Chapter 36
Wen Xingxue’s eyes were unlike most, which were shades of gray, black, brown, or hazel.
His were a pure, deep black, as if not a single ray of light could penetrate them.
His double eyelids were wide, his pupils round, the corners of his eyes slightly upturned, a beautiful cat-like shape.
But he often narrowed his eyes, his black pupils like the dark, oppressive night sky, making people uneasy.
In terms of eye shape, Xing Nuo’s round, dark, cat-like eyes were almost identical to Wen Xingxue’s.
Xing Nuo’s ears were ringing, his vision blurry from the fever, completely disoriented.
His eyelids drooped, his eyes unfocused, as he stared blankly at the unfamiliar older brother.
“Hmm?” Xing Nuo mumbled, barely registering what the other person had said.
A smile suddenly appeared on Wen Xingxue’s stiff, pale face.
To be honest, his smile was rather unsettling, even sinister.
His teeth clicked together slightly as he suppressed the smile and put Xing Nuo back on the floor.
“I hope…it’s what I think it is,” he murmured softly.
Looking at Xing Nuo, who was smaller than his thigh, he bent down and ruffled the little one’s soft, fluffy curls.
Wen Xingxue’s fingers were long and thin, his fingertips and palms calloused. He ruffled Xing Nuo’s hair into a messy bird’s nest.
Xing Nuo stumbled backward, losing his balance and landing on his bottom on the soft carpet.
His feverish head throbbed, and he slowly brought his hand up to his head.
“Ow…”
Wen Xingxue, hearing the little one’s complaint, snorted.
“Crying already just from me touching your hair? What a little drama queen.”
His voice was rough and grating, like sandpaper against one’s heart.
He crouched down, one leg bent, and, looking at the child’s flushed cheeks, finally realized –
“Are you sick?”
Apart from injuries, Wen Xingxue rarely experienced weakness or illness.
He reached out, his cold hand touching the little one’s forehead.
“You are.”
He was burning up like a little kettle.
A smile appeared on Wen Xingxue’s face as he pinched Xing Nuo’s soft cheek. He didn’t know what had brought on the sudden shift in his demeanor.
“Such a weak little cub.”
After pinching his cheek to his satisfaction, he looked into Xing Nuo’s eyes, their round pupils almost identical, a mirror image.
He was about to say something when he suddenly sensed a dangerous presence approaching, his expression hardening.
He took out a spray bottle and spritzed the little one twice.
“S-level healing spray, for your fever. You’re lucky, kid.”
Seeing Xing Nuo coughing from the spray, he chuckled and quickly dashed downstairs.
The moment his feet touched the first floor, he felt a familiar stabbing pain in his chest.
He looked down and saw Shen Wen’s slender, delicate fingers.
The pale fingers were stained crimson with his blood, like the vibrant roses blooming in the castle garden, a morbidly beautiful sight.
Wen Xingxue coughed, his laughter tinged with madness as he looked at Shen Wen.
“You’re killing me again!”
Shen Wen glanced at him indifferently, withdrawing his hand from Wen Xingxue’s chest.
Unfazed by the blood dripping onto the carpet, he looked up at Wen Xingxue coldly.
“So what?”
Wen Xingxue chuckled, feeling his life force draining away. In his final moments, he grinned at Shen Wen.
“Shen Wen, until next time.”
As Shen Wen watched coldly, Wen Xingxue tore a piece of paper and vanished in a flash of white light.
Shen Wen watched him disappear, his eyes closed, and muttered:
“Crazy.”
It was always Wen Xingxue, that annoying lunatic, who dared to challenge his instances!
Otherwise, with the difficulty of his instances, years could pass without a single challenger.
Because of Wen Xingxue, he had been forced to work overtime at the castle several times.
Taking the handkerchief the butler offered him, he wiped the sticky blood from his hand and tossed the handkerchief onto the floor in disgust.
“Disgusting.”
Even his blood was foul!
Shen Wen turned and hurried upstairs, where he found Xing Nuo sitting on the carpet, patting his chest. He picked up the little one.
“Zaizai, how are you feeling? Are you very uncomfortable?”
Xing Nuo, who had inhaled the cool spray, his throat no longer scratchy and dry from coughing, but soothed as if he had just drunk some sweet pear soup, felt much better.
His feverish head also cleared, and he touched his forehead, letting out a small gasp of surprise.
“Zaizai…no pain…”
His bright, watery eyes smiling, he hugged his dad’s neck and nuzzled against him affectionately like a little puppy.
“Dad…Zaizai…no pain…no need…bitter medicine…”
Shen Wen looked down at the little one, chuckled, and pinched his nose.
“You can’t avoid taking medicine just because you don’t like it.”
