After my luck was stolen, I led my whole family to defy fate and change our destiny.

Shen Qingqing's voice was full of seduction: "Brother Liyao, you said you were willing to give me anything you had."

Is it okay?

You want spiritual roots but not divine punishment? You really want it all!

Gu Liyao's face was flushed, and he propped his head up with his hand, as if he was about to collapse: "Anything? Anything I own belongs to my future wife, I can't give it to you."

Shen Qingqing's eyes flickered slightly as she leaned closer, saying, "Then how about I marry you and become your wife? Don't you like me?"

Gu Liyao blinked, looking aggrieved: "But, it seems you don't like me?"

"How could that be? My favorite is Brother Liyao."

Gu Liyao lowered his eyes: "Really? I have a feeling you like Asheng? Or maybe that herbal medicine merchant, I saw you two arguing last time."

Shen Qingqing panicked. Had he seen it?

Seeing the other person's expression, Gu Liyao understood perfectly well that he was just bluffing her, and it worked perfectly.

His heart sank to the bottom; he could no longer feel pain, only numbness. Knowing the truth from his sister was a different feeling than seeing it with his own eyes.

"Brother Liyao, I've always liked you. It's just that Asheng keeps bothering me. I don't like them at all, they're so annoying!"

Gu Liyao finally smiled: "You don't like any of them?"

Shen Qingqing nodded: "Of course, I'm just an apprentice, with no power or money, and my family background and looks are nowhere near as good as yours."

Gu Liyao's eyes were hazy as he looked at her urgently: "Really? Qingqing, you're not lying to me? But... what's going on with that herbal medicine merchant?"

Shen Qingqing was getting impatient. Why was he talking so much? Could Lin Xiaoxiao have given her fake medicine? "That herbal medicine merchant is fat and greasy. How could I like him?"

Shen Qingqing eagerly grabbed Gu Liyao's hand: "Forget about them, quickly swear what I just taught you."

"Boom"

Gu Liyao seemed unable to hold on and collapsed onto the table.

Shen Qingqing glared at Gu Liyao fiercely. "You're in a good position to faint. You think you can't do anything if you don't tell me?"

Shen Qingqing pulled out a dagger: "I'm sorry, Gu Liyao, this is what you owe me. Who told you to bring me into Xinglintang and then fail to protect me?"

"I will work hard with your talent."

As she spoke, she thrust the dagger at Gu Liyao, its chilling gleam reflecting off his pale profile...

[Wang Fugui enters]

Wang Fugui: "Alright, sir, please take a good look."

"boom"

The door was pushed open from the outside.

Wang Fugui's magic struck Shen Qingqing's wrist.

"Kang Dang"

Shen Qingqing cried out in pain, and the knife fell to the ground.

What are you going to do to my junior brother?

Ah Sheng stormed in, shoved Shen Qingqing aside, and patted Gu Liyao's face with a worried expression: "Liyao, Liyao, wake up, Liyao!"

"Brother Sheng, this is the wicked woman who tried to kill my brother and sister! Arrest her!" Gu Ziming led a group of people in.

Shen Qingqing was dumbfounded when she saw the people who had arrived. Why were they here?

"What exactly did you do to Li Yao? Why can't I wake him up?"

Shen Qingqing, her eyes brimming with tears, said, "I...I don't know. Just now, Brother Liyao...wanted...wanted to take liberties with me...maybe he pretended to be drunk when he saw you come in."

"Ah"

If he hadn't overheard their conversation outside, he probably would have believed the woman in front of him!

He thought they had confessed their feelings to each other, but it turned out he was the one who was left hanging, and not only himself, but also the other person.

The others felt the same way when they looked at Shen Qingqing: deceived, hurt, the fairy in their hearts was actually like this.

I thought he was someone who was just as hardworking and ambitious as me, someone I could strive to become a good doctor with, but it turns out I was just a fish in his pond.

"Stop talking nonsense. Your clothes are perfectly fine. It's Li Yao who looks suspicious. And what are you doing with that knife? Are you trying to kill Li Yao?"

After saying that, he placed his hands on Gu Liyao's pulse.

Shen Qingqing panicked and took a step back. These people were all tools to deal with Xinglin Hall in the future! "No, no, senior brother, listen to me! Gu Liyao tried to threaten me with a knife, but I took it from him."

If it weren't for reporting to the authorities, Gu Liyao, being a man, wouldn't have been able to win an argument with just his words, and Asheng really wanted to take the other party away.

"Stop pretending. We heard everything outside. You don't need to explain to us that we have no power or family connections."

Shen Qingqing's face paled: "No, Senior Brother, I didn't say it. Gu Liyao forced me to say it."

"He's already like this, how can we force him to talk? We heard everything clearly outside the door. You've been kicked out of Xinglin Hall, so don't call me 'Senior Brother' anymore, lest people gossip."

Shen Qingqing's tears fell in large drops: "Senior brother..."

Just as she was crying her heart out, she heard a deep voice.

"Since you have no connection with Xinglintang anymore, let's settle the payment for the batch of medicinal herbs we gave you first!"

Shen Qingqing was startled and turned around. Wasn't this the fat, big-eared herbal medicine merchant she had mentioned?

He stood outside the door, dressed in a light blue brocade robe, slightly overweight, and wearing a large gold chain, scrutinizing Shen Qingqing.

Every concubine in the family dotes on her and pampers her, so why is she being called fat and ugly by a woman today? Who is it that seduces her with her looks?

"Brother Jia, I...didn't we agree that I'd give you the money after I made money from the first batch of medicinal herbs?"

The herbal medicine merchant shook his head: "That won't do. I thought you were still at Xinglintang before, and that Xinglintang would vouch for you, so I dared to give you the herbs. Now that you've been kicked out, what guarantee do you have?"

She used to be pretty, but now he despises her even as a concubine.

"No, Brother Jia, I wasn't kicked out. They're all my senior and junior brothers; they can vouch for me."

After speaking, Shen Qingqing looked at Asheng pleadingly, "Senior brother, please, please say a word for me!"

Ah Sheng was pouring tea for Gu Liyao, not even glancing at her: "She's been kicked out, and we're no longer her senior or junior brothers, so naturally we won't vouch for her."

Shen Qingqing gripped the handkerchief tightly. If it weren't for her grand plan with Lin Xiaoxiao, would she have to be so humble?

These people deserve to die!

"Brother Jia, let's go outside and talk alone, okay?" Shen Qingqing's voice softened.

If it weren't for what happened today, any man present would have been utterly captivated by what he heard.

"No, I wouldn't dare be alone with Miss Shen, lest I be falsely accused of taking liberties with you."

Shen Qingqing looked embarrassed, realizing that this was a sarcastic remark implying that Gu Liyao had taken liberties with her.

"Brother Jia is a gentleman; he wouldn't do such a thing. Qingqing believes in Brother Jia."

"Brother Jia, there are a lot of people here. I have something I want to tell you privately."

She took a step closer and, taking advantage of the wide sleeves, boldly hooked the other person's hand.

Shen Qingqing's hands were snow-white, soft and boneless; anyone who touched them would lose half their soul.

But to everyone's surprise, the herbalist said mercilessly, "Don't hook it! Don't hook my jade thumb ring away!"

Shen Qingqing: "..."