Su Long lay beside little Mimi, gently hugging her. The tiny girl clung to him tightly, her soft arms wrapped around his sleeve as she slept. He glanced at her and smiled faintly, though his eyes grew wet.
Even in her sleep, faint bruises covered her delicate face. Her once-white cheeks were swollen red, small arms and legs wrapped in cloth strips, bones bruised, muscles torn, flesh cut. Injuries upon injuries—layer after layer. How could such a fragile little body endure this?
Su Long's chest tightened. Those dogs treated her as nothing more than a tool to vent their cruelty. They laughed while they beat her. And she—my little sister—had to endure it all. Rage boiled within him. He wanted to kill them all.
In the dead of night—
"Awuu… waaah… sob… sob…"
Mimi's sudden cry pierced the silence. Su Long's eyes snapped open instantly. He turned and saw her curling into herself, arms wrapped around her small stomach, tears streaming down her face.
"Mimi! What happened? Why are you crying suddenly?" Su Long asked in panic, reaching for her.
The sound woke the servants. Su Feng, Su Rui, and Su Lan rushed into the room, their faces pale.
"Young Miss is crying again!" Su Feng's brows furrowed with worry.
Su Rui quickly examined her body. "No insect bites, no new wounds…"
Su Lan bent closer, her voice soft and trembling. "Young Miss, can you tell us? Where does it hurt?"
Mimi sobbed, her little chubby face twisted in pain. "Bwother… it hurts… so much… everywhere… it hurts!"
Her voice cracked, and fresh tears rolled down her red cheeks.
Su Long's heart shook. "Her old injuries must have flared up again…" He tried to touch her arm, but—
"Don't… bwother… hurts… woo…" Mimi whimpered, shrinking back.
Su Long quickly withdrew his hand, panic flashing in his eyes. "Su Feng, bring water—quick!"
He hugged her close, his voice gentle but trembling. "Mimi, brother is here. I won't leave you. Can you drink a little water for me?"
He held the cup to her lips. Mimi took a few small sips, hiccupping through her sobs. Then she looked at him with teary round eyes. "Bwother… why is it hurting… I can't… save me…"
Her tiny fingers clutched his hand tightly as if afraid he would disappear.
Su Long kissed her damp forehead. "I'll save you, Mimi. No matter what, I'll save you."
Eventually, after much crying, exhaustion overtook her. She fell asleep in his arms, still clutching his sleeve.
Su Long laid her gently on the bed, covering her with a blanket. His face darkened as he stepped outside with the servants.
"If this happens every night, she'll suffer too much," he said, voice heavy. "Should I capture a doctor and force him to treat her?"
Su Feng shook his head grimly. "Young Master, what if the doctor poisons her instead? The families outside all see us as enemies. They would rather see Young Miss die than help her."
Su Long clenched his fists, rage surging. "Damn it…" He sank to the ground, trembling. His eyes reddened as he whispered, "Why her? She's just a child. Why must she carry this Holy Body and suffer? If she were just normal… she wouldn't be in this much pain…"
He remembered the traitor guards who had kicked her, bruised her, laughed while she bled. His vision turned scarlet with fury.
Su Rui and Su Lan quickly knelt beside him. "Young Master, don't lose hope! We will find a way!" They tried to help him up, but he shook his head.
"Leave me alone. I need some time…"
Morning came.
Su Long awoke to find Mimi still asleep, her small hand gripping his sleeve tightly. Her cheeks were still swollen, her eyelids puffy from crying. He stroked her little head, whispering, "Don't worry, Mimi. Brother will heal you soon."
When he tried to free his sleeve, she gripped tighter even in her sleep. Su Long sighed helplessly, smiling faintly. He slipped off his robe, letting her hug it, and stepped out shirtless.
Outside, Su Rui and Su Lan were preparing breakfast. Their thin figures moved quickly, but they froze when they saw him bare-chested. Both blushed, faces turning crimson, before pretending to focus harder on their work.
Su Long approached. "Su Rui, Su Lan… I know you've suffered too much because of me. My family was destroyed, and you've been dragged into this mess. If you wish, I can give you some money. You can leave this place and live freely."
The sisters stopped. Tears welled in their eyes as they turned to him.
"Young Master… are you trying to drive us away?" Su Rui asked softly.
"Your father saved us from bandits," Su Lan added, her voice trembling. "The Su Family treated us like family. How could we ever think we suffer because of you? Even if we die, we are Su Family people!"
Su Long blinked, silent for a moment. The two sisters stood before him—thin, dressed in servant clothes, yet beautiful enough to rival noble ladies if given the chance.
Finally, Su Long nodded. "Alright. I just wanted to know your thoughts. If you wish to stay, then stay. If you ever wish to leave, I won't stop you."
He changed the topic. "What's for the meal today?"
Su Rui's eyes brightened. "Young Master, today we will make rice bowls and vegetables. And for Mimi—we'll prepare mashed porridge with soft fruits. It will be gentle on her stomach."
Su Long gave a rare smile. "Good."
Meanwhile, chaos erupted in the Jian Family.
The bodies of Jian Hao, Elder Jian Feng, and the servant Jian Kun had been thrown into the middle of the streets. Passersby covered their mouths in shock. An elder retrieved the corpses and brought them into the Jian residence.
"WHO?!" roared Jian Hong, the patriarch. His eyes blazed, face turning red and pale with rage. "WHO DARES TO KILL MY SON?!"
An elder stepped forward cautiously. "Patriarch… Young Master Jian Hao said yesterday that he was going to the Su Family to kill Su Long and capture the girl. We suspect… it was Su Long."
"SU FAMILY!!!" Jian Hong's roar shook the courtyard. His aura surged like a storm. "They killed my son… then I will erase every last one of them! After I slaughter Su Long, then we will hold the funeral!"
He raised his hand. "Gather the clan. We march on the Su Family!"
[Ding! 90 Hatred Points obtained.]
Su Long saw the system notification appear before his eyes. A cold smile spread across his lips.
"Jian Family…" His voice was low, dangerous. "Interesting."