It was far from the first time someone had tried to throw themselves at Yin Kairui.
To begin with, he was an award-winning A-list actor with millions of devoted fans. But even putting his fame aside, there was no denying that his looks alone were enough to make anyone stop and stare in admiration. It wasn’t just actresses even some male celebrities had tried to make advances toward him, hoping to win his favor or spend the night with him.
There were simply too many people making such attempts for Yin Kairui to bother keeping track of them all. Most of them knew their limits; once they realized he wasn’t interested, they backed off gracefully and never bothered him again.
But Su Yingying was different. Not only had she tried to force herself on him and caused him trouble in the past, but now she was also spreading lies to ruin his reputation.
Yin Kairui was furious. Gritting his teeth, he said, “I won’t let her get away with smearing my name like this!”
Wen Yiting, who had been just as angry moments earlier, paused at his words. “…Alright, alright.” She waved her hand dismissively. “I’ll gather the evidence we need and handle all the public relations work. That part isn’t difficult. You just focus on your filming and don’t worry about anything else.”
“…And you still won’t give me access to my social media accounts?” Yin Kairui asked, clearly eager to fire back at his accusers directly.
Wen Yiting smiled with exaggerated sweetness. “You need to rest properly, otherwise I’ll be worried sick about you.”
Dropping the false smile immediately, she turned to Liu, who was standing nearby. “I’ll have to trouble you to take care of Kairui and Shan Shan for the next few days. Call me right away if anything comes up. I’ll be leaving tomorrow morning.”
“Understood, Sister Wen! Don’t worry I’ll take good care of Brother Yin and Shan Shan, I promise!” Liu replied enthusiastically.
Gathering the evidence they needed to turn the situation around and doing it quickly would keep Wen Yiting very busy. If they failed to clear his name within the critical first twenty-four hours, the damage to Yin Kairui’s reputation and career could be significant and long-lasting.
Shan Shan’s sleep that night was far from peaceful.
In her drowsy state, she dreamed of two people a man and a woman and somehow, she just knew that these two were the leading characters of the story. The man was a top-tier singer loved by millions, while the woman was an actress, just like her Narcissus Brother.
In the dream, the pair walked hand in hand, looking as though they shared a deep and loving bond.
Then one day, the woman was crying bitterly. She claimed that someone had tried to pressure her into improper relationships and take advantage of her. Hearing this, the man flew into a rage and vowed to take revenge on whoever had harmed her.
Shan Shan followed them to watch what would happen next only to realize that the person they intended to punish was none other than her Narcissus Brother.
They gathered all kinds of so-called “evidence,” claiming that he was a wicked man who had spent nights with countless women.
But Shan Shan knew the truth! Back in their old home, everyone had slept together out in the mountains all the time. Humans lived in such crowded conditions that they had no choice but to huddle together in small rooms to rest what was wrong with that? Why couldn’t these people understand? Why did they keep shouting insults and calling him terrible names?
Then, in the dream, someone threw a harmful substance at him, permanently disfiguring his handsome face.
From that moment on, Narcissus Brother fought back against them. But because he was cast as the villain of the story, everything seemed to work against him. One misfortune after another befell him, and no matter what he did, he never succeeded in defeating his enemies. Instead, he was captured and taken prisoner. Even more people joined in to curse and mock him. In the end, his legs were broken and he was thrown out onto the streets, left lying in a pile of garbage, bleeding heavily… until he died.
“Waaah… Brother… no… please don’t die… I’ll protect you… please don’t go…”
Yin Kairui had been sleeping soundly when he was woken by the sound of soft, heartbreaking sobs. He was someone who tended to be irritable when woken up, and his first instinct was to snap at whoever had disturbed him. But the moment he opened his eyes, he saw the small figure curled up beside him, crying as if her heart was breaking.
No matter how grumpy he felt, there was no way he could take it out on such a tiny, helpless child especially one who was clearly trapped in a terrifying nightmare.
Having absolutely no experience with children or how to comfort them, Yin Kairui settled for reaching out through the blanket and giving her little arm a gentle shake. “Hey… wake up. It’s just a dream, wake up now.”
