Chapter 11: Be Gentle, She’s Afraid of Pain

"Tang Li, come in!" Qin Daofei rarely displayed his anger, but this time, Tang Li could clearly sense it in his voice.

Tang Li entered the room, not daring to look at Linglong. He bowed and asked, "Master, what can I do for you?"

"She’s been poisoned so badly—why didn’t you call for a physician?" Qin Daofei’s voice was as biting as a northern wind before a heavy snow, cutting painfully across the face. A chill seeped from the physician’s soles to his heart, making the hand that held the bone-scraping knife tremble uncontrollably.

Tang Li felt his limbs turn cold. He knelt respectfully and said, "Master, along the way Madam never mentioned she was poisoned, and I noticed nothing amiss. It was negligence on my part. I beg you to punish me."

"This poison is not difficult to cure. I promise this young lady will be as lively as ever by tomorrow," the physician interjected, trying to deflect some of Tang Li’s blame.

Qin Daofei clenched his fists and said coolly, "She fears pain. Be gentle."

Tang Li looked up in astonishment at Qin Daofei, sensing that the master was overly concerned about Feng Linglong.

"Yes, yes, of course!" The physician dared not be careless and focused on treating Linglong’s wounds.

Outside the door, Xiao Cui, who had been eavesdropping, quietly slipped away from Linglong Pavilion. Upon returning to Miaoyin Pavilion, Tan Xiyin hurried to meet her. "How did it go? Brother Daofei, he..."

"Madam, the master went to Linglong Pavilion. The physician... Feng Linglong has been poisoned and is still unconscious. It’s said the poison she has is the same as the master’s." Xiao Cui had originally wanted to say "Madam," but one look from Tan Xiyin made her change her words.

Tan Xiyin twisted her handkerchief, her voice sorrowful. "No wonder Brother Daofei didn’t send her to the authorities. So they’ve been together all along!"

"Madam, do you want to..." Xiao Cui tentatively asked.

Tan Xiyin shook her head mournfully. "Brother Daofei must have his reasons for not sending her to the authorities. I’ll trust his judgment!"

"But she’s the one who killed the master’s wife and the second young lady. Can you bear seeing her flaunt herself in front of you, even stealing away the man you love? Just now, the master was clearly anxious, even telling the physician to be gentle because she fears pain." Xiao Cui had been hesitant to say more for fear of upsetting Tan Xiyin, but seeing her like this, she couldn’t hold back.

Tears sprang from Tan Xiyin’s eyes. She pressed her handkerchief to her mouth and muttered, "Let’s go see the old madam instead."

Songbai Residence.

The old madam had only just woken up. As soon as Tan Xiyin entered, the old lady unleashed her fury on her, scolding harshly, "You still have the nerve to cry? If you’d been able to bear children, would Daofei have brought back that murderess?"

"Mother-in-law, I’m sorry!" Tan Xiyin sobbed.

Qin Wang Xiangyu detested Tan Xiyin’s tendency to cry at the slightest provocation. She berated her, "I really don’t know what sins I committed in my past life—one daughter-in-law is a laughing murderess, the other cries all day and can’t bear children. My son is a man of such talent and grace—how did he end up so unlucky?"

"Didn’t you say last time you’d found a suitable official’s daughter for Brother Daofei? I won’t stand in your way anymore." Tan Xiyin bit her lip in misery, her tear-stained face evoking deep pity.

Hmph!

Qin Wang Xiangyu snorted coldly, "Now you understand. What were you thinking before?"

"Mother-in-law, I know I was wrong, but how could I have known Brother Daofei would bring Feng Linglong back?" As she spoke, Tan Xiyin’s tears flowed again.

Qin Wang Xiangyu shot her a glacial glance and asked, "And Daofei? Is he any better?"

Tan Xiyin said nothing.

"The master went straight to Linglong Pavilion after waking and hasn’t left since," Xiao Cui deliberately replied only halfway.

Hearing this, Qin Wang Xiangyu’s anger boiled over. She slammed the armrest of her chair and said bitterly, "Well done, Qin Daofei! She’s already threatened to kill your mother, and you still treat her like a treasure."