I lent my brother 500 yuan, and he offered his wife as collateral.

……

The garage door slowly closed.

Qin Feng pushed open the car door and walked around to the passenger seat.

Su Qingxue was curled up in her seat, her hand still holding the thermos cup, and it was still a little stiff.

She was soaking wet, and her white dress clung to her body, outlining her frighteningly thin frame.

Her hair was wet and clung to her cheeks, water droplets dripped down her chin, and her lips were frozen bluish-purple.

I was shivering from the cold.

The life-or-death struggle just now, coupled with being drenched in the torrential rain, completely exhausted her already weakened body.

Qin Feng reached for his seatbelt.

The moment his fingertips touched her shoulder, Su Qingxue flinched, her eyes filled with lingering fear.

Only after recognizing Qin Feng did she breathe a sigh of relief, her teeth chattering.

"Brother Qin... I'm alright..."

"get off."

Qin Feng spoke succinctly and reached out to help her.

Su Qingxue had just steadied herself when her legs gave way and she almost fell over.

She glanced down at her muddy shoes, then at the pristine white marble steps leading to the living room, and instinctively shrank back.

"I...I'm not going in."

Su Qingxue's voice was barely audible as she lowered her head, wringing her soaked skirt in her hands: "I'm filthy, covered in mud... I'll get the carpet dirty. It's wool, it'll be hard to wash..."

In her mind, that expensive carpet was worth more than her life.

Qin Feng paused.

In that instant, the anger in his heart was even greater than when he was facing the assassin.

Not to her, but to the past that caused all of this.

"A dirty carpet can be replaced, but where do you get a person repaired when they break down?"

Without a word, Qin Feng stepped forward, ignoring the mud and rain on her body, bent down, and scooped her up in his arms.

"what!"

Su Qingxue gasped briefly, her body stiffening abruptly. The feeling of being suspended in mid-air made her instinctively want to grab Qin Feng's collar, but she pulled her hand back halfway, afraid of getting his clothes dirty.

"Don't move."

Qin Feng strode into the elevator and pressed the button for the second floor.

The Divine Eye of Treasure Detection automatically activates.

[Character: Su Qingxue]

[Status: Cold pathogens have penetrated to the bone; excessive fright and panic; deficiency of both qi and blood.]

[Warning: Old wounds that haven't healed and new coldness arises; if not addressed promptly, it will cause irreversible organ damage.]

If this isn't dealt with immediately, she'll become seriously ill after tonight.

"Brother Qin, please put me down... It's really dirty..."

Su Qingxue struggled in his arms, tears mingling with the rain as they streamed down her face. "I'll just go to the bathroom and rinse myself off..."

"Shut up."

Qin Feng kicked open the door to the master bedroom bathroom.

The bathroom is large, with non-slip warm-colored tiles, and a round, heated bathtub is right next to the floor-to-ceiling window.

Qin Feng placed Su Qingxue on a soft stool next to the bathtub.

"Sit still and don't move."

He turned and walked to the sink, turning on the hot water tap.

Taking advantage of the brief pause in the water release, Qin Feng subtly opened the system shop.

The beginner's shop is now open.

[Exchange: Cold-Dispelling and Blood-Activating Powder (S-grade formula, requires internal energy catalysis).]

[Cost: 50 Treasure Points.]

Qin Feng did not hesitate at all.

A small blue porcelain bottle appeared out of thin air in his hand.

He poured the red powder from the porcelain bottle into the bathtub.

"Sizzle—"

The powder dissolved instantly upon contact with water, turning the originally clear hot water into a pale blue color, and a steam rising up with a faint sulfurous smell and the fragrance of herbs.

This medicinal bath is more effective than any cold medicine.

Qin Feng tested the water temperature; it was just right.

He turned around and looked at Su Qingxue, who was still huddled on the soft stool, trembling.

"Take off your clothes and go soak in the water."

Qin Feng turned his back and walked to the door to get a dry towel. "Just force the cold out."

I heard rustling sounds of clothes being taken off behind me.

That was the sound of soaked fabric being peeled off skin.

It was slow and hesitant.

