Forced to Marry a Female Billionaire CEO

A golden, nearly blinding radiance flashed before Xu Ke's eyes.

Gold. A lot of gold.

"This..."

This was a scene Xu Ke had only ever witnessed in television dramas, and seeing it for the first time was quite a shock.

Before him were rows of neatly stacked gold bars, piled almost higher than he was.

How much could possibly be here? The thought flashed through his mind.

Zhou Qingzhi, standing beside him, couldn't help but laugh. "The first time I came in here, my father's collection stunned me too."

"The old man firmly believes gold is a stable currency, so he has a penchant for collecting it. In fact, the physical gold in this vault is just the tip of the iceberg; he holds even more than this."

Xu Ke nodded, clicking his tongue in amazement. The wealthy truly are a willful bunch.

Storing a mountain of gleaming gold here wasn't very practical and took up a lot of space, but Xu Ke understood that it gave Zhou Hongsheng an unparalleled sense of security.

They bypassed the gold and continued deeper into the vault.

Inside, Xu Ke saw row after row of shelves overflowing with all kinds of treasures. There were antique ceramics, valuable calligraphy and paintings, and even collections of scholarly treasures like brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.

Xu Ke wasn't too interested in these items. His gaze wandered as an unrealistic thought entered his mind. Even though I told Zhou Qingzhi I couldn't accept anything else, if there was a Dragon Ring here, I would absolutely take it.

Unfortunately, Zhou Hongsheng only had that one Dragon Ring, and wearing it had already brought him near-fatal trouble.

So, what are the chances of another Dragon Ring being here?

As Xu Ke walked further inside, he came across a shelf filled with ancient books.

Seeing Xu Ke glance over, Zhou Qingzhi explained, "These are all medical books and Cultivation Techniques."

"We originally planned to offer these as payment, but I see Dr. Xu might not need them..." Zhou Qingzhi finished with a wry smile.

After all, the Zhou Family's fortune was built on their medical skills, but in front of Xu Ke, their so-called foundation seemed insignificant. As for the Cultivation Techniques, there was even less to say.

The Zhou Family wasn't known for its proficiency in the Martial Path. Furthermore, Xu Ke's cultivation was so advanced he could effortlessly dominate his peers, meaning his Cultivation Techniques were undoubtedly superior to anything the Zhou Family possessed.

Xu Ke said, "The Martial Path and the Medical Path are both traditions with long histories. I still have much to learn. The medical arts and Cultivation Techniques of the Zhou Family also have much that is worthy of my study!"

He stepped forward and flipped through a few of the books, finding quite a few things he hadn't seen before. However, he had to admit that most of them detailed outdated medical practices that Ren Gu had once criticized.

Of course, I can't say that out loud!

How could Zhou Qingzhi not see that Xu Ke was merely being polite? He gave an awkward laugh and said, "There are also many medicinal herbs further down. You can take a look at those as well."

"Alright!" Xu Ke nodded and continued deeper into the vault.

The medicinal herbs were also of high quality, but they weren't what Xu Ke urgently needed, so he didn't ask to take any.

But as he was looking at the medicinal herbs, his gaze was suddenly drawn to a token resting on the shelf nearby.

The token was somewhat similar to a Martial Alliance member token. It was also made of bronze, with intricate patterns winding around its edges. In the center, three square characters were engraved—

"Tao Ranju."

Tao Ranju? Xu Ke's eyes narrowed slightly as questions flickered through his mind. What is this? He felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

Seeing Xu Ke's attention fixated on the "Tao Ranju" token, Zhou Qingzhi smiled. "Dr. Xu, you can take it down and have a look."

"My father once treated a powerful expert from Tao Ranju. The man said that we could use this token to seek his help, so my father has kept it here ever since."

"Really?" Xu Ke asked, surprised.

Zhou Qingzhi nodded.

A surge of curiosity rose in Xu Ke's heart. He walked over to the shelf and took the token down. Since Zhou Qingzhi had given him permission to inspect it, Xu Ke didn't stand on ceremony.

The Tao Ranju token was cold and heavy in his hand. Besides the intricate patterns and the three characters for "Tao Ranju" on the front, there was another character on the back.

Guest!

Tao Ranju… guest? Xu Ke connected the two sides in his mind, his brow furrowing even deeper. Could this be a token given to a guest by a mysterious organization called Tao Ranju?

Xu Ke quickly searched his memories but couldn't recall ever hearing of an organization named Tao Ranju.

Then why does it feel so familiar? The familiarity must come from an experience I share with Zhou Hongsheng… First, we were both infused with Dragon Essence. But there's no trace of Dragon Essence on this token. Second, we both met Master!

Master… A glint flashed in Xu Ke's eyes. Could Tao Ranju be related to Master?

But Ren Gu had never told him anything about this so-called "Tao Ranju."

And if this organization really is connected to Master, it wouldn't make sense for Zhou Hongsheng to be the one who saved a powerful expert from Tao Ranju…

Unable to figure it out, Xu Ke temporarily buried the question in his heart.

He placed the Tao Ranju token back on the shelf. He decided he would ask about it when Zhou Hongsheng returned to the Zhou Family, or the next time he saw Ren Gu.

...

After looking through the entire treasure vault, the only thing that had piqued Xu Ke's interest was the Tao Ranju token.

He had intended to leave right then, but Zhou Qingzhi insisted he choose two or three items before he could go.

Feeling obligated, Xu Ke finally chose an aged mountain ginseng.

As he was leaving, Zhou Qingzhi seemed somewhat regretful. "You've taken so little. My father will probably have a word with me when he gets back."

This left Xu Ke, who had been forced to take something, feeling rather baffled. Why do I get the feeling that Zhou Qingzhi is the one who's supposed to be taking treasures from here...

...

After accepting the gift, Xu Ke left the Zhou Family estate. On his way out, Ouyang Hao asked if he would visit Qin Ya at the hospital when he had time.

Qin Ya had been in the hospital for almost two weeks now.

Xiao Jie was as lively as ever, but since Qin Ya hadn't received Xu Ke's treatment, her recovery was naturally much slower.

Xu Ke agreed with a nod, much to Ouyang Hao's delight.

...

Once they were in the car, Tang Yingchang couldn't help but say, "Mister Xu, I didn't expect the Zhou Family to be so warm toward you."

Xu Ke chuckled wryly. "I didn't expect it either."

Tang Yingchang added teasingly, "It seems their attitude toward you is even better than some members of the Wang Family."

In his eyes, this was undeniably true. The Zhou Family, with whom Xu Ke was merely friends, treated him as an honored guest. Meanwhile, most of the Wang Family looked down on him. How could that not be ironic?

Xu Ke laughed. "I'm with Qi Fu, not with the rest of the Wang Family."

He didn't care what the Wang Family thought of him; only Wong Qifu mattered.

"That's true," Tang Yingchang nodded slightly before shaking his head. "You young people are the ones for romance. We old folks no longer have the heart for such dalliances!"

Xu Ke chuckled.

Just then, Xu Ke's phone suddenly rang. It was an unknown number.