8 Chapter 8 He Seems Different from the Rumors

A loud "bang".

Tong Tong's body hit the floor hard, and her mind went blank in an instant.

An intense pain surged through her, and tears almost uncontrollably streamed out in a flash.

With a click, the light overhead turned on, and a pair of black slippers came into Tong Tong's field of vision, approaching her step by step.

Lying on the ground, Tong Tong was in so much pain that she momentarily lost the ability to move.

She knew she should get up, but the pain immobilized her.

Soon, a strong hand pulled her up from the ground.

At this moment, Tong Tong's limbs were limp, and she instinctively held onto the other person's arm to steady herself.

"Thank... Uncle?!"

Before she could finish her words of gratitude, she suddenly realized that the person standing in front of her was Mu Jingyan.

"Are you okay?" The man's voice was as cold as ever.

Although Tong Tong was in great pain, she still shook her head subconsciously in front of Mu Jingyan.

"It's nothing."

Unlike the softness of a girl's body, Mu Jingyan's arm muscles were tight and powerful, and she hastily let go of his hand as if she had received an electric shock.

Mu Jingyan gave her a few looks, "Can you walk?"

Tong Tong didn't dare to move rashly and tested herself, feeling a lot of pain in her foot, probably because she had knocked her knee just now.

She probably couldn't walk well.

Tong Tong, "No problem, I'm fine."

What a joke, there were only she and Mu Jingyan here. Now, if she said she couldn't walk, was she expecting Mu Jingyan to support her?

As long as her legs weren't broken, she could definitely walk today.

Mu Jingyan turned and went downstairs.

"Keep up."

Tong Tong nodded, walking while grimacing in pain, careful not to let Mu Jingyan notice.

As soon as Mu Jingyan went down the stairs and turned back, he saw Tong Tong grimacing in pain, her facial features contorted.

They locked eyes, and the situation became somewhat awkward.

"Actually, I really didn't..."

Before she could finish, Tong Tong felt herself become lighter, as she was lifted into Mu Jingyan's "princess carry" once again.

At this point, Tong Tong didn't know what to say anymore; she felt that ever since she met Mu Jingyan, she had often been carried by him like a princess.

She was in so much pain that she couldn't even be nervous anymore. After being picked up, she found a comfortable position and lay there. After all, she was injured, why should she care about anything else?

Mu Jingyan carried her to the sofa in the living room, then searched for a first aid kit in the drawer.

Tong Tong's knee was scraped, and although it hadn't been obvious before, it was now continuously bleeding.

Seeing the first aid kit, she conscientiously reached out to take it, "Uncle, thank you, I can clean it myself."

Before Tong Tong could touch the first aid kit, Mu Jingyan suddenly grasped her wrist.

Seeing the man's gaze become sharper, Tong Tong was momentarily surprised. Could it be that he was going to settle accounts with her after taking the initiative to carry her over himself just now?!

Her heart leaped, and as the man moved, her mouth started before her brain could catch up.

"Uncle, I am very light!"

This nonsensical remark brought Mu Jingyan's movement to a halt, and his gaze lingered on Tong Tong for several seconds before he slowly spoke.

"I know."

Know? Tong Tong was stunned, belatedly realizing that she had just made a foolish comment.

Mu Jingyan lifted her hand and examined the wounds, "How did this happen?"

Tong Tong's arm was slender and fair, originally a very beautiful arm, but now it was marred by several burns, strikingly conspicuous.

Tong Tong had always worn long sleeves that concealed her wounds, but the short-sleeved nightgown prepared by the Mu Family exposed all those hidden injuries to the air.

She hadn't expected Mu Jingyan to take note of her injuries. She thought of today's incident with Sheng Jiao and, lowering her head, sat quietly on the sofa without saying a word.

She knew Mu Jingyan wielded immense power, yet Sheng Jiao dared to act so brazenly at school, which suggested that the forces behind her were also formidable.

Her uncle had already helped her a lot these past few days, and she didn't want to trouble him further.

Mu Jingyan looked down at her, and in the silence of the room, his eyes gradually grew darker.

The silence lasted too long, and Tong Tong, biting her lower lip, felt somewhat at a loss.

It was Mu Jingyan who finally broke the stillness. He knelt in front of Tong Tong, opened the medicine box, and began to apply medicine to her wounds.

Tong Tong was surprised and flattered, wanting to do it herself, but he stopped her.

"Your hand is not convenient."

He was referring to the burn on her arm.

Tong Tong pursed her lips and eventually sat back down quietly.

Ever since her mother passed away, and her grandmother became comatose, it had been a long time since anyone had been so kind to her.

Generally, when one person is very kind to another, it's for a reason.

But this logic seemed to falter somewhat when applied to Mu Jingyan.

The difference between Mu Jingyan and her was too great; what she had, Mu Jingyan might not necessarily value.

His handling of her wounds was very skilled, and they were quickly dressed.

"Uncle, thank you."

Tong Tong felt a bit guilty about earlier but was even more resolute not to tell her uncle about what happened at school.

It was her own issue; she couldn't always bother Uncle.

Before Mu Jingyan could respond, the next second, the sound of a grumbling stomach suddenly filled the air.

Tong Tong immediately hugged her stomach, her face turning crimson.

She had taken a fall earlier and nearly forgotten she had come out in search of food!

"I, I, actually…"

Tong Tong's mind raced, desperately thinking of excuses.

Mu Jingyan put the medicine box back in its place and, returning, scooped up Princess Tong Tong and headed towards the bedroom. His embrace was strong and steady. Tong Tong pursed her lips, feeling somewhat flustered inside.

"Dinner is prepared for you in the kitchen. It will be brought to you shortly."

Tong Tong, with her face still red, shrank her neck and softly uttered a small "mm-hmm."

After he had put her in her room and left, the servant promptly delivered the meal. After she finished eating and lay back down on the bed, she felt inexplicably much more at ease.

She had always thought the Mu Family's home was a den of dragons and tigers, perilous to an extreme, where a single misstep could mean doom.

But now it seemed that Mu Jingyan was not as terrifying as outsiders claimed.

She buried her face in her pillow, feeling the three-year contract she had signed seemed not such an impossible task to complete after all.

As long as she stayed out of trouble, living with the Mu Family wouldn't be difficult.

The next morning, as soon as Tong Tong got up, the servant at the door brought in the prepared medicine.

"Madam, Mr. Mu instructed us to come change your bandages," said the servant.

After the medication on her leg was changed, Tong Tong descended the stairs, feeling light-hearted.

It was breakfast time. Just as she entered the dining hall, and before she could call out to Uncle, she spotted a familiar figure at the table.

The young girl sitting there was gazing at Mu Jingyan with shining eyes, chatting away while eating breakfast.

Tong Tong stood rooted to the spot as if doused in cold water, her heart sinking to the depths.

Why…

Why was Sheng Jiao at the Mu Family's home?!