In the end, Han Mengjuan all but forced the bank card into Ye Chu's hands. After she left, he stepped into the room and fixed his gaze on the unconscious Jiang Junyao lying quietly on the bed.
"Perhaps marrying into the family isn't such a bad thing after all."
He whispered softly, Han Mengjuan's maternal care stirring memories of his late mother.
Unlike Ye Tiancheng, his mother Lin Xuanxuan had always showered him with love.
Ye Chu gently took Jiang Junyao's delicate jade-like hand, feeling her pulse.
Moments later, his brows knit together. "Hmm? Could this constitution be…?"
He examined her more carefully, and a spark of delight lit his eyes.
"To think she truly possesses the True Phoenix Physique… My luck is extraordinary."
A surge of excitement welled within him. According to his master, such rare constitutions were almost never encountered—yet here, just after his release, fate had guided him to one. And by a twist of destiny, they had even been bound in marriage.
Suppressing his emotions, he focused on investigating the cause of her coma.
After a moment, his brow arched slightly. "Heh… it seems my wife is far from ordinary."
Forming seals with one hand, streams of true qi flowed from his fingertips, weaving through the air until they solidified into slender, shimmering needles.
Needles formed of pure qi.
Anyone knowledgeable enough to witness this sight would have been utterly stunned—such techniques were said to exist only in the ancient scrolls.
He drew back the quilt, revealing a breathtakingly graceful figure. Ye Chu's eyes flared with heat.
Three years in prison without a woman's touch—he was at the age where blood ran hot. His heart pounded.
Drawing in a deep breath, he crushed the restless impulse within him and concentrated fully on guiding the qi needles.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…
His fingers danced in the air, and nine glowing needles flew forth, embedding themselves precisely into Jiang Junyao's acupoints.
Hum—
The needles trembled faintly, their color shifting from translucent to deep crimson.
Within minutes, they gleamed as though soaked in fresh blood.
With a wave of his hand, the nine needles shot upward, liquefying into nine drops of scarlet essence that fell neatly into the nearby waste bin.
A faint, sweet fragrance spread through the room.
Ye Chu once again felt her pulse—there were still lingering traces of poison. He channeled a surge of true qi into her body to restore vitality before continuing the treatment.
Just then, the door burst open, and the housekeeper, Aunt Wu, entered carrying a basin of hot water.
When she saw the scene before her, her face went pale with shock.
"You… what are you doing to the young miss?!"
Ye Chu frowned and withdrew his hand, about to explain, but Aunt Wu had already fled the room.
Moments later, she returned with Jiang Haiyun and Han Mengjuan.
"You beast! What were you about to do to Junyao?!" Jiang Haiyun roared the moment he stepped in.
Han Mengjuan, however, hurried to check her daughter first. When she saw that nothing was amiss, her heart eased.
Turning to Ye Chu, she asked, "Xiao Chu, what exactly were you doing?"
Jiang Haiyun snarled, "Do you even need to ask? This bastard must have tried something vile! I told you, he's been in prison—no good ever comes from the likes of him!"
Given Ye Chu's poor impression in his eyes, and Aunt Wu's terrified report, it was difficult not to assume the worst.
The thought of this man laying a hand on his comatose daughter made Jiang Haiyun seethe with fury.
"Why are you so quick to condemn him before knowing the truth?" Han Mengjuan shot him a sharp glare before turning back to Ye Chu.
Ye Chu did not bother to conceal the truth. "I was treating Junyao."
Han Mengjuan's eyes widened. "You know medicine?"
Ye Chu nodded calmly. "A little."
Jiang Haiyun let out a bitter laugh. "Nonsense! You never even graduated middle school and went straight to prison. Where could you possibly have learned medicine? From the criminals behind bars?"
Ye Chu had no desire to explain further. His voice was flat. "I was indeed treating her. Believe me or don't—it makes no difference."
"Oh?" Jiang Haiyun sneered. "Then tell me, what ailment afflicts Junyao?"
"Poison."
Jiang Haiyun barked out a laugh before shouting in rage. "Utter nonsense! She became a vegetable after a car accident! What does that have to do with poison?"
Ye Chu merely curled his lip. True, her brain had sustained some damage, but not enough to leave her unconscious.
The real culprit was the Bianhua poison flowing through her blood and nerves—colorless, tasteless, and nearly impossible to detect.
