The Emperors Pampered Wife - Chapter 98
Dressed in their school uniforms, three children paraded inside Yi Lan Hospital with wide smiles in their faces. Today is a special day for the Hou children for its another ‘Date Day’ with their Big Sister, Hou Wei Yan. They were looking forward to today but as soon as they stepped foot inside the Hospital, gossipers began crowding and they began ruining the day for the three precious angels.
“Hey look, isn’t that Doctor Hou’s gigolo? How brave of him to come here! Is he flaunting their relationship in the open!” one brave nurse whispered but it was still in Jun Shen’s earshot. He was informed that some rumors are circulating about him and his sister but he never expected that it was to this degree.
Although annoyed, he continued smiling as he guided the twins further in. The more staff they encounter, the more disgusted he feels. “Shameless bastard!”
“Look! He’s carrying two children! Oh my God! Doctor Hou has children and with her gigolo nonetheless!” someone exclaimed making him nearly run towards them and choke them to death. But before he could do anything, Jei Li pulled his shirt making him glance forward.
Hou Wei Yan just came out with Fang Tao to eat lunch at the canteen. It was only the two of them for the day because Meixiu had to take a leave to take care of her nephew. As soon as Hou Jun Shen saw her, his smile widened and they scurried off to her side. “Big Sister!”
“Big Sister?!” the gossipers who continue to linger around them asked in astonishment as they looked at one another.
“Xiao Shen!” Hou Wei Yan happily called out as she turned around to face her little brother. She initially thought he would arrive alone so the twins’ appearance surprised her. Nonetheless, she feels glad that she got to meet them sooner than planned. “Oh, my little babies are here as well!”
“Big Sister! We came for you!” Hou Jei Li exclaimed as she pounced at her. Hou Wei Yan immediately caught her and hugged her tightly with a smile. After a few seconds, Jei Li came down and held hands with her twin, Hou Wuxi. “Big Sister doesn’t have time for us so we’re here to abduct you”
Hearing this, Hou Wei Yan’s heart tightly clenched. To lessen the guilt building up in her heart, she crouched down and gave both of them a kiss in the cheeks before she engulfed them in her warm embrace. “My angels are growing fast”
The two of them happily savored the moment, but it was soon shattered by the onlookers who refuse to let go of the petty gossip they managed to acquire about the Doctor everyone used to adore. “Are they really brother and sister?”
“It could just be their endearment or they’re distant relatives” someone replied back making Hou Wei Yan nearly smack them with her own hands. The hell! Why are they so narrow-minded?!
“Shen’Er?” someone suddenly called out from behind them. The five of them abruptly turned around along the others and they watched in awe as a beautiful lady in black strode towards them with a lunchbox in her hands.
Hou Jun Shen smiled as he walked towards her and bowed down politely. It was Tong Yixue and she was smiling widely at the children even though she usually gives cold shoulders to others. “Auntie Yi!”
“So it’s really Shen’Er! Did you come here for your sister?” she asked as she gave the teenager a pat in the head. She then glanced at Hou Wei Yan who returned her stare with a smile. Alongside the twins and Fang Tao, they walked closer to the Great Madame who had the air of dominance around her.
“Yes, I want to ask her out for lunch. The kids are free this afternoon and I already finished my school project” Hou Jun Shen replied politely. He always pays great respect to his mother’s friends because no matter what situation arises, they would help them up and defend them. Tong Yixue is one of the many others who look out for them in Xing Mei Yi’s stead.
“It’s good to see you four together” she muttered with a huge smile on her face. She had always wanted to see Xing Mei Yi’s children together again after such long parting, but she never expected she would witness it today when she only came to take care of her little baby—Han Yu Shou.
“So they’re brother and sister!? And they’re in a relationship!?” someone whispered making Tong Yixue glance at them. What the hell are they on about?
“I.n.c.e.s.t!? Oh my God, Doctor Hou is having an i.n.c.e.s.tuous relationship with her brother and she’s flaunting it!” the moment she heard this, something inside Hou Wei Yan snapped. She clenched her fist tightly and was about to shut them up using her fist because the twins could clearly hear them…but before anything could be done, Hou Jei Li stepped in and engulfed Hou Wei Yan’s fist in her tiny hands.
“Big Sister, are your wounds okay now? Does it still hurt?”Hou Jun Shen asked worriedly making Hou Wei Yan soften. She dismissed the little whisper going on in her back as she crouched back down to lessen her little sister’s worry who remains mute and tightly clasping her hands.
She ruffled Hou Jei Li’s hair before she smiled at Jun Shen who was holding Wuxi back. “It was just a scratch, Xiao Shen. Don’t worry about it”
“Oh my, did you get hurt, Xiao Wei?” Tong Yixue asked worriedly as she drew closer to Wei Yan. The moment she saw the wound in her hand, she immediately felt her heart clench in anxiety. How did this happen?!
“Big Sister saved Big Brother from some kidnappers yesterday! I didn’t feel good when Big Brother told us about it” Hou Wuxi suddenly blurted out innocently. He wasn’t informed that there was a rumor going on around the hospital involving his two older siblings, but he could immediately decipher the content of it from their whispers. He was a sharp kid who was ranked first in his class so such actions immediately caught his attention. “They’re so bad. Why would they try to kidnap my Big Brother?”
