Chapter 739 - 255: Your Younger Brother’s Love Rival (Part 3)

"But he’s your superior," Qin Mei reminded him.

"Not anymore," Jie Jingchen said as he continued to apply her medicine.

The more evasive Jie Jingchen was, the more curious Qin Mei became. He was clearly taking advantage of her amnesia. Fed up, Qin Mei decided to ask him directly, "Jie Jingsi, don’t tell me he’s your romantic rival, is he?"

Jie Jingchen’s thick brows furrowed, and his expression grew even darker. He emotionlessly bit out a single word. "No."

"Jie Jingsi, having a rival is a good thing. It proves you have good taste," Qin Mei coaxed.

’Good taste?’ Jie Jingchen shot Qin Mei a strange look. ’Doesn’t she have any idea how we ended up getting married?’

His relationship with Qin Mei wasn’t love at first sight. Their feelings for each other had grown over time.

"My taste is excellent," Qin Mei hinted to Jie Jingchen. She had plenty of admirers—in the army, in Shijiu City, and in Xiangjiang too.

She had a great attitude about it. Instead of feeling threatened by all the rivals, she was actually quite pleased with herself.

After finishing with the medicine, Jie Jingchen took the basin to the bathroom, emptied it, and washed his hands. He returned to sit beside Qin Mei and, after a moment of thought, parted his thin lips. "He’s not my rival."

Qin Mei stared at him. ’Is it really so hard to admit someone likes me?’

Putting the original owner’s personality aside, a face like hers was an absolute magnet for admirers.

"If he’s not your rival, then whose is he?" Qin Mei asked irritably, still convinced her guess was right—that Jiang Yuan was Jie Jingchen’s rival.

"He’s your younger brother’s rival," Jie Jingchen said.

"..." Qin Mei was speechless.

’Why do I find that so hard to believe?’

"Meimei, I’m going to tell you a secret, but you have to promise me you won’t tell anyone," Jie Jingchen said.

"I promise." Qin Mei tilted her head and leaned against Jie Jingchen’s shoulder. If he hadn’t said anything, she would have just listened and been done with it. But now that he’d made it a secret, Qin Mei couldn’t even guarantee she wouldn’t spill the beans herself.

And so, Jie Jingchen told Qin Mei a beautiful and moving, yet tragic, love story about Qin Xiang’s unrequited love. He didn’t know if Qin Mei believed it, but he certainly did.

Qin Mei fell silent. ’Is this damn man telling the truth, or is he making it up? If it’s fake, with Jie Jingchen’s personality, there’s no way he could fabricate a love story like this. But if it’s real, then my brother has had it rough.’

’No, wait. The way Jiang Yuan looked at me... Could it be I was just imagining things?’

Qin Mei rested at home for three days. In the meantime, Jie Jingchen had his men gather all the herbs she had requested.

As Qin Mei processed the herbs, she began to question her life choices. ’Why did I insist on going up the mountain to pick them myself when I could have just sent someone? And I even came back empty-handed. I must have been bored out of my mind, looking for trouble.’

Qin Mei started refining the medicines again, filling the entire Qiao Family residence with the pungent smell of traditional herbs. At first, no one was used to it, but after a while, they all grew accustomed to the scent.

In the living room, Qin Mei lounged on the sofa, eating pastries and drinking milk tea while directing the servants. Some sorted herbs, some chopped them, some pounded them, and others ground them into powder. The staff went from fumbling chaotically at the beginning to becoming skilled and efficient with practice.

The butler wasn’t idle either; he was bustling about happily.

The phone rang. The butler wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Eldest Young Madam, could you get the phone?"

The phone was right next to Qin Mei, within arm’s reach. She picked it up. "Hello? Who are you looking for?"

"Meimei, come to the hospital," came Jie Jingchen’s deep voice.

Qin Mei shot upright, asking urgently, "Did your aunt’s condition worsen?"

It was unclear what Jie Jingchen said on the other end, but Qin Mei hung up and said anxiously to the butler, "Uncle Qiao, quickly! Arrange for a car to take me to the hospital."

"Right away." The butler didn’t dare to delay and immediately arranged for a car to take Qin Mei to the hospital.

Xu Jiali was taken into the operating room. Everything was ready; they were just waiting for Qin Mei.

Xu Jiali hadn’t given her consent, and Grandmother had been against it. The day Jie Jingchen took Qin Mei back to the Qiao Family, Qin Mei had given up on performing the surgery on Xu Jiali, deciding to go along with their wish for conservative treatment. But now, they had suddenly changed their minds and wanted her to operate immediately.

A few hours later, the surgery was over. Xu Jiali was moved to the intensive care unit. Dean Chen came out first, and Grandmother asked anxiously, "Little Chen, how is she?"

