No one actually knew what medicine it was, but importantly, the old man never once mentioned it.

  Mama Sheng relayed the information to Sheng Xiao, and had him help brainstorm about it.

  Mu Qiqi got the key to the details after thinking about it for something. “Dinner and meds? I don’t think the old man is so kind. Xiao Xiao, we have to get back tomorrow and save Fourth Sister.”


  “Uh-huh.” Sheng Xiao replied casually even as he worked on something else.

  However, what he guessed was actually a lot more exciting.

  That was why he must secure evidence!

  Meanwhile, he had Mama Sheng arrange for a servant to take some of those meds tonight, and deliver it out of the Sheng residence if successful, while he would arrange for someone to analyze it.

  However, Mama Sheng wasn’t very confident in getting her hands on the meds since it was kept inside the old man’s bedroom, and the old man was at once smart and crafty.

  “The servants have so little time when they tidy the bed for the old man. I don’t think it would be enough.”


  “That’s easy, Mom. Go to Seventh Sister and make her throw a fuss—she’ll definitely go crying to the old man, and that’s going to buy you a lot of time.”


  “Alright, I could give that a try.” Mama Sheng agreed, willing to contribute since Fourth Sister’s happiness was on the balance. “Still, no one could do a thing if the old man hid the medicine in his safe.”


  “Well, I could torture Doctor Yan and force him to talk.”


  “Oh, you…” Mama Sheng chuckled at that.

  Even so, she could feel that being with Qiqi had made Sheng Xiao much more human and less self-centered.

  At the very least, his family now had a place in his heart.

  “By the way, where’s Qiqi?”


  “She?” Sheng Xiao turned to the woman beside him who was studying the information about the eldest son of the Liu family and smiled. “She’s thinking about how to handle Huang Yao’s VVIP night.”


  “Huang Yao had a whole time but they couldn’t stop it. It really puts her on the spot.” Mama Sheng sighed. “Dote on her a bit and don’t tire her—if it can’t be done, it can’t be done.”


  “We’ll see.” Sheng Xiao hung up and kissed Mu Qiqi on the forehead.

  “Don’t fool around. I’m busy.”


  “Mom was telling me to dote on you. I’m just doing as my elders said.”


  Then, as Mu Qiqi put down her pen and looked up, Sheng Xiao promptly scooped her off her chair. “It’s late, little Qi’er.”


  She really couldn’t do anything against this man.

  ***

  Meanwhile, at the Sheng residence, Mama Sheng did as Sheng Xiao had planned and had one of the servants look for the medicine in the old man’s room.

  The servant knew where the old man usually put his things aside from inside the safe—but didn’t come up with anything.

  Desperate, the servant tried on last time when she finally noticed a small medicine bag kept at a corner of the safe. Uncertain, she opened it slowly, before carefully putting it back.

  There were four yellow pills. The servant, afraid of taking any, scrape some of the powder off one and was ready to give it to Mama Sheng.

  However, she ran headlong into the old man when she was leaving, and was left flustered as if her soul jumped out of her body.

  “What are you doing?”


  “Nothing, sir. You’ve just startled me.”


  Nonetheless, Grandpa Sheng walked up to the safe, waving her off when he found that the medicine bag was still there. “Leave.”


  Still, after the servant left, the old man checked the medicine bag again, and was only relieved when he saw that none of the pills were missing.

  On the other hand, the servant was breaking buckets of cold sweat as she hurried off to Mama Sheng, who had just returned to the room—she didn’t actually stir trouble with Seventh Sister since it might look too deliberate on her part, and since it was already the end of the month, she simply discussed her monthly expenditures with the old man.

  “How did it go?”


  “I got it, but I could only hope that it’s useful.” The servant handed Mama Mu a small paper bag. “All I could get is some powder.”


  “That’s good enough.” Mama Sheng quickly sent it to Sheng Xiao in the night, who in turn arranged for tests.

  He got his answer by the next morning: it was an over-the-counter aphrodisiac.

  In the end, what else could the old man have been planning with a dinner, red wine and aphrodisiac—other than to force Sheng Minglan to submit?

  It seems that the old man really did pick up on Fourth Sister’s movements, or he wouldn’t have even thought about it.

  That being said, Sheng Xiao couldn’t be blamed for putting up a good show when a grandfather could do something like that to his own granddaughter.

  ***

  Tonight, the servants had decorated the living room thoroughly for the arrival of their future master—as the old man had put it, they must let the guest feel very at home.

  Sheng Minglan, however, was not really excited. Her eyes were becoming even more sunken and impassive.

  Seventh Sister quickly smiled at her when she saw that she was feeling dispirited. “Fourth Sister, aren’t you curious why there’s a banquet tonight? It was me—I told Grandpa that you’re getting too close to Mu Qiqi, that you might catch her selfish delusions and want to break free from Grandpa’s control.”


  “That’s why Grandpa held the banquet, to warn you that the deal is sealed. You should just submit to your fate.”


  Sheng Minglan sneered at that. “How am I not submitting? Though I never knew you could be that awful.”


  “How am I being awful? I’m clearly worried about you.”


  Sheng Minglan didn’t say a thing, but her fist was clenched.

  She returned to her room and immediately called Sheng Xiao. “The whole thing happened because Seventh Sister goaded the old man. I can’t deal with this, Sheng Xiao. Let’s have Seventh Sister become the bride.”


  “Are you sure about that?”


  “I’m sure. Why can’t I just rebel this one time? Am I suppose to let her walk all over me? Because I’m more obedient and understanding than her? No. There are some who only gets worse the kinder you are to them. Do it.”


  Other grandfathers always seemed to care for their granddaughters as much as they could. Even Grandpa Shen and Grandpa Mu would eventually admit their mistakes in spite of their initial forceful approach.

  But her grandfather?

  Resorting to something as underhanded as drugging her own granddaughter with aphrodisiac only made Sheng Minglan want to leave the family earlier.

  Such a family and such an elder was not worth her tears.

  Therefore, tonight showtime would definitely be good.

  On the other end, Sheng Xiao was smiling in his office at Huang Yao.

  “If that’s the case, let’s spice up the plan.”


  Jing Yun was beside him, feeling wounded after learning about the whole thing.

  Hence, Sheng Xiao cautioned him. “Don’t be reckless if you want Fourth Sister to stay safe. I’ll prepare for anything required, and when the time comes, you just have to bring Fourth Sister to the hospital and then quietly bring her home before tomorrow morning. I’ll handle the rest.”


  Jing Yun nodded despite his worries.

  “By the way, get a few more of this aphrodisiac pills.”