"Susu!" I called out and imdiately, the System appeared.
[ Yes Host! Susu is present! ]
"I need to purchase so dicine. He’s bleeding too much!"
[ Opening the System Store... ]
A blue screen floated before my eyes, rows of items shining brightly. My eyes landed on Low-Grade Healing Pills – 50 gold coins.
"Fifty?!" I almost choked. "Do you think I’m rich, Susu? I only have 67 coins left!"
[ Host, if you don’t buy it, he might die within the next hour. ]
I gritted my teeth. "Ugh, fine! Deduct it!"
[ Transaction complete. Remaining balance: 17 gold coins. ]
A small porcelain bottle appeared in my hand. My palms were sweating as I opened it and shook out one red pill. I leaned over the man, whose breathing was faint and weak.
"Hey," I muttered, half to myself. "You better not choke on this. If you die, then my 50 coins go to waste."
I pressed the pill into his mouth and tilted his head back, forcing him to swallow with a bit of water. For a mont, nothing happened. Then his breathing eased, the deep frown on his face loosening ever so slightly.
I exhaled hard, relief washing over . "Thank goodness..."
Just then, Susu’s voice chid again.
[ Host, you must know, saving this man will change the direction of this story ]
I rolled my eyes, "Change the story? being alive instead of dead has already changed the story. Right now, all I want to do is focus on giving my kids a better life, the story can go f**k itself."
I glanced at the man on my bed, his lashes trembling faintly as if he might wake any second.
"Alright, Susu, bring so bandages and alcohol too. The wound looks nasty."
[ Bandages – 3 coins. Alcohol – 2 coins. Total 5 coins. Proceed? ]
"Yeah, yeah, just do it."
[ Transaction complete. Remaining balance: 12 coins. ]
The items appeared in my hands. I set to work, biting my lip as I cleaned the wound with the alcohol. The sharp sll filled the room, and the man’s body twitched slightly from the sting.
"Don’t you dare die on now," I muttered, wrapping the bandage tightly around his side where the arrow had cut deep. After tying it off, I sat back with a long sigh.
Just then, Bao Bao peeked in with his big round eyes. "Mama, who is he?"
"Yeah Mama," Mo Yiling added, tugging at my sleeve. "Is he staying with us?"
I glanced at the three of them hovering by the bed, all curious and wide-eyed. I forced a smile. "Listen carefully, alright? From now on, he’s going to be your new papa. So you must treat him well, understand?"
The kids’ eyes went wide. "Papa?!" they chorused.
I nodded firmly. "Yes. He will protect us, and we will take care of him."
But before I could say another word, a deep, raspy voice cut through the room.
"Who made a father?"
I nearly jumped out of my skin. The kids gasped, clutching at my dress. My heart thudded wildly.
"Go outside, quickly," I whispered, ushering them out the door. They ran off, still whispering to each other about their "new papa."
When the door shut, I turned back, my eyes locking with his. He was awake now, staring straight at , his gaze sharp despite the weakness in his body.
"You’re awake," I muttered, pulling myself together.
He raised an eyebrow. "Care to explain why I suddenly have children?"
I crossed my arms as I frowned. "First of all, you’re welco. I pulled you in from the forest, gave you a pill worth fifty taels, and spent another five taels on bandages and alcohol to fix you up. That’s fifty-five taels, stranger. So if I want to call you their papa, I have the right."
He blinked slowly, then smirked faintly, even with pain etched across his face. "So... I cost you fifty-five taels, and in return, you made a father?"
I huffed. "Exactly."
He just shook his head and tried to sit up as I shouted, "YOU! Your wounds haven’t healed yet, you better stay still or you’ll waste the bandages."
But he ignored my words and sat up, still grunting in pain.
Sigh! He seems to be a stubborn one.
"Thank you for saving , but that doesn’t give you the right to suddenly make your husband. Fifty-five taels? I’ll repay you in double."
He said as I just rolled my eyes. "Keep kidding yourself. If I didn’t save you, you would be dead, and no matter how rich you are you wouldn’t have brought yourself back to life. The least you can do to repay is be my husband."
I walked closer to him. "Listen, I’m currently in a dilemma and the only way to get out of it is if I get married. Just three months and after three months you can leave and forget all about , no need to even repay the 55 taels, just agree."
His brows drew together as he looked at , those sharp eyes of his narrowing like he was trying to see through .
"Three months? Do you think marriage is so kind of deal to bargain with?" His voice was hoarse, but steady. "I don’t agree."
I froze, blinking at him. "What did you just say?"
"I said no," he repeated, leaning back against the pillow though his body trembled from the effort. "I owe you my life, yes, but I won’t marry soone just to repay a debt."
My jaw tightened. "You—! I’m such a beauty, any man would kill to marry !"
He didn’t flinch. Instead, a faint smirk tugged at his lips. "Then marry them, and if you regret saving , I can always return the favor by dying."
"You—!" I clenched my fists, my whole face heating with anger. "Fine! Don’t marry ! I don’t care anymore. Just heal up quickly and leave as soon as you can walk again. Don’t waste my food or my bandages any longer than necessary."
Without waiting for his reply, I turned around ready to leave when I heard him say,
"Mo Ying!"
"What?"
"That’s my na," he said with a sly smirk as I just rolled my eyes and stord out, slamming the door behind .
Outside, Bao Bao, Mo Yiling, and little Xiu Xiu were waiting with wide eyes.
"Mama..." Bao Bao whispered, tugging at my sleeve. "Papa doesn’t want to stay?"
I forced a smile, though my teeth were gritted. "Don’t worry about it. Just pretend he isn’t there. When he’s healed, he’ll leave."
The kids nodded reluctantly, but I could see the disappointnt in their eyes.
I let out a long sigh and rubbed my forehead. That man... stubborn, arrogant, ungrateful! Hmph! He’d better not regret refusing later.
---
After Lin Xu stord out, the smile on Mo Ying’s face slowly faded. His hand slipped into his boot, pulling out a small black ledger. He let out a shaky breath of relief.
"Good... still here."
Just then, the window creaked. Mo Ying’s eyes sharpened.
A man in black slipped inside like a shadow, a sword in his hand. The mont his eyes landed on Mo Ying, he bowed.
"Young Master."
Mo Ying leaned back against the pillow. "Fuhan. You’re late."
Fuhan lowered his head. "Forgive . We were delayed." His gaze slid to the door where Lin Xu had gone out monts ago. "Young Master, should I kill the woman and her children? If anyone knows you’re alive, it could expose your whereabouts."
Mo Ying’s eyes turned cold, but his voice was firm. "No."
Fuhan stiffened. "But—"
"She saved my life," Mo Ying cut him off. "Without her, I’d already be a corpse. And those children... they are innocent."
Fuhan bowed deeper. "Understood."
Mo Ying handed him the ledger, his voice lowering. "Keep this safe. I’ll stay here until I recover. She thinks I’m just a wounded man, don’t give her a reason to doubt it."
Fuhan nodded, tucked the ledger away. "The Lord says you should stay hidden for a while until he sends for you."
Mo Ying nodded. "No problem."
And with that, Fuhan quietly slipped back out the window without another word.
Mo Ying lay back down, closing his eyes just as the door creaked open again.
"New Papa, we brought dinner!"
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