Chapter 684 - 237: Li Shuyu’s Motives Aren’t Pure

Gao Qiang was thoughtful as well, saying only what she wanted to hear. In just a few moments, he successfully coaxed Xu Jiali, who had been teetering on the verge of a breakdown, from tears to laughter.

Qin Mei was dumbfounded. ’Comfort from a lover is truly a case of twice the work for half the result,’ she thought. Despite being backed by her medical skills and repeatedly assuring Xu Jiali that her Granny’s life wasn’t in danger, her words went in one ear and out the other. Xu Jiali simply didn’t believe her.

’Couples in the honeymoon phase truly are brainless.’

After the call ended, Xu Jiali’s mood had improved significantly. It wasn’t until Doctor Zhang called to reassure her that her Granny’s life was not in danger that she was finally able to relax completely.

Hanging up, Xu Jiali happily shared the news with Qin Mei. "Xiao Mei, Granny’s life isn’t in danger! This is great!"

Qin Mei just smiled without saying a word. ’I already told her that, but she didn’t believe me.’

"Xiao Mei, Doctor Zhang just said that it’s all thanks to you. Granny would have been in danger otherwise. Xiao Mei, thank you for saving her," Xu Jiali said gratefully.

"Jiali, why are you thanking her? If it weren’t for her, Granny wouldn’t have fallen down the stairs in the first place," Li Shuyu said, looking at Xu Jiali with exasperation.

"Shuyu, stop talking nonsense. If you say one more thing, you can leave," Xu Jiali said, glaring at Li Shuyu angrily.

Li Shuyu gritted her teeth. ’Is our friendship really this fragile?’ she thought. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Jiali, there’s no smoke without fire."

Qin Mei stood up and walked toward Li Shuyu. Without another word, she raised her hand and slapped her across the face.

Li Shuyu was stunned, staring at Qin Mei in utter disbelief. ’This country bumpkin actually dared to hit me?’ Her anger became uncontrollable, and she shot to her feet. "You dare hit me?"

"Xiao Mei," Xu Jiali exclaimed, equally shocked and bewildered.

Qin Mei shook her hand, a slight smirk playing on her lips as she said coolly, "My slaps don’t land on innocent faces."

"You country bumpkin, I’ll kill you!" Li Shuyu grabbed a nearby telephone and was about to hurl it at Qin Mei. But Xu Jiali, with her quick eyes and hands, clamped down on the phone. Li Shuyu gripped it with one hand while Xu Jiali held it with both. They both struggled, but eventually, Li Shuyu gave up on the phone.

Instead, she charged for the fruit platter on the coffee table. Qin Mei stuck out her foot and tripped her.

THUD! The sound was followed by Li Shuyu’s piercing scream. "Ah!"

When Qin Mei tripped her, Li Shuyu’s forehead slammed hard against the corner of the coffee table, and blood instantly started gushing from the wound.

Xu Jiali was stunned. Qin Mei was surprised too; she swore she only meant to trip Li Shuyu and make her fall flat on her face. She never expected the girl to be foolish enough to crash into the corner of the coffee table.

"Ah, blood!" Li Shuyu shrieked before fainting.

Qin Mei nudged Li Shuyu with her foot as she lay on the floor. Staring at the profusely bleeding forehead, she noted, ’That looks pretty bad.’ Then she spoke without a trace of emotion, "Is she faking it, or did she really faint?"

Xu Jiali’s mouth twitched. "Xiao Mei, she faints at the sight of blood."

Hearing the commotion, the butler rushed over. When he saw it was Li Shuyu on the floor, he breathed a sigh of relief.

The butler immediately called two men to carry Li Shuyu out and send her back to the Li Family.

"Xiao Mei, the Li Family won’t let this go," Xu Jiali said, though her eyes showed no trace of worry.

"In Xiangjiang, who’s more powerful? The Li Family or the Qiao Family?" Qin Mei asked.

"The Qiao Family, of course," Xu Jiali replied.

Qin Mei shrugged and spread her hands. "Then what’s there to worry about?"

Xu Jiali thought for a moment. "Shuyu’s mother and my cousin are best friends."

"Don’t worry. Your cousin is fiercely protective of her own; she’ll side with family over friends. Besides, she’s already gone back," Qin Mei said, patting Xu Jiali’s shoulder. "I’m the one who tripped her. I won’t shift the blame or deny what I did."

Xu Jiali gazed at Qin Mei. Faced with a choice between friendship and family, the scales in her heart decisively tipped toward family. "Xiao Mei, this isn’t entirely your fault. Shuyu was the one who wrongly accused you. If you hadn’t taught her a lesson, I would have wanted to do it myself."

