Demonic King of the Metropolis - Chapter 123 - Back on Campus

“What’s wrong? Are you in pain?” Chen Shuran tossed the towel in her hand aside and rushed nervously to the bedside.

Seeing her so worried, Tang Jie felt a pang of guilt for teasing her like this.

“No, it’s nothing. I just feel a little uncomfortable, that’s all. Don’t worry. I’d like some water-could you get me another glass?” Hearing Tang Jie say this, the annoyed look on Chen Shuran’s face vanished instantly. She hurried off obediently to get him some water.

A short while later, the delivery for their late-night snack arrived. Tang Jie saw Chen Shuran step out of the room, and he could hear her paying at the door. When she came back, she carried a bowl of steaming hot porridge into the room. Tang Jie’s stomach growled audibly, and he tried to sit up. But as soon as she saw him moving, Chen Shuran stepped in to stop him. “No need to get up. I’ll feed you.”

Feed me? At her words, Tang Jie’s face immediately lit up with joy. What a pleasant surprise! The young miss personally feeding her injured bodyguard-what a beautiful scene, he thought to himself.

With that in mind, Tang Jie obediently leaned back. Chen Shuran carefully scooped up a spoonful of porridge, blew on it gently-afraid it might be too hot-and then brought it to his lips.

As Tang Jie tasted the porridge, a sense of sweetness filled not just his mouth but also his heart. Watching Chen Shuran’s meticulous care and soft, gentle movements, it felt as if she were a devoted wife tending to her sick husband. The thought struck Tang Jie deeply, and for the very first time, he experienced an overwhelming hope: how wonderful it would be if this were real life-if he were truly her husband and she his wife. But just as the thought materialized, an image of Wang Qianya surfaced in his mind.

Then again, couldn’t both women take care of him at the same time? Wouldn’t that be ideal? As he continued eating, Tang Jie shamelessly began imagining a blissful future where this could happen. He pictured Chen Shuran calling out sweetly, “Darling, come eat.”

Meanwhile, Wang Qianya would walk out of the bedroom, her arm looped through his, cheeks flushed. Together, the three of them would sit at the dining table. Wang Qianya’s hair would still be slightly messy, and she’d glance bashfully at Chen Shuran, her expression a mix of shyness and guilt. But Chen Shuran would simply smile generously, as if she didn’t mind at all…

“What are you smiling about?” Chen Shuran’s voice cut through his fantasies. She was holding a spoon in midair, staring at Tang Jie with a puzzled look. When he didn’t respond, she called out to him several times before snapping him out of it.

“Huh? Oh, nothing!” Tang Jie snapped back to reality. Seeing Chen Shuran watching him, he let out an embarrassed chuckle, silently cursing himself for being so shameless. Of all times to be spacing out and thinking about such nonsense! If Chen Shuran ever found out what had just gone through his head, she’d probably dump the entire bowl of porridge right over his head.

After eating the porridge Chen Shuran had fed him, Tang Jie felt his strength returning a little. Seeing how exhausted Chen Shuran was from taking care of him, he couldn’t help but feel both guilt and a twinge of heartache. For someone like her-a young miss-to personally look after him was already far beyond what he could have expected. Knowing that she still had school the next day, he quickly urged her to go to bed and rest.

At first, Chen Shuran refused, insisting on staying by Tang Jie’s side no matter what. However, having never taken care of anyone before, combined with the earlier anxiety and the effort it had taken to support Tang Jie into the room, change his clothes, and clean him up, she was utterly spent-more exhausted than a servant might have been. Her pampered body, accustomed to a life of luxury, could no longer hold up.

With Tang Jie coaxing her with both soft words and firm persuasion, Chen Shuran finally, albeit reluctantly, returned to her room to sleep. Tang Jie, left alone, lingered in a sweet reverie for quite some time, unable to extricate himself from the warmth he felt.

Once Chen Shuran had left, Tang Jie began to assess his internal injuries in secret. Experimenting with mobilizing his qi, he immediately winced in pain at the wounded areas. He retrieved the iron piece and examined its inscription carefully, hoping to find a heart method for healing injuries. After going over it twice, he did find a method that could help. There was no time to waste. Tang Jie propped himself up into a sitting position and, with great effort, crossed his legs into a meditative posture. Following the instructions on the iron piece, he gradually gathered his inner strength into his dantian and began absorbing the heaven and earth spiritual energy around him. Before long, he felt significantly more at ease, and the pain in his wounds subsided. However, by the end of the meditation, he was drenched in sweat.

Tang Jie stopped himself, knowing that healing wasn’t something that could be rushed. It required patience and time. If he continued this method steadily over the next week, his injuries would largely heal.

