Forcefully Doting On You - v3c12

 

Chapter 68

The woman sitting on the ground instinctively placed her hand on the delicate white hand in front of her.

When her rough, calloused fingers from working touched the other hand, she felt startled and wanted to pull her hand back hastily. The soft, delicate skin of the person in front of her made her afraid that her callouses might hurt him.

However, the beauty in red prevented her movement, forcefully grasping her fingers and forcibly pulling her up from the ground. It was then that the woman realized that although the other person appeared slender, he was quite strong. His hand was cold like ice, but the strength in it felt like a flame, giving her courage.

Seeing that the cup she had thrown hadn't hit its target and was caught by a strange person who appeared from nowhere, Mother Zhang, who was lying in bed, was furious and shouted, "Who are you? Do I need your interference when disciplining my daughter-in-law? Leave the way you came! Our family doesn't welcome you!"

Mu Cai turned around.

He was initially facing away from the door, so the two in the room couldn't see his face. However, his lean shoulders, slim waist, and the striking red clothes made his silhouette incredibly stunning, capturing everyone's attention.

As the person opposite them turned, their gradually revealed appearance was breathtakingly beautiful, so much so that Zhang Rongfa couldn't take his eyes off them. The fierce expression in their eyes made this icy beauty even more captivating. Despite his fear, Zhang Rongfa couldn't help but greedily stare at the other person, not even wanting to blink.

Mu Cai disdainfully observed the ugly behavior of the mother and son duo.

Zhang Rongfa had his mouth agape, looking silly to the point that he might drool. As for Mother Zhang lying in bed, her belly was massively protruding, making it seem more exaggerated than a pregnant woman's. Her face resembled a meat bun, with her limbs overweight and swollen. Her exposed skin was covered in dark blemishes, making her look like a humanoid monster.

Although Mu Cai wasn't gifted with Qin Zhongjin's "Heavenly Eye" and hadn't studied the related knowledge of Heavenly Masters, he was a soul body and therefore had a certain sensing ability towards negative energies. He had deduced that the thing inside Mother Zhang's belly would probably endanger their lives soon.

He coldly said, "Those who persist in their wrongdoings will end themselves."

When Zhang Rongfa heard this, he was too taken with Mu Cai's ethereal and captivating voice to comprehend his remark, continuing to gaze infatuatedly at the other's red lips. Mother Zhang, on the other hand, snapped back to reality and retorted furiously, "Who do you think you are? Daring to speak to us like this?! I swear..."

Before she could finish her sentence she found herself unable to speak. A tall man with a bright red sword mark on his forehead, eyes shut, appeared at the door. His hand sign was not yet released when his deep voice rose, "Mind your words."

Zhang Rongfa, seeing his mother lying in bed like a huge swaying ball, making "uh uh" sounds but unable to speak, immediately realized this was a warning from Master Qin. His heightened senses cooled a bit, and he quickly said, "Please, Great Master Qin, show some mercy! My mother is a simple countrywoman, she knows no better. If we offended Master Qin, I am truly sorry. I hope the magnanimous Master Qin could forgive the insignificant people like us and spare my mother this time."

This chubby employer was already sweating profusely. The sweat trickled down his oily, fat face, which made Mu Cai turn his head away in disgust.

He just casually glanced away, but it happened to give the Heavenly Masters standing in the corridor a clear look at her appearance. The beauty slightly lowered his head, his distant-mountain-like eyebrows furrowed, and there was a hint of anger on his face. This made his snow-white face come alive, and he looked impossibly beautiful.

Truly, whether he showed anger, a smile, or a scolding, it was all like a picturesque scene.

Most of the Heavenly Masters who came had some fame. Even though they had experienced countless battles and possessed various protective measures, at this moment, they were all completely disarmed, surrendering to the beauty before them.

Fortunately, Qin Zhongjin spoke up in time, pulling everyone's attention back: "She didn't offend me, so it's not up to me to decide whether or not to forgive her."

The Heavenly Master in the corridor: "…"

So, Master Qin, why did you have to intervene and teach her a lesson?

While the Heavenly Masters present scoffed in their minds, they could still understand his reasoning. A beauty like this, even if only a spirit, certainly deserved special treatment from Master Qin. After all, how many people in this world could bear to see a beauty being insulted and do nothing about it?

Zhang Rongfa immediately turned to Mu Cai with a clear understanding of the situation. He wanted to beg for mercy but his speech was stuck like a clogged shell, "This, this…"

He could not find appropriate words in the moment and simply said, "Could you please be merciful? My mother is sick and has a very volatile temper. If it were under normal circumstances, she would never behave so rudely."

Thinking about the situation earlier, Mu Cai felt that might not be the case. Seeing how viciously that monster-like person treated the frail woman while constantly talking about compensation, Mu Cai knew she must be very evil-hearted.

