"A veterinarian!"
Bian Wei smiled victoriously, mocking Ji Mo mercilessly.
Ah Li struggled fiercely, trying to break free from Ye Yao's embrace, but her strength was too little to succeed.
The little girl looked pitifully at Ji Mo, "Big Brother, save us. My aunt is foolish and is being completely deceived by this scoundrel. She'll surely lose both her money and her virtue."
Although young, Ah Li possessed a wisdom beyond her years and saw things with remarkable clarity.
Ye Yao's face turned dark. She had no choice but to cover Ah Li's small mouth again.
"I can really cure this little girl," Ji Mo said sincerely.
Ye Yao stopped walking, holding onto a sliver of hope, and asked, "Then tell me, what illness does Ah Li actually have?"
Ji Mo replied, "Hmm, there seems to be a problem with her body; she's malnourished. It might be troublesome to cure it completely, but if I handle her conditioning, her life should be out of danger."
Malnourished?
Cure it completely?
As expected of a veterinarian, utterly useless. He claimed Ah Li was malnourished and boasted about being able to cure her completely. How could she have placed any hope in such a person?
Ye Yao's face was filled with disappointment. She turned and left without hesitation.
A flicker of surprise flashed in the depths of Bian Wei's pupils. He was curious whether Ji Mo was merely guessing, talking nonsense, or had genuinely discerned something.
Ah Li's physical condition was indeed peculiar, and "malnourished" could be used to describe it.
The little girl had suffered a misfortune in her childhood. While still swaddled, her innate Dao bone had been cruelly dug out of her body. If not for a drop of Human King's blood that extended her life, she would have likely died long ago.
Now, that drop of Human King's blood was almost depleted. To survive, she could only be nourished with immense amounts of heavenly treasures to replenish her life force.
This was an endless pit. Even the resources of a top sect would likely not be enough to sustain the little girl's consumption.
What Bian Wei had said earlier about extending Ah Li's life for a few more years was pure fabrication, intended solely to deceive Ye Yao. Once he had obtained Ye Yao's purity, who would care about the little girl's life or death?
Unfortunately, Ye Yao had rejected Ji Mo's good intentions and instead placed her trust in a scoundrel like Bian Wei.
Watching Ah Li being carried away, Ji Mo sighed.
It was Ye Yao's choice, and he couldn't force her. After all, they were not related. He could only hope that the little girl would have good fortune.
Around the corner not far away, Wen Xi and Xiao Lan watched from a distance.
"He's handsome, can play the zither, compose poetry, and has a kind heart. My Mo Mo is truly flawless, perfect in every way."
Wen Xi looked smitten, her bright eyes filled with Ji Mo's image.
Indeed, a maiden's heart is full of poetry. When one falls in love, everything about the beloved seems beautiful.
Xiao Lan couldn't bear it and held her forehead. "Miss, please come to your senses. How is Young Master Ji yours? Aren't you ashamed?"
Her own young lady was beyond saving. Love truly made people blind, turning a usually proud talented woman into a lovesick fool.
But while the flowers may fall with affection, the water flows on without it. Miss, can you stop being so self-indulgent?
"Xiao Lan, why don't you find an opportunity to knock my Mo Mo unconscious and bring him back to Qingfeng Garden?" Wen Xi said.
"Cough, cough..."
Xiao Lan coughed in fright. Her young lady was truly beyond saving.
Xiao Lan would naturally not do such a thing.
What a joke! Kidnapping women was common, but when had anyone heard of kidnapping men? If word got out, wouldn't it be utterly shameful?
Seeing Xiao Lan not act, Wen Xi didn't force her. She walked towards Ji Mo, intending to have a good talk with him and resolve their previous misunderstanding.
Just then, a white shadow flashed and blocked Wen Xi.
Xiao Lan thought her young lady was under attack and immediately reacted, sending a palm strike towards the opponent's face.
But upon seeing the opponent's appearance, she quickly retracted her attack and called out, "Second Miss!"
The person who appeared was the second daughter of the Wen family, Wen Die.
"What are you doing here?"
Wen Xi showed no joy upon seeing her own sister. Instead, her expression was cold and indifferent.
The two sisters had not gotten along well since childhood.
As the eldest daughter of the Wen family, Wen Xi had been devoted to arts and literature since childhood, disliking cultivation and only focusing on doing what she loved, living freely.
Wen Die, on the other hand, had shouldered too much from a young age, bearing pressures that were inappropriate for her age.
Consequently, Wen Die had never had a good word for her sister and harbored resentment in her heart.
The sisterly bond had naturally grown increasingly distant.
"What am I doing here? Of course, I'm here to stop you from acting recklessly. Father said you've disgraced the family honor by trying to kidnap a man. He's punished you with three months of house arrest to reflect in Qingfeng Garden. Xiao Lan, you are responsible for keeping an eye on the eldest lady. If she steps out of Qingfeng Garden even half a step, you will be held accountable."
Wen Die spoke carelessly, fabricating the story.
This was naturally a lie she had made up; Wen Zhong had not given such an order.
But Wen Xi did not doubt her and believed it.
She was used to being confined, as she had been punished with house arrest frequently in the past.
Xiao Lan, hearing that it was Wen Zhong's order, naturally obeyed without any objection.
Moreover, she also thought that her young lady indeed needed to be confined to calm down.
"I don't want to be confined! I promise I won't kidnap my Mo Mo."
Wen Xi's face turned pale. If she were confined for three months, she wouldn't be able to see Ji Mo at all.
"Your Mo Mo?"
A hint of a mischievous smile appeared on Wen Die's face. "My dear sister, please be more reserved. Don't have any unrealistic fantasies about your brother-in-law, okay?"
"Brother-in-law?"
Wen Xi's entire body turned cold as she saw that familiar devilish smile.
Wen Die smiled triumphantly, "That's right. Father eagerly anticipates holding his grandson from me and Ji Mo soon. He supports me being with Ji Mo. As for you, you've already been rejected, so don't have any inappropriate thoughts."
"Impossible."
Wen Xi's body turned icy. She quickly pleaded, "Good sister, don't snatch Ji Mo away from me. I promise you, you can inherit the position of the Wen family head, and I guarantee I will obey your every command from now on. I'll do whatever you want."
For Ji Mo, she was willing to give up everything.
"My dear sister, you are the eldest daughter, so the position of family head should naturally be yours to manage. I have no interest in it. After marrying Ji Mo, I only wish to be a good wife and mother, follow my husband's lead, and enjoy a simple life in the countryside."
Wen Die said with a smile.
This was the life she yearned for, not the boring and uninteresting cultivation every day, followed by managing a myriad of troublesome family affairs.
Clearly, Wen Die did not care about the position of family head at all. Instead, she viewed it as a burden.
In other families, people would resort to any means, turn against each other, and commit fratricide to contend for the position of family head, sparing no effort.
This Wen family, however, was such that no one coveted the position of family head; they all deferred.
"Could this be what they call 'preferring a handsome man over a kingdom'? Mr. Ji is indeed formidable. The two young ladies are willing to give up the position of family head to fight over him!"
Xiao Lan suddenly became worried. Would the two young ladies turn against each other for the sake of a man?