Chapter 113 -
By afternoon, the dark storm clouds had vanished, leaving the Xi Estate bathed in warm, golden sunlight.
Sue Yueqing walked into Xi Mingyu’s courtyard, carrying a plate of fresh, warm red-bean buns.
Inside the room, seven-year-old Mingyu was sitting quietly by the window. He looked significantly better today. Color had returned to his cheeks, and his breathing was soft and steady.
Seeing Yueqing enter, the quiet boy stood up and gave a small, polite bow.
"Sister-in-law Yueqing," Mingyu said softly, his voice clear and no longer raspy.
Yueqing paused, surprised by how much better he looked compared to when he was bedridden with fever.
[Whoa, look at him!] Yueqing’s inner voice echoed happily, reaching the minds of the Xi family members nearby. [He doesn’t sound like a wheezing teapot anymore! Those acupressure tricks and the modified herbal recipe actually worked! I really am a genius!]
Outwardly, Yueqing set the plate down with a cold, aloof expression. "You must be hungry huh?.. come eat."
[Eat up, kid! Fatten up so you can go play outside!]
Mingyu quietly picked up a bun and took a small bite. A tiny, sweet smile appeared on his usually pale face as he looked up at her.
"Thank you. It’s very sweet."
Yueqing nearly lost her stoic composure right then and there.
[CRITICAL HIT!] her mind shrieked in utter defeat.
[How can this child be so cute?! If anyone in this house ever bullies him, I will personally throw them into the lotus pond!]
Outwardly, she lifted her chin with dignified air. "Just eat. If you fall sick again, Wenzhe will probably find a way to blame me."
[Though that blockhead Wenzhe would blame me if the sun failed to rise tomorrow anyway. ’Yueqing, why is it raining? Did you bully the clouds?!’ Ugh.]
Mingyu ducked his head, hiding a quiet giggle behind his small sleeve after hearing her hilarious inner complaint.
Before Yueqing could say another word, eight-year-old Xi Anran burst through the doors like a tiny cannonball.
"Sister Yueqing! Are those red-bean buns?!"
Sue Yueqing folded her arms across her chest, raising a single eyebrow as she looked down at the eight-year-old intruder.
"Anran," Yueqing said coolly, her voice dripping with strict, noble authority. "Shouldn’t you be in your etiquette lessons right now with Governess Zhang?"
Anran instantly stopped dead in her tracks mid-stride, her big, round eyes widening in panic. Her hand, which had been reaching aggressively for a red-bean bun, slowly dropped back to her side.
She immediately slumped her shoulders, clutching her stomach with both hands and letting out a loud, pathetic groan.
"Oh... oh no," Anran whimpered, stumbling forward and dramatically leaning against the wooden table frame.
"My stomach... it hurts so much, Sister Yueqing! I think I caught a terrible, sudden illness! I definitely can’t sit through three hours of learning how to pour tea properly... I might faint!"
Yueqing stared at the little girl’s completely unconvincing performance with absolute deadpan silence.
[Are you serious right now?!] Yueqing’s internal voice roared, echoing with hilarious clarity through the minds of every Xi family member within range. [That is the worst fake illness I have ever seen in my entire life! You were literally sprinting like an Olympic athlete two seconds ago! Your face is red from running, not fever, you little scammer!]
Mingyu quietly chewed on his red-bean bun, watching his sister’s theatrical performance with a tiny, amused smirk.
Outwardly, Yueqing didn’t break character for a single second. She leaned down slightly, staring straight into Anran’s wide, flickering eyes.
"A sudden stomach illness?" Yueqing asked, her tone smooth and terrifyingly calm. "How unfortunate. Well, since you are so deathly ill, you certainly cannot eat sugary red-bean buns. They would only worsen your severe condition."
Anran froze mid-groan. Her jaw dropped.
[Checkmate, kid!] Yueqing’s inner voice cheered smugly, her mental persona doing a victory spin. [You played yourself! Never try to out-scam a professional villainess!]
"Wait!" Anran gasped, completely dropping her stomach-clutching stance. "I think... I think the smell of the red-bean buns is actually the cure! If I eat just two of them, my stomach will be completely healed and I can go back to Governess Zhang!"
Yueqing couldn’t hold back a tiny twitch of her lips.
[The audacity! The absolute, unadulterated nerve of this child!] Yueqing’s brain snorted in pure hilarity.
[She’s making up medical theories on the spot just for sugar! Honestly, I respect the hustle.]
Outwardly, Yueqing picked up two warm buns from the plate and handed them over to the little girl.
"Take your ’medicine’ and get out before I tell your mother you’re skipping lessons," Yueqing threatened coldly, though her eyes held zero actual malice.
Anran’s face lit up like the dawn. She grabbed the buns with both hands, gave Yueqing a dramatic, grateful bow, and squeaked, "Thank you, Sister Yueqing! You’re the best!" before sprinting out the door at full speed completely cured.
Yueqing shook her head, letting out a soft sigh as she sat back down across from Mingyu.
[This entire family is completely unhinged,] Yueqing muttered internally, taking a sip of her warm tea. [Every single one of them.]
With Anran running off with her buns, the quiet peace returned to the room.
Xi Mingyu put down what was left of his pastry. He looked longingly out the open door where the warm afternoon sun was shining on the floorboards. Then he looked up at Su Yueqing, nervously pulling at his sleeve.
"Sister-in-law..." Mingyu asked, his voice soft but clear. "May I go outside?"
Yueqing looked down at him, then looked out at the bright courtyard.
[Wait, has this poor kid really been kept inside these four walls non-stop just because he was sick?] Yueqing felt a quiet wave of sympathy. [Keeping a sick child locked away from fresh air and sunshine is just silly! Those dark rooms full of heavy incense smoke were probably doing more damage than the fresh air ever could.]
Outwardly, Yueqing stood up, fixing her lavender sleeves with a calm, grand look. "The weather is nice today. You may walk in the courtyard for a little while, but don’t tire yourself out."
Mingyu’s face lit up right away.