Ji Ningxue's Heart Flutters The Exorbitant Price of the Youth-Preserving Elixir

"A big gift? What kind of big gift?" Ji Ningxue raised an eyebrow, though an inadvertent blush crept onto her cheeks.

[Big gift? You’re not about to say you’re giving yourself to me, are you?]

[You little rascal, always thinking about me, you little pervert—ugh!]

[But... I guess I’ll reluctantly agree this time, you lucky brat~]

Hearing Ji Ningxue’s inner thoughts, Jiang Che finally understood—this seemingly aloof CEO sister was actually so lonely and starved for affection!

Well, it made sense. Ji Ningxue was already 27, married for three years without even holding hands or kissing, practically living like a widow. Her pride wouldn’t let her lower herself to fawn over men, so of course she was lonely!

If Xiao Chen had followed the usual live-in son-in-law trope, moved her heart, and eventually revealed his identity as an "angel investor," he might have had a shot at cracking her icy exterior.

But alas, Xiao Chen would never get that chance.

All his efforts had ended up benefiting Jiang Che instead.

"Ningxue-jie, guess what big gift I’m giving you?" Jiang Che took her hand, his tone mysterious.

"Huh? You want me to guess?" Ji Ningxue laughed.

"Hmm... You already gave me a ring, so it can’t be flowers, right? Let me tell you—I’ve gotten enough flowers in my life to plant an entire garden." Her voice carried a hint of playful arrogance.

Jiang Che shook his head.

[Not flowers? Then what? Wait... could it be T_T? You little devil!!!] Ji Ningxue’s face instantly turned scarlet all the way to her neck.

Jiang Che’s lips twitched. Just look at what three years of abstinence had done to her.

Well, Young Master Jiang was here to... unclog that blockage.

"Ningxue-jie, what’s going on in that little head of yours? Your face is all red!"

Without further ado, Jiang Che pulled out the Everlasting Beauty Elixir from his system space.

"Ningxue-jie, guess what this is!"

He couldn’t let her keep imagining things—those thoughts were definitely not safe for work.

"Oh? This is..." Ji Ningxue furrowed her delicate brows, staring at the small jade vial in Jiang Che’s hand, utterly puzzled.

"Ningxue-jie, this is something amazing. Here, let me feed it to you."

With that, Jiang Che uncorked the vial and downed the elixir in one go.

Truth be told, though he’d given this elixir to many people, he’d never tasted it himself.

The flavor wasn’t great—definitely not as good as Mixue Ice Cream & Tea.

Then, wrapping an arm around Ji Ningxue’s slender waist, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, slowly transferring the elixir into her mouth.

Ji Ningxue’s beautiful eyes widened slightly. She wasn’t exactly shocked—they’d kissed plenty of times before—but the sensation still left her flushed and breathless.

The vial contained a generous amount, and it took a full ten minutes for Ji Ningxue to drink it all.

"Whew..." Ji Ningxue patted her chest, a light sheen of sweat on her forehead.

"What did you just make me drink?" She smacked her lips twice, then stared at Jiang Che in shock.

"Jiang Che, did you drug me?"

"You didn’t have to, you know... I would’ve..."

Before she could finish, the elixir’s effects kicked in.

Even without a mirror, she could feel the changes in her body.

"This is—"

From Jiang Che’s perspective, the transformation wasn’t drastic—just slightly improved skin texture, softer hair, a more toned figure, and the faintest hint of belly fat completely gone.

Ji Ningxue was already stunning, after all. At 27, she was in the prime of a woman’s beauty, the perfect blend of maturity and allure.

Jiang Che stroked his chin. "Ningxue-jie, want to take a look in the mirror?"

"Mirror? I don’t have one..."

"I do." Jiang Che handed her a mirror.

The moment Ji Ningxue saw her reflection, her expression shifted dramatically. She snapped the mirror shut, blinked twice, then looked again.

"This—how is this possible? Did I just get younger? The crow’s feet by my eyes are gone! My skin looks so much better too! What the...?"

She was utterly speechless.

For girls like Yu Wan'er and Ye Mengyao, who were still in their youthful prime, the elixir’s effects might not be as noticeable—their skin was already flawless.

But Ji Ningxue was 27. No matter how well she maintained it, her skin could never be as supple as a teenager’s.

Yet now, touching her face felt like she’d traveled back in time.

Jiang Che snapped his fingers. "Exactly, Ningxue-jie. What you’re feeling is real. That was the Everlasting Beauty Elixir—it preserves your youth forever. Not only does it enhance your beauty, but it locks your appearance at this very moment."

Ji Ningxue was dumbstruck, gaping at Jiang Che.

Eternal youth?

How could such a miraculous elixir exist?

But she’d experienced it firsthand. Whether it truly granted immortality or not, it had undeniably made her younger.

"Jiang Che, does anyone else know about this elixir?" Ji Ningxue frowned.

She knew exactly how valuable this was—priceless. If sold in limited quantities, a single vial could fetch billions, with buyers fighting over it.

She was just a small-time CEO, her net worth barely scratching a few billion. This one vial was worth more than her life.

"What? Finally realizing how good I am to you? So, how are you going to repay me?"

Jiang Che leaned in with a cheeky grin.

"You—"

Ji Ningxue panicked. Once again, she owed Jiang Che an unimaginable debt.

The angel investor favor was huge, but she could eventually repay it by earning more money.

But this?

This was beyond repayment.

"I... I haven’t thought about it yet. Don’t change the subject—I’m asking if anyone else knows about this elixir!"

Jiang Che smirked. "Of course not. But even if they did, what could they do? Steal it from me?"

Did they think he was some pushover?

If not for the existence of the Chosen Ones Association, Jiang Che might’ve treated the elixir as his ultimate treasure. But the Association likely had similar formulas, like the Everlasting Beauty Pill, reserved for winning over powerful allies.

An organization capable of rallying so many system-bearers under one banner was no joke.

Sure, the Association seemed full of clowns right now, but Jiang Che never underestimated them.