Ying Qingcang led Xin Qing into the cave where she saw a huge subterranean river flowing through. Wisps of steam wafted from the river surface, the sight of which would soothe just about anyone's heart.
"You can take off your clothes and take a dip if you like." Well, anyone except Ying Qingcang, apparently. He had ripped into Xin Qing while keeping a straight face just because she and Zhang Mi had played with the water for a few seconds longer than necessary.
Xin Qing stood up and shook the water off her hands. "I was just trying to test the water's temperature and see if its suitable," she said calmly.
Ying Qingcang ignored her and kept walking forward. "If we walk further down, there will be hot springs like these every ten meters," he said.
Ah Nan held out a tablet to Xin Qing, who glanced at it. The data shown on the screen was in agreement with what Ying Qingcang had just told her.
"There are 18 of them in total," Ying Qingcang said, giving them a glance. "There are a lot of small ones at the top. We can set up villas in that area as it was." Inside the cave, Ying Qingcang's voice was like the reverberating sound waves emitted from a woofer. Like the steaming spring water, his voice seeped and flowed into Xin Qing's heart with ease, causing her mind to feel more and more hazy.
Ah Che noticed her discomfort. "Young Miss?" He asked.
Xin Qing shook her head to clear the haziness away. "I'm fine."
"Let's head out," Ying Qingcang said, turning back and began walking in the opposite direction. "It isn't well-ventilated in here, and the temperature is too high. That's why we need to demolish one side of the mountain, otherwise people won't be able to stay here for long."
Zhang Mi and Ah Nan, who were walking at the tail end of the group, snapped some photos of the cave's interior. Zhang Mi had even collected some water samples with a bottle. They would have the samples analyzed by experts once they returned. God only knew if the water here would bring any harm to the human body!
After the tour, they went back to the villa district. It was unclear if it was deliberate on Ying Qingcang's part, but he walked straight into the cottage that they had stayed in during the blizzard.
"I'm tired. Let's take a break," Ying Qingcang said as he plopped down on the couch. Then, he shot a glance at Ah Che. "Boil some water."
Ah Che obeyed instantly and went to the kitchen while Zhang Mi glared at the man's back and bared her teeth at him. "Whose side are you on, you m*th*rf*ck*r?"
The food supply from their previous stay was still here, although Ah Che had already given it to the workers at the stable. Obviously, nobody from the stable had come to retrieve the food yet. After the water was boiled, the few of them sat around the living room and enjoyed tea. Zhang Mi stretched herself lazily and said, "Let's take a nap before heading back. The air here is so fresh!"
"Sure. Let's head upstairs then," said Xin Qing. The bed that they had made last time was still here.
Xin Qing could not get herself to fall asleep; her mind was too cluttered. So she decided to take a walk in the area.
Ah Che was worried about her and had planned to accompany her in her walk, but Ying Qingcang stood up and forced Ah Che back inside with a single look.
"They are now my people. Please be more courteous to them," Xin Qing said indignantly as they strolled amidst the woods.
Ying Qingcang was walking behind her at a pace that was neither too fast nor too slow. "If I remember correctly, everyone here is mine, even you."
Xin Qing's body grew taut and she came to a halt. She knew he was referring to the fact he had literally bought her for 20 million bucks.
"Haha. Do you have any proof of that?" Xin Qing asked him back.
Ying Qingcang shook his head. "No, I don't."
Xin Qing chuckled again. She was just about to continue going forward when she realized that the villa was no longer in sight. It seemed like she had chosen the wrong path and had wandered into the deeper part of the woods. Xin Qing cursed herself inwardly as she watched Ying Qingcang slowly approach her.
She knew d*mn well that she had practically zero resistance against him, and yet she had wandered into a place where she knew they would end up alone. Did she have a death wish or what!
"Haha!" Ying Qingcang was already standing in front of her now. He glanced around and checked out their surroundings. "President Xin is deliberately seducing me again."
Xin Qing took a turn and ended up behind a tree. "I took the wrong path, that's all." She pointed to her left. "Let's head back."
Ying Qingcang seized her arm and held her still. "Last time, we did it beside a fountain. Trying it in the middle of the woods isn't really a bad idea."
"Get away from me!" Xin Qing gave him a push. "Are you reminding me about the time you raped me?"
