Chapter 136: Feng Jinye's

Huangfu Chen sighed in his heart with quiet sorrow. Yun Ming had been lying like this for quite some time now, and his body had already grown exceedingly frail...

With only eight days left out of the ten-day limit, Yun Ming's physical strength had to be properly restored first; otherwise, he would never be able to endure the sword stroke required to extract the parasite, rendering even the parasite lure completely useless...

Huangfu Chen was currently racking his brains over how to help Yun Ming's body recover rapidly...

"Brother Chen..."

Feng Qingxuan called out to Huangfu Chen. Interrupting his thoughts, Huangfu Chen offered his usual faint smile. "You've finally deigned to call me Brother Chen!"

Huangfu Chen's gaze drifted back to Yun Ming. He wondered what kind of incredible luck Yun Ming possessed, to have effortlessly stolen away the little girl he had cherished and doted on for over twenty years...

Feng Qingxuan lowered her gaze and remained silent.

Mei Ji could tell that Feng Qingxuan truly trusted Huangfu Chen, which only made her cast another suspicious glance at this enigmatic young master of the Twilight Pavilion!

As the son of Xuanyuan Ran, he could also be considered a member of the Xuanyuan family. The mere thought of Xuanyuan Ran instantly ignited a blazing fury within Mei Ji, filling her with intense hostility toward Huangfu Chen...

Naturally, Huangfu Chen sensed Mei Ji's sudden change in attitude, knowing it stemmed from the fact that he was Xuanyuan Ran's son!

Without a word, Huangfu Chen helped Yun Ming sit up, then gently removed all the garments from his upper body...

He meticulously searched for the tiny needle marks scattered across Yun Ming's skin...

Mei Ji watched Huangfu Chen's actions with a cold, expressionless stare, and finally spoke up, "Step aside, I'll do it!"

With astonishing speed, Mei Ji struck Yun Ming's back with a single palm, channeling her internal energy directly toward the acupoints she had previously sealed. In an instant, seven or eight silver needles were forced out from Yun Ming's body...

Huangfu Chen observed Mei Ji with a silent sigh of realization. No wonder he had been unable to expel all the silver needles at once—this person's internal energy was likely even superior to Feng Jinye's!

Yun Ming's sealed acupoints were instantly released, and a wave of violent coughing wracked his frame, though he still did not regain consciousness...

Just as Huangfu Chen had anticipated, Yun Ming was so weak that the sound of his breathing was barely audible...

"Night Nine!" Huangfu Chen summoned Night Nine from the shadows...

Night Nine appeared deeply dazed. It had been many years since he last heard Lord Huangfu Chen address the shadow guards by name. Although Lord Huangfu Chen seemed somewhat different from the person he remembered, it only made him feel all the more familiar...

After issuing a series of detailed instructions to Night Nine, Huangfu Chen offered Feng Qingxuan a comforting word of reassurance—"Everything will be fine"—and turned to leave the Xuanqing Pavilion in search of Weishao Qianyu...

Huangfu Chen figured that Weishao Qianyu might have a much better method than his own, just like how she had once managed to drag Feng Jinye back from the gates of hell even after his heart had stopped beating...

Not long before Huangfu Chen's departure, Weishao Qianyu and Feng Jinye had been sitting in the main courtyard's study, where the atmosphere had remained tense and stagnant...

Weishao Qianyu knew that Feng Jinye must be going through immense inner turmoil at this moment; he could never bear to let her take risks alongside Huangfu Chen, yet he could not simply stand by and let Yun Ming die...

Thinking back to the day when each of them had independently placed orders at the Twilight Pavilion to assassinate the Prince and Princess Zhan, Weishao Qianyu remembered how furious she had been back then...

Feng Jinye was well aware of Weishao Qianyu's nature; only days ago, she had come dangerously close to charging straight into the Twilight Pavilion...

Even if the Lu family's situation had changed, and even if Weishao Qianyu were not acting for the sake of Lu Ranran, she still would have...

No, Feng Jinye shook his head internally. She still would have gone for Lu Ranran's sake, because Lu Ranran was the daughter of the father she respected most in this world...

Lifting his gaze, Feng Jinye looked at Weishao Qianyu, who was quietly waiting for him to yield...

Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed outside, and Huangfu Chen reappeared, instantly shattering the silence between the two of them. "Weishao Qianyu..."

Weishao Qianyu looked at Huangfu Chen with visible irritation and snapped, "What is it?!"

Unfazed by her tone, Huangfu Chen went straight to the point: "Is there any way to nurse Yun Ming back to health within seven or eight days?"

"You mean...?" Weishao Qianyu asked with a single word of doubt...

Huangfu Chen understood what Weishao Qianyu meant and nodded affirmatively, confirming her suspicion. He intended to use the exact same method Weishao Qianyu had once used to cure Feng Jinye of his parasite, and apply it to Yun Ming...

"The suspended animation pill..."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Weishao Qianyu suddenly realized the flaw: if Yun Ming's body was far too weak, he wouldn't even be able to survive the effects of the suspended animation pill!

Huangfu Chen interrupted, "Methods involving suspended animation won't work here. The chilling parasite and the heart-devouring parasite are not ordinary poisons; we need the blood of the parasite queen to lure the worms out of his body!"

"Then what is the difference if we use suspended animation and then perform surgery?" Weishao Qianyu asked.

Huangfu Chen shook his head. "It is entirely different. There is simply no other way!"

Weishao Qianyu fell silent.

Glancing at Feng Jinye, she knew that matters concerning the antidote could not be decided in a split second, so they had better address Yun Ming's physical condition first. Weishao Qianyu immediately stood up, intending to lead Huangfu Chen to find Leng Qi...

Leng Qi was far more skilled in matters of recuperation and health maintenance...

The moment Weishao Qianyu moved, Feng Jinye grabbed her wrist. "This Prince will go with you!"

Weishao Qianyu was torn between amusement and exasperation; she could tell that Feng Jinye intended to keep a tight, unblinking watch on her for the next few days!

Nodding in resignation, Weishao Qianyu called out to Xuechun, "Go to the side courtyard and invite Leng Qi over here!"

Since today happened to be Qingxia's day of returning home to visit her family, Leng Qi was currently staying in the side courtyard...

With the arrival of Leng Qi, the group began discussing how best to nurse Yun Ming back to health. Still unconscious, Yun Ming remained completely unaware that he was about to be tended to and pampered as delicately as an infant...

Following Huangfu Chen's instructions, Night Nine began gently stretching and massaging Yun Ming's limbs inside the Xuanqing Pavilion, after which he pushed Yun Ming outside into the courtyard to enjoy the sunlight...

With the entire Prince Yuan's Estate now revolving around Yun Ming, Weishao Qianyu couldn't help feeling that Yun Ming was being treated almost like a woman undergoing postpartum confinement...

It had been a few days since Weishao Qianyu last laid eyes on Ruier. Due to the preparations for Qingxia's wedding over the past few days, Feng Jinye had simply dropped Ruier off at the shadow guard headquarters. To everyone's surprise, the boy hadn't thrown a tantrum or cried at all; instead, he had found it quite exciting...

Over the past two days, the little fellow had apparently noticed the bustling activity within the estate, and right now, he was busy climbing up a tree to investigate what was going on...

Indeed, within the span of a few short months, he had actually learned how to climb trees. Weishao Qianyu smiled warmly as she watched the little rascal up in the branches...

Suddenly, Huangfu Chen walked closer and asked, "Whose little brat is this?"

Hearing someone speaking beneath the tree, Ruier looked down from the branches, but suddenly lost his balance and plummeted straight down...

"Whoa!" The tree was quite tall, yet Ruier cried out in pure excitement rather than fear...

Weishao Qianyu stood there as unconcerned as ever, and before the surrounding shadow guards could make a move, Huangfu Chen furrowed his brows, leaped forward with swift agility, and effortlessly caught Ruier in his arms...

Realizing that someone had caught him, Ruier frowned in mild disappointment...

Upon landing, Huangfu Chen hoisted Ruier up by his clothes, thoroughly startled by the deep, serious frown etched on the little fellow's tiny face...

"This... is this Feng Jinye's kid?"

Huangfu Chen turned his head and couldn't help asking Weishao Qianyu. Having grown up alongside Feng Jinye since childhood, he naturally knew exactly what Feng Jinye looked like when he was a boy!

