Mistakenly Connected to the Jade Flower Branch

Nianyao pulled off the Southern Red Agate Double Heart Jade Pendant from her waist and walked forward step by step, leaving footprints on the red carpet in the hall before disappearing.

Nianyao walked up to Ji Kongming and held the jade pendant between her fingers. Ji Kongming was startled by her coldness and didn't react for a moment. This little girl he had watched grow up had never shown such an expression before.

Nianyao loosened her grip, and the jade pendant fell to Ji Kongming's feet. She took a step back, turned, and walked towards the exit of the hall. Nianyao walked very fast, almost running towards the end, leaping from the dock onto the boat in a few steps.

Xu Laijing followed closely behind her, while Qin Jiu accompanied Luo An and Nan Fei, walking at a leisurely pace.

Nianyao said to Xu Lai, "Uncle Xu Lai, if you are willing to follow Ji Kongming, you don't need to come back with me."

Xu Lai looked at her and said, "I'll follow you."

Nianyao said, "A person can only walk one path. Have you thought it through?"

“Chief, I previously thought Ji Kongming was quite capable and had prestige among the young people of the Great River Gang. Actually, a strategist's ability is secondary; what's important is a righteous heart that can uphold justice. Ji Kongming…” Xu Lai shook his head and repeated, “I'll follow you.”

Nianyao said, "Once you've made up your mind, don't regret it."

Nianyao's face was deathly pale, her hands clenched into fists and trembling slightly. Seeing Luo An board the boat, she said to Jing Song, "Set sail."

After Nianyao finished speaking, she turned around and went down the cabin. As soon as she stepped down the stairs, her legs went weak and she almost tumbled down.

Qin Jiu shouted, "Boss, be careful. Tiger, take care of the boss."

Nianyao supported herself on the handrail and went down step by step, while Huzi followed behind her, not daring to breathe.

Tiger returned quickly: "The gang leader has closed the door and won't let her in. She seems unwell. Should we send Doctor Luo to take a look?"

Everyone looked at Luo An, and Nan Fei was about to speak when Luo An reached for the medicine box and went downstairs.

Luo An opened and closed the door, and picked up the chair that had been knocked over. Nian Yao bent her knees, hugged her knees with one hand, pressed her other hand to her chest, lowered her head into her knees, her hair was disheveled and covered her face, and she curled up into a ball against the corner of the bed, trembling incessantly.

She finally remembered what she needed to retrieve from the Pangu Ship: the Southern Red Agate Double Heart Jade Pendant. This had almost cost her her life; something she'd worn for so many years was finally returning to its rightful owner.

Luo An squatted down and took her hand to check her pulse.

Nianyao said, "My heart aches so much, it feels like it's going to break. Do you have any medicine?"

The voice was low and broken, as if it were two different people, echoing the passionate voice in the hall.

Luo An released her hand, opened the medicine box, glanced at it, took out the sleeping potion, poured it into a cup, dissolved it with water, and handed it to her.

Nianyao tilted her head back and drank it all in one gulp. The moment she looked up, Luo An saw that her hair was stuck to her face, and he couldn't tell if it was sweat or tears.

Luo An took the cup. Nian Yao felt a little dizzy, and the pain did not lessen.

Nianyao kept her head buried in her knees: "When I was little, Dad intentionally gave me a sleeping potion. The normal dose didn't work on me. Could you double the dose?"

Luo An poured her another glass, which Nian Yao drank in one gulp. She gripped the glass tightly, her vision began to blur, the glass rolled to the ground, and she slumped to the side.

Luo An lifted his foot to support her, hesitated for a moment, then bent down and carried her to the bed to sleep.

She said: Xue Nianyao, the leader of the Dahe Gang, and her husband Luo An came to congratulate the establishment of the Jinhe Gang.

She reacted quickly, even more cleverly than he had expected. Luo An brushed the hair away from her face, took out a handkerchief, and wiped her face clean. Such a strong-willed girl would certainly not want anyone to see her in such a disheveled state.

Ji Kongming reacted and rushed out of the hall, only to see in the distance that the ship had already left.

Hongsong said, "Chief, are we just going to let them go like this?"

Ji Kongming asked, "What do you intend to do?"

Hongsong made a beheading gesture: "I won't give them..."

