Chapter 160: All Forced
As noon approached, at the Golden River Club.
The sound of clattering high heels echoed through the golden hall. Wan Yue’s expression was calm but her aura was fierce; every member of the Hyacinth group she passed slightly lowered their heads, not daring to breathe.
Upon reaching a luxurious private room on the second floor, she pushed the door open. Jiang Yao and Xiao Dong quickly stood up. On the sofa, Jiang Yan remained asleep, breathing steadily, covered by a thin blanket.
“What’s the situation?”
Wan Yue threw her small bag aside and directly squatted down beside the sofa, reaching for Jiang Yan’s wrist to feel her pulse.
“Sister Wan, it’s strange… If her heart rate wasn’t still somewhat normal, I might’ve thought that Xiao Yan started her Baron promotion hibernation.”
Xiao Dong lowered her voice, looking somewhat tense. “I feel it’s a stress response due to impaired hematopoietic function, similar to mild blood exhaustion… This is the examination I did on Xiao Yan half an hour ago; some indicators of her blood protein are somewhat abnormal.”
It’s like she’s seriously injured, entering a self-healing hibernation state, as if her body is sending out a forced shutdown warning. I’m not sure; should we go to Shengci Hospital for a more thorough check-up and consult with Grandpa Jin?
Saying this, Xiao Dong handed over a test report.
“I only met with Old Jin this morning. He has quite a few matters to attend to; it’s uncertain whether he’s still in C City.”
Wan Yue merely glanced at the report, her face unfazed as she moved to the side and covered Jiang Yan’s hand with the blanket again. She turned back to the frightened Jiang Yao, “Did Jiang Yan show any other reactions before fainting?”
Jiang Yao quickly waved her hands. “She was cleaning in the hall today; I don’t know what happened, she suddenly fainted… We didn’t argue!”
Xiao Dong burst out in laughter at Jiang Yao’s inexplicable defense, quickly suppressing her amusement and adding, “This has nothing to do with Xiao Yao; I actually noticed that Xiao Yan’s complexion was off a few days ago.”
“Impatience and reckless use of blood energy have led to the exhaustion of blood proteins… Xiao Dong, you go take care of your things. I need to ask Jiang Yao some questions alone.”
“Oh, by the way, go tell Xiao Ai that the club’s reopening time remains unchanged, and the level two alert is canceled.”
Wan Yue’s casual way of defining Jiang Yan’s condition naturally dismissed Xiao Dong.
Once Xiao Dong left and the door closed, Wan Yue pondered for a moment and directed her gaze back to Jiang Yao, a subtle smile appearing on her face. “How much blood has she drawn recently? You know about the First People’s Hospital?”
“I… I don’t know…”
Jiang Yao shook her head vigorously, but upon seeing Wan Yue’s increasingly serious expression, she finally understood something and appeared quite flustered.
“You really can’t even lie properly… Go to the infirmary, get the blood-drawing equipment, draw my blood, and give it to her. Don’t tell me you haven’t learned this yet.”
Wan Yue sneered and rolled up her shirt sleeve.
…
Jiang Yan’s fainting, regardless of the cause or severity, stirred quite a commotion within the Golden River Club.
Everyone knew that after Zhao Peng’s promotion hibernation, Jiang Yan had become Wan Yue’s most trusted confidante, alongside Jiang Yao, regarded as a treasure that stabilized the Hyacinth group. Her status had risen to be on par with Zhao Peng and Xiao Ai, and if anything unexpected were to happen to her, many would feel uneasy.
However, when Wan Yue emerged from the private room with a relaxed demeanor, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and even their work efficiency significantly increased.
“Look, even though Jiang Yan is usually not very sociable, everyone knows well where the comfort of this life relies on.”
Leaning against the railing on the second floor, surveying everyone on the first, Wan Yue smiled lightly and turned to Jiang Yao behind her. “You went to the First People’s Hospital last time thanks to Su Xiaomeng’s help. You should go find her this afternoon and bring that person to the Hyacinth Villa.”
“Okay… Ah! Bring Meng Huai… to the Hyacinth Villa!”
Jiang Yao, still a bit dazed, was immediately stunned upon hearing Wan Yue’s instructions.
“What else can we do? Let Jiang Yan continue to exhaust herself day and night? I don’t want to deal with a big illness going untreated, and end up losing another one.”
Guessing a hundred objections in Jiang Yao’s mind, Wan Yue smiled and ruffled her hair. “Just right, I also plan to let you and Jiang Yan retreat and practice there for a while. There’s much to do in the future.”
