Chapter 34: For the Child

Returning to the Shen Merchant House, the sky was already bright; Lu Xingzhou went straight to Shen Tang's main courtyard.

Shen Tang and Du Gu Qingli were already eating breakfast in the courtyard. Seeing Lu Xingzhou approach, neither was surprised; Shen Tang casually invited: "Come eat some with us?"

Lu Xingzhou didn't stand on ceremony, quickly reached the table, took a bun from it, and started biting.

Shen Tang smiled: "Why aren't you standing on ceremony now?"

"I wasn't standing on ceremony when we ate before either," Lu Xingzhou said casually while biting the bun: "These past two days we hid outside to avoid the Huo family noticing you, but currently that problem seems to be no longer an issue, so what else is there to say..."

"We have a grudge with Liu Qingcang; he would naturally incite Huo Yu to deal with us. It has nothing to do with your private matters. You were supposed to cooperate with us anyway."

"If you keep settling scores with me, I won't treat your legs anymore."

Shen Tang paused, a flash of joy lighting her eyes: "Your medicine is already used up; can it still be treated?"

"Yes." Lu Xingzhou finished the bun in a few bites, wiped his mouth: "The life-saving medicine is gone, but the injury medicine Huo Yu brought for the old Huo steward is still here; it happens to suit you perfectly. The effect is just average; it might take some time to recover slowly... but it will definitely work."

Suppressing her anticipation, Shen Tang took a deep breath to stay calm: "What about you? Huo Yu brought medicine for just one person, the old Huo steward; he wouldn't have brought a double dose, surely there is only one portion."

Lu Xingzhou fell silent for a moment: "I said my condition is severe; this medicine isn't very useful for me, but it happens to be perfect for you."

Du Gu Qingli had been leisurely holding a cup of soy milk, drinking as if it had nothing to do with her. Hearing this, she finally glanced at Lu Xingzhou.

Not very useful, but still useful.

At least reconnecting the severed tendons alone should be no problem; for other aspects, find other methods; if it gets a little better, that counts as something. If anyone had been paralyzed for ten years and had a chance to get slightly better right in front of them, could they still care about others?

But he still intended to give it to Shen Tang.

Lu Xingzhou poured himself a cup of soy milk and drank, sighing: "You might think I am some kind of schemer based on my actions, but actually not really; look, last night I did something very shameful."

"Shameful?" Shen Tang seemed lost in thought: "Why would you think that was shameful... Honestly, I envy A Nuo; she has the best father in the world."

Lu Xingzhou looked at her but said nothing.

He had revealed many secrets in front of Shen Tang, and Shen Tang had similarly revealed quite a bit in front of him. Although some key points were still unclear, Shen Tang could indeed be a Princess; then her father... obviously, she indeed found it very hard to receive fatherly love like A Nuo's.

There was even a certain possibility that her legs were beaten by her own father.

Thinking about it, he decided not to drag this out with her and continued: "What I want to say is that my actual strategy is just so-so; what I do more of is organizational management work and some planning."

Shen Tang came back to her senses, momentarily confused: "What does that have to do with anything?"

"For an organizational manager, how to allocate resources more reasonably is a basic quality... Just like this medicine given to me would not change the fact that I must still use a wheelchair, but given to you it could completely cure you, thoroughly solve one problem, and gain a complete combat force. No matter how you consider it, it should be given to you." Lu Xingzhou winked at her: "Unless you are doing it to stop me from touching your legs."

"Mr. is joking." Shen Tang's face flushed with red again; after a long while she said: "The premise of resource allocation is that we are on the same side; otherwise, those are just each other's things."

Lu Xingzhou asked in surprise: "Does that mean we are not on the same side yet?"

"No." Shen Tang stared into his eyes: "Because no matter how I analyze it, I feel you will not continue to stay in Xiazhou; continuing to stay has no meaning for you. All the previous arrangements were to extract me, not for yourself. The moment you let A Nuo act against the demons, you had already decided to leave Xiazhou."

Lu Xingzhou paused, silent.

Shen Tang's thinking has always been sharp, but her understanding of him was truly shocking... they hadn't known each other that long.

Seeing his silence, Shen Tang bit her lower lip, seeming to struggle for quite a while, finally making up her mind and saying: "But when you decided to leave, you didn't know your legs were still untreated... so the situation is different now. You also know that Qingli and I have an unusual background, just currently facing some trouble. If you are willing to stay and help me, after solving some matters, finding medicine for you will be a piece of cake; you won't need to scheme alone anymore."

Lu Xingzhou narrowed his eyes slightly.

Shen Tang added: "Also, no matter where you came from before, that is unimportant. What matters is that you are now a lone wanderer, already missing the path of inheritance and improvement; your situation is even worse than Xu Bingkun's. If you join my side, there will be a way to solve this problem."

Speaking to this point, as if afraid to hurt the man's pride, she carefully added: "Just consider it... for the child?"

This sense of déjà vu... Lu Xingzhou couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Okay."

Such decisiveness made Shen Tang, who had expected Lu Xingzhou might refuse, pause for a moment, then she was overjoyed: "Really?"

"How could I lie to you? Is it just to coax you into treating my legs? You aren't a child anymore, you don't fall for that." Lu Xingzhou laughed helplessly: "Also, I say this upfront: I may not be as useful as you think; don't hold too high expectations."

"Is that the reason you just said you aren't a schemer?"

"Hmm... I can see you lack an advisor. Although you are very smart, you aren't on that path. From the foundation plan you chose initially, it's hard to evaluate; choosing Bai Chi is even harder to evaluate..."

Shen Tang: "..."

