Zhan Qingyue didn’t expect that he would make Ning Qiuxiu so angry.

To him, if you lie, you should be prepared for your lie to be exposed unless you can completely ensure it won’t be discovered.

Ning Qiuxiu’s furious reaction was a bit surprising to him.

He wondered what would happen if he said they were never married…

The reaction would probably be as powerful as a nuclear weapon.

Since he was still half-paralyzed, he decided it was better not to experience the subtlety of the situation.

So, Zhan Qingyue quickly said, “Sorry, it’s my fault.”

Ning Qiuxiu was really angry and wasn’t buying it: “An apology doesn’t help. Do you understand ‘seeing through but not exposing’?”

Zhan Qingyue raised an eyebrow at her confidence. “Ning, do you need my help?”

“No, thanks,” Ning Qiuxiu said defiantly. “It’s hard to find a three-legged toad, but there are plenty of two-legged men. With my conditions, it’s not hard to find someone who can help our family.”

“…”

Zhan Qingyue was taken aback and then heard Ning Qiuxiu say, “You’re too scheming and manipulative, playing with people like a cat with a mouse. You’re destined to have no friends!”

Zhan Qingyue was speechless.

This made Zhan Qingyue reflect on himself.

His father was ill, and his uncles were eyeing their family business.

He had been groomed as the successor from a young age, and thus he was very familiar with the harsh rules of survival in the business world.

He knew that once you push someone down, you have to make sure they stay down.

However, he had accidentally applied this same approach to exposing Ning Qiuxiu, which seemed inappropriate.

After all, Ning Qiuxiu was a woman and had a different status.

He needed to handle her differently.

His approach was bound to embarrass her.

So Zhan Qingyue said, “I’ll change.”

Ning Qiuxiu looked at him, waiting to see how he would change.

“Let’s not mention this anymore.” Zhan Qingyue offered a big sweet date.

“…Okay.”

“From now on, do as you please, with the charm.”

Zhan Qingyue, being intelligent, remembered Ning Qiuxiu had previously told him that the charms she made would absorb his spiritual energy if kept close to him for a few days, which made him skeptical.

Afterwards, Ning Qiuxui skillfully placed the talismans around his bed.

The noise and activity of her doing so had happened several times before when he was in a coma but still somewhat aware.

Combined with what Ning Qiuxui had just mentioned about “Yang energy,” Zhan Qingyue quickly concluded that the talismans she drew likely needed to be kept around him for a few days to be effective.

Although all of this was unbelievable and even beyond ordinary imagination, he had personally experienced the effects of these talismans, so there must be some reason for their existence.

Therefore, even if Ning Qiuxui now claimed to be some kind of supernatural being or ghost, he would probably not be surprised.

Ning Qiuxui’s willingness to marry him wasn’t really about the family business.

After all, as she herself said, with her conditions, marrying someone who could benefit her family would be easy.

Even the worst of candidates would be better than a vegetative person.

So, Ning Qiuxui’s marriage to him was likely related to his unique condition.

When Zhan Qingyue saw Ning Qiuxui’s eyes light up at these thoughts, it confirmed his guess.

Indeed…

But since she wasn’t intending to harm him, and considering that the talismans had been around him for so long without draining his life force, he decided to let her be.

Zhan Qingyue made up his mind and spoke more sweetly, “Qiuxui, don’t be angry.”

Ning Qiuxui: “!!!”

Why is he suddenly speaking normally?

“Be good.” The enemy’s charm offensive intensified.

Ning Qiuxui was immediately won over by that word.

She kept the last bit of her pride and said, “Then you must promise.”

“I promise, with all sincerity,” Zhan Qingyue replied.

Ning Qiuxui felt a sense of satisfaction and, though outwardly reluctant, placed her bag down. “Since you’re so sincere, I’ll forgive you this time.”

Zhan Qingyue smiled, “Thank you, Mrs. Zhan. I appreciate your generosity.”

Ning Qiuxui: “……”

Damn it… You always know exactly what to say to please me!

The first “conflict” between the two was resolved through mutual concessions, and after it, Ning Qiuxiu thought her actions were extremely childish, like a three-year-old throwing a tantrum.

What surprised her even more was that Zhan Qingyue was willing to play along with her.

She had expected that if she brought up divorce, Zhan Qingyue would agree without hesitation, even dismissing it with a casual comment like “When did we ever get married?” to end their relationship.

After all, from his reaction towards Jia Qing, it was clear he didn’t force himself into things he disliked.

However, not only did he not agree without hesitation, but he also tried to appease her, which made her wonder if this meant…

But she still didn’t really feel any affection from him.

It seemed more likely that Zhan Qingyue was “greedy” for her charms.

Since he was still partially paralyzed and the doctor said it would take at least six months, if not more, to fully recover, he was looking for shortcuts.

Of course, he would choose to recover a day earlier if he could.

Ning Qiuxiu clenched her fist.

She was determined to make him love her desperately one day.

Hmph, men.

…

Because she needed to stay out of town for a while, Zhan Qingyue expressed a desire to stay at home for a few days.

Although he had been lying at home for a year, it had been a long time since he last went back.

