Chapter 14: I Will Disappear from Your World, Taking the Child with Me

Facing Lu Fan’s dark, hostile gaze, Jiang Ru Xue looked wronged. “Lu Fan, you’ve grown bold enough to shout at me. If you dare yell at me today, does that mean you’ll hit me tomorrow?”

Lu Fan felt weary. Jiang Ru Xue had never bothered to speak to him before—why was she suddenly being so unreasonable?

He picked up Xiao You to soothe her. “You’re overthinking things. After handing over duties to the servants tomorrow night, we’ll go straight to the Qin family.”

“Your hand still hasn’t healed,” she said.

His eyes were indifferent. “It doesn’t affect the acupuncture, so it’s fine.”

He sighed helplessly. “Miss Jiang, I’m tired. After tomorrow, I will take the child and disappear from your world. After all, she is your flesh and blood. If you can’t love her, then at least don’t hurt her.”

With that, Lu Fan carried Xiao You away from Jiang Ru Xue’s side.

Jiang Ru Xue stood under the streetlamp for a long time, staring at the discarded lollipop in the trash bin, her fingers curling tightly.

Dawn.

When Jiang Ru Xue awoke, she heard voices outside. The servants had arrived earlier than she expected.

“Miss Jiang’s stomach isn’t good; she can’t eat spicy food. She often has social engagements, so keep her stomach medicine and hangover remedies ready. By the way, this is a recipe I wrote, along with some specific precautions. Please read them carefully.”

Lu Fan explained patiently. The servant, aware of his status in the household, showed a trace of disdain in his eyes.

“Don’t worry, I’m very professional.”

“That’s good.”

Lu Fan turned and saw Jiang Ru Xue, whose expression was no longer angry as it had been the night before.

“Let’s go to the Qin family together.”

At his feet were two suitcases—one his, the other Xiao You’s.

He was eager to leave, not even intending to return for the last night.

Jiang Ru Xue gritted her teeth. “Wait!”

“Something else?”

She pointed at the suitcases. “You’re supposed to leave empty-handed. How do I know you haven’t taken any valuables from the house under the guise of leaving?”

The servant nearby looked at Lu Fan with even more contempt. “In my previous job, someone ran off with the valuables. Mr. Lu, why don’t you open your suitcases?”

Without a word, Lu Fan crouched and unzipped the suitcase, taking out each item one by one.

It was just a few changes of clothes. Xiao You’s belongings were even simpler—clothes, books, and toys.

When Jiang Ru Xue saw the pink rabbit toy, her heart ached again.

She had given a set of tea ware to a business partner, who, as part of a promotion, gifted everyone a little rabbit.

Only upon returning home did she realize it was her daughter’s birthday. Seeing Xiao You’s disappointed eyes, she took out the rabbit.

Since then, the child clutched the rabbit every night to sleep.

Lu Fan stood coldly watching her. “Miss Jiang, would you like to check again?”

She had only been venting frustration and looking for an excuse to lash out, but she hadn’t expected Lu Fan to take nothing.

His five years amounted to only a few changes of clothes.

“No, no need.”

Lu Fan left the suitcase behind. “But Miss Jiang did remind me—these things were bought with your money. I shouldn’t take them.”

He took out a cloth bag from the suitcase—his only luggage when she first met him.

“Let’s go.”

Watching Lu Fan’s solitary figure, just like five years ago when he first arrived, Jiang Ru Xue felt no satisfaction in bullying him. Instead, it made her feel even more miserable.

They arrived at the Qin family’s residence.

Members of the Jiang and Shen families were present. Madame Jiang pulled Jiang Ru Xue aside.

“Xue’er, is Lu Fan reliable? We only just heard about this today. If he fails, our Jiang family is finished.”

The Shen family sneered coldly. “Such bad luck, tied to a good-for-nothing.”

They seemed to have forgotten it was Shen Qian Ye who instigated this matter from the start.