"hiss……"

A suppressed cry of pain suddenly rang out.

Qin Feng frowned, thinking she had fallen, and turned around abruptly: "What's wrong?"

This is what I mean by turning around.

Qin Feng's pupils suddenly contracted, and he froze on the spot.

Su Qingxue had her back to him, her top already off, and was about to step into the bathtub.

That back, which should have been smooth and flawless, was now exposed to the light without reservation.

She doesn't have creamy skin.

Only scars.

The scars were numerous and shocking.

There were several round, dark red marks on his shoulder blades, burned by cigarette butts. The skin and flesh were shrunken together, like ugly, dead flowers.

On her waist were long, purplish-black marks, old bruises left from being whipped with belts or wires. In some places, fleshy ridges had even grown, like hideous centipedes crawling on her skin.

What made Qin Feng feel suffocated the most was her left lower back.

There was a row of deep, uneven depressions.

Those are teeth marks.

It was a wound left after being bitten by a vicious dog, without stitches, and the wound could only heal on its own through sheer physical endurance.

Is this the heir to the Su family's trillion-dollar fortune?

Is this the woman her supposed fiancé "never touched"?

What exactly did that beast Zhang Qiang do to her?

Qin Feng felt as if something was blocking his chest, and a violent killing intent surged to the top of his head, his fists clenching so tightly they cracked.

This account.

We still need to calculate!

Seemingly sensing the two burning gazes behind her, Su Qingxue's body trembled violently.

Like a cat whose tail has been stepped on, she frantically grabbed a towel and covered her chest, shrinking into the corner of the bathtub.

"Don't look! Please don't look!"

Su Qingxue's voice was shrill, tinged with a broken sob.

She desperately tried to hide her body in the water, hugging her knees tightly with both hands, burying her face in the water, and shaking like a leaf.

"It's too ugly...it'll scare you! Don't look...waaaaah..."

Feelings of inferiority overwhelmed her like a tidal wave.

At that moment, she felt like a mangy dog ​​dragged out of a sewer, completely exposed in this clean and bright bathroom, in front of this perfect man.

Those scars are her pillar of shame.

In the bathroom, only the sound of running water and her suppressed sobs remained.

Qin Feng took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the urge to kill.

He unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves.

I walked step by step to the bathtub.

"Take your hand away."

Qin Feng's voice was unquestionable.

Su Qingxue shook her head desperately, crying even harder.

Without saying another word, Qin Feng stepped onto the edge of the bathtub, knelt down, and reached his hand into the water.

The hand was strong and grabbed Su Qingxue's thin, bony shoulder.

Ignoring her struggles, he forcibly turned her around so that her back was to him.

"I won't look at your face, I'll heal your wounds."

Qin Feng placed his palm on her cold, scarred back.

My palms are burning hot.

Su Qingxue froze, stopped struggling, and continued to sob softly.

Qin Feng held two fingers of his right hand together, with three silver needles between his fingertips.

【Thirteen Ghost Needles - Warming Yang Style】

The needle tip gleamed with a cold light, yet it carried the energy within Qin Feng's body.

"Puff, puff, puff."

The silver needles were precisely inserted into the three acupoints on her back: "Feishu", "Xinshu", and "Zhiyang".

"Bear with it, it'll be a bit hot."

Qin Feng gently twisted the needle tip with his fingers, forcibly channeling the medicinal power from the bath into her meridians through the needle hole.

A warm current suddenly burst forth.

The feeling was like someone frozen stiff in the snow suddenly hugging a stove.

The heat spread along the spine, dispelling the chill from between the bones.

"Well……"

Su Qingxue let out a muffled groan, and her previously tense muscles slowly relaxed.

Qin Feng looked at the scars and gently traced the dog bite mark with his fingertips.

The movements were as gentle as if caressing a rare treasure.

"Does it hurt?" Qin Feng asked in a low voice.

Su Qingxue bit her lip, large tears dripping into the water: "It doesn't hurt anymore..."

That was back then.

Qin Feng pulled out a silver needle, his voice hoarse: "These scars aren't ugly. They're your medals, proof that you went through hell and managed to crawl out alive."

