Taming The Hidden Bigshot By Kissing Him
Chapter 323 I’m Not Holding a Grudge

Chapter 323: Chapter 323 I’m Not Holding a Grudge

Liu Huimin’s eyes were filled with panic, and her body lacked any strength, "Xixi, I..."

Her demeanor left nothing unclear to the others.

It was indeed Liu Huimin who had done it.

Even Old Mrs. Liu was stunned for quite a while, as if she were meeting her daughter for the first time.

She lifted her hand and delivered a fierce slap across the face.

With a smack.

The sound echoed crisply in the spacious living room, followed by her questioning and scolding.

"Liu Huimin, have you lost your conscience to dogs?"

"You have disappointed me greatly! How could you do such a thing?"

Old Mrs. Liu’s heart clenched, and with furrowed brows, she stared at her with unfamiliar eyes, "Liu Huimin, even your mischief should have limits. Previously, pampering Xu Xingluo didn’t cross the line and we didn’t blame you. But what did Qiao Xi do wrong?"

Qiao Xi had done nothing wrong.

And she had shown so much kindness to the Liu Family.

Yet Liu Huimin repaid kindness with ingratitude!

Old Mrs. Liu picked up her walking stick and struck it hard against her leg, "There is retribution in this world!"

Liu Huimin was better off dead, tormented beyond measure, "Mom! I’ve already experienced retribution! I’ve been running around all day trying to find connections to solve this matter. But Ma Hongwen said it couldn’t be withdrawn, I came home intending to confess to you! But I didn’t expect..."

She didn’t expect Qiao Xi to find out about it!

She was caught off guard.

Old Mrs. Liu coldly said, "What didn’t you expect? Who knows whether what you’re saying is true or false! When you were doing evil, didn’t you think about today’s retribution?"

Liu Huimin wailed loudly, "It’s my fault, but why... should my biological daughter bear the retribution, it’s like gouging out the flesh of my heart."

She wished she could take her daughter’s place.

"Flesh of your heart?"

Qiao Xi heard this phrase and felt like laughing.

She felt a sour swelling in her heart and looked at Liu Huimin, "Being your flesh of the heart is indeed very blissful, I’ve seen with my own eyes how much you cherished Xu Xingluo. For her sake, you stopped at nothing, breaking all boundaries. But I am not your flesh of the heart, having never received a fraction of your affection.

When you say this, if others heard, they might misunderstand."

The most helpless thing in the world for Qiao Xi was perhaps having Liu Huimin as her biological mother.

Qiao Xi knew all too well the love and care Liu Huimin had for Xu Xingluo, and she once envied Xu Xingluo for having a mother who cherished her, and the support of her family.

But when all of that attention was on her, Qiao Xi only found it to be a joke!

She couldn’t forget the harm Liu Huimin had inflicted upon her for the sake of Xu Xingluo.

"Xixi, I was wrong..." Liu Huimin said with tears, looking at her in desperation, "I just had a thought back then, but the spilled water can’t be gathered up. I deserve to be punished for my mistakes, but not you! Please don’t compete in the contest, will you?"

She’ll lose!

And the consequences would be dire.

She had only just found her biological daughter, how could she bear to let her endure such pain!

"Please, Xixi. Don’t be mad at us. As long as you don’t compete, we’ll agree to anything you ask."

Her tearful eyes looked towards Qiao Xi, whose hands were clenched tightly into fists.

Qiao Xi looked at her and asked seriously, "Do you think I am acting out of spite? I am not that immature. I wouldn’t shame myself just because others feel sorry for me."

Perhaps Xu Xingluo would often use this tactic to make Liu Huimin feel worried, thereby achieving her goal.

But Qiao Xi wouldn’t.

She said, "I’ve known since I was a child that threatening others by harming myself is useless, and I don’t want to make grandma uncomfortable. No one will pay for my self-deprecation and slighting, because I don’t have the capital for indulgence and wilfulness."

Liu Huimin stared at her blankly.

Qiao Xi spoke in a calm tone, her expression indifferent.

Yet, Liu Huimin felt that even the sharpest Liuye Knife could not compare to the pain these words inflicted upon her!

She finally deeply understood how cruel all that she had done, including swapping the children and her actions upon their reunion, had been to Qiao Xi!

"I’m not throwing a tantrum, nor can I withdraw from the competition."

Qiao Xi’s throat was swollen as she strained to maintain an even voice, "I came here just to know the truth."

Now, she had her answer.

Liu Huimin’s tears fell.

She clutched her chest, feeling a suffocating pain sweeping over her.

Old Mrs. Liu wiped her tears, choking so much that she couldn’t make a sound.

Liu Zongquan let out a long sigh, "Child, I know you don’t want to recognize us, but consider this from a different perspective. Think of us as connections, connections that can be utilized at any time. With these connections, you can also establish a firm footing in the Chinese Medicine Community."

He really had a way with persuasion.

But Qiao Xi was not a practical person.

Her almond-shaped eyes clear and calm, she replied, "Thank you for your kindness, but I’ll pass."

Seeing that he could not persuade her, Liu Zongquan turned to Huo Xingzhou and said, "Xingzhou, this is not a trivial matter. Lu Bannong’s intricate network and his old feud with Mr. Cheng mean he certainly will not let his successor off lightly. Can you bear to watch her suffer?"

Huo Xingzhou, sitting on the sofa, looked up at him, "Can you change the outcome of the registration?"

"I... I’ll try to find a way." Liu Zongquan was uncertain of meddling in the affairs of the Chinese Medicine Community; it was another world altogether.

Sometimes, power is useless against certain things.

Huo Xingzhou’s lips curled into a small smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, "If you’re not one hundred percent certain, then don’t make promises lightly.

We all understand that such a result is irreversible. The prestige of top Chinese medicine families sometimes outweighs that of the powerful, since no one can guarantee they will never fall ill and seek medical help. Hasn’t your family once lowered its posture to ask Lu Bannong for help in saving a life?"

Thus, even though the Lu Family was not one of the four great families in the Imperial Capital, the reputation of Lu Bannong and his daughter Lu Yingxue was at its zenith!

Even the old patriarch of the Zhong Family had praised her, saying that Lu Yingxue was fit to be the Zhong Family Head’s wife.

Perhaps, Lu Yingxue would be the next Young Madam of the Zhong Family.

Liu Zongquan was left speechless by Huo Xingzhou’s pointed words.

He realized there was no turning back.

Qiao Xi wished to compete, and they had no way to revoke the registration that had already been made public.

Doing so would lead to criticisms that the disciple of National Doctor Cheng Han was a coward and a complete disgrace, utterly destroying their reputation. In this line of work, reputation is very important.

Huo Xingzhou was not a merciful person, and the Liu Family deserved to suffer for their actions.

Qiao Xi would not self-harm to make them feel pity, but Huo Xingzhou was even more ruthless; the misery that needed to be sold, would be.

He took Qiao Xi’s hand, the red dots of needle marks on it looking terribly unsettling.

"If you have any sick people, feel free to refer them to Qiao Xi for treatment, to spare her from sticking her own acupoints to improve her acupuncture skills."

Liu Huimin looked at her wounds and covered her mouth, trying hard to stifle her cries.

Nothing cut deeper than this.

She clutched her oppressive chest, her limbs going numb and gradually growing colder.

Her eyes seemed to be bulging out as she gasped for air, her body collapsing to her knees on the carpet, bending over in nausea and retching.

She even became so weak that she had difficulty breathing and started having convulsions!

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