Shen Yanchen said nothing more. He took the towel from the maid himself and went upstairs at an unhurried pace.
Perhaps he was trying to explain himself. He came to stand beside Tao Huanyi, folded his arms across his chest, and said lazily, “I wasn’t planning to meddle in your affairs. But if something happens to you out there, Grandma will blame me. Besides, I don’t want my woman showing her face in public—especially not you, a little blind girl who can’t see.”
Tao Huanyi nodded obediently. “Mm. I understand.”
As his gaze shifted, Shen Yanchen noticed a bright patch reflected by the light on Tao Huanyi’s neck. He frowned. “Why are you sweating so much?”
The question came out of nowhere, making Tao Huanyi’s heart jump again.
Why was this man so full of sudden surprises?
She swallowed and answered guiltily, “Maybe it’s because I have a baby in my belly. I get tired easily.”
Shen Yanchen’s tone changed again. “Then get some rest.”
“Okay.”
He suddenly slowed as he started forward, then took two steps back and reminded her, “By the way, sleep in my room. You’re still injured, and I’ll put medicine on your wounds tonight.”
“No need. I can do it myself!”
Tao Huanyi wanted to live a few more years, after all. That morning, when Shen Yanchen had treated her wounds, he’d distracted her by feeding her a bite of breakfast, so they hadn’t hurt as much. But whenever he was around, she always felt uneasy.
Shen Yanchen’s voice dropped at once. “You can’t see the wounds on your own body. They’re covered in blood, and a large patch of skin has been scraped off. If they get worse, Grandma will blame me anyway. I may as well put the medicine on them for you now, and then I can rest easy.”
“Rest easy?”
That was about as far from the Living King of Hell as you could get.
Besides, a man like him probably only felt at ease when he was tormenting other people.
Perhaps he saw right through her thoughts, because Shen Yanchen’s voice grew even more somber. “Didn’t you say your fall on the stairs today was deliberate? I checked when I went out, and it was. Since someone in the Shen family tried to hurt you, it’s only right that I treat your wounds.”
The girl was actually pretty badly hurt, but when he’d applied the medicine, she’d only hissed once. She seemed quite tough.
“If I hadn’t reacted quickly and grabbed the handrail, I might have fallen and killed us both.”
What Tao Huanyi said was true.
She’d only slipped and fallen down two steps, yet she’d scraped a large patch of skin off her back. If she hadn’t grabbed the handrail and had tumbled all the way down, the consequences would have been unthinkable. And considering the woman who was supposed to become Shen Yanchen’s third wife, Tao Huanyi felt that things inside the Shen family probably weren’t as peaceful as they seemed.
She would have to be more careful from now on.
Shen Yanchen said with composure, “You’re so determined to carry on despite your disabilities. You probably won’t die, will you? The other women didn’t even make it to the wedding before they lost their lives. You’re doing better than they did—you at least made it into the family.”
Listening to him, Tao Huanyi thought about it and shot back, “Whoever’s behind this Shen family business seems to want you to have no heirs! They won’t let you get married, and they’re trying to kill both me and the baby.”
Shen Yanchen gritted his teeth, his voice returning to its usual cruel edge. “No heirs? You’re not wrong. If I catch the person responsible, I won’t let them off lightly! And you—if you know it’s dangerous, be careful.”
“Mm.”
After a moment, Shen Yanchen said suddenly, “Actually, I’m looking forward to this child. Your reason for coming to the Shen family is to give birth to this baby. If you dare let anything happen to the child, I won’t forgive you.”
Tao Huanyi instinctively rested a hand on her belly. “Don’t worry. More than anyone, I want my baby to be born healthy and live.”
That evening, Shen Yanchen and Tao Huanyi had dinner together. Old Madam Shen sat at the head of the table and watched the two of them come downstairs side by side, their steps in sync. Her grandson Shen Yanchen, who was particularly slow on the uptake, had even supported Tao Huanyi all the way down. She couldn’t have been happier.
“Girl, what dishes do you like? I’ll have the kitchen make a note of them, so they can prepare more of your favorites from now on. Oh, and I’ve had the servants prepare some nourishing supplements for you. Eat and drink as you please, and don’t neglect yourself. Understand?”
“Thank you, Grandma!”
Tao Huanyi’s reply made Old Madam Shen even happier. She immediately instructed the servants, “Go bring me my dragon-headed cane.”
“Old Madam, that’s the one you’ve had for more than twenty years!”
“Go get it.”
“Yes!”
A servant went to Old Madam Shen’s room and brought back her cane. She took it, then drew Tao Huanyi’s hand toward her and placed the cane she had leaned on for more than twenty years into it. “Girl, I’m giving you this cane.”
“How can I accept that? It’s yours…”
Tao Huanyi had heard her clearly just now. The Old Madam had used this cane for more than twenty years!
“Now, I saw your white cane. I suppose your uncle and aunt’s family prepared it for you, right? It’s made of the cheapest wood, just a stick to lean on, and it can’t even fold up. My cane is different. You can fold it up, so it’s easy to carry. And it has sensor-powered omnidirectional wheels at the bottom. If the floor is slippery like it was when you fell this morning, it can sense that in advance and keep you safe.”
“Grandma, this is too valuable. I can’t accept it!”
“Don’t be silly. You’re part of the Shen family now, and Grandma’s quite fond of you. Besides, I had this cane specially modified to work as a white cane. I can’t use it myself anymore. I have a new cane, too. I actually feel bad giving a little girl like you a cane.”
If Tao Huanyi weren’t blind, Old Madam Shen would much rather have given her some jewelry.
But she knew very well that the Shen family was complicated, unlike the world outside. Something that could keep Tao Huanyi safe would be far more useful than jewelry she couldn’t use.
“Then… thank you, Grandma!”
Watching from the side, Shen Yanchen protested, “Grandma, how come you’ve never given me anything nice?”
“What nice thing do you need? Besides, you haven’t taken good care of your wife. You don’t deserve anything nice!”
Shen Yanchen was speechless. “That’s not what it means to play favorites.”
“What use are you, you little rascal? Do you know how hard pregnancy is for a girl? The girl can’t see, and it’s not easy for her to get around. She was already unfortunate enough to be mistreated by her aunt, and now she’s carrying your child! Look at you—you grew up carefree in the Shen family. You have no idea how hard life can be, and you don’t even know how to care for someone. You’re no use at all.”
“Grandma, you’ve copied so many scriptures that now you talk like you’re chanting them.”
Old Madam Shen slapped the top of Shen Yanchen’s head.
Hearing the sound, Tao Huanyi couldn’t help laughing with delight.
She would never have imagined that the terrifying Living King of Hell, notorious outside the house, would be looked down on by his own grandmother at home.