Though delighted by Wandong's grateful compliment, Tang Xinyi stayed grim-faced.
"No need to thank me for that! I'm full of regret now. I shouldn't have saved you if I had known earlier that you turn out a mammonist!"
"Xinyi, he's my grandson after all. Could you just be nice to him for my sake?"
Xu Wenchuan cast concerned eyes on Wandong.
"Your royal highness, you…! Alas! Well, well, we're leaving now, as Xu Yaoting and his raw stones all returned home."
Being a candid character, she asked for her leave forthwith.
"Hang on!"
Pretty flustered, Wandong sat up in his chair in spite of himself.
His move only ended up exacerbating his wounds, with a mouthful of blood fountaining out all of a sudden.
Ning Shan burst out crying with tears cascading down her cheeks, ghostly pale.
"Go and send for Sun Daobai, the Saint of Medicine! Hurry up!"
Bouncing up in the air, Xu Wenchuan hastened to bid the servants in an ear-splitting voice.
Hardly had Tang Xinyi turned around and intended to leave when she stopped to check on Wandong.
The previous rage in her eyes, right then, changed into care and concern; she was, after all, a kind-hearted girl, unable to give a cold shoulder.
"You are indeed a rough diamond!"
Wandong mobilized the rest of his Taoist energy to stop bleeding in a haste, smiling wryly at her.
"Get lost! I wouldn't give a thing if I were not worried about his royal highness! He is agitated about you!"
She feinted a lame excuse, which was even seen through by Leng Yuecui. The latter soon walked up to Wandong, staring at her with full-on vigilance.
"You saved my ass today," Wandong pleaded, "Can't you give me an opportunity to extend my gratitude?"
Tang Xinyi went out of steam somehow, moved by Wandong's plea.
"Try to make a speedy recovery first," she pouted, "You can, by all means, leave that later."
"I'd better off doing it now. If not, I'm afraid it would be eternally postponed."
"Nonsense!"
"Don't talk through your hat!"
"Yaoting!"
Tang Xinyi, Leng Yuecui and Xu Wenchuan struck in simultaneously, cutting him off in midsentence.
Leng Yuecui couldn't help but sob straight away, striking Wandong dumb with her affectionate reaction.
"Yaoting, you will make it! You see, you already successfully drove away Death. Please don't speak like that anymore!"
"Yes indeed!" Ning Shan wept, "I will die with you, you're my only son!"
Feeling tempted to join them, Tang Xinyi held back what she wanted to say, feeling terribly ambivalent. She just couldn't figure herself out, as her heart ached on hearing Wandong's agonizing words.
Wandong found their concerned reproaches both warm and hilarious.
"You all got me wrong. I didn't mean that way. I was trying to say that I'm rather stingy! If I didn't extend my gratitude now, would probably feel reluctant to reward her for her kindness after I recover."
"You bastard!"
Terribly ruffled, Leng Yuecui raised her fists, tempted to punch at him; she caught herself anyway out of her affections toward him.
For Tang Xinyi's part, she found Wandong pretty funny, bursting out tittering.
"Good! How are you gonna reward me? Well, I have to warn you beforehand: I shall hack you with my sword if you dare ask me to marry you!"
Beaming radiantly, Tang Xinyi cast away the annoying formalities.
"Ask you to marry me? Oh, god! Spare me your delusion! You found me that tasteless?"
"You need a spanking!"
She waved her fists, faking an attack.
"Hahaha…"
Their frolic cracked up Xu Wenchuan in spite of himself, painting himself a picture of the two tying the knot.
As for Leng Yuecui, she pouted out of unwillingness, clenching her fists tightly — she looked pretty cute as well.