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Ji Nuan Yang noticed Qiao Nuo and Jin Chengyan arriving, so he put down his wine glass, exchanged a few words with the person beside him, and walked over to them.
Jin Chengyan withdrew his gaze and glanced at Ji Xining. The look he gave her made Ji Xining feel uneasy. Just as she was about to say something, Jin Chengyan spoke up.
"You stay here; I'll come find you later." He whispered this into Qiao Nuo's ear, and Ji Xining couldn't hear it.
In any case, Ji Xining wasn't particularly fond of Jin Chengyan; she always felt that he had more schemes than her brother!
After he finished speaking, he didn't wait for Qiao Nuo's response and headed towards Ji Nuan Yang.
Once Jin Chengyan left, Ji Xining grabbed Qiao Nuo's hand and asked anxiously, "Qiao Nuo, Jin Chengyan didn't do anything to you, did he?"
Qiao Nuo smiled slightly, appearing somewhat helpless. "What could he do to me?" The truth was, he couldn't do much—except wear her out in bed!
"That's good. I was worried about you and thought about asking Ji Nuan Yang to check on you, but he said it was a matter between you two as a couple." Ji Xining mumbled. She couldn't quite understand Ji Nuan Yang; since he had helped before, why not continue to help?
At that moment, Ji Xining had no idea that everything Ji Nuan Yang did was to make Ruan Shengyu pay the price, along with teaching a lesson to Jin Chengyan, who had once protected Ruan Shengyu!
Jin Chengyan approached Ji Nuan Yang and deliberately blocked his path.
Both men were exceptionally prominent; anyone in this banquet hall could easily be worth billions. Their presence was particularly striking, so when they faced off against each other, everyone else quietly paused their activities and watched with keen interest.
Of course, what Jin Chengyan wanted to discuss with Ji Nuan Yang was something Ji Nuan Yang would never want to make public, and at this moment, Jin Chengyan was being quite casual about it.
"Let's talk somewhere else," Jin Chengyan raised an eyebrow.
Ji Nuan Yang nodded.
Thus, the two men disappeared from everyone's sight one after the other, leaving those curious about their conversation disappointed.
On the outdoor terrace outside the banquet hall, Jin Chengyan tossed his phone to Ji Nuan Yang. It contained documents sent by A Shan.
Ji Nuan Yang took the phone, glancing at it, but his expression grew increasingly worse. After a quick scan, he threw the phone back to Jin Chengyan.
"What, do you think you can threaten me just because you have something in your hands? Your methods aren't that impressive, Jin Chengyan."
Jin Chengyan tucked the phone away and leaned against the railing, exuding an air of leisure. He thought Ji Nuan Yang was someone who exploited others' weaknesses to get what he wanted; wasn't he doing the same?
It was merely a matter of who was more cunning.
"We've always kept our distance. If you act unjustly, don't blame me for being ruthless," Jin Chengyan said. He believed in the principle of not offending others unless provoked; if someone crossed him, he would return the favor double.
"I didn't realize Ruan Shengyu was under your control. How does dealing with a small celebrity concern you? Perhaps I should discuss this with Qiao Nuo?" Ji Nuan Yang despised being threatened with Ji Xining's name.
She was his Achilles' heel, untouchable; otherwise, he would truly unleash hell! Even if it came from the depths of hell, Ji Nuan Yang feared nothing!
"If you go down that path, then the information you just looked at will be on the front pages of newspapers and magazines nationwide tomorrow. Just imagine how your Ji Family raised such a good girl—eighteen and already had an abortion. Everyone will want to know whose child it was."
This provoked Ji Nuan Yang, who grabbed Jin Chengyan by the collar.
"Try it!" Ji Nuan Yang hissed through gritted teeth. If he had a gun at that moment, he wouldn't hesitate to shoot Jin Chengyan!
Jin Chengyan showed no sign of worry; he patted Ji Nuan Yang's hand gripping his collar. "You should be feeling my anger now! I don't want to make enemies. Let's let this matter slide; I'll pretend I don't know about Ji Xining. After all, she and Qiao Nuo are friends. If anything happens to her, Qiao Nuo will be heartbroken."
Ji Nuan Yang released Jin Chengyan's collar in disgust; Jin Chengyan was nothing but a hypocritical scoundrel, playing both sides!
Claiming he wouldn't hurt Ji Xining to spare Qiao Nuo's feelings! It was just because he thought he held a powerful card over him that he could act recklessly!
"Remember what you said. If any of this gets exposed, we'll both suffer!" If the Ji Family truly went to war with the Jin Family, it would undoubtedly end in mutual destruction.
