Ye Xi was fine, of course. She dared to stay alone in this eerie environment both because she trusted Ye Tan and because her self-defense skills were quite good. Ye Tan hadn’t taught her proper medical techniques, but she had seriously taught her how to break and shatter bones.
The essential requirement for breaking and shattering bones was immense strength, and Ye Xi happened to have had superhuman strength since childhood.
Not to mention, the mountains weren’t just home to snakes—Ye Tan had taught her how to deal with more than that.
If Xiong Xin had been smarter and seen through Ye Xi’s lack of speed early on, Ye Xi might have been scared. After all, Ye Tan had said her strength was her advantage, but her agility was lacking.
Now, the one in real trouble was Xiong Xin. Ye Xi had originally wanted to find something gentler than an aluminum broom, like the soft cotton-and-cloth stick she used to favor—it could absorb some of the force.
But Xiong Xin had made her feel pain first, so of course, Ye Xi had to make her hurt twice as much in return. She just hadn’t expected Xiong Xin to know Shen Mingjin.
Ye Xi could clearly see the concern in Shen Mingjin’s eyes, and she also glimpsed Xiong Xin’s hand dangling limply from the broken bone. She felt a bit guilty. “Sister, I’m fine.”
Seeing no trace of fear on Ye Xi’s face, Shen Mingjin finally released her. “As long as you’re okay.”
Shen Mingjin had been about to rest when she sensed demonic power fluctuations here. Worried that something had happened to Ye Xi, she had come over.
The General Bureau’s jurisdiction was too vast, and the demon population was enormous.
Not all demons felt gratitude toward the Ye Clan—especially the younger ones who hadn’t lived through the Ye Clan’s heyday. They hadn’t received much favor from the Ye Clan and had long harbored resentment toward Ye Tan, a human wielding such immense power.
The chance that they would harm Ye Xi was high, but Shen Mingjin seemed to have underestimated her a bit.
That made sense, though. Since Ye Tan dared to send Ye Xi here to Half-Mountain Spirit Garden—full of half-demons—without telling her anything, Ye Xi definitely had strong self-protection abilities.
Ye Xi didn’t know Shen Mingjin was secretly relieved that she had such brute strength. She was still thinking about how Xiong Xin knew Shen Mingjin.
Her gaze lingered on that broken hand, unease growing in her heart. “Sister, your friend broke into my home and hit me first—that’s why I fought back.”
“She hit you?!”
Unexpectedly, Shen Mingjin didn’t check on Xiong Xin. Her gaze swept over Ye Xi, and when she saw the deep red finger marks on Ye Xi’s shoulder, clear anger and coldness flashed in her eyes. She glanced at Xiong Xin. “You hit her too?”
Shen Mingjin’s voice wasn’t as gentle as usual; it was laced with anger and had deepened.
Xiong Xin hadn’t spoken since Shen Mingjin appeared in the living room. Her earlier ferocity and rage had vanished.
She hugged the girl with her good arm and mumbled softly, “Miss Mingjin, Xiaoxiao is sick. I just wanted her to give Xiaoxiao some medicine… I just pinched her lightly.”
Shen Mingjin’s gaze fixed on Xiong Xin’s broad hand. “Have you forgotten your place? Weren’t you afraid you’d crush her bones?”
Ye Xi sensed something off. Xiong Xin and Shen Mingjin didn’t seem like friends. Xiong Xin spoke to Shen Mingjin very cautiously, with her head bowed submissively—completely different from before. She even called her “Miss Mingjin,” which gave Ye Xi the illusion that Xiong Xin was Shen Mingjin’s servant.
Shen Mingjin hadn’t checked on Xiong Xin’s broken hand first; her gaze had prioritized Ye Xi and even sparked anger upon seeing her injury.
It seemed that, to Shen Mingjin, Ye Xi—who she’d known for just a few days—was more important than Xiong Xin, whom she’d known for much longer.
Due to special circumstances, Ye Xi had only one relative and no close friends. Aside from Ye Tan, no one had ever placed her in such an important position.
The thought that she might be more important to Shen Mingjin made her heart pound like a rapid drumbeat again. She greedily stared at Shen Mingjin, wanting to etch that emotion—born because of her—onto her memory.
Ye Xi stroked her chest and secretly exhaled, calming her excited heart before tentatively asking, “Sister, are you angry?”
Shen Mingjin was indeed furious. Seeing the injuries on Ye Xi and Xiong Xin, she could easily guess what had happened.
The demon clan renowned for brute strength was the Bear Clan, and Xiong Xin was half bear demon. Though her demonic power was weaker as a half-demon, her raw strength was no less—in fact, it surpassed some full bear demons.
If Ye Xi hadn’t snapped Xiong Xin’s wrist in time to escape her grasp, her own bones might have been crushed.
Xiong Xin was a half-demon under Shen Minghuan’s jurisdiction, making her a sort of clansman to Shen Mingjin.
Shen Mingjin wasn’t just angry—she felt guilty too.
She reached out, wanting to touch Ye Xi’s shoulder with its obvious finger marks, but stopped short of contact.
Afraid of hurting her, but Ye Xi—understanding her intent—stepped forward. Her shoulder brushed Shen Mingjin’s fingertips, and a sincere smile curved her lips. “Sister, you’re feeling sorry for me.”
Ye Xi was certain of it because the concern in Shen Mingjin’s eyes was nearly overflowing, even reddening the corners.
All of this made Ye Xi a little happy. She liked the feeling of being cared for—something she’d rarely experienced.
Shen Mingjin’s fingertips felt a faint heat—not from the dissipating soothing demonic power or Ye Xi’s rising body temperature, but from the injury reminding her that “it doesn’t hurt” was a lie. “Ye Xi, I’m sorry.”
Ye Xi’s smile froze on her face. She’d almost thought she was more important to Shen Mingjin, but now Shen Mingjin was apologizing to her from Xiong Xin’s perspective.
Ye Xi took half a step back, widening the distance between them. Her smile returned, bright but devoid of warmth. “Sister, it looks like she’s a good friend of yours. Could you ask her why she broke into my home in the middle of the night?”
Shen Mingjin keenly noticed Ye Xi’s smile turn fake, sensing it stemmed from her apology on Xiong Xin’s behalf.
“Ye Xi, she’s a resident of Building Eight—not my friend. Building Eight… the building manager there is my sister’s subordinate, so it falls under my sister’s management. The day I moved in, she came with the manager to help tidy up my place. That’s how we met.”
Shen Mingjin explained in detail—more detail than she knew why she was sharing.
Ye Xi hadn’t expected Shen Mingjin to tell her all this. She wanted to say Shen Mingjin didn’t need to explain, but the words stuck in her throat.
Ye Xi had to admit she was a bit pleased to learn they weren’t close. Her tone lightened considerably. “Sister, I forgot—you don’t have friends.”
The long-silent Xiong Xin suddenly looked up and challenged Ye Xi. “You seem pretty happy that Miss Mingjin has no friends!”
The sharp dissatisfaction hit her ears, and Ye Xi realized “no friends” wasn’t a compliment.
Afraid Shen Mingjin would misunderstand, she hurriedly said, “Sister, I didn’t mean it that way. I… I can be your friend.”
Ye Xi looked at Shen Mingjin expectantly, waiting for her to acknowledge her as a friend.
Shen Mingjin didn’t respond or refuse.
Her expression was complicated as she looked at Ye Xi, hesitation filling her eyes.
Ye Xi didn’t press her. She hid her expectations, her smile growing even brighter, and lightly changed the subject. “Sister, you just said Building Eight is under your sister’s management. Does that mean Half-Mountain Spirit Garden is your family’s property?”
