Chapter 336 High Fever

"Speak your mind. I don't want to have too much to do with idiots."

Seeing that he made no attempt to conceal his hostility towards her, Bai Zhuwei frowned slightly, then abandoned the feigned pleasantries and went straight to the point.

"Okay, then I'll get straight to the point."

"I proposed a collaboration with you before, but you refused at the time. I wonder if you've changed your mind recently?"

Upon hearing this, Si Jiliang lowered his brows slightly, and a thoughtful look flashed in his eyes.

Bai Zhuwei's suggestion of a mutually beneficial collaboration was clear, but despite his repeated rejections, she still refused to give up.

Normally, he would have directly and sternly refused, and then made sarcastic remarks. But just forty minutes ago, the scene of Si Zuochen and the old man reaching an agreement was still vivid in his mind.

If Jiang Ran and Si Yanxiao really reach an agreement, then I will have no chance left...

Thinking of this, Si Jiliang's expression suddenly darkened. He then raised his eyes and looked at Bai Zhuwei seriously, raising his eyebrows slightly, and asked in a deep voice, "Why do you insist on cooperating with me?"

“Because we are on the same path…” Bai Zhuwei narrowed her eyes and replied softly.

"You and I each have something we want, and we'll stop at nothing to get it. Since that's the case, why don't we reach a consensus? Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?"

A win-win situation?

Si Jiliang, who would usually ignore her provocations, began to waver, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

The deep-seated resentment spread rapidly, like flowers and plants being watered with nutrients.

But his expression showed no sign of it...

After all, he always kept his emotions hidden and would never allow anyone he disliked to glean any information from his face unless he made up his mind.

Seeing that he remained silent, Bai Zhuwei assumed he was considering it and did not urge him, quietly waiting for his reply.

Si Jiliang tapped the steering wheel lightly, looking thoughtful.

Suddenly, he shook his head with a cold laugh, turned to look at Bai Zhuwei, his eyes filled with disdain, and asked in a cold voice, "Are you a dog?"

Upon hearing this, Bai Zhuwei's expression changed drastically. Not understanding the meaning behind his words, she frowned and questioned sharply, "What do you mean?"

Si Jiliang's face was cold, a hint of disdain playing on his lips, and he replied in a cold voice, "A leopard can't change its spots!"

After saying that, he rolled up the car window, stepped on the gas, and drove straight into the villa.

Bai Zhuwei was startled by the sudden start of the car and hurriedly backed away. Seeing Si Jiliang leave on his own, a sinister look instantly appeared between her brows.

He stared intently at the villa area, his hands clenched into fists, not letting go even as his nails dug into his flesh.

His face was full of annoyance, and he muttered a cold laugh: "I'll see how long you can keep up this pretense of righteousness!"

She noticed Si Jiliang's subtle actions towards Jiang Ran, not to mention that he even admitted it himself!

Originally, it seemed that the best plan was for him and her to cooperate and each get what they wanted, but unexpectedly, Si Jiliang has been stubbornly refusing to budge until now.

Thinking of this, Bai Zhuwei's expression suddenly hardened, filled with a hint of agitation.

He glanced meaningfully at Si Jiliang's residence, then turned and walked to his car, driving away.

Back at the villa, Si Jiliang didn't turn on the lights. He stood by the window, coldly watching Bai Zhuwei leave, a strange expression flashing across his face.

Bai Zhuwei's words had clearly taken root in his mind. He was determined to win Jiang Ran over, but he hadn't yet decided whether to cooperate with her or how. After all, he couldn't forgive Bai Zhuwei for what she had done to Jiang Ran. If it weren't for the fact that she was still useful to him, he would have dealt with her long ago!

On the other side, after reaching an agreement with the old man, Si Zuochen and Si Youlin simply stayed here for extended periods of time. Both of them were exceptionally talented and had photographic memories, so they didn't have to worry about their grades at all.

They then entrusted the old man to directly process their sick leave, so they no longer needed to worry about things at the school.

After learning about the situation, Si Yanxiao tacitly approved of it. After all, Jiang Ran was the most important person right now, and most importantly, he knew the twins' abilities, so even if they had to take a break from school, it wouldn't have any impact on them.

The long time they spent together brought them closer to Jiang Ran. However, the only drawback was that they were in the mountains, and even with the best facilities, the environment was still very harsh in the wilderness.

