The Master and His Wealthy Fiancée

Li Huiran arrived back at the Li Manor ahead of the others.

Li Jianwen had been waiting for a long time. ”Huiran, how did it go?”

Li Huiran said nonchalantly, ”Wu Haichao has agreed to help our family get an invitation.”

Li Jianwen’s eyes lit up, and he clenched his fists in excitement. ”That’s wonderful! I’ve been trying to get close to Zhao Wenxuan for ages with no success. His secretary turns me away every time. This banquet is a golden opportunity! To think my Li Family wouldn’t receive an invitation! You’re the reliable one after all, Huiran!”

A flicker of displeasure and revulsion crossed Li Huiran’s heart, but she forced a smile. ”Dad, I didn’t really do anything.”

Li Jianwen laughed heartily. ”Nonsense, you deserve all the credit! By the way, where’s Chen Dong?”

”He got out of the car on the way here. He said he’d be back later.”

Li Jianwen scoffed. ”How ridiculous! And to think Elder Li still wants you to marry him. It’s one thing that he’s completely useless, but he doesn’t even try to lift a finger at a critical time! He’s a far cry from a brilliant young man like Wu Haichao!”

”The Wu Family has money and power, and Wu Haichao himself is an excellent man. For him to figure out a way to get us an invitation at such a crucial moment is an incredible kindness. Huiran, you should spend more time with him! As for that Chen Dong... once Elder Li’s health is stable, we’ll tell him to get lost!”

The more Li Huiran heard, the more uncomfortable she became. ”Dad! I’m going to go rest now.”

”Go on! Make sure you get some good rest!”

Upon returning to the manor, Chen Dong gathered the medicinal herbs and started brewing a decoction in the kitchen. Elder Li was getting on in years, so the medicine couldn’t be too potent; it had to be administered gradually. Otherwise, Chen Dong could have refined a pill that directly increased one’s True Qi.

Feeling somewhat vexed, Li Huiran changed into some loungewear. The aroma of herbs drew her to the kitchen, where she asked softly, ”Is that medicine for Grandpa?”

Since Li Qinghe was the only one in the manor who was ill, it was a natural question.

Without turning his head, Chen Dong replied, ”You could drink some too, if you’d like.”

Li Huiran bristled. ’This man has absolutely no class,’ she thought.

She frowned. ”Hasn’t Grandpa fully recovered yet?”

Chen Dong raised an eyebrow. ”How could he not be? When I make a move, recovery is a certainty. This medicine is to assist his cultivation. Perfect timing. Take this to Grandpa.”

Though annoyed, Li Huiran did as he asked.

When Li Qinghe learned that Chen Dong had specially brewed this medicinal soup for him, he laughed heartily. ”Xiaodong, you’re too kind!”

He downed the soup in two gulps, then sat down to meditate and cultivate. ’This medicine... it’s simply heaven-defying!’ he thought, carefully savoring its effects.

At his age, for anyone below the rank of Grandmaster, advancing one’s True Qi was harder than ascending to the heavens. His potential was exhausted, and with his advancing age, his True Qi was more likely to regress than progress.

But the moment the medicine entered his system, it felt as though his Dantian had reawakened, bursting with vitality. The effect was brief, but it was enough to increase his True Qi by a sliver—something that hadn’t happened in years.

One should not underestimate that sliver. If even a decrepit old man like him could still increase his True Qi, then with time, reaching the Grandmaster realm might just be possible!

Late that night, in a villa somewhere in Jiangzhou, Wu Haichao was beside himself with excitement. Ever since he had caught a glimpse of Li Huiran at a banquet, he had been unable to forget her. Her stunning face, delicate features, and tall, elegant figure were so captivating he’d lose his appetite just thinking about her.

After many fruitless attempts to get close to her, he had been on the verge of giving up. Who could have guessed that his family’s machinations would align so perfectly with his own desires, culminating in the Wu Family’s investment in the Li Family.

And tonight, he would finally have her. This was a major step in his family’s grand scheme. Once this was done, the position of the next Patriarch would be his for the taking. It was, as they say, a chance to have both the empire and the beauty.

He activated the Unity Gu using the Secret Technique. Through it, he pinpointed her location and immediately drove off to find her. He had no idea that this one act would become the beginning of a lifelong nightmare...

The next day, Wu Haichao, the Li Group’s new finance director, skipped work. Few people paid any attention to this executive who had been ”parachuted in.”

But one person not only noticed but was also concerned—and extremely nervous.

That person was Li Jianwen, chairman of the Li Group. He tried calling Wu Haichao himself, only to find the phone was turned off, leaving him on edge.

It wasn’t until noon, when the Zhao Family delivered the invitation, that the weight was finally lifted from his shoulders.

