Chapter 187 – Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes
Acupuncture and internal energy combined with the power of his left eye helped Xia Lei accomplish a medical miracle. He had cured a patient who had been paralysed and whom the most advanced hospitals and doctors around the world could not cure.
However, Shentu Ren’s condition was still rather troublesome. He had been paralysed for three years and his muscles were in severe dystrophy. This amount of dystrophy required a long time of rest before one could regain independent mobility. He had not spoken in three years either and his vocal capabilities had diminished greatly. This also required practice, bit by bit, to get back to normal. Xia Lei could wake him with needles but he could not do the work of one or two years with needles.
Even so, this was an amazing miracle.
Xia Lei slept deeply and it was hours before he woke. He opened his eyes and saw Shentu Tian-Yin’s glamorously beautiful face close to his.
“You’re awake?” Shentu Tian-Yin’s voice was as gentle as her gaze. She was calm and behaved naturally, as if she were embracing her husband in sleep.
It was comfortable in her arms but Xia Lei could not be so thick-skinned as to lounge in someone else’s embrace. He hurriedly climbed to his feet and said in shame, “I’m sorry, I must’ve been too tired, falling asleep right away like that.”
“You can sleep more. No need to get up so quickly.”
She was still willing to be his pillow?
This temptation was something people longed for but Xia Lei could not do it. He was exhausted and unaware of his surroundings earlier so it was not a big deal but it’d be a completely different scenario if he returned to her arms to sleep while fully conscious of his actions.
“Uh, I feel much better. Let’s check in on your father.” Xia Lei did not dare lie in her embrace to sleep. He walked to the bed and reached to take Shentu Ren’s pulse.
Xia Lei was a bit of a quack doctor and was crap at taking pulses but he had his methods. He used his left eye when taking Shentu Ren’s pulse – his heart rate and blood circulation was visible at once. This was even more accurate and amazing than a godly-skilled doctor.
Shentu Ren’s condition was more stable than it was a few hours ago. There had been no obvious rising and falling of the chest hours earlier but his breaths were now stronger and the up-down movements more identifiable. This was also a good sign that Shentu Ren’s brain had begun to resume normal functions after the blockage was cleared and that his body would grow stronger with the recovery of his brain.
Shentu Tian-Yin’s thoughts went to Shentu Ren at the sight of him and she asked nervously, “How’s my father?”
“Not bad.” Xia Lei smiled. “He should still have a nutrient solution as his primary source of food but you can also make some thin porridge or something similar for him to drink.”
“I’ll make him the porridge myself,” said Shentu Tian-Yin delightedly.
At that moment, Shentu Ren opened his eyes again. He looked at Xia Lei, then at Shentu Tian-Yin standing next to him and his lips moved slightly, seemingly trying to say something.
“What do you want to say, Father?” Shentu Tian-Yin leaned forward and put her ear to Shentu Ren’s lips.
Shentu Ren was unable to speak but the corners of his mouth turned up in a smile; it was faint but it could be seen.
“My father smiled! Haha! He smiled!!” Shentu Tian-Yin was like an excited child.
“Let him rest. Let’s go outside to talk,” said Xia Lei.
Shentu Tian-Yin nodded and said to Shentu Ren, “Rest well, Father. You’ll get well soon.”
Xia Lei only spoke when they were out of the room. “He has woken up but he still can’t do anything. It’s best if you don’t tell anyone. Your Second Uncle’s family is bent on trying to get their hands on your assets. If they know that he’s awake there’s no guarantee that they would not do something crazy.”
“Yes, I’ll listen to you. Let’s go eat. I want to have a drink with you and have a little celebration.” Shentu Tian-Yin did not want to think about other matters right now.
“I’d like to go but maybe another day,” said Xia Lei. He had already finished two pairs of mecha gloves – one for himself and one for Liang Zheng-Chun. He was still short of Liang Si-Yao’s pair so he wanted to go back to his workshop to make them.
Shentu Tian-Yin wrinkled her brows. “You did so much for me and yet I can’t treat you to a meal? Miss Liang won’t fly away – what’s wrong with spending one less night with her? If you’re so afraid of her now then won’t you be henpecked in the future?”
Xia Lei smiled sheepishly. “Then can I have her come along?”
“No, I’m inviting just you.”
Xia Lei was speechless.
“That’s settled, then. I’ll tell Ming-Mei to book us a table.”
Xia Lei laughed dryly. “Sure, I’ll go along with your arrangements.”
Shentu Tian-Yin did away with her usual stoic-ness after leaving Shentu Ren’s room and spoke a lot. When they got to the living room, Fu Ming-Mei came in from the entrance looking nervous.