But of course, that would only be their last resort when there were no other options left!
Jin Chengyan extended his hand, offering a friendly handshake.
Ji Nuan Yang let out a soft huff. How could he possibly shake hands with someone who had just threatened him? Not killing him felt like an unsatisfied urge!
However, people in the business world were ultimately hypocritical. Ji Nuan Yang reached out and shook hands with Jin Chengyan, both of them secretly competing against each other.
In less than a second, they both instinctively let go.
It seemed they both found each other equally displeasing.
...
Ji Xining was chatting casually with Qiao Nuo, mentioning everyone she could name in the banquet hall and even offering to introduce them.
Just as Ji Xining was about to introduce someone to Qiao Nuo, Jin Chengyan and Ji Nuan Yang returned from outside—one looking triumphant and the other with a dark expression.
Ji Xining wanted to ask Ji Nuan Yang what was wrong, but he pulled her away with such force that she couldn't utter a word and could only follow him.
Qiao Nuo watched Ji Xining being taken away and curiously asked Jin Chengyan, “What’s wrong? It seems like Nuan Yang is angry?”
“Nuan Yang?” Jin Chengyan nearly choked on his own words!
Qiao Nuo actually called Ji Nuan Yang “Nuan Yang”! She had never called him “Cheng Yan,” even though he was her husband. How could she affectionately call another man in front of him like that?
That guy Ji Nuan Yang clearly hadn’t had enough of provoking him earlier!
“What were you two just talking about? Didn’t you say you didn’t like him?” Qiao Nuo asked, genuinely curious, completely unaware of the jealousy slowly rising within Jin Chengyan.
Jin Chengyan snorted coldly. “Discussing life.”
“Ah?” Jin Chengyan and Ji Nuan Yang were discussing life. Was he serious? “But why did he treat Xi Ning like that when he came back? Did you say something?”
Qiao Nuo turned around, looking at Jin Chengyan with a scrutinizing gaze.
At that moment, Jin Chengyan realized that it was the same look one would give to defend Ji Nuan Yang.
The primal force within him had reached an unprecedented level!
“Qiao Nuo, your husband is standing right in front of you. Can you stop talking about other men?” Although it was phrased as a question, there was no hint of doubt in Jin Chengyan's tone. He wanted Qiao Nuo to only ever mention his name from now on.
“But Xi Ning was taken away; it really won’t…”
“This is between them. Why do you care so much? Our issues seem to remain unresolved!”
Qiao Nuo nodded, looking thoughtful, then said to Jin Chengyan, “Yes, our problems are still unresolved!”
Jin Chengyan felt a sense of impending doom; what did he mean by saying their issues were unresolved? Wasn’t he just digging a pit for himself?
“Qiao Nuo?” Just as Jin Chengyan was pondering how to explain things to Qiao Nuo, an unexpected female voice interrupted.
Both Qiao Nuo and Jin Chengyan turned around simultaneously, realizing the voice didn’t belong to Qiao Nuo. After all, she was new to C City; how could she know anyone here?
When they turned, they saw a woman in a striking red mermaid dress, stunningly beautiful. Her presence instantly made her the center of attention in the banquet hall. Upon seeing Qiao Nuo, her face lit up with surprise!
However, Qiao Nuo felt somewhat dazed at the sight of her. Given her amnesia, she could only look back at Jin Chengyan for guidance. Her understanding of this world came entirely from him; surely he would know what was going on.
Jin Chengyan was equally surprised that the Young Madam of the Nan Family in C City knew Qiao Nuo.
“Qiao Nuo, it’s really you! I thought I had mistaken you for someone else! It’s been years since we last met. I’ve wanted to get in touch with you but have been tied up with so much work. I’m so glad to see you!” Jin Zhong Shu Yi exclaimed as she recognized Qiao Nuo and stepped forward to embrace her.
Qiao Nuo blinked, looking at Jin Chengyan, feeling at a loss.
Was this Jin Zhong Shu Yi someone she used to know? Were they close?
Unable to recall anything, she could only seek help from Jin Chengyan.
Jin Chengyan enjoyed the expression of vulnerability on Qiao Nuo's face, but at that moment, he merely stood there, watching her plead for assistance without any intention of helping.
Qiao Nuo glared at Jin Chengyan. Was he really not going to lend a hand?
Just as she began to feel a bit angry, Jin Chengyan slowly spoke up, “Mrs. Nan…”
Hearing Jin Chengyan's voice, Jin Zhong Shu Yi finally released Qiao Nuo, though she was surprised that Qiao Nuo didn’t seem as enthusiastic as she expected.
