330: Chapter 329 The Open and Covert Struggles Among Women

"golden dragon longevity tripod?" Qin Yi's gaze was locked onto the fragment floating in his Sea of Consciousness—the fragment was about the size of a palm, with intricate golden dragon patterns carved on its surface, faintly glowing with a golden halo. Even as a mere fragment, it exuded a soul-captivating aura.

He furrowed his brows, his heart churning with turbulent waves: Just hearing the name alone made it sound extraordinary. Could this item be a legendary Divine Artifact?

Suppressing his excitement, he immediately pressed the System: "System, what is the use of this fragment? Tell me quickly!"

[Ding! Reporting to the Host, the golden dragon longevity tripod is a Divine Artifact forged by an ancient powerhouse who exhausted their entire lifetime's cultivation. Its core secret lies in the method of eternal life and life extension. This fragment is the key to unlocking the complete golden dragon longevity tripod.]

"Ancient powerhouse? Eternal life and life extension?" After hearing the System's explanation, Qin Yi was stunned, his mouth hanging open wide enough to fit an egg. "No way, System? Did you drop me into a Xuanhuan cultivation novel? How did an ancient Divine Artifact suddenly pop up?"

But no matter how much he complained, the System acted as if it hadn't heard, falling silent once more.

"Fine, fine," Qin Yi knew the System's temperament all too well. He rolled his eyes helplessly in his mind and had to continue pressing, "Then you at least know where the golden dragon longevity tripod is now, right? You can't just leave me holding a fragment and anxious, can you?"

[Ding! Reporting to the Host, due to the current System Rank limitations, the specific location of the golden dragon longevity tripod cannot be scanned. This function can only be unlocked after raising the System Rank.]

"Another Rank limitation!" Qin Yi couldn't help but retort. Just as he was about to argue further with the System, a familiar, slightly cautious voice suddenly reached his ears.

"Young Master Qin, are... are you okay? Why have you been staring blankly at the mirror for so long?"

It was Xu Qian!

Qin Yi snapped back to reality, only then remembering that he had been so focused on studying the fragment of this ancient Divine Artifact that he had completely forgotten about the large group of people waiting for him outside the hospital room.

He hurriedly composed himself and turned to look at Xu Qian—she was standing at the bathroom door, her hands slightly clutching the hem of her clothes, a look of desolation in her eyes. It was clear that the incident with Ye Qingcheng just now had made her suspicious.

Qin Yi's heart softened. He knew Xu Qian too well; she had a gentle nature and always took things to heart. Right now, she was likely misunderstanding that there was something between him and Ye Qingcheng and was secretly feeling sad. Of course, something had indeed happened in the bathroom earlier, but that had been Ye Qingcheng's initiative; he was at most a "passive recipient" and couldn't be considered out of line at all...

Before Xu Qian could ask again, Qin Yi took the initiative to step forward, his tone softer than usual, like he was coaxing a wronged child: "Qianqian, don't misunderstand what happened in the bathroom just now. There's really nothing between me and Ye Qingcheng. It's just that after I woke up, I needed to use the restroom, and with the IV drip in my hand, it was inconvenient. She happened to be nearby, so..."

However, before he could finish, Xu Qian suddenly raised her hand, and a slender finger gently pressed against his lips.

The fingertip carried a slightly cool body temperature. The moment it touched his lips, Qin Yi's heartbeat skipped a beat, and he subconsciously held his breath.

"Young Master Qin is still explaining to me; he actually doesn't need to care so much about my thoughts..." Xu Qian looked at the sincerity in Qin Yi's eyes, her heart feeling as if it had been soaked in warm water—both sour and soft.

"Ye Qingcheng is the proud daughter of the Ye Family of the Capital, and Officer Shen is the daughter of the Police Chief. They have good family backgrounds and strong abilities; they are such a perfect match standing beside Young Master Qin. But what about me? If I hadn't met Young Master Qin, I would still just be an ordinary girl selling cars at a 4S dealership, with no background and no power. It feels like I can't compare to them in anything..."

