After the Pitiful Little One Seduced the Feudal Big Daddy - Chapter 6

A faint noise reached his ears. Xie Yunqing’s eyelids fluttered. The noise immediately grew louder disconnected sounds, like someone calling his name. As the shouts continued, Xie Yunqing’s consciousness slowly returned, but with it came the undeniable, sharp pain in his left shoulder.

He struggled instinctively for a moment before slowly opening his eyes. Once the hazy white light dissipated, he was met with Pei Xuan’s face.

Pei Xuan looked thrilled. “Wonderful! Yunqing, you’re finally awake! I”

“Could you lower your voice? He just woke up.”

A tall, thin youth stepped out from behind Pei Xuan, frowning as he pulled him back a bit.

“I am Cui Ji, a friend of Pei Xuan’s.” The youth leaned down slightly toward Xie Yunqing, who was lying on the bed, and gave a brief introduction before explaining the current situation. “You are currently at the Pei Residence. Yesterday, after you blocked that punch for Pei Xuan, you fainted immediately…”

“Yes, yes!” Pei Xuan couldn’t help but lean in again, gesturing wildly. “You have no idea, I was scared to death! I thought Yu Chen’s punch had done something terrible to you. I hurried to bring you back to find our family physician…”

“Because the physician at the Pei Residence is more skilled and reliable,” Cui Ji interjected flatly.

“Why do you keep stealing my lines!” Pei Xuan glared at him. “How many times is that today?”

“Only the second time,” Cui Ji replied with a roll of his eyes. He turned back to Xie Yunqing. “His way of speaking is like that he talks forever without getting to the point. Let me explain.”

“The physician said that aside from the injury to your left shoulder, you are mostly fine. He concluded that you fainted because the intense pain caused your qi and blood to fall into disorder. For now, he has only applied some pain-relieving medicine. He said once you wake and take some herbal soup to stabilize your qi, he will come back to examine the shoulder and prescribe the correct treatment.”

“Right, right!” This time, Pei Xuan held his breath until Cui Ji finished before continuing his “ghost-wailing” antics. “And another thing! The physician said we couldn’t let you sleep too long; we had to wake you at this exact hour. I asked him if he was afraid you wouldn’t wake up at all if we didn’t, but then, but then…”

Pei Xuan seemed quite indignant. He stumbled over his words for a moment before finishing: “He said he was only afraid that if you slept too long, your sleep cycle would be ruined!”

“He was clearly scaring me on purpose!” Pei Xuan complained loudly.

“Who told you to keep chasing him, asking if Xie Yunqing would ever wake up?” Cui Ji rolled his eyes again and nudged Pei Xuan with his elbow. “Quiet down! I’m getting a headache from your noise.”

After a few deep breaths, Cui Ji said to Xie Yunqing, “Don’t listen to the doctor teasing Pei Xuan. The reason we couldn’t let you sleep too long is that excessive sleep is actually detrimental to the recovery of your qi and blood.”

“The herbal medicine will be here soon.” He paused, then asked, “How do you feel right now?”

Perhaps because he had just woken up, or perhaps because Pei Xuan was indeed quite noisy, it took Xie Yunqing a long time to process what Cui Ji was saying.

Almost instantly, an instinctive reaction made him want to sit up, but due to the pain in his shoulder and a general sense of weakness, he only trembled twice.

“What’s wrong? Is it still hurting?” Cui Ji panicked slightly. He stood up straight and urged Pei Xuan, “Quickly, have someone invite Physician Liu over.”

Pei Xuan nodded and ran out of the room, shouting a few orders before hurrying back. This time, he was followed by an elderly woman carrying a bowl of herbal medicine.

“Mother Qin, Mother Qin! Hurry and help Yunqing drink his medicine!” Pei Xuan stood at the foot of the bed, calling out anxiously. Cui Ji immediately moved aside to make room.