With that thought, Tang Jie felt a sense of relief. The pain in his chest and left shoulder had eased considerably, allowing him to relax and fall asleep peacefully. He safely stowed away the iron piece, lay back on the bed, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. It wasn’t long before he drifted into a deep slumber.

Meanwhile, at the Chen family villa, the entire property was illuminated, the grounds bustling with activity. The numerous corpses scattered across the courtyard had all been dealt with, now covered neatly in white cloth. Chen Feng stood in the middle of the courtyard, flanked by the heavily injured Black and White Duo and his four most trusted masters-all of whom were also wounded. Du Yu, however, was nowhere to be seen and had apparently vanished from the scene.

“Arrange for them to be buried immediately. Handle everything overnight,” Chen Feng instructed, his tone icy as his gaze swept over the corpses lying on the ground. He silently counted-twenty bodies in total. A deep resentment flickered in his eyes. Twenty masters, years of painstaking effort and resources to cultivate them, all wiped out in an instant by Tang Jie. Just thinking about it made his blood boil. And yet earlier, Du Yu had the audacity to stop him. Reflecting on it now, Chen Feng regretted listening to Du Yu’s advice.

Hmph! Tang Jie, I will make sure you pay for this in blood!

Chen Feng’s mind seethed with fury as he silently swore vengeance. Just then, an uninjured house manager approached him cautiously from behind.

“Master, the young master’s injury has flared up again,” the house manager informed him with urgency.

Chen Feng’s face grew grim upon hearing the words. Without hesitation, he turned and followed the house manager into the villa.

Tang Jie slept soundly through the night. When he finally opened his eyes, the sun outside was already bright and dazzling. Glancing at the clock, he realized it was past eight o’clock. He sat up slowly, testing his movements. The pain in his chest and shoulder had subsided further-though still uncomfortable, it was significantly more manageable.

Listening for any sounds outside his room, he realized it was quiet. Chen Shuran’s already left? he wondered. Thinking so, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and was just about to get up when the door to his room suddenly opened.

Chen Shuran appeared, carrying a bowl in her hands that emitted wisps of steam. Her entrance caught Tang Jie off guard. His face showed a trace of confusion as he looked at her. “You didn’t go to class?” he was about to ask, but before he could speak, his sensitive nose caught a faint burnt odor wafting into the room.

“You’re awake. Hurry up and eat!” Chen Shuran said softly, cutting off his unspoken question. Her tone was gentle, but firm, as she walked to his side. She placed the bowl carefully on the bedside table before sitting next to him. Taking the bowl in her hands, she prepared to spoon-feed him again.

It was only then that Tang Jie took a closer look at the contents of the bowl. His eyes went wide in disbelief at what he saw-it wasn’t porridge. Instead, it was a strange black, lumpy concoction with specks of white throughout.

“What-what is this?” Tang Jie asked hesitantly, his voice tinged with confusion. For a moment, he thought it might be black sesame soup.

“Porridge, of course! I made it myself. Try it and tell me if it’s good,” Chen Shuran said proudly, her face lighting up with a mix of warmth and self-satisfaction. Without waiting for his response, she scooped up a spoonful and brought it to his lips.

Tang Jie froze, his eyes widening further. Porridge? This burnt, blackish mixture was supposed to be porridge?! He could only stare helplessly at the young miss before him, utterly at a loss for words. Chen Shuran had opened her heart to care for him, and now she was looking at him with such hopeful anticipation. How could he refuse?

Suppressing every instinct in his body that screamed danger, Tang Jie stared at the spoon being offered to him. Her expression, so proud and earnest, gave him pause. He suddenly felt a mixture of embarrassment and amusement bubbling up inside him. This young miss didn’t even realize she’d burned the porridge to such an extent!

Oh heavens, Tang Jie thought. How did I get myself into this situation?

“What’s wrong? Is it too hot? Let me blow on it for you,” Chen Shuran said, her brows furrowing slightly as she noticed Tang Jie’s unusual expression. Despite his obvious discomfort, she didn’t seem to grasp the situation. Having never cooked before, she had no idea how to prepare food properly. The recipe for the porridge was something she had hastily looked up online earlier that morning. While the end result looked nothing like the pictures she had seen, she wasn’t concerned at all. On the contrary, she felt a deep sense of accomplishment. The idea that she, the young miss, could cook for and take care of Tang Jie filled her heart with an indescribable sweetness.

“Alright, it’s cool now. Hurry and eat,” she said brightly after carefully blowing on the spoonful. She brought the blackened concoction back to Tang Jie’s mouth, her anticipation unshaken. Tang Jie, however, remained frozen, his wide-open eyes filled with horror, staring at the approaching spoon as if it were a weapon.

