim shoulders to bear the burden, which resulted in her present frailty in her twilight years.

The old woman’s breathing was weak. Occasionally, she would mumble a few words and speak of funerary arrangements.

Qu Xiao could not guarantee that she could preserve the old woman’s life, only that she would do her best.

Dozens of silver needles flew out of her hands, inserting themselves into the old woman’s acupoints, drawing viscous black blood like poison from a wound.

The old woman frowned in pain. Sweat covered her body from head to toe while she sat in what was a sauna of steaming medicinal herbs. She panted heavily, and her fingers spasmed erratically.

“Slice the wild ginseng in the medicine cabinet and fry it well. Get me a bowl of soup for now.”

The boss did not dare to delay after Qu Xiao instructed him. He rushed to the medicine cabinet and looked at the wild ginseng that he had bought at a heavy price with a pained expression.

The young boy’s expression became awkward when he heard their conversation.

He fingered his pocket, surreptitiously checking his bank account.

Through the mirror on the wall, Qu Xiao noticed his panic. She opened her red lips and said, “You don’t have to pay for the wild ginseng. Treat it as my way of returning the debt of gratitude I owe for having had your grandmother’s faith placed in me. Please, don’t worry.”

When the Chinese Medicine Health Center’s business was not good, the old woman would come to the shop every day to help Qu Xiao attract customers and advertise her services despite her ailing health. It was a favour Qu Xiao felt she ought to repay.

The young man’s mouth fell open. The young man stuttered, not knowing how to respond for the longest time, but eventually settled for his sincere expression of gratitude, “Thank you.”

The old woman’s condition stabilised after a gruelling hour of treatment.

Qu Xiao wiped the soybean-sized beads of perspiration lining her forehead and wrote down a few prescriptions.

“Although her condition is stable, your grandmother’s body is weak, and she will need constant attention.”

“Follow this prescription and have her take it three times a day. I’d like to review her condition in half a month. Remember not to mix what I’ve prescribed with western medicine.”

Medicines, if ingested without proper care, were no different from poisons.

Balance and harmony were the focal points of Chinese medicine. If a patient were to consume western and eastern medicine together, it could cause an adverse reaction, producing life-threatening consequences.

The young man nodded, understanding the gravity of Qu Xiao’s words. The gaze he used to look at Qu Xiao also became more respectful.

While waiting for his grandmother to wake up, he noticed Shang Yan, still soaking his feet in a bed next to where his grandmother was lying. He had not moved since they arrived.

𝑓r𝘦𝘦𝘄eb𝒏𝙤vel.c𝙤𝙢

The young man leaned over as if he was familiar with him. He lowered his voice and communicated with Shang Yan, “Are you also Doctor Qu’s patient? Do you know how old she is? Does she have a girlfriend? And how did you hurt your leg?”

Shang Yan remained silent while the young man continued muttering, “I wonder what type of person Doctor Qu likes. How am I going to woo her?”

“She doesn’t have a boyfriend, but she has a husband.”

Shang Yan’s expression turned livid. His eyes were dark and menacing as he stared at the young boy. He smirked with an upturn of his lips and said, “I am her husband!”

Awkward!

The young man felt his scalp go numb, his face turning into a shade of pig’s liver. He got up and wished for a hole to bury himself.

Qu Xiao burst into laughter as she listened to their conversation.

She did not expect Shang Yan to look so cute when he was jealous.

Shang Yan saw her expression, and his thin lips arched into a teasing smile. Qu Xiao understood the words left unsaid. Tugging at a few loose bundles of medicinal herbs, she pretended not to have seen the look he shot at her.

It was a look that said: “I’ll settle the score with you tonight!”

Chapter 103: Evil Thoughts of the Qu Family

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

A tense and depressing atmosphere hung over the Qu family.

Glass shards were scattered on the floor of the living room. Mr Qu reeked of alcohol as he hugged the bottle of wine, cursing, “Unfilial daughter! Those rascals dared to block me outside. Who does Qu Xiao think she is? Does she think she can usurp control over the company?”

“Zhenzhen! Take up a position in the pharmaceutical department and think of a way to bring her down.”

“Don’t even think about taking away what I can’t get!”

The alcohol made Mr Qu spill his innermost thoughts without any hesitation.

