Chapter Fifty-Two: Reconciliation

The person outside the door was none other than Qin Xue’er.

She had left the house in a hurry and forgotten something, never expecting to run into Xue Gui just as he was treating Chen Long. For the past two days, she had been deliberately avoiding Xiao Ye. Now, seeing him so suddenly, even though she wore a mask, Qin Xue’er still felt a little awkward.

Her anger had mostly subsided after Xiao Ye saved her life, yet upon seeing Black Hawk standing beside him, an ache still lingered in her heart.

Xiao Ye had just gotten to his feet, but Qin Xue’er marched straight to the inner room, giving him no chance to say a word.

Witnessing this, Xiao Ye quickly instructed Black Hawk to take Chen Long away. He himself remained in the living room, waiting for Qin Xue’er to come out.

After about three minutes, Qin Xue’er reemerged. She looked at Xiao Ye with a blank expression, seemingly intent on walking right past him and leaving.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Ye stepped in to stop her. “Xue’er, this is the doctor I found for you,” he said with a gentle smile.

She nodded, her tone cool. “Let’s talk tonight. There’s still a mountain of work waiting for me at the company.”

With that, she turned to leave.

Xiao Ye made no move, but suddenly, Xue Gui raised his hand! In an instant, Qin Xue’er’s mask was snatched away from her face.

She had grown used to the mask’s presence these past days; its sudden removal left her unsettled. She let out a sharp cry and immediately crouched down, covering her face with her hands.

Seeing this, Xiao Ye rushed over, knelt beside her, and gently embraced her.

Tears streamed from her eyes; for a moment, Qin Xue’er’s mind went utterly blank, as if she’d reverted to her previous state.

Xiao Ye hadn’t expected Xue Gui to do such a thing, and as he turned to look at him, Xue Gui remarked, “Such a beautiful girl—what’s the point of wearing a mask every day?”

With that, Xue Gui studied Qin Xue’er’s face.

His words jolted her back to reality. Flustered, she broke free from Xiao Ye’s arms and hurried out.

Things had not only failed to improve, but had even worsened. Rubbing his temples, Xiao Ye sighed.

“Old man, tell me—can you heal the scar?”

Xue Gui ignored him and instead wrote a prescription, handing it to Xiao Ye.

“With these medicines, you can restore some of her skin temporarily. But some of the ingredients are quite rare and will take time to find.”

Xiao Ye took a glance; the prescription was detailed, including both internal and external treatments.

After a brief exchange, Xiao Ye saw him off.

Chi Long had gone to the southern district on business, Black Hawk was shadowing Ouyang Nana, so all remaining tasks fell to him. Besides preparing medicine for Qin Xue’er, there was the whole villa to put in order.

It was late evening by the time he could rest.

Mrs. Li had gone out. Xiao Ye cooked dinner in advance and brewed the medicine.

It was nearly ten by the time Qin Xue’er returned.

With just the two of them in the house, the atmosphere was undeniably awkward.

Qin Xue’er retreated to her room first, steeling herself before emerging again.

“You must be hungry. Come eat,” Xiao Ye said softly, seated at the table.

Looking at the spread, Qin Xue’er felt a lump rise in her throat.

She could feel the sincerity in his care, and that warmth began to stir her once solitary heart.

With the mask removed, her only disguise was gone. Qin Xue’er bowed her head, tears shimmering in her eyes.

Xiao Ye noticed it all, but gave no sign.

He turned and brought out the steaming medicine, giving her a moment to compose herself.

The curling vapors and the fragrant aroma brought a soothing calm to Qin Xue’er.

Xue Gui’s prescription was effective; even before tasting it, the scent alone filled the room with comfort.

While Xiao Ye’s back was turned, Qin Xue’er wiped away her tears. By the time he faced her again, she had regained her composure.

She ate a little, confirmed the medicine was fine, then drank it all in one go.

Putting down her bowl, they both fell into silence again.

“Xue’er.”

“Xiao Ye.”

They spoke at the same time. Xiao Ye chuckled and gestured for her to go first.

“Tomorrow, a company from out of town is coming to sign a contract. Would you like to go with me?” Qin Xue’er’s cheeks flushed as she spoke.

Xiao Ye was taken aback, then smiled gently and nodded. “Xue’er, about what happened that day, it was really a misunderstanding, I—”

Before he could finish, Qin Xue’er interrupted.

“The past is past. What matters is what we do from now on,” she said, then turned and walked into the bathroom.

…

Meanwhile, at the Jiang family estate.

Jiang Zhongtao stared stiffly at the papers in his hand. His business in the southern district had taken a severe hit today, the authorities having completely shut it down.

Though the company was not involved in any major crimes, it was nonetheless a crucial part of his operations.

Now, not only had he lost a significant investment, but his future dealings would be much more difficult.

Most troubling of all, after extensive investigation, he still could not determine who was behind this attack.

Just then, someone knocked at the door.

“Come in.”

It was the young man Jiang Zhongtao had sent to invite Lin Chu and the others. He entered and stood before Jiang Zhongtao.

“President, the men from the Lin and Chu families are assembled and ready.”

Jiang Zhongtao nodded with satisfaction.

If Xiao Ye was determined to oppose him, then he had to strike first and seize the initiative.

“Get ready to act. I want Xiao Ye gone from River Sea City for good!”

The next morning, Xiao Ye prepared breakfast for Qin Xue’er as usual.

He had also prepared the topical medicine Xue Gui had given him and placed it on the table.

It was eight o’clock by the time she came out of her room.

After last night, with Xiao Ye having personally found her a doctor, Qin Xue’er couldn’t help but feel moved.

But for reasons she couldn’t explain, whenever she was about to forgive Xiao Ye, she recalled what Mrs. Li had whispered to her that day.

Qin Xue’er finished applying the medicine, then stood before the mirror, staring blankly at her own reflection.

Though the scar remained striking, her skin was clearly much improved.

The previous night, she had held an emergency meeting with her company, arranging to sign a contract at ten this morning.

Time was tight, so after a quick cleanup, there was a sudden knock at the door.

As Xiao Ye adjusted his tie and opened the door, he found an unfamiliar face standing outside.