Chapter 7: 第3章 可爱的妹妹

Chapter 3: The Adorable Younger Sister

Seeing that things were going south, Ning Qingqing turned around, grabbed her maid's hand, and ran.

"Stop right there! You hit our Young Master and think you can just run away?" Seeing Ning Qingqing flee, Ye’s anger flared even higher.

"Ye, don't chase her!" Jun Yuling commanded, clutching his nose.

"Young Master, this woman truly deserves to die. You kindly tried to save her, and she actually injured you." It was rare for Ye to talk back to Jun Yuling, but his feet were already beginning to move on their own, preparing to run outside.

Jun Yuling looked at Ye with an expression of profound disappointment. "You know your Young Master is injured and you're still running?" He held up his folding fan to shield his face. "If you run off, what am I supposed to do?"

"Uh, yes. This subordinate deserves death." Ye pulled a handkerchief from his robe. "Let me wipe it for you."

"No need!" Jun Yuling glared at Ye, snatched the handkerchief, and pressed it against his nose.

Ye couldn't help but shudder at Jun Yuling's gaze. "Go, why haven't you gone to fetch a physician yet?" he shouted at the still-dazed waiter nearby.

"Fetch what? Return to the palace!" Jun Yuling was speechless at the blockheaded Ye; his disappointment had reached a point where just seeing him was irritating.

Ye had no choice but to comply, paying for the meal and supporting Jun Yuling as they walked out.

"Did you hear what that Young Master just said? Return to the palace? Just who on earth is that Young Master?" the waiter asked, eager to gossip.

"He was probably hit so hard he's lost his wits. Would someone from the palace come here for entertainment?" The shopkeeper glanced at the waiter. "Get back to work and stop idling here."

"Yes, yes!" the waiter echoed repeatedly.

~

"Ye, is this what you call rubbing? It hurts like hell, this Prince!"

Terrifying screams echoed from within the hall. Jun Yuling's jade-like face was still swollen with five finger marks, and his high-bridged nose was a bruised shade of blue.

"Your Highness, we should find an imperial physician to take a look. Or perhaps, we could go quietly?" Ye truly could not bear to watch. His handsome and dashing Crown Prince was in such a pathetic state. He had asked Ye to rub his nose, but before he even touched it, the shouting had started.

"Do you think my Imperial Father is just eating for free?" He glared at Ye while clutching his nose. "The moment this Prince calls for a physician, word will reach Father and Mother within half an hour. I don't know how many hundreds of times I'll be forced to transcribe the *Art of War* as punishment. See a physician? I'd rather endure this pain."

"Oh!" Ye's face darkened, and he fell silent.

In truth, the Crown Prince had been quite heroic in saving that person at the restaurant. But if the Emperor found out that the Crown Prince had skipped his training at the martial grounds this afternoon to wander the streets—fighting in public as the heir to the nation and being mistaken for harassing a respectable lady—he would definitely be severely punished. Ye truly sympathized with his master, sincerely. To save a woman only to end up in this state where he couldn't even see a physician... it was truly infuriating.

"Your Highness, are you really going to let that woman off just like that?"

He now loathed that woman; she truly didn't know what was good for her. It was a blessing from many lifetimes past that his master had taken an interest in her, yet she had the audacity to injure him.

"I cannot let her off!" Even thinking about that woman made him feel a surge of anger. "Even our little girl isn't as wild as this woman. Ye, investigate her. Find out her background, and see how this Prince deals with such an arrogant woman."

He swayed his folding fan lightly; it seemed only such an order could soothe his heart.

"Uh, then how does the Prince plan to deal with her?"

Ye actually seemed more anxious and angry than his master.

"That..." At the thought of how to deal with the woman, Jun Yuling immediately felt the pain in his face subside significantly. "First..." But after thinking for a long time, he realized he didn't actually have a plan.

"Go, go investigate quickly. Why are you asking so many questions?" Jun Yuling glared at him fiercely and snapped his fan shut, looking ready to strike Ye's head in the next second.

"Yes, yes, this subordinate will go immediately."

Ye hurriedly dodged and practically ran out.

Jun Yuling withdrew his gaze and touched his right cheek, which still throbbed painfully. He lay back helplessly on the soft cushions, feeling as though he must have been blind to take an interest in that woman. Heavens, he already had a little tiger at home giving him headaches. He absolutely would not allow another girl even fiercer than his little tiger to appear.

"Princess, the Crown Prince is studying in the hall and does not permit any disturbances. Please return, Princess."

