I Conquer the Entertainment Industry with My Medical Skills - Chapter 20

The atmosphere at the table grew awkward.

Li Jing gave Qian Lingling a knowing glance, and the latter immediately understood. “Third Miss Xie, I’ve heard the Xie Family is about to launch a new AI nanny robot. I’m very interested. Would there be an opportunity for collaboration?”

Recently, the Xie Family had been struggling to find a suitable spokesperson for their new product.

Xie Anran glanced sideways at Qian Lingling’s expectant expression, then looked at An Ningqing, who was focused entirely on her meal.

The contrast was striking. Compared to Qian Lingling, An Ningqing seemed even more pure and charming. Despite numerous opportunities to bring up the topic, she had only wanted to sleep with Xie Anran?

“I’m afraid Miss Qian will be disappointed. The company has already selected their preferred candidate for the endorsement.”

“……”

The conversation stalled.

Li Jing quickly interjected, “Third Miss Xie, you seem to have misunderstood. Lingling meant collaboration in terms of securing an early reservation for a batch of AI nanny robots through your influence. Isn’t that right, Lingling?”

Qian Lingling took a sip of her red milk tea. “More or less. But Third Miss Xie probably doesn’t need such petty cash.”

She emphasized the words “petty cash” with deliberate emphasis. Even An Ningqing, who had been buried in her food, couldn’t help but look up. Among the group, she was currently the poorest. “Every little bit counts,” she replied.

Li Jing smiled. “Then I’ll raise the stakes—ten thousand. Would Third Miss Xie consider this a worthwhile deal?”

Xie Anran’s suspicious gaze darted between the two women. Her sixth sense told her something was off. The Qian Family had risen from humble beginnings as transportation magnates to monopolize the market, becoming Jingdu’s nouveau riche. Ordering a nanny bot was plausible, but Li Jing, a socialite known for her lavish lifestyle, had no apparent need for so many.

Yet for the Xie Family, orders of five thousand or ten thousand were mere drops in the bucket—even if it was a scam, it hardly mattered.

She was more interested in uncovering their true motives.

Xie Anran extended her hand with a radiant smile. “Pleasure doing business with you.”

The trio then sought a private venue to discuss the partnership details. Li Jing delegated the arrangements to Qian Lingling before slipping away to find An Ningqing. She pouted playfully, “Miss An’s fiancée is truly formidable.”

Xie Anran’s tenacity was indeed extraordinary.

An Ningqing cut to the chase. “Let’s get down to business.”

Li Jing’s stepmother had already relayed An Ningqing’s demands. “I’m afraid Miss An’s request is impossible to fulfill. Father is extremely busy; even I struggle to get an audience with him. As his daughter, I haven’t seen him in over half a year. Is there any alternative?”

An Ningqing rested her chin in her hand. When she had agreed to take on this case, she hadn’t anticipated such complications. The problem wasn’t the patient himself, but the various obstacles hindering her progress. She had no intention of letting her reputation be ruined by Anne. “Can I have a video call with Mr. Li?”

The video quality was surprisingly clear.

Hopefully, I can successfully ‘observe’ the source of the illness.

Li Jing led An Ningqing to her own room and dialed her father’s number. Once the video call connected, she left An Ningqing alone in the room. “I’ll be right outside. Just knock when you’re done.”

An Ningqing propped the tablet on the coffee table and sat quietly on the sofa, meeting the gaze of the man on the other end of the line.

The elderly man, though already seventy, exuded vitality. His hair was meticulously combed, without a single strand of gray visible. His sharp eyes and youthful appearance defied his age as the two sized each other up.

“Miss An, you may speak now.”

“Mr. Li, you have approximately three to five months left to live.”

Li Xianzong’s pupils constricted momentarily before his expression returned to normal. Neither spoke, each scrutinizing the other. Li Xianzong swiftly considered who else might know this. He hadn’t even told his own children. How could this woman have learned it?

A coincidence? Or…?

He lowered his head and quickly scribbled a line on a piece of paper. The bodyguard behind him took the note and left the room.

An Ningqing immediately understood that he was likely investigating her background. A hint of annoyance crossed her face. She regretted coming aboard the cruise ship to treat Anne. If Qian Lingling’s claim about someone trying to assassinate Mr. Li was true, she might soon find herself in a considerable amount of trouble.

But… fortune favors the bold.

Li Xianzong: “Miss An, you can deliver babies?”

An Ningqing, distracted: “Does Mr. Li need a midwife?”

Li Xianzong was momentarily speechless. Since rising to prominence, this was the first time anyone had dared to retort so sharply. “I didn’t realize Miss An had such a sharp wit. But I thought your public persona was that of a minor celebrity. Why the sudden interest in practicing medicine?”

An Ningqing’s mind raced. “Actually, medicine is my primary profession. Being a celebrity is just a side job. Unfortunately, I was young and naive, too trusting of others, and got swindled. That’s why I had to relegate my medical practice to a secondary role.”

All of this could be verified, except for An Ningqing’s medical skills. But celebrities were known for putting on a show, so Li Xianzong couldn’t rule out the possibility that she was deceiving him.

The two engaged in a cautious back-and-forth.

Finally, Li Xianzong extended an invitation. “Miss An, I truly regret not meeting you sooner. I would like to invite you to be a guest on my private island. I hope you’ll honor me with your presence.”

