Chapter 18: Emotional Blackmail
’Look at him, cradling that thing like it’s a family heirloom...’
’Did that little girl secretly give it to him?’
She sighed softly and quietly turned to leave the room.
’The way he is now, always with that cold face, so silent and withdrawn.’
’Who would want to get close to someone like that?’
’Let alone start a relationship.’
’Besides, with that temper of his, he’s as stubborn as an ox. He’d rather carry the weight of the world on his shoulders than ask for a single bit of help.’
’Even if someone did fall for him, they probably couldn’t put up with that cold, hard attitude.’
’What kind of future could they possibly have?’
’And besides, what kind of gift is a worthless weed?’
The more Ding Qin thought about it, the more she felt it was completely trivial.
But unbeknownst to her, Ling Anxun had no idea his mother had already staged an entire melodrama in her mind.
After everyone had left, Ling Anxun went into his room’s bathroom alone, closed the door, and turned on the cold water tap.
Clear water rushed from the tap. He unwrapped the handkerchief again and carefully took out the small plant.
He bent over, holding it under the stream, and meticulously rinsed every single leaf.
The water washed away the remaining dirt, and the leaves gradually revealed their original fresh, vibrant green.
The fresh scent of soil mingled with the unique fragrance of grass.
Somehow, the moment Ling Anxun saw this small plant, the image of that smiling little girl appeared in his mind again.
"Heh... what a silly girl," he chuckled and muttered. "Thinking eating grass can cure illnesses. I’m not livestock."
But back at the dining table, he looked at the hot, aromatic dishes before him.
He should have had a great appetite, but his gaze unconsciously fell on the wrapped-up plant by his hand.
’Should I... try a bite?’
’Just a small one?’
’No one would know, anyway.’
The thought popped up so suddenly that even he was stunned for a moment.
’What?’
’Ling Anxun, a decorated special forces veteran, is actually starting to believe in folk remedies?’
But after slowly finishing his meal, Ling Anxun’s gaze still drifted involuntarily to the wrapped-up plant.
Outside the window, the night grew darker. Only a single, dim yellow table lamp was on in the room.
He stared in the direction of the drawer, not looking away for a long time.
’Back when I was on missions, I chewed on tree bark and moss in tropical rainforests.’
’I even ate a poisonous spider raw once. What’s this little thing in comparison?’
But in the end, he didn’t touch it. He just stood up, walked slowly to the nightstand, gently opened the drawer, and pushed the small handkerchief-wrapped bundle a little further inside.
After dinner, he called his guard to help clean the floor and tidy up the room.
Once everything was in order, he changed into his pajamas and got into bed, ready to sleep.
But he tossed and turned in bed for an hour, that clear voice seeming to ring in his ears.
"Eat it, and it won’t hurt anymore!"
Finally, he pulled open the nightstand drawer, took out the handkerchief, and unwrapped it layer by layer.
The small plant lay quietly on the white cloth.
He stared down at it for a moment, then finally reached out, picked it up, and put it in his mouth.
Unexpectedly, it wasn’t bitter at all. In fact, it was a little sweet and refreshing.
As he chewed, he recalled the bitter medicine his mother used to brew for him as a child. Now *that* was truly awful.
Before long, he had swallowed the entire plant—stem, root, and all.
With the matter that had been weighing on his mind finally settled, he let out a long sigh of relief.
He lay back down, pulled the covers up, and finally closed his eyes, ready to fall asleep for real.
But just a few minutes after falling asleep, a warm sensation suddenly spread through his legs.
The feeling was both foreign and strange. It didn’t hurt or itch, but it made his nerves instantly tense up.
At first, he thought it was just his imagination, but he subconsciously tried to move his leg.
And his legs, which had long since lost all feeling, actually twitched slightly.
A tremor ran through Ling Anxun. His heart clenched, his throat tightened, and he almost cried out involuntarily.
He clenched his jaw, forcefully swallowing the gasp that had almost escaped his lips.
’If this feeling is real...’
’...then could that little girl from yesterday really possess some kind of unknown ability?’
’When morning comes, I need to have my men quietly investigate that child’s background.’
「The next morning.」
Completely unaware that she was now being secretly watched, Shanshan sat at a small wooden table, cheerfully shoveling millet porridge from her bowl.
Her little cheeks were puffed out like a chipmunk that had stolen a pinecone, and she was eating with great relish.
After she finished eating, she pushed her small bowl aside and wiped her mouth.
She slung her small cloth bag over her shoulder and skipped out the door.
Her clear, childish voice echoed in the morning light: "Auntie Pang, I’m leaving!"
She waved to Zhang Yunhua and turned to head toward the mountain forest.
Zhang Yunhua leaned against the doorframe, her brow furrowing slightly as she watched the little girl’s tiny back disappear down the winding village path.
She unconsciously tightened her grip on the corner of her shirt, a vague sense of unease in her heart.
’The depths of that forest are gloomy and damp. Even adults don’t dare to go in there lightly.’
’What is a child who’s barely over three doing going there all by herself?’
She hesitated for a long while, taking a few hesitant steps forward before pulling back.
In the end, she just sighed and muttered under her breath, "Oh, this child..."
She didn’t chase after her in the end.
But who would have thought that just as Shanshan entered the woods, the dry leaves RUSTLING under her feet, she would suddenly run into Cao Daqiang.
The man was wearing a worn, grayish-blue jacket, his hands stuffed in his pockets as he stared at her with a gloomy expression.
Shanshan immediately wrinkled her nose, her eyes narrowing to slits as alarm bells went off in her mind.
’This guy must have been waiting here on purpose.’
"Shanshan, come here. Uncle has some candy for you."
A far cry from his usual fierce demeanor, Cao Daqiang was all smiles.
As he spoke, he pulled a piece of fruit candy in a rainbow-colored wrapper from his pocket.
But he didn’t know that Shanshan was no ordinary child.
Since birth, she had possessed Spiritual Sense and understood people’s hearts, able to see the malice beneath the surface at a single glance.
This clumsy disguise might fool others, but it wouldn’t fool her.
"What do you want? Shanshan doesn’t want to see you! I’m not going!"
She took a small step back.
"You little brat!"
A breath caught in Cao Daqiang’s chest, and his expression immediately darkened.
He had thought a few sweet words would be enough to coax this little wild girl, but not only did she not fall for it, she even dared to talk back to him.
’She really is an undisciplined little bastard.’
"Sweetheart, are you upset?"
He forcibly suppressed his anger, bent down, and tried to put on the air of a loving father.
"It was Daddy’s fault, but you have to be considerate of me too. Running here without a word, do you know how difficult you’re making things for me? How much trouble you’re causing?"
He said it instinctively, trying to use emotional blackmail to make her soften up.
But as soon as the words left his mouth, he froze, his mind going blank.
’Am I really trying to reason like this with a three- or four-year-old?’
’What could she possibly understand?’
"Oh, what am I even saying..."
He gave an awkward laugh, straightened up, and tried to casually change the subject.
"It’s so cold out. What are you doing in the woods? Aren’t you afraid of freezing?"
He paused, his eyes flickering for a moment, and asked in a casual tone, "What kind of medicine has Uncle Yang been taking lately? How did he recover so quickly?"