In the inn's double room, Tang San lay on the small bed farther inside. His face was still as pale as paper, and the wound in his chest throbbed faintly, every breath tugging at it with discomfort.
He had been woken by the sound of light footsteps. He opened his heavy eyelids and saw Fu Qin sitting on a chair beside the bed.
His fingertips rubbed over the nine refined throwing knives, his eyes tinged with worry. Xiao Wu was crouched by the bed, wiping his forehead with a warm towel.
"Fu Qin, Xiao Wu..." Tang San's voice was hoarse and dry, weak from just waking up, but a warm current welled up inside him.
After being reborn, he had thought that his wife, Xiao Wu, was the only one who truly cared about him. But now it seemed that Xiao Wu wasn't the only one who could treat him well. There was also Fu Qin.
After all, Fu Qin had followed at his heels since childhood. Even now, with such astonishing talent, he was still willing to stay by Tang San's side.
Even when Tang San was injured, Fu Qin had stayed right there, guarding him without leaving.
This brotherly loyalty moved him deeply.
He looked at Xiao Wu, his eyes full of tenderness.
The young woman before him wore a pale pink undershirt, her long hair loosely tied up, with a few stray strands falling beside her cheeks.
Her skin was as white as snow beneath the moonlight, and her bright, limpid almond eyes were full of concern as she watched him. She was just like the considerate, gentle wife he had known in his previous life.
"Xiao Wu, you've worked hard." Tang San smiled weakly, his voice full of dependence.
A flicker of disdain flashed through Xiao Wu's eyes, then vanished beneath a tender expression.
She raised a hand to smooth the stray hairs from Tang San's forehead. Her voice was so soft and sweet it could melt a heart. "Third Brother, what are you saying? We're family. Of course I should take care of you."
Her fingers brushed lightly over Tang San's cheek, her touch so tender it was almost unbelievable. Only she knew how disgusted she was by that face.
Before her rebirth, she had accompanied Tang San through countless trials and tribulations, become his wife, and given him everything. Yet in the end, all she had received was endless loneliness in the Divine Realm and his ambiguous entanglements with other women.
In this life, she had seen Tang San for what he really was.
A selfish, hypocritical man who frequented brothels. Where was the deep devotion he had shown in his previous life?
If she weren't trying to avoid arousing suspicion, even looking at him would make her sick.
"Fu Qin, you've been busy all day too. Take a break. I'll handle the medicine." Xiao Wu turned to Fu Qin, her gaze instantly turning tender as water—a stark contrast to the perfunctory way she had treated Tang San.
Her eyes held a love so intense it seemed impossible to dissolve, as though she wanted to lock Fu Qin deep inside her heart.
Fu Qin nodded, though he felt a little helpless.
He had already seen Xiao Wu's actions clearly through the panel.
Earlier, while preparing the medicine downstairs, she had secretly added a generous amount of Sleep-Inducing Grass extract to the pot without hesitation.
At that dosage, even a thousand-year-old Soul Beast could sleep for an entire day and night.
Tsk, what a little devil. Fu Qin chuckled to himself, yet found this side of Xiao Wu especially charming.
After being reborn, Xiao Wu had shed the innocence of her previous life and gained a streak of ruthlessness and abandon. In particular, her unreserved passion and dependence whenever she was with him made her impossible to resist.
Xiao Wu carried the freshly prepared medicine into the room, its fragrance filling the air and covering the faint bitterness of the Sleep-Inducing Grass.
She sat beside the bed, scooped up a spoonful, and blew on it before bringing it to Tang San's lips. Her voice was so gentle it could drown a person in sweetness.
"Third Brother, the medicine's ready. It's a little hot, so drink slowly."
Tang San felt even warmer inside. He obediently opened his mouth and drank the medicine one spoonful at a time.
He had no idea that this bowl of medicine, which seemed so full of concern, hid Xiao Wu's scheme.
After finishing the bowl, Tang San felt warm all over, but his eyelids grew heavier and heavier. A powerful wave of drowsiness swept over him. He smiled at Xiao Wu and Fu Qin.
"Xiao Wu, it's... it's a good thing I have you..."
Before Tang San could finish speaking,
his head tilted to one side, and he fell asleep.
Seeing that Tang San was thoroughly asleep, Xiao Wu's tender expression vanished in an instant, replaced by a playful look and a hint of calculation.
She quickly got up and shut every door and window, then carefully slid the bolt into place to make sure no one would disturb them.
When she was done, she turned to Fu Qin, a hint of Charm in her eyes.
"Little Brother Fu Qin~~" Xiao Wu's voice was coy and sweet.
She hurried over to him, looped both arms around his neck, and pressed her body tightly against his.
Her warm breath brushed against his ear, making it itch.
Before Fu Qin could react,
Xiao Wu rose onto her tiptoes and kissed his lips.
At the same time, she rolled a cool candy into his mouth with her tongue.
The candy melted as soon as it entered his mouth. A scorching warmth spread down his throat in an instant, surging into every part of his body.
Fu Qin's heart jolted. He could feel his blood and qi boiling in an instant, and an uncontrollable heat rose inside him, rushing straight to his head.
"Sister Xiao Wu, this candy tastes great. Can I have it often from now on?" he asked her, his eyes tinged with playfulness.
Of course.
It was all an act.
To deal with a girl like Xiao Wu, who had suffered a devastating betrayal, he didn't need to assert his masculine dominance. Instead, he needed to take the weaker person's position and use a vulnerable attitude to occupy her desperately empty heart.
A sly smile tugged at Xiao Wu's lips.
She slipped off her covering clothes, revealing her shapely figure.
Her skin was as white as jade, and her curves were graceful and alluring.
Her waist was slender, her legs long, and every inch of her radiated deadly temptation.
"Don't worry, little brother Fu Qin. As long as you want, Sister's candy will be for you alone from now on."
"Hehe, then I'll have to thank Sister Xiao Wu. If it's candy from you, I'll never turn it down."
But before he could finish speaking,
Xiao Wu pressed a hand over his lips and buried her face against his chest.
"Don't worry, little brother Fu Qin. Sister Xiao Wu will always be yours. No one can take me away."
The room's temperature rose in an instant, and the lamplight wavered.
The next day.
Morning.
The sun had already risen. Apart from Tang San and the small bed beneath him, there wasn't a single spot in the room where one could set foot.
The Heaven's Favored One, Tang San, was finally roused by the somewhat noisy commotion outside.
But before he could open his eyes, quick as a flash, Xiao Wu hurled a scattered low-heeled boot at his head.
"Bang!"
Tang San had only just begun to recover his senses, but the next second, he fainted again.
A bright red lump had already risen on his forehead.
Seeing this, Fu Qin could only marvel at the sight.
"Sister Xiao Wu, what was that just now...?"
"Ugh... Of course I was lulling your Third Brother back to sleep."