Chapter 100: Planning the Future Together

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When Fang Yujia was asked this by Xiao Cheng, her expression stiffened slightly. These dishes had been prepared by her in advance, always hoping that when Xiao Cheng returned, she could cook something delicious for him. In this way, it was also a way to make amends for the misunderstandings she had about him before.

However, she did not want Xiao Cheng to know that she knew everything, and for a moment, she found herself unable to come up with a suitable excuse.

“You mean these dishes? You’ve been growing recently; you should supplement your nutrition more. Maybe you’ll even grow taller. Besides, didn’t you just say you’re anemic?” Fang Yujia said awkwardly. She rarely lied, and the words she spoke now felt a bit incoherent.

Xiao Cheng was momentarily stunned by Yuer’s explanation. What kind of reason was that—growing recently? His body was indeed only eighteen years old, so saying he was still growing could be plausible. But was he only growing now? What about before? He hadn’t seen Yuer prepare a table full of dishes in the past.

That aside, if he was growing, why was he drinking strong liquor? That was too far-fetched.

And ignoring the food, even Yuer’s beautiful attire today—was that also to promote his physical development?

Xiao Cheng didn’t want to expose Yuer’s lie either. After all, everyone had their secrets. No matter what, Yuer had prepared all these dishes for his sake. A warmth filled Xiao Cheng’s heart, and he thought, “It seems I really am thriving under Yuer’s sunshine and nurturing care.”

Seeing that Xiao Cheng no longer pressed the matter, Fang Yujia breathed a sigh of relief. She took two glass cups, poured a full glass of Maotai for Xiao Cheng, and filled her own cup more than halfway.

Xiao Cheng was startled by Fang Yujia’s boldness. Drinking from such a large glass, and it was over fifty degrees in alcohol content, with at least half a jin (about 250 grams) of liquor in each cup. He had a good tolerance but could only drink about two jin (about one liter) at most, so at that rate, he could only manage four or five cups.

Still, since it was poured by Yuer, he couldn’t refuse. If Yuer used a big cup, he couldn’t very well be shy about requesting a smaller one.

Fang Yujia didn’t know why, but today she suddenly wanted to drink. This feeling even surprised herself. Perhaps it was a kind of ritual to bid farewell to her old life and begin anew. Her life had been like plain boiled water; now she hoped it would be more like flavorful baijiu.

Baijiu, though harsh and biting, with bitterness and spice, leaves a lingering fragrance after drinking, worthy of savoring—richer than plain water.

Fang Yujia took a small sip and found the taste not as unpleasant as before. Then, lifting her graceful neck, she swallowed more than half a glass of baijiu in one gulp, a series of bubbling sounds following the movement of her throat.

After one cup, her throat felt as if cut by a tiny knife; a spicy, stimulating cold flow surged from top to bottom into her stomach, igniting a fiery heat within. This was her first time drinking, and she drank boldly. The sharp, stimulating taste made her eyes water, nearly to the point of tears.

After a moment, she opened her eyes. While she had felt discomfort before, now a refreshing sensation filled her body, a profound comfort as many frustrations were vented.

Xiao Cheng watched Yuer’s bold drinking style with some amazement.

Fang Yujia smiled at Xiao Cheng, picked up the empty glass, and motioned that she had finished and it was his turn.

Since Yuer had drained her cup in one go, Xiao Cheng had no reason to hesitate. He raised the cup and drank it down in one gulp. This Maotai was indeed good—spicy and stimulating, leaving a lasting aftertaste.

Seeing Xiao Cheng finish one cup, Fang Yujia picked up the bottle and refilled both their glasses to the brim.

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“Yuer, in about ten days, Great-Grandmother will celebrate her 114th birthday. What have you prepared?” Xiao Cheng asked casually while watching Fang Yujia carefully pour the liquor.

Fang Yujia was thoughtful and had already prepared a gift—a white lotus ginseng from Changbai Mountain, a prized item for longevity. But when Xiao Cheng mentioned the birthday gift, she thought of the box of lingerie he had given her.

If Xiao Cheng had given her such a thing before, she would have definitely refused to wear it. But her perception of Xiao Cheng had changed dramatically ten days ago. That night, after Ning Jingzhe left, she had impulsively worn the lingerie.

She rarely bought brand-name items, but wearing the “Victoria’s Secret” pieces Xiao Cheng gave her felt very comfortable, so she had been rotating through them recently.

Now, with her younger brother-in-law right in front of her, she was wearing the lace lingerie he had given her.

