Disease rights policy

"That's why my father was so unwilling to hand over the 'Spring and Autumn Annals' no matter what, and why my guards went to such lengths to find me. They were afraid that if you discovered that the 'Spring and Autumn Annals' wasn't actually in the Prime Minister's residence, but was on me, it would cost me my life," Chen Jiu explained.

Qiao Ran felt even more guilty, having almost caused an innocent life to be lost. She hurriedly waved her hand and said, "Now that I know the truth, I won't take it by force. I was wrong before, I'm sorry."

Chen Jiu chuckled and teased, "Miss Qiao, why don't you wait for me for five years? After I die, I'll entrust a trusted confidant to give you 'Spring and Autumn Annals.' This will fulfill your wish and also prevent your parents from experiencing unnecessary grief. How about that?"

Qiao Ran choked up, her face turning bright red, feeling embarrassed that her thoughts had been seen through. She avoided Chen Jiu's sincere gaze and said, "I...I...of course I still hope that Young Master Chen will be healthy and live a long life."

“You really are a soft-hearted person.” Chen Jiu lowered his eyes, got up and walked to the window, looking at the peach tree outside the courtyard and said, “Jin Zhou keeps his word. Miss Qiao, wait for me for five years, and then ‘Spring and Autumn’ will be yours.”

Qiao Ran felt a pang of guilt for having driven Chen Jiu to his death, and clenched her hands tightly as she protested, "That's not what I meant, I didn't mean it..."

Qiao Ran paused. Usually eloquent and persuasive, she couldn't bring herself to tell a lie to the desolate figure by the window. She just wanted 'Spring and Autumn'.

Chen Jiu slowly turned around, raised his hand to adjust his outer robe, and said, "I know your character, otherwise I wouldn't have said so much to you, Qiao Er?"

"Huh?" Qiao Ran was stunned to hear Chen Jiu refer to herself as a rough and uncultured person. She paused for a moment and asked in a weak voice, "You don't blame me for kidnapping you and causing your illness to flare up, which is already more than enough. Why are you still telling me so much and giving me 'Spring and Autumn Annals'?"

After all, the world is a dangerous place and people's hearts are unpredictable. Qiao Ran's series of actions, including kidnapping and threatening, can hardly be considered honorable. How could she be worthy of Chen Jiu's trust?

Chen Jiu's expression softened as he leaned against the window with a smile. "In the past twenty-three years, Jinzhou has not made many friends and has not met many people. Because I was in danger of dying at any time when I was young, and my father held a high position and had many enemies, he never announced the existence of the eldest son of the Chen family to the outside world in order to protect my life. Everyone knows that the two elders of the Chen family only have one daughter."

Qiao Ran: "Then why did you keep it a secret from the outside world?"

"Later, I grew up with difficulty and had trustworthy people to protect me," Chen Jiu said. "After I turned fifteen, I spent most of my time recuperating in Sichuan and rarely returned to the capital. Knowing that my fate was destined to be calamity, I simply stopped telling my family about it. If everyone knew that my father had given birth to such a short-lived person as me, the court would inevitably ridicule my family. Why bother?"

Qiao Ran understood him a little better. He came quietly and left quietly. How lonely he was.

"So seeing you so quick to avenge your grievances, I am quite envious. Miss Qiao, you are truly kind-hearted, and I can't help but want to befriend you," Chen Jiu said, taking two steps toward Qiao Ran and cupping his hands in greeting. "Being able to befriend a female knight-errant would make the few days of my life ahead much happier. I just don't know if Miss Qiao would be willing."

Qiao Ran was stunned. "You want to be friends with a thief like me?"

So all this time, the good food and drinks he'd been serving were a way of making friends. Qiao Ran couldn't help but think, how could Chen Jiu be so naive and simple-minded? She herself was much more cunning than him.

Chen Jiu didn't mind Qiao Ran's identity at all, and simply said, "Everyone has a skill. Jin Zhou never judges a person's morality based on what they do. I don't mind."

"Young Master Chen..." Qiao Ran was moved and completely let down her guard. She stepped forward and grasped Chen Jiu's arms, regretting her past actions. She said, "I have offended you a lot before. I promise that I will never try to take anything from your Chen family again. Let's wipe the slate clean. You are now my friend, Qiao Er!"

Chen Jiu smiled and became even closer to Qiao Ran, saying, "Miss Qiao will also be my friend Chen Jinzhou from now on. I will go to great lengths for you, even unto death."