"This is also the reason you started treating me differently after the Sword Talisman proposal, isn't it?" Lu Xingzhou smiled self-mockingly: "Although... there might also be some factor of empathy; I just don't know how much it accounts for."

Actually, Shen Tang herself didn't know how much of the factor of empathy versus the factor of wanting Lu Xingzhou's strategic ability accounted for her treating him differently initially, and whether by now, various mutual helps had subtly mixed in something else.

Now being spoken to, she was somewhat lost in thought; after a long while she said: "What I want isn't some military strategist's calculations... Initially, the Netherworld Hall could grow from just a few of you into a force that now shakes the Great Qian; what I want now is that too."

Finally, her revealing the background of his Netherworld Hall didn't surprise Lu Xingzhou; he nodded calmly: "The Netherworld Hall is mainly not my achievement; with her... with the strength of the Nether Lord, making powerful people hear the wind and follow is very easy; I merely added flowers to the brocade, doing the structure. If you really insist on trying, I can help you, but only as a friend, just like Qingli, not as your subordinate... When the time is about right, I will still leave."

Shen Tang sighed: "To put it plainly, it's still that sentence: you won't join the Sect?"

"Yes."

"Then from now on you will be this Sect's Guest Elder." Shen Tang didn't dwell on it, handing over a jade token: "This is my token; seeing it is like seeing the Sect Master."

Du Gu Qingli wanted to say something, but in the end held it back and didn't speak.

She said I am the same, but I don't even have such a thing.

By the way, just now didn't she even omit the suffix "Miss Qingli" and just call her Qingli directly?

Lu Xingzhou took the jade token, smiled brilliantly: "Now we are on the same side, my heart is at ease; can we treat the legs now?"

Shen Tang's face turned red again; she lowered her head slightly: "Please, Mr., perform the treatment."

Treating the legs isn't just treating the legs; it requires touching, and lifting them up to touch. Hearing his earlier words, it would take a long time; that probably means it won't be finished in just one go.

Does saying "Please, Mr., perform the treatment" differ from "Please, Mr., touch me"?

Lu Xingzhou made a "please" gesture: "Then please enter the room."

Du Gu Qingli stood up and pushed the slightly wanting-to-run-away Shen Tang into the room.

Shen Tang cried out in haste: "Wrong, this is my room..."

Du Gu Qingli looked confused: "Treating your legs in your room, what is wrong with that?"

"I..." Shen Tang didn't know how to explain to this person; you could have put me in the guest house! This is my boudoir! A woman's boudoir; can men just enter freely!

But with Lu Xingzhou present, saying this felt like it would hurt people's feelings; Shen Tang held it in for a long time, finally resignedly lowering her head.

Lu Xingzhou also didn't expect this mechanical newbie Bai Mao would push Shen Tang into the boudoir; only after following into the room did he pause in surprise.

Fresh flowers were grown on the windowsill; the room was fragrant and pleasant, possessing the same clear scent as Shen Tang's body, very comfortable. Pink gauze curtains, pink bedding, and even a snow-white small belly band were carelessly thrown on the bedhead.

A begonia was even embroidered on the bodice.

Shen Tang's face turned so red it seemed ready to bleed... She had forgotten about this; with so many things happening these past two days, she naturally had no mind to tidy up, changed her clothes, and tossed them aside. Who could have expected a man to enter the room!

Actually, this was also Lu Xingzhou's first time entering a girl's bedroom in this world... He would never dare enter Yuan Muyu's room... Hmm, A Nuo doesn't count.

Du Gu Qingli, completely unaware of the two protagonists' awkward expressions, grabbed Shen Tang by the collar, lifted her onto the bed, and even took off her shoes.

Shen Tang gritted her teeth: "Why did you take off my shoes!"

Du Gu Qingli was utterly puzzled: "Don't you take off your shoes when you get into bed?"

"I..." Before Shen Tang could say anything, Du Gu Qingli pulled out the bodice that had been pinned underneath and glanced at it: "What is this thing?"

Shen Tang: "..."

Lu Xingzhou: "..."

Haven't you ever seen a bodice? I have, on television.

Shen Tang lay on the bed, gnashing her teeth: "Someday I will make you use it. Now, can you, please, just, get out?"

Du Gu Qingli said seriously: "I must protect you."

Shen Tang was nearly furious: "Lu Xingzhou is here; what is there that needs your protection?"

Du Gu Qingli became even more serious: "Precisely because he is here, I must protect you."

You say you don't understand, yet you understand quite well!

Lu Xingzhou, expressionless, said: "With an outsider present, it interferes with the treatment. Decide for yourself whether you want to ensure the treatment or something else."

Du Gu Qingli considered for a moment, feeling that ensuring the integrity of Shen Tang's leg would align better with her mission requirements than ensuring that other integrity, so she turned and left, closing the door behind her.

Lu Xingzhou wheeled his wheelchair to the bedside. He and Shen Tang, who lay on the bed, looked at each other, and neither could hold back; they both laughed at the same time.

Shen Tang said: "Qingli has cultivated alone for a long time, rarely contacts others, and is ignorant of worldly affairs. Do not blame her."

"When did I blame her? It should be like this!" Lu Xingzhou laughed: "If it weren't like this, it wouldn't be fun."

Shen Tang turned her head back, gazing at the ceiling: "Do you like Qingli very much?"

"I like her very much." Lu Xingzhou paused, then inexplicably added: "Not in the way you think."

"How do I think? How would you know?" Shen Tang smirked, curling her lips: "How do we treat it?"

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PS: Updated early; the 6 o'clock update is gone.

(End of this chapter)