Just as he was about to rest, the voice of a guard blocking the door reached him. Jun Yuling's brows furrowed slightly; he felt a great calamity approaching.

"Move aside! This Princess is here. My brother should be welcoming me, yet you dare to block me? Careful, or I'll tell Father and have your heads!"

Upon hearing that voice—the voice of that little demoness—Jun Yuling looked up at the ceiling in speechless exasperation, acting as if nothing were wrong.

"This... Princess!"

Sensing that the useless guards outside were about to buckle under the little demoness's threats, Jun Yuling's heart gave a sudden jolt.

"Brother, I heard you were injured. Yin'yin brought medicine for you."

Jun Yuling could clearly feel the little demoness's magical voice drawing closer. He bolted upright from his lounge chair, snapping open his fan to cover his face completely.

"Brother, you are..."

Jun Yuyin appeared, carrying a medicine box and dressed in a goose-yellow floral silk skirt. She stopped in front of Jun Yuling and stared at him without blinking.

"Ahem, Brother has caught a slight chill. I am resting quietly; you should return to the palace." Jun Yuling glanced sideways at her and turned his body away to avoid her gaze.

"A chill!? The people outside said Brother was reading and studying. How can that be?"

Those innocent and lovely eyes stared at Jun Yuling, sparkling with moisture. They were the epitome of purity, yet in Jun Yuling's eyes, they were the epitome of evil.

"Oh, I was studying. Then, suddenly, I caught a chill," he lied smoothly, his eyes darting away.

"Is that so?" Jun Yuyin looked at him in disbelief and placed her medicine box on the table. "I heard from the eunuchs in the palace that Brother has been hiding his face with a fan ever since he returned. Yin'yin guesses that Brother must be injured."

"No!" He gave her a hollow look. She was truly a clever little thing; despite his meticulousness, he often couldn't hide anything from this girl.

"Oh!" Jun Yuyin nodded slightly, her coral jade hairpin swaying. She lifted her bright, watery eyes and continued to stare at him stubbornly. "Brother, let me see. Let me see!"

"I said there is nothing, little girl. Go back to your palace!" Jun Yuling struggled desperately.

"No! Yin'yin wants to see if Brother is injured before she leaves." Jun Yuyin walked over, grabbed Jun Yuling's fan, and began prying it open bit by bit.

Jun Yuling fought tooth and nail to keep the fan over his face. Damn it, this girl was too difficult to deal with. No, he absolutely could not give in this time. He must not.

"Let go!"

"No!"

"Let me see!"

"Not giving!"

"Let go this instant!"

"I said no!"

After a bout of wrestling, Jun Yuyin's physical strength indeed faltered, and she nearly lost to Jun Yuling. *As expected, I need to practice my martial arts more in the future,* she thought. *I can't let this boy be so arrogant.*

"Ah! Mother is coming! Father is here!" Jun Yuyin said in a panicked tone.

"Little girl, your techniques are too low. Do you think your older brother is a pushover?" Jun Yuling snorted, still contending with her.

"They really are here!" Jun Yuyin's voice sounded flat.

"Go trick a ghost." Jun Yuling refused to believe it.

"Ahem, Ling'er, what is this about tricking ghosts?"

Jun Yuling was just feeling triumphant that Jun Yuyin's tricks were useless against him when Xia Zibing's voice suddenly rang out. His heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly turned around.

However, the hall was empty. Aside from the little girl beside him, there was no one else. There was no sign of his Father or Mother anywhere. Jun Yuyin saw that half of Jun Yuling's face was as smooth as jade, while the other half was swollen and red, and his once high-bridged nose was now a bruised blue. His entire face was divided into three colors.

"Heh, hahahaha..."

Suddenly, peals of feminine laughter echoed through the rafters of the hall. Jun Yuyin held her mouth with one hand and clutched her stomach with the other, her laughter continuous and unabating.

"Brother, your face is truly..." Her eyebrows arched, crinkling like a chrysanthemum. Even as she leaned over the chair from laughing so hard, she couldn't stop. "It's truly a classic. You're even three parts more handsome than before!"

Little did she know that Jun Yuling's face had darkened like storm clouds. Seeing her so smug, he truly wanted to place his hands on her delicate neck and strangle her. How hateful!

"You brat! I've never met someone as ungrateful as you. I am your brother!" He vented his frustration angrily. "Laugh one more time, just one more time, and I'll strangle you!"

"Fine, fine, I won't laugh." Jun Yuyin tried her best to calm her distorted, laughing face, but as soon as she looked up at Jun Yuling's face, another burst of joyous laughter erupted. "Hahaha... Brother, I can't take it! I can't! Haha..."

