Seeing that Mu Yanqing was about to scold her, Mu Yanxi was like a little fox whose tail had been stepped on, her fur instantly bristling. “Th-then isn’t it all your fault!”
That’s right.
Ever since she was little, whenever Mu Yanxi encountered something she couldn’t refute, her ultimate trick to dispel the awkwardness was to seize the initiative with an imposing air.
The more guilty she felt, the louder her voice became.
“Yesterday afternoon, I went to Xinyu to find you, but you were on a business trip and no one was there, so I was forced to run away from home. I had no money on me, so I could only order cheap takeout, and I ended up with food poisoning and a high fever all night.”
Not only did she question her first, but her eyes also reddened as she began to shed tears. “I’m already in this state, and you still want to be harsh with me.”
This move was foolproof against Mu Yanqing. As expected, Mu Yanqing couldn’t maintain her stern expression. “Why are you crying for no reason? I wasn’t blaming you.”
“Yes, you were! You didn’t even smile at me just now.”
“Elder Sister is just furious about what happened yesterday.” Mu Yanqing sighed. “Xiao Xi, do you think Elder Sister shouldn’t be angry?”
“But I’ve already gotten my retribution.” Mu Yanxi rubbed her head against Mu Yanqing, her little mouth rattling off complaints. “Yi Wulan went to the office right after we got our certificate. She didn’t even care about me anymore, boo hoo.”
Mu Yanqing didn’t approve of her sister’s marriage to Yi Wulan, but hearing that her sister, whom she had cherished so carefully, was treated this way on the day she got her marriage certificate, she instantly flared up with anger. “What right does Yi Wulan have to look down on you?”
Mu Yanxi blinked her misty, tear-filled eyes, feigning distress. “Yi Wulan is so capable, she can do anything, and everyone praises her. In contrast, if it weren’t for my family connections, I wouldn’t be able to be with her. It’s only natural that she looks down on me…”
Her voice grew smaller and smaller, eventually fading into silence, making her look for all the world like a spiteful young bride, running home to complain to her family.
Mu Yanqing’s brow furrowed slightly as she comforted Mu Yanxi in a gentle voice, “Don’t listen to those rumors. How can you be compared to Yi Wulan when you’re so much younger than her? You’re still young, just a child. You have plenty of room to grow in the future.”
Mu Yanxi nearly choked on her own saliva.
A twenty-three-year-old big kid?
Sure enough, even after being reborn, her elder sister was still her dear elder sister, viewing her through an incredibly thick filter of familial affection.
“Besides, with Elder Sister here, you don’t need to work hard. Elder Sister will protect you for a lifetime.” Mu Yanqing grew thoughtful and suggested, “Why don’t you go get a divorce certificate with Yi Wulan today? That way, you’ll have fulfilled the elders’ agreement, and the cooperation between our two companies can still continue.”
Mu Yanxi was both amused and exasperated. Setting aside the cooling-off period for divorce, wasn’t getting married yesterday and divorced today a bit too absurd?
“Elder Sister, I don’t think Yi Wulan is that hard to get along with.” Mu Yanxi tried to argue. “Besides, what if Yi Wulan’s health recovers? Wouldn’t that be a gain for me?”
“So many experts from home and abroad have been helpless. Do you think marriage can really ward off ill fortune and that she can recover so easily?” Mu Yanqing sighed. “Xiao Xi, you’ve always been willful and had your own ideas, but I never thought you’d be so headstrong this time.”
As she spoke, Mu Yanqing’s expression turned sorrowful. “It’s all my fault. I let you sacrifice yourself for the Mu family by agreeing to this marriage arranged by the elders.”
Actually… not really.
Mu Yanxi really wanted to argue that Yi Wulan was actually quite good-looking, that living with her was quite freeing, and that as a bonus, she could get a close-up look at the fate of the novel’s protagonist.
But something as metaphysical as rebirth wasn’t something anyone would believe if she said it out loud.
However, she hadn’t expected Mu Yanqing to think she had married Yi Wulan for the sake of the Mu family… In truth, she didn’t have that strong a sense of responsibility. In her past life, she had even run off with Yi Jingming.
Mu Yanxi decided to play along, clinging pitifully to Mu Yanqing’s waist. “Elder Sister…”
At her words, Mu Yanqing’s heart indeed softened, and she couldn’t bear to criticize Mu Yanxi any further.