"Qingxue, no one protected you before."

"From now on, if anyone dares to leave another mark on you, I'll break every bone in their body."

This statement was made without roaring or swearing.

There was only a calm, factual statement.

But it shattered the last line of defense in Su Qingxue's heart.

medal?

No one ever told her that these ugly scars were medals.

Others only see disgust and disdain.

Only the man behind her was gently stroking them, showing his heartache for her.

Feelings of grievance and gratitude intertwined, overwhelming reason.

"Whoa—!"

Su Qingxue suddenly turned around.

Regardless of whether they were not wearing clothes or whether water had splashed all over the ground.

She suddenly threw herself into Qin Feng's arms, her wet arms tightly wrapped around his neck, burying her face in the crook of his neck, and bursting into tears.

"Brother Qin, don't leave me... You're all I have left... You're really all I have left..."

She cried her heart out, as if she wanted to release all the grievances she had suffered over the past twenty years in this one moment.

Qin Feng was taken aback by the sudden hug.

A warm body pressed against my chest, and my skin stung from the scalding tears.

But he didn't push it away, nor did he waver.

He wrapped his arms tightly around Su Qingxue's slender back and gently patted the back of her head.

"I am here."

No one can take you away.

Just as the two embraced tightly.

A system notification sounded in Qin Feng's mind!

[Ding! Detected that the host has successfully repaired the severe mental damage to the S-grade, dusty treasure (Su Qingxue)!]

[Bond value surpasses the critical point! Current status: Entrusted with life!]

[Congratulations, host! An S-rank critical hit reward has been triggered!]

[Reward 1: Treasure Points +2000!]

[Reward 2: Obtain the special skill book "Divine Eye - Intermediate"!]

(Feature upgrade: Night vision, farsightedness, and X-ray vision thickness increased to 10 cm, allowing you to see through some camouflage materials.)

[Reward 3: Su Qingxue's hidden physique "Nine Yin Phoenix Physique" activation progress: 5%!]

(Note: Once this physique is fully activated, it will make one immune to all poisons and will also replenish the host's luck. It is also a top-tier cultivation vessel... cough.)

Qin Feng's eyelids twitched.

Two thousand points of treasure value!

This is way faster than finding bargains on Tianhuang stones, antiques, or calligraphy and paintings!

Indeed, taking good care of her is the biggest investment!

As for that so-called "Nine Yin Phoenix Body"... Qin Feng glanced at the girl in his arms who was crying her eyes out, and forcibly suppressed some unhealthy thoughts.

I'm still too weak right now; I need to gain some weight first.

Half an hour later.

Su Qingxue cried herself to sleep, and the effects of the medicine made her drowsy.

Qin Feng helped her dry off, changed her into a loose T-shirt, and tucked her into the soft quilt.

Su Qingxue's hand was still tightly gripping Qin Feng's clothes, refusing to let go even while she was asleep.

Qin Feng sat on the edge of the bed, looking at her sleeping face, which was still a little pale, but the brows between her brows had relaxed.

The birthmark on my face seemed to have faded a bit under the influence of the medicine.

"Get some sleep."

Qin Feng gently pried open her fingers and tucked the blanket around her.

He got up and went to the balcony.

The rain was still falling outside, but the thunder had already faded away.

Qin Feng took out a Xuanhemen cigarette from his pocket and lit it.

The scarlet cigarette butt flickered in the darkness.

【Ding. 】

My phone, which was resting on the railing, vibrated.

The screen lit up with a short message from Qian Wanda.

There was a sense of solemnity and excitement in his words.

"Master Qin, we just received word of this."

"Things are getting anxious in Yanjing."

"The second young lady of the Su family has just gone mad and is dumping her black market goods on a large scale."

Qin Feng exhaled a smoke ring, looking at the city night scene washed by the rain, a cold smile flashing across his lips.

It seems Su Linglong has been driven to a dead end and is trying to kill someone with money.

but.

He casually stubbed out his cigarette and turned to look at Su Qingxue, who was fast asleep inside the room.

tomorrow.

The thousand-year-old snow lotus is a must-have.

It's time to get rid of these scars on my face.