Chapter 104: Shen Xun returned home, only to find Jiang Lai missing

Chi Ce rushed to Nanshan Shu Jiuhao, passed the neglected weedy lawn, and entered the hall.

Ke Zhongyu sat on the sofa, leaning back, chin slightly raised; when he looked at him, his eyes glowed with a faint light, and two clumps of green herbs were stuffed into his nose.

Chi Ce's heart jumped.

Who shoved two big scallions into this King of Hell's nose?

"Ke Zhongyu, what did you bump into? Or what did you see?"

Ke Zhongyu's eyes were like sharp blades.

Chi Ce immediately shut his mouth, stepped forward to look, and exclaimed in surprise: "Who gave you mugwort to use?"

Definitely not Ke Zhongyu himself.

"Doctor Chi." Jiang Lai came out of the kitchen holding a hot water kettle, her expression slightly anxious.

Seeing Jiang Lai, Chi Ce understood and smiled: "Was this the emergency treatment Secretary Jiang gave Ke Zhongyu?"

Jiang Lai nodded: "Just call me by my name, Doctor Chi; I've already quit."

Chi Ce was stunned.

What's going on here?

He didn't dare ask more about the boss's affairs; Chi Ce addressed her as Miss Jiang, not daring to call her by name directly, otherwise the King of Hell would swallow him whole.

"Mugwort is a Chinese medicine; it indeed has hemostatic effects. In the past, when people got injured, they would pick mugwort from the roadside, crush it, and apply it to the wound." Chi Ce said while putting on gloves, taking tweezers, and pulling the two "big scallions" out of Ke Zhongyu's nose.

Ke Zhongyu looked at Jiang Lai: "Is this the mugwort you used to pick and sell as a child?"

Jiang Lai's gaze flickered slightly.

Last time I mentioned it casually, he actually remembered.

Jiang Lai made an affirmative sound, her eyes looking at his nose.

The bleeding had indeed stopped.

The bloodstains on his philtrum were also cleaned up by Chi Ce; the bloodstains on his collar had dried, so he owed him a piece of clothing.

"What size shirt does Ke Zhongyu wear?" Jiang Lai asked.

Ke Zhongyu also noticed the bloodstain on his clothing; his home had shirts of all sizes.

Jiang Lai was sizing up his physique.

A man who is 189 cm tall usually wears a size 54 or 56 in Western suits, corresponding to shirt sizes 43 or 44.

Jiang Lai guessed: "43?"

Ke Zhongyu said: "44."

Size 43 is the regular style.

Size 44 leans toward the muscular style.

Who is he looking down on?

His gaze was deep and gloomy.

Jiang Lai didn't notice the man's competitive desire lurking in his eyes; she calmly nodded, planning to buy him a size 44 shirt as compensation.

Chi Ce had already finished the treatment; she handed Ke Zhongyu a cup of hot water.

Ke Zhongyu didn't see honeysuckle in the cup.

He was still guarding his food.

He took a sip.

Jiang Lai poured another cup for Chi Ce.

Just as the hot water reached Chi Ce's lips, Ke Zhongyu's questioning voice arrived as expected: "When did you get Doctor Chi's contact information?"

Chi Ce: "……"

The words weren't directed at him, but they were a warning to him.

Doctor Chi?

This King of Hell always yells in a urging-to-die manner: "Chi Ce, get over here!", "Chi Ce! Hurry up.", "Chi Ce! Quick!"

Each sentence is followed by the location of the incident.

When had Ke Zhongyu and Yan Yuese ever called him Doctor Chi?

He wouldn't be able to drink this hot water for a while.

Jiang Lai replied: "Last time at the Medical Hall."

Chi Ce hurriedly explained: "Miss Jiang Lai was previously Ke Zhongyu's secretary; I am Ke Zhongyu's personal physician. Adding contact information was solely to better serve Ke Zhongyu, with no other motive."

Everything before sounded official, but the last sentence landing in Jiang Lai's ears felt a bit strange.

She didn't think much of it.

"Ke Zhongyu, Doctor Chi, please have a seat first." Jiang Lai was about to go out to move things.

Seeing that Ke Zhongyu didn't press further, Chi Ce picked up his water cup, was about to sit on the sofa, but before his butt even touched the sofa, he was called out again.

