Chapter 721 - 249: Something Happened to Jiali

Qiao Wei sneered and spat out two merciless words. "Fooled you."

"I don’t believe it." Gao Qiang couldn’t believe it. The look in Qiao Wei’s eyes when she said she’d fallen for him at first sight could be described as nothing short of deep affection.

"Believe it or not." Qiao Wei didn’t even bother explaining. She looked at Jie Jingchen and said, "Cousin, mission complete. I’m leaving."

Without waiting for Jie Jingchen to reply, Qiao Wei strode away with a proud gait.

"Miss Qiao!" Gao Qiang started to chase after her, but Jie Jingchen stopped him with a swift kick.

"AGH!" Gao Qiang cried out, clutching his chest as he stared at Jie Jingchen in agony.

"Gao Qiang, if anything happens to my aunt, I’ll have your entire Gao family buried with her." A thick, chilling killing intent radiated from Jie Jingchen’s eyes.

"She’s the one who wanted to drink, it’s not like I forced her! She knew she had stomach problems, but she drank anyway. If she doesn’t even cherish her own body, how can you blame me for that?" Gao Qiang hastily wiped the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Gao Qiang didn’t dare tell the truth: Xu Jiali had started drinking because she was provoked by the things he’d said to her.

"My aunt must have been blind to fall for you." Jie Jingchen lifted his foot and kicked Gao Qiang again.

But Gao Qiang had a temper too. He jumped up to fight back, all thoughts of offending the Qiao Family thrown to the wind. In the end, he was no match for Jie Jingchen and was beaten to the ground.

Gao Qiang lay sprawled on the ground, muffled groans of pain escaping his lips.

"You’re not even worthy of my aunt, yet you fantasize about marrying my cousin? Gao Qiang, where does your confidence come from?" Jie Jingchen sneered.

"I’ve got charm. Your aunt is head over heels for me, and your cousin fell for me at first sight. What can you do to me?" Gao Qiang provoked. Having been beaten so badly by Jie Jingchen, he was, ironically, no longer afraid of him.

’He couldn’t win a fight against Jie Jingchen, and he couldn’t stop him from going after the Gao family. It was better to act tough than to show weakness.’

Jie Jingchen suspected he had scared the man stupid. Gao Qiang was still daydreaming, having clearly not understood a single word Qiao Wei said.

Jie Jingchen stepped forward, planted his leather shoe on Gao Qiang’s face, and ground it in with force.

"AGH!" Gao Qiang screamed, then roared, "Young Master Qiao, kill me if you have the guts! Otherwise, I’ll do something to your aunt and cousin... AGH! Young Master Qiao, do you dare kill me? If I die, your aunt will hate you! Your cousin will hate you too!"

"Gao Qiang, are you really this stupid, or are you just playing dumb?" Jie Jingchen asked coldly, his face a mask of scorn and contempt.

"What do you mean?" Gao Qiang asked.

Jie Jingchen removed his foot and crouched down, his gaze fixing icily on Gao Qiang. "I was the one who had my cousin seduce you. The whole point was to make you leave my aunt."

When Qiao Wei told Jie Jingchen "mission complete," Gao Qiang had already guessed what was happening. He was just deluding himself, unwilling to believe the reality of the situation.

He had been a fool, insatiably greedy, to believe Qiao Wei’s words. How could a lofty young lady from the Governor Mansion fall in love at first sight with someone as plain-looking as him?

He knew of Qiao Wei’s reputation. If he had looks like Jie Jingchen’s, he figured Qiao Wei might have taken a liking to him and made him her boy toy.

Unspeakable regret filled Gao Qiang’s dark eyes. With Jiali there, he had been on guard when Qiao Wei approached him. But because Qiao Wei revealed her identity and confessed her love, his defenses shattered and he completely fell for it—to the point of hurting Jiali with those heartless words just to get rid of her.

"I’m going to tell your aunt! I’m going to tell her the truth, that you sabotaged our relationship!" Gao Qiang roared, glaring at Jie Jingchen as boundless hatred grew inside him.

"Hmph!" Jie Jingchen snorted disdainfully. "And you couldn’t even pass such a simple test."

That one word, "test," completely crushed Gao Qiang’s spirit. No matter what Jie Jingchen’s true intentions were, as long as he claimed it was a test, Jiali would never forgive him.

"I want to see Jiali." Gao Qiang struggled to get up, but his body ached with a searing pain, and he didn’t have the strength. Hiding not far away, Qiao Wei watched the scene, thinking that Gao Qiang was just thrashing about in his death throes.

