After Transmigrating into a Book as Cannon Fodder, I Pampered the Villain - Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Giving a Gift

Jiang Li shrunk her neck into her collar. She couldn’t be blamed for being nosy; she had truly never seen her Master act so out of character. Buying a gift? Just how much merit had Bai Xiao and Duan Ning earned? That didn’t seem right plenty of people had performed great feats in the past, and while the Master was never stingy with rewards, those were always “bestowals” of treasures, not “gifts.”

Did those two sneakily improve their relationship with the Master behind her back?!

Despite her internal confusion, Jiang Li honestly described her own gift-giving habits. “Bai Xiao likes fluffy spirit beasts, so I usually look for rare ones to give her. As for Duan Ning, she only cares about blades; she has no interest in anything else. Her collection is countless, so if I can’t find a suitable saber, I send her rare materials for smithing.”

“I see… so the point is to choose something they personally like,” Yan Huaixi murmured to herself.

“Exactly.” After all, a gift should be something the recipient enjoys. If a perfect fit couldn’t be found, the sentiment mattered most—though for someone like the Master, obtaining such treasures was as easy as flipping a hand.

“Then… what does she like?”

She?

Jiang Li, head bowed, was stunned. The “she” the Master referred to clearly wasn’t Bai Xiao or Duan Ning she had just addressed their preferences. Yan Huaixi’s gaze drifted toward Yu Yingxia’s room. The answer was self-evident.

Jiang Li suddenly felt a wave of relief. She knew those two hadn’t suddenly saved the world; the Master just wanted to buy a gift for Yu Yingxia!

“Is the Master looking for a gift for Guardian Yu?”

Yan Huaixi glanced at her. Once she was sure Jiang Li didn’t have any strange expressions on her face, she nodded.

“If I remember correctly, Guardian Yu likes anything that’s a ‘good item.’ Magic artifacts, spirit treasures—anything like that. She’d likely be thrilled with whatever you give her,” Jiang Li suggested.

“You seem to know her well.” Yan Huaixi remembered she hadn’t let Jiang Li involve herself with the affairs of the Longevity Sect.

“That… I only heard things from others,” Jiang Li said, wanting to slap her own mouth for letting it slip.

The Longevity Sect was a hornet’s nest. The Master had planned for the worst, developing her external forces secretly to ensure a clean escape if needed. But the subordinates couldn’t help but worry about their Master. Those who had contact with the Sect would return cursing everyone there, and the name “Yu Yingxia” accounted for about 40% of those curses.

Greedy, power-hungry, sycophantic, two-faced—there were no good words for her.

“Useless suggestions. Go relay the orders I gave for those two; I need to think about this matter properly.” Yan Huaixi waved her hand, dismissing Jiang Li.

“Yes, Master.” How is it useless? Isn’t that exactly how Guardian Yu is? Jiang Li sighed. The Master was hard to read, and now, even Guardian Yu was becoming an enigma.

Yan Huaixi pondered. The “old” Yu Yingxia was indeed like that; a single treasure would make her happy for days. But the person in front of her had changed.

What did the current Yu Yingxia like?

Looking back at their recent time together, Yingxia’s emotions were always restrained and controlled. Aside from the cultivation manual, she had never asked for anything. Manuals were the foundation of a cultivator’s life, so her joy there was natural and unrelated to personal hobbies.

…For some reason, Yan Huaixi thought back to the images the Blood Butterfly had sent her. Yu Yingxia was a skilled artist with a style unlike any she had ever seen. The person in the drawings was lifelike, the scenes intimate and lingering.

An artist must be fully devoted to the subject of their work to capture such a soul. That meant, at that moment, Yingxia’s mind was full of her.

Why am I thinking about that again! Yan Huaixi pressed her hand to her forehead. I can’t exactly wrap myself up as a gift, can I? She was just trying to find an apology gift; she needed to stop overthinking and forget those drawings!

Because Yingxia had suffered under her suspicion, Yan had decided to let the “scandalous drawings” slide. However, she resolved to lecture Yingxia later: she was free to draw what she liked, but she was not allowed to draw her into them!

Thump! A muffled sound suddenly came from Yingxia’s room. Without a second thought, Yan Huaixi vanished and reappeared in the room. Yingxia had fallen from the bed, her forehead striking the corner of the nightstand.

A red mark bloomed on her brow. It looked like a hard hit; Yingxia’s eyes filled with involuntary tears, making her look utterly pitiful. She went to wipe them away, only to see a blur of red in her hazy vision. The next second, she was enveloped by a faint, elegant fragrance.

She was lifted into the air. Startled, Yingxia instinctively wrapped her arms around Yan Huaixi’s neck.

“Are you a child? How do you manage to fall off a bed?” Yan’s tone wasn’t warm, but her movements were incredibly gentle.

“I just… I noticed the hairpin you gave me was gone and wanted to look for it. My legs were weaker than I thought, and I lost my balance,” Yingxia murmured softly, secretly wiping her eyes. It was embarrassing.

Yan Huaixi pretended not to see the tears. She thinned her lips and explained, “I forgot to tell you—that hairpin fell and shattered.”

“Shattered?” Yingxia felt a pang of something she couldn’t name. She knew the hairpin’s true purpose—it was one of Yan’s ways of spying on her. She wondered if Yan would replace it with a new method of surveillance.

Yingxia lowered her head, her long hair falling forward and obscuring her face from Yan’s view.

“If… if you liked it, I’ll give you a new one,” Yan said, reaching out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind Yingxia’s ear.

When Yingxia looked up, the anxiety in her eyes had been tucked away. She tilted her head slightly, and by chance, her cheek pressed into Yan’s palm. She looked like a soft, harmless little rabbit nuzzling its owner.