Shan Shan opened her eyes slowly, still confused and tearful. The first thing she saw was Yin Kairui’s face, looming close above her. He pulled his hand back and said, “You little thing… don’t you know that dreams are just…”
…just make-believe?
Before he could finish his sentence, Shan Shan suddenly sprang up and threw both her small arms tightly around his neck, bursting into even louder tears. “Brother… waaah… Brother… I won’t let them hurt you… I won’t let you die… I won’t let your pretty face get ruined… I’ll protect you, I promise… waaah…”
Struggling to breathe and immediately remembering the terrifying incident from just a short time ago, Yin Kairui gasped and wheezed, “Let go… cough… please let go first… cough cough… if you don’t stop, you really will kill me right here and now!”
Broken legs, being beaten, death… Yin Kairui thought frantically. I won’t even live long enough for any of that to happen if she keeps squeezing me like this!
Shan Shan snapped out of her distress instantly and loosened her grip at once, though she still refused to let go of him completely. “Brother… please don’t send me away… please let me stay…”
“Let go right now!!” Yin Kairui shouted, his eyes wide with alarm. “And if you dare to wipe your tears or your snot all over my clothes, I swear I’ll never want you anywhere near me ever again!”
Shan Shan’s lips trembled, looking as though she was about to cry again. Reluctantly, she released him and mumbled sadly, “Back then, when you cried all over me, I never said you were dirty or complained… but now you don’t even like me anymore…”
“When did I ever cry all over you?!” Yin Kairui exclaimed, convinced she was just making things up.
As he looked down at her this tiny little creature barely as tall as his waist he suddenly felt foolish for even trying to argue with her. What’s the point of reasoning with a three-year-old child? he thought to himself.
“I’m warning you,” he said, pulling the blanket tightly around his chest like a shy maiden protecting her modesty, and looking at her with deep suspicion. “I’ve agreed to let you stay here, but that’s all. You are not allowed to touch me or cling to me every two minutes, do you understand?”
Wait… wait a minute… what is that on her nose?
Yin Kairui watched with growing horror as Shan Shan sniffled. A clear drop of mucus would appear at the tip of her nose, then disappear back inside, only to slowly reappear again. He could take no more.
Unable to stand it any longer, he quickly grabbed a handful of tissues from the bedside table. With speed and precision, he pinched her nose firmly, wiped the mucus away thoroughly, and immediately threw the dirty tissues straight into the trash bin.
Shan Shan’s nose stung a little from his firm grip, but her eyes were shining with happiness and admiration. “Narcissus Brother~”
“Don’t call me that!” Yin Kairui snapped, still looking very much on guard. “And stay far away from me! I’m still injured and recovering, remember?!”
“But Shan Shan can make you all better!” Shan Shan declared, ignoring his warnings completely. And before he could react, she suddenly launched herself at him again.
Even though he had been watching her closely and ready to defend himself, Yin Kairui somehow still failed to dodge in time.
Lying flat on his back after being tackled, Yin Kairui stared up at the ceiling in utter disbelief at his own bad luck. His horror only grew when he saw her small hands reaching straight toward his neck. “Are you trying to strangle me again?!” he cried out.
He began to struggle and push her away but what was even more unbelievable was that he couldn’t move her at all! Though she looked small and frail, she held him down firmly and effortlessly, as if he weighed nothing.
Finally, Yin Kairui stopped fighting and simply accepted his fate. Fine then… everyone has to die eventually… but this is just ridiculous!
As these dramatic thoughts raced through his mind, he felt a tiny hand brush gently against the skin of his neck. A warm, soothing sensation spread out from where she touched him, flowing through his entire body. The sharp, burning pain that had been throbbing in his neck for days melted away instantly, leaving him feeling completely comfortable and pain-free. He stared at her in shock, and heard Shan Shan say proudly, “There! Your neck is all better now! Next, I’ll heal your tummy for you, okay?”
Does healing the neck mean you have to touch the neck, and healing the tummy mean you have to touch the tummy too?
“Yes, of course it does!” Shan Shan replied earnestly, sitting cross-legged beside him with a serious expression on her face. She moved her hand down and rested it gently against his stomach through the fabric of his clothes. “That’s why Shan Shan has to touch Brother’s tummy~”
Yin Kairui realized with a start that he had accidentally spoken his thoughts out loud.