“Your sister is too biased; you should be more clear-headed and keep an eye on things for me.”
Meng Huai is now just a useless lunatic…
Jiang Yao mumbled, looking quite uncomfortable. “She doesn’t care about me now; why should I watch her?”
“Whether he’s useless or not is up to Jiang Yan to decide, but you— all your thoughts are written on your face.”
Wan Yue rolled her eyes, no longer bothering with Jiang Yao’s complaints, and turned back to the private room, leaving Jiang Yao outside.
Glancing at the sleeping girl on the sofa, Wan Yue sighed gently and took out her phone.
“Xiaomeng, Jiang Yao will come to see you soon. Please accompany her to the First People’s Hospital to pick someone up… By the way, I need to borrow Dr. Lu for about a week, to look after at the Hyacinth Villa… um, this won’t be unpaid; I’ll give the Wang family an RMCE unit and ask your grandpa to accommodate.”
“RMCE!? Grandpa won’t mind this at all; I’ll go find Dr. Lu right now!” Su Xiaomeng’s excitement was unmistakable over the phone.
At present, the rebellion in the Liang family to the south has undergone a change in nature. The Wang family is engaged in a fierce struggle against a distorted group of enemies, suffering increasing casualties. The previous RMCE reserves have almost been exhausted. Wan Yue’s offered reward was timely help, and getting Dr. Lu for a week was undeniably a huge bargain.
Once the call ended, the private room fell quiet again.
Gently stroking the sleeping girl’s face on the sofa, Wan Yue shook her head repeatedly, a wry smile on her lips. “Sigh, silly girl, if he really gets healed by you, that might just be the beginning of your troubles.”
“Are you forcing me to take on this hot potato?”
…
As Jiang Yao headed toward Shengci Hospital, in a high-end coffee shop’s private room, Zhong Jing was seated with a Western man.
“Mr. Zhong, I am the special commissioner of the EVN Group in the Greater China region. It’s a great honor to meet you.”
The Euro-American man spoke to the young man in front of him, his pride mixed with humility.
“I’m curious as to why you didn’t contact my father, but rather someone like me, a playboy.”
Zhong Jing crossed his legs, sipping coffee with a frivolous tone, “Are you also looking to develop a business partnership with the Zhong Group like Jian Yue Pharmaceutical?”
“No, we wish to cooperate with you.”
The Euro-American man clasped his hands on the table, smiling even more mysteriously. “We are aware of your current health status, and only we can provide you with the best health solutions in the world, potentially more surprises than you can imagine…”
Zhong Jing’s pupils contracted, and he slowly lowered the coffee cup, staring intently into the Euro-American man’s eyes.
Ten seconds, thirty seconds, one minute… a hint of a cold smile finally appeared at the corner of Zhong Jing’s mouth. “I don’t know where you’ve gathered your information, but, Mr. Rasmussen, as long as I wish, I can enjoy the highest level of treatment in this world at any time, whether it be from the Wang family of Hua or the Fujiwara family of Japan.”
The Euro-American man was momentarily taken aback, his expression slightly awkward. “Of course, the Zhong Group has extensive business relationships, and if influence is what you need, we might provide some resources. However, are you referring to the Wang family’s initial embracing treatment reagent?”
Suddenly, the door to the private room opened, and a professionally dressed Euro-American woman elegantly entered, interrupting the conversation between Zhong Jing and the Euro-American man, standing expressionlessly by the coffee table.
The Euro-American man quickly stood to greet her, then quietly rearranged his suit and exited.
“Miss Emma, Engel family? I’ve seen your information…”
Zhong Jing did not seem surprised by Emma’s appearance; on the contrary, he pulled out a cigar and lit it, taking a keen interest in her not-so-bad figure. “Miss Emma, you seem very anxious about my receiving help from the Wang family.”
“Mr. Zhong, Miss Ketsumi has been working hard for your health, and regardless of whether it’s the Fujiwara family or the Wang family, any initial embracing interrupting blood invasion treatment reagents come with severe side effects, which I feel you would not accept.”
“Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to smell everything deteriorating with you.”
Zhong Jing paused in his action of flicking ash, quietly observing Emma’s cold and stoic face, finally showing a hint of self-deprecation. “It’s impolite to make a lady stand; you should sit and talk instead… However, your earlier comment could be seen as sexual harassment.”
With that, Zhong Jing shrugged, his face mischievous. “Miss Emma, since the conclusion is so definitive, how can you ensure that I will accept the Engel family’s goodwill?”
