Devil or Angel (GL) - Chapter 13

Yiyang was about to protest again, but Madam Liu noticed her expression and gave her a timely warning glance. The words that were about to escape her lips died there, and as she watched Madam Liu leave downstairs, the room suddenly felt empty—only the sound of their breathing remained.

After a while, Zhiyu approached and reached for her hand to examine the injuries. Yiyang instinctively tried to pull away, so Zhiyu said seriously, “It’s already like this. If you don’t want it to get worse, stay still and don’t move.”

“Why should I listen to you? You’re nobody to me!”

“True, I’m nobody to you—at most, just a nominal stepmother. But if you want to go to the hospital and smell the disinfectant, I won’t stop you either.”

That remark left Yiyang speechless, and she obediently let Zhiyu examine her wound. Yiyang sat on a chair by the desk, while Zhiyu leaned slightly forward, standing over her to check the extent of the injuries.

The scent of her recently bathed body and her smooth, fragrant hair brushing Yiyang’s face made her nose tingle.

“Can you back off a little? Your hair keeps brushing my face,” Yiyang said, leaning back irritably.

“Oh, sorry,” Zhiyu replied, giving her a little more space.

Although the distance increased, it was still closer than before. Zhiyu was wearing a black lace nightdress, without underwear. As she bent over, almost everything beneath was visible.

Yiyang cleared her throat. “Miss Shen, please don’t wear something so revealing when entering someone else’s room.”

“Revealing? No way,” Zhiyu said, standing up to check herself, convinced it was fine—not transparent, after all.

“Really? Bend over again and look!”

Zhiyu hesitated, bent over, and blushed instantly like an apple. “Sorry! I’ll put on a jacket.”

“Don’t bother. We’re both women. Just cover up and leave, go tempt that old man of yours. Besides, there’s nothing of yours worth my attention,” Yiyang said.

Despite her words, Yiyang couldn’t help noticing that this woman, though thirty, had remarkably well-maintained skin—fair, smooth, and likely even better to the touch. Her ample chest and soft curves inevitably sparked imagination.

For someone like Yiyang, young and curious, the sight was striking, yet she immediately dismissed it, insulting the woman instead.

“You…” Zhiyu was momentarily flustered at Yiyang’s sharp tongue. If this had been her own daughter, she might have been driven mad, but luckily she was only a nominal stepchild, so she urged herself to stay calm.

Just as the two stared each other down, Madam Liu rushed upstairs with gauze, disinfectant, and a mask.

“Here, put this on!”

“Why wear this?”

“Wasn’t someone here sensitive to disinfectant?”

“I’m only allergic to hospital disinfectant…”

“You’re such a handful. Do what you want. Sit on the bed. Zhiyu, get started!” Madam Liu shot her a look and signaled Zhiyu to begin.

Yiyang obediently sat on the bed, and Zhiyu pulled up a chair in front of her, placing her legs on either side of Yiyang’s. She dipped a cotton swab in alcohol and gently applied it to the injured areas.

Yiyang didn’t make a sound throughout the process, even though the pain cut deep. She refused to show weakness to this woman, gritting her teeth and enduring it.

“Speak up if it hurts, no need to hold back,” Zhiyu said kindly, noticing her hand trembling slightly.

“This is nothing. I’m not in pain!” Yiyang stubbornly refused to admit the truth.

“Fine. I’ve been cautious because I didn’t want to hurt you. Since you insist, I’ll do it properly. The disinfectant must be thorough. I see little stones embedded in your palm—let me get them out…” Zhiyu increased the pressure.

“Ah!” Yiyang finally cried out.

Madam Liu, watching, couldn’t help laughing. “Yiyang, you’re so stubborn! Claiming no pain but screaming like a pig being slaughtered. Anyone watching would think we’re killing pigs to sell tonight!”

Yiyang blushed at the comment, glaring at Zhiyu, who smiled teasingly.

Zhiyu finished removing the last tiny stone, looked Yiyang in the eye, and asked with a smile, “You said it didn’t hurt?”

Yiyang had nothing to retort, allowing Zhiyu a rare victory. Zhiyu calmly began wrapping the gauze around the wound.

“All done! Any other injuries? Let me check them too.”

“No, no. You can leave!” Yiyang was desperate, not wanting to reveal that her abdomen and legs also hurt terribly.

She had planned to apply ointment herself once they left, but Madam Liu stepped forward, lifting her shirt and exposing her lower torso.

“Madam Liu! Don’t lift my clothes without my permission!”

“We’re family, nothing to be shy about.”

“I’m not family with her!” Yiyang looked at Madam Liu with pleading eyes.

“Stop complaining. I wouldn’t have known all these bruises without checking. Zhiyu, help me deal with them,” Madam Liu said, quickly removing Yiyang’s T-shirt.

Yiyang, only in her bra, instinctively covered herself with her injured hands, face flushed bright red.

Madam Liu laughed at her awkwardness. “Oh, it’s not like you’re completely naked. Stop hiding, nothing to be ashamed of. You’re flat as a board anyway!”

Yiyang wished she could disappear. She had never been this embarrassed, and it was her own housekeeper’s doing—she was powerless to protest.

“Hurry up, old lady, you just know how to smile. Fine, your chest is big enough!” Yiyang complained at Zhiyu’s faint smile.

“Zhiyu’s naturally fuller than you. That’s what a woman looks like. You? Too bad you’re not a man with that little body,” Madam Liu added sarcastically.

Zhiyu stifled a smile and continued her work. Once the abdomen was done, Madam Liu tried to make her remove her pants as well, but after five minutes of resistance, Yiyang succeeded in keeping them on.

She felt like a fish on a chopping board, covering herself with a blanket and burying her head under it, while still feeling Zhiyu’s careful hands on her lower body.

Yiyang’s legs were covered in bruises, and alcohol cotton swabs were too slow. Zhiyu poured alcohol on her hands and vigorously rubbed the bruises.

The pain was intense. Yiyang was sweating under the blanket, and Zhiyu’s hands were near her inner thighs, moving repeatedly. Yiyang suspected it was deliberate.

In all her life, only her mother had ever been physically close to her. Even Madam Liu had never touched her skin.

Yet today, this nominal stepmother, present for just two days, under the guise of applying medicine, had invaded her privacy and almost seen everything. Yiyang felt utterly humiliated, and the blame lay with the one she trusted most—Madam Liu.

Finally finished, Yiyang peeked her soaked hair out, exhaling, and glared at Zhiyu. “You old woman, that was brutal! Trying to kill me with pain?”

“The more forceful, the faster it heals!” Zhiyu replied.

“Hmph, I wonder if that’s true or not.”

“Thank you, Zhiyu. It’s thanks to you. Yiyang, aren’t you going to thank her?” Madam Liu said while tidying up.

Yiyang remained silent. Madam Liu shook her head. “Kids these days…”

“No worries, it’s nothing. Just remember not to eat spicy food or get it wet these days,” Zhiyu said, standing up.

“You think just disinfecting and wrapping wounds makes you a doctor!” Yiyang muttered under her breath.

“Not my injury. Listen or not, your choice. And you’re too skinny—mostly bones. Eat more. I’m off to sleep. See you tomorrow!” Zhiyu said and gracefully left the room.