Under the pre-dawn sky, Li Qianfan, accompanied by Du Yuanyuan, changed Su Nanyin's dressing and checked her injuries.
Her recovery was exceptionally good!
Even though Li Qianfan's blood was known to possess super-healing properties, he was still astonished to see Su Nanyin's scars completely healed overnight, leaving only a faint red mark.
Even Du Yuanyuan, in her naivety, considered cutting herself and receiving Li Qianfan's blood to experience the rapid healing firsthand.
Li Qianfan, suppressing a chuckle, nudged her aside.
Not only had Su Nanyin's wounds healed, but her spirits and complexion were also much improved upon waking.
Originally, Su Nanyin's cells and Li Qianfan's were like "good friends." Now, with at least a thousand milliliters of Li Qianfan's blood flowing through her veins, the question arose: would the mysterious and potent Original 209 cause any fundamental changes?
For now, no one knew. Su Nanyin, however, felt invigorated upon waking.
Du Yuanyuan, with her keen observation, noticed a distinct change in the Empress's gaze towards Li Qianfan, though she couldn't articulate what it was.
After changing Su Nanyin's dressing, Li Qianfan and Du Junlin left. Shen Yun, escorted by Su Xin, went to the company, which was officially renamed Guanyin Group from its former name, Su's Pharmaceuticals. Su Zui, the CEO of Guanyin Group, needed a couple of days' rest at home due to a slight disturbance of her pregnancy from the previous day's fright.
By three in the afternoon, Li Qianfan had been diligently searching for any clues about the Fifth President. He had also secretly summoned President Jiao San from Tiandong to Si Jiu.
Upon learning of Su Nanyin's assassination attempt, Jiao Yin, while surprised, confidently stated that it must have been orchestrated by the Fifth President. This was because, with Jiao Yin's clandestine assistance, the combat division led by Du Junlin had achieved significant success within a week of the Dark Blade's establishment, weakening the Fifth President's influence in Si Jiu. In her rage, the Fifth President of the Dark Web had resorted to desperate measures, making the assassination of Su Nanyin a plausible scenario.
Li Qianfan hoped that Jiao Yin could help him uncover the identity of the Fifth President, even if it were just a trace. However, Jiao Yin shrugged and spread her hands, declaring, "This humble servant is powerless to help." She wasn't unwilling to help Li Qianfan find the Fifth President; in fact, she was even more eager than Li Qianfan to find and eliminate her.
Li Qianfan also understood that such matters couldn't be rushed. His only recourse was to intensify the covert investigation into the Dark Web and further bolster Su Nanyin's personal security measures.
After settling Jiao Yin, Li Qianfan visited Hongye Private Hospital. Zhaixing's injuries were nearly healed. Li Qianfan consulted her on her preference between Longxu, Qingyun, or Dark Blade. After careful consideration, Zhaixing and Zhaiyue, who had been accompanying her, both wished to go to Longxu or Qingyun to be with Zhaihua and Zhaixin. They explicitly did not want to go to Dark Blade, as they felt inexplicably annoyed by the Empress's presence. Li Qianfan understood their sentiment.
Since they were willing to go to Longxu, it suited him well, as Su Ziyu and Mo Hongti also required close personal attention. After determining Zhaixing's destination, Li Qianfan rushed to see Murong Yaoyuan. Murong Yaoyuan appeared much fairer and more mature than before. Her internal injuries had also significantly improved. By the time Li Qianfan finished his tasks and returned to the Su family residence, it was already seven in the evening. Upon his return, with the help of Uncle Kui and others, he personally prepared medicine for Su Nanyin. With perhaps two more applications of the ointment, the Empress's left side would be perfectly smooth and flawless.
Exhausted from a day of running errands, Li Qianfan carried the ointment to the back courtyard living room. Upon opening the door, he saw the four Su family beauties engrossed in a lively card game around the table and felt a surge of annoyance. Mao Mao was pregnant, Chong Chong was delicate, and Yuanyuan was innocent. Their childishness was one thing, but was Su Nanyin also being foolish? After being on the verge of death last night, she was now, tonight, arrogantly placing her left foot on the table, sleeves rolled up, urging Yuanyuan to follow suit. Anyone in Li Qianfan's position would be angered.
Yet, he couldn't afford to be angry. Maintaining a good mood was crucial for the injured person's recovery. Furthermore, Mao Mao and the others were playing cards to cheer her up, preventing her from dwelling on negative thoughts alone in her room. Li Qianfan's only recourse was to playfully suggest she disrobe.
However, the next moment, Li Qianfan regretted it. In the heat of the game, the Empress, without a second thought, pulled open the collar of her white shirt to her left rib. Li Qianfan felt as if he had been hit by a welding arc. It was white and trembling. What truly made Li Qianfan despair was that not only was the Empress's action casual, but Mao Mao and the others also saw nothing amiss. In their view: "It's just applying medicine. Besides, they're already together. And last night, Qianfan spent so long! While he wasn't toying with it, there's no need to be shy. It's in the backyard anyway, and no one will see if the door is closed." Playing cards was more important!