Qiao Wei wanted to leave, but she was also worried about Xu Jiali and didn’t dare go.

A moment later, Qin Mei walked out, looking exhausted. Jie Jingchen’s gaze flickered as he noticed the bloodstains on her clothes. "Meimei."

"Sis." Qiao Wei ran up to her. Her heart sank when she saw the blood on Qin Mei’s clothes. ’That’s Xu Jiali’s blood,’ she thought. She had some on her as well, from when Xu Jiali had thrown up all over her on the way to the hospital. "Is Xu Jiali okay?"

"Her life isn’t in immediate danger," Qin Mei said.

The tension on Jie Jingchen’s face eased considerably, and the weight on Qiao Wei’s chest lifted.

Dean Zhang came out and asked Qin Mei and Jie Jingchen to speak with him in his office. No one called for Qiao Wei, but after a moment’s hesitation, she decided to follow them.

"Xiao Mei, does she need surgery?" Dean Zhang asked Qin Mei directly.

Qin Mei didn’t answer, looking instead at Jie Jingchen. The decision to operate wasn’t hers to make.

"What are her chances?" Jie Jingchen asked, his gaze fixed on Qin Mei.

"The surgery is risky," Dean Zhang interjected. "In her current condition, there’s a good chance she won’t make it off the operating table." He then stated his professional opinion. "I recommend conservative treatment."

Conservative treatment meant living one day at a time, whereas the chance of dying on the operating table was high.

’Xu Jiali was so young, and he had watched her grow up. It was a tragic, heartbreaking situation, but he was powerless to help.’

"What surgery? Who needs surgery?" Qiao Wei was completely lost.

"Xu Jiali’s surgery," Qin Mei said, her gaze on Qiao Wei tinged with blame.

"But Xu Jiali just has stomach problems," Qiao Wei said.

"Stomach cancer," Qin Mei stated, not hiding the truth from Qiao Wei.

"What?" Qiao Wei’s pupils dilated and her heart skipped a beat. She thought she must have misheard.

Qin Mei ignored Qiao Wei and said to Jie Jingchen, "Post-surgery, I can use traditional Chinese medicine to prolong her life. If we don’t operate and stick to conservative treatment, the cancer will metastasize, and she won’t live much longer. Of course, the surgery is risky. The chance she won’t make it off the table is very high."

"What’s your recommendation?" Jie Jingchen asked, his expression grave.

"Surgery," Qin Mei said.

"Then we operate," Jie Jingchen decided instantly.

Qin Mei thought for a moment, then said, "We can’t keep this a secret."

"I’ll be the one to tell Grandpa and Grandma," Jie Jingchen said.

"It’s better if I tell them," Dean Zhang volunteered. "I’m a doctor; I can explain it in more detail than you. To be blunt, I’m worried you’ll only emphasize the post-op advantages and keep quiet about the risks of the procedure itself."

Jie Jingchen didn’t argue with Dean Zhang. It didn’t matter who broke the news.

Doctor Zhang went to the Qiao Family home, while Qin Mei and Jie Jingchen stayed at the hospital. Doctor Zhang arranged for a patient room so Qin Mei could rest.

Qin Mei sat on the sofa, lost in thought. Jie Jingchen went to the cafeteria to buy them both a meal.

"What are you thinking about?" Jie Jingchen asked as he opened the aluminum food containers.

"I’m thinking about whether we should tell your aunt," Qin Mei replied.

Jie Jingchen’s hands froze. His voice was a little unsteady as he asked, "Have you decided?"

Qin Mei looked at Jie Jingchen and said, "Her state of mind is crucial. Treating her without her knowledge... it’s one thing if the treatment works, but what if it doesn’t? It would be cruel to wait until her life is on a countdown to tell her the truth. She would have so many regrets."

"Meimei." Jie Jingchen sat down beside Qin Mei and gripped her shoulders, his gaze profound. "But what if she is cured?"

"Jie Jingsi, stop kidding yourself. It’s a terminal illness." Qin Mei looked at him, exasperated that he could be so naively hopeful.

"Everyone said there was no hope for Jing Qi’s legs, but you cured them." Jie Jingchen believed in Qin Mei’s skills. He had witnessed her medical miracles firsthand.

Qin Mei suddenly felt the weight of a mountain pressing down on her. ’Jing Qi’s situation was completely different from Xu Jiali’s.’

Qin Mei took a deep breath and said, her voice firm and resolute, "Jing Qi’s legs were just crippled. Even if her legs had been amputated, Jing Qi wouldn’t have died. Your aunt is different. It’s a terminal illness. There is no cure..."