“Ssss... Be gentle, will you?”

  Chic. Chic… The half-plea hiss didn’t stop the hands of the masked ponytail-sporting teen chipping away at a rock using her golden thorn-like weapon.

  “Gentle? Be happy this Miss is even willing to do this!”

  That sharp disdaining tone made Bubai roll his eyes.

  Some men actually eat this set, but not him. Right now, he only wanted the care of an actual nurse.

  Instead, what did he get?

  Even though her weapon looked like an oversized needle, this Miss Hothead was definitely no nurse.

  She clearly didn’t even have basic medical training and was just treating his back like a sculpture!

  Rather than a healer, she looked more like an assassin from some family-friendly spy anime universe next door!

  An assassin who seemed to hold a grudge against his volcanic back, or to be more precisely, him.

  Fortunately, this lass wasn’t outright committing murder. This little pain was still bearable.

  Just a small price to pay for what he won. Everything’s worth-

  “Hissss! Watch it!”

  Looking at the thorn that stabbed a bit too deep, Miss Hothead froze, a bit embarrassed over the little accident, but she still threw down some harsh words.

  "Che! Stop exaggerating! It’s just a little poke! Seriously, I can’t stand you men who make make mountains out of a molehill!"

  Oh Merlin, that pain was real! He definitely wasn’t making a mountain out of anything.

  Bubai gave the rude lady unwilling to admit her mistake a sidelong glance.

  From this angle, all he saw was a small hill. Tsk. Tsk. Not much to admire.

  Slowly, Bubai turned his head to the other side, where there was a steeper hill. Ah, much better.

  Sometimes, perspective really was everything.

  As if sensing his disdain, Miss Hothead pointed her golden thorn at his head and snapped.

  “You! W-What’s with that look? Tired of living? This Miss doesn’t mind sending scum like you down for a trip!”

  Bubai let out a weary sigh. “Miss, please remember I am a patient.”

  “So what? Don’t think that buying a little blessing will wipe your slate clean! You know what you did. Criminals like you belong in a prison, and I’ll make sure of that eventually!

  Bubai turned his head back to face her, wearing a pitiful expression so exaggerated it could have earned him a spot on a stage.

  “Miss, why are you so fixated on me? You’ve really got the wrong person. I’m just a humble man trying to survive.”

  “Wrong? Keep lying!” The golden thorn gave him a jab on the side, not enough to hurt, but enough to make him wince.

  “This Miss isn’t blind. Even if I were, Big Sis Jade’s nose is never wrong!”

  “Unreasonable.” Bubai rolled his eyes so hard that they almost got stuck, and looked back over to the other side.

  Seeing that meek rose that didn’t show an ounce of her usual arrogance, Bubai couldn’t help but prod, “Hey, Xiao Hong, you come and help talk some reason into her.”

  The hand quietly scraping away at his back paused and the thorny downcast gaze lifted to look at him.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Bubai blinked back with an impish grin that said “don’t say I didn’t give you a chance.”

  He almost can’t resist saying: Come on! Whatever juicy drama there is... now is the chance!

  Ignoring the man waiting to watch a drama, Miss Hong finally looked up at the younger lady across from her.

  After hesitating like a kitten facing a stranger, an unusually soft inquiry slipped out.

  “These past few years… how have you been?”

  Bubai’s eyes lit up like fireworks against a night sky.

  Oi, Merlin, ya hearing this? What cliché lines! There’s definitely a big story here! Heck yeah! Spill it!

  Bubai glanced back to the other side, just in time to see the teen grumble, “I don’t need you to care.”

  Then, she went back to chiseling away as if the rocks on his back were the most interesting thing in the world.

  After a stagnant silence, the meek rose tried again. “Have you… been eating well?”

  Crack. Under the thorn’s pressure, another layer of igneous rock crumbled off, grating on the rebellious teen’s nerves.

  “Stop being so long-winded. Can I not do well under Big Sis Jade’s care?”

  The older crimson beauty pursed her lips. “You still haven’t changed a bit. Still so careless, still chasing idols…”

  The hothead brushed off some rock dust, showing her care to detail and shot the other a glare. “Who I idolize is my business.”

  “It’s your business, but I want to remind you to not blindly admire others. You can see a person’s face but you can’t see their hearts.”