"Get two bags from the trunk."

Chi Ce: "?"

Although I am your personal physician, I have known Ke Zhongyu for twenty years as well!

Can't you see me as a person!

Jiang Lai immediately said: "No need to trouble Doctor Chi; I'll get it myself."

Chi Ce's eyes shifted, and he smiled: "Miss Jiang, let's go together; more people means more strength."

Jiang Lai: "Thank you."

Just as the two turned around, a cold, grim voice like that of King Yama sounded from behind them.

"Stop."

The two turned back.

Jiang Lai was slightly doubtful, while Chi Ce wore a half-smile.

"Chi Ce, go get it." Ke Zhongyu gestured for Jiang Lai to sit down.

Jiang Lai: "I'll get it myself."

Chi Ce continued to smile.

Ke Zhongyu had no choice with Jiang Lai, straightened his clothes, got up, and said irritably to Chi Ce, "Sit down!"

"Okay, Ke Zong, this is you letting me sit down." Chi Ce sat contentedly on the sofa, watching the two leave, and finally took a sip of hot water.

Ke Zhongyu opened the trunk, Jiang Lai bent over to lift the bag, her bent posture right in front of him, as if she were bending over in his embrace.

His Adam's apple twitched slightly.

He lowered his raised hand, bent over to take the bag from her hand, their fingers lightly touching.

Jiang Lai's fingers shrank back slightly, she lifted her eyes to the man before her, seeing only his cold, hard profile.

"Give it to me." the man said in a low, calm voice.

The two bags holding quilts in Ke Zhongyu's hands could not suppress the aristocratic air about him.

Walking in, it felt like following a red carpet.

Chi Ce kept clicking his tongue.

Born with a silver spoon, Ke Zong showed no hesitation in carrying things as a lackey for others.

They arrived at the hall.

Jiang Lai reached out: "Ke Zong, give it to me; I can carry it upstairs myself."

Ke Zhongyu glanced at her, then at their hands about to touch, and finally let go.

"Thanks, Ke Zong, thanks, Doctor Chi, I still need to tidy up, so I won't keep you for dinner today." Such polite words were still something Jiang Lai would say.

Ke Zhongyu also understood she needed some time to sort things, he called Chi Ce, and they left.

Chi Ce was forced to sit in the driver's seat, he asked: "Where's your driver?"

"At his own home." Ke Zhongyu's gaze remained fixed on Villa No. 9; through the open door he could faintly see Jiang Lai's silhouette holding bags in both hands.

"Stop looking, your eyes are glued to her, Ke Zong, at least wait until they're divorced…"

"They're divorced." Ke Zhongyu glanced at him, gesturing not to rush the car.

Chi Ce suddenly realized: "So those two bags just now are all her belongings?"

Ke Zhongyu nodded.

Chi Ce exclaimed in surprise: "This is so little—normally a household has more women's things and less men's? When a woman leaves, the home becomes empty, but here Jiang Miss left, yet the Shen household is unchanged."

Actually, there is.

It's very subtle.

Given Shen Xun's usual inattentiveness toward Jiang Lai, he probably wouldn't notice.

Thinking of this, Ke Zhongyu grew irritated; he messaged Assistant Zhou to keep safe the materials they had gathered on Shen Xun and Lin Shutong, and to remember to bring them on the bidding day.

……

Sunday night.

Shen Xun returned, opened the front door, and found the whole house restored to its former cleanliness.

His face lit up, thinking Jiang Lai had already returned from Cui Zhai.

The house was pitch black; he assumed she was asleep.

He stepped lightly, pushed open the bedroom door, didn't turn on the main light, felt his way in the dark to the bedside, and switched on the desk lamp.

Warm yellow light illuminated a corner of the bedroom; Shen Xun gazed tenderly at the bed, seeing no bulge as before.

Flat and even.

The quilt was neatly arranged.

Shen Xun's smile vanished instantly, replaced by a furrowed brow.

Jiang Lai had come back, then left again.

He sat on the bedside, simply turned on the main light, took out his phone, and dialed Jiang Lai's number.

The call went through.

But Jiang Lai hung up.

Shen Xun was stunned again.