“Thank you, Master.”

Jiang Li, who had been called over to check Yingxia’s head, stopped at the open doorway and gasped. Is this how Yu Yingxia coaxes the Master? She’s even more well-behaved than Bai Xiao’s pet cat! So the Master has a weakness for this?!

I definitely can’t pull that off!

The bump on the forehead was significant. Jiang Li applied a cooling ointment that quickly dulled the pain and dizziness. Once the medicine was on, Yingxia noticed Yan Huaixi was no longer in the room. She felt she could finally relax.

But as she exhaled, she noticed something new on the nightstand by her bed. The sharp corners were now wrapped in a soft, transparent material.

“The Master was afraid you’d hit yourself again, so before she left, she wrapped the edges in Spirit Dragon skin. Now it won’t hurt even if you bump into it,” Jiang Li said, her voice dripping with complex emotions.

If the Master hadn’t threatened her life, Jiang Li would have sprinted back to her comrades to gossip. This is what they mean by a ‘femme fatale’ ruining a ruler, right? Look at what she’s turned the Master into!

Buying gifts, baby-proofing the furniture… she never dreamed she’d see such a tender, thoughtful side of her Master.

“The Master did this…?” There were only three people in the cottage. Jiang Li had been busy with the medicine; only Yan Huaixi had the time to “baby-proof” the desk.

Yingxia’s expression grew complicated. Yan Huaixi was dangerous, yet she constantly showed these flashes of tenderness. Every time Yingxia was terrified by a death threat, Yan would offer a “sweet date” to soothe her. And just when Yingxia let her guard down, Yan would drop her back into an ice cellar.

Yingxia felt her heart aching at this rate, she was going to develop a real heart condition.

Forget it, overthinking is useless. Cultivate first. She wanted to live. With Yan Zheng out there, only strength could protect her. As for Yan Huaixi… she’d just have to keep “coaxing” her carefully.

“Dr. Jiang, have you checked the Master’s injuries?” Yingxia asked as Jiang Li packed her bag.

“I have. Her wounds were deep, which is why they haven’t fully healed yet. That little girl from the Tianqiu Sect is truly formidable,” Jiang Li sighed. She had never seen the Master so battered. Fang Yuetong’s genius was well-known, but no one expected her to wound the Master this badly. “The medicine the Master was using before was too low-grade. I’ve replaced her topical meds, so she should recover faster.”

“What about her internal medicine?” Yingxia noted that Jiang Li only mentioned the ointments. The spirit herbs she had scavenged for Yan were low-tier; those should be replaced too.

At this, Jiang Li sighed even louder. “You know the Master she hates the taste of medicine. I haven’t been able to completely mask the scent in the new pills yet. Plus, after being ‘forced’ to taste medicine for the past few days, she’s in a foul mood and refuses to take it.”

“Forced to taste it?” Yingxia was confused. Who could force Yan Huaixi to do anything? And why would someone just “taste” it without swallowing?

“Ahem…” Jiang Li awkwardly avoided Yingxia’s innocent gaze. She remembered the Master’s lips, which hadn’t looked “normal” for days. She hadn’t seen what happened in the room, but she could guess.

It was a miracle Yu Yingxia was still alive. It also spoke volumes about her position in the Master’s heart.

Yingxia tried to pry for details, but Jiang Li, fearing for her life, refused to say a word.

“So the Master hasn’t been taking her medicine? She’s more stubborn than a child,” Yingxia fretted. Yan might look fine, but her internal injuries were definitely still there.

Jiang Li gasped and lunged forward to cover Yingxia’s mouth. “Don’t say such things! The Master hasn’t even left the house yet!”

If the Master wanted to listen, not a single word in this house was a secret. Calling the Master more stubborn than a child? Does she have a death wish?! Don’t drag me down with you!

Yingxia had spent so much time outwitting Yan regarding her own medicine that complaining like this had become a habit. She hadn’t realized how much she was scaring Jiang Li.

“It’s fine. The Master won’t get angry,” Yingxia laughed.

“How is that possible?” Jiang Li didn’t believe it. The Master was not a lenient person. If she caught someone talking behind her back, she’d bury them in the garden.

“Relax, I’ve said it to her face before,” Yingxia patted her shoulder.

Jiang Li was speechless. Really? The Master really doesn’t care that you say she’s worse than a kid? She decided not to test that theory with her own life.

“Still, she has to take her medicine. Dr. Jiang, come with me.” Yingxia slowly climbed out of bed, waiting for her shaky legs to stabilize before walking. Jiang Li immediately supported her.

“Where are we going?”

“To the kitchen. My hands are a bit weak, so I need you to be my assistant.”

“The kitchen?” Curiously, Jiang Li followed. She wanted to see what “secret weapon” could make the Master take her medicine.

She watched as the infamous, “wicked” Yu Yingxia began to boil water. Amidst the steam, Jiang Li actually saw a flash of “gentle and virtuous” in her! Even with the plain disguise, those peach-blossom eyes shimmered with a heart-tugging warmth.

Jiang Li shook her head and resigned herself to stoking the fire.

Eventually, Yingxia finished making a pot of sweet soup and had Jiang Li chill it with a spell. “The Master likes this. Take a bowl to her and tell her she can only have it after she takes her medicine.” Yingxia placed the bowl in Jiang Li’s hands.

Jiang Li nearly dropped it as she recoiled two steps. “Guardian Yu! We have no grievances! I even saved your life! You can’t set me up like this!”

Asking me to threaten the Master? I don’t have enough lives for that! The Master hated being threatened more than anything. The last person who tried didn’t even leave a corpse.

“Go on, tell her yourself if you’re so brave!”

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