She looked at Jin Chengyan, this Young Madam who kept to herself and didn’t seem to know much about the Jin Family Young Master from Qin Cheng. It was unexpected to see this man enter their internal gathering; he must have some significance. Standing next to Qiao Nuo only made Jin Zhong Shu Yi ponder further.
“Sorry, Mrs. Nan. My wife was injured some time ago and can’t remember many things from before,” he implied that she wouldn’t remember Jin Zhong Shu Yi either.
Jin Zhong Shu Yi looked at Qiao Nuo with concern, noticing that there was indeed no hint of familiarity in her eyes. “How could this happen?”
Qiao Nuo felt apologetic as well. How could she have known that she would encounter someone familiar in C City? What kind of person had her former self been? This only piqued her curiosity further!
Seeing the unusual look in Qiao Nuo's eyes, Jin Chengyan realized she was likely thinking about the past, which would probably give her a headache if she dwelled on it too long.
“How did Mrs. Nan come to know Qiao Nuo? She never mentioned it before,” Jin Chengyan quickly changed the subject to redirect Qiao Nuo's attention.
Speaking of which, Jin Zhong Shu Yi recalled their past. “I met Qiao Nuo while studying in Milan. I was majoring in Fashion Design while she studied Architecture. Since we were both exchange students, we became quite familiar. After returning home, we lost touch, so I never expected to run into her here.”
As Qiao Nuo listened to Jin Zhong Shu Yi recount their past, she felt a flicker of recognition. She had indeed loved architecture; judging by the items in Jin Mansion, they all had a strong sense of aesthetics. Even when bored, she would sometimes sketch things out of sheer interest.
It turned out that it was because she had studied architecture before!
"I will definitely remember it later, but right now..." Qiao Nuo felt a bit frustrated; not being able to recall something was truly annoying.
"It's okay! If you can't remember, you can't remember. Just enjoy the present! I didn't even know you got married! Your husband is..." Jin Zhong Shu Yi looked at Jin Chengyan, feeling that he looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't quite place where she had seen him before.
Qiao Nuo also turned to look at Jin Chengyan after hearing Jin Zhong Shu Yi's words.
"Well..." How should she introduce this man? Her husband? But their relationship was merely bound by a contract!
"Hello, I'm Qiao Nuo's husband, Jin Chengyan." Seeing Qiao Nuo hesitate, Jin Chengyan took the initiative to introduce himself.
"Oh, it's Mr. Jin... such a familiar name..." Jin Zhong Shu Yi was trying hard to recall any information about this man.
At that moment, a man in a black suit approached, wrapping his arm around the woman in the fiery red dress—Jin Zhong Shu Yi. The two of them standing together were indeed a striking couple, drawing attention in the banquet hall.
"Young Master Jin? I didn't expect to run into you here!" Nan Chen greeted Jin Chengyan while holding his lovely wife close.
"You know each other?" Jin Zhong Shu Yi turned to look at her husband with a hint of playfulness.
In that moment, Qiao Nuo felt that she and Jin Chengyan were unable to display such affection. They were bound together by a contract, while Nan Chen and Jin Zhong Shu Yi exuded genuine love for one another.
"Qin Cheng, the Young Master of the Jin family—who doesn't know him? You know Cheng Yang's younger brother? He's just gone to Qin Cheng now."
"Oh..." For some reason, when Jin Zhong Shu Yi heard the name "Cheng Yang," her expression subtly changed. However, she was very skilled at concealing her emotions; even Nan Chen beside her didn't notice.
After all, Ji Chengyang was a man who now only existed in memories.
"Alright, let me introduce you. This is my classmate from my time studying in Milan, Qiao Nuo. She is now Young Master Jin's wife. Isn't it a small world?"
"Fine, if you say it's small, then it's small!" Nan Chen playfully tapped Jin Zhong Shu Yi's nose. Their affection for each other was natural, not a deliberate display of love.
Watching them, Qiao Nuo felt a twinge of... envy and jealousy.
The man beside her, who was willing to be with her, must have been reluctant to part with her body.
Thinking about this made Qiao Nuo feel a bit gloomy.
After seeing Jin Zhong Shu Yi, Nan Chen's eyes were solely focused on her. Jin Chengyan's presence had no effect on him as he wrapped his arms around the beauty in his embrace and walked away!
Once the two of them left, Jin Chengyan, much like Nan Chen earlier, pulled Qiao Nuo into his arms.
Still caught up in her earlier gloom, Qiao Nuo struggled a bit but couldn’t break free, so she settled into his embrace.