"The surgery was a great success," Dean Chen said with a smile.

Hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Grandmother pressed her palms together, murmuring, "The Bodhisattva has blessed us."

"Where’s Meimei?" Jie Jingchen asked Dean Chen, not seeing Qin Mei come out.

Before Dean Chen could answer, Qin Mei walked out. The way Dean Chen looked at Qin Mei had completely changed. His eyes were filled with admiration.

His junior had told him Qin Mei was brilliant, but only after seeing it with his own eyes did he realize just how brilliant she was.

"Xiao Mei, come work at the hospital. I’ll abdicate my position to you," Dean Chen invited sincerely.

Qin Mei waved her hand dismissively. "My ambitions don’t lie here."

"Please consider it." Dean Chen didn’t want to give up on a talent like Qin Mei. His junior had also mentioned that she had tried to persuade Qin Mei to work at her hospital but had failed.

His junior was only a department head, so her offer wasn’t compelling enough. He, on the other hand, was the dean, and he was directly tempting Qin Mei with the position of dean itself.

"Not considering it," Qin Mei said, shaking her head.

"You should put your learning to good use. Didn’t you study medicine to save lives and heal the wounded?" Dean Zhang chimed in, not wanting to lose such a talent. It would be a huge waste for Qin Mei not to work at a hospital.

"Uncle Zhang, don’t bother trying to persuade her. She doesn’t possess that kind of noble character," Jie Jingchen said.

"You know me best," Qin Mei said, giving Jie Jingchen a thumbs-up.

Dean Zhang felt a great sense of regret, but since Jie Jingchen had spoken up, he couldn’t very well be so bold as to continue persuading her.

"Uncle Zhang, I’ll leave the rest to you," Qin Mei said with a yawn.

"Aren’t we supposed to be integrating traditional and Western medicine?" Dean Zhang asked.

"You’ll be in charge of the Western medicine, and I’ll take care of the traditional medicine," Qin Mei said.

"Alright," Dean Zhang nodded.

Grandmother excitedly grabbed Qin Mei’s hand, her cloudy eyes filled with the weariness of a long life. "Xiao Mei, is Jiali going to be alright?"

"She’s fine for now." Qin Mei didn’t dare make any blind guarantees. ’You have to prepare for the worst, just in case. What if Xu Jiali turns out to be that tragic one-in-ten-thousand case?’

"The surgery was a success, so does that mean Jiali won’t die?" Grandmother asked again.

"Grandmother." Qin Mei felt a little helpless. She gently took the old woman’s bony hand in hers. The matriarch had always been thin, but now she was even thinner, so haggard it was heartbreaking. "Grandmother, that’s hard to say. It will depend on her post-operative medication. What I can guarantee is that my aunt won’t die in the short term."

"Short term?" Grandmother’s brow furrowed with worry again.

Qin Mei thought for a moment, then uttered three words. "Within three years."

Grandmother was stunned for a moment. Within three years? For someone with a terminal illness, being able to live for three years was more than satisfying.

"That’s enough, that’s enough, that’s enough." Grandmother was so emotional she repeated the phrase three times.

"Grandmother, I’ll have someone take you home," Jie Jingchen said. Ever since she had arrived, Grandmother had been staying at the hospital to care for Xu Jiali. Worried her body wouldn’t be able to take the strain, Jie Jingchen had tried to persuade her to go home several times, but she wouldn’t listen. And with her refusing to leave, Grandfather wouldn’t go home either, staying to keep her company.

"No, I want to stay here and take care of Jiali." Grandmother shook her head. Her sister’s death was already a regret she carried in her heart; she couldn’t let Jiali become another.

Qin Mei’s heart ached for Grandmother as well, and she tried to persuade her, "Grandmother, Auntie is in the ICU. It’s no use for you to wait here. You and Grandfather should go home and rest. Once she’s out of the ICU, you can come back to the hospital to take care of her."

But Grandmother still wouldn’t listen, insisting on staying. Qin Mei had the urge to just knock her out, but she worried the old woman was too frail. If she accidentally caused serious harm, it would be a disaster.

In the end, Dean Zhang had to call Mrs. Xie in Huaxia. Only after being persuaded by Mrs. Xie did Grandmother reluctantly leave the hospital.

Jie Jingchen and Qin Mei stayed at the hospital in case there were any sudden changes with Xu Jiali, so Qin Mei could provide first aid immediately.

Qin Mei fell asleep in the hospital room Dean Zhang had arranged for Grandmother. Jie Jingchen watched her sleeping face, lost in thought.

"Jing Chen," came Dean Zhang’s hushed voice from outside the door.