Emma twisted her waist, sat down, and finally smiled. “Because the Engel family has never stopped our research. Even if we cannot resolve your problem now, it’s only a matter of time… To buy you time is quite easy; our laboratory has many unexpected achievements in freezing tumor deterioration.”
“Heh, when did delaying a disease become a praiseworthy achievement? Besides, I have no interest in becoming a guinea pig…”
Zhong Jing toyed with the coffee cup, his expression growing colder. “If you don’t come with true sincerity, there’s no need to try to impress me. I currently have countless methods to bypass the side effects of the Wang family’s medication. Also, I’m skeptical that the Engel family has come here purely out of concern for my health.”
“You are a very calm person; perhaps our preparations really aren’t sufficient. Therefore, I look forward to our next meeting, and we will consider how to show more sincerity and let you understand our prospects for cooperation.”
After finishing, Emma took a small unlabeled vial from her bag, gently placed it on the table. “This has no side effects; it will just make you feel better. You can have the Wang family test it before deciding whether to take it.”
Emma gave a slight bow and quietly left.
The Ketsumi family, the Wang family, and the Engel family are all in a hurry to deliver me medicine, indicating my value is pretty high. So, I guess I can ask for a lot in the future?
Touching the small vial, Zhong Jing smiled particularly happily.
…
In distant Japan, Gunma Prefecture, Kanra Town.
In an old but tidy samurai residence, Ketsumi Haruma, dressed in a kimono, sat quietly on her knees in the center of the room, slightly bowing her head, surrounded by several loyal vassals also kneeling.
Footsteps approached, and a female servant quickly opened the door. Fujiwara Kiyama’s small figure appeared at the threshold.
Everyone in the room began to bow, including Ketsumi Haruma.
From the chaotic aura surrounding Fujiwara Kiyama, Ketsumi Haruma sensed a subtle but distinct change from usual. If she guessed correctly, Fujiwara Kiyama’s strength had increased, successfully reaching the upper echelons of the viscount status, taking twenty years to do so.
As a member of the Rhine bloodline, Fujiwara Kiyama’s growth rate had indeed been somewhat slow, but this didn’t hinder him from being regarded as one of the key elders of the Fujiwara family, determined as having the qualification of an earl.
“Haruma, the Zhong family and the Ketsumi family are one; this is a matter of a hundred-year plan. I greatly admire the sacrifices you’ve made to complete your mission.”
Fujiwara Kiyama’s small eyes remained fixed on Ketsumi Haruma, the smile at the corner of his mouth seeming hypocritical and sinister. “However, according to the Fujiwara family rules, you have already lost the hope of being promoted to viscount, so next, you must fulfill your family obligations and submit at least one thousand milliliters of blood every month, which must be boiling blood, until you become pregnant.”
“Uh… Thank you for your uncle’s care; it is my honor.”
Ketsumi Haruma bowed her head again, speaking softly. Because her foundation had been injured, she had forever lost the potential to become a viscount, so from now on, her blood no longer belonged to herself.
Furthermore, the Wang family had suffered severe losses in the south, and the Engel family paid a significant price to support the Liang family’s rebels, having to use their precious Franken Serpenti medicine. This may be a good opportunity to give us some bargaining space…
After you return, besides maintaining a good relationship with Zhong Jing, you must also closely monitor Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao, confirming who among them is truly the queen.
If possible, try to obtain their blood or tissue samples… As long as the timing is right, the Engel family wouldn’t mind us taking another useless fake queen.
After Fujiwara Kiyama finished speaking, he rose and left the room, and everyone remained on edge.
Ketsumi Haruma maintained her usual humble and submissive demeanor, but in the corner, the kneeling Bai Yu Qian Zhen had a slight twitching expression, her gaze downcast.
The individual strength of the British bloodline is relatively weak, not only reflecting in combat power, but also in all aspects of physical quality. Yet, they possess a lineage talent that other bloodlines envy—a strong hematopoietic ability.
However, this advantage was a significant burden on Ketsumi Haruma’s body today.
One thousand milliliters of boiling blood extraction every month would undoubtedly harm Ketsumi Haruma’s body, nearly walking the edge of hematopoietic depletion and blood thirst disorder.
It’s likely that to the elders, Ketsumi Haruma is already half useless… Bai Yu Qian Zhen tightly closed her eyes, feeling a stabbing pain in her heart.
“Jiang Zhen, arrange for a plane; we’ll return to Hua Kingdom’s C City tonight.”
After Fujiwara Kiyama’s footsteps completely disappeared, Ketsumi Haruma finally lifted her head, revealing a cold expression.
“Uh!”
