Chapter 90: Truer Than Pearls

"Captain Mo, what... what on earth is happening here?"
The guards who had rushed in were bewildered by the scene before them, especially after confirming that Long Qianqiu's condition had improved. Mo Qingqiu's earlier cry, "Qin Chuan, I'm going to kill you," now made even less sense to them.

"I thought my adoptive father was in danger, so I shouted for Qin Chuan, wanting to settle the score with him. But it turns out it was all a misunderstanding caused by my lack of medical knowledge. Everyone, relax. There's nothing to worry about!"

This was the first time in her life that Mo Qingqiu had ever lied, and even she was surprised at how flawlessly she delivered it, leaving no room for doubt. The guards, previously on edge, were relieved by her explanation. Their gaze softened as they looked at Qin Chuan, who was still clinging to Mo Qingqiu, resembling a frightened child seeking his mother's embrace.

The captain of the guards, feeling at ease, waved his hand, and the armed squad quickly withdrew.

Click!

The door was locked again. Mo Qingqiu, brows arched and eyes wide, lowered her voice with a threatening edge. "Qin Chuan, if you want to live, keep clinging."

Before she finished speaking, Qin Chuan sprang out of her arms like a coiled spring, landing two or three meters away, his face full of innocent bewilderment.

"Dear niece, I truly wasn't taking advantage of you just now. You might not know, but I lost my parents early, and even after my master took me in, I've always lacked a sense of security.
When I was startled just now, my instincts kicked in. Your embrace reminded me of the warmth of a mother, something I've missed for so long... So, that's why... ahem... I'm sure you can understand?"

Qin Chuan hurried to explain, his sincerity evident in both his words and expression. Mo Qingqiu was momentarily moved—according to the records, Qin Chuan was indeed an orphan. But whether she had actually given him a taste of maternal affection, she seriously doubted.

"Really?" Mo Qingqiu asked, skeptical.

Qin Chuan nodded vigorously, swearing, "Truer than pearls!"

"Then tell me honestly, when did you actually wake up?" Mo Qingqiu pressed, unwilling to let it go.

Qin Chuan's lips twitched. In truth, he had regained consciousness when Hu Derun was about to leave. Treating Long Qianqiu did drain him due to the use of the Fate Needle, but the crucial point was that Long Qianqiu was afflicted with cold poison.

The chill had reached his heart, and the only way to save him was to expel the toxin-laden cold from his body. Qin Chuan, possessing the Nine Yang physique, could channel the cold out with a special technique, not only avoiding harm but even suppressing the excess yang energy inside him.

Compared to the cold poison in Long Qianqiu, the chill from Lin Wanyu's previous outbreak was negligible. But Qin Chuan couldn't tell the truth; otherwise, he had no doubt Mo Qingqiu would draw her gun and start a fight.

"I woke up about half a minute before you scared me. Why? Did something happen before?"

Seeing Qin Chuan's innocent look, Mo Qingqiu scrutinized him for a long time but found no sign of guilt. Only then did she relax a little.

"No...nothing. I was just asking," Mo Qingqiu, unwilling to mention the earlier awkwardness, quickly changed the subject. "When will my adoptive father wake up?"

"Within two hours at most," Qin Chuan replied solemnly.

Mo Qingqiu continued, "Is my adoptive father really your senior brother?"

She cared about this, and was even more annoyed at Qin Chuan calling her niece. She refused to be the junior in front of him.

"Why would I lie to you?"

Guessing her thoughts, Qin Chuan smiled reassuringly, "But you don't need to worry. We can each call it as we please—you can call me brother, I’ll call you niece, or you can call me uncle, I’ll call you sister. I’m not picky."

Three black lines seemed to appear at the corner of Mo Qingqiu's lips. No matter how you counted it, he always had the seniority advantage—of course he wasn't picky, since he was benefiting so much.

"So you’re really a good person!" Mo Qingqiu said sarcastically.

Qin Chuan laughed, "Once we get to know each other better, you'll see I have many outstanding qualities. But remember, don’t worship me—uncle is just a legend."

Mo Qingqiu rolled her eyes. His skill at playing dumb, boasting, and shamelessness had reached perfection.

Time passed swiftly in Qin Chuan's endless teasing and Mo Qingqiu's relentless sarcasm.

Two hours later.

Long Qianqiu's fingers stirred. Mo Qingqiu's face lit up with joy and excitement as she hurried to the bedside. Sure enough, Long Qianqiu slowly opened his eyes.

"Father, you're finally awake!"

Mo Qingqiu wept tears of joy.

Long Qianqiu, still weak, said, "Xiao Qiu, don't cry. See, I'm fine."

"Fine? You nearly died," Qin Chuan's cheerful, mocking voice rang out before Mo Qingqiu could respond.

Mo Qingqiu was about to scold Qin Chuan for his disrespect, but then witnessed an astonishing scene: At the sound of Qin Chuan's voice, Long Qianqiu, previously weak, suddenly sat up, eyes wide with incredulity as he blurted out a curse, "Damn, what are you doing here, you little rascal?"

Mo Qingqiu's lips twitched violently, her eyes filled with disbelief. In her memory, her adoptive father had never cursed. Despite his rough appearance, his refinement surpassed many scholars and generals of his rank, earning him the nickname "The Scholar General."

Yet now this scholar general greeted Qin Chuan with a bracing curse, full of energy, showing not the slightest hint of his earlier weakness.

"If I hadn’t arrived in time, I'd be burning offerings for you next year. And you, lie down—if you keep showing off, even the gods won't be able to save you."

Qin Chuan retorted mercilessly, and even flicked a silver needle at Long Qianqiu's chest.

Bang!

Long Qianqiu collapsed onto the bed and, despite struggling, couldn’t move.

"Second Senior Brother, stop struggling. In your weakened state, you’re no match for me!" Qin Chuan teased with a grin.

Long Qianqiu cursed, "You little rascal, pull this needle out now, or when I recover, I’ll beat you so hard you won’t get out of bed!"

"You think this is ten years ago, when you could beat me whenever you wanted? Times have changed, Second Senior Brother. Now it's you who can't get out of bed."

"Just wait till I recover, you brat."

Watching the two banter without the slightest distance between them, Mo Qingqiu was stunned, her heroic face full of disbelief.