But before the elderly woman, referred to as Mother Qin, could approach, Xie Yunqing spoke with difficulty: “No… no need. It… doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Having fully regained his senses, a massive wave of panic instantly occupied his heart. How could I have fainted? And how can I remain here at the Pei Residence?

Although he didn’t understand why Pei Xuan was suddenly being so kind to him, he had always known—and always remembered—that he and the children of the elite clans at the Academy belonged to two different worlds. Especially someone like Pei Xuan, who came from a top-tier family and whose brother was the most powerful man in the nation, Chancellor Pei. He was someone Xie Yunqing simply should not be near.

Xie Yunqing tried to sit up again. But the undeniable pain radiating from his left shoulder once more made movement impossible.

“…Don’t move.” Cui Ji saw through his intent. He leaned over and gently pressed down on Xie Yunqing’s uninjured right shoulder. Seemingly guessing the boy’s thoughts, he sighed softly. “Drink the medicine first. We can talk about everything else later. Otherwise, what will we do if you faint again?”

“Yes, yes!” Pei Xuan didn’t understand why Xie Yunqing claimed not to be in pain despite the cold sweat on his forehead, but he knew that, above all, the boy needed to drink that bowl of medicine. “If you’re afraid of the bitterness, I’ll have someone bring some preserved fruits.”

For some reason, Xie Yunqing suddenly dazed out. He looked as if he were completely bewildered by the words of Cui Ji and Pei Xuan. Mother Qin took the opportunity to step forward and kneel at the bedside. With great familiarity and speed, she fed Xie Yunqing the medicine and then quietly retreated.

A moment later, Physician Liu arrived. He glanced at Xie Yunqing’s complexion and frowned. Without a word, he walked to the bed, pulled back the clothing covering the left shoulder, and observed it closely for a while.

He turned to Pei Xuan. “His condition is somewhat serious. The medicine applied yesterday to stop bleeding and pain hasn’t had much effect. I suspect the muscles and bones are injured; we need to try a different prescription.”

Then, he addressed Xie Yunqing: “This new medicine must be applied for three days. During these three days, you must not move your left shoulder. You must also continue taking the stabilizing medicine, or the condition will only worsen. Do you understand?”

Xie Yunqing’s eyelashes trembled. Physician Liu paused and sighed. “Don’t worry too much. If there is improvement in three days, it won’t be a major problem. You’ll just need to rest quietly for a period.”

Having said his piece, he left the room to prepare the herbs for the next three days.

Watching the doctor leave, Pei Xuan sat down at the head of the bed. He was silent for a moment, then actually raised his hand and waved it in front of Xie Yunqing’s eyes, asking cautiously, “…Can you see me?”

Cui Ji, standing behind him, couldn’t help but roll his eyes again. “Pei Xuan, are you an idiot?”

Pei Xuan was instantly annoyed. He turned and glared. “I saw that he hasn’t had a single reaction since he started drinking the medicine! I thought he might have some special condition!”

Cui Ji gave a cold snort. “You mean a special condition that Physician Liu couldn’t see, but was waiting for you to discover?”

In a battle of wits, Pei Xuan was no match for Cui Ji. He simply ignored him and looked back at Xie Yunqing. After thinking, he asked, “Are you just sleepy then?”

Cui Ji couldn’t take it anymore. He nudged Pei Xuan’s knee with his foot. “He took that hit for you. Aren’t you going to thank him?”

Pei Xuan finally remembered. He leaned in closer to Xie Yunqing, his attitude serious and his tone sincere. “Yunqing, thank you for standing in front of me back then.” He gently took hold of Xie Yunqing’s wrist. “I don’t know how to thank you properly yet, let me think about it…”

“Why… are you thanking me?”

Xie Yunqing finally came back from his dazed state. But as he turned his head, he fell into another layer of fog.

The act of standing in front of Pei Xuan yesterday didn’t have a complex reason—it was entirely instinctive. It was an instinct to protect the person beside him. And this instinct likely came from his younger brother.

