Nobody said that teachers at elite academies have to be heartthrobs.

Jiang Lianqing later had someone investigate again.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Yunbai; on the contrary, he had complete faith in the information Yunbai provided. Because in the entire capital, no one had investigated more thoroughly or accurately than Yunbai.

He knew this perfectly well, but he was just... just clinging to a sliver of hope.

What if?

What if Jiang Yu bought that sleeping potion just for fun and it had nothing to do with Yu Fuli?

What if Yu Fuli is really just an ordinary academy teacher, and has absolutely no connection with Duke Cornworth?

What if all of this is a misunderstanding, and Yunbai is just using this as an excuse to make a fuss?

He kept pondering the word "what if" over and over in his mind, until he found it all laughable.

But we still sent someone to investigate, and then the results were right in front of us.

It was exactly the same as the one Yun gave him, even matching absurd details like "picking his nose and enjoying it."

Jiang Lianqing looked at the stack of papers and slowly closed her eyes.

Luck is luck, but facts are facts.

No matter how lucky you are, you can't hide the truth.

He took a deep breath, inhaling and slowly exhaling. A heavy weight pressed on his chest, making it hard to breathe. His mind was taut, his temples throbbing, making him restless and agitated.

"Blood pressure..." he muttered subconsciously.

The head steward, who was waiting nearby, suddenly perked up and his ears instantly perked up.

He carefully observed the patriarch's complexion—his lips were pale, his brows were furrowed, and there were faint blue veins throbbing on his forehead. He was all too familiar with these symptoms!

"quick!"

The head steward shouted, his voice so loud it could lift the roof off, "Quickly, send someone to fetch Doctor Wen Qiaoan!"

Before he finished speaking, he had already pulled a small porcelain bottle from his pocket with fluid movements, clearly having practiced it countless times. He uncorked it, poured a few round pills into his palm, and held them up to Jiang Lianqing.

"Master, take your medicine first!"

Those were the blood pressure medications Wen Qiaoan had prescribed for Jiang Lianqing last time; they were also said to calm the mind. Jiang Lianqing opened her eyes, glanced at the few small pills, reached out to take them, popped them into her mouth, and swallowed them with the water the head steward handed her.

The pill slid down his throat, carrying a slightly cool, bitter taste. He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and waited for the medicine to take effect.

The head steward watched cautiously from the side, not daring to utter a sound.

After a long while, Jiang Lianqing finally spoke, his voice somewhat hoarse: "Where is the young master?"

"He's...he's still unconscious," the head steward hurriedly replied. "The doctors are watching over him, saying he's not in mortal danger, but he'll need to rest for a while."

"Let him rest for a while." Jiang Lianqing repeated, then suddenly laughed, the tone of which was unreadable—whether it was mockery or something else. "Alright, let him rest well."

The chief steward dared not respond.

The sunlight outside the window was perfect, streaming in and covering the floor.

Jiang Lianqing opened her eyes, stared at the light, and remained motionless for a long time.

After a long while, he dialed the number.

The phone rang three times before being answered without a word.

Jiang Lianqing cleared his throat, his voice slightly tense as he spoke: "Hello, Mr. Yu. I'm very sorry to bother you so abruptly. I'm Jiang Lianqing, Jiang Yu's brother."

He paused, but there was still silence on the other end of the phone.

"I know everything he did," Jiang Lianqing continued, speaking faster than usual. "Jiang Yu was wrong, and I apologize to you on his behalf. He has also been punished..."

He stopped himself from saying that.

He didn't know if Yu Fuli knew about Jiang Yu being beaten up, nor did he know what kind of expression the other party had at that moment. The other end of the phone was too quiet, so quiet that it made him feel uneasy.

Then Yu Fuli spoke, her clear and cold voice coming through the phone, slightly distorted.

"So, you're saying that Jiang Yu being punished will overshadow what he did?"

Jiang Lianqing's first reaction was that the voice was really nice, and he could gain a lot of fans just by that voice. Then he immediately realized what the other person was talking about. He tightened his grip on the phone slightly, and his mind went blank for a moment.

No, that's not what he meant.

He opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but realized that what he had just said did indeed sound like that. He wanted to say that Jiang Yu had been beaten half to death, that he truly knew he was wrong, that…

But he couldn't say anything, because he knew that those words were meaningless.

"Of course not."

He finally found his voice, speaking faster and more urgently than before, "What he did deserves to be torn to pieces. I'm calling this time not only to apologize but also to ask you to talk—"

He took a deep breath and spoke solemnly, word by word: "Is there anything you need to compensate me for? Anything is fine. We will do everything in our power to help."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

Those few seconds felt like centuries. Jiang Lianqing held the phone, even her breathing became shallow, waiting for a reply from the other end.

The silence on the other end of the phone lasted for a few seconds.

Just when Jiang Lianqing thought the other party would hang up immediately, Yu Fuli's voice rang out again, still in that cool and aloof tone, revealing no emotion: "Tomorrow afternoon at three o'clock, Qiyun Pavilion, Songtao Pavilion."

After saying that, he hung up the phone.

Jiang Lianqing held her phone, listening to the busy tone on the other end, and remained motionless for a long time.

Qiyun Pavilion, amidst the sound of pine trees.

He vaguely remembered it; it was a private club specifically for entertaining distinguished guests, with excellent privacy. It would be a great place to have a conversation, and importantly, it didn't belong to anyone's faction.

Jiang Lianqing put down her phone and rubbed her temples.

"Master?" The head steward cautiously approached. "What did Mr. Yu say?"

"Agreed." Jiang Lianqing stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the clear sky outside. "Tomorrow at three o'clock in the afternoon, Qiyun Pavilion."

"Then I'll go and make the arrangements right away."

Upon receiving the order, the head steward immediately withdrew to make arrangements. His steps were hurried, yet he did not forget to maintain the dignity of a steward, but his back view revealed a sense of relief and urgency.

Jiang Lianqing leaned back in her chair and slowly exhaled.

After several days of feeling down, I finally felt a little relieved.

The fact that they didn't give a direct rejection means what? It means there's still room for negotiation, and that there's still a possibility of discussion. As long as the other party is willing to sit down and talk, it's not a dead end.

This was undoubtedly the best news for Jiang Lianqing in the past few days.

Yunbai, that madwoman, has been targeting him like a madwoman these past few days. Business partners have been calling one after another, their tones awkward and troubled, their excuses varied, but the meaning was the same: they can no longer take on the Jiang family's order.

Three days, four partnerships ruined.

Each one was negotiated with great effort by Jiang Lianqing, and each one was related to the Jiang family's plans for the second half of the year. Yun Bai acted swiftly and accurately, each strike hitting the vital points, causing Jiang Lianqing considerable pain.

But if we can reach an agreement with Yu Fuli this time...

He lowered his eyes and tapped his fingertips lightly on the armrest. If Yu Fuli would relent, accept compensation, and let the matter drop, then he could persuade Yun Bai to stop targeting the Jiang family.

After all, no matter how crazy Yunbai is, she still has to listen to Yu Fuli, right?

not to mention……

Jiang Lianqing's gaze darkened slightly.

The Duke of Cornwall doesn't know yet.

This was what he feared most: if the Duke of Cornwall found out that his only son had been… He didn't dare to think about it. So the most important thing now was to suppress the matter before the news reached the Duke's ears.

As long as Yu Fuli doesn't say anything, everything will be fine.

He raised his eyes, gazing at the sky outside the window, a glint of something unreadable appearing in his eyes.

Since the person in question isn't pursuing the matter anymore, he wants to see what reason Yunbai has left to continue pursuing it.