Chapter 5: A World Without You (Part 1)

“What can we do? You heard what the Emperor said—if she dies, everyone will have to be buried with her!”

The maids shrugged helplessly, unaware that these words were overheard by the little one secretly mixing the laxative in the backyard. He suddenly stopped his work, a gleam of joy lighting up his face.

This child was strikingly beautiful, with an exceptionally delicate face, large eyes, and skin as fair and tender as tofu. However, due to his beastly bloodline, his left eye was a deep blood-red. During the day it was not so alarming, but at night, that crimson beastly eye was especially terrifying.

Because of this, the ordinarily adorable child always wore an eye patch over his left eye. Whenever the maids saw his eerie eye, they would sneer in mockery.

...This half-human, half-beast child was Ming Xi’s son, Xiao Tong.

If he heard correctly… then... mother has returned?

“Mother is finally back! I knew she would never abandon Xiao Tong!”

Without hesitation, Xiao Tong pushed open the door and dashed out of the backyard, rushing toward the familiar room. Outside the main door, the grandfather and the mistresses were grumbling.

“Look at the rotten idea you girls came up with! Now it’s all stirred up! Are you happy that you’ve stirred the Emperor? If anything happens to her from now on, we’ll all have to be buried with her!”

“Who would’ve thought that wretched woman was so lucky? She even survived trying to drown herself!”

“Oh, second sister, stop complaining. What’s the plan then?”

“Plan? Hmph, there is no plan! Do you think that useless Emperor will sit on the dragon throne much longer? Why should we listen to him?”

“Yue’er! Don’t say such rebellious things!”

“But Father! Isn’t the situation at court obvious?”

...

Xiao Tong was still too young to understand their words. He just couldn’t wait to quietly push open his mother’s door. Inside, his mother lay quietly on the bed. Apart from her summoned beast, no one else attended her—not even a maid.

That made sense. His mother’s status in this mansion was so low that she didn’t even have a maid.

Xiao Tong sighed deeply and went to Ming Xi’s side. She was still unconscious and burning with a high fever; her cheeks and forehead were unusually hot.

“Bai Ling, what’s wrong with Mother?” Xiao Tong urgently asked the white cat-like fire-element summoned beast named Bai Ling.

“It’s nothing serious, young master. She just caught a chill from drowning. The medicine is brewing now; after she takes it and rests, she should be fine. No need to worry, meow,” Bai Ling replied.

Nodding, Xiao Tong sat beside the bed and noticed tears leaking from his mother’s eyes. Though unconscious, she kept murmuring something.

“Feng... Feng...”

What? Could Mother be possessed? Why was she repeating that word?

“Feng...” Whatever she was dreaming of, Ming Xi kept whispering that word, tears clearly marking her face. Xiao Tong bit his lip, looking helpless.

After the medicine was ready, Xiao Tong struggled to lift Ming Xi and carefully fed her the broth with a spoon. But even after taking the medicine, she continued muttering that word.

Strange! What’s wrong with Mother? Could she really be possessed?

“What’s wrong with Mother?” Xiao Tong was growing increasingly panicked. If he remembered correctly, only the possessed behaved like this!

No way... Mother wouldn’t really be possessed, would she?