"Do you really want to remember the past?"
Qiao Nuo didn’t respond verbally, but her expression betrayed her; she did want to know about the past, even though Jin Zhong Shu Yi had said that the present was what mattered most.
"I..."
Before Qiao Nuo could finish her thought, Jin Chengyan's phone rang. He really wanted to ignore the call and continue talking to Qiao Nuo, but it was A Shan calling—there might be something important.
Reluctantly, he released Qiao Nuo. "I need to take this call."
"Is there something you need to discuss away from me? Are you talking to Ruan Shengyu? Fine, go ahead!" Qiao Nuo didn’t even know why she was being so petulant.
Jin Chengyan was taken aback at first; Qiao Nuo’s reaction was a bit too intense!
But soon enough, a smile crept onto his face. Qiao Nuo was jealous!
Alright, let her eat a bit more!
“It’s not her; I haven’t been in touch with her for a long time. It was A Shan who called, you can check if you don’t believe me.”
“I’m not looking! Who knows how many calls you’ve made to Ruan Shengyu behind the scenes? Anyone can play both sides.” Angry and frustrated, Qiao Nuo seemed intent on provoking Jin Chengyan.
But this person was in a good mood right now; how could he be easily angered?
“Fine, I’ll call him in front of you. Is that okay?”
“Who wants to listen to your call!”
Jin Chengyan looked at Qiao Nuo’s little expression, wishing he could just pin her down and kiss her fiercely right then and there. She was simply too adorable! How could Qiao Nuo be this cute?
However, A Shan’s call hadn’t ended yet, and there were so many people around. Jin Chengyan had no choice but to answer the phone.
“A Shan…”
A Shan had no idea that Jin Chengyan’s call was being listened to by two people. How could he know that his young master had sunk to such depths, needing his wife to hear even a phone call?
He said, “Young Master Qiao Chen tried to escape from Jin Mansion today, but the bodyguards were watching closely. He got injured while climbing over the wall.”
“What?” Qiao Nuo snatched the phone away and spoke urgently into it, “How did Qiao Chen get injured? Why is he at Jin Mansion?”
A Shan was at a loss for words; how was he supposed to know that Qiao Nuo was on the other end of the line!
“Give me the phone!” Jin Chengyan frowned slightly. Initially, he just wanted to find out where Qiao Nuo was through Qiao Chen, but Qiao Chen didn’t know either.
He thought that if he had Qiao Chen in his grasp, Qiao Nuo would definitely come back. Little did he know that Qiao Chen would cause such a ruckus…
What was the point of climbing over the wall? The wall was so high, and although there was a lawn outside, falling from such a height would surely result in injury!
Qiao Nuo only glanced at Jin Chengyan, and that glance was filled with blame. Qiao Chen's situation at Jin Mansion must be closely related to Jin Chengyan!
"Tell me, what exactly happened to Qiao Chen now!" He is her brother, and that bond of blood runs deep; Qiao Nuo could feel it.
"Young Madam... you..."
"Forget it if you won't tell me. Do you think I won't go back?" Qiao Nuo was furious, shoving the phone into Jin Chengyan's hand before turning to leave.
Jin Chengyan held the phone to his ear and asked, "You couldn't keep an eye on Qiao Nuo earlier, and now Qiao Chen is injured? Can you even handle things properly?"
"I'm sorry, Young Master. I've already punished those responsible."
"Enough! What's done is done. How is Qiao Chen now?" Jin Chengyan immediately chased after Qiao Nuo.
"He dislocated his shoulder."
Fortunately, A Shan wasn't in front of Jin Chengyan at that moment; otherwise, he would have surely shown his displeasure. Calling about a dislocated shoulder when he had just managed to mend things with Qiao Nuo?
"You really... I'll settle this with you when I get back." With that, Jin Chengyan hung up on A Shan and hurried after Qiao Nuo.
Qiao Nuo was surprisingly fast; the ten-centimeter high heels on her feet didn't hinder her at all!
Because all she could think about right now was Qiao Chen—the troublemaker who always caused her and their father worry, the one who...
Suddenly, a light bulb went off in Qiao Nuo's mind.
She remembered something: Qiao Chen, her younger brother, a pampered young master who loved to fight and stir up trouble but was always good to his sister.
She stood frozen in place, letting the cold wind blow over her. She had truly remembered something, especially that part about Qiao Chen, so vividly!
She recalled how she had taken care of Qiao Chen when they were young; she remembered that they were the best brother and sister.
When Jin Chengyan ran over, he saw Qiao Nuo standing there dazed, one hand pressed against her head as if she were trying to think of something.