She patted Mu Yanxi’s shoulder, remembering how Mu Yanxi had just cried about having no money and being bullied.
After a moment’s thought, she said, “Is Xiao Xi short on money? How about Elder Sister transfers you a sum in advance later?”
“Oh, and are you comfortable driving Yi Wulan’s car? The garage at home is almost too full to fit your cars. If you don’t like those anymore, there’s a new car show in a couple of days. You can go and order any you like.”
Mmm, a members-only luxury car show, where the prices casually start at fifty million and go up.
“If Yi Wulan gives you a hard time, just move out on your own. I remember that the Ruiya Golden Bay project Xinyu just completed is near Yi Wulan’s villa. I’ll register it under your name. You can go pick one out yourself, alright?”
Mhm, a high-end residential complex next to a 5A-grade scenic area that was being fought over by all parties before construction even began. Every floor is a spacious single-story apartment with an open view, with a starting price of forty million per unit.
An entire, whole residential complex.
Mu Yanxi threw herself into Mu Yanqing’s arms. “In this whole world, Elder Sister is the best to me! I love Elder Sister the most!”
“Elder Sister also thinks Xiao Xi is the best. If you feel wronged, come home anytime, you know?”
“Mhm, mhm, mhm.” Mu Yanxi’s complexion visibly brightened.
So what if she was reborn?
As long as her sister was here, all the troubles of the future suddenly didn’t seem so bad.
In the afternoon, Mu Yanxi glanced at Yi Wulan, who was napping on the adjacent sofa. She called out softly, and after confirming Yi Wulan was sound asleep, she sat up with gentle movements.
If her feeling was correct, her fainting spell last night was likely related to the awakening of her special ability.
It was as fantastical as her rebirth.
Mu Yanxi had awakened this ability once before in that white otherworld. Time did not exist in that world, and she didn’t know how long it took for this ability to heal her battered body after the car accident, allowing her to wake from her coma.
Then she saw that book and learned about her absurd past life.
She had thought she wouldn’t have it again after being reborn, but unexpectedly…
In the area of her dantian in her abdomen, the core of her ability slowly rotated. A familiar power spread through her body, flowing to every part and dispelling her fatigue.
Mu Yanxi tentatively reached out and touched the bouquet of fresh flowers by the bed. The ability flowed out from her fingertips, and a faint, fresh scent of grass and wood filled the air as the flower buds gradually bloomed.
The floral fragrance in the hospital room grew richer.
Mu Yanxi promptly withdrew her hand. Back in that timeless otherworld, it had taken several awakenings to heal her injuries. Now, the ability within her had just awakened, so she had to take it slow.
But it was already a huge, pleasant surprise.
At least…
Mu Yanxi glanced at Yi Wulan on the sofa, lifted the covers, and quietly slipped out of bed. Seeing Yi Wulan’s brow, which remained furrowed even in sleep, she recalled the book’s description of Yi Wulan’s condition.
Paralyzed legs, and a blood clot in her brain that could press on her nerves and cause death.
Her ability had just awakened, and its energy source was still evolving. She didn’t know how much she could help Yi Wulan.
But at least there was hope.
As long as Yi Wulan could live well, she could change the course of this world.
Mu Yanxi pulled the thin blanket up for Yi Wulan and was about to touch her head when her wrist was suddenly seized by a hand.
“What are you doing?”
The wisp of ability that had poured from Mu Yanxi’s fingertips was so startled it retreated.
Getting caught red-handed like this, it did seem a bit like she had ulterior motives. She tried to pull her hand back.
But she didn’t succeed.
Mu Yanxi’s feathery lashes blinked lightly, her long, thick lashes trembling and casting a shadow beneath her eyes. She complained, “Yi Wulan, you’re hurting me.”
Yi Wulan abruptly let go. “Your fever just broke, what are you messing around for? Go back to bed and lie down.”
“I’m fine now.”
“Go lie down. Don’t come over here.” Yi Wulan’s voice was cold as she shooed her away, rubbing her temples. A few blue veins surfaced beneath her pale skin.
“What’s wrong with you?” Mu Yanxi paused her movement to get up and squatted down again. Her sharp eyes noticed that Yi Wulan’s entire body had tensed up, as if she were suppressing something.