He eagerly called Li Huiran to share his joy.

”Huiran, we got the invitation!”

”It’s all thanks to Wu Haichao! We never would have gotten our hands on it otherwise. You have to thank him properly! By the way, hurry up and get ready. We’ll be leaving soon.”

Li Huiran felt a flicker of doubt. ’Did Wu Haichao really get the invitation?’

She quickly pushed the thought aside, too bothered to dwell on it. It was time to hurry home, do her makeup, and change.

Of course, Wu Haichao hadn’t been the one to secure the invitation. Zhao Wenxuan had only just learned that Chen Dong was working for the Li Group and living at the Li Manor, so he had hastily sent one over.

The Li Clan hadn’t originally been on his guest list, but he was worried Chen Dong might take offense if they weren’t invited.

That evening, Chen Dong walked into Hundred Herbs. Xue Lele, who usually had a natural, slightly dorky air about her, was wearing proper makeup for once. Dressed in a pink formal gown, she looked as adorable as a pixie.

Xue Tianxiang had also changed into a brand-new Tang suit.

The trio had just stepped outside when they saw Zhao Wenxuan’s secretary waiting for them by the door with a Rolls-Royce Cullinan.

Zhao Wenxuan’s secretary, Zhao Zhitong, opened the car door and bowed slightly. ”Mr. Chen, Divine Doctor Xue, Miss Xue, I’ve come to escort you on Mr. Zhao’s orders.”

Xue Tianxiang smiled. ”Mr. Zhao is too kind! We appreciate you coming.”

After they got into the car, it was a smooth thirty-minute drive to the Jiangzhou Hotel’s parking garage.

The moment Zhao Zhitong stepped out of the car, some other guests who were arriving at the same time looked on in shock, whispering amongst themselves.

”Who are they? They’re important enough for Zhao Wenxuan’s own secretary to act as their chauffeur!”

”Look, he’s even opening the door for them! They must have some serious clout!”

Then Chen Dong’s group stepped out.

”Oh, I see, it’s Divine Doctor Xue. No wonder Zhao Wenxuan’s secretary came to get him personally.”

”I hear his medical skills surpass even those of the great Divine Doctor Jiang Yao!”

”That’s right! When Zhao Wenxuan’s granddaughter fell ill, Jiang Yao was at a loss. It was Divine Doctor Xue who cured her.”

”The two beside him must be his granddaughter and his future grandson-in-law! What a display of prestige. I’m so envious!”

In another corner of the parking garage, Li Jianwen and Li Huiran were just getting out of their car.

Meticulously dressed for the occasion, Li Huiran wore a form-fitting black gown. She was an absolute vision, a world-class beauty who drew gasps of admiration from onlookers.

”Wow! That woman is gorgeous!”

”What good is ’gorgeous’? I’d advise you to stay away from her.”

”Why’s that?”

”That’s Li Huiran. The Li Family just offended the Huang Family. Unless you want to share their bad luck, you’d better not get any ideas.”

”Thanks for the heads-up, brother! You’re right, getting involved with the Li Family is a bad idea.”

Li Huiran, of course, was oblivious to the guests’ hushed conversations.

Just then, her eyes were fixed on a figure walking away in the distance. She asked in surprise, ”Dad, look. Isn’t that Chen Dong?”

Li Jianwen said scornfully, ”What kind of event is this? How could he possibly be here? Our Li Family barely managed to get an invitation, so what right does *he* have to get in? Besides, that man has a much better bearing than Chen Dong. It doesn’t look like him at all!”

”You know an invitation only admits two people. Otherwise, I would’ve brought him along to broaden his horizons, just to keep Elder Li happy.”

Li Huiran shook her head. ”I must have been mistaken. It was just a similar silhouette from behind.”

Zhao Zhitong led the trio to a breathtakingly luxurious private room.

Inside, only Zhao Wenxuan and Zhao Hongyu were present, sipping fragrant tea.

Zhao Hongyu had an extraordinary aura about her. Dressed in a long, red gown, she gently swirled the tea in her cup, looking like a celestial fairy from the clouds, gazing down upon the mortal world.

Yet, the moment this fairy saw Chen Dong, her expression turned reserved. She quickly put down her teacup, her slender fingers fidgeting nervously, unsure of what to do with her hands.

Zhao Wenxuan stood up warmly. ”Divine Doctor Chen, Divine Doctor Xue, and the lovely Miss Xue, you’re here!”

Xue Tianxiang quickly replied, ”Mr. Zhao, you are too kind!”

Zhao Wenxuan personally poured tea for the three of them, smiling. ”I’m glad you could make it. I’ve always preferred tea to all those red wines and foreign spirits.”

