Chapter 3: Punishing the Younger Sister and the Crown Prince

In the height of summer, Sheng Xiayan spoke up.

Xie Xunzhi suddenly felt his ears clear and his vision sharpen. The oppressive pain that had weighed on his chest for years vanished completely. The internal energy that had long been restrained within him was now unbound. Most surprisingly, the most private part of the man stirred with a strange sensation.

Yet, his legs remained numb and unfeeling.

Sheng Xiayan understood immediately. “Though the poisonous insect has been eradicated, your body is still damaged. You will need long-term treatment from me.”

“I will take you away,” Xie Xunzhi said, looking up at her with succinct determination.

Having been freed from the poison, he was like a little beast who knew its master would not harm it. He shed the snarling, ferocious disguise with ease. The coldness in his eyes faded, replaced by calm.

Upon hearing Xie Xunzhi’s promise to take her away, Sheng Xiayan suddenly lost all strength and collapsed from exhaustion. Before fainting, only one thought crossed her mind:

What decisive, ruthless, bloodthirsty coldness? He’s clearly a little puppy.

She slipped into unconsciousness.

Xie Xunzhi turned to his attendants, his eyes once again icy and his voice chilling to the bone. “Take her away.”

—

Day after day, Sheng Xiayan recuperated peacefully at the Night King’s mansion. With the aid of various medicines she prepared herself, her body soon recovered to the vigor of the modern world.

Xie Xunzhi’s body grew stronger daily as well, until he was fully healed. However...

“The poisonous insect invaded your internal organs. The condition that renders one unable to have offspring is likely irreversible,” Sheng Xiayan said softly, her red lips parting. “You may regain sensation and be able to engage in intimate relations, but having children will be difficult—unless...”

She cleared her throat lightly, hesitating before speaking after considering his condition. “Unless you encounter a woman with a fertile constitution, a rare type of body that can counteract your sterility. If such a woman can be found, you could have children.”

Without heirs, Xie Xunzhi would likely never ascend to the throne or grasp power in this lifetime. Though he did not crave power, he harbored ambitions yet unrealized.

Sheng Xiayan looked at her little puppy of a prince with a tinge of sympathy, almost feeling a kinship.

During their days together, she observed that although Xie Xunzhi appeared cold and indifferent to his servants, he cared for them in subtle ways. The Night King’s mansion often aided the destitute and wandering refugees, always discreetly without fanfare. His so-called ruthlessness and cruelty were directed solely at corrupt officials. He was no saint, but if anyone dared to harm the common folk or violate women, he would execute them on the spot.

His cruelty was a facade; deep down, he had never abandoned the dreams of his youth.

Xie Xunzhi remained unmoved by her words, only nodding slightly before suddenly smiling softly at her. “If I can stand up, I will be satisfied. Thank you.”

The attendants nearby, seeing the cold-faced Night King standing side by side with the equally ruthless and even fiercer Miss Sheng, felt the tension dissolve entirely. Rare warmth filled the air around them.

—

After bidding farewell to Xie Xunzhi, Sheng Xiayan returned to the Grand Tutor’s mansion.

Now that her body had recovered, it was time to settle accounts.

“Sheng Xiayi, I am not dead,” she declared, striding boldly into the main hall. Seeing Sheng Xiayi’s expression, as if she had seen a ghost, Sheng Xiayan’s smile turned sinister. “I have returned alive to claim my revenge.”

“Sister, how can you slander me so!” Sheng Xiayi stammered, hastily shedding a few fake tears before throwing herself onto the man behind her. “Your Highness the Crown Prince, my sister has always bullied me, even now! Please defend me!”

Ah, so everyone has arrived.