"Rape?" Ying Qingcang laughed. "Looks like your memory is rather impaired, President Xin. I'm pretty sure you were an eager participant last time."
Xin Qing tried to make a run for it by throwing her entire body forward, but Ying Qingcang pressed her against the tree trunk.
"Do you want to partner with me, hm?"
Warm breath tickled her ear, sending a wave of pleasure straight to her lower belly. Xin Qing buried her face in his chest. "Is this the only way you know?" She asked, her voice muffled by his chest.
Her muffled tone caused Ying Qingcang to laugh out loud, though the coldness in his voice could chill one to the bones. "There was always this Ancestral Behest and Totem between us, right? Isn't it normal for us to crave each others' body?"
He yanked open Xin Qing's coat and slid a hand under her sweater. "I already told you before. My reaction to you is purely physical."
"Stop it!" Xin Qing quickly pressed down on his wandering hands seeing as her bra was mere seconds away from being removed. Suddenly, a clear voice of a child rang out.
"My dear mommy! Please pick up the phone! Your cute Wangwang is looking for mommy!"
The call came from the house. Wangwang had made that ringtone himself. Xin Qing was panicking at this point; Aunt Tian would never call her unless something had happened. She struggled forcefully in order to free herself from him. "Let go of me. The call is from the house," she said in a tearful voice.
Ying Qingcang suddenly took a step back, though Xin Qing no longer cared. She quickly fished for her phone in her coat and pulled it out.
"Hello, Aunt Tian. It's me!"
"What?" The panic in Xin Qing's voice was palpable. "I'll be right there. You guys just head straight to the hospital, okay?"
An erratic hue formed within Ying Qingcang's eyes, and it was like his entire body had suddenly grown taut. Even the surrounding air seemed to have become thick with tension. Nevertheless, because Xin Qing was already in a half-dazed state, the changes in his body language eluded her entirely. She ran downhill helter-skelter, calling Ah Che as she did.
Frowning, Ying Qingcang fisted his hands and then punched the air fiercely. After that, he went after her in hurried strides.
Ah Che and Ah Nan were already there when Xin Qing reached the foot of the mountain. Zhang Mi was standing in front of the car. The moment she saw Xin Qing, she asked, "What's wrong with Wangwang? Why is he being sent to the hospital?"
"Quick. Drive," Xin Qing said, climbing into the car with Ying Qingcang following closely behind. When she saw him taking the seat beside her, she pressed her lips into a tight line and kept quiet.
Ah Che started the car. "Young Master Shen is already on the way to the hospital," Ah Che said reassuringly. "Please don't worry."
"Is it very serious?" Zhang Mi was shocked.
"He's having a fever," Xin Qing said, her face as white as a sheet. Unbeknownst to her, Ying Qingcang already had her hand secured within the tight grip of his hand.
Zhang Mi let out a squeak and dared not speak another word after that.
Chen Huan once said that for a child who had received a genetic modification injection, childhood fever was an indication of the body's attempt to repel the drug's effect. Such a situation would lead to two possible outcomes: one, the cells inside the body would evolve, and the drug would stimulate the genes once again, resulting in second-order modification; two, a complete failure of the drug, which would result in the worst case scenario where the child would turn into an ordinary human being.
When Xunxun was five, he had experienced a high fever that had lasted for three days. He had become the way he was now after he had woken up from that fever. Back then, Ying Qingcang had thought that if Boss Wan's child could make it, then his own child could make it, too. As for Xin Qing, she had agreed to take the injection because she had been worried about the baby inside her womb being affected by the traditional Chinese medicine that she had been using back then. To her, it did not matter whether or not her son would become a genius or how much potential he had; she just wanted her son to have healthy life.
But according to Chen Huan, there had been a few children who became retards after the drug's failure last year. That was something that Xin Qing was unable to accept, which was why she had taken special care all this while in order to prevent Wangwang from experiencing any fever. Wangwang had a slight cold during Chinese New Year, that was why Xin Qing had never brought him along on the trip into the mountain. Still, the inevitable would come eventually. Nobody could avoid the inevitable.
Once the car entered the city area, Ying Qingcang spoke up suddenly, "Stop the car. Drop me off here."
Only then did Xin Qing come to her senses and realized that she had been leaning against his body and holding on to his hand for dear life.
