As Jiang Feng’s fingers tightened around her throat, Pei Ruoxi’s breathing grew increasingly labored. Her heart sank like a stone, a terrible premonition washing over her.
He’s really going to kill me. He’s actually going to kill me.
“I—I was just talking nonsense… Haha… Just nonsense… Let me go, okay?” Pei Ruoxi forced a smile uglier than tears, her voice trembling.
“Nonsense?” Jiang Feng sneered. “Don’t tell me you ‘randomly’ picked those leaves earlier too.”
“O-of course it was random! Haha… Girls are just naturally curious, you know? You get it, right…?” She grinned awkwardly, her big eyes glistening with pitiful innocence.
Jiang Feng wasn’t fooled. If Pei Ruoxi hadn’t been carrying that jade Buddha—a magical artifact—he might have believed her. But her possession of such an item proved she was no ordinary girl. She likely did recognize the Ginkgo tree’s significance.
Though he didn’t understand why she called it the “Bitter Tree,” the fact that she had a name for it suggested she knew its value.
This woman is a ticking time bomb.
Ignoring her rambling, Jiang Feng said coldly, “If you don’t start telling the truth, I’ll kill you right now and bury you under that tree. Test me if you dare.”
Pei Ruoxi’s eyes welled up. She had exhausted every sweet-talking trick she knew, yet Jiang Feng showed no mercy. Was I wrong about him in the library? Did he not take those medical books to get close to me?
Even if not, this guy was pure evil! Other men would fawn over a delicate beauty like her, yet he treated her like dirt—threatening to kill her and use her as fertilizer! The thought sent shivers down her spine.
Fury bubbled inside her. Once I escape, I’ll make him beg for death—needles, poison, kicking his balls, ruining his face…
Jiang Feng ignored her mental tantrum. “Ten seconds,” he said impatiently, his gaze icy.
The moment Pei Ruoxi met his eyes, she shuddered. “L-let go… I can’t breathe… How can I talk like this?”
With a cold laugh, Jiang Feng released her. “Play whatever tricks you want. My patience is thin.”
Pei Ruoxi’s eyes darted, considering a mad dash—but his warning made her deflate. “I really didn’t mean to intrude! I don’t know any secrets! I was just babbling! Why bully a helpless girl? So ungentlemanly…”
Seeing his unmoved expression, she sighed. “Fine. The truth is, I passed by this yard and noticed the crooked tree looked strange—like a rare herb Grandpa once told me about. I just wanted to take a few leaves to show him.”
“An herb?” Jiang Feng frowned. Neither the trunk nor leaves of the Ginkgo tree were medicinal. “Still lying?”
Pei Ruoxi’s face darkened. Hands on her hips, she snapped, “My life’s in your hands! Why would I lie? The fruit of the Bitter Tree is medicinal!”
“Then why call it the ‘Bitter Tree’?”
She stared at him like he was an idiot. “So you don’t know everything! Hmph, just bluffing—”
“Speak!” he barked.
Pei Ruoxi wilted. “Because the fruit tastes bitter. That’s what Grandpa called it. Otherwise, how would I know?” She shot him a sidelong glance. “That’s all I know. Now give me back my jade Buddha!”
Jiang Feng had no intention of returning it. While her explanation wasn’t entirely accurate, he realized that “Ginkgo” was its name in Tianyuan Continent. On Earth, it might indeed be called the Bitter Tree.
If her grandfather knew this, he must be someone extraordinary.
For the first time, Jiang Feng hesitated. He wasn’t afraid of retaliation, but if word spread, the Ginkgo tree’s secret—a rare find—could be exposed.
After a long silence, he said, “Get lost.”
“What?! I told you everything, and you’re keeping my Buddha?!”
“Do you want to die?” His glare silenced her.
Pei Ruoxi stuck out her tongue, muttering, “Fine, I’ll ‘get lost’…”
She scurried away, already plotting revenge. I’ll bring back help and make you pay for this!
Glancing back to confirm Jiang Feng wasn’t following, she bolted through the gate. Only when she reached the road outside did she finally relax.
Turning toward the yard, she smirked. “Idiot. A little charm, and you fell for it. How dare you choke me and steal my treasure? Just wait—you’ll regret this.”
She pulled out her phone to call for backup—but before she could dial, a loud BANG echoed nearby.
Two figures were sent flying as a speeding car struck them. The vehicle paused briefly before roaring away, vanishing from sight.
Pei Ruoxi froze, then paled. An accident!
As neighbors rushed out, shouting at the bloody scene, she pocketed her phone and sprinted forward. “Help! Call an ambulance!”
But Jiang Feng was faster. Hearing the crash, he’d assumed Pei Ruoxi was hurt—only to find two elderly victims lying in a pool of blood, a grocery bag scattered beside them.
Kneeling, he checked their pulses. Faint, but alive. The impact had ruptured their organs; blood trickled from their mouths.
Pei Ruoxi reached them and checked the old woman’s breathing. “Does anyone have a first-aid kit?!”
A nearby woman yelled, “I’ll get mine!”
Jiang Feng ignored them. Standard first aid wouldn’t save these injuries. Pressing a finger to the woman’s wrist, he slowed her blood flow to reduce internal bleeding.
“What are you doing?!” Pei Ruoxi shrieked as he began acupressure strikes along the woman’s chest. “Stop! You’ll kill her!”
Her opinion of Jiang Feng had already hit rock bottom, but seeing him try to help had briefly softened her. Now, watching him “recklessly” press on broken ribs—one of which had punctured a lung—she was livid.
“Shut up!” Jiang Feng snapped, his hands never pausing. With precise movements, he realigned the ribs, then pressed gently over her heart.
A faint groan escaped the old woman’s lips as her eyes fluttered open.