This silver tree was anything but ordinary.

Ning Tao woke up his eyes and nose, making them enter the state of looking and smelling as soon as possible, and observed the silver tree in the hall from another angle. The silver tree had no sign of life, but he saw misty green spiritual energy and black demon aura in it. He also smelled the spiritual energy and demon aura, too.

“Was it a demon when it was alive? Did the woman in red appear under the huge silver tree as a hint to me? Or does she not exist at all, just a fantasy of mine?” Ning Tao wondered.

No one could give him an answer.

Suddenly, footsteps were heard.

Ning Tao immediately finished looking and smelling with his eyes and nose, turned around and saw Bai Jing coming down the stairs.

“I thought you went to find Qing Zhui,” Bai Jing said.

“Even though you and Senior Bai think I'm Qing Zhui's… er, husband, she and I are just great friends. There's nothing between her and me like that,” Ning Tao explained.

“Why did you come here, then, to trade precious pill for her freedom?” Bai Jing obviously didn't believe Ning Tao.

Ning Tao shrugged. “If one day you were in the same situation, I would do the same for you.”

Bai Jing froze slightly. Her lips moved, but she said nothing.

Ning Tao changed the subject. “That's a strange tree. Has it been here all this time?”

“Don't try to trap me. Go. You are the one Qing Zhui wants to see the most.”

Ning Tao smiled and walked to the back door of the hall.

In the backyard.

“Fancy seeing you here again, Miss Qing Zhui. I think we were meant to be.” Li Xiaofeng tried to please Qing Zhui.

Qing Zhui looked at a window on the First Building, her eyes cold.

“I felt something was missing after we parted last time, but I didn't know what it was. Miss Qing Zhui, have you ever felt that way?” Li Xiaofeng was sentimental.

Qing Zhui still stared at the window. She looked as if not hearing Li Xiaofeng's voice.

“Cousin Xiaofeng, you are partial. You never said that to me, and I never saw you say it to any other girl.” Xue Bao'er skillfully pretended to complain.

Xin Zhiyu smiled and said, “Bao'er, you are Xiaofeng's cousin. Watch your wording, or miss Qing Zhui will misunderstand.”

This was the help of friends.

Qing Zhui finally turned around, but her eyes moved to the back door of the hall.

In the suns.h.i.+ne, a young man carrying a medicine chest was coming. His dress was very casual, but gave a refres.h.i.+ng and una.s.suming touch.

“Brother Ning!” Qing Zhui gave a cheer and ran to Ning Tao.

Li Xiaofeng's face turned green with anger. He cheekily tried to please Qing Zhui, but as Ning Tao emerged, she ran over him like a b.u.t.terfly.

Qing Zhui threw herself into Ning Tao's arms and said excitedly, “I thought I'd never see you again… I knew you'd come for me and take me home.”

In her mind, her home was not here, but the house she and Ning Tao rented.

“If you want to go home, I'll take you home,” Ning Tao comforted her.

“Let's go now. I don't want to stay in this place any longer,” Qing Zhui said anxiously.

Ning Tao leaned in her ear and said, “We can't leave for a while. Do not tell your sister or your adoptive father that you have an Ancestor-seeking Elixir? Do not tell them that it was me who made it.”

Qing Zhui nodded and promised, “you told me to keep it a secret, so I didn't tell anyone.”

Ning Tao did tell her not to tell the secret, but he would tell her again just to be on the safe side.

“Well, here comes your sister. Let go of me,” Ning Tao said.

Bai Jing came out from the back door of the hall, holding a fruit bowl in her hand. The fruit bowl contained many kinds of cut fruits, such as apples, oranges and grapes. At a distance, she shouted, “Qing Zhui, come and help me.”

“Hum!” Qing Zhui gave a cold snort and didn't go.

Bai Jing smiled and said, “Why do you act like a child and sulk with me?”

Qing Zhui still didn't move. She was really sulking.

“Go on, we'll leave after dinner,” said Ning Tao.

Qing Zhui walked over to Bai Jing and took the fruit bowl from her hand.

