Chapter 41: Enemies: What Do You Think of Ye Xi? Part 1

Not long after the woman’s voice rang out, two figures jumped down from above the laboratory.

Ye Xi recognized both of them.

One was her grandmother Ye Tan, and the other was Shen Mingjin’s aunt, Shen Shuyun.

The relationship between Shen Shuyun and Ye Tan was truly not good. When Shen Shuyun landed, she happened to step on a chunk of Bian Rong’s corpse, and her foot slipped, causing her body to wobble. Ye Tan seized the opportunity to speak up immediately: “How come it didn’t kill you?”

“Besides hoping for my death, can you do anything else? Besides…” Shen Shuyun kicked away the corpse chunk by her foot and stuck out her forked tongue at Ye Tan, her eyes instantly turning into reddish-brown vertical pupils. “Ye Tan, I look much younger than you. If anyone’s dying first, it’s you.”

Shen Shuyun did indeed look very young.

The first time Ye Xi saw Shen Shuyun in Shen Mingjin’s family photo, she had thought Shen Shuyun was the youngest among them all.

From her appearance alone, Shen Shuyun looked like a teenage girl, a budding flower that appeared fresh and tender.

She looked much younger than Ye Tan, but Ye Tan wasn’t old either—this was something Ye Xi had only just noticed. She had never paid attention before, but although Ye Tan’s hair was streaked with white, her face looked only in her thirties.

The current Ye Tan showed no trace of her former refined elegance. Facing Shen Shuyun, she could be considered fierce. Even as they spoke, she suddenly lifted her leg and kicked Shen Shuyun in the knee pit: “I absolutely won’t die until I see you dead.”

Ye Tan didn’t give Shen Shuyun a chance to retaliate. She quickly walked to Ye Xi’s side and reverted to the worried elder concerned for Ye Xi’s safety: “Xiao Xi, are you okay?”

Ye Tan and Shen Shuyun’s arrival was too sudden, leaving no time for Ye Xi and Shen Mingjin to adjust. The two were still locked in a tight embrace. Only when they heard Ye Tan’s question did they panic and hurriedly separate. Ye Tan finally saw clearly who Ye Xi had been hugging, and her face darkened terribly: “Xiao Xi, you’re this close now?”

Shen Shuyun could tell Ye Tan’s dislike for Shen Mingjin: “I say, if you hate me, just hate me properly. No need to take it out on the younger generation here.”

“Shut up!” Ye Tan was nothing like Ye Xi remembered—always fierce toward Shen Shuyun, unable even to speak civilly: “Shen Shuyun, when I’m not talking to you, you should keep your mouth shut.”

Ye Xi had never seen Ye Tan so aggressive. Shen Shuyun, however, seemed accustomed to it. She raised her hand and made a pinching motion over her lips, using exaggerated body language to tell Ye Tan she was shutting up.

Ye Tan couldn’t tell if she was satisfied or not.

She turned her body silently, about to check on Ye Xi, when Shen Shuyun suddenly wobbled over.

Shen Shuyun really didn’t speak again. She simply circled to Shen Mingjin’s side and examined her condition.

As she observed, she subtly lowered her head.

As if satisfied that Shen Mingjin was unharmed.

“Aunt…” Shen Mingjin’s weak call only earned a nod and silence.

Shen Shuyun craned her neck and pointed her finger for Shen Mingjin to see.

Her pinky finger pointed to the left, gesturing for Shen Mingjin to look at Ye Tan—as if complaining to Shen Mingjin about Ye Tan not letting her speak.

Ye Tan was already annoyed at the sight of Shen Shuyun; seeing her little gesture made her even more irritated: “Shen Shuyun, you’re truly insane!”

Shen Shuyun ignored Ye Tan. She grabbed Shen Mingjin’s wrist and continued pointing at her neck, playing the aggrieved and pitiful role.

“Shen Shuyun!”

Ye Tan roughly yanked Shen Shuyun, but Shen Shuyun still didn’t respond. She pointed at her lips, indicating to Ye Tan that she was obediently staying quiet.

She was deliberately giving Ye Tan nowhere to vent her anger.

This lack of any mishap only fueled Ye Tan’s rage further.

Ye Tan glared venomously at Shen Shuyun: “You’d better stay silent forever and be an obedient mute snake.”

This exceeded Ye Xi’s expectations. She hadn’t realized her refined and dignified grandmother had such a sharp side, nor that Shen Shuyun would deliberately provoke Ye Tan, and certainly not that their conflict ran so deep.

She had previously thought their discord wouldn’t affect her interactions with Shen Mingjin, but now she wasn’t so sure.

Ye Tan lacked rationality when facing Shen Shuyun, who kept escalating the tension.

Although Ye Xi had just felt an impulse to distance herself from Shen Mingjin, choosing to stay away voluntarily was different from being forced apart—especially since Ye Xi was conflicted now.

She feared harming Shen Mingjin but was also reluctant to let her go.

Ye Xi tugged at Ye Tan to draw her attention: “Grandma.”

“Xiao Xi.” Ye Tan finally regained some of her usual gentleness with Ye Xi. She looked at her lovingly and carefully checked her body over. Seeing Ye Xi’s injured leg, her eyes reddened slightly: “Xiao Xi, you’ve suffered.”

“Grandma, the evidence.” Ye Xi pointed cutely at You Nian.

