Chapter 63: Second Brother Feeds the Medicine

As colleagues within the shadows, Feng Zhaoning and Sheng Cang stood firmly on the same side when it came to matters concerning their younger sister.

At least in front of their sister, they maintained a facade of harmony.

However, since both desired exclusive custody of her affection, undercurrents of rivalry surged beneath the surface in certain aspects.

That night, Lin Mo lay in bed.

She held her phone, browsing through the latest news.

Before long, she drifted peacefully into sleep.

She woke up promptly at eight in the morning.

Qiu'er was waiting outside the door, and upon hearing movement, she knocked and entered the room.

"Miss, Lord Feng ordered a medicinal tonic to be brewed for you."

"May I bring it up right away?"

Lin Mo nodded slightly. "Thank you for your trouble."

Qiu'er silently lamented that it wasn't the work that was hard, but her fate.

If her only duty was to serve the young miss, it would not be a hardship in the slightest.

After changing her clothes and washing up, Lin Mo stepped out of the bathroom to find Feng Zhaoning sitting on a stool.

He was holding the freshman handbook of Capital University, flipping through it casually.

"Momo has tested into a wonderful university."

"I am certain her university life will be very fulfilling."

He lowered his gaze, the pale skin of his face made even more coldly translucent by the sunlight.

Lin Mo also felt a deep sense of anticipation for university life.

In her past life, she had never experienced university.

The only taste she ever had of it was spending a few months on a university campus while shooting a film.

Her educational background had been a subject of mockery by many.

No matter how famous she was, she remained nothing more than a female celebrity with only a high school diploma.

"Capital University is the best university in the province, and even ranks in the top ten nationwide." Lin Mo sat on the bed, looking at the photographs in the handbook. "I will definitely cherish these four years of college."

Catching the gleam of joy in her eyes, Feng Zhaoning could not help but relax his brow.

Qiu'er came upstairs carrying a tray.

Inside the porcelain-white bowl, the dark broth was steaming.

A pungent herbal aroma wafted upward, spreading a rich, bitter scent.

"Miss, Lord Feng, the medicine is here."

"It looks terribly bitter." Lin Mo crinkled her nose. "What kind of medicine is this?"

Feng Zhaoning took the bowl and stirred the contents with a spoon.

"Your spleen and stomach are delicate, and your constitution is weak. Drinking herbal medicine to nourish your body is for your own good."

Since childhood, Feng Zhaoning had lost count of how many doses of medicine he had consumed.

Long illness makes one a doctor; having studied countless ancient medical texts, he had forged formidable medical skills of his own.

He picked up the spoon, took a sip of the medicine, and tasted it first.

Lin Mo watched him, knowing her brother had retained this lifelong habit: whatever he gave her to consume, he would always taste first.

Lin Mo raised her hand and rested it on Feng Zhaoning's arm.

"Brother."

Feng Zhaoning started slightly. "I'm used to it."

"This is Sheng Cang's estate, so naturally there shouldn't be any danger."

"Still, one must always exercise caution."

Feng Zhaoning still remembered the year his sister turned ten, when his enemies had poisoned her.

Lin Mo had once possessed a robust constitution; otherwise, she could never have survived in the orphanage.

Yet, that single incident had permanently damaged her core foundation.

It was all due to his negligence...

Feng Zhaoning swallowed hard, a wave of bitter sorrow rising in his throat.

"Momo doesn't need to become an assassin; Brother will protect you."

"Brother will always owe you."

She did not need formidable martial arts skills.

With him around, no one would ever be allowed to harm a single hair on her head.

"No, Brother, why are you bringing up the past again?" Lin Mo asked with a helpless smile, tilting her head to lean against him. "Many of those things back then were not what you wanted to happen."

"Besides, I recovered my health long ago. I am doing very well now."

Qiu'er watched them from the side.

Much of what happened in the shadows was shrouded in absolute secrecy.

Yet this scene before her was breathtakingly beautiful.

The man was slender and sickly, yet possessed an ethereal and refined disposition.

With one hand holding the medicine bowl and the other half-embracing the young girl, his skin was so translucent that the veins on the back of his hand appeared both chilling and alluring.

Meanwhile, the young girl wore a plain dress, her long dark hair cascading loosely.

