Chapter 5: After All, Your Father Brought Him Home

The next morning, Su Jinshi lay in bed, groggily opening her eyes. She logged into the game to check on Shen Shilang’s recovery.

The game was so realistic that the characters seemed like living, breathing people. Given this, Shen Shilang might be at risk of recurring fevers.

As Su Jinshi entered the game, she saw a servant bringing Shen Shilang his breakfast. The servant was quite rude, serving steamed buns, pickled vegetables, and watery rice porridge from a chipped food box.

Su Jinshi thought even the Wei household’s servants must eat better than this.

“You need nutritious food when you’re sick,” she muttered, her voice still hoarse with sleep. Rubbing her eyes, she opened the food section in the game’s store.

As if ordering takeout, she added two eggs, a bowl of milk, and a plate of fruit to her cart. Shen Shilang was recovering from a serious illness, so the focus was on light but nutritious food.

When Su Jinshi clicked to check out, these items cost 100 gold coins.

“Alright, this game really has its own economy,” she chuckled, amused yet frustrated as she completed the purchase.

Suddenly, a bowl of milk, two boiled eggs, and a fruit platter appeared on Shen Shilang’s table. The platter contained apple, peach, and orange slices.

Shen Shilang no longer suspected Su Jinshi of ill intent. If she had meant him harm, she could have left him to suffer during his fever last night.

“Um… Jinshi, is that you?” Shen Shilang hesitated, adjusting his form of address.

Su Jinshi pushed the bowl of milk closer to him. Without the ability to communicate directly, this was all she could do.

Shen Shilang understood immediately. “I’m not doubting you, but… is this food created by some magic?”

“Food appearing out of nowhere doesn’t look edible…” Shen Shilang’s attitude had improved significantly since yesterday.

Su Jinshi thought for a moment, then spotted a wolf dog outside the Wei mansion’s back gate. She summoned it into the room.

The bewildered dog: “…”

What’s happening? Why am I flying?

Seeing the imposing dog suddenly appear, Shen Shilang was taken aback. It was entirely brown, looking both fierce and handsome.

“What… what are you doing?” Shen Shilang stepped back cautiously.

Su Jinshi fed the dog some milk, a bit of egg yolk, and a piece of apple. The dog sniffed, then devoured the food. Still hungry, it gazed longingly at the remaining food.

Su Jinshi nudged Shen Shilang. How about now? Are you reassured?

After waiting a while with no sign of discomfort from the dog, Su Jinshi pushed the milk closer to Shen Shilang again.

Now, are you convinced? It’s not poisoned. Go ahead and eat.

A fleeting smile crossed Shen Shilang’s lips as he sipped the milk. It was rich and fresh, without any odd taste. He wondered where Su Jinshi had found such good milk.

As he drank, he heard panting beside him. The dog was eyeing his food eagerly.

Shen Shilang placed the porridge and steamed buns on the floor for the dog.

Shortly after, a servant informed him that General Wei was returning, and he should go to the gate to welcome him.

Shen Shilang tidied up and left his small, shabby courtyard in the remote corner of the Wei mansion.

[System: Shen Shilang’s Favorability +1]

At the main gate, Madam Wei anxiously watched for Wei Zhaoxian’s arrival. Wei Jianming and Wei Ruyan looked pale with dark circles under their eyes, clearly having had a restless night.

“Mother, believe me, there really was a ghost,” Wei Jianming whispered.

“Yes, Mother, it even pulled my hair,” Wei Ruyan whimpered.

“Enough,” Madam Wei scolded softly. “You know your father despises such talk of supernatural things.”

Especially ever since the Shen family incident fifteen years ago, Wei Zhaoxian became furious at any mention of ghosts or spirits.

“Don’t speak of this again. If your father hears, you’ll be in trouble,” she warned.

“But, Mother…” Wei Jianming persisted anxiously. “What if there really is something unclean? Surely Ruyan and I couldn’t both be imagining things?”

Madam Wei sighed. “Your father will be home for two days. After he returns to the military camp, I’ll quietly invite a Taoist priest to perform a ritual.”

“The ghost appeared near Shen Shilang’s courtyard. I’m sure there’s something unclean attached to him,” Wei Jianming added.

“I said no more of this,” Madam Wei rebuked quietly.

Just then, Wei Ruyan spotted Shen Shilang approaching. “Mother, why did you call him here? It’s enough for us to greet Father. Why bring an outsider?”

“He is, after all, someone your father brought home,” Madam Wei replied.

Originally, when Wei Zhaoxian brought Shen Shilang back, Madam Wei suspected he was an illegitimate son. Despite her anger, she suggested adopting Shen Shilang under her name to appear virtuous.

Unexpectedly, Wei Zhaoxian rejected the idea, forbidding her from mentioning it again. He insisted Shen Shilang be well cared for in the Mansion.

Over the years, she had repeatedly hinted at adopting Shen Shilang, but Wei Zhaoxian always refused, once even angrily rebuking her.

 Madam Wei found it strange. If Wei Zhaoxian truly cared for Shen Shilang, he should have made him a legitimate heir of the Wei family. Yet, he chose not to.

Perhaps thinking an illegitimate child’s reputation problematic, Wei Zhaoxian claimed Shen Shilang was a distant relative, introducing him as a cousin.

Ha!

Cousin?

She knew all of Wei Zhaoxian’s relatives well; there were no mysterious cousins.

She had secretly investigated Shen Shilang’s mother but found nothing, as if the woman had vanished.

When Wei Zhaoxian discovered her investigation, he warned her to stop, threatening to end their marital relationship if she persisted.