Chapter 066

Chapter 66: Gratitude

Yun Wan Yao stared at Yun Wan Chen in utter shock. Yun Wan Chen spoke softly, “It’s a long story.”

“Then make it short,” she snapped without hesitation.

Yun Wan Chen paused a beat before continuing, “The young lady was injured. I had no choice but to bring her here. Yao’er, I called you over because I need your help.”

Yun Wan Yao’s eyes widened further. She swallowed hard, staring at her eldest brother as if seeing him for the first time. How did her big brother know that the girl was hurt? The Su family’s estate was far from theirs.

She didn’t believe in coincidences. There was only one explanation—her big brother had someone watching that girl all this time.

[Could it be… Big brother really has feelings for her?]

Her gaze shifted thoughtfully, then she quickly returned to herself and nodded, “Big brother, what do you need me to do?”

“Yao’er, Miss Su is injured on her back. Given the difference between men and women, it would be inappropriate for me. I’d like to ask you to apply her medicine.”

Yun Wan Chen placed a bottle of medicine in her hand. Yun Wan Yao agreed readily and walked over to the bedside.

But when she saw the wounds, her face went pale. The girl’s back was covered in overlapping welts, bloodied and raw.

Yun Wan Yao’s body trembled uncontrollably. Her legs weakened and her head spun. She had to clutch the bedpost tightly just to remain upright.

“B-big brother…” her voice cracked with the edge of a sob. She turned her tear-filled eyes toward Yun Wan Chen, silently pleading for help.

Hearing her voice, Yun Wan Chen frowned and walked over quickly, concern coloring his features. “What’s wrong, Yao’er?”

“I-I… I’m sorry, big brother, I don’t dare.”

He hadn’t told her the girl’s injuries were this severe. Yun Wan Yao stood frozen, unable to move, completely unsure how to begin.

Yun Wan Chen blinked in confusion. “What is there to be afraid of?”

“She’s hurt so badly… There’s not a patch of unbroken skin on her back. I’m afraid I’ll cause her pain. I’m sorry, big brother. I’m just… useless…”

She lowered her head, ashamed and guilt-ridden.

The sight of the girl’s wounds was too awful. Yun Wan Yao couldn’t bring herself to touch them, fearing that even the gentlest motion might make things worse.

Yun Wan Chen sighed and reached out to gently pat her head. “Yao’er has always been kindhearted. This truly was too much to ask. It was my oversight.”

Yun Wan Yao felt even more guilty. But no matter how bad she felt, she still couldn’t bring herself to say, “Let me try again.”

After a moment’s thought, she lifted her head. “Big brother, then what about Miss Su? Should I go find a physician?”

“No. No outsiders must know she’s here,” Yun Wan Chen replied firmly. “Give me the medicine. I’ll do it myself.”

Yun Wan Yao blinked in surprise and studied him closely. That wasn’t what he’d said earlier. He had just claimed it was inappropriate.

“Big brother, this… isn’t quite proper. Men and women…”

She hesitated, her voice soft and unsure. But the moon-like man before her remained calm and composed.

“So long as you don’t say anything, no one will ever know.”

Yun Wan Yao: “……”

[Wait a minute. Could it be? Did big brother ask me here just to use me as a cover?]

[No way, right? Big brother wouldn’t… would he?]

[When did big brother become so…]

“Don’t worry, big brother! I won’t tell anyone. Even if the heavens fall, I was the one who applied that medicine tonight,” she grinned, shoving the bottle into his hand.

“Big brother, I’ll be waiting outside. If you need anything, just call.”

Without waiting for his reply, she slipped out with tactful speed.

Yun Wan Chen: “……”

He had the distinct feeling of being misunderstood and no idea how to clear it up.

He had truly called her to help. But since she backed out, he had no choice but to do it himself. Now it seemed she believed he’d used her as a front from the very beginning.

Shaking his head, Yun Wan Chen brought the medicine back to the bed and sat down. In the bright candlelight, the wounds across the girl’s back looked even more ghastly.

No wonder Yao’er couldn’t bring herself to touch them.

“My apologies, Miss Su,” he murmured with a soft sigh, then pressed his fingers to seal her meridians.

Yao’er had been right. With injuries this severe, even applying medicine was a form of torture. Sealing her acupoints would at least reduce the pain.

Then he carefully peeled away the torn clothing on her back and began applying the ointment.

After twenty-some days of careful feeding, her figure had filled out. She was no longer the malnourished, sprout-like girl from before. Still slender, but with a touch of softness.

Her skin was so pale it outshone frost and snow, and under the flickering candlelight, it glowed with a delicate, pink sheen, like translucent jade wrapped in snow.

