Chapter 25: Contract: Overly Obvious Favoritism Part 1

Before Ye Xi could get up to open the door, pale moonlight-colored thick smoke seeped in through the door crack, gradually gathering into a tiny figure.

It was a little girl around five years old, with ink-black eyes like obsidian blinking slowly, emitting a faint glow. Two pink floppy rabbit ears protruded from the top of her head. How could Ye Xi not guess that the little girl before her was a rabbit demon?

She looked very small, her round chubby face carrying no intimidating presence.

Though the little rabbit in front of her did not seem like a violent demon, Ye Xi still scooted closer to Shen Mingjin, instinctively drawing near the demon who made her feel safer. Who asked this little rabbit demon to barge into her home through the door crack uninvited?

This behavior reminded Ye Xi of Xiong Xin, who had similarly slipped in through the door crack without waiting for her to open it.

It seemed these demons all lacked manners.

Of course, Shen Mingjin was the exception.

You Nian was a bit more polite than Xiong Xin. After bursting into Ye Xi’s home, she bowed slightly toward Ye Xi. “Hello, Physician Ye. I’m You Nian.”

Her attitude was respectful and humble, and the tone she used to speak to Ye Xi was pleasant, completely devoid of the ferocity Xiong Xin had shown at their first meeting.

Ye Xi mentally gave the seemingly young rabbit spirit some points. Before she could respond, the little rabbit spotted Shen Mingjin sitting on the sofa. Her slender body stiffened for an instant, and she instinctively shuffled toward the door.

Seeing that the little rabbit was about to usher herself out, Ye Xi hurriedly called out to her. “Is there something you need?”

You Nian’s little feet, which had been inching outward, stopped. She cast a wary glance at Shen Mingjin, then skirted along the wall in a wide arc to sidle up to Ye Xi. “Physician Ye, didn’t Vice Director Qin tell you to stay away from the snake across the hall? Snakes eat rabbits.”

Out of instinct, Ye Xi’s gaze flicked toward Shen Mingjin at her side.

Shen Mingjin sat quietly on the sofa. Perhaps afraid her snake blood aura would frighten You Nian, she hadn’t moved since the little rabbit appeared.

Shen Mingjin was clearly a very considerate snake who always put others’ feelings first.

She wouldn’t eat rabbits. If anything, she might get bitten by one in return.

Ye Xi withdrew her gaze and said to You Nian very seriously, “Little sister, I still think you’re the scary one for showing up uninvited.”

“Me?” You Nian looked at Ye Xi in disbelief, her pupils dilating sharply. “Physician Ye, but we have a contract. I’m on your side.”

The little rabbit’s round almond eyes resembled two huge rubies. As they widened more and more, they looked ready to tumble out of their sockets. Ye Xi suppressed the urge to reach out and catch the rabbit’s eyeballs, pretending to be solemn as she asked, “What contract?”

“You know… the physician contract.” You Nian’s plump, cute little face scrunched up. She extended a delicate finger to point at Shen Mingjin, then quickly retracted it. “That snake already told you, right? Every Ye family member signs a contract with a demon to exchange for partial body demonization for cultivation. I’m the demon you signed with.”

Ye Xi grasped the key information at once. “You were eavesdropping.”

You Nian guiltily shuffled back a step. She pointed at the Pink Fur Rabbit Doll. “Physician Ye, look how much I resemble your demon body vessel.”

She wanted to use this to declare to Ye Xi that they were allies and that her eavesdropping on Ye Xi and Shen Mingjin’s conversation was harmless. But Ye Xi’s attention was no longer on You Nian.

After dealing with You Nian, Ye Xi immediately turned to Shen Mingjin.

Hearing You Nian muttering beside her, she asked absentmindedly, “You Nian, how old are you?”

“Six and a half.”

“Six and a half?”

Ye Xi had originally thought You Nian just looked small for her age, but it turned out her actual age was very young.

Even someone as clueless as Ye Xi knew that cultivation required time.

No matter how talented You Nian was, her age limited her power.

