They did not know Qi Xiyuan's true physique, nor had they caught on to the shady dealings behind Zhou Min's journey to the Outer Domain. Naturally, they had even less chance of uncovering the Lan Tuo Family's top-secret operation to steal blood and test her physique late at night.
That left them beset by suspicions, with no trail to follow for the moment.
Nevertheless, the other top powers reached a tacit understanding on the matter.
They would hold their positions for now rather than rashly interfere with the Lan Tuo Family's plans. While watching how things developed, they would keep assigning more personnel to thoroughly investigate Qi Xiyuan's background and past experiences, quietly waiting for a crack to appear.
Meanwhile,
Qi Xiyuan, who stood at the center of the storm, remained clearheaded throughout, but her extreme vigilance came with endless frustration.
Her beauty was exquisite and otherworldly, her temperament gentle and pure. Her past experiences had given her a maturity and sensitivity far beyond those of girls her age.
Her time at the Feng City Welfare Institute remained a blemish on her heart to this day.
The volunteers who usually treated her so well had revealed a terrifying side of human nature in private.
If not for Tan Lin that time, she would probably have suffered something too painful to look back on.
It had made her see through humanity's ugliness and hypocrisy early on. That encounter had also left her with an almost instinctive wariness and visceral disgust toward most men other than Tan Lin.
Besides, she understood the intentions of these young masters from elite financial dynasties all too well.
Their supposedly grand, passionate courtship and lavish displays of generosity never came from sincerity. They were merely short-term diversions driven by novelty and curiosity.
It was a