She jerked her hand away as if she was experiencing an electric shock. "Then... Then..." She stammered, suddenly not knowing what to say.
Ying Qingcang opened the door and stepped out. Once he was out of the car, he said, "The collaboration is settled. I'll send the plans to Xin Enterprises later." After that, he shut the door and walked away.
Zhang Mi's eyes went wide. "You've agreed to collaborate with him?" She asked.
Xin Qing waved her hands haphazardly. "We'll talk more about that later. Now we need to get to the hospital!"
At the hospital, Wangwang was lying on the bed. His entire face was flushed. Every once in a while, a weak hum would escape his tiny mouth.
Young Master Shen and Uncle Fu stood beside Wangwang's bed. Uncle Fu had already begun wiping his tears.
Xin Qing pushed open the door. When Young Master Shen saw everyone's arrival, he stepped aside to make room for them. "The doctors didn't find anything wrong with him. I'm aware of what's happening to him, but I was worried about dehydration since his body temperature is so high. So I had them give him an IV drip. It's just glucose, though."
"I've already contacted Chen Huan on the way here. She said that there's no other way. It's now up to Wangwang to wake up on his own." Xin Qing's tears streaked down her cheeks the moment she stopped talking.
Zhang Mi hugged her. "Why are you crying? Wangwang is so brave and he's a fighter. He'll be fine!"
Knowing that it had taken Xunxun three days to wake up back then, everyone came up a schedule so that they could take turns to stay with Wangwang. Xin Qing was dead set on staying with Wangwang the whole time, so Zhang Mi and Ah Che had decided to take turns to keep her company and force her to take breaks.
Chen Huan came to the hospital with Liuliu during the later half of the night. The moment she saw Xin Qing, Chen Huan shoved Liuliu into Xin Qing's arms.
"If anything happens to Wangwang, Liuliu will be your daughter. I don't want Xunxun as well. You can take him as your son."
Xin Qing cradled Liuliu in her arms and gave Chen Huan a look of amusement. She smacked Chen Huan upside her head. "What kind of claptrap are you on about? Did your Boss Wan forget to feed you your pills again?"
"Xin Qing..." Chen Huan was nearly driven to tears by her anxiety. "I swear, if I had known that there's a problem with the drug, I would never have given Wangwang the shot!"
"Don't put everything onto your shoulders, okay?" Xin Qing laid the now asleep Liuliu onto another bed. "I mean, Ah Sha never had a fever, right?"
Chen Huan had explained to her before that if Ah Sha did not experience any fever, then it meant that Ah Sha's genetic potential was not as high as Xunxun's.
"If your son could make it, then so can mine!" Xin Qing fisted her hands. "Quit being such a gloom-monger."
"Right!" Chen Huan nodded vigorously. "Our Wangwang will get through this! He can do it!"
Xin Qing had planned to keep the other three kids in the dark about this. But since the following day was a weekend, Xunxun ended up bringing the two younger kids to the hospital at noon. Xunxun even glared when he saw his mother there.
"Mommy, will little brother wake up?" Ah Sha stared at Wangwang who was lying on the bed, barely breathing. The sight of him reduced Ah Sha to tears.
Xin Qing gave her a reassuring look. "Once the fever is gone, Wangwang will wake up!"
Not wising to see Ah Sha acting all sad and miserable, Xunxun quickly began placating her, "Have you forgotten what I told you before?"
"No, I haven't," Ah Sha said with a few nods. "I remember Brother Xunxun telling me before that if Wangwang has a fever, he will become smarter. He'll be as smart as Brother Xunxun once he wakes up!"
Xunxun was satisfied with that response. After that, he added, "He'll be smarter. But still not as smart as I am."
Beside them, Xiao Rui just chuckled. He pulled Xin Qing's hand and tried to force her to take a break. "Ah Che said you only slept for two hours last night. Now that we're all here, you can go inside and take a nap!"
"It's fine! I'm not sleepy!" Xin Qing did not want to leave.
"Your current respiratory rate is two percent slower than your normal rate. The magnetic field surrounding your body is in disarray. Also, your central nervous system and nerve endings exhibit signs of warping. You still don't think you're tired?" Xiao Rui had babbled out all that with a straight face.
... Xin Qing had a look of total befuddlement on her face, which was fitting, since she had not a single clue what Xiao Rui was talking about.