"But I don't want to let go!" Xu Qian looked at Qin Yi's face, which was inches away, her thoughts becoming clearer and clearer. "So what if she's the Police Chief's daughter? So what if she's a proud daughter of heaven? I don't want to, and I won't let go! Even if I have no family background, even if they are all better than me, I will still fight for him! I cannot let him go to others just because of my own inferiority! Young Master Qin chose to be with me, so he must like me. I cannot betray his feelings, and I certainly cannot betray my own!"

Thinking this to herself, Xu Qian's voice was as soft as cotton, but her eyes revealed a firm trust. She gently shook her head: "Young Master Qin, you don't need to explain; I believe you. I know you aren't the type of person who would casually flirt with others."

After saying this, she stood on her tiptoes slightly and pressed her soft lips against the corner of Qin Yi's mouth, like a falling petal, carrying the faint scent of gardenias from her body.

The kiss was very light, but it was filled with absolute cherishing. After the kiss, she quickly took half a step back, her cheeks instantly flushing with a faint blush, and even her earlobes turned completely red.

Qin Yi looked at her gentle appearance, his guilt and gratitude intertwined. The bellyful of explanations he had prepared now all seemed pale and weak.

He reached out and gently held Xu Qian's hand, his gaze so soft it could drip water: "Qianqian, thank you."

Xu Qian felt a bit embarrassed by his gaze and quickly changed the subject, taking the opportunity to take his arm, her voice as sweet as if it were coated in sugar: "Why are you thanking me?"

"By the way, Young Master Qin, how did you have an accident? You don't know how worried we were when we heard the news that you were in a coma. On the way from Modu University, to get to the hospital faster, Xiao Yue and the others don't even know how many red lights they ran, just wanting to see you a minute earlier and confirm you were okay."

Qin Yi felt the soft sensation on his arm, and his heart warmed. He gently patted the back of Xu Qian's hand and teased: "This matter is a bit complicated; it can't be explained in one or two sentences. I'll tell you in detail later. Your husband here has great fortune and a tough life; I won't die from such a small matter. Look at me now, aren't I perfectly fine? Rest assured!"

"Pah, pah, pah!" Xu Qian hurriedly reached out to cover his mouth, her brows slightly furrowed with a touch of coquettishness, "I don't allow you to say the word 'die'; it's so unlucky. If something happened to you, I..." As she spoke, her eyes instantly turned red, and the rest of her words seemed blocked, unable to continue—she didn't dare to imagine what she would do if something really happened to Qin Yi.

"Alright, alright, I won't say it, I won't say it." Qin Yi quickly surrendered, reaching out to wipe the tears from the corner of her eyes with his thumb, his tone full of compromise, "It's my fault. I won't say such unlucky things again in the future, okay?"

Only then did Xu Qian break into a smile through her tears, taking his arm and walking toward the hospital bed: "You just recovered; you still need to rest well. I'll go call them in so they don't worry blindly outside; they'll stare a hole through the ward door in a moment."

Qin Yi nodded with a smile. Xu Qian released his arm, turned, and walked to the ward door. She opened it and said with a smile to the crowd peering inside from the outside: "Don't wait outside anymore, Young Master Qin is fine, you can all come in."

Immediately after, Qin Xiaoyue, Wang Tengfei, Xin Mingyuan, Zhao Ying, Yoyo, Xu Zilin, and Li Xitong all walked in. The hospital room, which wasn't small to begin with, suddenly seemed quite crowded.

Qin Yi leaned against the hospital bed with two soft pillows propped behind his back. Looking at the crowd rushing in, he curled his lips into a relaxed smile: "Oh my, it's just a small accident, why did it alarm all of you to come over?"

"Number Four! Don't you dare take this lightly!" The eldest, Wang Tengfei, was the first to rush over. He strode to the side of the hospital bed, reached out to support Qin Yi's shoulders, and scanned him up and down like a scanner, his tone full of anxiety, "Let brother take a look quickly, are you injured anywhere? Can you still move your arms and legs?"

"Alright, alright, I'm fine." Qin Yi patted his hand and moved his arms to show everyone, "I was just a bit exhausted; I recovered after the infusion. Look, aren't I perfectly fine?"

"Exhausted? Number Four, did you go do some manual labor? How could you be exhausted?" The third, Xin Mingyuan, asked in confusion.