You Nian puffed out her chest and strode over proudly. She raised her finger to her eyes: “Vice Director Qin, I saw the entire process of Bian Rong and Qiao Yan’s crimes clearly. They’re too evil—not only did they want to harm Physician Ye, they also killed Physician Ye Lan.”

At the mention of Ye Lan, Ye Tan and Shen Shuyun both turned to You Nian.

Ye Tan’s lips trembled slightly, her reddened eyes growing even redder: “Have you all learned the cause of Lan’er’s death?”

Ye Xi figured it wasn’t convenient for them to view You Nian’s memories right now, so she simply recounted what had happened, omitting the parts about seeing phantoms and Shen Mingjin’s body going out of control to kiss her: “Grandma, there are even more dangerous people behind them.”

“As expected, there’s indeed a conspiracy.”

Ye Tan wasn’t a fool. Although there had been no evidence for so many years, with so many Ye Clan members dying off in just a millennium until their bloodline nearly vanished, there had to be something wrong.

The Demon Clan’s madness from the Hidden Poison was only part of the reason; it couldn’t explain all the deaths. Now knowing there was someone pulling strings behind the scenes made everything fall into place.

Both Shen Shuyun and Ye Tan looked grim. Shen Shuyun grew angrier the more she heard. Though she clashed with Ye Tan, she had no ill feelings toward the Ye Clan members. After hearing the events, she cursed: “Beasts.”

Ye Tan shot Shen Shuyun a sideways glance but didn’t speak immediately.

She wasn’t as furious as Shen Shuyun. What coiled around her was an extreme grief. Suddenly, she walked toward the deceased Feng Xian.

The moment Ye Xi had entered the laboratory, she had noticed this flower leopard and vaguely sensed something familiar about its aura. Only now did she confirm its identity.

Unlike Ye Xi, who had never met Ye Lan, Ye Tan had raised her, watched her grow, fall in love, and thrive…

Ye Tan had deep feelings for Ye Lan.

And for Feng Xian too.

The bad news had come suddenly. It wasn’t just Feng Xian who was unprepared—Ye Tan had been obsessed with uncovering the truth as well.

Now that the truth lay before her, it felt too cruel.

Ye Tan gazed at the flower leopard’s mangled abdomen, deep sorrow welling in her eyes: “I told you, Xiao Xi isn’t Lan’er’s child. Why wouldn’t you believe me? Why did you have to seek an answer? If… if you hadn’t known, would you still be alive?”

“Feng Xian, Auntie still remembers the first time you came to see me with Lan’er, hiding behind her the whole time. I even asked if I was that scary…”

“Yes!” Shen Shuyun interrupted Ye Tan’s grief, affirming her words: “With your temper, it’s no surprise who you scare.”

Ye Tan’s sorrow halted, replaced by anger: “Shen Shuyun! Can’t you be a good mute snake for once!”

“Tch.” Shen Shuyun shrugged and spread her hands: “Ye Tan, you should learn to respect your elders. I’m thousands of years older than you—stop yelling at me all the time.”

Ye Tan ignored Shen Shuyun. She collected Feng Xian’s body separately and didn’t linger in grief, only pausing in silence for a moment.

She returned to Ye Xi’s side and took her hand: “Let’s go. We’ll leave here first and talk outside.”

The laboratory reeked of thick blood, filled everywhere with chunks of flesh and pools of blood—not a place for people to linger.

Ye Xi nodded and naturally extended her hand toward Shen Mingjin: “Sister.”

Seeing Ye Xi’s instinctive action, Ye Tan’s facial muscles twitched: “She has her aunt to take her out. No need for your flattery.”

“Grandma, how is this flattery? Sister is good to me, so I should be good to her too.” Ye Xi donned her fake sunshine persona again, deliberately keeping her voice light and arguing in a tone fitting her image: “Grandma, didn’t you always teach me to repay kindness? This is me repaying kindness. I can’t just leave after going out and abandon Sister here.”

Ye Tan said irritably: “Whether it’s repaying kindness or lusting after beauty, you know best in your heart.”

“Grandma!” Ye Xi voiced strong dissatisfaction: “Am I just a lecher in your eyes? Though Sister really is beautiful, I definitely wouldn’t be swayed. If I like Sister, it’d be for her kindness and gentleness, not her looks.”

Ye Tan wanted to cover Ye Xi’s mouth, but it was too late.

“Ye Xi.” Ye Xi looked toward the voice and saw a particularly pleased Shen Shuyun.

Shen Shuyun draped an arm over Shen Mingjin’s shoulder and grinned at Ye Xi: “You like our Mingjin?”

Shen Shuyun wasn’t just pleased anymore; she looked smug.

Ye Tan’s face darkened as she glared fiercely at Shen Shuyun: “Are you deaf? Xiao Xi was just using an example.”

“Then I’m not human to begin with.” Shen Shuyun wasn’t one for reason either. She touched her ear: “I heard a Ye Clan member say she likes us Spirit-Devouring Snakes!”

“Aunt.”

Shen Mingjin’s face flushed red as she struggled slightly in Shen Shuyun’s grasp, protesting the sudden question. She feared Shen Shuyun would expose her ambiguous relationship with Ye Xi.

Fortunately, Ye Tan had no desire to bandy words with Shen Shuyun. She scooped up Ye Xi in one arm and You Nian in the other, leaving the laboratory ahead of Shen Shuyun.