Bai Jing gave a wry smile. “Girls are partial to outsiders. You don't listen to me anymore. You listen to your Brother Ning.”

Ning Tao didn't respond, but Li Xiaofeng's heart was broken. He couldn't understand how he, who was worth multi-billion yuan, lose a woman to a clinic doctor whose vehicle was an electric car.

Qing Zhui slammed the bowl on the stone table and snapped, “Eat the fruit!”

She looked as if she were going to kill someone. Who dare to eat the fruit she brought?

Ning Tao glanced out of the corner of his eye at the window, which opened a crack. Bai Sheng was watching, which fitted the snake's pattern of hiding in a dark corner, watching his prey and waiting for an opportunity to move.

A faint smile crept into Ning Tao's mouth. He said to himself, “I never expected you to be a good demon. If you're smart, you should leave Qing Zhui alone. I'll turn a blind eye for the sake of your parenting of Qing Zhui. But if you're greedy and want to use Qing Zhui to control me and take advantage of me, you're wrong. I am the owner of the Sky Clinic, a natural go-between of good and evil. I was born to be your deadly enemy, and I will be your retribution!”

Of course, Bai Sheng couldn't hear him.

After the window was opened a crack, Bai Jing took a bunch of grapes from the fruit bowl and came to Xin Zhiyu. With a charming smile on her face, she said kindly, “Zhiyu, come and eat a grape.”

Xin Zhiyu was flattered. “You…”

Bai Jing picked a grape and held it to Xin Zhiyu's mouth. Xin Zhiyu had no intention to refuse. He opened his mouth and ate the grape. Bai Jing's fingers brushed against his lips. Xin Zhiyu's eyes instantly lit up, alight with excitement. Had it not been for the fact that there were other people in the backyard, he might have jumped at Bai Jing and grabbed her.

Ning Tao sighed quietly in his heart. He finally understood why Bai Sheng preferred Bai Jing to Qing Zhui. Bai Jing was a capable and good girl, while Qing Zhui had too many rebellious and uncontrollable factors.

Then the crack in the window closed.

Bai Jing continued to feed grapes to Xin Zhiyu. They laughed constantly, just like a couple in love.

Ning Tao sat down on a random stone bench. He was only waiting for that meal now. He intended to leave after dinner. He didn't want to stay in this place another minute.

Qing Zhui moved in at once. “Brother Ning, you must be tired. I'll ma.s.sage your shoulder.”

Ning Tao wanted to decline, but he nodded when he saw Li Xiaofeng staring at him with the eyes that wanted to kill him.

Qing Zhui put her beautiful wrist on Ning Tao's shoulders. She laughed while ma.s.saging and sometimes even cheekily put her head on Ning Tao's back.

Li Xiaofeng's eyes were blazing and his lungs were burning. It must be his disaster day—first his car was chopped to pieces by Ning Tao, and now the woman he admired offered Ning Tao a shoulder ma.s.sage and smiled like a baby. It was just like rubbing salt in his wounds!

“Bao'er, let's go!” Li Xiaofeng couldn't stay any longer and got up to leave.

Xue Bao'er said, “Go? Cousin, car…”

Li Xiaofeng said angrily, “Is there only one car in the world? Aren't you leaving? I go!”

Xue Bao'er didn't dare answer back. She gave Ning Tao a hate look and followed Li Xiaofeng in the same direction he had gone.

Ning Tao chuckled in his heart, “You idiot, I'm trying to save you.”

Xin Zhiyu stood up and shouted, “Xiaofeng, you…”

“Humph!” Li Xiaofeng gave a cold snort and said nothing.

Xin Zhiyu immediately froze on the spot, not knowing what to say. He and Li Xiaofeng came to pick up girls, but Li Xiaofeng's car was sc.r.a.pped. Besides, instead of getting Qing Zhui's favor, he was humiliated by her on the spot, while Li Xiaofeng's car was okay, and he ate Bai Jing's grapes. If such a thing happened to him, he could not bear it either, not to mention the proud Li Xiaofeng.

