Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife – o

An Yiqing wholeheartedly agreed and pondered for a moment, then suddenly took out her phone and made a call. If the person behind the scenes wanted to ruin the reputation of Xuanjin Hall, maybe the other branches were also experiencing similar issues. She needed to remind everyone and inquire about any unusual events occurring recently.

Unaware until it was asked, the answer was quite startling.

Indeed, Xuanjin Hall in Jinyin City had also been stirred up. Fortunately, it was nothing serious. After forensic autopsy, it was confirmed that the discrepancy was not caused by Xuanjin Hall’s medication. While the other branches did not face such issues, An Yiqing’s reminder made everyone vigilant.

"Since it has been exposed this time, the person behind the scenes might change strategy. Each branch should keep an eye on the patients, ensuring that no opportunistic individuals can exploit any gaps," said Gu Yelin.

An Yiqing had the same thought, but dealing with the symptoms rather than the root cause won’t help; the priority is to identify the person behind the scenes.

The task was handed over to An Zhifeng and his team. Additionally, An Yiqing assigned Zhang Yuksheng another task: under the name Xuanjin Yulong, to acquire the land surrounding Xuanjin Hall at a high price to build a new division for the Xuanjin Foundation. Furthermore, she planned to establish the inpatient department of Xuanjin Hall there.

This was a mammoth task; acquiring land isn’t something you can do just because you want to. Many barriers need to be navigated, but only someone with the capability and connections like An Yiqing could handle it with ease.

The next day, Zhang Yuksheng immediately started working on acquiring the land. To preserve the old Xuandu City architecture, An Yiqing decided to buy all the mansions around Xuanjin Hall, turning the entire area into the domain of Xuanjin Hall and Xuanjin Yulong.

This appetite was enormous!

While Zhang Yuksheng and the Thirteen Blood Generals were busy, An Yiqing wasn’t idle either. Because Gu Tingting had returned.

Upon learning this, An Zhihang dropped everything to find her but was stopped by An Yiqing. Gu Tingting had issues in her heart and didn’t want to see him; rushing over would only make things worse. The urgent task was to have someone help Gu Tingting untangle her mind and find out the root of the problem.

Thus, with An Zhihang eagerly hoping, this formidable task fell to An Yiqing.

On that day, An Yiqing arranged to meet Gu Tingting at a café, making it clear that it was just the two of them.

Gu Tingting gladly accepted the invitation. When An Yiqing saw her at the café, she noticed the young lady had lost considerable weight and tanned during her time away. However, she seemed somewhat changed.

"You little rascal turned our lives upside down recently and then went out to play. How was it? Where did you go?" An Yiqing asked with a smile.

Gu Tingting shyly touched her nose, smiling a little awkwardly, "Qingqing, please don’t laugh at me. I feel quite embarrassed for all the trouble I caused everyone."

An Yiqing paused, realizing the girl seemed off. Previously, faced with such situations, Gu Tingting would laugh foolishly and excitedly start pulling out gifts, detailing which were for her, which were for An Zisheng and Kong Shi, and which were for Gu Yelin. But she would never have said such things.

The old Gu Tingting was naïve and kind-hearted, straightforward, showing everything on her face, offending people without realizing it. Such traits had both upsides and downsides. The upside, needless to say, but the downside was that she’d easily offend people who are petty or calculative.

An Yiqing thought Gu Tingting would remain innocent under the Gu Family’s protection, ignorant of worldly matters, saying what was on her mind, living as a princess naive to the world. But she had changed.

"Tingting, what happened to you?" An Yiqing sensed that things might not be so simple.

Gu Tingting paused, a steady calm similar to An Yiqing’s surfacing on her face. She thoughtfully sipped her milk tea, musing for a moment.

"Qingqing, you know about the stuff with Big Brother An and me, right?"

An Yiqing nodded, "My brother didn’t have any inappropriate thoughts towards that woman."

Gu Tingting gave a bitter smile, "I know, I don’t distrust him. But the day before everything happened, that woman came to see me."

An Yiqing’s expression fell, the woman sought out Gu Tingting?

"Did she say something to you?"

Gu Tingting nodded, "Yes, she said many things that made me angry, but I couldn’t refute them. The woman said I was useless, just a princess concerned only with romance. She claimed I offered no help to Big Brother An’s career, only held him back, and that having the Gu Family meant little if they fell, I’d be nothing." She paused, lifting her head, smiling in a way that pained An Yiqing, "Qingqing, though I was angry, I can’t deny that what she said is true. You’re the chairperson of Xuanjin Yulong, constantly striving to protect your family. My Third Brother loves and respects you. As for Xiao Xue, Xia Hau became part of the Blood Clan for her. She keeps trying to match up to Xia Hau. But I, I’ve been doing nothing, basking in the Gu Family’s glory. I’ve always felt something was off between me and Big Brother An. After the woman’s words, I realized we were unequal."

"Unequal?" An Yiqing frowned, those three words are heavy for any couple.

"Yes, after class, I mostly just play around, while Big Brother An works tirelessly, traveling, meeting, and continuing his studies. Before, I sometimes complained he didn’t have much time for me, but now I understand it’s because I was too complacent, taking things without condition. I’ve never thought about aiding Big Brother An, always believing loving him was enough. But for two people to journey through life, even for Martial Cultivators, which can span hundreds of years, love alone isn’t enough. This time, without anyone’s consent, I traveled alone, meeting many people and witnessing many things, experiencing things I never had in the past twenty years. Qingqing, I want to grow, become a towering tree like you, providing tangible support when my Third Brother needs help."

Gu Tingting’s eyes shone with a brilliance An Yiqing had never seen before. She had always thought this girl’s life would be joyful and peaceful under the Gu Family’s protection. Who knew, a fledgling eagle isn’t a mere bird content in its cage for life.

With a long sigh, An Yiqing smiled, "Tingting, you’ve grown up."

Gu Tingting blushed, biting her lip, "Actually, I miss Big Brother An. But I need to cool off alone for a while, afraid of becoming weak if he appears."

An Yiqing finally understood why Gu Tingting was ignoring An Zhihang. She comprehended that when someone beloved is nearby, a girl can’t help but feel pampered. But, without support, even a delicate lady can be impregnable.