This six-and-a-half-year-old little rabbit demon had actually evaded a great demon’s perception and eavesdropped on their entire conversation outside. It seemed Shen Mingjin’s condition was even worse than Ye Xi had imagined.

Concern crept into Ye Xi’s gaze toward Shen Mingjin. She wasn’t stupid. From what Shen Mingjin had just said, demons who had exclusive dolls at the General Hospital were all top-tier powerhouses. It was easy to deduce that Shen Mingjin, who had an exclusive snake body doll, should originally have possessed tremendous demon power.

Yet Shen Mingjin’s current demon power was even weaker than this little rabbit’s.

Since the Demon Clans revered the strong and abandoned weak half-demons, how much scorn must a powerless great demon endure? How many demons would kick her while she was down?

Ye Xi didn’t need to think deeply about it. A pureblood full demon with intact lineage had moved into Half-Mountain Spirit Garden, which the General Bureau provided for weak half-demons and disabled demons. Even if Shen Mingjin had moved in willingly, there must have been plenty of mocking voices pushing her.

Demons of the Embracing Snow Clan might still hesitate due to her status as the clan leader’s younger sister, but other clans wouldn’t.

The little rabbit before her was the best proof.

You Nian kept saying snakes ate rabbits, yet she had barged in while Shen Mingjin was still there.

You Nian’s earlier retreat seemed more like an instinctive bloodline fear of snakes rather than personal fear of Shen Mingjin. Otherwise, she wouldn’t dare sit on this sofa occupied by a snake.

Ye Xi looked at Shen Mingjin sitting primly on the sofa and seemed to see another Shen Mingjin mocked and ridiculed by weak demons.

A dense pain surged in her chest again, like countless silver needles stealthily pricking her heart, the blood seeping from the needle points dark red and scalding hot, like magma that could melt flesh.

Her heart ached for Shen Mingjin.

Not sympathy.

But genuine, piercing pain.

In that moment, Ye Xi felt as if she had touched the pain beneath Shen Mingjin’s scars.

The affection Ye Xi had been trying so hard to suppress in her heart did not weaken. Instead, it surged stronger as she glimpsed more of Shen Mingjin’s secrets.

Shen Mingjin’s gaze did not meet Ye Xi’s, nor did she see the full heartache in Ye Xi’s eyes. From the moment she heard You Nian was Ye Xi’s contract beast, her attention had shifted entirely to You Nian. “You’re only six and a half. How could you be Ye Xi’s contract demon?”

“That’s none of your business.”

Rabbits and snakes were natural enemies.

You Nian had no intention of answering Shen Mingjin politely.

Ye Xi didn’t like the tone You Nian used with Shen Mingjin. She turned, reached out, and poked the little rabbit’s forehead hard. “Since you’re here for me, I should be able to manage you, right?”

Her gaze fixed on the little rabbit, her body leaning toward Shen Mingjin, her stance blatantly biased. “What big sister asked is also what I want to know.”

Ye Xi smiled at You Nian, her bright, radiant smile like warm sunshine, making You Nian instinctively want to pounce into her arms.

Before You Nian could pounce, she glimpsed Ye Xi’s body nearly leaning into Shen Mingjin’s embrace. She pouted. “Physician Ye, you’re too close to that snake.”

“Is that so?”

Ye Xi responded casually and shifted back a little.

She directly nestled into Shen Mingjin’s embrace, certain that Shen Mingjin wouldn’t embarrass her in front of an outsider.

Shen Mingjin indeed did not. Not only because You Nian was there, but also because she enjoyed being the important choice.

The quietly rising greed made her sit still on the sofa, synchronously scrutinizing You Nian with Ye Xi.

Seeing Ye Xi ignore her and even protect her natural enemy like this, You Nian’s grievance reached its peak.

Her eyes quickly reddened around the edges, her fair skin flushing pink, her little rabbit mouth flattening into a tight line. “Wah… You’re bullying your contract demon for a snake. And I even obediently cleaned your house these past few days.”

“You cleaned my house?”

“Yeah.” You Nian pointed at the pristine long-pile carpet in the living room. “Without my demon power supporting it, how could it still look brand new?”

“…”

Ye Xi had always thought the carpet had self-cleaning properties.