Upon entering the room, Shen Qian Ye no longer appeared as handsome and dashing as when they first met.

His hair was greasy and unkempt, a scruffy beard framed his mouth, and his clothes were wrinkled.

Lu Fan, walking past without looking, formed a stark contrast.

“Xue’er, you finally came.”

Jiang Ru Xue’s gaze remained fixed on Lu Fan’s back. Suddenly seeing Shen Qian Ye, she instinctively avoided his outstretched hand and hurried to her father.

“Dad, how are you? Are you alright?”

“No, the Qin family treated me well.”

Compared to Shen Qian Ye’s disheveled state, Jiang’s father looked no different than he had a few days ago.

While the families busied themselves with their reunion, they worried whether Lu Fan had truly saved Master Qin.

Lin Zi Yu had been present these past few days, so Lu Fan was fully aware of Master Qin’s condition.

Jiang Ru Xue was shocked to see the man, once bedridden, now able to stand and look as healthy as before.

Did Lu Fan really possess such skill?

Madam Qin knelt before Lu Fan without hesitation, tears of joy streaming down her face.

“Mr. Lu, you have done us a great kindness!”

“Madam, I am unworthy. Please rise. Let me examine Master Qin’s condition.”

The matriarch was also overcome with emotion. “Yes, yes, please have the gentleman come and take a good look at our Third Master.”

Though Master Qin was thin, his eyes were sharp as a hawk’s.

He placed one hand on the table, the other on his knee, straightened his back, and looked up at Lu Fan. “You saved me? And you’re so young?”

Lu Fan was modest. “It was just a lucky guess. I’ve seen symptoms like this before.”

“I heard that when my life was at its brink, you gave me a pill that brought me back from the dead. Brother Lu, what was that you gave me?”

Everyone was curious—such a miraculous medicine surely did not exist!

Lu Fan calmly replied under their inquisitive gazes, “It’s nothing valuable, just some herbal extracts. It works well because it treats the symptoms directly.”

Master Qin’s eyes narrowed, hiding complex emotions.

“I see. My health has improved greatly these past days. Then please, Brother Lu, continue the acupuncture.”

Shen Qian Ye quickly stood. “Third Master, acupuncture isn’t like taking medicine. I specially invited a national master herbalist for you. He—”

Lin Zi Yu sneered, “Shen Qian Ye, do you take Third Master for your lab rat? You almost killed him last time, and now you’re here again?”

“Miss Lin, Lu Fan himself said he treated the symptoms correctly. Acupuncture isn’t as simple as taking pills. If something goes wrong, who will be responsible?”

Master Qin raised his hand to stop the quarrel. “Brother Lu, you do the acupuncture. If you do well, there will be a reward. If not...”

Shen Qian Ye craned his neck to listen, only to hear Master Qin coldly say, “Then the Shen family will pay with their lives!”

“Th-Third Master!”

“Silence. Watch closely!”

Once Master Qin spoke, Shen Qian Ye dared not cause trouble, shooting Lu Fan a resentful glare.

He both hoped the acupuncture would succeed and feared it would fail.

The Jiang family was even more anxious. They hadn’t expected that the so-called good-for-nothing Lu Fan would win the Qin family’s favor.

If he succeeded in saving Master Qin, the credit would no longer belong to the Jiang family, who had distanced themselves from Lu Fan before.

While they speculated, Lu Fan took out a set of silver needles from his little cloth bag.

“Third Master, please remove your shirt and lie down. Leave the rest to me.”

From a distance, Jiang Ru Xue watched as Lu Fan began inserting the silver needles into Master Qin’s abdomen.

His wrist bones protruded, fingers slender, delicately holding the needles.

The soft light from outside the window gently bathed him, casting a golden glow.

An uncontrollable thought flashed through Jiang Ru Xue’s mind.

Lu Fan is so handsome!

At that moment, a trace of black blood seeped from the corner of Master Qin’s mouth.

Shen Qian Ye immediately erupted, “Not good! Something’s wrong!”