Bai Yu Qian Zhen quickly nodded, but after a few seconds, hesitated and quietly said, “Miss, your foundation is injured; if you draw blood again every month…”
“It’s fine, Jing-kun loves me very much; he will provide me with the best health care.”
With that, Ketsumi Haruma waved her hand, and a female subordinate promptly handed over her phone.
Ketsumi Haruma, as if oblivious to her surroundings, keyed in a chat with Zhong Jing on the screen, displaying a childlike demeanor.
Sometimes smiling, sometimes shy, sometimes looking dejected, and sometimes radiating happiness.
…
With Wan Yue’s blood infusion, some of Jiang Yan’s bodily indicators began to improve.
Clearly, Jiang Yan had indeed depleted her hematopoietic function, leading to the obstructed renewal of blood proteins and presenting a disorder resembling blood thirst. Her body was increasingly unstable and ultimately forcibly triggered her regenerative ability.
That night, Jiang Yan woke up, and her first action was to lift her hand and check the watch.
What’s this? Thinking it’s time to feed someone blood again? If not feeding blood, then on the way to feed blood… you truly are like a meddling mother.
Wan Yue sat at the head of the bed, reading a book, appearing quite leisurely. When Jiang Yan sat up straight, she smiled and playfully tapped Jiang Yan’s arm with the book.
“Sister Wan, how long was I unconscious?”
Finally recalling what she had experienced, Jiang Yan felt embarrassed and avoided Wan Yue’s gaze, but her heart was warm.
For some reason, whenever Wan Yue was around, Jiang Yan felt an indescribable sense of security. In this respect, she felt her mindset had gradually aligned with the other Hyacinth members.
“Not long, just one day.” Wan Yue pointed at the thermos on the bedside, her expression unchanged, “Eat quickly. Today, stay here for proper observation overnight; tomorrow morning, you’re coming with me to Hyacinth Villa.”
“But Meng Huai has no one to look after him; his body…”
Jiang Yan took the thermos but didn’t open it immediately. Instead, she caressed its exterior, hesitating to speak.
“Silly girl, he’s currently suffering from side effects of the Fukuzhi Orchid, having developed a strong dependency. Your blood can suppress his issues, but in a sense, isn’t that just using one addiction to replace another?”
“In the past half month, the amount of blood you’ve given Meng Huai would likely be enough to send another Zhao Peng to become a baron… A depleted hematopoietic function, even with the strong hematopoietic talent of the British lineage, cannot withstand this treatment.”
“Right now, it’s just a blood thirst disorder; if it triggers boiling blood disorder again, the silver refinement you accumulated during the past two months would be for nothing.”
Wan Yue sighed, closed her book, and gently tidied Jiang Yan’s crumpled dress, looking somewhat helpless. “It seems I must give you a harsh reminder; you are not to supply him with blood again! He must learn to get through those chaotic drug withdrawal symptoms himself; this is a hurdle he must cross to conquer himself and resume life!”
Having said that, Wan Yue no longer beat around the bush and issued a stern warning. Meng Huai was now going to Hyacinth Villa!
Jiang Yan was startled, nearly toppling over the thermos in her hands.
What kind of place is Hyacinth Villa? Jiang Yan had gained quite a deep understanding over the past few months; that place has higher confidentiality than the Golden River Club, serving not only as a training base for newcomers but also as a retreat route for the Hyacinth group.
“Hmm, what’s wrong? Do you think he’s not qualified to stay there?”
Wan Yue snorted lightly, casually taking the thermos from Jiang Yan’s hands, helping to take out the food while wearing a smirk. “If you feel it’s inappropriate, I can take him back. Anyway, he’s currently muddled, unable to distinguish directions, so he can be tossed anywhere.”
“No, it’s not!” Jiang Yan quickly shook her head, lifting the bowl while lowering her gaze. “Thank you, Sister Wan… I’m just worried about whether his identity might make everyone tense.”
“So you’re this conflicted… Overthinking and worrying.” Wan Yue waved her hand dismissively, her expression calm. The Hyacinth Villa is a place for every newcomer to part with their painful past, adapt to life as a bloodline, and reconstruct their understanding of the world.
“Moreover, I now have a new idea, to see if he can complete self-renewal. Transitioning from an ordinary person to a bloodline requires all obsessions, faults, and aspirations to be redefined through changes in self-awareness.”
Don’t look at him having become a knight all confused; he’s not fundamentally different from those newly blood-invaded blood servants—still a newborn in the bloodline world. But he is distinctly different from other children, presenting an interesting challenge… Perhaps it can prove whether I’m truly an idealist.
With that, Wan Yue handed over chopsticks, smiling mysteriously.
