The whole family is insanely eavesdropping on my thoughts Chapter 571
Chapter 571: Nemesis and Redemption
Shan Shan clenched his chubby little fists, wiping away his tears as he pointed at Rong Che, sobbing pitifully.
The little one was actually complaining.
Heaven knew how terrified he was when he opened his eyes and saw a chicken right in front of him.
For the past few nights, he had been having nightmares—trapped in a chicken coop by his sister, forbidden to leave until he finished eating every last bite.
When he awoke, it was as if a demon from his dreams had come to life.
Rong Che’s eyes widened. What happened to his supposed bloodthirsty and ruthless nature? He could clearly see that his son’s fear was genuine.
Shi Yun cast an exasperated glare at him. “Look at how you’ve scared Shan Shan! You’ve frightened him so much he’s speaking already!”
Rong Che scratched his head in puzzlement, feeling that something was off.
“It’s all Father’s fault,” Rong Che admitted guiltily. “Father saw a beautiful golden pheasant and thought Shan Shan might like it, so I brought it back for you to play with. Who knew it would scare you? Can you forgive Father?” He reached out to hug his son, but Shan Shan, his face a mess of tears and snot, turned away and buried himself in his mother’s shoulder, refusing to acknowledge him.
Rong Che knew he was in the wrong, yet he couldn’t bring himself to explain to Shi Yun.
He didn’t want her to worry about Shan Shan.
Lu Chao Chao, drawn by the commotion, emerged from her room, draped in a robe. “Send the pheasant to the kitchen. I want ginseng chicken noodle soup for breakfast.”
She then patted her chest with confidence. “Don’t be scared, little brother! Your sister will protect you—I’m really strong!”
Seeing the harmony between her children, Shi Yun’s lips curled into a gentle smile. She placed the now-calmed Shan Shan onto the bed. “With your sister protecting you, what is there to fear? You don’t know yet how formidable your sister is.” She playfully poked his forehead, completely missing the look of sheer terror Shan Shan cast toward his sister.
No, no, no—it was his sister that he was afraid of!
Lu Chao Chao yawned. “Shan Shan, go to sleep. Tonight, I’ll sleep with you… You don’t have to be scared.”
Shan Shan’s eyes widened in alarm.
“Oh my, why are you crying?” Shi Yun was surprised. “You’re only nine months old, yet you understand words already?”
“Tears of joy,” he mumbled.
Without hesitation, Shi Yun pulled Chao Chao’s shoes off and tucked her into bed.
Shan Shan clung tightly to his mother’s sleeve, his gaze full of desperation. Don’t go! Don’t leave me alone with her!
Shi Yun found his sudden clinginess strange. He was never this attached to her.
“Sleep well. The palace examination results come out tomorrow, so we need to wake up early,” she reminded. The household also needed to prepare for what came after.
As Shan Shan’s pleading eyes watched, the others closed the door behind them.
Outside the room, Shi Yun whispered instructions to the nursemaid. “Check on them a few times during the night. They’re still young—we don’t want them catching a cold.”
“Yes, madam.”
Inside, Shan Shan sat stiffly on the bed, watching Lu Chao Chao with unprecedented obedience.
He even pushed the blanket toward her, then handed her his milk bottle. After hesitating, he climbed down from the bed, fumbling to retrieve a hidden treasure of his.
A handkerchief, seemingly belonging to their mother.
Sitting cross-legged on the floor, he carefully unwrapped it, layer by layer, revealing…
A lamb bone…
He handed it to Lu Chao Chao.
Her face contorted in disgust. The bone had been sucked dry on one end, its marrow completely drained. The other end was still moist.
She held her head in frustration.
Why in the world did he hide this thing?
With two fingers, she pinched it up. “When did you hide this? Wait, it’s been days—why did you keep it? It’s moldy!”
Shan Shan, however, kept pushing the bone toward her mouth.
“You—” Lu Chao Chao almost laughed in exasperation.
“I’m not eating this, and neither are you. You’ll poison yourself!” She flung the bone, along with the handkerchief, out the door.
Shan Shan’s lips quivered as he prepared to cry.
Yet, seeing his sister cross her arms and watch him, he stubbornly held back his tears.
Lu Chao Chao sighed, feeling a pang of pity.
She reached into her spatial pouch and took out a piece of jerky—soft yet chewy, with a fragrant aroma. “Here, for your teething.”
There wasn’t much spirit beast jerky left, and even she was reluctant to eat it.
Shan Shan hesitated before taking a bite. The rich flavor made his eyes light up.
Clutching the jerky in both hands, he used his two tiny milk teeth to gnaw at it bit by bit.
“Be quiet. Don’t wake me up,” Lu Chao Chao muttered, yawning. She grabbed her own silk quilt and settled down on the outer side of the bed.
Since her little brother was small, he slept on the inside.
Throughout the night, the sound of him gnawing persisted.
Lu Chao Chao had to bury her head under the quilt to fall asleep.
At the foot of the bed, Shan Shan paused in his chewing as he listened to his sister’s steady breathing.
Expressionless, he tilted his head, gazing at her in the darkness.
His eerie lack of expression made him look unsettling.
He stared at her for a long time.
No one knew what he was thinking.
Lu Chao Chao mumbled in her sleep, murmuring indistinct words.
Shan Shan, soundlessly, crawled closer, bending down slightly as if eavesdropping.
“Hehe…” Lu Chao Chao mumbled in her dreams.
“So round… If I twist it off, it’ll make a great ball to kick…”
“Kill them all… kill them all…” She even raised her arm and waved it vaguely, muttering darkly.
Shan Shan jumped back in fright.
He reached up to touch his own neck, then, feeling wronged, curled up in the corner of the bed, hugging his small blanket.
In the darkness, the murmurs of countless voices whispered.
From birth, he had been able to hear the ceaseless noise of the world. Wails, grievances, slaughter—endless voices tormented him.
His father and mother couldn’t hear it.
The servants couldn’t hear it either.
These voices invaded every corner of his mind, urging him to kill and destroy. If he listened too long, he would lose control.
That was why he often cried at night.
The voices grew louder, his face scrunching in pain as he covered his ears.
‘Kill! Kill them all!’
‘Mortals are insects, lives as cheap as grass!’
‘Obey me and prosper, defy me and die!’
‘Wretched woman! How dare you flee? I’ll rip out your heart and see its color!’
‘Another useless girl… Throw her into the infant ditch!’
The cries of slaughter filled his mind, visions of brutal scenes flashing before his eyes.
Sweat beaded on his forehead.
Half-asleep, Lu Chao Chao heard faint sobbing and groggily muttered, “Shut up.”
The voices in Shan Shan’s mind suddenly receded like a tide.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation