My Most Beautiful Fiancée

A playful look appeared in Ye Chunshui’s big eyes.

”Tsk, tsk, tsk. You’re always complaining to me about how lonely you are at night. Now you’ve got a real man by your side, and you’re not going to take advantage? Your family pays him 200,000 a month. You should get your money’s worth, girl!”

Li Xue raised a hand and gently bopped Ye Chunshui on the head.

”Say one more word of that nonsense, and I’ll rip your mouth out! I’m as pure as jade, how could I possibly do *that sort of thing* with someone like him? Are you kidding me?”

Ye Chunshui quickly begged for mercy. ”My lady, I was wrong! I was wrong, okay?”

Li Xue’s beautiful eyes shifted as she lowered her head. ”If he were a little more ambitious, I might not be completely against it! But you know the saying, ’you can’t plaster a wall with mud,’ right?”

Ye Chunshui chuckled. ”It’s all the same, don’t overthink it! ’Let’s get drunk today while we have wine.’ Want to go clubbing later? A good, drunken night out will solve everything!”

Li Xue said, ”I can’t. I have to work overtime tonight! Lu Baichuan somehow managed to get his hands on the Land No. 6 project in the South District. Now the entire board of directors is considering defecting to his side! If things go south, I’ll be forced off the board, clutching my shares and getting kicked out.”

The Li Group isn’t publicly traded. Holding the stock without a way to cash it out is like begging for food while sitting on a mountain of gold.

When Ye Chunshui heard the words ”Land No. 6 in the South District,” her expression couldn’t help but shift.

It couldn’t be helped; the name was simply too legendary.

It had buried one developer after another, and now some daredevil had taken on the project, with the Li Group signing on as the contractor.

”The development plan for the South District was announced in a document a few days ago. That area is a hot commodity right now. Your Li Group stands to make a fortune!”

Ye Chunshui exclaimed.

Li Xue said, ”Didn’t you hear me? This is a project Lu Baichuan secured. Why would he hand it over so easily? I bet he’s buying off the other shareholders right now, preparing to kick my family off the board.”

”Oh, you’re just worrying for nothing! It’s not that simple. Your grandfather founded the group; the blood of the Li Family has flowed through it from the very beginning!”

”Even if you’re not on the board, you can still influence the group in other ways.”

Li Xue turned to look at Ye Chunshui, a speechless expression on her face. ”Is this the first day you’ve known me? That man Lu has already bought off the entire group. The board of directors is the last stronghold where my family has any influence. Otherwise, why would we be in such a miserable state?”

”My dad said the only option left is to renegotiate and re-sign the contract with the client in the Li Group’s name.”

Li Xue pulled the straw out of her bubble tea, tore off the lid, and chugged the entire cup like it was a beer, making Ye Chunshui’s stomach ache just watching her.

”But for such a mysterious project, who is the owner?” Li Xue wondered, lost in thought.

Ye Chunshui asked, ”You can’t find out?”

”We can’t!”

”Chunshui, if I lose my job, you have to support me!” Li Xue said, half-joking and half-pouting.

At Chef Huang’s Imperial Private Kitchen, after several rounds of drinks, even Mu Lin was starting to feel the alcohol creep up on him.

Qiao Canhua was so drunk he’d lost his composure. He lay sprawled on the table, sobbing his heart out. ”Wife! Seeing your face like this... it breaks my heart!”

”You used to be as beautiful as Chang’e, but now you’ve been reduced to this state... I’m not disgusted by you, my heart just aches for you!”

With that, Qiao Canhua hugged his wife and began to weep, bringing tears to Zhao Ling’Er’s eyes.

”Brother Mu, is there any way to help Madam Qiao? Does she really have to live the rest of her life with this face?”

Mu Lin said, ”I do know of a Beauty Enhancement Pill. In ancient times, it was used by consorts in the Imperial Palace.”

Hearing this, Qiao Canhua’s eyes lit up. He lunged toward Mu Lin and said decisively, ”How much? I’ll buy it!”

Mu Lin paused. ”It’s not a matter of money. I only have the formula; I don’t have any finished pills on hand. It would take about one night to create through alchemy. If Mr. Qiao sincerely wants it, I can lend a hand.”

Zhao Yang, spotting a business opportunity, said, ”Prepare the medicine at the Holy Medicine Hall! For thousands of miles around, the Holy Medicine Hall has the most complete collection of medicinal ingredients!”

Mu Lin chuckled. ”That’s exactly what I was thinking! I’ll put in the effort, and Divine Doctor Zhao can make money selling the ingredients.”

Zhao Yang’s face fell. ”That’s a harsh way to put it. What do you mean, ’make money selling ingredients’? Do you think Mr. Qiao would treat you unfairly?”

