Volume One, Chapter 59: An Eccentric Train of Thought

Yu Mo took out her phone and called her assistant, Cheng Tai. The line was busy—he was surely contacting the ambulance. She hung up, and after a few minutes, she calmed herself. Twenty minutes later, she finally received Cheng Tai’s call.

“Miss Yu, Mr. Zhuang is in the emergency room.”

“I’m returning to Shanghai immediately.”

“No need. Before he lost consciousness, Mr. Zhuang specifically instructed me that you should only come back once you’ve obtained the century-old purple lingzhi. Don’t worry about him. He also said that after you acquire the lingzhi, you must confirm its efficacy before administering it to your master.”

“My master?”

Yu Mo frowned, suddenly understanding Zhuang Zhizhi’s intention—he was using her to test the medicine for her master. What was the relationship between him and her master, that he would risk his own life for this? Was it really worth it?

“What about Xie Mengqi? What about Lin Hua?”

“Miss Yu, I tried calling Xie Mengqi but couldn’t reach her.”

After Zhuang Zhizhi entered the emergency room, Cheng Tai had immediately tried to contact Xie Mengqi, since she had been caring for Mr. Zhuang all this time. If the doctors had questions, she could provide answers. But she was nowhere to be found. He suspected she had fled in fear.

“Cheng Tai, have someone take photos of that century-old wild purple lingzhi and send them to me.”

Yu Mo suspected things were not as simple as they seemed. Soon, her phone buzzed with several photos. She opened them and studied them carefully, her expression grave.

This was not a century-old purple lingzhi—not even a wild one.

“Tree-tongue lingzhi,” she murmured unconsciously.

She had previously warned Xie Mengqi that tree-tongue lingzhi resembled wild purple lingzhi. She hadn’t expected Xie Mengqi to actually dare substitute it so brazenly. This was not only fraud—it bordered on attempted murder. If Mr. Zhuang could be saved, Xie Mengqi and Lin Hua’s guilt might be lessened.

Yu Mo tried calling Xie Mengqi and Lin Hua, but neither call went through. She put away her phone. Those two could run, but they couldn’t hide forever.

She waited until four in the afternoon before Cheng Tai called again. Zhuang Zhizhi was out of danger, having just regained consciousness. Yu Mo and Zhuang Zhizhi opened a video call.

On screen, his face was terribly pale, clearly having lost a great deal of blood. An IV drip hung from his hand, the phone held by Cheng Tai.

He mouthed a few words, then managed to speak.

“Cheng Tai has told me everything. I’ve already dispatched people to search for Xie Mengqi.”

That woman had sold him a fake wild lingzhi for five million. The money was irrelevant—the real issue was that she had nearly killed him.

“Yu Mo, you don’t need to return. I’m fine now. In a few days, I’ll transfer to a hospital in Beijing. Stay there, and make sure you obtain the real century-old wild purple lingzhi.”

Even if not for him, she must do it for Han Yue.

Yu Mo nodded. “I will.”

For some reason, her eyes felt damp.

Qi Family.

The first-floor hall.

Mu Shaozhou came downstairs and saw Qi Yancheng sitting on the sofa.

He approached Qi Yancheng. His exquisitely handsome face bore an inscrutable expression, his features deep and distinct.

“Qi Yancheng, do you have something to say to me?”

As he spoke, Qi Yancheng’s cool gaze met Mu Shaozhou’s. His eyes were long and narrow, the downward tilt of his outer corners making his stare all the more alluring. Hands in his pockets, he glanced at the calm Mu Shaozhou.

“Mu Shaozhou, you’ve concealed your identity to stay by Yu Mo’s side. What exactly are you after?”

Mu Shaozhou’s expression didn’t change, his demeanor unruffled. He sat elegantly across from Qi Yancheng, met those rose-red, seductive eyes, and raised an eyebrow.

“And what position are you questioning me from?”

“Whatever your reasons, if you mean her harm, I won’t let you off. So what if you’re the Crown Prince? I, Qi Yancheng, have never feared anyone since the day I was born.”

Qi Yancheng stood up, his steps steady as he headed upstairs.

Mu Shaozhou lifted his long lashes and spoke to his retreating back. “Do you like Yu Mo?”

These past days, Mu Shaozhou had sensed Qi Yancheng’s attitude toward Yu Mo was unusual—not like someone treating a recently acquainted guest. He was sure Qi Yancheng had fallen for Yu Mo, intending to snatch her from his grasp. He could never allow that.

Qi Yancheng halted, his tall, slender back facing Mu Shaozhou. His lips curled faintly.

“Mu Shaozhou, spare me your bizarre logic. Just remember what I said—otherwise…”

He left the rest unsaid, and went upstairs.

Mu Shaozhou clenched his fist tightly, his deep gaze shifting from Qi Yancheng to the luxurious carpet at his feet, lost in thought.

Yu Mo noticed the pretty boy’s odd mood that evening.

“Who are you jealous of now?” she teased, touching his forehead, then hers. No fever. Whose man gets jealous every day and doesn’t mind the taste?

Early the next morning.

Yu Mo had just stepped outside the villa when she heard a commotion by the gate. She followed the noise.

Xie Mengqi was blocked by the servants, unable to enter. Spotting Yu Mo, Xie Mengqi seemed to see her savior and shouted,

“Yu Mo, let me in! I have something to tell you!”

Yu Mo crossed her arms and strolled over leisurely. The servants nodded to her in greeting.

“Say what you need to say right here.”

Xie Mengqi wasn’t tall enough to see over the fence, so she had to stand on tiptoe to speak to Yu Mo. But she didn’t care about that now.

“Yu Mo, you have to help me. I have nowhere else to go. Zhuang Zhizhi’s people are searching everywhere for me. I can’t let them catch me.”

Douzi heard the commotion and came running, holding a handful of sunflower seeds, munching as he watched Xie Mengqi.

Yu Mo was amused by his spectator’s posture and turned to Xie Mengqi.

“You gave Mr. Zhuang fake medicine, sent him to the emergency room, nearly cost him his life. Isn’t it natural he’d come looking for you?”

“It wasn’t me! It was all Lin Hua’s scheme—she used me.”

Mentioning Lin Hua, Xie Mengqi gritted her teeth in hatred. She finally understood why her cousin had broken up with Lin Hua. A woman as venomous as a snake would ruin the Fu family.

Yu Mo curled her lips, her tone light as air.

“I knew that already. You’re just now figuring it out?”

Xie Mengqi broke down.

“Yu Mo, you don’t understand! Lin Hua took Zhuang Zhizhi’s five million, only gave me five hundred thousand. Now that something happened to Zhuang Zhizhi, she blames me. I’m more wronged than Dou E!”

“Xie Mengqi, there’s something you don’t know.”

Seeing her so pitiful, Yu Mo decided to tell her the truth.

“The medicine you gave Mr. Zhuang wasn’t a century-old wild purple lingzhi. It was tree-tongue lingzhi. Misusing medicine can kill. Didn’t Lin Hua tell you?”