The Target Is Not Lily, But...

"Alexander, I beg you, please stay a little longer and talk with your father and mother. Just for a moment, it won't take long!" Madam Lou's expression was so humble, she seemed ready to sink into the dust, tears streaming down her face.

Alexander Hayes looked at Madam Lou, then glanced at Lily Evans (Su Li). He spoke to Lily in a negotiating tone: "Wife, why don't you go wait in the carriage first? I'll come find you soon."

Lily Evans (Su Li) looked at Madam Lou, then turned to Alexander Hayes. Since he spoke up, he must have his reasons. Lily nodded in agreement: "Alright, I'll wait for you in the carriage."

Alexander Hayes personally escorted Lily Evans (Su Li) to the carriage. Inside, Lola was there to protect her, along with the Hayes Family's shadow guards and the Prince of Qin's manor guards. Once Alexander was sure Lily was safe, he returned to Weiyuan Manor.

Back in Lou's Courtyard within Weiyuan Manor, only Marquis Weiyuan and his wife remained; Lucy Lou was nowhere to be seen.

With Lily Evans (Su Li) gone, the warmth in Alexander Hayes's eyes vanished. He looked at the two coldly: "Father, Mother, if you have something to say, say it directly. Don't beat around the bush. My wife is waiting for me in the carriage; I need to go to her soon."

"Alexander, what kind of spell did that woman put on you? You talk about her all the time, and now you're willing to abandon your own parents for her!" Madam Lou cried out, her face full of anguish.

Alexander Hayes looked at Madam Lou with indifference. "Mother, you know the reason yourself, so why ask me?"

"Fine. I carried you for ten months, gave birth to you with great pain, and raised you for twenty years. Who would have thought you'd treat me like this?" Madam Lou wiped away her tears. "Alexander, I don't blame you for treating me this way. It's all that Su woman—she's bewitched you. You grew up in the army and haven't met many women, that's why you were fooled by Su Li. If you had more women around, you'd see that Su is nothing special."

"Having Lily is more than enough for me. I don't need any other women." Alexander Hayes replied coldly.

"Alexander, you don't understand your parents' intentions... You'll know in time..." Madam Lou's voice sounded slowly. Suddenly, Alexander Hayes caught a strange fragrance in the air. His body began to sway, his eyelids drooping, and the faces of Madam Lou and Marquis Weiyuan in front of him twisted into eerie smiles.

Alexander Hayes staggered a few steps, then collapsed to the ground with a thud, unconscious.

Madam Lou went over and shook Alexander Hayes a few times. He lay there with his eyes closed, seemingly in a deep, unresponsive sleep.

Madam Lou turned back in delight. "Marquis, this knockout incense really works—Alexander is sound asleep!"

Marquis Weiyuan came over to take a look. Sure enough, Alexander Hayes was knocked out, and he couldn't help but grin smugly. "Hmph, the older the ginger, the spicier! You little brat, you think you can outsmart your old man? You're too green! As soon as you walked in, I knew you were nervous about Lily, afraid we'd poison her. You even left all the guards with her. Hmph, Alexander would never have guessed that we went to all this trouble, even using the Emperor to bring the couple back to Weiyuan Manor, not to deal with Lily, but because our real target is Alexander himself!"

Marquis Weiyuan had succeeded, and was extremely pleased. He called in his men to carry Alexander Hayes to the bed.

Then Marquis Weiyuan took a medicine bottle from his pocket, pulled out a pill, and stuffed it into Alexander Hayes's mouth. He said to Madam Lou, "This is a special medicine I prepared—it's very potent. Alexander will wake up soon, but he'll lose all reason. Madam, quickly call in the Twin Blossoms you arranged so they can serve Alexander well!"