He knew about Wen Xingxue’s healing spray, having seen players use it in instances before, which was why he hadn’t stopped him.
Holding the clingy little cub, he carried him back to the bedroom and tucked him into bed.
He took out Xing Nuo’s usual medicine from the drawer and, under the little one’s expectant gaze, instructed the butler:
“Have the cook prepare this medicine. Bring it up later. Xing Nuo needs to take it before bed.”
After he and Xing Nuo had moved to the human world, the monster servants had resumed their duties in the castle.
The butler nodded in agreement and respectfully retreated, taking the medicine downstairs to the kitchen.
Xing Nuo’s eyes widened in disbelief, then he angrily turned his face away, burying himself under the covers.
Shen Wen, anticipating the little one’s reaction, walked over and patted his bottom through the blanket.
“You have to take medicine when you’re sick, so you can get better quickly.”
What if that healing spray had side effects?
He still needed to take his medicine; otherwise, he would be the one suffering.
Seeing the little one’s reaction, Shen Wen chuckled, his voice clear and elegant. He patted Xing Nuo’s head through the blanket:
“After taking your medicine, Xing Nuo can have a glass of sweet milk with honey.”
A muffled hum came from under the covers, indicating that even honeyed milk couldn’t compensate for the bitterness of the medicine.
Shen Wen, his chin resting on his hand, his lips curving into a smile, said in a slightly distressed tone:
“What should we do then? If one glass of milk isn’t enough, how about a chocolate biscuit as well?”
Shen Wen was quite skilled at coaxing children. He tapped the blanket with his fingertip, continuing his persuasion:
“A nice, crispy biscuit, freshly baked by the pastry chef, with chocolate chips, sweet and delicious, how about that?”
Xing Nuo hadn’t had the pastry chef’s chocolate biscuits in a long time.
They were too sweet, and Dad didn’t usually allow it.
He couldn’t resist peeking out from under the covers, his eyes shining.
“Chocolate biscuit…tonight?”
Shen Wen tapped his chin, feigning a difficult decision, and pretended to think for a moment.
Then, under the little one’s expectant gaze, he reluctantly nodded.
“Alright then, since Xing Nuo will be so brave and drink all his medicine! As a reward, you can have a biscuit tonight.”
Xing Nuo, completely unaware of his dad’s manipulation, grinned, revealing his little rice teeth.
He emerged from under the covers and snuggled against his dad’s leg.
“Dad…sleep…with Zaizai…tonight!”
Xing Nuo hadn’t slept with his dad in a long time. His face flushed with anticipation, he rubbed against his dad’s hand.
Shen Wen, feeling the warmth of the little one’s soft cheek against his hand, chuckled.
“Okay, Dad will sleep with Zaizai tonight.”
Having dealt with the troublesome Wen Xingxue, Shen Wen was confident he would have a long vacation, plenty of time to enjoy some quality time with Zaizai.
Lured by the promise of a biscuit and milk, Xing Nuo obediently drank his medicine.
His little nose wrinkled in disgust, his face scrunched up, but he finished it in one gulp and quickly handed the bowl back to his dad.
“Medicine…yucky…”
This medicine was bitter and smelly, even worse than before!
Shen Wen placed a piece of candy in his mouth, and after the bitter taste subsided, praised him:
“So brave! Even bitter medicine can’t defeat our Xing Nuo now.”
Xing Nuo, loving praise, happily swung his little feet under the covers, his eyes crinkling into a smile.
“Dad…amazing too!”
After their usual exchange of compliments, Xing Nuo snuggled against his dad’s chest, yawning softly, his small hand gripping his dad’s shirt tightly.
“Dad…sleep…with Zaizai…”
Shen Wen tapped the little one’s nose and patted his back, coaxing him to sleep.
“Okay, sleep now.”
The butler, closing the bedroom door, carried the empty medicine bowl downstairs with a smile.
Passing through the first-floor hall, he saw the monster servants lurking in the shadows, ready to attack the players, and held up a finger to his lips.
“The little master and Master are going to have a good night’s sleep. Don’t make any noise.”
The low-level monster servants didn’t like maintaining their human forms at night, preferring their shadowy, monstrous true forms, hidden in dark corners.
Hearing the butler’s words, their ferocious expressions softened, and they nodded obediently.
They wouldn’t allow anyone to disturb Master and the little master’s sleep tonight!
The butler turned and left, the monsters continuing their silent vigil, waiting for the weak players to fall into their clutches.
Upstairs, Shen Wen soothed Xing Nuo to sleep, telling him a story about a knight’s adventure.
In the end, the little knight packed his bag, obtained the key just as night fell, escaped the dangerous place, and returned home to his family.