Bai Jing didn't try to keep them. She invited Li Xiaofeng just to put pressure on Ning Tao. When Ning Tao sent the betrothal gift and came here, Li Xiaofeng was useless.

As Li Xiaofeng and Xue Bao'er left, there were only two couples left in the backyard—Bai Sheng's eldest daughter Bai Jing and “son-in-law” Xin Zhiyu, Bai Sheng's youngest daughter Qing Zhui and “son-in-law” Ning Tao. One of them was a rich couple, while the other was a poor couple, just like a story in a drama. They did not know which daughter and “son-in-law” Bai Sheng liked.

It wasn't long before Liu Xian'er called them to dinner.

Bai Jing walked in front taking Xin Zhiyu's arm and Qing Zhui walked behind holding Ning Tao's arm. The two couples came to a pavilion in the backyard. In the pavilion there was a table, on which stood fresh mountain vegetables, not even a meat dish.

Liu Xian'er said, “There is nothing good to entertain guests in the mountains. Senior Brother Xaolin and I picked some wild vegetables and cooked the meal. Please don't mind, your distinguished guests.”

Xin Zhiyu hurriedly said, “I never had the chance to eat wild vegetables in the city. I didn't expect to find it here. Thank you.”

Ning Tao instead took out his phone and went outside the pavilion to check a text message he had just received.

It was a text message from a strange number, reading, “Doctor Ning, I want to talk to you. Let's meet outside.”

Ning Tao texted back, “Who are you?”

Seconds later, he received the reply, “You'll know when you meet. I have what you want.”

Ning Tao sent another text, asking, “What is it?”

Then he received a text message, “See you tomorrow night at 8 p.m. in Fis.h.i.+ng River Village.”

At the point, Bai Sheng walked in from the First Building. He was as beautiful as a flower in white as snow.

Liu Xian'er and Wu Xiaolin bowed to Bai Sheng. Bai Sheng just waved lightly, and Liu Xian'er and Wu Xiaolin stepped back.

Bai Jing smiled and said, “Zhiyu, let me introduce you. This is my elder brother Bai Sheng.”

Xin Zhiyu stood up from the seat to greet Bai Sheng. He took the initiative to extend his hands, all smiles, saying, “h.e.l.lo, Mr. Bai. Bai Jing is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. I had no idea her brother was so beautiful. Like brother like sister. Nice to meet you!”

Bai Sheng took Xin Zhiyu's hand, and replied “We're a family, please. Have a seat, have a seat.”

“Her teacher became the adoptive father, and then the eldest brother. Are you a Transformer?” Ning Tao muttered to himself, but said, “Dinner, dinner, I have something to do, so I'll leave eat and go.”

Bai Sheng gave Ning Tao a stare, but it didn't get angry.

“Some people don't even have basic manners,” Xin Zhiyu said. “I really feel unworthy for Xiaofeng…” He didn't go on, but gave Qing Zhui, who was sitting next to Ning Tao, a meaningful look. His implication seemed to be that Qing Zhui had no vision, chose a man without money and quality, and gave up Li Xiaofeng who was a good man.

Qing Zhui also glared at Xin Zhiyu, but did not make any move either.

The atmosphere at lunch turned awkward.

Ning Tao smiled as if he couldn't hear Xin Zhiyu's subliminal voice. “Mr. Bai, let's dining. I'll take a bite and go home with Qing Zhui. The patients are waiting for me.”

Bai Sheng said flatly, “Okay, let's dining.”

A few minutes into the meal, Ning Tao put down the dishes and said, “Three of you, take your time, Qing Zhui. Let's go.”

Qing Zhui immediately put down the dishes and followed Ning Tao without saying a word to Bai Sheng.

Bai Sheng's eyes flickered with malevolent hatred, but in a flash, a smile spread across his face. “Be careful on your way home.”

Qing Zhui still didn't look at Bai Sheng.

Only Ning Tao turned around and said, “Sure, sure, three of you. Good-bye.”

Xin Zhiyu lightly said, “Some people can only be so. He could only be a doctor.”

Ning Tao just smiled and led Qing Zhui away.