You Nian was still very young after all. Seeing that Ye Xi showed no concern even after she listed her contributions, her fake crying turned into real sobs. “Physician Ye, you’re even worse than You Xi Shan.”

The little rabbit’s eyes gradually swelled red, looking more and more pitiful.

Whether Ye Xi pitied tears depended on her mood. She was willing to accommodate those around her, but that didn’t include this little rabbit she had just met.

She reached out and pinched the little rabbit’s mouth, forcing it shut. “Stop crying first. Tell me, what exactly is your identity? What are you here for?”

You Nian broke free from Ye Xi’s hand, sobbing. “I’m just your contract demon.”

The seemingly docile and cute little rabbit was not obedient at all, full of lies and with quite a temper.

Ye Xi looked at You Nian, who insisted on clinging to her, and couldn’t help poking her forehead again. Before she could press You Nian for the truth, the quietly seated Shen Mingjin suddenly spoke. “Ye Xi, I know which family she belongs to.”

Hearing Shen Mingjin say this, Ye Xi immediately turned her gaze.

Meeting Ye Xi’s curious eyes, Shen Mingjin said slowly, “You Xi Shan is the current clan leader of the Moon Perch Clan and the highest manager of Building Five in Half-Mountain Spirit Garden. The rain from a few days ago that soothed the heat in your body was his demon power manifested.”

“It wasn’t You Xi Shan!” You Nian, never short on lies, protested indignantly when Shen Mingjin mentioned the rain. “That was Sixth Sister’s rain. How can you credit Sixth Sister’s achievement to You Xi Shan? He lost his Consoling Ability long ago. He can’t even get out of bed now!”

You Nian started out just wanting to clarify, but grew smugger as she spoke, even revealing excitement about You Xi Shan being bedridden.

Shen Mingjin took in her reaction, her fine brows furrowing into a small hill. “If I’m not mistaken, Clan Leader You should be your father. Why do you harbor such malice toward him?”

You Nian: “I’m not wrong. He’s been a useless waste for ages!”

Ye Xi also felt such blatant malice shouldn’t appear in a child, especially directed at her own father.

Were Demon Clans innately heartless? Or was there some hidden story?

Before Ye Xi could come to a conclusion, You Nian suddenly covered her rabbit mouth, her bright eyes filling with pleading. “Can you pretend you didn’t hear that?”

She belatedly realized she had let slip the Moon Perch Clan’s most guarded secret to Ye Xi and Shen Mingjin.

Though the Eleven Demon Clans managed themselves without interference, their leaders often crossed paths at events, secretly competing with occasional friction. Relations weren’t great.

Especially now that the Embracing Snow Clan was led by snake demons, full of ferocious beasts. You Nian’s Moon Perch Clan was led by rabbit demons, mostly fluffy animals like cat demons, dog demons, sheep… Their ancestors had been devoured by ferocious beasts countless times, with blood feuds between the clans.

Now You Nian had told the Embracing Snow Clan’s leader’s younger sister that the Moon Perch Clan’s leader was bedridden. If some malicious demon tried to stir up trouble in their internal affairs, it would be disastrous.

Seeing You Nian change faces at lightspeed, Ye Xi tsked lightly.

As expected of the Demon Clans—even their young ones were full of schemes.

Ye Xi could no longer view You Nian as an ordinary child. She pinched You Nian’s chubby little cheek. “That depends on whether you tell the truth.”

Limited by her age, You Nian’s schemes weren’t enough to fool Ye Xi. Detecting the threat in Ye Xi’s words, she obediently told the truth.

Ye Family Witch Doctors were very special. Contracts were always unilaterally chosen by them from the demons, and once signed, the demon body bloodline linked to the entire clan of the contract demon. This made it easier for the Ye family to treat that demon clan, and the demon clan could supply more demon power to the Ye family.

You Nian truly wasn’t the rabbit demon contracted with Ye Xi. The rabbit demon originally contracted with Ye Xi was You Xi Shan.

The stronger the contract demon and their backing clan, the higher the demon body talents the Ye family member gained from the bloodline exchange.