Chapter 41: Idiot, You Don't Even Dare to Steal a Kiss?
"This idiot... after staring for so long, he still won't even steal a kiss?"
Ma Xiaotao's eyelids twitched, exasperated.
She had been awake for several minutes now, fully aware that Ye Chen was right beside her.
And yet, the fool just sat there playing with her hand, not even daring to sneak a kiss—how disappointing.
Finally, she couldn't hold back any longer. Her fingers twitched slightly before she slowly opened her eyes.
"Xiao Tao! You're awake! How do you feel?" Ye Chen exclaimed in relief, leaning closer with concern.
"I'm fine…" Ma Xiaotao said softly, glancing up at him with a gentle smile.
For some reason, Ye Chen felt like her gaze carried something else—something faintly resentful?
Maybe he was imagining things.
"As long as you're fine," he said, smiling back, still oblivious.
"Wait... why are my clothes different?"
She quickly noticed that she was wearing only a patient's gown—nothing underneath. The fabric was thin, and the cool air made it obvious that...
"Yeah, I changed them for you," Ye Chen replied matter-of-factly.
Ma Xiaotao: "…"
"You—how could you..."
Her face burned crimson as she yanked the blanket over her head in shock.
"This shameless guy… he must've seen everything… ahhhh—but… he saved me, so… maybe it's fine?"
Her heart pounded wildly. Instead of outrage, a shy, unusual delight bubbled inside her chest.
Perhaps… a small "reward" for saving her life wasn't too much?
"Ahem—Sister Xiao Tao, I was just joking. Senior Sister Ling changed your clothes," Ye Chen quickly explained, seeing her flustered reaction.
"What?"
Ma Xiaotao's head shot out from the blanket, her glare fierce.
She hadn't been angry before—but now she was.
That idiot. The perfect opportunity, and he wasted it!
Unbelievable. Truly hopeless!
"Uh... It was Ling Senior who changed you. I didn't see anything, I swear!" Ye Chen said seriously, completely misunderstanding her frustration.
"Hmph!"
She rolled her eyes and turned away, pulling the blanket back over her, sulking in silence.
Having Ling Luochen change her clothes was pointless—that troublemaker probably snuck a touch or two.
If only Ye Chen had done it... at least that would've built some bonding.
What a waste.
"Uh…" Ye Chen scratched his head. He couldn't read her mood at all. Why did she look angry—again?
He gave up on understanding women altogether, conjured a glowing green bead in his palm, and gently tapped her shoulder.
"Sister Xiao Tao, time to take your medicine."
"I don't need it. I'm almost healed already. I'll let a healer treat me when we're back," Ma Xiaotao said, waving it off lazily.
For external wounds like hers, a healing-type Soul Master was far more effective than any pill.
Only internal or soul-related injuries truly needed medicine.
She knew her body well—just superficial damage. The local healers weren't good enough; she'd be fine back at Shrek.
"This isn't ordinary, Sister Xiao Tao. It's a family pill—a very special one."
Ye Chen sighed and explained gently.
"Oh?"
Ma Xiaotao turned around, curious.
In his palm lay a rice-sized emerald-green bead, glowing faintly and radiating pure vitality. Just looking at it made her body feel warmer, her recovery accelerating in real time.
Her eyes widened. This wasn't ordinary medicine—it was a miraculous treasure.
While most pills couldn't compare to a healer's ability, truly rare elixirs made from extraordinary materials could rival or even surpass soul techniques in effectiveness—and strengthen the body further besides.
Ye Chen's pill was clearly one of those.
"Silly, my wounds are almost healed. A pill like that would be wasted on me," Ma Xiaotao said quickly, pushing his hand back.
"It's not rare. I have hundreds more," Ye Chen replied casually.
"What? Hundreds??"
Her jaw dropped, completely stunned.
Since when were life-saving miracles mass-produced?
Before she could protest again, Ye Chen seized the moment, flipping his wrist and popping the pill straight into her mouth.
The Seed of Life dissolved instantly. A surge of pure, rejuvenating vitality burst through her body, flooding every cell.
Her back had healed on the surface, but inside, much of the tissue was still hollow and damaged.
Now, under the influence of that life energy, the muscles filled out again visibly, the skin smoothing and glowing with health.
In just a few seconds, her wounds—and even her fatigue—disappeared entirely.
Her skin gleamed, youthful and radiant as ever.
"This—!"
Ma Xiaotao's beautiful eyes widened in disbelief. She could feel the transformation.
The pill's power was on par with a high-level healer's full-force soul technique—maybe even stronger!
Considering her level as a Soul Emperor, such damage should've taken days of healing. Yet this tiny pill had fixed everything—and even left her body brimming with vigor.
"Xiao Tao, how do you feel?" Ye Chen asked eagerly, watching her reaction.
He needed to gauge the pill's potency, to know how much life force to invest in future doses. Efficiency was important, after all.
"You idiot!!"
Ma Xiaotao suddenly lunged forward, grabbing him by the collar and slamming him onto the bed.
"You reckless fool—how could you waste something that precious!?"
She ruffled his hair and squished his cheeks furiously.
She wasn't stupid—this kind of pill was clearly a priceless treasure, the kind one's elders would only hand out for life-or-death emergencies.
Ye Chen probably had one or two of them—no more.
Yet he'd just used one for her, without hesitation.
Her anger melted into sadness and overwhelming emotion. Her eyes trembled—and suddenly tears spilled from them.
"Xiao Tao, why are you crying~?"
Ye Chen chuckled softly and reached up to wipe the tears from her cheeks.
She was still dressed in her loose patient robe—but it was too small. Several buttons near her chest had already popped open.
From Ye Chen's unavoidable gentleman's perspective...
Everything was on full display.
(END CHAPTER)
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