Chapter 76

In an instant, the courtyard descended into pandemonium. Chickens scattered and dogs barked amid the uproar. Granny Luo stood frozen in place with her broom, watching as Tao Chuyi hopped around on one leg, chasing the man all over the yard.

The three children rushed forward to help, but Chuyi knocked them all flat with her crutch.

The man ran howling as he fled, “Why are you always chasing me? You lunatic!”

Chuyi ignored his protests. The man’s two legs weren’t as quick as her hopping, and she finally caught up to him on the third lap. With a swing of her crutch, she knocked him to the ground and propped herself up on him like a stool.

“Give the jade pendant back to my sister!”

“Here, take it—all of it!”

Desperate for escape, the man couldn’t care less about the money. He yanked out the jade pendant and tossed it over.

Chuyi caught the jade pendant and bounced happily toward Nangong Yunshang. But on the final hop, she lost her balance and tumbled straight down—only to be steadied by a pair of hands.

“Sister, your jade pendant. Got it back.”

Nangong Yunshang helped her stand straight and praised, “Chuyi, you’re amazing.”

Freed from the restraint, the man scrambled up from the ground and dusted off his sleeves, acting like a tough guy once more.

“You’re all too stingy! With a jade like that, you must be from a wealthy family. My family’s so poor we’re scraping the bottom of the pot. What’s it to you if you give us a little? Look at my three boys—sallow-faced and skinny from hunger.”

Nangong Yunshang tucked away the jade pendant. She didn’t truly care about it; she just refused to let them have their way.

“Whether we have money or not is none of your business. Your poverty is your problem. Even if you begged on the streets, giving would be a kindness and refusing your right. Who says the rich owe the poor? If you’re lazy good-for-nothings with strength to spare but choose freeloading over honest work, does anyone have an obligation to feed you?”

Back at the Princess Mansion, she rarely spoke at length, leaving such matters to Yinghong. After this long speech, she felt a bit parched.

Perhaps seeing the hard line wouldn’t work, the man suddenly pulled his three children close and sighed dramatically.

“Please, miss, have some pity on us. Their mother died young, leaving me to raise them alone. We’re truly destitute; otherwise, we wouldn’t bother you.”

“Pah!”

Granny Luo charged forward, jabbing a finger at his nose. “Spare us the sob story! How much honest money have you stolen from hardworking folks? They toil through spring planting and autumn harvest, only for you lazy thieves to snatch the fruits of their labor? And you have the nerve to whine?”

At those words, Nangong Yunshang’s resolve hardened further. “Today, no matter what you say, you won’t get a single coin from us. If we gave you some, your three sons would learn that robbing and stealing beats working. They’d dream of handouts forever—what future is that? They’d end up as bandits someday. Give up on it and get out.”

“Get out!”

Chuyi echoed, hands on her hips.

The man glared in fury, ready to retort, but Chuyi’s raised crutch terrified him. He grabbed his sons and slipped away like greased lightning.

Granny Luo cursed after them, “Pah, like father, like sons. Your poor wife was lucky to die—marrying you was her real curse. What good sons could a man like you raise?”

After venting, Granny Luo let out a long breath and turned back with her usual kindly expression.

“Thanks to you, Yunshang and Chuyi. This old woman might’ve suffered without your help. Sit tight—I’ll clean up the yard and make dinner. Today calls for something special; let’s have some meat.”

She pushed the two back into the room and wouldn’t let them out no matter what they said.

Nangong Yunshang called back, “No need for the trouble, Granny. Let me help tidy the yard.”

“No need. This old woman’s still spry; it’ll be done in a jiffy. Go tend to your little husband—he’s the hero this time. And you know, that husband of yours is a good one; he really looks out for people.”

Granny Luo’s voice faded as she walked away. Nangong Yunshang blushed in embarrassment. She shut the door and turned to find Chuyi sitting on the bed, staring fixedly at her.

“What’s wrong? Hungry? Thirsty?”

Chuyi’s hands flailed until she grabbed Nangong Yunshang’s arm, then settled down.

“Sister, blushing looks nice.”

Nangong Yunshang paused, her face reddening further. “What nonsense.”

Unaware of her teasing effect, Chuyi nodded earnestly. “Really nice. Like… like a ripe peach. Delicious.”

Nangong Yunshang pulled her arm free and gently pinched Chuyi’s cheeks, tugging them outward.

“All you think about is eating.”

Chuyi grinned foolishly—it didn’t hurt at all. Sister seemed to treat her face like dough, kneading it this way and that. Chuyi wanted to knead some too, so her gaze drifted from Nangong Yunshang’s cheek downward, landing on what she took for dough. She reached out to grab.

Nangong Yunshang dodged first. “No.”

Chuyi looked wronged. “I wanna knead dough too.”

“That’s not dough.”

Nangong Yunshang hung her head, her ears red enough to bleed.

Chuyi sneaked behind her and whispered at her ear.

“It is.”

“Say that again, and I won’t talk to you.”

Chuyi panicked at the threat.

“I won’t say it. Sister, talk to me.”

Even when dinner was served, the pink flush behind Nangong Yunshang’s ears hadn’t fully faded. Throughout, she kept her head down, eating silently.