All four players seemed to have strong hands, creating a tense situation. The amount of cash on the table made Li Qianfan's eyes gleam with envy. Cash had a far greater visual impact and stimulated the adrenaline more than numbers in a mobile banking app.
"It's just thirty thousand yuan, are you scared of us? I'm in!" Yuanyuan, her face flushed, took three stacks of ten-thousand-yuan bills from a small paper box under her feet and slammed them onto the table. Mao Mao hesitated for a moment and also matched with thirty thousand yuan. Chong Chong, without any hesitation, directly called the bet.
"Ha, haha." The fair, plump, and trembling Empress, her eyes now red with the thrill of the game, let out a strange laugh and flipped her cards, declaring, "One hundred thousand yuan!" Following the principle of "big bets break families, small bets are for fun," the Su family had finally set a limit of one hundred thousand yuan per hand, no longer allowing the reckless betting of tens or even hundreds of thousands in the heat of the moment.
The Empress's increased bet made Du Yuanyuan, who was already pushing her luck, even more nervous. She glanced at Su Mao Mao, who was reaching for the money, then at Shen Chong Chong, who was about to fold, and finally at the domineering Empress. She decisively threw down her cards, "I fold."
Su Mao Mao's hand, a tiger card, was immediately revealed. It was a straight flush. Su Mao Mao coughed and tossed her cards into the discard pile, "I fold too. A 789 hand is too risky to follow." Shen Chong Chong, who actually only had a pair of Aces, seeing that both the straight flush and the tractor hand had folded, didn't dare to risk one hundred thousand yuan to see the Empress's cards. Just as she was about to fold, Li Qianfan, standing beside her, took her cards and said, "Chong Chong, I want your hand." He then looked at Su Nanyin and said, "One hundred thousand yuan, let me see your hand!"
Su Nanyin stared, then opened her mouth to scold, "Who do you think you are? Butt in for no reason! Get lost, I'm not playing with you."
"You have to play." Du Yuanyuan, who had already withdrawn from the game, snatched her cards and flipped them onto the table. Su Nanyin's hand was a single King. Yet, through her extremely cunning acting, she had bluffed away Yuanyuan's tractor hand, Mao Mao's straight flush, and Chong Chong's big pair. Upon seeing her hand was the smallest of the four, Mao Mao and the others were stunned. They immediately shouted in unison, "Ah!" The Empress bent down and reached to sweep the money into her lap.
This was impossible!
"I call! I am the ultimate winner, all this money is mine!" Shen Chong Chong quickly tried to grab it. Du Yuanyuan seized the opportunity to cause further chaos. Su Mao Mao naturally wouldn't be left behind. The four of them started scrambling for the money. Li Qianfan watched the four people with their terrible card etiquette and sighed involuntarily.
After a scramble, the four reached a final agreement: "This round doesn't count. Everyone takes back their own money. Regroup and continue the fight." Thus, they immediately launched into a new round of battle.
Finally, when Du Yuanyuan, who had lost badly, shamelessly asked Su Nanyin to borrow money, and the latter refused, she discovered Li Qianfan was no longer in the room. The ointment and other items he had brought were placed on the nearby sofa. What time was it? Oh! It was one-thirty in the morning? Terrible! They had been so engrossed in the game tonight that they had lost track of time.
"Mom, you haven't applied the medicine yet, have you?" Du Yuanyuan asked, looking at the Empress's trembling form.
"Ah?" The Empress paused, looked down, and quickly pulled up her collar. Yuanyuan took the opportunity to steal a handful of cash. However, Su Mao Mao, acting as a knight in shining armor, grabbed her hand, "Mom, Yuanyuan is stealing your money." Shen Chong Chong, however, took the cash from Yuanyuan's hand and said, "You go find Qianfan quickly and apply the medicine to Mom. No one else can do this."
Where had Li Qianfan gone? He wasn't in his bedroom, nor in the central or front courtyards. After asking Uncle Kui, Chong Chong hurried into the back courtyard living room, her face etched with worry, and said, "Uncle Kui said that Qianfan drove away over an hour ago. He didn't ask where he went." Su Zui immediately understood. She looked at Su Nanyin and said, "We not only overlooked your need for medicine but also overlooked Qianfan. He's angry."
"Tch!" Su Nanyin pouted dismissively. "I'll call him." Du Junlin picked up her phone and called Li Qianfan.
"I'm sorry, the subscriber you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later." Hearing this voice from the phone, the cheerful atmosphere in the room instantly vanished. Su Nanyin's feigned disdain froze.
At ten in the evening, Li Qianfan, who was with Gao Lingwang, promptly rejected Du Junlin's call and turned off his phone. Gao Lingwang looked at a nearby alley and said softly, "I hope the injured person hiding here is the assassin clown from last night."