Chapter Twenty-Five: Only Little Liars Tell Lies

“Oh, I forgot, anyone I’ve poisoned will be marked and tracked—yes, I put a mark on them. From now on, whenever my little treasures come out, they’ll latch onto the nearest target,” Yunbai climbed down from the bed, explaining earnestly.

Xiao Jingxuan and Zhuo Yue’an both felt a jolt. Xiao Jingxuan thought, Thankfully I’m his father, he won’t poison me. Zhuo Yue’an, on the other hand, felt his life was over.

Yunbai took out his pouch and placed it on the table. Then, waving his hand at Zhuo Yue’an, the poisonous insects on Zhuo Yue’an scurried back into the pouch as eagerly as children summoned home for dinner. Zhuo Yue’an checked himself to make sure not a single insect remained before collapsing onto the table.

Xiao Jingxuan rubbed his nose, pondering whether he should comfort Zhuo Yue’an, who certainly had it tough.

He glanced at Yunbai again. Though Yunbai’s eyes were reddened from lack of sleep, his gaze never strayed from Su Jingluo.

“Yunbai, go get some rest. Your mother won’t wake for another two or three hours. I’ll stay here and watch over her. Once you’ve slept, you can come see her again,” Xiao Jingxuan’s heart ached for this child. He also envied him; he wished he could have exhausted himself for his own mother, but such fortune had never been his.

“Will you bully my mother?” Yunbai was indeed sleepy, but seeing that this villainous father didn’t seem so bad to his mother lately—and she had even said he could be trusted completely—he still worried that the villain would mistreat her. He looked at Xiao Jingxuan with concern, as if to suggest, Why don’t you make a vow?

...

“I won’t,” Xiao Jingxuan replied seriously.

“I don’t believe you!” Yunbai eyed him with suspicion; it wasn’t as though he hadn’t bullied her before. Whenever his mother met this villain, things never went well.

“What must I do for you to trust me?” Xiao Jingxuan felt establishing trust with Yunbai would be a long road.

“Make a vow,” Yunbai demanded solemnly.

“Alright, what kind of vow?” Xiao Jingxuan thought the most important thing was this little one before him; other vows seemed weightless. Yet he couldn't possibly say, If I lie to you, may my eldest son die, could he?

“Just say, if you lie to Yunbai, you’ll turn into a puppy!” Yunbai considered it and decided this was the cruelest vow.

...

It’d be better to vow, If I lie, may my eldest son die!

“You won’t make the vow? I knew you were lying! I won’t sleep, I’ll stay here and guard my mother!” When Xiao Jingxuan hesitated, Yunbai firmly concluded that villains did villainous things; the vow was too harsh, so he couldn’t bring himself to make it.

“Both of you, leave for now!” After feeding Su Jingluo medicine for her cold, Xiao Jingxuan sent Ruihuan and the exhausted Zhuo Yue’an out.

“I swear, if I deceive you, or harbor any intent to harm your mother, then... then I’ll turn into... a puppy!” How shameful. Who could have imagined that the fierce god of war on the battlefield would be making such childish vows at home? Xiao Jingxuan’s face burned red, feeling he’d been utterly defeated by this little demon.

“Then I’ll go sleep. Villainous father, you should rest a bit too.” Yunbai staggered out of the room.

Xiao Jingxuan was moved to tears by the words, “Father, you should rest a bit too.” The feeling that his son cared for him welled up from within.

The snow from last night had been particularly heavy, piling three feet thick on the ground. By noon, the servants were still clearing it. Steward Shen Zhong, ever considerate, had cleared the snow around the small courtyard.

Lin Feifei, seeing her own quarters hastily moved, was surrounded by filth and chaos—the snow hadn’t even been cleared. Glancing at Su Jingluo’s spotless surroundings, her resentment deepened even further.