Chapter 5: Sleeping with Cub

[Affection +30, Points +300, Current Affection: -6, Total Points: 300.]

Jiang Niannian was unaware of the stormy thoughts swirling in Yin Li’s mind and said, “Young Master, I only have one blanket, so let’s sleep together tonight.”

Yin Li looked at her with a blank expression.

“What do you think?”

Ten minutes later.

Yin Li stared at the woman beside him, who was sprawled out in all directions, looking utterly disheartened.

He must have been out of his mind to agree to let her sleep with him, especially with that expectant look in her eyes.

The simple bamboo house couldn’t keep out the cold, and the wind made the bamboo door creak.

Cold sweat soaked through Yin Li’s clothes, making them stick to him uncomfortably. The dampness of the rainy season aggravated his wounds, causing them to ache deeply.

In the darkness, he wanted to fetch some medicine to ward off the cold, but then he remembered that the pills had all fallen into the mud during the day.

His fists clenched tightly, veins bulging on his arms as he tried to shift into a more comfortable position.

Yet the pain, like the chill, wouldn’t leave him.

He began to cough violently.

Suddenly, a pair of hands pulled him into a warm embrace.

“What’s wrong? Can’t sleep?” Jiang Niannian asked drowsily, her eyes still closed.

Yin Li wasn’t fond of such close physical contact.

He frowned and replied, “It’s nothing, just sleep.”

Despite his young voice, his tone carried the weight of an adult.

Jiang Niannian suddenly realized that Yin Li shouldn’t be exposed to the cold.

She felt his forehead, and, as expected, he was burning up. She called out to the system in her mind.

[The system you are trying to reach is not available. This could be due to one of three reasons: one, it’s asleep; two, it’s fast asleep; and three, it is sleeping and sleeping soundly.]

But Jiang Niannian wasn’t about to let it off the hook. She frantically summoned it again and again in her mind.

[Dear, what do you need? (￣皿￣///)]

“Do you have any medicine for the cold?”

[Yes, for 300 points, you can exchange for a bottle of Burning Flower Dew.]

“Okay, let’s do it.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a small bottle appeared in her sleeve.

[Actually, dear, for just 150 points, you could have exchanged for a Burning Flower Pill with the same effect as the Burning Flower Dew~]

Jiang Niannian: You could’ve mentioned that earlier.

“Can I return it and get my points back?”

[Of course, dear! We’re a legitimate shop, with full refund and exchange policies.]

“How do I return it?”

[First, open the bottle of Burning Flower Dew and pour it into Yin Li’s mouth.]

In her urgency to help him, and seeing that Yin Li seemed a bit dazed from the fever, Jiang Niannian quickly poured the medicine into his mouth.

“And then?”

[Items that have been used are non-refundable, idiot (ˉ▽￣～) Cut~~]

Jiang Niannian: …This system is definitely doing this on purpose.

After taking the medicine, Yin Li visibly improved.

Jiang Niannian gently held him close.

With her warmth, Yin Li eventually drifted off to sleep.

Yin Li had a dream.

He dreamt of the months after his spiritual roots were destroyed.

He had been thrown away like trash into a dilapidated bamboo courtyard.

Day after day, he watched the bamboo door, hoping that one of his former fellow disciples would come to see him, longing for his father to take him home.

But he waited and waited, and no one ever pushed open that door.

He felt like he was about to die, and in his haze, a voice kept talking to him, though he couldn’t make out what it was saying.

As his body and soul became increasingly disconnected, something took advantage of his weakness, eroding and devouring his life force.

All he could see was emptiness and despair, and he felt himself falling into an endless abyss, shattered and broken.

At the end of the dream, he saw the face of his mother, bleeding from all seven orifices, dead with her eyes wide open.

“Mother!!” Yin Li bolted upright, drenched in cold sweat.

His heart pounded wildly in his chest, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

He looked down at his clean clothes, free of any foul smell, and the fresh, soft blanket covering him.

It had been so, so long since he’d slept so peacefully.

The bamboo door creaked open, and the morning sunlight streamed in.

“You’re awake, young master? Are you hungry? I’ll go find something to eat for you.”

Jiang Niannian wiped the sweat from her face.

She had been up early, cleaning the entire bamboo house inside and out, and now she was feeling a bit warm.

She smiled at him, her almond-shaped eyes curved into a gentle arc, as clear and serene as a mountain stream.

The young Yin Li felt his heart skip a beat, and he quickly looked away, muttering a soft “Mm.”

As that delicate figure disappeared again, he found himself oddly moved.

Despite her frail appearance, she had a surprising strength to her.

Jiang Niannian made her way to the kitchen, where only two hard, cold cornbread buns and a bowl of slightly sour pickled vegetables sat on the stove.

She turned to the hurried-looking maid beside her and asked, “Is this all the young master usually eats?”

Given his frail health and the fact that he was constantly eating watery porridge and cornbread, it was no wonder he was smaller than other children his age.

“What else do you expect? That shabby courtyard doesn’t have half a spirit stone to its name. Where would we get anything better? He’s lucky to even have this,” the servant replied nonchalantly, glancing at her.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be on my way.”

“What’s the rush?”

“How do you not know? Tomorrow is the birthday of our young master of the Rimuli sect. It’s a grand event that everyone celebrates! The sect master has decreed that everyone will receive a 500 spirit stone bonus tomorrow. 500 spirit stones! I need to go down the mountain today to buy some new clothes.”

Jiang Niannian’s eyes lit up with excitement. “The sect master has had a change of heart? He’s going to celebrate our young master’s birthday?”

“What do you mean, ‘our young master’?” The servant replied impatiently.

“It’s Yin Ci, Young Master Yin Ci. They may share the same birthday, but one is a dragon in the heavens, and the other is just mud on the ground. You’d better learn the difference. If it weren’t for the sect master insisting that we take care of that waste, I would’ve left long ago… Ah!”

The servant clutched her face, glaring at Jiang Niannian in anger.

“Why did you hit me?”

“As a servant, you have no right to gossip about your master. Don’t you think you deserved it? Our young master may be down on his luck now, but one day he’ll be a revered figure in the world of cultivation. I won’t stand for you slandering him here!”

“You… You’re unbelievable!” the servant spat, storming off in a huff.

Jiang Niannian didn’t bother with her, but she did frown at the cornbread on the stove.

The income of those in the sect came from two sources: a monthly salary and rewards for completing tasks.

She couldn’t remember where the original owner of this body had kept her spirit stones, and with her current cultivation level, it was impossible to take on tasks.

Without any funds, she’d have to wait until next month for her salary.

She didn’t mind for herself, but her cub was still growing.

How could he not eat properly?

Jiang Niannian didn’t notice Yin Li standing behind her, watching her with a complicated expression for a long time before silently leaving.

Suddenly, Jiang Niannian slapped her forehead.

There must be spirit beasts on this mountain!

She could catch some spirit chickens or ducks to improve her cub’s diet!