Leaning against the man, her slightly averted profile was exquisite beyond measure.

Qiu'er picked up the tray and headed downstairs.

Seeing her stifling a giggle, Li Ya asked, "Weren't you terrified of serving them earlier? Why are you smiling so happily?"

"It's nothing," Qiu'er giggled. "The Twelve Asuras of the Shadows are all extraordinary figures, and none of them share a blood relation with the young miss."

"I wonder who the young miss will end up marrying in the future."

Li Ya shook her head helplessly. "You think too much. You certainly have a lot of nerve."

Qiu'er stuck out her tongue. "I just hope our Boss Sheng manages to win her heart!"

Watching Qiu'er's retreating figure, Li Ya shook her head once more.

Still, ever since the young miss had arrived, the boss's mood had undeniably improved by leaps and bounds.

Upstairs.

Lin Mo drank the medicine spoonful by spoonful.

Feng Zhaoning fed her with infinite patience.

Once the bowl was empty, Lin Mo felt thoroughly wretched.

Her throat was filled with a bitter taste, and even her breath smelled of Chinese herbs.

Feng Zhaoning picked up a piece of candy and slipped it into Lin Mo's mouth, then used his thumb to gently wipe away a stray drop of medicine from her lips.

Her lips were soft.

The corners of Feng Zhaoning's eyes curved upward.

The sweet flavor quickly dissolved in Lin Mo's mouth, promptly washing away the bitterness of the medicine.

Sucking on the candy, she asked, "What kind of candy is this? It's delicious and not cloying at all."

"Winter melon hard candy," Feng Zhaoning said, wiping his hands with a clean handkerchief. "You used to like eating it."

"Did you forget?"

Lin Mo shook her head. Indeed, she had no recollection of it.

Back in her childhood, how could she have ever tasted candy?

Simply managing to stay alive had been a struggle in itself.

Feng Zhaoning hooked a stray lock of hair from her temple with his finger and tucked it behind her ear.

"If you want to eat it in the future, you can have some every day."

Lin Mo's ear felt ticklish, the touch of his fingers cool against her skin.

Seizing the moment, she took hold of Feng Zhaoning's hand and asked with a puzzled frown, "Second Brother, why are your hands so cold?"

"I wanted to ask you the moment I saw you this time—is your health still poor?"

Feng Zhaoning replied, "It's congenital."

The afternoon arrived swiftly.

Lin Wan twirled in front of the mirror, wearing a light purple spaghetti-strap long dress with a whimsical, gauze-layered hem.

Adorned with jewelry, she had deliberately styled her hair into voluminous, cascading waves.

"Mom, does it look good?"

Qin Lian looked her up and down. "It's gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous."

"This dress cost tens of thousands, but it's well worth it."

"Today you can drive the luxury car your second brother bought you to the gathering. When your classmates see it, they'll understand the difference between you and them."

Lin Wan nodded. "That's true. They've just graduated from high school, and some of them even have to work part-time just to earn their tuition."

"Unlike me, who can already drive a luxury car worth hundreds of thousands."

Checking her phone, Lin Wan said, "Some people have already set off, we should go too."

With that, she picked up her handbag.

"Mom, you have to take lots of pretty pictures of me today, okay?"

Qin Lian readily agreed.

Yet by the doorway, Lin Hen wore an expression of profound indifference.

As for Lin Qinglang, he had vanished to who knows where.

"Second son, where is your fifth brother? The two of you have been acting so peculiar lately."

Lin Hen glanced at their excited expressions.

He could well understand why Lin Qinglang was absent.

"Second Brother, why do you always look so unhappy?" Lin Wan went over affectionately to link her arm through Lin Hen's. "Should I do something to cheer you up?"

"There's no need." Lin Hen instinctively pulled his arm away.

Only when he saw the hurt expression on Lin Wan's face did he feel a trace of annoyance.

Lin Wan's smile froze. "Second Brother, why are you being so cold to me?"

"Did I do something wrong to upset you?"

"I'm leaving for school the day after tomorrow. Even if you aren't happy about it, there are only two days left."

A heavy depression weighed on Lin Hen's heart. "I'm not taking it out on you. I'm just in a bad mood myself."