“Big Sister Tian-Yin, your Second Uncle and Shentu Tian-Feng are here,” said Fu Ming-Mei.
The smile on Shentu Tian-Yin’s face disappeared and was replaced by a look of displeasure. “How did they know about this place? What did they come here for?”
“I don’t know, the door-guard just informed me. The two of them have already entered through the main door,” said Fu Ming-Mei.
The entire building belonged to Vientaine Group and the door-guard was also employed by Shentu Tian-Yin. Fu Ming-Mei had instructed them to always inform her if one of the Shentu clan entered, whomever it was, and this was why she had this timely information.
“Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes. They must have done their preparations and investigated our situation here before coming,” said Xia Lei.
“Ming-Mei, tell Jin Da-Hu and the others to disperse. Lei and I will deal with them,” said Shentu Tian-Yin.
“Yes, I’ll go right now.” Fu Ming-Mei left.
“I think they are trying to find out the situation here not only with us but with my father. You’ve warned me too that they should not know about my father waking up. What should I do if they want to see Father?” said Shentu Tian-Yin to Xia Lei.
Xia Lei thought for a bit. “Leave this to me. I’ll use needles to pierce his Bai Hui acupuncture point and he will sleep deeply.”
“I’ll go with you. We have to hurry.” Shentu Tian-Yin looked anxious.
She’d prepared for so long and done so much in order to lure her prey into her trap. How could she not be nervous when the prey drew closer to the trap she had laid?
Shentu Yi and Shentu Tian-Feng walked towards them, talking to each other in low voices.
“We found this place after searching for days. That slut sure is wiley. Did she think it’ll all be fine if she took her father and hid away?” Shentu Tian-Feng sneered.
“Your plan to use someone else to deal with him was pretty good. Our people have heard the news that Gu Ke-Wu is already prepared to strike at Xia Lei. It’s a good thing for us if Gu Ke-Wu gets rid of Xia Lei. Tian-Yin won’t forgive Gu Ke-Wu either if he gets rid of Xia Lei so the two of them will never have a chance to be together,” said Shentu Yi.
Shentu Tian-Feng laughed. “Dad, why are you even concerned if that bitch is together with Gu Ke-Wu? Those two will never come to that day. Our plan will only be successful if she dies.”
“Rest in peace, hahaha, rest in peace.” Shentu Yi laughed too.
Father-and-son walked to the doors of the villa and found Fu Ming-Mei looking at them expressionlessly.
“Where’s Tian-Yin, Fu Ming-Mei?” said Shentu Tian-Feng.
“What are you looking for Big Sister Tian-Yin for?” said Fu Ming-Mei coolly, “She’s not free.”
Shentu Yi spoke coldly, “Impertinence! How dare you talk like that. You think you can behave however you want because Tian-Yin has your back? Get out of the way!”
Fu Ming-Mei looked displeased but she still made way for him.
Shentu Yi did not knock. He pushed the door open and walked in. Shentu Tian-Feng followed him in but the father-and-son duo stopped in their tracks when they walked into the living room.
Xia Lei was half-lying on the sofa in the living room and Shentu Tian-Yin was sitting on his thigh holding grapes in one hand and feeding him those grapes with the other. The huge television set in front of them was on and the variety program ‘Happy Headquarters’ was playing.
Shentu Tian-Yin and Xia Lei did not seem to have noticed that Shentu Yi and Shentu Tian-Feng had entered. They only had eyes for each other.
“Is it tasty?” Shentu Tian-Yin smiled sweetly, “I want you to feed me one too.”
Xia Lei’s headache multiplied twofold.
Strangely, Shentu Yi and Shentu Tian-Feng just looked at them and did not make a sound.
Xia Lei forced himself to feed Shentu Tian-Yin a grape.
“I want more.” Shentu Tian-Yin swallowed the grape in one go.
Xia Lei was speechless.
“Ahem!” Shentu Yi could not hold back any longer.
Shentu Tian-Yin and Xia Lei pretended to look over only then and hurriedly moved apart.
Shentu Tian-Yin straightened her wrinkled clothing in a tizzy and looked embarrassed. “Second Uncle, Big Brother Tian-Feng, when did you get here? Why didn’t you knock?”
“How would we know what you two were up to in here?” said Shentu Yi with a straight face.
“We are quite worried about you bringing Uncle here. My mother and the aunts used to be the ones who took care of Uncle. You’re also very busy so we came to see him because we were worried that you’d be unable to care for him. Really, we are family after all. Why didn’t you tell us the address of the place you brought Uncle to? I had to ask a whole lot of people to find this place and what do I see once I get here? You two… Ah, I won’t say more. Where’s Uncle? My father and I would like to see him,” said Shentu Tian-Feng.
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeo_Danaos_et_dona_ferentes