“What?!” Yixue yelled out alongside the other confused passerby. When she heard their little blunder behind her, she abruptly turned around and glared at them causing the whispering to finally die down.
“Big Sister is so cool, she saved Big Brother when she saw him running away! She chased them down and fought them when they cornered Big Brother in the alleyway!” Hou Jei Li remarked afterward to fully explain to Tong Yixue why her big sister got wounded in her hands. “Isn’t she cool!? She fought them and she won!”
“Well, I can understand why Xiao Wei would win. Your mother trained her well, didn’t she?” Tong Yixue muttered as she smiled at Hou Wei Yan. Fortunately, it was just some peels in her hands. With just wounds, she probably fought plenty of enemies yet overwhelmed them all. She had watched how her fighting skills grew so she was confident that she came out safe from the fight.
“She did!” Hou Jei Li enthusiastically said as soon as they talked about their mother. Although Xing Mei Yi is technically not their biological mother, to them, she’s the only mother they have and will treasure. She slowly turned back to Hou Wei Yan’s hands and frowned again as she touched the wound. “But Big Sister still got hurt”
Hou Wei Yan was a fool for her siblings and her head-over-heels expression as she ruffled Hou Jei Li’s hair proves it. “Aw, my baby is worried about me”
A few seconds after she ruffled her hair, Hou Jei Li scooped her hands again and began blowing it even though the wound is already dry and nearly healed. Her consideration made Hou Wei Yan melt for she saw once more how cute her little sister is. “Jei Li will make Big Sister feel better! I’ll make the wound disappear”
“Oh my, what a cute child!” the crazy gossipers earlier muttered as soon as they saw Hou Jei Li’s charming side. She looked so cute with her brown colored hair held tightly by a white silky bow in a ponytail style. Her eyes of deep blue color gleamed worriedly as she continued blowing at Hou Wei Yan’s wounds.
As soon as she finished her little ritual, Hou Wei Yan carried her tightly in her arms before she gently pinched her nose with a smile. “Why are you so cute, baby sister?”
“I’m glad nothing bad happened to you” Tong Yixue suddenly blurted out, a beautiful and gleeful smile adorning her refined face. “Anyway, I’ll go ahead. I’m still looking for my son”
The four of them waved their hands at her and Fang gave a polite nod. Not a few steps later, she saw her beloved son who was hiding by a corner. He was looking around with a frightened look in his eyes making Tong Yixue smile. Looks like her baby got in trouble again. “Yu Shou!”
“Mom?” Han Yu Shou confusedly asked before he turned around and got surprised when he saw his mother. He thought he was hearing things.
Honestly, he felt slightly terrified when he heard her voice because he thought it was Zhao Qiao again using Tong Yixue’s voice to rile him in. He would often use this tactic to end the hide and seek he always initiates so he became paranoid whenever he hears her voice.
“My baby!”
“Why are you here, Mom!?” he asked as soon as he parted from her hug.
“Mommy came here because you forgot your lunch” she instantly replied as she brought the lunchbox up at Han Yu Shou’s eye level. “I prepared it early and placed all your favorites but you forgot it!”
Han Yu Shou smiled sheepishly when he heard this. He left early earlier because he was running away from Zhao Qiao. But to his surprise, Zhao Qiao was already inside his car and forced him to work earlier as soon as they entered the Hospital. The thought of the lunchbox never came to mind afterward because he was formulating plenty of escape plans. “Sorry, Mom. I was in a hurry earlier”
His mother immediately smiled at his reply before she pulled him and began walking while dragging him alongside her. “Come. Let’s go eat at your father’s office”
“But he’ll get angry” he worriedly muttered. The reason he’s hiding is to escape Zhao Qiao who was asked to bring him to Han Tengfei. If he doesn’t put a stop to this, he would be walking straight to the enemy camp!
“He wouldn’t dare” Tong Yixue muttered seriously before she waved her hands once more towards Hou Wei Yan and her siblings. After doing this, she continued dragging Han Yu Shou who by then already lost all ability to refute because he was confident his mother will defend him if push comes to shove.
As soon as the duo left the area, Hou Wei Yan turned towards her siblings with a smile on her face. “Where do you want to have lunch?”
“I already reserved a seat at Old Spice Kitchen” Hou Jun Shen replied back with a proud smile on his face. Hou Wei Yan loved the recipes from the restaurant and bought her there a couple of times before she was sent to America. After he left, he found it in himself to bring the twins there whenever they want to celebrate something.
“Wow! That’s so nice of you, Xiao Shen”
He smiled widely at her enthusiasm. “I saved my allowance so I could treat big sister to a nice meal. Besides, that restaurant is our favorite”
With the location finally settled in, the siblings began walking away to visit their favorite restaurant and have a memorable lunch date. As soon as they left, those people gossiping earlier and doing their very best to ruin Hou Wei Yan by blurting out ridiculous stuff looked at one another. Without any word, they left one by one until the hallway was crowded no more.
