Chapter 27: Have You Ever Taken a Hot Shower?

Mingxi was deeply alarmed by Xiaotong's sudden collapse. She hurriedly crouched down to scoop him up, utterly baffled as to how he could have fainted without the slightest warning.

Hearing Mingxi’s cry, Shi Zhiyan’s hand froze mid-air for reasons unknown. He had just finished writing the character "vehicle"—the left half of the character "slaughter"—with his brush when he suddenly stopped his work and shifted his gaze toward Mingxi.

"Little thief, what happened to him?"

"I don't know! How could he just collapse like that without any warning?"

"Don't panic. Let me see what’s going on!"

Shi Zhiyan didn't hesitate; he knelt down to check Xiaotong’s pulse, paying no mind to the young ladies of the Ming household as they carried Mingyue away. Even after those ladies had moved well out of sight, Shi Zhiyan remained deep in thought, his brows furrowed. Xiaotong’s pulse was perfectly steady, showing no signs of any ailment at all. How could he have...

"Godfather is such a silly goose! Xiaotong is actually perfectly fine! =w=" Only after the ladies of the Ming household had fled did Xiaotong open his eyes with a wicked grin, a glint of mischief dancing in his gaze.

Mingxi and Shi Zhiyan were both stunned. This little brat had been faking it?!

"Hey! You silly little rascal! What are you doing? You scared me to death!" Mingxi finally let out a sigh of relief, clutching her chest. She had nearly had a heart attack!

"I had no other choice, Mommy. You wanted to stop Godfather from killing her, but you couldn't, so I had to use this trick." Xiaotong sat up and pouted.

Mingxi and Shi Zhiyan were both astonished. So the little boy had faked his faint just to let Mingyue escape!

"...You really are a little liar!" Shi Zhiyan couldn't help but laugh despite himself, pinching Xiaotong’s small, shapely nose.

"Exactly! Even Mommy was fooled by you this time!" Mingxi was impressed by Xiaotong’s deception; he truly lived up to Shi Zhiyan’s description of him as a "master-deceiver son!"

"But thanks to you, Xiaotong. If you hadn't stopped me, the Ming household would certainly be coming after me for killing Mingyue! Actually, this is even better—let her get a taste of what it’s like to be a cripple," Mingxi said triumphantly.

"Exactly, Godfather. Why were you so intent on killing the Second Mistress earlier anyway?" Xiaotong asked, puzzled.

"→_→ Who told that wretch to dare play me for a fool? Why should someone like that be allowed to live?"

"...But we play tricks on you all the time."

"You two are different."

"..."

Back at the Ming residence, chaos had erupted. When Madam Ming saw Mingyue being carried back by the servants, her legs gave out, and she nearly fainted on the spot! At only twenty-four, Mingyue was already a sixth-grade Purple Profound master—the strongest among all the children in the family. Now, she was being carried back, severely wounded with every bone in her body shattered!

"Husband! You must seek justice for Yue'er! How could he be so cruel?" Madam Ming sobbed, kneeling on the ground and wailing.

"Sigh! Why did she have to go and provoke Protector Shi?! Isn't that just asking for death?" Ming Yao let out a long sigh. He had clearly told Mingyue beforehand to reason with Protector Shi in a friendly manner! And now, look at this—all the villagers had seen it; Protector Shi had no intention of attacking at first, but Mingyue had provoked him herself!

This was a disaster! With her bones shattered and her body ruined, what was he supposed to do now?

"Husband... Husband, please, you must seek justice for Yue'er..."

"Sigh! Let me think about how to handle this! I will certainly get justice for Yue'er!"

...

That night, after Shi Zhiyan boiled water and poured it into a wooden bathing barrel, he added several medicinal herbs. He only stepped back once the water turned a deep brownish-red and emitted a pungent medicinal scent.

"That should do it. Get in and give it a try. This bathing therapy will help your bones recover; if you stick with it for a few days, you should be back to normal."

Mingxi took off her outer robe and eyed the bathwater, cautiously testing it with her hand.

It was scorching.

Mingxi instinctively pulled her hand back. In her previous life, she had always bathed in mountain springs or lakes; she was not used to anything this hot!

"Are you going to bathe or not, little thief? Get in so I can channel my energy to help heal your injuries!"

"...But it's boiling hot!"

"You think this temperature is hot?! Get in there!" Shi Zhiyan, losing patience, grabbed Mingxi by the waist and tossed her into the barrel without another word!

"Ow, ow, ow! It's burning me! Let me out—"

"→_→ How is this water hot? I really have to wonder if you’ve ever taken a hot bath in your life?"

"I don't care! Let me out! Let me out! I'm burning!"

Outside the window, Xiaotong watched the scene with great amusement, struggling to hold back his laughter. Anyone who didn't know better would think his mother and godfather were doing something scandalous in the middle of the night to be making such a racket!

"Mommy, if you don't be good, Xiaotong is going to jump in and bathe with you! =w="

"Don't you dare! You’d dare look at your mother’s body?"

"But Xiaotong has been watching the whole time."

"You! ...Close your eyes! You little rascal!"