After Transmigrating into a Book as Cannon Fodder, I Pampered the Villain - Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Lethargy

Clack.

Yu Yingxia set down her brush and looked out the window with a furrowed brow. The bright moon hung high, illuminating the night, yet it failed to bring any clarity to her heart.

The progress of her work was slow, but that wasn’t the issue. Yang Xunzhou was a wonderful employer; she hadn’t set any deadlines, telling Yingxia to take her time even if it took years. To Yang, cultivation was more important; only by breaking the mortal lifespan limit could Yingxia stay on her “pirate ship” long-term.

Yingxia sighed, only hoping that the protagonists of those books were either too busy or too dignified to read such trashy romance novels. If they ever found out, she’d eventually be dragged down with the author.

As for cultivation, Yang Xunzhou had found some manuals for her. Though they matched her spiritual roots, they were quite ordinary, meaning they would limit her potential.

Yan Huaixi had taken one look at them and tossed them aside, saying she wouldn’t even use such manuals to steady a wobbly table. She told Yingxia to wait—that a suitable manual would be “sent” soon.

Yingxia remembered Yan Huaixi’s expression then; her eyes had been swirling with killing intent. It seemed the villain was dealing with some trouble.

But Yingxia wasn’t in a hurry. You can’t eat hot tofu in one bite, and getting a high-level manual required patience. She had plenty of that.

What actually worried her wasn’t the manual, but the moody Great Villain. It seemed only Yan Huaixi had the power to stress her out to this degree.

She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but ever since she received that Red Jade Butterfly Pin, she had a constant sensation of being watched. It was a skin-crawling, spine-chilling feeling that made restful sleep impossible.

Yang Xunzhou had given her Spirit-Soothing Incense, but Yingxia didn’t dare light it. She was terrified that if she slept too soundly, she wouldn’t wake up if an emergency occurred. Over the last few days, the dark circles under her eyes had deepened, and her exhaustion was becoming impossible to hide.

She suspected the pin. If she hadn’t truly dispelled Yan Huaixi’s suspicions that day, the villain might be using the pin to monitor her.

Yingxia had tried to carefully probe Yan Huaixi, but the response was… strange. She didn’t sense any killing intent or suspicion. Instead, Yan Huaixi would either snort and turn away or say things that were utterly incomprehensible and dripping with sarcasm.

Yingxia was as baffled as she had been when her friend’s black cat used to snub her in her previous life. She didn’t understand the “cat’s” mind.

She even worried if Yan Huaixi had found her “scandalous” drawing. But if that were the case, she’d likely have been chopped into mincemeat to feed the dogs by now, rather than being allowed to linger around.

Crucially, the “chilling” feeling only happened when she was alone; she never felt it when Yan Huaixi was actually present. Am I just becoming hypersensitive? Has my nightmare evolved into full-blown persecution mania?

Late into the night, Yingxia’s head felt heavy and her body felt like lead. She set her sketches aside to dry and cleaned her brushes. She wasn’t in the right state of mind to create; she needed a break.

Knock, knock, knock.

The sudden sound made Yingxia jump, her brush clattering to the floor. With her nerves stretched to the breaking point, her heart hammered against her ribs as if it might leap out of her throat.

“Yu Yingxia?”

It was Yan Huaixi’s voice.

Hearing it, Yingxia immediately relaxed. On a night where it felt like eyes were watching from every shadow, Yan Huaixi’s presence was a solace.

She hurried to open the door. Yan Huaixi stood there, a robe draped over her shoulders. She frowned and glanced into the study. Yingxia remembered the drawings drying on the table and felt a surge of nervous energy.

Fortunately, Yan Huaixi didn’t seem to notice. Her gaze returned to Yingxia.

“What hour is it? Why are you still in the study? Did Yang Xunzhou leave you that much to do?” Yan Huaixi’s tone was thick with displeasure.

Living together, she was the most attuned to Yingxia’s changes. The girl was visibly haggard, looking as though she hadn’t slept in days. Yan Huaixi blamed the “black-hearted” Scribe Sage for overworking her subordinate.

Yan Huaixi still remembered the “drawing” incident. She had intended to give this “bold” subordinate a small lesson, but before she could, the girl had withered into this state.

Our little grievances can wait, but if an outsider dares to bully my subordinate under my nose, I take it as a provocation.

“No, Sister Yang didn’t hurry me. I just… I couldn’t sleep,” Yingxia shook her head.

Hearing the words “Sister Yang,” the softened part of Yan Huaixi’s expression turned back into ice. This subordinate of mine sure has picked up a lot of ‘sisters’ lately. Heh. I haven’t heard her call ME ‘sister’ once.

“Can’t sleep? Then why didn’t you light that incense your ‘Good Sister’ gave you?” Yan Huaixi’s lips curled into a cold arc.

Yingxia was startled. Yan Huaixi even knew about the incense? Did she know everything? Had she said something she shouldn’t have?

“I…” As her mental tension finally snapped, Yingxia felt the world spin. Her legs turned to cotton, and her body collapsed.

The cold smirk on Yan Huaixi’s face vanished instantly. She lunged forward, catching Yingxia in her arms. Ignoring the piercing pain as her own wounds threatened to tear, she carried the unconscious girl straight back to her own bedroom.

She laid her down gently. Yingxia’s face was deathly pale, a cold sweat beading on her forehead. Yan Huaixi felt a surge of regret she should have learned medicine instead of finding it “disgusting” back at the sect. At least then she wouldn’t be helpless.

She sliced a small cut on her hand, and the blood transformed into a butterfly.

“Drop everything and come here the moment you receive this,” she whispered into the butterfly before releasing it.

But she didn’t know when help would arrive. Looking at Yingxia’s pale face, Yan Huaixi threw on a black cloak and stepped into the night.

She “invited” (abducted) the only doctor in Sanxi City with any cultivation knowledge. The old man arrived shaking with terror. Yan Huaixi’s methods were certainly not “righteous,” and he feared for his life. Luckily, after taking her pulse, he realized it wasn’t a dire illness.

“The lady is fine. She simply hasn’t rested for far too long. Her body gave out, and she fell into a deep sleep. Also, she is deficient in Qi and blood. Has she been injured recently?”

Yan Huaixi nodded. “She was.”

“That explains it. Let her sleep. I’ll write a prescription for nourishing her Qi. Give her supplements and rest, and she will recover soon.”

The tension in Yan Huaixi’s brow finally dissipated. Her tone softened. As the doctor finished the prescription, she prepared to send him back “gently,” but her hand was suddenly gripped tight by the sleeping girl.

Yingxia was mumbling in her sleep, her brows knit in a nightmare. Yan Huaixi tried to pull her hand away but failed. Sighing, she used her spiritual power to teleport the old doctor back to his home.

The use of spirit power caused her own wounds to throb, and her face paled slightly.

“Did you hear that? Starting tomorrow, you have to drink medicine too,” Yan Huaixi murmured, her gaze softening.

The girl on the bed trembled, a few blurred syllables escaping her lips. Yan Huaixi leaned down to listen.

“My Lord…” Yingxia murmured with a hint of a sob.

She is calling for me in her dreams?

Yan Huaixi’s hand froze. The voice brushed against her heart like a feather, leaving a ticklish sensation that made her heart melt.

She really knows how to act spoiled in her sleep.

Originally, she had planned to dump Yingxia back in the guest room, but seeing her subordinate so pitiful, she decided to let her stay. Such a “privilege” wouldn’t happen on a normal day.

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