Chuyi thought her sister was beautiful—lowering her head like that made her even more so. So she kept staring.

Granny Luo glanced between them. “Eat up—this is our own chicken, and the meat’s got a natural sweetness.”

“Thank you, Granny.”

Nangong Yunshang quickly ladled a bowl of soup for Chuyi, then returned to her own meal with her head down.

Granny Luo chuckled. “Chuyi, let me play the elder card and say a few words. Your wife’s not strong; don’t wear her out all the time. And your leg’s not fully healed—don’t keep thinking about that sort of thing.”

“Granny, it’s not like you think.”

The more Granny Luo advised, the more embarrassed Nangong Yunshang grew, unable to lift her head. Chuyi, meanwhile, acted oblivious, eating and drinking as usual. She’d grin dopily at Nangong Yunshang now and then or gaze blankly at Granny Luo during her lectures.

Granny Luo nodded knowingly. “This old woman understands—young folks, after all.”

Nangong Yunshang: “…”

No explaining her way out of that one.

When Old Luo returned and heard how they chased off the thugs, he thanked them profusely and insisted on checking Chuyi’s pulse again.

This time, though, the longer he checked, the deeper his frown grew.

Nangong Yunshang asked worriedly, “Is something wrong?”

The old man hesitated before releasing her wrist. “Chuyi’s pulse is very strange. It’s neither fully vital nor fading. This odd constitution lets him recover faster than normal, but it could backfire at any moment.”

“What does that mean?”

Nangong Yunshang panicked. She’d always thought Chuyi was just a bit simple-minded compared to others, but surely her body was healthy.

The old man stroked his beard, looking troubled. He pondered in silence for a moment.

“Simply put, there’s something foreign inside Chuyi—planted there from the outside. I can’t tell what yet.”

After a pause, he continued, “This rest has strengthened her body but also awakened that thing. Whether it’s a blessing or curse, who knows? For now, I’ll prescribe something to keep it dormant longer. Buy some time, then find a better physician.”

Nangong Yunshang looked at the person smiling foolishly at her, her heart heavy.

“Alright, thank you.”

The pair rested at the Luo household for over half a month. Chuyi never missed her medicine, and her leg was nearly healed—just not up for strenuous activity. Whatever lurked dormant in her body showed no signs of stirring; whether The old man’s medicine worked or he’d misread it, no one knew.

Word that the Luos were hosting an out-of-town couple—a wife prettier than a fairy—spread like wildfire. Villagers gossiped, drawing the attention of local ruffians.

The old man still went out gathering herbs each day, leaving Granny Luo behind. Thankfully, the two women kept her company with chatter.

In the afternoon, with Granny Luo napping, they decided to surprise the couple with some chores. Chuyi grabbed an axe and headed to the back yard to chop wood, while Nangong Yunshang took a basket to the front yard to dry herbs.

Usually, the doorway was peaceful when she worked. Today felt off—whispers drifted from outside.

Nangong Yunshang set down the basket and peeked out. Sure enough, two shifty-looking men were peering over the wall.

Caught, they grinned slyly, their intentions clear.

“Little lady, all alone? Where’s your husband?”

Nangong Yunshang arched a brow—this was nothing new. She stepped aside. “Chuyi.”

Right on cue, Chuyi charged out swinging the axe. The ruffians fled in terror, too scared to even cry for help.

After chasing them off, Chuyi ran back, planted the axe by the door, and beamed. “I’m awesome.”

Nangong Yunshang laughed. “Of course—our Chuyi is the best.”

Chuyi finished chopping wood early and helped Nangong Yunshang with the herbs before they returned to the room.

Nangong Yunshang rubbed her waist, lamenting how frail her body was; even drying herbs left her tired.

Nap time came. Chuyi slept deeply, dead to the world. Nangong Yunshang had no desire to sleep; she simply watched, lost in thought.

A while later, Chuyi stirred awake. The moment her eyes opened, she was captivated by the beauty before her.

Nangong Yunshang lay reclined at her side, breathing softly. Her clothes were slightly disheveled, the neckline tugged open just enough to reveal a glimpse of soft allure.

Tao Chuyi’s gaze differed from the past. The usual foolish simplicity was gone, replaced by a lingering tenderness in the wake of her bewilderment.

She lifted her hand to touch. But the moment her fingertips brushed close, Nangong Yunshang’s eyes snapped open.

Those beautiful eyes curved toward her in a gentle arc, utterly captivating.

Tao Chuyi simply gazed on. She was Tao Chuyi, and yet she was not. She possessed the complete memories of this person—Tao Chuyi was merely one segment of her life.

Awake or not, she wanted to savor the stunning beauty before her.

“Chuyi, slept your fill so soon?”

Nangong Yunshang reached out as if to pat her back, blissfully unaware and still treating her like a child in need of coaxing.

But the instant she raised her hand, Tao Chuyi seized her wrist. The grip was ironclad; Nangong Yunshang could not pull free.

With a clever twist of force, Tao Chuyi drew her nearer. Tilting up her chin, she leaned in and sealed those sweet, fragrant lips.