Qin Mei snorted. "Her wrongly accusing me is secondary. Her motives are impure. She’s always trying to sow discord. She’s a member of the Li Family; what right does she have to meddle in the Qiao Family’s affairs?"

"She doesn’t," Xu Jiali agreed, feeling a little guilty. Li Shuyu had approached her and they had become close friends. They got along well, and her cousin and Li Shuyu’s mother had arranged a childhood engagement between Li Shuyu and Jie Jingchen.

In her heart, she had already considered Li Shuyu to be Jie Jingchen’s future wife.

But Xu Jiali was very adaptable. Her preconceived notions didn’t lead her to think that Jie Jingchen marrying Qin Mei was a betrayal, nor did she transfer her anger onto Qin Mei.

Xu Jiali drew a clear line: friendship was friendship, and family was family. She would never hurt her family for the sake of a friendship. Whether Jie Jingchen married Li Shuyu or Qin Mei, she didn’t care.

If Jie Jingchen had married Li Shuyu, she would have been extra nice to Li Shuyu. Since Jie Jingchen married Qin Mei, she would curry favor with Qin Mei and be good to her.

"Come on. No time like the present. Take me out to have some fun," Qin Mei said, linking arms with Xu Jiali. Grandpa, Grandma, Jie Jingchen, and Jie Jingshan weren’t home. Nanny was at the hospital, and the butler couldn’t keep an eye on them.

"I’ll take you," a deep, cold voice suddenly interjected.

Instantly, the living room fell silent. The atmosphere became frigid and so oppressive it made one want to flee.

"Ouch! My stomach hurts! I need the bathroom!" Xu Jiali mercilessly pushed Qin Mei away and bolted up the stairs.

Jie Jingchen stood there in a formal black suit, exuding a dark, chilling aura that made one shiver.

"Dressed so formally. Coming from an important banquet?" Qin Mei asked with a bright smile as Jie Jingchen walked in, inwardly cursing Xu Jiali for being so disloyal and leaving her to fight this battle alone.

His long, powerful legs were encased in straight-cut trousers. Being tall with long legs, he reached Qin Mei in just a few strides and stared down at her.

His stare made her skin crawl, but then she thought, ’It’s not like I’ve committed some unforgivable, treasonous crime. What am I afraid of?’

"Where did you want Xu Jiali to take you to have fun?" Jie Jingchen’s voice was frigid, devoid of any emotion. ’So her promise to me was just for show,’ he thought. ’She was just waiting for a chance to sneak out.’

"She’s your aunt, your elder. You’re always calling her by her full name..."

"Elder? Does she have any awareness of being an elder?" Jie Jingchen cut her off coldly, the depths of his dark eyes like a bottomless abyss.

Xu Jiali was from a higher generation than Jie Jingchen but was younger than him, so he rarely called her "Aunt."

Seeing that Qin Mei wasn’t talking and just kept smiling at him, Jie Jingchen’s face darkened. He repeated his question: "Where did you want her to take you to have fun?"

"The courtyard," Qin Mei blurted out.

Jie Jingchen let out a laugh of exasperation and reached out to pinch her chin. "Do you believe that yourself?"

"I do," Qin Mei said, nodding vigorously.

"And having fun in the courtyard would be enough for you two?" Jie Jingchen asked sarcastically.

"It would," Qin Mei said, blinking, trying to look as innocent as possible.

"Qin Mei," Jie Jingchen said, enunciating each syllable with chilling clarity. If he had come back just a little later, they would have already slipped out.

"Yes?" Qin Mei replied, straightening her posture. His fingers were still on her chin. It didn’t hurt, but it was uncomfortable.

Jie Jingchen ground his back teeth. "Did you completely forget what I told you?"

"No," Qin Mei said, shaking her head. ’I didn’t just forget it,’ she thought, ’I let it go in one ear and out the other.’

Jie Jingchen looked down at Qin Mei, and Qin Mei looked up at him. Suddenly, in a completely unexpected move, Qin Mei pulled his hand from her chin, wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled him down, and offered him a sweet kiss.

Jie Jingchen was taken aback for a second. The soft, sweet touch on his lips instantly melted his icy gaze into watery tenderness. He placed a large hand on the back of her head and deepened the kiss.

At the doorway stood Grandpa, Grandma, and Jie Jingshan. The grandparents in particular stared in shock at the couple embracing and kissing in the living room. They had been young once, and they had been caught up in passion, but they had never been as bold as the young people of today.