"Good buddy!" Qiao Ran couldn't suppress her true nature and immediately hugged Chen Jiu with a smile. This was the second friend she had made since coming here. It was true that they became friends after a fight. She suddenly understood the kind of brotherhood in martial arts novels where people hit it off immediately and their friendship was stronger than the sky.

The girl's eyebrows were as white as snow, and her smile was as beautiful as a flower. She embraced him without any affectation, and Chen Jiu's heart skipped a beat.

Fortunately, Qiao Ran quickly let go, saying, "I'm not a very disciplined person, so please bear with me, Young Master Chen."

Chen Jiu smiled and said, "Miss Qiao, just call me Jinzhou."

Qiao Ran cheerfully called out, "Jinzhou."

Chen Jiu's eyes curved into a smile, his gaze dark and deep. "Qiao Er isn't your real name, is it? What's your name?"

Qiao Ran's silly grin froze instantly. Chen Jinzhou was from the capital, so could he possibly know the name of the daughter of the Qiao family who had been wiped out? It was understandable that she was suspicious, but she really didn't know the real name of this body. In ancient times, young ladies rarely left their homes, especially the Qiao family's daughter, who seldom went out. She hadn't managed to find out what her original name was.

Qiao Ran hesitated whether to report the incident or not.

Seeing that Qiao Ran remained silent for a long time, Chen Jiu kindly said, "If it's inconvenient to talk about it, then Jin Zhou won't ask."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Ran realized that she had been incredibly dishonest. Chen Jiu had been able to tell her the truth about his life, yet she had been so hesitant and afraid to even say his name. She felt utterly disloyal.

There are so many people in this world with the same name, so what if this body was originally called Qiao Ran? Besides, with her own lousy name, Lord Qiao is a cultured man, so he must have given his daughter a name like Huiyin or Qingzhao. Thinking about it this way, Qiao Ran felt much more at ease.

She smiled and said, "Qiao Ran, my name is Qiao Ran."

Chen Jiu narrowed his eyes slightly, took two slow steps, and said gently, "Liu Yirou, kind and respectful, is a good match for Miss Qiao. A fine name."

Qiao Ran paused for a moment, then exchanged a glance with Chen Jiu, and the two of them burst into laughter.

She studied Chen Jiu's expression. After hearing her name, she did not hesitate at all. It seemed that this young lady of the Qiao family was indeed someone else. One was a daughter of a high-ranking family, and the other was a roughneck from the martial arts world. It was unlikely that anyone would associate her with the Qiao family that had been wiped out in the capital. Qiao Ran was completely relieved.

She said to Chen Jiu, "I'm sorry to have troubled Brother Jinzhou by staying here for so long. I'll go back and pack my things before leaving with Qin Huaixian."

Chen Jiu frowned slightly, "The villa is spacious, you can stay as long as you like, there's no need to rush to leave."

"Qin Huai and I still need to go out and contact other brothers. We've been missing for so long, and there are many martial arts heroes eyeing us. I'm afraid something might happen to us."

Qiao Ran counted the days. The others should have scattered and left Shu by now, but she was afraid that they would turn back like Qin Huai. Shu was still fighting bandits, and it was really not safe outside.

Chen Jiu thought for a moment and slowly said, "Alright, I've been recuperating at the other residence, you can come to see me anytime."

Qiao Ran nodded, "Of course, wherever I go in the world, I will always remember that I have a friend like you."

Chen Jiu smiled again.

After leaving the main courtyard, Qiao Ran found herself surrounded by guards and servants in the villa who treated her with utmost respect, addressing her as "Miss Qiao." This was a feeling Qiao Ran had never experienced before. The scenery of the villa became increasingly pleasant to her, and she went to Qin Huai to discuss her departure with a refreshed spirit.

Upon meeting Xie Laoshi, before Qiao Ran could even speak, Xie Laoshi took the initiative to bow and greet her, saying with his head bowed, "Xie Laoshi is a rough man who doesn't know any manners. I apologize for offending you last time, young lady."

Qiao Ran was in a good mood at the moment, and she no longer hated Jie Dage. She raised her pretty eyebrows and said with a smile, "I am magnanimous and forgive you."

Xie Laoshi said, "Thank you, young lady."

“We’ve both made mistakes, so we’re even.” Qiao Ran smiled. “Take good care of your young master. You’ll have to stay with him at all times from now on, so he doesn’t get kidnapped by a bandit like me again.”

"You're right, young lady." Xie Laoshi, who always obeyed Chen Jiu, stood properly in front of Qiao Ran, his polite demeanor as if he had become a different person.

Qiao Ran flicked her sleeves and left.