Not long after, Kong Sang received a message from Nie Jingxing. Looking at the words, Kong Sang concealed the ripples in her eyes and replied without saying anything.

She didn't ask for help; if someone volunteered to help, she would be foolish not to accept.

weekend.

Sheng Yufei said he had learned how to cook and wanted to show off his skills to everyone.

Aside from her and Yu Wei, who couldn't escape, regulars like Si Yu, Qi Yunshen, and Lin Changli were all invited to sample the food. Wei Shengyi, who had been going out a lot lately, managed to avoid the ordeal.

Looking at the dishes on the table—durian stir-fried with pork belly, watermelon stewed with clams, and cherry stir-fried with pork kidneys—everyone fell silent.

Si Yu said with a forced smile, "Sheng Yu, you didn't study hard at medical school, where did you learn such superb cooking skills?"

Sheng Yu said smugly, "You don't understand, do you? I recently learned about mixed pharmacology. Some medicines with mediocre effects become very different when mixed with other things."

"This gave me inspiration. It's the same with cooking. For example, durian smells terrible, but when you stir-fry it with pork belly, it brings out the aroma of meat. This combination is absolutely delicious, which is why I can't wait to let you try it. Eat up!"

Looking at the yellow, white, and red blob, Si Yu absolutely couldn't bring himself to eat it. He put down his chopsticks and said, "You eat first. This is your research result, and you should be the first to taste it."

Saint Jade Leisen thought it made sense and was about to pick up his chopsticks when his phone rang, saving his life.

After seeing who it was, she paused for a moment before answering: "Qi Ling, what's up?"

Qi Yunshen's expression changed slightly, but he remained silent as he drank his tea.

"You're looking for my sister... Ha, you're at my door? Wait a minute, I'll come out and get you."

Sheng Yu looked at Kong Sang, who nodded. Only then did Sheng Yu put down his chopsticks and leave.

Yu Wei asked in surprise, "Qi Ling... Yun Shen's younger sister, when did Kong Sang meet her?"

"Oh, she and Shengyu are in the same university and they get along well. I went to see Shengyu and she took her out to play. She's a nice girl and not as difficult to get along with as people say."

As they were talking, Shengyu brought in a girl with a cold expression.

"Sister Nie..." Seemingly not expecting so many people to be there, Qi Ling only called out "Big Brother" once, ignoring everyone else and focusing on being a rude and problematic girl.

Kong Sang smoothed things over by saying, "Come and sit down, have you eaten?"

Qi Ling shook her head.

Sheng Yu immediately handed over a bowl and chopsticks: "Here you go, you're in for a treat! These are all my newly developed dishes, you should try them."

He then used serving chopsticks to pick up a piece of durian and stuffed it directly into Qi Ling's mouth, asking expectantly, "How is it? Isn't it delicious?"

Qi Ling's expression changed slightly, then she swallowed it expressionlessly: "Mmm, it's delicious, you should try it."

Sheng Yu laughed heartily: "I knew it, I'm a genius."

He put down the serving chopsticks, picked up his own, grabbed a huge chunk of food, and stuffed it into his mouth, then vomited…

His face turned deathly green, and he stared at Qi Ling in disbelief, as if she were a rare species. Unable to contain himself any longer, he ran frantically to the bathroom.

Kong Sang smiled and handed Qi Ling a cup of tea: "Wow, Sheng Yu has really tasted the bitter fruit. Drink some water, and I'll have the kitchen make you something delicious later. What would you like to eat?"

"Anything but the sacred jade is fine, Sister Nie. I want to spend some time alone with you." Her blunt request surprised everyone. Was she really that direct? She didn't seem like someone from the Presidential Palace.

Kong Sang was already used to Qi Ling's way of speaking, so he nodded and said, "Okay, come upstairs with me."

As the two went upstairs, Si Yu couldn't help but ask, "Qi Yun Shen, is your sister like this at home?"

Qi Yun Shen slowly brewed tea: "At home, she's like a mute, not saying a word all day, like she's invisible. It's unexpected that she can be close to Nie Kong Sang."

Lin Changli leaned to one side without speaking. Seeing people related to the Cui family inevitably reminded him of his mother, and his mood began to darken.

He had never told anyone about his past, and Si Yu and the others were unaware of his relationship with the Cui family.

But Kong Sang inexplicably became entangled with the Cui family, and coupled with An Xiuqi's inexplicable words, was this just a coincidence? Lin Changli rubbed the rim of his cup...

Suddenly, he asked, "Has anything unusual happened in Kongsang lately?"

Yu Wei knew the question was directed at her, so she shook her head and said, "Aside from being very busy, everything else is normal. With Wei Shengyi around, there have been far fewer people coming over with ill intentions lately."

Thinking of that envelope, Yu Wei hesitated, wondering whether she should tell...

Lin Changli, being the kind of person he was, immediately saw that Yu Wei hadn't said anything more: "I hope Sangsang is safe and sound, not that I'm prying into her privacy."

Yu Wei, of course, knew that Lin Changli cared about Kong Sang, and did not hide anything, saying, "Recently, Kong Sang received two anonymous envelopes, both of which I found at the door."

“Kong Sang said it was a friend, but I noticed that she seemed a bit off every time she received it, and… after the first envelope arrived, Wei Shengyi came…”

Lin Changli's eyes were deep and unfathomable; something was indeed amiss.

Si Yu sat up straight: "Damn, a mysterious email. This plot seems so familiar. So, Wei Shengyi was specially called over by my Sang to handle special events."

"That's strange. It's one thing for Sang to not tell us when she encounters difficulties, but why didn't she tell Lin Changli about it when using the MicroTranslator!"

Qi Yunshen asked, "If I'm not mistaken, the second envelope was sent before the Cui family's leg-breaking incident. Don't you find the severed wound familiar?"

Yu Wei was startled: "Thorns and vines!"

In the rainforests of Country R, ​​microbes have strangled many people with thorny vines, shattering bones into fragments that are absorbed by the plants. No wonder you can't find any broken legs.

Is Kongsang now facing off against the Cui family? But why... can't I think of any connection at all?

Lin Changli's expression was hidden in the shadows, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

"Sister Nie... I... didn't just come to visit you. My cousin's leg needs to be repaired by the Nie family, but President Nie has already refused. My mother hopes I can ask Sister Nie to put in a good word for him."

Kong Sang smiled and said, "I know, you've already said it yourself. Whether you agree or not is my business. Just enjoy yourself."

Qi Ling stared blankly at Nie Kongsang, then suddenly said, "Sister Nie, I admire you so much. You left your family and made a living on your own, and you're from a powerful family like the Nie family..."

"The key is that you succeeded and have your own empire, while I... can only be manipulated."

Kong Sang stroked Qi Ling's face and said, "The road is paved by our predecessors. You can do it too if you want to. It depends on whether you want to do it or not, not on hesitation or fear."

A fire gradually ignited in Qi Ling's eyes, and she nodded emphatically: "Yes, it all comes down to whether you want to do it or not."

Kong Sang chuckled: "Alright, let's go downstairs for lunch. Someone should be coming to pick you up this afternoon."

As Qi Ling gradually relaxed in the living room and played around with Sheng Yu, Kong Sang watered the flowers in the yard, her smile carrying a profound meaning.

Her hand was grasped, and a tall figure pulled her into an embrace from behind: "Sangsang, what have you been hiding from me?"

Her peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly as she leaned back in a relaxed manner: "Why do you ask that?"