He felt a nagging sense of injustice when suddenly a pair of hands gently landed on his shoulders.

A warm body pressed against him, and a bit of hot breath brushed against Mu Cai's ear, "Cai Cai, don't be angry or get involved with bad karma. Trust me, just as you said, those who commit many wrongs will ultimately be their own undoing."

This voice was very low, its whispery message reaching only Qin Zhongjin and him. Mu Cai felt a bit uncomfortable and moved aside somewhat, saying, "I understand."

Indeed, he had wanted to severely teach these two a lesson, but as Qin Zhongjin said, it was not worth it to sully his hands for such two scumbags. Moreover, Mu Cai also recognized that these two were already entangled with something far worse than they were, and would sooner or later face retribution.

Evildoers will be tormented by evil spirits.

Therefore, Mu Cai didn't bother to argue further, and directly said, "OK, but her mouth cannot be untied. I don't want to be sprayed all over with filth."

Hearing this, the old woman on the bed struggled even more violently. However, Zhang Rongfa dared not slack off and quickly tried to appease, "Thank you for your forgiveness, thank you for your forgiveness!"

It was only then that Qin Zhongjin spoke, generously seeming to pardon him, "Alright, let's take a look at your mother's condition."

As soon as he said this, the Heavenly Masters in the corridor woke from their temporary stupor, remembering the purpose of their visit here. Yang Dechang, leading the way with his crutch, coughed lightly and said, "We should get down to business."

So, the Heavenly Masters outside the corridor moved to the door. Without exception, they were all stunned by the sight inside. The shocking state of Mother Zhang, already horrifying, was amplified by her squirming on the bed, like a starving ghost in torment.

With so many Heavenly Masters present, Zhang Rongfa regained a bit of courage. He asked, "Could any of you masters tell me what's going on with my mother?"

In fact, all the Heavenly Masters present had a clue, but given that Master Qin was superior in both generation and strength, no one dared to speak out of turn.

Qin Zhongjin was aware of this, so he closed his eyes and "looked" at the bed, directly asking Zhang Rongfa beside him, "Have you ever asked someone for help before?"

Zhang Rongfa didn't answer directly, but a sense of unease washed over him, "What are you referring to, Elder Qin? I have indeed invited a Feng shui master before to modify the energy here."

Qin Zhongjin frowned, not yet spoken, when the temperamental Li Kun could not help but interject. After recent events, her respect for the mother-son duo dwindled even more. She quickly said, "Mr. Zhang, don't act stupid, we are all masters here. Who can't see that the Feng shui of your place has been altered! Be honest, did you hire someone to harm others?"

Her question was direct and unpretentious, leaving no room for face-saving responses. It seemed she cared little for rewards anymore.

The man with prominent cheekbones quickly tried to smooth things over. "Hey, Li Kun, we can't just jump to conclusions. Maybe Mr. Zhang hired someone to exorcise the evil, but the person's power wasn't strong enough and it ended up fuelling the evil spirits instead."

Hearing this, Zhang Rongfa quickly said, "What the master has said makes a lot of sense."

He took out a handkerchief to wipe the stream-like cold sweat from his forehead, mustering a smile. "Since we moved here, although our business has improved, my family has been frequently ill. Look at my wife just now, skin and bones, and my mother, always feeling unwell. So, I followed the advice of the masters and had a ghost protect against evil. I didn't expect this to happen."

No sooner had Zhang Rongfa finished speaking than the man with glasses sarcastically interrupted, "Inviting a ghost to ward off evil... Innovative, indeed. Did you hire a Thai master? Judging by the fact that all here are locals, it doesn't look like you have strong ties with Thailand. Seems like you've been left high and dry."

Zhang Rongfa could tell that he was being criticized and mocked. Feeling even more uneasy, he sweated profusely. His handkerchief was almost soaked, yet he kept wiping his forehead, managing an awkward smile. "It's my oversight, master. Your reprimand is justified."

With a swift change of topic, he asked, "I wonder, are there any solutions for my mother's situation?"

At this point, everyone fell silent again and their eyes turned to Qin Zhongjin. Of course, they couldn't help but steal glances at the beauty in red next to him.

Mu Cai could feel the grip on his shoulder tighten slightly. The person beside him said, "We need to draw out whatever is inside her stomach to solve the problem. But it's not convenient right now with the sun still high. Let's wait until the evening."

The other masters had no objections.

Seeing that Qin Zhongjin had spoken and the issue seemed solvable, Zhang Rongfa's worries were eased. His smile returned as he thanked them, "I appreciate the help, masters. I will take care of your dinner expenses, so please feel free to make any requests."

...

