Sensing the warning from above, Xing Xing immediately placed his hands on his legs, sitting upright.
Ye Shaoting tore off his tie and toyed with it in his hands.
The more he moved, the less he spoke, and the more pressure Xing Xing felt before him.
*Snap!*
The soft tie was suddenly pulled taut, and in that moment of tension, it released a piercing, powerful sound.
Xing Xing fell to his knees, his hands held high above his head to receive his punishment.
"Ever since they arrived, you seem to have lost the ability to distinguish between friend and foe?" Ye Shaoting dropped the tie, completely disregarding his voluntary acceptance of punishment.
Maintaining his posture, Xing Xing accepted his criticism.
As he said, Di Mingjue's appearance had thrown him off balance. After interacting with him, he felt that the other party was not as bad as Ye Shaoting had previously described.
"If you don't want to avenge your parents, just say so, and we can stop the daily training. You'll have time to accompany them to the amusement park on weekends."
"No, I want revenge!"
Upon hearing Ye Shaoting suggest he give up, Xing Xing immediately declared his resolve.
The reason he was still alive was that his parents in heaven had allowed him to live with a mission. He couldn't think of freedom and happiness and then abandon his revenge, allowing his enemies to live their lives in peace.
Xing Xing looked at Ye Shaoting with firm eyes and promised, "I won't let myself waver again. Everything will be done according to my adoptive father's teachings."
"Are you sure you won't give up?"
"I won't give up, unless I die!"
Seeing his determination, Ye Shaoting reached out and helped him up from the ground, patting the dust off his knees. "Get some rest early."
Alone in his room, Xing Xing's small body bore pressure and torment that even adults could not withstand.
The kindness of enemies was like a siren's song; one had to remain vigilant at all times.
...
Since Ye Shaoting's talk with Xing Xing, Xing Xing practiced martial arts diligently every day, and avoided Ye Ziyu and the others whenever possible.
Counting the days, it had been a long time since they had last seen each other.
It was the weekend, and Ye Ziyu had promised the children an outing to the amusement park, a plan that had been postponed due to her illness.
Lying in bed, she looked at the thermometer she had taken from under her arm, holding it high above her head to check the temperature.
Even after taking the fever reducer, the temperature remained high.
Ye Ziyu put the thermometer aside, felt her mouth, and reached for the water cup on the bedside table. She took a small sip, and the cup was empty.
She glanced towards the door, the chill emanating from her body making the distance feel immense. She put down the cup and got back into bed.
Pulling the covers tightly around her neck, she made sure not to let any wind in.
"Ziyu, I'm coming in."
A soft voice sounded from the doorway, and Shen Meixiu pushed the door open without permission.
She had learned from the household staff that Ye Ziyu was ill, and in order to demonstrate her thoughtfulness as a stepmother, she had personally brought steaming hot porridge to the room.
Ye Ziyu's bones ached terribly. She felt someone enter but was too weak to lift her head and check.
"Why does the room smell so strong?" Shen Meixiu frowned and mumbled as she approached the bed. She leaned over, placed the tray on the bedside table, and reached out to pull down Ye Ziyu's quilt. "Ziyu, I heard you were sick, so I cooked some porridge. Get up and try it."
Shen Meixiu's face was almost pressed against hers, and her entire weight bore down on Ye Ziyu. Ye Ziyu wanted to push her away but was too weak.
Seeing her in such a wretched state, Shen Meixiu couldn't hide her joy. Her gaze drifted to the window, and a malicious thought crossed her mind.
"It smells quite strong, and the room isn't circulating air well. I'll open a window to air it out."
As soon as one window was opened, the cold wind eagerly rushed in. Shen Meixiu's hair was blown into disarray, and she quickly secured the window.
The wind blew on Ye Ziyu's face. She struggled to open her eyes and saw the swaying figure in front of the window.