Mu Yunshang noticed Academician Chen's gaze toward An Bao growing increasingly eager, and feeling a little anxious, pulled her in tighter, then said to Academician Chen: "The child is talking nonsense — that medicine was given to her by her master."
"Third Uncle?"
An Bao tilted her little head back in puzzlement, gazing up at Mu Yunshang as if she couldn't quite understand why he would lie.
Mu Yunshang reached out and pressed down on An Bao's little head, as though affectionately ruffling it, yet lowered his voice and said: "Slice him to pieces."
In an instant, An Bao gave a startled shudder and clutched Mu Yunshang's arm tightly, not daring to utter another word, letting Mu Yunshang ramble on as he pleased.
"An Bao grew up in a Taoist temple from a young age; the medicine was given to her by her master. At first I assumed he was just a charlatan, but Academician Chen said the medicine actually worked — so it seems An Bao's master is someone of real ability after all."
After hearing Mu Yunshang's explanation, Academician Chen found it made some sense after all.
After all, though he had yet to run any instrumental analysis on the medicine's ingredients, he could already sense the complexity within.
A medicine like this… only reclusive masters of extraordinary skill could ever hope to refine. The little girl standing before him looked no more than four or five years old — how could she possibly know the art of pill refinement?
"Then, might I ask where the young lady's master's Daoist temple is located? I would like to go and pay a visit."
"Master? Master has gone wandering the world, and An Bao can't be found either."
At that, An Bao couldn't help but heave a sigh like a little adult and said, "Master is really so willful."
"Willful! Willful!! You insufferable old man!!!"
Xiao Fengfeng, perched on the crystal chandelier overhead, chimed in with great righteous indignation.
Mu Yunshang cast a helpless glance at the parrot perched atop his head, then looked down at An Bao nestled in his arms—so utterly adorable and soft—only to feel a sudden flicker of... unease rise unbidden in his heart.
Before the matter of Butler Li's grandson had come up, he hadn't given it much thought — but now… Mu Yunshang couldn't say why, yet no matter how he looked at An Bao, he felt that An Bao was anything but ordinary.
Just looking at the bird An Bao had brought, everyone felt as though it had already become a spirit.
Mu Yunshang drew An Bao tighter into his arms, overcome with deep worry.
Chen Bingsheng had been about to press An Bao further about her master, but fortunately, at that very moment, Mu Yunyi stirred faintly — and actually woke up…
Mu Yunyi opened his eyes, feeling as though every inch of his body was utterly at ease.
Over the past year, Mu Yunyi's health had been poor. It was as though something weighed on him every single day—he could neither sleep well nor eat properly, and as a result, his temperament had grown increasingly erratic.
Yet this time upon waking, Mu Yunyi could not explain why, but it felt as though his body had been purified and cleansed — a lightness he had not felt in a very long time.
"Big Uncle!!!"
"Brother!"
Two voices rang out. Before Mu Yunyi could react, a chubby little bundle came hurling toward him.
"Don't… Mmph…"
Mu Yunyi instinctively moved to reach out and stop him, but the little dumpling came hurtling forward like a tiny cannonball and launched straight into Mu Yunyi's arms.
Young as the little dumpling was, the sheer force of that pounce still drew a muffled grunt from Mu Yunyi — as though every last one of his organs had been jarred loose.
"Uncle, you're awake! Look at An Bao — what number is this?"
An Bao hadn't noticed at all that Mu Yunyi's expression had completely changed from the blow. Instead, she blithely stuck out a single finger and waved it back and forth in front of Mu Yunyi's eyes.
"Why haven't you left yet?"
The moment Mu Yunyi caught sight of An Bao, his expression had already darkened, his voice cold and detached, heavy with undisguised displeasure.
If not for An Bao's young age, Mu Yunyi would have gladly kicked the person out with a single boot.
"First Uncle…" An Bao noticed Mu Yunyi's expression had darkened. Only then did she remember that First Uncle never seemed to like her very much. She shrank her little hand back in fright and gazed up at Mu Yunyi with a pitiful, helpless look.
Seeing this, Mu Yunshang feared that Mu Yunyi would strike the little one, and with lightning-quick reflexes scooped An Bao up, then turned to Mu Yunyi with a grin: "Big brother, you're finally awake! You have no idea — you've been unconscious for three whole days. You scared me half to death."
Mu Yunshang paused, then turned to Chen Bingsheng and said hastily, "Academician Chen, could I trouble you to take a look at my elder brother—to see whether his condition has fully recovered?"
Academician Chen did not quite understand what was unfolding before him, yet he sensed that something was amiss with the atmosphere, and so without refusing, he stepped forward to examine Mu Yunyi.
Only then did Mu Yunyi notice that an outsider was present. Though puzzled inwardly, he ultimately held his anger in check.
Taking advantage of the moment while Academician Chen was examining Mu Yunyi, Mu Yunshang let out a quiet breath of relief, carried the little chubby one out through the doorway, and whispered softly: "An Bao, go outside and play for a bit — leave the rest to Academician Chen."
An Bao cast her eyes downward, her long lashes veiling those once-bright eyes and casting a shadow of gloom.
"Third Uncle, First Uncle… doesn't like An Bao."
No doubts, only certainty.
Mu Yunshang froze for a moment, then ruffled An Bao's head with a pang of tenderness, having cursed Mu Yunyi a hundred times over in his heart.
Big brother has really gone too far!!
Sneaked in, sowed his seed, fathered a child—and now he won't even own up to it!
Refusing to acknowledge the child was one thing, but he actually wouldn't even let the little one call him Daddy — instead making him call him Uncle?
This is simply... outrageous!! What kind of conduct is this?!
If only Yunyao were still here… Elder Brother has always listened to Yunyao.
Ah…
Thinking of this, Mu Yunshang couldn't help but let out a sigh, yet still turned to An Bao with genuine reassurance: "An Bao, don't worry. Elder Brother has always had a short temper since he was little, but he's not someone who doesn't know kindness when he sees it. As long as Elder Brother comes to know how good An Bao is, he'll surely grow to like An Bao just as much as Third Uncle does."
"Really?" An Bao looked up at Mu Yunshang and asked curiously.
"Of course! Third Uncle stakes Third Uncle's entire career on it!"
An Bao studied Mu Yunshang's facial features. The Wealth Palace was high and full of flesh, the forehead broad and lofty — no matter how one looked at it, it was the face of someone destined for a prosperous and smooth career.
At once, An Bao brightened up and gave a vigorous nod. "An Bao believes Third Uncle now!"
With that, An Bao turned around cheerfully and bounced her way downstairs.
Mu Yunshang was left somewhat dazed by this sudden change in An Bao.
Thinking back to how An Bao had just stared at her face so intently for a moment, she couldn't help but touch her own cheeks, murmuring to herself, "She couldn't have noticed something, could she?"
Ever since learning that An Bao might actually be something of a little prodigy, Mu Yunshang had always felt as though his worldview was somehow in the process of shifting……
An Bao bounced cheerfully down the stairs, then settled in with glee to watch cartoons.
"Cough, cough, cough…"
Just as An Bao came downstairs, she heard a sharp, urgent cough.
She looked over with curiosity, only to see a young man seated in a wheelchair before the floor-to-ceiling glass window on the first floor, his fist pressed to his lips as he coughed desperately.
Sparse, disheveled short hair fell across the eyes, framing a face of sickly pallor — now flushed crimson from coughing.
"Mister, are you going to die?"