"Yeah. Didn't you leave with that Officer Shen? Where is that Officer Shen? Why haven't we seen her at all?" Wang Tengfei asked again.

Qin Yi shook his head helplessly, his tone a bit vague: "Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand; it involves some special circumstances. Officer Shen probably has other cases to attend to, which is why she didn't come over."

"How can that be!" Wang Tengfei was unhappy the moment he heard this, his voice rising instantly. "You were perfectly fine when you left with her, and in the blink of an eye, you're in the hospital unconscious. And she? She doesn't even show her face? That's just too irresponsible!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a light sound of footsteps came from outside the hospital room, and immediately after, Shen Jianan's figure appeared at the door.

Every word of Wang Tengfei's complaint drifted into her ears; her cheeks instantly flushed bright red. She cleared her throat awkwardly and walked in, biting the bullet.

Hearing the commotion, everyone turned their heads toward the door in unison. Seeing that the person who arrived was Shen Jianan, they immediately shifted their gazes to Wang Tengfei, who was still clicking his tongue.

Wang Tengfei's face turned bright red to the roots of his ears in a flash. He scratched the back of his head and explained with a dry laugh: "Um... Officer Shen, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to complain about you; I was just too worried about Fourth, so I spoke without thinking. Please don't take it to heart."

Shen Jianan waved her hand, her tone carrying a hint of guilt: "I'm the one who should apologize. It was my fault for not watching over Qin Yi properly, which led to his accident. The responsibility lies with me, and it's only right that you blame me."

When she said this, everyone felt embarrassed to continue accusing her, and the atmosphere in the hospital room suddenly became somewhat subtle.

Seeing this, Qin Yi quickly tried to smooth things over and looked at Shen Jianan to change the subject: "Officer Shen, did you come over because you have news? How is it over there? Was the person saved?"

Shen Jianan nodded and walked to the side of the hospital bed, her voice softening: "The surgery is finished. The doctor said it went relatively smoothly, but his injuries are quite severe. Sister Qingcheng has already had people contact the Military General Hospital, preparing to transfer him to a safer place."

Qin Yi understood in his heart—Ye Qingcheng intended to transfer Zhang Yu to the underground Safe House for isolated custody. After all, Zhang Yu's identity was special, and keeping him in a regular hospital room was too prone to accidents.

He nodded gently: "That's good. As long as he's alright, that's all that matters. By the way, you didn't just come here to tell me that, right?"

"Yes, first to check on your condition. Additionally, there is one more thing Sister Qingcheng wanted me to remind you of." Shen Jianan looked at him with a serious tone, "Aren't you going to the Southwest tomorrow? How is your physical condition now? Can you depart on time?"

As soon as these words came out, before Qin Yi could respond, Qin Xiaoyue immediately bristled. She stepped forward to block Qin Yi, glaring at Shen Jianan, her tone full of displeasure: "I ask you, what is wrong with you people? My brother just woke up from a coma and hasn't recovered yet, and you want him to go to the Southwest tomorrow? Is my brother made of iron? He isn't even part of your Security Bureau, so why should he cooperate with your work every single day? Is there no human rights anymore!"

Although the others didn't speak, the expressions on their faces clearly showed dissatisfaction—before, they thought Shen Jianan and Ye Qingcheng were good people, but now it seemed they were a bit indifferent to Qin Yi's health.

Qin Yi quickly reached out to tug on Qin Xiaoyue's arm and said helplessly: "Xiao Yue, don't get agitated. My going to the Southwest is for my own business matters; it has nothing to do with Officer Shen. Don't treat her like that."

"Brother! You've just been bewitched by those two female police beauties!" Qin Xiaoyue was unrelenting, her voice raising a few notches, without the slightest regard for the others present. "What kind of love potion did they feed you to make you work so hard for them? Aren't you afraid of another accident?"

Shen Jianan stood where she was, her face flushing red and pale in turns. She knew that saying anything more now would be useless and only make things more awkward.

She took a deep breath and looked at Qin Yi: "Well, Qin Yi, let's meet at the airport tomorrow. Captain Ye has things waiting for me to handle, so I won't disturb your rest." Having said that, she nodded at everyone and turned to walk quickly out of the hospital room.

