Outside, the freezing wind howled violently as snowflakes drifted through the air and accumulated across the rooftops and pathways of the Ye Family residence.
Ye Fang stood before the door and raised his hand to knock gently.
In his grasp was a fist-sized spirit mushroom of a deep crimson hue.
Despite the bitter winter cold, the mushroom continued to release wave after wave of heat, causing the nearby snow to melt before it could even touch its surface.
Mother?
Ye Fang furrowed his brows slightly and tilted his head toward the door, attempting to catch any sound from within.
He waited for a long moment, but no response came.
The crease between his brows deepened, and he knocked again with greater force.
Not long afterward, the door slowly opened with a faint creak.
Xiao Yun appeared before him with a flushed complexion and captivating mature charm.
Several strands of hair lay slightly disheveled around her face, and her clothes were not entirely neat.
Her legs trembled faintly, as though she were struggling to remain steady.
Even when the freezing wind rushed into the room the moment the door opened, waves of heat continued to rise from her body, making her appear as though she had only just finished some intense physical exertion.
Ye Fang’s eyes widened slightly.
His gaze moved slowly from his mother’s flushed face to her disordered clothing before finally settling on her trembling legs.
At the same moment, Ji Lin appeared beside her.
His expression remained as calm as ever, without the slightest trace of unease.
His usual faint smile still rested upon his lips, as though everything that had taken place inside the room had been nothing more than an ordinary medical treatment session.
Unfortunately, Ye Fang had arrived at the worst possible moment.
Ji Lin had only just begun to enjoy the change in his relationship with Xiao Yun when the sudden knocking at the door forced him to stop in haste.
Mother, Ji Lin… what were the two of you doing?
Ye Fang’s grip tightened around the spirit mushroom until his fingers nearly sank into its soft surface, while his suspicious gaze moved back and forth between them.
His mother appeared even more radiant than usual today.
However, her flushed face, disheveled hair, and untidy clothing stirred an inexplicable sense of unease within him.
Elder Brother Ye Fang, I was treating Madam Xiao Yun just now.
It seems the process of expelling the cold poison was somewhat intense for her body.
A gentle smile appeared on Ji Lin’s lips, and his tone remained calm and natural, as though he had done nothing more than complete an ordinary treatment session.
His thoughts, however, were entirely different.
From now on, each of them would be able to maintain their usual image in front of Ye Fang.
On the surface, Ji Lin would remain the younger subordinate who addressed him respectfully as elder brother.
Behind his back, however, Ji Lin’s relationship with his mother would become far deeper than Ye Fang could ever imagine.
What a wonderful arrangement.
Mm.
A faint sound escaped Xiao Yun, but it seemed unusually cold and unsettled.
Her eyes shifted nervously, and she did not dare look directly at Ye Fang.
Instead, she moved a noticeable distance away from Ji Lin, as though trying to conceal what had happened between them and escape the guilt pursuing her.
She had already crossed a boundary she had never imagined she would cross with her son’s friend.
It had begun under the pressure of treatment and circumstances that had given her little time to think.
Yet the worst part was that, after calming down and fully understanding what was happening during a moment of pleasure, she had willingly agreed to become Ji Lin’s Soul Companion.
She could no longer place all the blame on the circumstances.
How could she possibly face Ye Fang from now on?
Treatment?
Ye Fang stepped forward quickly and stopped in front of Xiao Yun before carefully examining her condition.
He guided his spiritual energy through her body for several moments, and the instant he sensed the location of the cold poison, his pupils contracted slightly.
Just as he had expected, the cold poison lingering within her body had weakened to the point of becoming almost imperceptible.
Yet that was precisely what aroused his suspicion.
Ye Fang understood Ji Lin’s medical abilities better than anyone.
Under normal circumstances, eliminating such a stubborn poison would require at least one or two years of continuous treatment.
So how had Ji Lin managed to weaken it to this extent in such a short period of time?
Had he encountered some rare opportunity?
Ye Fang raised his eyes and examined Ji Lin from head to toe, attempting to detect any change in his aura.
After a few moments, he silently shook his head.
In his eyes, Ji Lin was still nothing more than an ordinary mortal without the slightest cultivation.
Even if he had obtained some fortunate opportunity, it was most likely unrelated to cultivation.
It was probably nothing more than a rare medical prescription or a unique healing method.
The suspicion in Ye Fang’s eyes gradually subsided.
Looking at Ji Lin, he revealed a sincere smile.
Since you have treated my mother’s cold poison, you may go to the family treasury and receive one hundred taels of silver as your reward.
His tone was calm, and his eyes appeared utterly sincere, filled with profound gratitude.
Anyone seeing him at that moment would have believed he was a generous elder brother who never hesitated to reward his loyal followers.
Thank you, Elder Brother!
A delighted expression appeared on Ji Lin’s face, and he bowed respectfully to Ye Fang, just as he always had.
Deep inside, however, he let out a cold, mocking laugh.
He had seen that sincere gaze countless times before.
Ye Fang used it to manipulate his subordinates, showering them with promises and warm words until they genuinely believed he valued them.
He had used that very same look on numerous young women as well, making each of them believe she was somehow different from all the others.
Even Ji Lin’s childhood sweetheart had fallen captive to those eyes before becoming one of Ye Fang’s most devoted admirers.
One hundred taels of silver?
Perhaps it was a great fortune to an ordinary mortal, but Ye Fang was already a cultivator who had reached the Companion-Seeking Realm and was the most brilliant young genius the Ye Family had produced in recent years.
To someone like him, worldly wealth was scarcely worth more than a handful of dirt.
Ji Lin had saved his mother’s life—or at the very least, had rid her of most of the cold poison that had tormented her for many years.
Even so, Ye Fang intended to reward him with something that held virtually no value in his own eyes.
At that thought, Ji Lin recalled the lingering warmth still clinging to his skin, and the corners of his lips curled into a faint smile that went unnoticed by everyone present.
You were the one who undervalued me, but your mother is the one who repaid your debt in your place.
At that moment, Ye Fang raised the crimson spirit mushroom he had been carrying and carefully handed it to Xiao Yun.
Mother, please accept this Fire Spirit Mushroom.
A small amount of cold poison still remains within your body.
Once you consume it, you will be able to eliminate the poison completely.