  Pat! The hothead’s palm slapped down, and her voice rose. “Don’t you dare slander Big Sis Jade! She’s not that type of person!”

  “I’m just speaking for your own good—”

  “MY own good? Che! There’s no good that could ever come from you!”

  “No, listen to me!” The older Hong shot up to her feet and grabbed the younger’s wrist, trying to persuade in a much more hurried voice.

  “Things aren’t always what they seem. The saintess position isn’t all glory. Following her will only harm—”

  “Enough!” Miss Hothead wrenched her hand free and angrily flung the other off.

  “I don’t want to hear your nonsense! I know what I’m doing! Following her might mean dealing with all sorts of danger, but at least she won’t lower herself to become a toilet for others!”

  Oh, that jab finally crossed the line.

  The older boss whipped out some of her former arrogance and her voice flared an octave higher than before. “Are you really going to talk to me like that?!”

  “Why can’t I?!”

  “I’m your big sister!”

  “You stopped being one ever since the day you chose to enter the palace over me!”

  “You—!”

  That last scream from the young made the old’s face crumple with pain too raw to mask, and her mouth opened to retort, but…

  In the end, she still bit her lips to swallow back all her words.

  The entire drama behind Bubai’s back reached the juicy climax. Honestly, he can’t wait to eat melon seeds and watch on, but…

  “Hey, ladies… uh... If you’re going to talk, just talk. But... can you please not take your anger out on my back?”

  The meek protest invited the pair of hot peppers to glance down.

  Whatever was left of the rocks were slapped into dust by them, but… there were now extra palm prints all over the raw bloody burns.

  Recognizing most prints to be her own, the young hothead huffed and tossed down the ointment box onto his back. “Do the rest yourself!”

  Hiss. Bubai sucked in a breath, watching the red ponytail storm out and slam the glass door so hard it cracked.

  “Ow. How rude.” This little hot pepper has officially earned herself a spot in his little punishment book.

  If he ever gets the chance in the future… oh, he’d make sure to spice things up for her. Hehehe.

  After making a halfhearted mental note, Bubai glanced back at the dark-faced Xiao Hong with head downcast. “So… you or me?”

  The wilted rose didn’t respond, only picking up the discarded ointment box and quietly kneeling down.

  Feeling the cool, soothing paste being rubbed onto his back, Bubai sighed and looked forward, closing his eyes in relief.

  No more noise. No more pain. How nice.

  Suddenly, Bubai felt a droplet of water stinging the wound on his back.

  His lips twitched, but he ignored it... only for more to beat down, like the sky opening up to weep on him.

  Really now? Bubai can’t help but sigh. “Siblings don’t have overnight grudges. She’ll come around one day.”

  The thorny rose wiped her tears and growled back. “Tsk. I don’t need... your worthless pity. Stop meddling in my business and worry more about yourself.”

  “Eh. Just saying…” Bubai rolled his eyes.

  “By the way… if you need, you can borrow my shoulder. I rather you do that then wipe it all over my back.”

  That remark earned him a sharp slap on the back that made him wince.

  Hiss… these women. Merlin’s beard, why can’t everyone be as gentle as Xiao Lan?

  Well, at least this crimson hottie knew her place and didn’t just run off like her sister...

  The cool and warm sensations blended together like a dance between fire and rain.

  The heated rubbing went down layer by layer, from top to bottom...

  “Sit up.”

  Hearing the order, Bubai cracked open an eye, “Huh? What?”

  The rain-washed rose lowered her gaze. “There’s a part I can’t get to with you lying down.”

  “What part? Isn’t my entire back right there?”

  “Tsk. Stop wasting time and get up!”

  “Alright, alright…” Despite his grumbles, Bubai still slowly pushed himself up.

  Just when he turned over, a pair of fair hands slipped into the seams of his trouser and pulled out a hardened rock that the nurses previously missed out on.

  “Uh…” With mouth half-open in confusion, Bubai glanced down.

  Those puffy eyes shot him an upturned glance, and those cherry red lips breathed out right over the tip.

  “Tsk. Don't look at me like that. There’s some ice poison leftover here. I'm just trying to help…”

  The hot redhead nurse then buried her face where it belonged...