Chapter Seventy-Two Apologize Once More!

Anlan approached in splendid attire. Tonight, she wore a violet miniskirt, her snow-white legs gleaming under the spotlights. Her makeup was as exquisite as a fairy in a painting; as she walked, it was as if she brought the wind with her—ethereal and captivating, enchanting all who beheld her. Especially beneath her voluptuous figure, the slit at her chest and the torn edge of her skirt echoed one another, making her seem like a feast for the eyes—an irresistible beauty.

If Lan Ruoxue was the alluring mermaid, then Anlan was the mother of the sea, exuding endless charm in every gesture.

“That vixen again…” Upon seeing Anlan, Lan Ruoshuang’s face instantly darkened.

Zheng Yiren, puzzled, whispered, “Ruoshuang, who is that woman? She sounds quite arrogant.”

“Who knows who she is. Anyway, that useless man has served as security at the An family’s banquet twice, both times arranged by her.”

“I suppose she’s some guest of the An family—her family might have some background, but she’s always hanging around with that good-for-nothing.”

“What good could she be? I—”

“That’s enough, Ruoshuang, stop it!” Lan Ruoxue cut her off.

The woman’s identity was mysterious and her status was clearly distinguished. The fact that she had twice arranged work for Ye Wushang was enough to prove she was no ordinary woman.

Now, Sun Chuanzhi had become a vegetable. Their rival was formidable, and whether the Lan family could secure the An family’s agency rights was entirely uncertain.

If they offended this woman, and she whispered a bad word in Anlan’s ear, the Lan family would be finished.

This agency right was simply too important; as long as it could be obtained, anything else could be set aside.

Though Ye Wushang’s abuse of her sister filled her with hatred, she knew that minor grievances must yield to the greater good. For the sake of the bigger picture, she forced herself to remain calm. Unless absolutely necessary, it was best not to burn bridges.

“Sister…” When Ye Wuyou saw Anlan approach, she called out softly.

Though they hadn’t known each other long, she felt an inexplicable sense of trust toward her. Upon learning that her brother suffered from illness in rainy weather and that the core formula was in Lan Ruoxue’s hands, she felt deeply guilty.

Had her brother not stood up for her then, he wouldn’t have offended Lan Ruoshuang, and they wouldn’t be in this predicament now.

“Wuyou, be good.” Anlan gently patted her shoulder, soothing her softly, before stepping in front of Ye Wushang.

Just as he was about to speak, Anlan shot a glance at Lan Ruoxue and said coldly, “I heard you threatened Wushang with the formula?”

“And demanded he apologize to your sister?”

“I didn’t quite catch that—would you mind repeating it?”

Anlan’s words were calm, but her tone was icy and domineering, leaving no room for doubt.

Before Lan Ruoxue could respond, Lan Ruoshuang couldn’t help but shout, “Hey, vixen, who do you think you’re threatening here?”

“Repeat yourself? Who do you think you are?”

“Don’t think just because you have some connection to the An family you can order people around here. I’m telling you, it’s useless!”

“Get out of the way! I want that good-for-nothing to apologize to me in public. If I’m not satisfied, I—”

“And what will you do?” Anlan sneered coldly. “At most, you’ll make him suffer a little.”

“With Wushang’s abilities, deciphering the formula is just a matter of time.”

“But if you won’t hand over the formula now, then you won’t be stepping through the doors of the Emperor’s Hotel tonight!”

Boom!

Her words exploded like a bomb, leaving Lan Ruoxue’s mind ringing.

Tonight, she was determined to secure the An family’s agency rights. If she couldn’t even enter the venue, how could she possibly obtain them?

If it were anyone else, she might think it a joke, but this woman was clearly close to the An family. She had arranged the head of security twice already—proof enough.

She had intended to let things be, but Lan Ruoshuang’s obstinate nature made her snap, “You think you can keep us out just because you say so?”

“Who do you think you are? Why would the An family listen to you?”

“See this? I have an invitation. I’ll enter if I want!”

Anlan smiled. “Is that so?”

“Then go ahead and try. If you can take a single step inside, I’ll concede defeat.”

With that, she glanced at the security guards at the entrance, who immediately nodded their understanding.