Worried that something was wrong with her health, he rushed over and supported Qiao Nuo by the shoulders.
"What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Headache? Let’s go to the hospital!" Jin Chengyan said anxiously. "Qiao Chen is fine; A Shan just tends to blow things out of proportion. I’ll have a word with him when we get back!"
As he spoke, he handed the car keys to the attendant to bring the car around.
Qiao Nuo remained silent, lost in her own world.
If she remembered Qiao Chen, would more memories come flooding back? Her family, her past, everything about her.
And Jin Chengyan.
Qiao Nuo looked at the man whose face showed tension; he was Jin Chengyan, her husband, but their marriage was based on a contract.
She had learned all this later on, but before that, Qiao Nuo couldn’t recall anything.
She desperately tried to remember, to retrieve her past memories.
However, a sharp pain began to throb in her head. As she looked at Jin Chengyan, her mind became increasingly chaotic; even the thoughts about Qiao Chen began to blur.
"Jin... Jin Chengyan..." Qiao Nuo gazed at him, feeling as if he were fading away, his figure swaying before her eyes.
Jin Chengyan noticed the car had not yet arrived. Hearing Qiao Nuo call for him, he turned around. But just as he did so, Qiao Nuo reached out to grab him; before she could grasp his hand, she lost her balance and fell backward!
Jin Chengyan rushed forward and caught the almost collapsing Qiao Nuo!
“Qiao Nuo!” Everything happened too quickly, leaving Jin Chengyan unprepared!
Seeing the woman in a formal dress faint in the hotel lobby, people immediately called for an ambulance. However, Jin Chengyan couldn’t wait for that; his car had already arrived. He quickly placed Qiao Nuo in the backseat and jumped into the driver's seat, starting the engine and speeding off.
The entire process took less than half a minute! Jin Chengyan had already taken Qiao Nuo away!
The people in the lobby exchanged bewildered glances, still trying to comprehend what had just happened.
But C City was unfamiliar territory for Jin Chengyan; he didn’t know where the hospitals were or which one was good. The doctors here had no understanding of Qiao Nuo’s condition!
He placed his phone on the dashboard and dialed Ji Nuan Yang’s number.
Ji Nuan Yang was in the middle of scolding Ji Xining when he received Jin Chengyan’s call, and he was ready to vent his frustration on him.
However, before he could say anything, Jin Chengyan shouted, “Tell me where the best hospital in C City is!”
“Why should I tell you? Are we that close?” Ji Nuan Yang shot back.
“I don’t have time to argue with you right now. Qiao Nuo has fainted, and I don’t know where the hospital is. If you don’t tell me…”
“Tell me where you are!” Ji Nuan Yang wasn’t one to ignore the situation either. The issues between him and Jin Chengyan were their own, but as for Qiao Nuo, she was their mutual friend.
Jin Chengyan relayed his location to Ji Nuan Yang, who then sternly instructed Ji Xining on the other end of the line to call a hospital.
At that moment, Jin Chengyan didn’t have time to worry about what kind of relationship Ji Nuan Yang and Ji Xining were in. He glanced at Qiao Nuo, who was unconscious in the backseat.
Had A Shan’s call triggered something in Qiao Nuo? Was she worried about Qiao Chen, causing her to faint from anxiety?
Ah...
Jin Chengyan's heart was in his throat, fearing that something might happen to Qiao Nuo!
Upon learning Jin Chengyan's exact location, Ji Nuan Yang immediately pulled up the road map of C City in his mind. He had an exceptional memory and a keen sense of direction, effectively serving as a human GPS for Jin Chengyan!
This GPS was incredibly useful, accurately guiding Jin Chengyan to the best hospital in C City! Thanks to Ji Xining's earlier phone call, the hospital was already prepared and just waiting for Jin Chengyan and Qiao Nuo to arrive!
The doctor quickly helped Qiao Nuo out of the car and rushed her into the operating room.
Jin Chengyan followed closely, speaking as he ran, "She has a blood clot in her head from the injury she sustained during the kidnapping. The clot is pressing on her nerves, causing her memory loss. Just now, when she realized her brother was hurt, she got stimulated and fainted!"
He focused on the key points.
The doctor hurriedly took notes. The Ji family was involved, and with the patient being a victim of both kidnapping and amnesia, it sounded quite serious.
Meanwhile, lying on the stretcher, Qiao Nuo felt dazed. She opened her eyes and saw the bright lights flashing by on the ceiling, which were somewhat blinding.
She heard Jin Chengyan say that her injuries were caused by the kidnapping and not an accident.
Was he lying to himself again?
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