With a cold face, Yi Wulan pushed Mu Yanxi’s hand away. “I’m fine.”
Mu Yanxi watched her for a few moments and quickly understood the key point. Yi Wulan was the type who was unwilling to show weakness in front of others, so naturally, she wouldn’t tell her the truth.
From the looks of it, the aftereffects of the car accident were probably acting up again.
Originally, there was nothing she could do, but perhaps things were different now?
“It’s good that you’re fine. It’s actually more convenient to do things now that you’re awake than when you were asleep.” A smile bloomed on Mu Yanxi’s lips as she reached out her hand again. “If you don’t know how, I can teach you, you know?”
The end of her sentence was drawn out with a soft, melodious turn, as if it had a little hook meant specifically to capture one’s soul.
Yi Wulan closed her eyes and sternly refused, “Don’t talk nonsense. Stay away from me.”
Mu Yanxi didn’t listen.
She leaned closer, the warm, moist breath flowing between them, her tone light and cheerful. “What’s this about staying away? I’m being serious, Yi Wulan?”
After speaking, she placed her hand on Yi Wulan’s hand that was covering her forehead and gently pulled it down.
It was clearly a simple action, yet Yi Wulan reacted as if she had been bitten by some vicious beast, hastily retracting her hand and tensing up even more.
“Why are you reacting so strongly?” Mu Yanxi’s hand paused in mid-air, and she blinked innocently. “It’s as if I was taking advantage of you.”
I mean, we just touched hands.
And only for a tiny moment.
Yi Wulan’s legs were incapacitated, so she couldn’t leave immediately. She had no choice but to close her eyes and turn her head to the side.
But in the next second, a pair of warm hands covered her forehead. Mu Yanxi’s fingertips lightly touched the acupoints, moving gently, again and again.
Yi Wulan’s movements froze. Mu Yanxi saw the surprise in her eyes and snorted softly. “Did you think I only know how to bully sick people? When I was sick, couldn’t you have let the caregiver look after me? Don’t you know you’re sick too?”
Just as Yi Wulan was about to retort, Mu Yanxi covered her eyes with her hand. “Alright, alright, I’ve learned a bit of acupressure massage. Just consider it my thanks for taking care of me last night.”
Mu Yanxi’s parents had died in an accident when she was very young. In the early years when Mu Yanqing had just taken over the family, she often worked late into the night.
Mu Yanxi was young at the time and didn’t know what she could do, so she secretly found an old traditional Chinese medicine doctor and learned massage techniques for a few months.
Yi Wulan’s eyes were bloodshot. She looked at Mu Yanxi with a complicated expression for two seconds before nodding stiffly. “Then I’ll have to trouble you.”
Mu Yanxi’s massage wasn’t forceful, and she found the acupoints with great accuracy. After a few movements, seeing that Yi Wulan didn’t stop her in discomfort, she continued to knead earnestly.
It was hard to say whether it was because she found the acupoints so accurately or because Yi Wulan’s body was too exhausted from taking care of her all night, but after a few minutes, Yi Wulan’s breathing gradually lengthened and became steady.
She had actually fallen asleep.
Seeing this, Mu Yanxi quietly gathered her ability at her fingertips. The ability, carrying the life-breath of plants and trees, silently probed into Yi Wulan’s mind.
Although her ability had just awakened, even if it could only make Yi Wulan a little more comfortable, it was still a good thing.
Yi Wulan’s eyelashes trembled in her sleep, but they quickly returned to calm.
A few minutes later, the furrow in Yi Wulan’s brow, which had been constantly tense, gradually relaxed.
Mu Yanxi channeled her ability for a while, stopping only when it gradually depleted and she could no longer sustain it, feeling quite strained. Yi Wulan’s physical condition was much worse than she had imagined, far beyond the external injuries she herself had suffered after her car accident.
Her current ability could only make Yi Wulan slightly more comfortable; it didn’t have much effect on the blood clot in her brain or her legs.
According to the plot described in that book, Yi Wulan would die in three years…
Three years was too short.
Mu Yanxi sighed, her fingertips tracing Yi Wulan’s face inch by inch as she muttered a complaint, “You dodged me like that just now, I was about to think I was taking liberties with a chaste maiden.”
