Chapter 17: What is the difference between me and the mistress of the Qin family?

Although the number of times she woke up startled has clearly decreased, Xiao Meng still felt a sense of guilt.

"I'm sorry," Xiao Meng said in a low voice.

Xia Enci waved her hand. "It's nothing. But what's the reason for this? Do you need to see a doctor?"

"I've already contacted a doctor," Jiang Zhe interjected from the side.

Xiao Meng's tension eased.

"That's good. It's for your own sake, too," Xia Enci nodded.

In the afternoon, Jiang Zhe received a WeChat message.

She took a glance; it was from Qin Jingchen.

"Are you free tonight? I'll pick you up for dinner. My cousin insists that I help her thank you."

Thinking that she indeed had things to do outside, Jiang Zhe agreed: "Okay."

Qin Jingchen was sitting beside Qin Feng. He said, "I've reached her."

Qin Feng stroked her belly. "I'm still trying to protect the pregnancy, so I won't go in person. You must make sure to thank her properly on my behalf."

"Don't worry."

Listening to the sound of his prayer beads, Qin Feng felt as if she could see his faint smile.

Tang Jianxi walked in. Seeing Qin Jingchen there, she suppressed the joy in her heart. "Master Qin."

Qin Jingchen gave a polite nod as a greeting and stood up to leave.

"Jianxi, I've troubled you these past few days as well." Qin Feng looked revitalized, her complexion rosy.

Ever since her husband passed away and she discovered she was pregnant, she hadn't had such a good complexion in a long time.

"Don't say that. I am also a member of a branch of the Tang family; I truly should do my utmost for your child. Not to mention, we have the kind of relationship we do."

Qin Feng gently touched her belly. "My child must be born."

"The medicine Jiang Zhe left for you. Remember to take it." Tang Jianxi handed the medicine to her.

The last time she had taken medicine from the JZ Pharmaceutical Research Institute, before she had the chance to give it to Qin Feng, she was discovered by the people at the institute, and they had brought people to confiscate it.

Not only that, she had also received a formal warning. This was only because she had returned all the medicine without using it, thus avoiding any irreparable consequences.

However, she had still secretly kept a careful eye out, recorded the formula, and formulated the medicine herself for Qin Feng.

She had studied the ingredients; her own medicine was not fundamentally different from the ratio of ingredients Jiang Zhe had left behind.

In other words, last time, Jiang Zhe had been exaggerating, intentionally lowering the value of her own medicine to raise her own status.

Qin Feng had taken the medicine she provided for two days straight and hadn't shown any further issues.

Without suspicion, Qin Feng took the medicine and consumed it.

...

After school, Xia Enci leaned on Jiang Zhe's desk. "Let's go, let's go eat."

"I'm not going. I have some things to do. Help me ask Teacher Luo for leave; I won't be coming to evening self-study."

"Sure." Xia Enci didn't take it to heart; there were many people who requested leave from the unnamed class's evening self-study.

Xiao Meng had long been used to this; Jiang Zhe had always been mysterious, often acting independently of the group.

Jiang Zhe walked out carrying her schoolbag, chewing on gum. Just as she came to a halt at the entrance, Lincoln silently glided to her feet.

The car window rolled down, and Qin Jingchen's stunning, sharp features pierced through the gloom of the dusk, breaking through time and space to cast a fragment of light upon the shadows of the silhouette before him.

Jiang Zhe's eyes were slightly dazzled.

Coincidentally, when she appeared in Qin Jingchen's line of sight, the effect was exactly the same.

Feng Ye, sitting in the passenger seat, turned around and was momentarily blinded by the radiance of the two of them.

*Tsk*, this was the first time he felt that Qin Jingchen could truly be considered a fox that had attained human form.

"What do you want to eat?" Qin Jingchen asked.

"Anything is fine." Jiang Zhe took out the gum box, nonchalantly poured two pieces out, and tossed them into her mouth.

Qin Jingchen then had Feng Ye arrange a popular restaurant suitable for general tastes.

He waited for a moment, but Jiang Zhe did not hand the box to him again.

Realizing that he was actually anticipating a piece of gum, he found himself amused. A trace of a smile surfaced on the corners of his lips, and the prayer beads in his hand inevitably paused for a moment.

Seeing his expression through the rearview mirror, Feng Ye was incredibly surprised. What was this situation? Just by appearing, could Jiang Zhe cause such a large emotional fluctuation in Brother Chen?

The dining location was set at a Chinese restaurant. Once seated, Feng Ye picked up the water pitcher to pour water, asking, "Are there any dietary restrictions?"

"None." Jiang Zhe sat down casually.

Qin Jingchen took the pitcher from Feng Ye's hand. "You order first."

He personally poured the water and handed it to Jiang Zhe. "My cousin's health has been recovering well lately. The fetus is doing great."

"Good." Jiang Zhe acted as if this was expected, without even blinking.

"Take this card." Qin Jingchen handed over a card.

It was black with gold trim, shimmering yet low-key. At a glance, Jiang Zhe could tell it was a limited-edition custom card from the Qin family.

During the interval while Feng Ye was ordering, he saw the card and was also startled. Possessing this card meant one could move through all industries under the names of the Qin and Tang families without hindrance; any consumption would face no obstacles.

And the Qin and Tang families owned the largest and most comprehensive collection of high-end clubs, hotels, manors, wineries, racetracks, and sports fields in the Dragon Empire and even globally. Everything you could think of, and everything you couldn't, was all there.

Last time when Qin Jingchen specifically asked Feng Ye to customize this card, he had wondered who could possibly deserve such treatment—it turned out it was ordered for Jiang Zhe!

What Qin Jingchen was giving now already exceeded the treatment of a regular Qin family member. After all, among the internal members of the Qin family, no one other than Qin Jingchen could access all these places.

What was the difference between possessing this card and being the mistress of the Qin family?

Jiang Zhe's eyebrows twitched slightly. "I don't accept gifts."

"My cousin is only about a hundred days into her pregnancy; there will be many times in the future when she will rely on you. Jiang Zhe, how about treating this as a down payment made in advance?"

Feng Ye's mouth hung open... This card was only a down payment?

Even though he was used to Qin Jingchen's generosity, this was the first time he had seen him be this extravagant.

"Consultation fees aren't this expensive." Jiang Zhe was telling the truth.

Her prices were always high, but they had never been higher than what Qin Jingchen was offering this time.

"It's not expensive. Especially for me this time."

Jiang Zhe looked up into his eyes. "Is it that important this time?"

"More important than you think." He curled his lips slightly, his tear mole shimmering with a hint of enchantment.

Jiang Zhe said nothing, appearing to be in thought.

Qin Jingchen's well-defined fingers pressed against the card, his tone unhurried. "Originally, I thought that if I were no longer in the Qin family, my cousin and her child would be Grandmother's solace."

Jiang Zhe glanced at the prayer beads in his hand and understood what he meant by "no longer in the Qin family."

She only had a question regarding those two words: "Originally?"

"Yes, originally. Because that was only a previous thought." Qin Jingchen released his fingers and sat up straight with composure, the sound of the prayer beads emitting a faint, almost imperceptible noise.

*Originally.*

In other words, that was no longer the thought.

Jiang Zhe reached out, took the card, and tucked it into her bag. "Fine."