They each took a sip. It was indeed a top-grade tea.

”In a little while, I’ll have to trouble you, Divine Doctor Chen, to give our Hongyu another check-up.”

Hearing this, Zhao Hongyu’s reserved demeanor turned to mortification, and her face flushed crimson.

Chen Dong nodded. ”We can do it now.”

Zhao Wenxuan raised a hand. ”No rush! Divine Doctor Chen, I have a difficult problem that I hope you can advise me on.”

Chen Dong smiled. ”Mr. Zhao, if you have a problem, just speak freely.”

Chen Dong usually hated getting involved in trouble, but not today. After all, this man was his personal god of wealth.

Zhao Wenxuan’s expression turned serious. ”I’m currently overseeing a project for Qingtian International. The main bidders are the Huang Family and the Li Family. In your opinion, which one should I choose?”

Chen Dong was stunned. ’What does he mean by asking me this question?’ he wondered. Still, since he was asked, the answer was obvious.

He replied, ”I have more faith in the Li Family.”

He didn’t say who to choose, only that he had more faith in them.

Zhao Wenxuan broke into a hearty laugh. ”Haha! Divine Doctor Chen, I understand! The Li Family it is, then.”

He immediately turned to Zhao Zhitong. ”The Qingtian International project partnership is internally slated for the Li Family.”

Zhao Zhitong bowed. ”Yes, sir!”

Meanwhile, in the bustling banquet hall, the area around Li Jianwen and Li Huiran was conspicuously empty. Many guests deliberately gave them a wide berth.

It was as if they were standing in a vacuum.

Li Jianwen had alienated many people by turning down other partnerships in his pursuit of the Qingtian International project. Now, the Huang Family had issued a decree across Jiangzhou: anyone who worked with the Li Family was an enemy of the Huang Family.

Even the many young, talented men who were eager to make Li Huiran’s acquaintance were held back by their family elders.

So, when Wu Haichao, exhausted from his misadventures the previous night, finally rushed into the venue, he immediately spotted Li Huiran sipping wine and Li Jianwen scanning the room.

He was stunned. ’I didn’t get them an invitation. How did they get in?’ he wondered.

Before Wu Haichao could even think of approaching them, Li Jianwen spotted him and strode over.

”Haichao! I really can’t thank you enough for this!”

Wu Haichao’s mind raced. It seemed Li Jianwen had misunderstood something. ’This is good, though,’ he thought.

He said smoothly, ”Uncle, you’re too kind. We’re all one family. It was the least I could do.”

Li Huiran walked over as well and said sincerely, ”Thank you, Director Wu.”

Wu Haichao was surprised. From the look of it, Li Huiran was completely in the dark. But his target last night had been a giant sow... Just the memory of it made life feel meaningless.

He had suspected it was some trick of hers, but apparently not. Something must have gone wrong when he planted the Gu.

He still had one Unity Gu left. He couldn’t decide whether he should use it on her.

Just then, the noisy banquet hall suddenly fell silent.

The lights dimmed, and a spotlight fell on Zhao Zhitong in the center of the room.

”Good evening, everyone! Welcome to the twentieth birthday celebration for our Zhao Family’s princess, Zhao Hongyu! This was arranged on short notice, so please forgive us for any lack of hospitality. And now, please welcome our very own Princess Zhao, Zhao Hongyu!”

The last of the whispers in the hall died down, and the room became completely silent.

The spotlight swung to the grand entrance. The doors slowly opened, and Zhao Wenxuan walked in, leading Zhao Hongyu by the hand.

So beautiful!

How exquisite!

All the young, eligible bachelors in the room were instantly captivated. Her long, dark hair flowed against her red gown, and her limpid, expressive eyes held a transcendent quality that seemed to place her above the mortal world, making their hearts ache with longing. And that was without even considering the power of the Zhao Family behind her.

To marry Zhao Hongyu would mean their own family’s status would skyrocket.

The moment Wu Haichao laid eyes on Zhao Hongyu, he made up his mind.

He had to use his remaining Unity Gu on Zhao Hongyu. The attempt on Li Huiran had failed, and it would be too risky to try again on her.

He secretly crushed a small pellet, and a tiny insect flew out.

In the center of the hall, Zhao Wenxuan faced the crowd and smiled. ”Through a fortunate turn of events, my Hongyu is celebrating her twentieth birthday here in Jiangzhou. It is both fate and happenstance! We were also fortunate enough to receive the aid of a brilliant young man, to whom the Zhao Family would like to once again express our gratitude! And now, I would like to invite this young man to share the first dance with Hongyu.”

With a sudden shift, the spotlight landed on Chen Dong, who had just walked into the main hall.

”What?” Li Huiran froze. ”How could he...?”