Yun Wan Chen only glanced once before quickly looking away. His expression remained calm, entirely devoid of emotion.

Her wounds were terrible. It took a full half-hour to finish applying the salve. Afterward, he gave her a pill to reduce the fever, then rose and walked into the outer room.

There, he spotted Yun Wan Yao dozing on a low couch by the window, her head nodding as she fought off sleep.

Suddenly, she leaned to the side, about to tumble to the floor. Yun Wan Chen swiftly caught her.

The motion woke Yun Wan Yao. She blinked up to see him holding her and immediately remembered the earlier scene.

“Big brother, are you done with the medicine?” she asked, rubbing her eyes, clearly too sleepy to stay upright. Her eyes shimmered with moisture, her voice soft with exhaustion.

“Mm.” Yun Wan Chen nodded. “About Miss Su, you mustn’t tell a soul. Not Father, not Mother, not even Wan Ye. Understand?”

Her dazed mind paused, then she nodded. “Got it. I won’t say a word, but… I can’t promise they won’t find out.”

There were spies everywhere in the manor. Smuggling in a living person was hardly a small matter. There was no way it would go unnoticed.

“No matter,” Yun Wan Chen smiled faintly. “As long as you don’t speak of it, Father and Mother will pretend not to see.”

So long as no one said it aloud, the fragile veil of secrecy would never tear.

“Oh.” Yun Wan Yao could only nod again.

“One more thing. Tomorrow, bring a set of women’s clothing. Avoid your maid’s eyes. Don’t let her find out.”

“Alright.”

“Good,” Yun Wan Chen said, rubbing her head again. “You’re sleepy. Go rest. Big brother will walk you back.”

“Okay.”

The next day, Yun Wan Yao slept in until well past noon.

After waking and washing up, Yun Wan Yao’s very first task was to collect a fresh set of clothes—new from head to toe—and quietly deliver them to the Moon Seizing Pavilion, careful to avoid Hua Wu’s notice.

She stepped into the courtyard and called out with a proud voice, “Big brother, these clothes are all brand new. I’ll send two more sets over another day.”

She wasn’t sure how long her big brother planned to hide that young woman, so it was best to prepare extra. When the girl awoke, she’d at least have clean clothes to change into.

Yun Wan Chen accepted them with a nod. “Mm. You weren’t discovered by your maid, were you?”

Yun Wan Yao puffed up her small chest and glared at him, clearly dissatisfied. “Who do you think I am? If I promise my big brother something, I’ll definitely do it right! When I went to get the clothes, Hua Wu was already sent off by me.”

Amused by her determined little face, Yun Wan Chen chuckled. “Heh, I wasn’t doubting you, Yao’er. That was my mistake—I shouldn’t have said more.”

“Hmph, I won’t argue with you about it then. I’m going to see little sister. Are you coming to visit Mother today?”

“There’s too much to do today,” Yun Wan Chen said. “Later I need to deal with a few things with Ye’er, so I won’t make it. Help me tell Mother I’ll visit her and little sister tomorrow, no matter what.”

His father had been framed—a major scandal. Though their father and Ye’er had already prepared a plan, Yun Wan Chen couldn’t stand by and ignore it. There were things he had to do as well.

“Alright, I’ll let her know. See you later then, big brother.”

Yun Wan Yao waved as she left the Moon Seizing Pavilion, heading toward the Peace Keeping Courtyard.

From a distance, she saw that the courtyard’s door was open. Two figures sat by the window, facing each other. Yun Wan Yao frowned and flagged down a passing maid.

“Has someone come to visit the manor today?”

“Yes, young miss. Princess Consort Jing came to see the madam.”

Princess Consort Jing?

Yun Wan Yao’s eyes flickered with surprise. She hesitated, suddenly unsure if now was the right time to visit her mother.

Inside the bedchamber, Princess Consort Jing sat beside Madam Yun at the window, chatting quietly. The young prince sat quietly next to Yun Wan Ning, his eyes calmly watching her.

Meanwhile, Yun Wan Ning, now fed and bored, blinked her bright eyes at him.

[Oh my, this little cub really is a heart-stealer.]

[He’s just too adorable. I could stare at him a thousand times and never get tired.]

[Seriously, Princess Consort Jing is so talented at giving birth. This little cub inherited all the best features of both her and Prince Jing. When he grows up, he’ll be a devastatingly handsome disaster.]

[I really want to give him a lollipop… too bad I don’t have one right now. But don’t worry, little cub. Once I grow up, if you’re still this small, I’ll make you one myself.]