Previously, she had regarded Xiao Cheng as a minor, so it wouldn’t have been an issue. But now, her view of Xiao Cheng was different. He was no longer the mischievous boy; in her heart, he had transformed into a somewhat shy young man.

She was actually wearing lingerie given by a man... Being a person with extreme cleanliness and sensitivity, Xiao Cheng’s reminder suddenly made her feel very strange.

Xiao Cheng noticed the liquor spilling over the glass and felt a bit regretful.

Hearing Xiao Cheng’s words, Fang Yujia was snapped out of her daze and hurriedly grabbed the bottle, a rare blush coloring her cheeks.

Xiao Cheng thought she was just light-headed from the alcohol—she had only had one cup and was already flushed—so he didn’t pay much attention to the blush.

“I prepared a white lotus ginseng. I hope the elder will like it,” Fang Yujia said softly, her mind stirred by Xiao Cheng’s question.

“By the way, how is the company doing lately?” Xiao Cheng asked.

He still cared about Hu Xiao Pharmaceuticals since, in the future, the other three family industries would encounter problems, but he had already solved Hu Xiao Pharmaceuticals’ issues. If it developed well, it would play a significant role in boosting the family’s strength.

“The company is doing fine now. We’ve basically turned the losses around. The upcoming quarterly report should show some profit,” Fang Yujia replied, slightly nervous when asked by Xiao Cheng, knowing that his fourth uncle had been killed by Xiao Cheng.

Xiao Cheng nodded inwardly. Yuer was indeed capable—she had managed to reverse the company’s fortunes so quickly. If he were in her place, he would be utterly clueless about these matters.

“Yuer, can you fully control the company now?” Xiao Cheng asked again.

Fang Yujia didn’t know his intentions but nodded without hesitation.

With Yuer’s affirmation, Xiao Cheng smiled faintly. Since she could fully control Hu Xiao Pharmaceuticals, his plans could now be put into action.

Since his rebirth, his main concern had been how to deal with future enemies. Besides improving his own strength, he had to enhance the family’s power. He was just one person; human effort had limits and couldn’t protect everyone. Strengthening the family was imperative.

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To strengthen the family, it wasn’t enough to merely increase worldly influence; they had to enhance the family’s real combat power. Currently, the Xiao family had only him and Xiao Fusheng as cultivators. To improve combat strength, they had to recruit more cultivators.

Cultivators were human too, not detached from the mortal world, and their needs were even greater than ordinary people’s. Recruiting them required not just the power to command but also the material foundation to support their needs—spiritual herbs, pills, refining materials, and so forth. Ultimately, all of this required money.

Therefore, Xiao Cheng needed to plan how to earn more money for future preparations.

He was, after all, a man from the future. Though only by eight years, he knew many unchangeable events that would happen. If he could leverage these forthcoming events, making money wouldn’t be difficult.

“Yuer, how much do you know about AIDS?” Xiao Cheng asked calmly after some thought.

Fang Yujia was taken aback by the sudden question, finding it hard to keep up with Xiao Cheng’s mental leaps. She hesitated before answering, “AIDS is an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome caused by infection...”

Though not a medical researcher, Fang Yujia had been involved with Hu Xiao Pharmaceuticals for two years, so such basic knowledge didn’t stump her. She just didn’t understand why Xiao Cheng asked about AIDS now. Despite advances in science, curing AIDS remained a challenge humanity could not overcome, and everyone feared it like a tiger.

Xiao Cheng knew little about AIDS and was no match for Fang Yujia’s understanding. However, he possessed some incomplete but prophetic information from the future—priceless foresight.

He clearly remembered that in 2016, an obscure American research institute used sea urchins for live experiments and developed a kind of ultimate nucleotide inhibitor.

Though this inhibitor couldn’t completely suppress viral replication, it could reduce it to a minimum, turning HIV patients into mere carriers. While not a cure, it was a revolutionary advancement in medical history.

When HIV became as harmless as the common cold, it would no longer be terrifying. Whether cured or not would then be irrelevant.

Xiao Cheng didn’t understand Western medicine but knew one crucial point—the research was done using live sea urchin experiments. Armed with this foresight, it wouldn’t be difficult for Hu Xiao Pharmaceuticals to develop such an ultimate inhibitor.

Waiting for Xiao Cheng to continue, Fang Yujia grew restless as he remained silent for a long time. It wasn’t because she feared any connection between him and AIDS but because a strange sensation from below made her uneasy.

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[Rolling on the floor begging for votes, the story and ideas in this work are purely fictional. Please don’t take it seriously. Thank you!]