His face revealed a sinister and treacherous expression as he gulped down a mouthful of alcohol.

Qu Zhen wore a pure white dress. She frowned and thought for a long time before ultimately rejecting her father’s orders, “Dad, Xiaoxiao is very talented in management. Under her management, the Qu Group has flourished, and the stock prices are still rising…”

“Do you have a misunderstanding with her that hasn’t been resolved?”

Qu Qi and Mr Qu jolted in surprise, looks of dissatisfaction plastered on their faces as they took in Qu Zhen’s words.

Qu Qi stood up with a face full of resentment, “Sister! Whose side are you on? Qu Xiao has already forced us into a corner. Dad cannot work in the company, and he doesn’t have the right to interfere in any of the board’s decisions. Then how about me? Qu Xiao bullied me so badly in school that I can’t even hold my head up high without embarrassment!”

“Do you honestly believe Qu Xiao is a good person? Could it be that what we did was wrong?” Qu Qi questioned loudly.

Qu Zhen hurriedly shook her head, wearing a troubled look.

–

Later that night…

While Qu Zhen was showering, Qu Qi sat next to her father and spoke to him in soft, coaxing tones, “Father, Sister Zhenzhen’s personality is too stubborn. No one can force her to do anything she chooses not to do. Still, will we let Qu Xiao run wild and have her way with things?”

“Everyone worth their salt in the financial sector is talking about our family, saying that Qu Xiao is walking all over you.

Qu Qi wantonly fanned the flames of jealousy and doubt.

Mr Qu was so angry that he clenched his fists and hammered them on the coffee table. He couldn’t help but curse in a low voice, “What can I do? Qu Xiao and Shang Yan are working together; I can’t even walk up to the front door without being chased away. All those on good terms with me won’t even answer my calls now, let alone stir up mischief on my behalf.”

“Dad, we have Sister Zhenzhen!”

Qu Qi inclined her head in the direction of the second-floor bedroom. She edged closer to her father’s ear and whispered, “I heard that Sister Zhenzhen is developing a special kind of medicine.”

“Qu Xiao has already approved of it. As long as we tamper with the finished product, the consumers and their families will demand an explanation from Qu Xiao if it proves ineffective or results in complications!” A sinister smile spread across Qu Qi’s face.

Mr Qu rolled his eyes, though somewhat hesitantly.

“Don’t tell me you still harbour good thoughts for her. Think about it, Qu Xiao doesn’t care about our feelings! She deserves whatever she gets… we’re just exacting justice,” Qu Qi emphasised.

Mr Qu shook his head, struggling to answer, “The medicine has to go through several rounds of clinical screening before approval. To tamper with it without anyone knowing… that would be not easy. I cannot, in good conscience, purposefully place human lives at risk over my disagreement with your sister.”

Human Lives? Qu Qi did not care about them at all. All she wanted was to bury Qu Xiao, even if she had to forfeit her life.

Qu Xiao was blissfully unaware of the schemes her father and sister concocted in the background. She had more important things to do…

In a dimly lit bedroom, Qu Xiao sat in a sexy massage chair, whose hands were teasing her with feather-light touches against her exposed skin. Her hands and legs were bound, shackled against muscular arms working their way up her body. Those arms paused, a wicked smile slashing across the man’s face as he felt her tense against him.

Qu Xiao bit her cherry-picked lips, suppressing the moan gurgling in her throat.

“This massage chair has many functions. The night is long. We have plenty of time to discover them all,” Shang Yan’s voice rasped low and deep, shamelessly flirtatious. Strong hands wandered endlessly on the canvas of her body, slowly but surely arriving before the forbidden depths.

Qu Xiao arched her back, clamping her legs against each other.

𝑓r𝘦𝘦𝘄eb𝒏𝙤vel.c𝙤𝙢

“You… slow down, don’t. Stop!”

Crystalline tears sparkled at the corners of her eyes, but Shang Yan was unwilling to stop. He ignored her plaintive cries and quickened his pace.

He squeezed and pressed and kneaded, gently then roughly, until Qu Xiao relaxed, laying limp as clay was wont to do in the hands of a craftsman.

Qu Xiao could not help but stretch out her neck, “Ah…”