After all, Jiang Ran was busy with cultivation for a long time and couldn't care about anything else.

Needless to say, the twins, under Jiang Ran's guidance, were also completely absorbed in cultivating magic.

Strangely enough, even though Jiang Ran hadn't made any preparations, there were always "kind people" who would send them various kinds of incense money, clothing, food, and other necessities, which solved their immediate problem.

Whenever the person delivering the items was asked, they would remain tight-lipped and refuse to reveal who was behind it all.

Jiang Ran was curious at first, but after it became a habit, she stopped asking any more questions.

After living there for a while, they accidentally discovered that there was another village on the other side of the woods. It was like a completely closed village, and people rarely left the village except for going out to buy things.

The people there are warm and hospitable, and after learning that Jiang Ran was their neighbor living "across the street," they inevitably visited each other more often.

Jiang Ran also took advantage of her strengths to frequently provide free medical treatment to the nearby villagers. The back mountain had been neglected for many years, and the villagers did not know about it, but there were many medicinal herbs on it.

She often went there to collect herbs to exchange for money or to treat villagers in order to accumulate merit. After all, she had reached a certain bottleneck and could no longer rely solely on cultivation; she needed external help to support her.

The next morning, when Si Zuochen saw Jiang Ran carrying a small bamboo basket, he couldn't help but ask, "Are you going to the back mountain to gather herbs again?"

"Mmm," Jiang Ran responded softly.

Si Zuochen glanced at the gloomy weather outside and said in a deep voice, "It looks like there's going to be a downpour. Maybe we should go another day."

Hearing this, Jiang Ran pursed her lips and chuckled softly: "It's alright, I'll be right back. I've been hesitating for the past few days because Old Man Lin's arm aches terribly on rainy days. If I gather the herbs sooner, he won't have to suffer from this pain."

Seeing that she had made up her mind, Si Zuochen didn't say anything more. He could only give her a few more instructions and watch her leave.

The rainstorm started suddenly. Jiang Ran had only reached the halfway point of the mountain when the downpour began, soaking her to the bone in an instant. It was late autumn, and a gust of wind brought a chill to her body.

Rain blurred her vision, and Jiang Ran wiped her eyes before continuing to walk forward. Si Zuochen and Si Youlin were alone at home, looking at the torrential rain outside, a look of anxiety flashing across their faces.

Si Youlin couldn't help but complain, "You knew the weather was bad, why did you go out? What if you caught a fever or a cold?"

A hint of worry appeared on Si Zuochen's face as he replied in a deep voice, "She should know to take shelter from the rain, right?"

After waiting for about fifteen minutes, the two could no longer contain their worry and put on their raincoats to go pick her up.

As soon as they stepped out of the gate, they saw a figure running rapidly towards them. Upon seeing this, the two quickly went to meet them. Jiang Ran glanced at them and saw them walking towards her, a look of surprise flashing across her face.

He exclaimed in surprise, "Why are you all out here?"

Si Zuochen hurriedly held the umbrella over her, his face cold, and he sternly reprimanded her, "It's raining so hard, don't you know how to find shelter?"

Jiang Ran explained repeatedly, "I didn't know when the rain would stop, so I hurried back as soon as the rain subsided a little."

The group walked into the courtyard. Listening to her explanation, Si Youlin frowned slightly and said unhappily from the side, "Aren't you supposed to be good at divination? Why don't you do the divination?"

One sentence left Jiang Ran speechless.

She was in such a hurry to get back that she forgot about this.

Seeing their attire, he guessed they were there to pick him up, and then changed the subject, saying, "You don't need to come out. There are many snakes and insects in the back mountain, and the terrain is unknown. Even if you go, you might not be able to find me."

Upon hearing this, Si Zuochen's eyes darkened, and he replied in a low voice, "Then next time you should listen to advice and not make us worry."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ran felt a surge of warmth in her heart.

Back in the courtyard, the two of them hurriedly urged her to take a hot shower so she wouldn't catch a cold.

But fate had other plans. That evening, just as Si Youlin had predicted, Jiang Ran developed a fever and began to mutter incoherently.

Si Youlin had only come downstairs to get a glass of milk before going to bed, but his gaze swept around and he saw that Jiang Ran's room light was still on.

A hint of doubt flashed across his face. He then approached and knocked on the door, but there was no response from inside.