Ruier's features bore such an uncanny resemblance to Feng Jinye that anyone with eyes would immediately mistake him for Feng Jinye's own son!

Weishao Qianyu remained silent.

Seeing that she didn't answer, Huangfu Chen turned back to Ruier and asked, "Are you Feng Jinye's son?"

Ruier's bright eyes gleamed as he nodded vigorously like a pounding pestle. "Yes!"

Now it was Huangfu Chen's turn to be utterly astonished. Surely not?

"Little one, what is your name?" Huangfu Chen inquired.

Though small, Ruier was clever enough to sense that Huangfu Chen didn't believe him. Instead of answering with his name, he puffed out his cheeks and said with a huff, "My surname is Feng!"

Half-doubtful, Huangfu Chen cast a questioning glance toward Weishao Qianyu, silently begging for an explanation...

Feeling that this wasn't something she should explain, Weishao Qianyu stayed quiet. Following the direction of Huangfu Chen's gaze, Ruier looked at Weishao Qianyu and began wriggling and stretching out his arms, demanding to be held by her...

Ruier was sharp; he deliberately refrained from calling Weishao Qianyu "Aunt," knowing that if he did, Huangfu Chen would believe him even less!

Watching Weishao Qianyu take Ruier into her arms, Huangfu Chen stood there dumbfounded, completely speechless with shock...

"Ruier, tell him what your name is," Weishao Qianyu said in a gentle voice.

Huangfu Chen began to seriously suspect whether the Weishao Qianyu standing before him was an impostor. Wasn't there a rumor that Prince Yuan's Estate had a maid who looked identical to the Princess Consort?

"Ruier," the little boy replied, still puffing his cheeks with feigned anger while speaking in his sweet, babyish voice.

"Your name is... Feng Ruier?" Huangfu Chen asked, thoroughly perplexed. Just then, Feng Jinye's voice rang out: "Chen."

Thinking Feng Jinye was calling him—since both Feng Jinye and Yun Ming had affectionately called him "Aachen" back in their youth—Huangfu Chen paused...

"Feng Ruichen," Feng Jinye said.

Weishao Qianyu was deeply surprised, while Ruier's eyes lit up with excitement as he stared at Feng Jinye, even bouncing and stretching his arms to demand Feng Jinye's embrace...

He finally had a name—a real, proper name! And it was such a wonderful name: "Feng Ruichen."

A quiet smile tugged at the corners of Weishao Qianyu's lips. The "Chen" in the name undoubtedly came from Huangfu Chen, while the surname "Feng" was something Huangfu Chen had practically suggested himself!

Thinking back to the four words Huangfu Chen had blurted out moments ago—"Your name is Feng Ruier"—it sounded precisely like someone casually naming a child!

With a bizarre, unfathomable expression, Huangfu Chen looked between Feng Jinye, who was standing beside Weishao Qianyu, and the child in her arms. The three of them looked every bit like a happy family...

What on earth had happened during the year he was away? Even if there was a child, shouldn't the baby have come from Weishao Qianyu's womb?

Yet this little rascal looked at least three years old; there was simply no way he could be Weishao Qianyu's biological child!

Huangfu Chen's brain spun through countless possibilities, none of which made any sense. Finally, he threw his hands up and asked Feng Jinye directly, "Which woman snuck into your bed?"

Weishao Qianyu couldn't help letting out a sudden giggle, chiming in, "Oh, someone definitely had a woman sneak into his bed!"

"Here, let me hold him for you. May you also be blessed with a son soon!" Weishao Qianyu said with a smile as she scooped Ruier from Feng Jinye's arms and unceremoniously shoved the boy straight into Huangfu Chen's embrace...

Ruier's expression instantly soured. He didn't like this man at all—the man didn't look nearly as handsome as his uncle-in-law. In Ruier's eyes, only his uncle-in-law was as good-looking as he was.

Watching Huangfu Chen catch Ruier only to instinctively lift the boy up by his clothes with a frown, Weishao Qianyu couldn't help shaking her head...

Fortunately, Ruier was remarkably resilient and unfazed, acting like a newborn calf that knew no fear. Weishao Qianyu figured the boy was