Chapter 125 - 56: It’s No Shame to Admit You’re Afraid of Pain
"Honey, have some water." Mr. Xie handed an enamel mug to Mrs. Xie.
Mrs. Xie shot him a glare, took the mug, and sipped from it elegantly before resuming her tirade against Jie Jingjue. "Jie Jingjue, can’t you use your brain for once? It was only because your sister-in-law was magnanimous and didn’t pursue the matter tonight. If she had decided to hold it against you, you’d be in for a world of hurt."
"I was just standing up for my brother," Jie Jingjue argued defensively.
His words made Mrs. Xie laugh in exasperation. "And who is your brother? Does he need you meddling in his affairs? Jie Jingjue, if you’re not going to use your head, then you should at least read a book."
Jie Jingjue remained defiant. "Mom, am I the one not using my head? It was obviously you and Qin Mei who misled me! And Mom, I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but where were you and her going so late at night, with you wearing Dad’s clothes? And what was with those two bags of herbs?"
"You’re as dumb as a post! Jie Jingjue, from now on, when you’re out, don’t you dare tell anyone I’m your mother." Mrs. Xie stared at her foolish son, wishing she could disown him on the spot.
"Mom..." Rejected by his own mother, Jie Jingjue clutched his chest, looking deeply wounded. "Mom, I need a straight answer from you and Dad tonight. Am I really your biological son?"
"No! You’re not! We found you in a dumpster! You’re so dense, how could we possibly have a son as dim-witted as you?" Mrs. Xie said with utter disdain. ’She was starting to wonder if Jing Wu’s intelligence was even lower than Jing Qi’s.’
"Mom..." Jie Jingjue stared at his mother in utter disbelief, his heart aching.
"Honey, don’t be angry. It’s not worth getting worked up over this little rascal. It’s been a long night, you must be tired. Come on, let’s go to our room and rest," Mr. Xie said soothingly. He glanced at Jie Jingjue and added, "Let the little brat kneel here and think about what he’s done."
Mrs. Xie was truly exhausted. Her entire body ached, and it was all thanks to Jing Wu. She shot one last, vicious glare at Jie Jingjue before allowing Mr. Xie to lead her away.
The moment they were gone, Jie Jingjue stood up, bent over to rub his aching knees, then went back to his room and promptly fell fast asleep.
Jie Jingjue didn’t take his mother’s words to heart. Every time he made her angry, she would huff that he wasn’t her real son and that they’d found him somewhere. He was used to it by now.
Qin Mei returned to her room, changed into her pajamas, and was fast asleep the moment she hit the bed.
Jie Jingchen poured hot water from a thermos into the washbasin, intending to call Qin Mei over to wash her face. But when he saw she was already asleep, he hesitated for a moment. He decided not to wake her. Instead, he washed his own face and feet, dumped the water, and then went back to the room to change into his pajamas for bed.
Outside the door, Mrs. Xie’s voice rang out. "Jing Si, Xiao Mei, are you two asleep yet?"
Jie Jingchen had just lain down. He glanced over and saw that Qin Mei was sleeping soundly, undisturbed by the call. He raised an eyebrow, then got up to open the door.
"What is it, Mom?" Jie Jingchen’s tone was unfriendly.
A flicker of displeasure crossed Mrs. Xie’s elegant features. "Xiao Mei fell off the bicycle. Is she hurt anywhere?"
"No," Jie Jingchen replied, his expression cold. Then he added, "She’s tired. She’s already asleep."
"Here’s the ointment." Mrs. Xie thrust the tube into Jie Jingchen’s hand and turned to leave.
"Mom," Jie Jingchen called out quietly, stopping her.
"What is it?" Mrs. Xie stopped and turned to look at him.
"Don’t take her to the black market again." The thought of them going there made a wave of fear wash over him.
Mrs. Xie froze for a second, then anger flared in her beautiful eyes. "Last time, I dragged her to the black market. This time, she dragged me. And another thing, you’d better not mention to your father that we went to the black market again tonight."
"Mom, do you think Dad is an idiot?" Jie Jingchen asked. "You share a bed with him. You think he doesn’t know you went to the black market?"
Mrs. Xie rolled her eyes at him and said haughtily, "Don’t worry. He’ll pretend he doesn’t know."
Jie Jingchen fell silent and closed the door.
Seeing the door close, Mrs. Xie let out a cold huff and stalked away proudly.
Jie Jingchen casually tossed the ointment onto the desk. He carefully lifted the covers, got into bed, and lay down. As he settled in, his leg accidentally brushed against Qin Mei’s knee.
"HSSS." Qin Mei whimpered softly in her sleep from the pain, but she didn’t wake.
Jie Jingchen jolted. A hint of worry surfaced in his deep-set eyes. He sat up and lifted the covers, his gaze falling on her legs. A cool draft hit her as the blanket was pulled away, and Qin Mei reflexively curled her legs, only to straighten them again with a wince of pain.
Jie Jingchen rolled up her pajama leg. The faint redness on her knees stood out starkly against her otherwise fair skin. He could see the skin was scraped raw. His gaze flickered. He got up to get the ointment, squeezed some onto his fingertip, and began to apply it gingerly to the scrape. Despite his gentle touch, the sensation was enough to wake Qin Mei.
"What are you doing?" Qin Mei opened her eyes, her gaze hazy with sleep as she looked at Jie Jingchen. The cool sensation on her knee told her exactly what he was up to.