“Show-off,” Lan Ruoxue sneered. “Just like that useless man—nothing but talk.”

“Saying I can’t get into the hotel? I’ll be dancing inside in a minute!”

With that, she strode quickly to the entrance, waved her invitation, and tried to enter—

“Miss, you can’t go in.” The security guard, expressionless, pointed at Anlan and said coldly, “You need her permission.”

“What?” Lan Ruoshuang’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Who does she think she is? Why do I need her permission?”

“I have an invitation—I can go in! Get out of my way!”

As she tried to push her way in, the security guard pushed her back without effort, stating sternly, “I’ll say this once. If you want to enter, you need her approval.”

“If you keep making a scene, you won’t just be barred from the hotel—you won’t even be allowed outside it.”

“Disturbing the peace—I have the right and duty to remove you!”

At that, several other guards gathered around.

Lan Ruoshuang, frightened, retreated repeatedly. As she tried to argue, Lan Ruoxue immediately snapped, “Enough, Ruoshuang! Haven’t you embarrassed yourself enough?”

“But sis, that good-for-nothing hasn’t apologized to me yet…”

“What’s the rush?” Lan Ruoxue whispered, “Right now, securing the An family’s agency rights is our priority.”

“This woman’s connection to the An family is extraordinary. If we can’t even get into the hotel, everything else is meaningless.”

“Listen to me: without my permission, you’re not to say another word.”

“And do exactly as I say. If you dare disobey, not only will you never marry Sun Chuanlong, I’ll cut off your cards and your allowance—you won’t spend another cent!”

Though she had always cherished her sister, the future of the group was at stake. She had to be decisive and make the most advantageous choice.

Lan Ruoshuang, though still resentful, was intimidated by her sister’s fierce demeanor. Though dissatisfied, she could only grit her teeth and nod.

Afterward, Lan Ruoxue took a deep breath, looked at Anlan, and asked, “Miss, I have no enmity with you—must things escalate like this?”

“Wushang did strike my sister; asking him to apologize is only reasonable.”

“If you insist on using your An family connections to threaten me, fine. The apology can wait.”

“I’ve already compromised. Please, let us in.”

Anlan smiled faintly, unconcerned. “So you’re admitting defeat already? How dull.”

“If you want to enter, hand over Wushang’s core formula first. Then I’ll consider it.”

“You—” Lan Ruoxue hesitated.

It was clear she was standing up for Han Xu.

In truth, she hadn’t intended to keep the core formula for herself—she’d wanted to perfect it before returning it. But now…

“Fine, I’ll give it.”

Disheartened, Lan Ruoxue took a delicate box from her bag. She carefully opened it, then unwrapped a fine cloth, finally handing a small slip of paper to Ye Wushang. “Wushang, this core formula is still incomplete. You know medicine, don’t you? Take it and see what you can make of it. I had someone look at it, but they haven’t reported back yet. I hope you can figure it out yourself.”

Ye Wushang was stunned.

She hadn’t held onto the formula to threaten him, but to perfect it before returning it?

If that was true, why had she just forced him to apologize to her sister?

Jumping to conclusions without understanding the facts?

Normally, she was meticulous, not missing a single detail. But when it came to him, she always judged rashly, never considering his feelings.

“I understand.” Ye Wushang took the slip, glanced at it briefly.

It was indeed the core formula—the missing main ingredient of the Heavenly Fire Water. But some supplementary herbs were still missing; he’d need to reconstruct the full prescription to deduce them.

It turned out she hadn’t lied.

“I’ve given him the core formula. Can we go in now?” Lan Ruoxue asked impatiently.

Compared to Ye Wushang, she found this meddlesome woman far more irritating. Even if the two weren’t together, she kept using the An family name to pressure her.

Once she secured the agency rights, she would find out everything about this woman.

For some reason, she felt the woman was toying with Ye Wushang. That fool would probably help count the money after being sold.

“Not yet.” Anlan shook her head, pointing at Lan Ruoshuang. “She insulted me just now, but I’ll let that go.”

“But she also insulted Wushang—that I cannot tolerate.”

“Didn’t she already apologize to Wuyou earlier?”

“Then let her do it again—apologize to Wushang.”

“No need to kneel, but the attitude must be sincere. Is that a problem?”