Ji Kongming rebuked, "Do you think Liu Lin is dead? If they were to die here, Liu Lin would fight us to the death. We are no match for them now."

Hongsong asked, "Then what should we do?"

Ji Kongming said, "Those who achieve great things must remain calm. What's the rush? Starting tomorrow, we'll visit the boat owners on the Xiang River who didn't attend the banquet one by one. Once the Xiang River is stable, we'll plan our move on the Jing River. What abilities could a little girl like her possibly have? I've had her run wild since she was a child."

Seeing Ji Kongming's sinister expression, Hongsong flattered him, saying, "The leader is wise."

Several people sat in the small hall on the top floor, each lost in their own thoughts.

The return journey was smooth sailing, and by the time Luo An arrived, Dengzhou had already disappeared from Nanfei's sight.

Nanfei looked at Luo An with a worried expression: "Young Master, what should we do now? The divorce didn't go through, and there's no going back."

Qin Jiu said, "Young master, if you don't have a girl you like, why not just settle for the gang leader? I think the gang leader is quite good; he has guts and courage."

Nan Fei flatly refused: "No, how can the young master's marriage be arranged by chance?"

Qin Jiu said, "If the gang leader dresses up properly, how can any of those dancers compare to her? I think the gang leader and the young master are a perfect match, both in terms of talent and appearance."

Nanfei looked him up and down: "Ninth Brother, you can't talk about marriage against your conscience."

Qin Jiu analyzed seriously: "First of all, in terms of appearance, the gang leader is top-notch when dressed as a man, right? If he were dressed as a woman, young master, you saw him on your wedding day, do you think the gang leader is ugly?"

Luo An pulled out a handful of sunflower seeds and naturally shook his head.

Qin Jiu asked, "Young Master, do you think the gang leader is beautiful?"

Nan Feiming protested, "Ninth Brother, how is the young master supposed to answer such a question? Every girl dresses up beautifully for her wedding day."

Qin Jiu said, "Nanfei, you're a regular at brothels, you've seen plenty of women, plump and slender. Tell me honestly, with the gang leader's figure and looks, where would you be if you dressed as a woman?"

Nanfei has never seen Nianyao dressed as a woman, so why should he make assumptions based on his conscience?

Qin Jiu added, "I've heard that General Yuan Feng usually travels in men's clothing."

Nanfei, who was about to speak, choked on his saliva and coughed dramatically.

Qin Jiu casually patted him on the back: "Young Master Nan, I'm just asking you to tell the truth, don't get agitated."

To belittle Nian Yao is to belittle Yuan Feng. Nan Fei touched his conscience: "Middle...upper...let's say."

Qin Jiu didn't bother to inquire whether it was above average or above average, only saying, "In terms of appearance, the young master is better, and the gang leader is not bad either. Looking at their backgrounds, the young master is the owner of Heaven and Earth Manor, and the gang leader is the leader of the Great River Gang. In terms of influence in the world, the Great River Gang is stronger, and Heaven and Earth is not bad either."

Does Qin Jiu mean a 1-1 tie?

Nanfei said, "Why doesn't Ninth Brother care about family background?"

Qin Jiu said, "It goes without saying that the young master comes from a distinguished family. I don't know the background of the old gang leader and his wife, but the old gang leader would have been able to roam the rivers and lakes with an orphan girl without the support of a powerful family."

Nan Fei said, "No matter how good one's family background is, can one become royalty or nobility?"

Qin Jiu said, "I heard that when the gang leader was young, he contracted smallpox and was rushed to the Imperial Hospital of Qinzhou through the official post station. After recovering, he stayed to study at the Imperial Academy. The Imperial Academy of Southern Yue is very strict. Over the years, there have only been two exceptions who entered the Imperial Academy without taking the exam. The gang leader is one of them, and it was personally approved by the late emperor. Based on this, I can infer that even if the gang leader's family background is not as good as yours, it is still much better than that of ordinary daughters of officials and rich ladies."

Nanfei looked at Luo An, who was completely absorbed in peeling melon seeds.

Nanfei said, "Ninth Brother only set his sights on the young master because he saw the gang leader break ties with Ji Kongming, right? How did the young master end up as your backup son-in-law?"