"Jun Yuyin!!!"

His thunderous roar made the very hall tremble.

"Ah, Brother, I won't laugh. I won't."

Jun Yuyin nearly choked herself into internal injury. Seeing Jun Yuling's icy gaze fixed upon her, it took a long time before she finally managed to stop laughing.

"Brother, it's okay. I brought very good medicinal ointment." Jun Yuyin had been enduring, enduring. While holding back her laughter, she took her medicine out of her box. "Brother, it's fine, it's fine. We won't call an imperial physician; sister will treat you."

Jun Yuling looked at Jun Yuyin's small medicine box, which looked quite professional, and gave it a skeptical glance. "Is your medicine actually effective?" This younger sister of his had done plenty of foolish things since childhood; he never dared to trust anything involving her. But today, he sincerely felt that aside from this little girl, there was truly no one else who could save him.

"Of course it works!" Jun Yuyin placed the useful medicine on the table and then looked at Jun Yuling. "Come, Brother, lie down. Quickly, lie down." He was practically pressed down onto the lounge chair by her. Of course, although he had little hope in this girl, he was ultimately helpless.

He watched as Jun Yuyin opened a syringe, placed it on the table, and then took out the thickest needle, slowly approaching him.

"Yin'yin, you haven't made a mistake, have you? You need to use acupuncture?" Jun Yuling's eyes widened. This kind of thing should only require some ointment or something. What was the use of acupuncture, especially with such a large needle? Was this brat trying to heal him or kill him?

"Yes! Look, these are the Ice Soul Silver Needles. Mother gave them to me." Jun Yuyin picked up the shimmering silver needles to show off. "Brother doesn't believe in me. This technique was taught to me by Mother. Acupuncture helps promote blood circulation and dissipate stasis. Forget it, even if I told you, you wouldn't understand. Just lie still."

"Oh!" Jun Yuling gave a faint response, suddenly feeling deeply insulted.

"Although, this is my first time using the Ice Soul Silver Needles to treat someone." Jun Yuyin chatted away while performing the acupuncture.

But these words were extremely unpleasant to Jun Yuling's ears. Seeing the needle pierce an acupoint on his arm, he suddenly gasped. "Can you stop mentioning that it's your first time?" It sounded to him as if he were her experimental subject. "You really have the heart to use your brother as a guinea pig."

Jun Yuyin smiled slightly, her eyes sweeping over Jun Yuling before she looked away, fearing that if she laughed again, her brother really would strangle her.

"What is there not to have the heart about? I have great confidence in my medical skills."

"Oh?" Jun Yuling glanced at the little troublemaker, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Yin'yin, Brother asks you: what was that voice just now?"

Jun Yuyin acted nonchalantly, continuing the acupuncture while saying calmly, "That? Mother taught me. Hehe, I can not only mimic Mother's voice, but I can even mimic Brother's voice and Father's voice perfectly."

Jun Yuling's brow twitched; he closed his eyes, pretending he heard nothing.

"You don't believe me? I'll demonstrate." Jun Yuyin was eager to show off to her brother, mimicking his usual tone. "'Little girl, what mischief have you been up to today? Are you asking for a beating from your brother?'"

After speaking, she bit her red lip and looked at Jun Yuling. "Brother, did I sound like you?"

Jun Yuling felt he could no longer endure it. He opened his eyes and, teeth clenched in frustration, struck her head with his folding fan, though he didn't dare use much force. "Yin'yin, is it because Brother loves you too much? That you're always playing tricks on him!"

"Hehe..." Jun Yuyin gently touched her head and smiled dismissively. "I was just giving Brother a surprise, just like you did to me yesterday."

"You..." Jun Yuling was speechless. He lay back on the lounge chair helplessly, staring at the ceiling for a long while before admitting defeat. "You're still holding onto yesterday's matter?" Was this girl really this vengeful?

Jun Yuyin pouted and stopped talking, focusing intently on the acupuncture. It wasn't that she was still holding onto yesterday; it was simply that this was their way of interacting. He was used to it, and so was she.

After finishing the acupuncture, Jun Yuyin applied the medicine she brought to his face. "Brother, does it feel comfortable?"

"Mm," Jun Yuling responded softly. This little girl's technique was indeed much better than Ye's.

"How hateful! Who injured my brother like this?" She looked at Jun Yuling's face with indignation.

Jun Yuling did not answer, pretending he heard nothing. Regarding that matter, telling her would definitely result in the little girl laughing for three days and three nights. Therefore, even if he told anyone, he could never tell this little girl.