Ten minutes later…

“AAAAHH! I’m injured! I’m a patient! You can’t treat me like this!” Tang Jie’s anguished cry echoed loudly from the room.

“If you don’t eat properly, you’re being a disobedient patient. And disobedient patients must be disciplined!” came Chen Shuran’s stern but teasing reply. Another pitiful wail soon followed.

Half an hour later, Chen Shuran emerged from Tang Jie’s room carrying an empty bowl, her face glowing with an even greater sense of accomplishment and pride than before. She wore a victorious smile, looking as if she had just conquered the world.

She walked into the kitchen, meticulously washed the bowl until it gleamed, and tidied up briefly before heading to the door. Stopping at the entryway, she turned back toward Tang Jie’s room and called out cheerfully, “Wait for me to come back! I’m going to buy some rice. Tonight, I’ll make eight-treasure congee¹ for you!”

BANG! A muffled sound came from Tang Jie’s room, as if something heavy had fallen to the floor. Hearing it, Chen Shuran gave a small shrug, finding the noise unremarkable. Humming softly, she left the villa with a smile on her face.

Inside the room, Tang Jie was sprawled on the floor, his expression one of pure despair. A single burnt rice grain clung stubbornly to the corner of his mouth. Moments ago, he had been forced-utterly against his will-to consume an entire bowl of burnt, smoky porridge. Gagging from the experience, he had crawled out of bed, intending to rinse his mouth and gulp down some water to quench the ashy taste. But upon hearing Chen Shuran’s declaration at the door, he was so startled that he fell right off the bed.

Now sitting there in stunned silence, Tang Jie stared at the ceiling, his face etched with fear. Eight-treasure congee? he thought, horrified. If it’s like the porridge from earlier… then won’t it be eight different flavors of burnt disaster, with rock-hard rice bits that’ll break my teeth? He shuddered, feeling a mix of dread and hopelessness.

An hour later, Tang Jie still hadn’t managed to get back on his feet. As he lay there, he suddenly heard the sound of the front door opening. He was just about to get up to check when Chen Shuran’s voice drifted inside.

“Uncle Zhao, just set the things down here. Go inside and rest for a while,” she said warmly.

Uncle Zhao is here? Tang Jie perked up at this news, quickly making his way to the living room. Sure enough, he saw Uncle Zhao standing there, holding bags overflowing with fresh vegetables. Tang Jie’s jaw dropped slightly at the sight. Vegetables? What’s all this for?

His gaze shifted to Chen Shuran. She was holding an insulated lunch box in her hands, though he couldn’t see what was inside. He frowned in confusion. Didn’t she have school today? Why hasn’t she gone yet?

Something about this situation didn’t sit right with Tang Jie. And the vegetables? His instincts screamed that more culinary “experiments” were imminent. He unconsciously took a step back, already bracing himself for the chaos to come.

Tang Jie stood frozen in the doorway, startled by the unexpected activity in the house. Uncle Zhao, who had been seated on the sofa, quickly stood up when he saw Tang Jie and walked over to him.

“Tang, I heard you’ve been injured. What happened? Is it serious?” Uncle Zhao asked, his tone a mixture of concern and worry.

Hearing this, Tang Jie immediately realized that Chen Shuran must have told Uncle Zhao about his injury. Not wanting to make a big deal of it, he quickly replied, “It’s nothing. I’m feeling much better already.”

“By the way, why aren’t you at school?” Tang Jie asked as he glanced toward the kitchen, where Chen Shuran was bustling around with what appeared to be great enthusiasm. He couldn’t help but feel a chill run down his spine as he recalled the burnt porridge from earlier. His stomach involuntarily grumbled, and a small burp escaped, bringing with it the lingering taste of char.

Uncle Zhao chuckled, breaking Tang Jie’s train of thought. “Oh, it’s like this: the young miss called me earlier and told me you were hurt. She asked me to come over. Why didn’t you let me know? The young miss said she was so worried about your injury that she cried.”

Tang Jie was taken aback by Uncle Zhao’s words. He quickly reassured him, “I’m really fine, Uncle Zhao. I planned to tell you today and ask if you could give Shuran a ride to school over the next few days.”

The words had left his mouth before he noticed it-calling her “Shuran” so naturally. Uncle Zhao’s face immediately lit up with a warm smile, his gaze filled with unspoken approval. Ah, it seems these two youngsters are getting along quite well, Uncle Zhao thought.

“You don’t need to worry about school,” Uncle Zhao said, his tone carrying subtle amusement as he placed a hand on Tang Jie’s shoulder. “The school leave has already been arranged. The young miss said she wants to stay home for the next few days to take care of you.”