And he wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but he could feel that same warm, comforting energy spreading across his stomach as well. Most importantly, the dull ache he had been feeling there for days seemed to have vanished completely.
Shan Shan focused all her attention on healing him, working with great care and dedication. Though she now existed in the body of a human child, she still possessed an abundant amount of spiritual energy within her. However, because of her current form, she could only use a small portion of that power. It was exhausted quickly, and even though her magic worked especially effectively on him, she simply didn’t have enough strength left to heal all three of his injuries in one go. She would have to finish the rest another time.
Once she was done for now, Shan Shan climbed off him and sat down beside him on the bed. “One more ouchie left to fix… but right now, Shan Shan is so, so hungry…”
Oh right… using magic makes me hungry… she realized, letting out a small, worried sigh.
Brother already thinks I’m a nuisance… if I eat too much food, will he hate me even more? she wondered sadly.
Now that she had moved away, Yin Kairui finally had the chance to check if what he had felt was real or just a trick of his mind. He couldn’t see his neck without a mirror, but he could easily check his stomach.
He lifted his shirt and looked down.
Just a few hours earlier, his stomach had been covered in dark, ugly purple and blue bruises. Now, not only had all the discoloration completely faded away, but the sharp pain he had been feeling around his tailbone was also almost entirely gone.
Wen Yiting walked into the room just in time to see Yin Kairui standing there, lifting his shirt up and staring intently at his own stomach right in front of a small child. Veins bulged on her forehead as she shouted in frustration, “YIN KAIRUI! WHAT ON EARTH DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!”
“Hey, Sister Wen, it’s not what it looks like ” Yin Kairui tried to explain, but Wen Yiting was already speaking again, her voice tight with anger.
“No matter what excuses you make or what methods you use, you’re stuck with her now! You are responsible for her, and that’s final!”
“I’m not doing anything weird! I was just ” Yin Kairui protested, looking completely wronged. He paused, then said simply, “I was just checking my injuries.”
Seeing that Wen Yiting was still about to scold him further, he quickly changed the subject. “Shan Shan says she’s hungry. Why don’t we order some food? I’m hungry too, so I’ll just eat whatever you get for her.”
As expected, Wen Yiting’s attention shifted immediately. She pulled out her phone to place the order, then asked, “Do you want me to teach you how to take care of a child properly?”
“No need,” Yin Kairui replied, waving his hand casually. “Shan Shan and I are getting along just fine. We’re building our relationship and understanding each other better every minute.”
Wen Yiting stared at him, confused. Something about that doesn’t sound quite right…
But if Yin Kairui was truly willing to make an effort and get along with Shan Shan, that was definitely a good thing. Deciding not to question it further, she left the room.
As soon as she was gone, Yin Kairui climbed out of bed. Wincing and grimacing slightly as he put weight on his tailbone, he walked over to the door and locked it securely. Then he came back and lifted his shirt once more to look carefully.
His stomach was smooth and unmarked, his skin clear and healthy, with his defined abdominal muscles clearly visible. There was absolutely no trace left of the terrible bruises that had covered it just hours before.
This meant it wasn’t just his imagination. It was real.
His injuries hadn’t been serious, but they were definitely severe enough that there was no way they could have healed completely in just a few hours.
This child… there was clearly something very unusual and special about her. Normal children certainly didn’t possess superhuman strength like she did, that was for sure.
After hesitating for a moment, Yin Kairui turned to Shan Shan and asked carefully, “…Is it really true that you’re the one who healed me?”
“Yes, absolutely!” Shan Shan nodded her head firmly and confidently.
Taking a deep breath, Yin Kairui looked at her with intense suspicion and asked, “…Are you really human?”
“Of course I am!” Shan Shan replied cheerfully, raising her small hand in the air. “Look! I even have red blood inside me, just like everyone else!”
Yin Kairui frowned deeply, still finding it hard to believe.
Just then, Shan Shan spoke up again. “Brother… does your bottom still hurt? I can heal that for you too, and then we can go eat something, okay?”
Yin Kairui’s eyes went wide with shock. He immediately clamped his hands firmly over his backside and refused in the strongest possible terms. “NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! DON’T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!”