She successfully switched the topic and the point of the conversation. As A-Qing muttered nonstop in an unyielding yet dejected manner, Xiao XingChen immediately went over to comfort her. In the corner, Xue Yang rolled his eyes. Xiao XingChen turned to him again, “Don’t sit by the wall. I didn’t bandage the wound on your leg yet. Come here.”
With an indifferent expression, Xue Yang continued to think. Xiao XingChen added, “If it’s not treated soon, your might end up crippled.”
Hearing this, Xue Yang decisively made his choice.
Wei WuXian could speculate what he was thinking. With a body covered in severe wounds, he couldn’t go anywhere if nobody helped treat him. Since Xiao XingChen was such an idiot that he placed himself right at his disposal, why not accept the help?
Thus, he changed his expression at once. In a voice filled with gratitude, he replied, “Then, thank you, Daozhang.”
Having seen Xue Yang’s skill of changing from merciless to affectionate within fractions of a second, Wei WuXian was truly worried for the two blind ones, both real and fake, in the room, but especially for A-Qing. She could see everything. If Xue Yang discovered this, to prevent the secret from leaking out, she’d definitely die. Although he knew that, in the end, A-Qing probably died in Xue Yang’s hands anyway, Wei WuXian still felt anxious since he’d be going through the same experience.
All of a sudden, he noticed that Xue Yang had been discreetly preventing Xiao XingChen from touching his left hand. Taking a closer look at it, he found that the little finger of Xue Yang’s left hand was severed. From where it cut off, it could be seen that it wasn’t a new wound. Back then, Xiao XingChen definitely knew that Xue Yang only had nine fingers. So this was why Xue Yang wore a black glove on his left hand when he was putting up his act.
Xiao XingChen was rather dedicated to helping him. After applying medicine to his wound, he bandaged it in a remarkably neat manner, “It’s finished, but it’s best if you don’t move, or else your bones will dislocate again.”
Xue Yang had already ascertained that Xiao XingChen was so gullible that he didn’t recognize him. Although he was covered in blood and surrounded by other messes, the lazy grin appeared on his face again, “Daozhang, so you aren’t going to ask who I am? Why I was injured so badly?”
If someone else were at his position, they would’ve carefully avoided the topic so that they didn’t reveal details that would expose their identity. He, on the other hand, deliberately did the exact opposite. Turning to clean the medical kit and bandages, Xiao XingChen softly replied, “If you won’t say it, then why should I ask? I just happened to have seen you and decided to lend a hand. It’s nothing difficult for me, anyways. After your injuries heal, we’d go our separate ways. If I were you, there’d also be a lot of things that I don’t want others to ask about.”
Wei WuXian commented, Even if Xiao XingChen asked, the little delinquent would probably make up a seamless explanation and fool him around. It was natural for people to have complicated pasts. Xiao XingChen only avoided inquiring too much out of respect. Yet, it made it convenient for Xue Yang to use his respect. Wei WuXian was sure that he was not only going to get Xiao XingChen to heal all his wounds, after he recovered, he definitely wouldn’t let them “go their separate ways” either.
Xue Yang rested in the bedroom of the coffin home’s guard, while Xiao XingChen went to the main hall. Opening up a new coffin, he picked up some of the straws on the ground and thickly spread them over the bottom of the coffin. He turned to A-Qing, “The person inside is injured, so let’s let him have the bed. Would you mind making do with this? I put straws on the bottom, so it shouldn’t be too cold.”
A-Qing had been roaming in the streets ever since she was young. Having lived alongside wind and hunger, there was nowhere she hadn’t slept. She replied nonchalantly, “Not at all. It’s good enough that I have somewhere to sleep. It won’t be cold. Don’t take off your coat for me again.”
Xiao XingChen stroked the top of her head. With both his sword and horsetail whisk on his back, he walked outside again. To ensure safety, Xiao XingChen never let her follow when he was on night-hunts. After crawling into the coffin and lying for a while, she heard Xue Yang call her from the other room, “Little Blind, come over.”
A-Qing poked her head out, “What?”
Xue Yang, “Do you want candy?”
The end of A-Qing’s tongue felt sour, as though she really wanted candy. Despite this, she still refused, “I’m not eating it. I’m not going.”
Xue Yang threatened sweetly, “Are you sure you’re not eating it? Are you too scared of coming? But, did you think that I actually can’t move? That if you don’t come, I’m not going to go over and find you?”
Hearing the strange tone of his words, A-Qing shuddered. She imagined the malicious grin suddenly appear on top of the coffin, and felt that it was even creepier. With some hesitation, she finally picked up her pole and slowly tapped her way to the room’s door. Before she could speak, a small object flew straight at her.
Wei WuXian instinctively wanted to dodge, worried that it was some sort of weapon. Of course, he couldn’t control this body. Immediately afterward, he finally realized, It’s a trap!
Xue Yang was testing A-Qing—if she was truly blind, she wouldn’t be able to avoid it!
As both a quick-witted person and someone who pretended to be blind throughout the year, A-Qing didn’t dodge at all. She didn’t even blink as she saw the object rush toward her. Instead, she let it hit her chest, then jumped back and fumed, “Hey! What did you throw at me?”
With A-Qing having passed the test, Xue Yang replied, “It’s candy, for you. I forgot that you’re blind and can’t catch. It landed by your feet.”
A-Qing humphed and squatted down. Searching around as if she really were blind, she found a piece of candy. She had never eaten something like this before. She gulped, wiped it, then put it into her mouth, happily crunching it with her teeth. Xue Yang lay on his side with one hand holding his chin, and asked, “Is it good, Little Blind?”
A-Qing, “I have a name. I’m not called Little Blind.”
Xue Yang, “You didn’t tell me your name, so I could only call you this.”
A-Qing had always told her name only to people who were nice to her, but she didn’t like the way Xue Yang said it, so she told him, “Listen up. My name is A-Qing. Don’t keep on calling me Little Blind and Little Blind!” After she said it, she felt that her voice was somewhat harsh. Afraid that she’d anger the person, she immediately started another topic, “You’re such a strange person. You’re covered in blood and this injured, but you have candy with you.”
Xue Yang grinned, “When I was young, I really liked candy, but I couldn’t get them no matter what and I could only watch people eat. So, I’ve always thought that if I become wealthier one day, I’d carry an infinite amount of candy with me.”
A-Qing just so happened to have finished the candy that he gave her. Licking her lips, she wanted more. Her desire for candy outweighed her fear of the person in front of her, “Then do you have any more?”
Xue Yang laughed, “Of course I do. I’ll give you more if you come over here.”