Hearing this, Tang Jie nearly jumped out of his skin-he might have, had he not still been nursing his injuries. His reaction was instant, almost cat-like, as he shouted, “No, Uncle Zhao! That won’t be necessary! Really, I can take care of myself! Please, don’t let her miss any more classes. The college entrance examination is coming up next year. She needs to focus on her studies. You should take her to school right away!”

Tang Jie blurted out his words in a rush, his tone practically pleading. Not waiting for Uncle Zhao’s reply, he turned on his heel and swiftly retreated to the safety of his room, shutting the door behind him as though running for his life.

Uncle Zhao stood there, momentarily stunned by Tang Jie’s peculiar behavior. Shaking his head, he turned and shifted his gaze toward the kitchen. There was Chen Shuran, happily arranging the groceries she had just bought, her face filled with a glow of satisfaction as she concentrated on the task at hand.

Uncle Zhao stared at her for a moment, his brows furrowed in thought. When did the young miss learn to cook? he wondered.

Then, as realization dawned on him, Uncle Zhao’s expression softened into a knowing smile. Watching her work with such gusto, he muttered to himself, Ah, so that’s what this is all about.

“Tang, I’m going to head out now. I’ve got some things to take care of,” Uncle Zhao said with a knowing smile as he walked to the door. “If you need anything, just give me a call!” Without waiting for any reply from Tang Jie-whose expression clearly showed his growing despair-Uncle Zhao stepped out of the villa. He had long noticed the young miss’s feelings for Tang Jie. Things had developed faster than he’d expected, so he figured it was best not to intrude further.

From his room, Tang Jie heard the sound of the door closing as Uncle Zhao left. A moment later, the clattering noises from the kitchen resumed-a clear sign that Chen Shuran was still busy cooking. Tang Jie’s heart sank when he thought about the large assortment of groceries Uncle Zhao had helped her carry in earlier. His thoughts spiraled as dread washed over him. What kind of torment is awaiting me this time? he wondered helplessly.

Oh, heavens, will someone please save me?

As soon as this near-prayer of a thought crossed his mind, Chen Shuran’s voice rang out, sweet and melodic as always. This time, however, it carried an ominous message for Tang Jie.

“Tang Jie, I made some chicken soup for you! It’s ready now-come try it!” she called enthusiastically from the kitchen.

Tang Jie froze in his tracks, his mouth slightly open in disbelief. Soup? Chicken soup?!

He glanced toward the clock on the wall and did some quick mental calculations. Wait-hold on. It’s been less than five minutes since the noises started in the kitchen… And she’s claiming to have made chicken soup already?! That soup…

Before he could finish his thought, the sound of approaching footsteps snapped him out of it. His panic instinct kicked in, and he dove under his bed in an attempt to escape. By the time Chen Shuran walked into his room with a steaming bowl in her hands, Tang Jie was nowhere to be seen.

“Tang Jie? Where did you go?” she asked, looking around the room. After a quick inspection, her sharp eyes caught sight of two trembling feet sticking out from beneath the bedsheets that draped over the floor.

She sighed lightly, setting the bowl of “chicken soup” aside. Walking over to the bed, she grabbed hold of the visible ankles without hesitation and gave them a firm tug.

“Come on out, now. Be good and drink the soup!” she said cheerfully.

Reluctantly, Tang Jie was dragged out from his hiding spot. His pleading gaze and desperate protests fell on deaf ears.

Ten minutes later, the apartment was filled with a mix of tortured wailing and the unmistakable sound of violent retching. From the outside, anyone passing by would have thought unspeakable horrors were taking place within its walls.

Meanwhile, the weather outside couldn’t have been more serene. The sky was a radiant blue with not a single wisp of a cloud in sight, as if mocking Tang Jie’s plight.

A week later, Tang Jie was finally free from his culinary torment. During those days, he had endured all manner of questionable “cooking” as an injured captive under Chen Shuran’s well-meaning but misguided care. Though physically healed from his initial injuries, the psychological scars of her kitchen experiments were something he doubted he’d recover from anytime soon.

Fortunately, his ordeal had come to an end, and they were both able to return to school together.

As for Chen Shuran, she seemed to have completely moved on from her newfound fascination with culinary “art.” Whether it was out of boredom, or perhaps witnessing the aftermath of her own creations, the young miss had decisively set aside her interest in cooking-for now.

Footnote:

1. Eight-treasure Congee(八宝粥):Eight-treasure congee is a traditional Chinese sweet rice porridge made with a variety of grains, beans, nuts, and dried fruits. It’s often enjoyed during festivals and special occasions.