All the masters who had arrived sat on leather sofas, waiting. Despite the seemingly long wait, no one felt bored. Instead, they secretly looked at the red-dressed beauty next to Old Ancestor Qin.

Mu Cai's slender arm rested on the sofa's armrest, his red sleeve falling down slightly to reveal his delicate arm like frost-covered snow. He sat on the sofa, with both feet resting on Qin Zhongjin's pants. The shape of her bare feet was graceful, and under the contrast of the black fabric below, the whiteness was strikingly clear, captivating the hidden gazes of many.

As everyone admired him, a pair of strong, slender hands suddenly descended, gently gripping the delicate ankles of the beauty in red. Effortlessly, they restrained his movements. His smooth toes curled up a little, as if shy. The bare feet struggled once but couldn't break free from the cage formed by those hands. This back and forth created quite a visual impact for the onlookers.

Mu Cai struggled but couldn't retract her foot, feeling unhappy. Even in front of so many people, he didn't care about giving face to Qin Zhongjin: "What are you doing? Why do you always like to grab my feet?"

Qin Zhongjin didn't seem to mind, gently rubbing his protruding ankle, calmly saying: "You're too cold. I'm warming you up."

Mu Cai was still unhappy: "You don't need to worry about me."

After thinking for a moment, he continued: "It's strange, though. Since I came here, I feel much more comfortable."

Mu Cai glared at him: "In any case, it's none of your business."

Qin Zhongjin paused but continued to persuade her softly: "This is good for your health. Don't be angry about this, Cai Cai, alright?"

His tone was like coaxing a child, filled with affection.

Li Kun couldn't stand what he was seeing and got up, pretending to go to the restroom to catch a breath of fresh air. No sooner had she left the living room and walked out into the yard than the bespectacled man followed her.

Li Kun was on her guard: "What do you want?"

The bespectacled man ignored her unfriendliness, shrugged, and said: "Just didn't want to eat dog food anymore."  (Note: This neologism refers to the self-pity of single people — humorously dubbed 'single dogs' — triggered by the public displays of affection by couples online or offline.)

Li Kun was puzzled: "Where is there any 'dog food'?"

The bespectacled man said, "...."

"Is the Taoist temple on Erseng off the grid or what?! Not even aware of such internet slang that has been around for over a hundred years!"

He held his breath, unsure whether to speak or stay quiet. In the end, he simply said, "Alright, enough of this. What do you think about this situation?"

Li Kun got angry when she thought of this. "What else can he do! I think this is just a black-hearted person who wants to harm others, but in the end, he harms himself. Look at the wealth-gathering arrays in this courtyard. This is a man trying to get money. Maybe in order to destroy his competitors, this piece of trash hired a scammer to curse others every day!"

The bespectacled man thought it wasn't so simple, saying, "Judging by his appearance, he should have both a son and a daughter. However, from what I heard the old woman scold, it seems like the woman of this house only gave birth to a daughter?"

On hearing this, Li Kun became even angrier. "Whether it's a son or a daughter, both are equal! A daughter can also carry on the family line! I had heard before, when this nouveau riche was down and out, it was his wife who held the whole family together. The way they're treating his wife now, mother and son alike, they'll face retribution one day! To be honest, I don't even want to take this job anymore. How can I help this piece of trash solve any disaster? Let him fend for himself in the trash can!"

The bespectacled man was speechless.

He hadn't anticipated such heated remarks from a female Taoist leader. However, he shared Li Kun's viewpoints. "In this day and age, there are still those who depreciate girls as a loss," he thought. Even though the mansion was decked out in gold, no matter how glimmering it was, it was not as if there was a royal throne at stake in Zhang Rongfa's household. Furthermore, in a country where the male to female ratio exceeded three to one, this person was already lucky to find a wife. How could he dare to treat her so roughly?

The bespectacled man grumbled to himself for a while and then said to Li Kundao, "I was thinking the same thing. Why bother trying to help such garbage? Let's just walk away. After all, garbage should remain in the trash bin."

Li Kun Dao rejected him firmly and righteously, saying, "No, I'm not leaving!"

The man with glasses was curious and asked, "Why?"

Li Kun, who was no longer a young woman, unexpectedly blushed at the question. She sighed, "Yes, even though garbage is disgusting, you can't afford to miss a beauty either."

The man with glasses was speechless.

Obviously, he didn't get enough dog food.

Author's note:

Qin Zhongjin is holding Cai Cai: Do you want him?

Everyone nods emphatically.

Qin Zhongjin quickly hugs Cai Cai tighter, proudly saying: Too bad, he's mine!

Note: The phrase "Whether a son or a daughter, both are equally good, a daughter can also carry on the lineage," is a family planning slogan that Lu Lu (the author) saw when she was younger.

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