It was precisely why, despite hiring countless renowned physicians over the past year, the Jiang family had found no cure.
Without a proper diagnosis, how could there be treatment?
Ye Chu saw no point in explaining—none of them would believe him.
Just as Han Mengjuan was about to speak, the butler hurried into the room.
"Master, Madam—the First Madam and Miss Junlan are here."
Before he finished, two figures stepped inside—Chen Meijing, wife of the Jiang family's eldest son, and her daughter Jiang Junlan.
"So it's true you brought in the Ye family boy to marry Junyao. Where is he? Let me have a look."
Jiang Junlan curled her lip. "Mother, he's no 'young master.' I heard he's just an illegitimate son—and a convict at that."
The pair's words, echoing each other, made Jiang Haiyun and Han Mengjuan's faces darken with anger.
Jiang Haiyun glared at his wife. "This is all your doing!"
Han Mengjuan's face turned cold. "Sister-in-law, my son-in-law is none of your concern."
Chen Meijing smiled sweetly, though her words were knives. "Ah, but as Junyao's aunt, am I not allowed a little concern?"
"Even if Junyao is in a vegetative state, you shouldn't just find some stray cat or dog. You make it look as though no one else would want her."
The words were venomous.
Han Mengjuan trembled with fury, but before she could retort, Chen Meijing pressed on.
"A convict carries misfortune on his back. What if he passes it on to Junyao? Instead of bringing joy, you might be inviting calamity."
She turned toward Jiang Haiyun with a tsk. "Second Brother, can't you control your wife? What if this really brings disaster and Junyao never wakes again?"
Han Mengjuan's voice turned sharp as a blade. "Chen Meijing, are you cursing my daughter?"
Chen Meijing merely smiled. "Don't be so sensitive, I'm only speaking plainly."
Before Han Mengjuan could respond, Ye Chu spoke up first.
"Old auntie, whether a marriage brings fortune or disaster depends not on a man's past, but on fate itself."
"When I was a child, a master read my fortune and told me I was born under a star of great blessing—wherever I go, prosperity follows. Perhaps Junyao will awaken any moment now."
Chen Meijing blinked, then her face twisted in rage. "Who are you calling old?!"
Ye Chu grinned, his tone mocking. "Old auntie, with that sour face and plastered powder thick enough to paint a wall, you must be hiding a very ugly face beneath. Embarrassed to show it, are you?"
Everyone in the room froze, stunned at the venom of Ye Chu's tongue.
"You little beast! I'll tear that filthy mouth of yours apart!"
Chen Meijing screeched and lunged, claws bared, but Han Mengjuan intercepted her.
With a mocking smile, she said, "Sister-in-law, are you really going to quarrel with a junior? Aren't you afraid of becoming a laughingstock?"
Chen Meijing trembled with fury but knew she could do nothing here. She swallowed her anger and sneered coldly.
"Han Mengjuan, don't get too pleased with yourself. I came here to tell you: Father has already decided that Junlong will take the position of company president. The inauguration ceremony will be held next month."
"He will also take full charge of the Huángfǔ family partnership. You would do well not to interfere—or don't blame us for what follows."
Han Mengjuan's face darkened instantly.
A year ago, when the Huángfǔ family came to invest in Jinling, the old patriarch had declared that whoever secured the deal would be made president of Jiang Group.
Jiang Junyao had worked tirelessly to establish the connection, only to suffer the accident at the critical moment. During her coma, the First Branch had stolen her achievements and systematically crushed her loyal followers within the company—forcing them to submit or be dismissed.
Now, the Second Branch had almost no say in the Jiang Group.
"Father is being unjust! We will never agree to this!" she hissed, nearly grinding her molars to dust.
Chen Meijing smirked in triumph. "And what can you do? Your precious daughter is a vegetable now. Who can your branch rely on? Your useless husband? Or this convict son-in-law?"
The atmosphere in the room grew heavy, oppressive, suffocating.
Han Mengjuan's face turned stormy, but she found herself at a loss for words.
Chen Meijing let out a derisive laugh. "Han Mengjuan, the Jiang family's future belongs to our First Branch. Stop daydreaming. Behave yourselves, or you'll find yourselves weeping soon enough."
Her voice still rang with glee when a sudden fit of coughing echoed from the bed.
All eyes turned at once—Jiang Junyao's eyes had fluttered open.
…