From the age of six, after his brother was born, his father and stepmother had drilled into him that he must protect his brother. Thus, for ten years, except for when he was working, Xie Yunqing was almost never away from his brother’s side. Even his studies could only happen after his brother had fallen asleep.

His brother was naturally mischievous and often clashed with other children in the village. Taking a beating or getting injured on his brother’s behalf became a daily occurrence for Xie Yunqing. Moreover, after returning home, he was sometimes scolded by his father and stepmother for not looking after his brother well enough.

Over time, Xie Yunqing had simply grown used to stepping forward whenever a fist was raised. Furthermore, strictly speaking, he felt he had brought trouble upon Pei Xuan this time, so protecting him felt even more like a matter of course.

“Of course I have to thank you!” Pei Xuan’s eyes widened. “You have no idea—this is the first time anyone has ever rushed out to protect me during a fight!”

He didn’t forget to take a jab at Cui Ji: “Unlike him! Every time he sees me fighting, he’s the first one to run away!”

Cui Ji crossed his arms and gave a cold laugh. “And what else should I do? Should I get beaten up alongside you for a mess you caused?”

“Who says I was getting beaten up!” Pei Xuan protested. “I was clearly holding my own every time!”

“But yesterday…” Xie Yunqing grew more confused. “I was the one who involved you…”

“Involved? If we’re talking about that, it’s the other way around. That brat Yu Chen was entirely aiming for me.” Pei Xuan’s voice grew louder, sounding a bit huffy. “Ever since that kid was recognized by the Yu clan, he’s found a reason to pick a fight every time he sees me. He forces me to argue with him, and like yesterday, it’s not the first time it’s turned into a brawl.”

He paused, looking a bit puzzled. “To be honest, I don’t get it. Every time we fight, his father takes him back and gives him a severe lesson. Sometimes he’s even dragged before my brother to apologize. Yet even so, he hasn’t changed a bit.”

“This time is the same. I heard before you woke up that Yu Chen was disciplined by his father again last night—apparently, he had to kneel for the entire night. Who knows if he’ll go to my brother today.” At this point, Pei Xuan actually sounded a bit sympathetic. “Sigh, I really don’t know what he’s thinking. It’s like he’s looking for ways to make himself suffer.”

Xie Yunqing was still in a state of bewilderment himself, so he naturally found it hard to comment on Yu Chen’s behavior. However, at the mention of Pei Xuan’s brother, the Chancellor, he had a slight reaction. His lips moved: “Then… the Chancellor…”

Xie Yunqing couldn’t finish the sentence. But Cui Ji understood immediately and reassured him, “You needn’t be afraid. The Chancellor won’t return to the Pei Residence unless it’s his day off. You can stay here and recover from your injury in peace for the next few days.”

Xie Yunqing was stunned, then nodded slightly. Being in contact with Pei Xuan and coming to this residence was already enough to fill him with panic. He dared not imagine how he would cope if he actually met Chancellor Pei.

“Oh! So you’re afraid of my brother too!” Pei Xuan felt like he had found a kindred spirit; his grip on Xie Yunqing’s wrist tightened. “Actually, I’m quite afraid of him too!”

After saying this, he seemed to realize it was inappropriate and tried to smooth it over. “But don’t just listen to what others say about how he’s cold or heartless. Actually, he… actually he…”

Pei Xuan hesitated for a long time, unable to think of any specific words to fix the image. Finally, he gave a dry laugh and forced a “good person” label onto his brother: “Actually, my brother is quite a good person… haha.”

Cui Ji didn’t bother helping him out. The atmosphere was about to turn awkward when the door opened from the outside. It was Mother Qin, who had just fed Xie Yunqing his medicine.

“Greetings to the two young masters. The Dowager has heard that the young Master Xie has awakened and wishes to come and see him.”