Since he no longer needed any tubes or equipment, it wasn’t a hassle to go home, so his request was easily fulfilled.

Zhan Qingyue quietly woke up in the hospital, with only his close family being aware of his condition.

They were worried that too many visitors might affect his rest.

However, this time, his discharge was made very public.

That evening, he hosted a dinner for relatives at his home.

The relatives from the Zhan family… most of them were from his mother’s side, and they had almost no contact with each other.

The relatives on his father’s side were mainly his uncles and cousins, all descended from the brothers and cousins of Old Master Zhan.

Counting them, there were about six branches.

Among these relatives, aside from two branches that had a good relationship with them, the rest were not easy to deal with.

Whether it was when Zhan Qingyue’s father passed away or when Zhan Qingyue himself had problems, it had caused a lot of pressure on the family.

Fortunately, both the steady eldest and the wild second son of the family managed to keep their large estate from being divided among outsiders.

Zhan Minglang, the son of Old Master Zhan’s brother, and his cousin, Zhan Qingfeng, arrived first.

They met outside the door.

After a bit of polite conversation, Zhan Minglang said, “Why are they suddenly hosting a dinner? It’s not Old Master’s birthday yet. What kind of trap are they setting?”

Zhan Qingfeng snorted and said, “Who knows? They’ve always looked down on us ‘fallen brothers.’ Maybe they’re now looking to us for advice on how to survive as fallen people.”

Zhan Minglang said, “Even a dead camel is bigger than a horse. Even if they’re down, they’re still impressive.”

“Uncle, you’re wrong. Don’t be fooled by their current appearance. Their foundation is already rotting. As long as Zhan Qingyue doesn’t wake up, that wasteful Zhan Qingyuan will eventually ruin the family.”

Zhan Qingyuan’s reputation as an arrogant second-generation heir was well-established.

Plus, having only “ascended the throne” for two years and still needing to address external threats, he had not had much energy to deal with internal issues, only giving them minor punishments to deter them from targeting his family.

Thus, they felt Zhan Qingyuan was ineffective.

Zhan Minglang laughed and said, “Their family is impressive; one died from illness and the other is crippled. It’s as if heaven is punishing them. How tragic.”

The two of them mocked and ridiculed Zhan Qingyuan’s family until they were thoroughly satisfied.

Only then did they knock and enter, only to be almost scared out of their wits by the sight of Zhan Qingyue sitting upright in a wheelchair in the living room.

Damn it ← This was their first thought.

It must be that their entry was incorrect.

“Q-Q-Q-Qingyue?” Zhan Minglang even rubbed his eyes. “How are you awake?”

Zhan Qingyue raised his eyes: “Does my second uncle mean I shouldn’t be awake?”

—The effect of the talisman water Ning Qiuxui had given him was evident.

Zhan Qingyue’s speech had improved significantly; as long as he avoided long sentences, he no longer had the disjointed speech from before.

So, he tried to speak in short sentences, which made him appear even more aloof and detached.

“Not at all! That’s not what I meant!” Zhan Minglang defended himself, “I was just surprised to see you awake!”

“Yes, big brother, you’re awake and didn’t even notify us. When I saw you just now, I thought I was seeing things,” Zhan Qingfeng said.

“Oh, I forgot,” Zhan Qingyue said.

“……” What kind of excuse is that?

But neither of the uncles dared to say anything.

Zhan Qingyue lifted his chin: “Sit.”

They exchanged glances, each reading reluctance in the other’s eyes, but it was too late to run now.

After Zhan Minglang and Zhan Qingfeng, others arrived in turn.

Seeing Zhan Qingyue, they all looked as if they had seen a ghost.

Even though Zhan Qingyue had been in a coma for two years, his previous influence still lingered.

Those who had been dealt with by him remembered how dark-hearted he was, despite his seemingly serious and approachable exterior.

Ning Qiuxui observed the expressions of everyone and felt immense comfort.

It wasn’t just her who was afraid of Zhan Qingyue; everyone seemed to have a psychological shadow, indicating they had all been tricked by him.

“Don’t you think my cousin is impressive?” Lin Xitian asked Ning Qiuxui quietly from upstairs, watching the people downstairs.

Ning Qiuxui replied with a deadpan expression, “Impressively terrifying.”

“You seem to have something against my cousin,” Lin Xitian looked at Ning Qiuxiu and asked, “Could it be that… you’ve been tricked by my cousin before?”

“Absolutely not!” Ning Qiuxiu would never admit that she had been tricked every day, “Why would he trick me?”

“That’s true,” Lin Xitian nodded, “He doesn’t usually trick girls, especially not beautiful ones like you.”

“…” Ning Qiuxiu was deeply hurt by this comment.

Tears streamed down her face.

Was it because she looked too much like a sister, or did she look too much like a tomboy?

Could it be that Zhan Qingyue always saw her as a younger sister?

It felt like something out of a melodramatic soap opera.

But what if it was even more melodramatic?

What if Zhan Qingyue always saw her as a brother?

He would greet her with a shoulder pat: “We’re like brothers, right?”

“…” Ning Qiuxiu felt a chill.