Mo Yun Han: “…”

Madam Yun: “…”

Listening to her heart voice, Madam Yun was at a complete loss for words. This Little Fourth’s obsession with good looks seemed beyond saving.

And another thing—the young prince was three years older than her! By the time she grew up, he’d be even older. Why did she assume only she would grow while the young prince would stay the same size?

[Still, baby cubs are the cutest. Once they grow up, they lose that charm. If only this little one could stay this small forever.]

[Actually… there’s a secret medicine from Medicine King Sect. If given to a living being, it could reverse cellular function and revert the body back to its newborn stage…]

[No no no, that medicine is too inhumane! It was banned by the sect centuries ago. Even if I can refine it, I absolutely must not entertain such twisted ideas.]

[Stop it, stop it right now! The young prince didn’t do anything to me. Just because he’s cute doesn’t mean I can turn into some kind of pervert.]

[…]

“?????”

Madam Yun was stunned.

Wait—there’s really a medicine like that in this world?

Just who exactly was Little Fourth?

Why did this Medicine King successor seem so completely different from what she had imagined?

She could heal, use inner power, and even spiritual power. Now she casually mentioned such a terrifying, miraculous drug. How many other surprises was she hiding?

Madam Yun felt like her entire body was going numb.

Mo Yun Han wasn’t faring much better. A trace of astonishment flickered through his jet-black eyes.

Medicine King Sect. A regression pill that returns the body to infancy…

Could it be… she really came from that world?

This little girl from the Yun family was truly… a delightful surprise!

Just then, Madam Yun forced herself to stop listening to Yun Wan Ning’s wild thoughts. She turned to Princess Consort Jing with concern in her eyes. “Princess consort, you look terribly worn out. Have you not been resting well these past few days?”

At the mention, Princess Consort Jing lowered her eyes. Her expression was heavy with sorrow. It had only been three or four days since the young prince’s birthday banquet, yet she looked like a different person altogether.

Her face was pale and drawn, her spirit listless, as if all her vitality had been drained.

Madam Yun had noticed her poor condition as soon as she arrived with the young prince. She had wanted to wait for the consort to bring it up herself, but she had said nothing so far.

With no other option, Madam Yun asked directly.

Upon hearing the question, Princess Consort Jing raised her head slightly, clutching her handkerchief. Her eyes were red, glistening with a thin layer of tears.

Madam Yun stared in surprise, a thousand thoughts flashing through her mind in an instant.

Could it be… her husband had already told her everything?

“Sister Ye,” Princess Consort Jing choked out, “I’m ashamed to say this, but Prince Jing… he secretly kept a mistress… and even had a child with her. That child… he’s already almost a year old…”

Before the words were even finished, fat tears rolled down her cheeks. Princess Consort Jing immediately turned away, covering her mouth with her handkerchief as sobs overtook her.

So it was true.

Madam Yun sat there stunned, momentarily unsure how to comfort her. She hadn’t expected Yun Zheng to reveal it so quickly.

Meanwhile, Yun Wan Ning sat wide-eyed, her little mouth parted in shock, her mind spiraling.

[Wait, did I hear that right?]

[Princess Consort Jing just told my mother that Prince Jing kept a mistress? And had an illegitimate child?]

[But how does she know about this?!]

[In the original storyline, Princess Consort Jing never found out about the mistress and the child—not even until her death!]

[Why does she know now?]

[What happened?!]

[Ahhh, someone tell me—who’s the one that got reincarnated?!]

[I don’t doubt it anymore. Someone in this world definitely reincarnated. Otherwise, the plot wouldn’t keep going off the rails like this.]

[But then again, it feels like everyone except the heroine and the scumbag men have been reincarnated.]

[So, who is it? Who came back with memories from the past life? Surely half the people in a single world can’t all be reincarnated, right?!]

[Ahhh, this world is insane!]

As Yun Wan Ning’s mental breakdown echoed in the air, a blurry image of a girl yanking her hair out with both hands flashed across Mo Yun Han’s mind. His lips curved faintly into a smile.

Heh. Reincarnators do exist.

But in this case, her wild guess was wrong—it had nothing to do with a reincarnator.

Yun Zheng had sent someone to abduct the mistress’s child. The woman panicked and forgot all of Mo Ze’s warnings. She ran straight to the gates of Prince Jing’s manor in tears, causing a huge scene that alarmed the princess consort.

There was no way to hide the truth after that.

Once questioned, the woman spilled everything. Princess Consort Jing fainted on the spot and only woke up this morning.

As for Mo Ze, he was now a wreck—scouring the entire capital in a frantic search for the missing child.