But just as she stepped out of the hospital room door, she nearly collided with a figure rushing over.

"Hey! It's Officer Shen!" The person who arrived was none other than Liu Changshan. Seeing Shen Jianan, he immediately asked anxiously, "This is student Qin Yi's room, right? Has he woken up yet?"

Shen Jianan nodded, her tone somewhat hurried: "He has woken up, you can go in and see him. I have things to do, so I'll be going first." Having said that, she didn't wait for Liu Changshan to ask further and quickly left the hallway.

Liu Changshan watched her hurried back, assuming she really had urgent official business, and without thinking much, he pushed the door open and entered the hospital room.

As soon as he entered, he saw a circle of people gathered around Qin Yi's bed, as lively as a small party.

"Oh my, student Qin Yi!" Liu Changshan walked up quickly, his face full of anxiety. He grabbed Qin Yi's hand and threw out a series of questions: "What on earth happened to you? You were perfectly fine at school this morning, how did you faint just like that? What did the doctor say? Did you have a detailed examination?"

His voice was urgent and loud, instantly attracting everyone's gaze. Qin Yi was also taken aback by his grip and instinctively tried to get off the hospital bed. Liu Changshan was quick-eyed and nimble-handed; he hurriedly pressed down on his shoulder, pushing him back onto the bed: "Student Qin Yi, you just woke up, you can't move around! Your health is paramount; what if something else happens?"

Qin Yi smiled helplessly and patted Liu Changshan's hand: "Dean Liu, it really is just a small matter. I'm sorry to trouble you to make a special trip; I hope I didn't delay your work?"

"No work is as important as you!" Liu Changshan waved his hand, his tone solemn. "As soon as I heard you were in the hospital unconscious, I immediately pushed aside my work and rushed over. Fortunately, you woke up, otherwise, I wouldn't be able to set my mind at ease. By the way, has the doctor come to see you? What did they say?"

"They have. The doctor said it was just a bit of exhaustion, so they hooked me up to a bottle of saline and glucose and told me to get some rest, nothing serious." Qin Yi explained.

"How can that be!" Liu Changshan immediately frowned and made a move to turn and walk out. "Fainting for no reason is no small matter; you must have a detailed physical examination! I'm old acquaintances with the Dean of the Armed Police General Hospital; I'll go find him right now and have him arrange the best equipment and the best experts to examine you!"

How could Qin Yi let him go to such trouble? He quickly rolled off the bed, hurried to block Liu Changshan, grabbed his arm, and said, laughing through tears: "Oh, my dear Dean Liu, there's really no need for all this trouble! Look at me, I'm full of life, there's absolutely nothing wrong with me!"

As he spoke, he even raised his hand and lightly thumped his own chest, producing a "thump, thump" muffled sound to prove his body was robust.

Li Xitong, who was on the side, had been silently observing the whole time, and she had long had a guess in her heart—Qin Yi's coma was likely related to Ye Qingcheng and Shen Jianan. Both of them were people from the Security Bureau; perhaps Qin Yi had an accident while assisting with a case.

She was worried her uncle would do more harm than good with his kindness and blow things out of proportion, so she quickly stepped forward to grab Liu Changshan's other arm and persuaded him with a tactful tone: "Uncle, why don't we just let it go? Student Qin Yi really doesn't look like there's any problem, and he doesn't want to have a physical exam; forcing an examination would be counterproductive." As she said this, she secretly winked at Liu Changshan, signaling him not to ask any more questions.

Although Liu Changshan didn't understand the meaning of Li Xitong's wink, seeing Qin Yi's resolute attitude, he knew that insisting further would only make things difficult for him, so he had to give up.

"Alright then. But student Qin Yi, remember this: if you have any discomfort, even the slightest ailment, you must tell me immediately! I am very familiar with their Dean; I guarantee I will arrange the best experts for your consultation, and I will absolutely not let your condition be delayed!"

"Yes, yes, thank you, Dean Liu, I understand." Qin Yi quickly nodded in agreement.

At the same time, outside the courtyard of the Security Bureau Modu Branch, the piercing sound of police sirens came from afar, drawing closer like a sharp knife cutting through the tranquility of the afternoon.