After Transmigrating into a Book as Cannon Fodder, I Pampered the Villain - Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Teasing

“Look at you, scared out of your wits. Did you run into a ghost out there?” After finishing the soul-soothing incantation, Yan Huaixi spoke with a smile lingering at the corners of her mouth, her hand naturally ruffling the hair on Yingxia’s head.

“Your subordinate didn’t meet a ghost, but it was close enough,” Yingxia replied with a bitter smile. The discomfort in her chest gradually faded under Yan Huaixi’s comfort. Having been used to heart palpitations in her previous life, she didn’t immediately find anything strange about the relief.

First, she was hunted by a Poison Corpse, then she was nearly lunged at by a dead body; her life lately had been one heart-stopping event after another. Her clenched hands were still trembling slightly. Only being near Yan Huaixi brought her a modicum of security, so she indulged the hand that was currently making a mess of her hair.

At least Yan Huaixi’s palm was warmer than that icy corpse.

Yingxia recounted her experience. Although Yan Huaixi had already seen the events through the eyes of her butterfly, she still listened intently to the description.

“It’s just as I thought. One needs to consume exactly nine of those Corpse-Refining Pills. Missing even one causes the transformation into a Living Corpse to fail. Since that child picked up one of his pills, he was destined to become nothing more than a common cadaver.” It was all within Yan Huaixi’s expectations that the man would die, but she hadn’t expected Yingxia to be targeted.

A coincidence? Or a deliberate act?

Yan Huaixi’s gaze deepened. She didn’t plan to share her suspicions until she investigated further, lest the girl be too terrified to sleep at night.

Still wearing a smile, she lightly tapped Yingxia’s head with her knuckle. The force was minimal Yingxia didn’t feel any pain, but she looked up at the woman on the lounge chair with confusion.

“How pathetic. Scared by a body that couldn’t even successfully transform. The children in the Changsheng Sect aren’t even afraid of corpses; you’re worse than a toddler,” Yan Huaixi teased, her tone carrying a hint of laughter that suggested she wasn’t truly disgusted.

Yingxia felt quite wronged. How can you compare us? I’m from a peaceful era where I’ve never even killed a chicken! The children in the Changsheng Sect, especially those who grew up under the first and second-generation Sect Leaders, were all “Little Yamas” capable of slaughter.

She really couldn’t compete.

Yan Huaixi noticed the girl pouting and her internal laughter intensified until she couldn’t help but let out an audible chuckle.

Yingxia had a temper too, so she huffed indignantly in her mind, though she dared not show it on her face.

Yan Huaixi’s laughter accidentally pulled at her wound, causing her to let out a sharp, pained breath. Despite being a “puffed-up pufferfish” a second ago, Yingxia instinctively reached out to check the bad woman’s injury the moment she heard that gasp.

Her check involved parting Yan Huaixi’s collar to see if the bandages were soaked with blood. As long as the wound hadn’t reopened, she wouldn’t need to reapply medicine.

Yan Huaixi narrowed her eyes. Is this Yu Yingxia getting more and more practiced at pulling open my clothes? She used to ask first; now she just dives right in.

Yingxia finished her inspection with singular focus and closed the collar back up. Her mind was entirely on the injury, leaving no room for other thoughts. But when she finished and met those meaningful, dark eyes, a wave of heat surged to her face.

Cough. She was just checking the wound! She didn’t see anything… well, maybe a tiny bit of skin, but she definitely didn’t look at anything she shouldn’t have!

Yingxia widened her eyes, trying to look as innocent and guiltless as possible.

Yan Huaixi’s fingertips brushed Yingxia’s cheek. Due to her illness, her body temperature was always a bit low, making her keenly aware of the heat radiating from Yingxia’s skin.

The smile in Yan Huaixi’s eyes turned intriguing. Her Left Guardian could fake a lot of things, but in moments like this, she always showed cracks—like the temperature of her face, or the shyness in her eyes.

She was curious: In moments like this, what exactly is my Left Guardian thinking?

Full of mischief, Yan Huaixi suddenly placed her hand over Yingxia’s heart while the girl was off-guard. Yingxia, who was crouching, nearly fell backward onto her rear from the shock.

Incredulity flashed in Yingxia’s eyes before she quickly suppressed it. Don’t overthink it. Yan Huaixi doesn’t have feelings for me.

“I saw you clutching your chest when you came in. Does it still hurt?” Yan Huaixi asked with an air of concern that completely masked her wicked intent to tease.

“Thank you for your concern, My Lord. It no longer hurts,” Yingxia bit her lip, immediately reigning in her wandering thoughts.

See? She’s just being a caring boss. Nothing more.

“That’s good. Otherwise, I would have had to call a doctor to prescribe some medicine for you to nourish your body,” Yan Huaixi said, sounding almost disappointed.

Yingxia was caught between anger and amusement. So the Great Villain just wanted someone to suffer through bitter medicine with her? No wonder she was suddenly so “caring.”

I’ve been drinking medicine since I was a child; I’m used to it. Yan Huaixi is going to be disappointed. She called Yingxia “childish,” yet she was the one acting like a child about her prescriptions!

“Thanks to your blessing, My Lord, my health is fine. It’s getting late; I’ll go prepare dinner. Please be careful not to pull your stitches, or your recovery and the time you have to take medicine will be extended.” Yingxia issued a tiny “threat.”

It worked better than anything else. Yan Huaixi snorted and slumped back onto the lounge chair, ceasing her teasing. She hadn’t expected her Left Guardian to have claws, even if the “scratch” didn’t hurt at all.

With the teasing, Yingxia’s fear was completely dissipated. Before heading to the kitchen, she left a note in the sachet for the protagonist, hoping she’d see it soon and handle the Living Corpses.

If that body wasn’t an accident, it meant the mastermind was getting bold. If the “Immortal Pills” spread through the city, the casualties would be catastrophic. Yingxia was powerless; she could only pray for the strong to intervene.

After dinner, Yingxia checked the scar from the Poison Corpse’s claw. Thanks to Fang Yuetong’s medicine, it no longer hindered her writing. After resting for so long, she had to get back to work. Yang Xunzhou was already writing the middle volume; Yingxia needed to finish the illustrations for the first volume quickly.

When Yingxia worked before, Yan Huaixi was usually in a daze or semi-conscious. Now that she was alert, her curiosity was piqued. What exactly was the “Book Sage” having her do?

But every time Yan Huaixi tried to follow her into the study, her Left Guardian would solemnly bring out a mountain of snacks and toys to distract her elsewhere, refusing to let her enter. When Yang Xunzhou visited, she even set up barriers to block divine sense.

Yan Huaixi’s curiosity was reaching a boiling point. What scandalous thing is my Left Guardian doing that she has to keep it from me?

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