Chapter 40: Going Too Far

Seeing that Wang Xingyu remained unconscious even after they had returned to the treehouse, Qin Meng could not help but ask, "He Tiantian, do you really have a way to cure Young Master Wang?"

He Tiantian replied, "What if I don't? Should I go back and beg Lin Feng? Even if I did, would he agree? We have no choice but to treat a dead horse as if it were alive."

Thinking of Lin Feng’s cold attitude and how he had even struck her, Qin Meng had no desire to beg him either. She said nothing more, praying only that He Tiantian could truly heal Wang Xingyu.

The two women helped Wang Xingyu back into the treehouse. Taking advantage of the dim light, He Tiantian located the herbs Lin Feng had gathered earlier. She closed her eyes, recalling the name and properties of each one. Finding that she remembered most of them, she smiled. "Sister Meng, I recognize most of these. I’m feeling more and more confident that I can cure Young Master Wang."

Hearing this, Qin Meng sighed in relief and smiled. He Tiantian then selected the herbs for colds and fevers, as well as those for detoxification, breaking them into smaller pieces. Qin Meng set about building a fire so they could boil the medicine in the large clay pot. However, she soon discovered that there was no firewood left; the nearby supply had been exhausted, and they would have to travel much further to find more. It was clear that He Tiantian and Wang Xingyu had done nothing, and only the injured Cheng Xiangyu had gathered the wood nearby.

Qin Meng did not blame He Tiantian, though. Instead, she cursed Lin Feng: "It’s all his fault. He knew the three of them were in no condition to work, yet he didn't gather enough firewood or patch the treehouse with mud before coming to find me. If he had, we wouldn't be out of wood now, we wouldn't have been soaked by the rain, and Young Master Wang might not have gotten sick."

She seemed to have forgotten that when she was attacked by the wild boar, she would have been dead if not for Lin Feng’s timely intervention.

After venting her frustrations, Qin Meng went further afield to gather firewood. It took a great deal of effort to ignite the damp leaves and weeds with a lighter, but she eventually succeeded in building a fire. They boiled a pot of medicinal soup and fed it to Wang Xingyu.

When Wang Xingyu showed no reaction, Qin Meng grew anxious again. "He Tiantian, why is he still unconscious? Is this medicine really working?"

"It should be," He Tiantian replied. "It’s just not working very quickly. I’m exhausted and want to sleep. Let’s see how he is at daybreak."

Qin Meng sighed. "I suppose that’s all we can do. Go to sleep; I’ll keep watch first, then we can switch."

In her heart, she couldn't stop calling Lin Feng a bastard. She felt he lacked any sense of social grace, refusing to treat Wang Xingyu over a minor conflict and throwing away a chance to rise in the world. If not for him, she wouldn't be this worried now.

***

The next morning, Qin Meng woke to find He Tiantian and Wang Xingyu talking. Wang Xingyu appeared to be in good spirits. Pleasantly surprised, she asked, "Young Master Wang, are you better?"

Wang Xingyu nodded. "Yes, I feel much better. I never expected He Tiantian to be so capable—she actually cured me." He laughed. "If Lin Feng finds out, he’ll be furious. He was probably counting on me to crawl back to him and submit completely just to get treated."

He Tiantian suggested, "Young Master Wang, why don't we go to the cave and see them? I want to see the look on his face when he realizes I’ve already cured you. Besides, they killed a leopard last night and had to process it, so they must have gone to bed very late. They might still be asleep. We could take some of the leopard meat—the meat they’ve already prepared for us."

Wang Xingyu laughed heartily. "You're right! Let’s go."

Qin Meng had no objections. She was deeply resentful that Lin Feng would rather let the meat rot than share any with them.

The three set off. Since they were familiar with the route, they arrived at the cave in just over half an hour. They found Cheng Xiangyu dozing by the fire, while Lin Feng was fast asleep in the leopard's den.

Wang Xingyu gave He Tiantian a thumbs-up. "You’re a genius; they really are asleep. All that leopard meat is ours now. Once Lin Feng wakes up and sees that all the jerky they worked so hard to make is gone, he’ll be livid. Just thinking about it is satisfying." He Tiantian nodded smugly.

Qin Meng hesitated. "Young Master Wang, He Tiantian, shouldn't we leave them a little? We can’t eat all of it, and it will just go to waste."

He Tiantian snapped at her, "Qin Meng, have you lost your mind? Did you forget how heartless Lin Feng was to you last night?"

"I haven't forgotten," Qin Meng replied, "I'm just afraid that Lin Feng might lose his mind and do something terrible. Didn't you say he even killed someone?"

Wang Xingyu scoffed, "Even if he dared to kill, he wouldn't dare touch me. If he were going to, he would have done it already."

He Tiantian agreed, "Exactly. Young Master Wang is the son of the City Lord. Even if Lin Feng only injured him, he’d pay with his life. Don't worry, he wouldn't dare."

Qin Meng felt that taking everything was too excessive, but she didn't dare speak up, fearing Wang Xingyu might deny her the chance to marry him. Since He Tiantian had earned his favor by curing him, she felt she had to fall in line. She nodded in agreement.

The three began to sneakily gather the bags of leopard jerky wrapped in leaves. There was so much that they had to make multiple trips. Fearing that Lin Feng and Cheng Xiangyu might wake up, they didn't stop to eat, despite their hunger.

Just as they were grabbing the final few bundles, Cheng Xiangyu suddenly woke up. Seeing the three of them stealing the meat—leaving absolutely nothing behind—she was incensed. She opened her mouth to shout for Lin Feng.

Wang Xingyu signaled for her to be quiet. "Cheng Xiangyu, don't make a sound, or don't blame me for what happens. If you want to eat, just come with us."

He Tiantian and Qin Meng joined in, threatening her as well.

Ignoring them, Cheng Xiangyu screamed, "Lin Feng! Lin Feng, wake up! They’re stealing all of our meat!"

What?

Wang Xingyu, He Tiantian, and Qin Meng were stunned. They never expected Cheng Xiangyu to ignore their threats so completely.

Lin Feng, though exhausted from the previous night, had slept enough. Jolted awake by the noise, he processed Cheng Xiangyu's words and saw the three of them in the act of stealing every last piece of his hard-earned jerky.

Damn it!

Even a thief knows to leave a little something for the house owner. This was too much!

Furious, Lin Feng sprang up, rushed over, and kicked Wang Xingyu to the ground.