Mu Lin said, ”I don’t know. Mr. Qiao, what do you think?”

Qiao Canhua hurriedly replied, ”Of course I won’t let you do it for free! As long as you can make the Beauty Enhancement Pill, I’ll give you anything you want!”

Mu Lin waved his hand. ”No, no, that’s not necessary. Just give whatever you see fit!”

”Then I’ll give you half my company!” The drunken Qiao Canhua was slurring his words, and his casual offer was enough to scare the life out of everyone present.

Mu Lin frantically waved his hands. ”I couldn’t possibly! I couldn’t! I think Mr. Qiao has had plenty to drink. Why don’t we call it a night? We can see each other at the office tomorrow?”

Qiao Canhua was still in high spirits from the drinking and said cheerfully, ”How could we stop now? Drink! Let’s keep drinking!”

But Madam Qiao snatched Qiao Canhua’s cup, slammed it upside down on the table with a THWACK, and said, ”We’re leaving!”

Qiao Canhua could only stand up obediently and say to Zhao Yang and Mu Lin, ”Divine Doctor Zhao, Divine Doctor Mu, we’ll take our leave then!”

After speaking, he staggered out of the room.

Zhao Yang turned to Mu Lin. ”Young friend, from the sound of it, you still plan to go to the Holy Medicine Hall for the alchemy?”

Mu Lin replied, ”Of course. Since I’ve already made the boast, how could I not follow through? Mr. Qiao helped me keep my job at the Li Group, so I naturally have to help him in return. Besides, neither of us loses out on this deal.”

Zhao Yang readily agreed. Zhao Ling’Er blinked.

”Does that mean Brother Mu is going to sleep at our Holy Medicine Hall tonight?”

Mu Lin said, ”It looks that way.”

Zhao Ling’Er glanced away, desperately trying to control her expression and keep a smile from breaking out.

’Heh heh, I’ve got you in my clutches now! Tonight, I’ll use all my tricks to make you surrender to me!’

As soon as they returned to the Holy Medicine Hall, Mu Lin rushed to the storeroom where the medicinal herbs were kept. Zhao Yang had Zhao Ling’Er see to Madam Qiao’s needs, while he accompanied Mu Lin into the pharmacy.

Mu Lin moved nimbly, scrambling up and down the shelves in the storeroom, tossing the herbs he grabbed down to the floor. Zhao Yang had to do his best to keep up, rushing to catch each ingredient.

It was a good thing he’d done plenty of this kind of work as an apprentice in his youth. Otherwise, Zhao Yang’s old back might have really given out.

’I never thought that the Little Divine Doctor would not only be a master of the Acupuncture Technique but also an expert in prescriptions.’

’I must memorize this formula for the Beauty Enhancement Pill!’

Zhao Yang tried hard to identify each herb, only to discover that many pairs were pharmacologically incompatible, some even producing deadly poison when mixed.

Zhao Yang was instantly confused. ’Is Mu Lin trying to kill Madam Qiao?’

’Why go to all this trouble? An ounce of arsenic would be more than enough to make sure she was dead as a doornail.’

”Young friend! Can I ask a question?” Zhao Yang asked, looking up at Mu Lin on the ladder.

Mu Lin said, ”Go ahead!”

”What’s with these herbs? They counteract each other and can even create toxins. Aren’t you just sending Madam Qiao to her death?”

Mu Lin chuckled. ”Look again! Look closer!”

Zhao Yang looked again and again, but came to the same conclusion.

”What am I supposed to be looking at? I don’t get it!”

”If you don’t get it, then just lie low. What’s there to be arrogant about!” Mu Lin retorted mercilessly, making Zhao Yang tremble with anger.

After a little while, Mu Lin finally came down from the ladder.

Zhao Yang ran up and asked aggressively.

”What’s the meaning of these herbs? Why are they all things that create deadly poison when mixed together? How can you give this to the madam?”

Mu Lin smiled. ”Try rearranging them. Look again.”

’What is there to see?’ Zhao Yang thought, lowering his head to study them intently for a moment.

Suddenly, it was as if a light went on in his mind. ”I get it!”

The medicinal herbs are added in a specific order. During the long alchemy process, it’s always possible to avoid the points where fatal toxins would be created.

If one were clever, one could even create many nourishing combinations.

This wasn’t terrifying at all; it was a much more efficient way to use the medicinal properties of the herbs.

”Incredible! Simply incredible!”

Mu Lin sighed. ”So you finally understand?”

”I understand! Younger Brother Mu, you’re truly amazing! I, Zhao, possess no such skill. I can only follow you and hope for a sip of the soup!”

Mu Lin said, ”Hurry up and prepare a room for the alchemy. It’s best if you can bring a floor mattress. I’ll probably have to stand guard by its side tonight.”