Here it comes, An Ningqing thought. Just as I expected.

She hesitated. “But I have work commitments. I’m afraid I’ll have to decline Mr. Li’s kind offer.”

Li Xianzong held up a schedule detailing An Ningqing’s upcoming engagements: two commercials and a script invitation. “Miss An, simply accept. I’ll handle all the arrangements to ensure you suffer no losses.”

This was a thinly veiled threat.

Does having money make you think you’re above everyone else?

Well, it seems so.

“Then I thank you, Mr. Li.”

“Please give this video to Jing’er. I have something I need to tell her.”

An Ningqing left the room and called Li Jing in. Whatever Li Xianzong said to her, Li Jing’s demeanor visibly shifted to one of respectful politeness. “Miss An, there’s a casino downstairs. Would you be interested in trying your luck?”

“She’s not interested.”

Xie Anran, who had appeared unnoticed, yanked An Ningqing behind her, her face flushed with anger. “Miss Li, one shouldn’t be so insatiable. Your little casino on this cruise ship rakes in over a hundred million yuan a day. And you still have the audacity to make a move on my fiancée?”

This was a misunderstanding.

An Ningqing tugged at Xie Anran’s sleeve. “Don’t worry, I won’t play. I don’t have any money.”

The money in her account wouldn’t even buy a bathroom in the manor.

Xie Anran’s retort choked in her throat. “Even if we did have money, we wouldn’t play.”

The gambling world was a deep, treacherous sea.

An Ningqing was surprised. She had assumed a wealthy heiress like Xie Anran would indulge in extravagant pleasures, but the woman actually held firm to her principles.

Li Jing snapped, “Third Miss, you’ve misunderstood. I simply wanted to invite Miss An to play a round. If she loses, I’ll cover it; if she wins, the winnings are hers. Miss An, would you like to try?”

“No, thank you for your kind offer, Miss Li.”

“Then how about the concert? I’m sure someone as refined as Miss An would enjoy it.”

Before An Ningqing could even decline, Xie Anran answered for her, “Even if she were to go, she’d go with me. Miss Li, in what capacity are you accompanying my fiancée?”

She was practically pointing her finger at Li Jing’s nose and calling her shameless.

Seeing Xie Anran about to explode, Li Jing couldn’t resist teasing her. “You’re not even married yet. And even if you were, marriages don’t always last, do they? I’m just being a friend to Miss An. Third Miss, you’re being awfully possessive, forbidding this and that.”

“Besides, shouldn’t we ask Miss An what she wants? What if she’s interested?”

“Miss An, what do you say?”

Xie Anran’s fiery gaze swept over, as if one word of agreement would have her swallowing Li Jing whole. An Ningqing patted Xie Anran’s wrist reassuringly. “Thank you for the invitation, Miss Li, but I think I’ll pass on the concert.”

Disappointed at the lack of drama, Li Jing sighed. “Alright then, I won’t disturb you two any further.”

Xie Anran’s expression instantly shifted from stormy to sunny, then to radiant. She let out a smug hum. “Good for you for knowing your place. Remember, you’re my fiancée. Stop flirting with other people.”

Here we go again.

When will this game ever end?

“I need to go back and catch up on sleep.”

“Sleep now?”

The sun was blazing outside, a gentle sea breeze rustling through the air. Several people were lounging on the deck, sunbathing, while others prepared to dive into the nearby waters for snorkeling. Xie Anran followed behind her. “Lunch will be served soon. If you sleep through it, you’ll miss out on a delicious meal.”

Though Li Jing often acted without restraint, her hospitality was impeccable. Her guiding principle was to ensure everyone ate well and had a good time. She was generous, warm, and welcoming—except when it came to romantic entanglements, where she was notoriously promiscuous. Now, she had added another vice to her repertoire: a penchant for poaching other people’s partners.

An Ningqing paused slightly. “Is the lunch schedule fixed?”

Of course not.

Xie Anran rubbed her nose. “Well, you’ll miss out on a lot of great food. The ingredients are all air-freighted to ensure freshness. If you miss this chance, you might not get another opportunity to taste these delicacies.”

“Then I’ll just go lie down for a bit.”

“???”

Without thinking, Xie Anran blurted out, “Didn’t you sleep well last night?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted it and covered her face in frustration.

An Ningqing turned back with a soft laugh. “Wouldn’t the Third Miss know best whether I slept well or not?”

Xie Anran couldn’t help but recall the incident from earlier that morning when she had pinned An Ningqing down. But it was An Ningqing who had provoked her first. If she hadn’t insisted on sleeping with her, Xie Anran wouldn’t have reluctantly agreed.

And now, such a perfect opportunity had been completely wasted.

Hesitating for a moment, she hurried to catch up. “An Ningqing, are you—” No, no, I can’t ask that directly. How could I just rip open her wounds like that? Besides, if her private affairs are exposed, she might lash out in anger.

Just as Xie Anran was about to sacrifice herself and test the waters, An Ningqing’s beautiful face suddenly drew close. Xie Anran held her breath, her gaze drifting up and down that high, straight nose before settling on those full, red lips.

Gulp.

“Third Miss, what exactly do you want to say?”

“How about… we kiss first?”