The ridiculous rumors that came in like a storm were easily dissipated by the appearance of the Hou Siblings. But even though the silly rumor is diminished, there is still one question left to solve. Who the hell sent such a photo to the group chat and wrote such ambiguous caption?!
“Albert, did you already track the sender?” Fang Tao asked from his earpiece as he followed behind the siblings who were happily chatting with one another.
“Yep” Reizo muttered as he carefully reported the results of his hard work. “Intern Si Yingpei, 28 years old. Intentions are unknown. He was passing by the area yesterday and got hold of the photos”
“The issue was already resolved” the mighty wolf muttered seriously as he lingered his gaze around. His intentions remain unknown so until they receive the full detail why he sent those photos, they will need a close watch on him.”But keep on monitoring him till you learn his intentions. I don’t want him wreaking havoc in the future”
“Roger”
“Mister Assistant! Mister Assistant!” a little and adorable voice called out making him blink at their way a couple of times.
Seeing his reaction made Hou Wei Yan chortle before she looked at Hou Jei Li who was already clinging to Fang’s shirt. “Call him Big Brother Fang”
“Can I?” she asked quite adorably as she glanced up at Fang Tao.
“Uhhhh” he let out as he gazed at her. She looked so cute and she appeared like a koala as she clings to his shirt. Unable to take in her cuteness, he decided to give in. “Sure”
As soon as she heard his reply, Hou Jei Li smiled widely before she reached her hands out and held his hands. “Big Brother Fang! Let’s go!”
At this moment, the almighty wolf and right-hand man of Ji Li Zhao was captured by Hou Jei Li’s charm. He felt warmth surge in his heart as he accepted her hands and gently walked alongside her. Despite the difference in their leg length, Fang Tao wonderfully matched her pace.
A cute atmosphere warped their group but someone wasn’t happy with this sudden development. “Tch”
As soon as she heard him click his tongue, Hou Wei Yan smiled knowingly at her little brother. “Are you jealous, Xiao Xi?”
“Of course not” he replied defensively making Hou Wei Yan laugh.
His adorable pout made her heart swell in happiness and in no time, his hands were already tightly clasped in hers. Hou Wuxi looked at their intertwined hands before he glanced up and saw his sister’s adorable smile. “Big Sister will be your partner this day”
His sour mood earlier immediately brightened up. “Okay”
“Wow” Hou Jun Shen muttered sarcastically. He never knew his little brother would display such childishness again. Hou Wuxi liked to appear mature and yet look at him now. “So I’m left alone now?”
“You should have brought your girlfriend” Hou Wei Yan replied with a chuckle. When his mood didn’t brighten up, she decided to tease him. “Or should I ask Han Yu Shou to accompany you instead”
Her statement immediately made him flinch. He doesn’t have enough points to last a minute with Han Yu Shou. No matter how he much respects Tong Yixue, he would still find trouble handling her son. “I would much rather bring a random stranger than have him accompany me”
Hou Wei Yan laughed the moment she heard this. “Let’s just go”
…..
While they were eating, Hou Wei Yan couldn’t help but ask regarding their education. Hou Jun Shen looks dashing but she could notice that his eye-bags were swollen and it concerned her deeply. “So how’s school?”
“I’m doing fine. Our exam will happen next month so I’m studying as hard as I can” Jun Shen honestly answered when he noticed where her concern gaze is directed. Well, Lipin Academy is a top tier school so their examinations are quite hard. He cannot clack-off because he wants to graduate with flying colors.
“You’re already a sophomore. Another more year then you’ll be in College” Hou Wei Yan muttered before she shoved a piece of steak in her mouth and slowly chew on it. After she swallowed, she looked at him curiously once more. “Have you already decided which school you want and which degree program you’ll take?”
“Business Management” he shortly answered before he gulped down his water and looked at his sister quite seriously. “I’m planning on applying for Jingying Academy. They’re the best when it comes to business management”
His sudden statement made Hou Wei Yan look at him curiously once more. Well, Lipin is indeed prestigious and is on the same pedestal as Jingying, but wouldn’t it be better if he decided to enroll in Jingying prior to college? “Why didn’t you take your Middle School and High School there? You could have already adjusted to their many rules and regulations”
“I declined”
“Declined?”
He smiled widely at his sister. Indeed, it could have been better if he enrolled in Jingying during his Middle School and High School, but he doesn’t regret his decision of choosing Lipin. In fact, if he was given another chance, he would choose Lipin in a heartbeat. He met many unique people in his stay in Lipin and he wouldn’t trade them over anything. “I took an interest in Lipin Academy. They’re on par with Jingying but they never base their enrollment on status. I liked their policies so I applied there”
“I see” she mumbled in understanding before she looked at the twins who were busy eating their sorbet. “What about the twins? Why aren’t they in Jingying or Lipin?”
Hou Wuxi sighed at Hou Jei Li who was stealing some of his sorbet. He took one spoonful for his own and handed the others to her before he decided to reply to his big sister. “Dad wanted us to study at Julian Academy”
“How are things there? Are you doing okay with your studies?”
He nodded his head at her question before he smiled widely at her way. “We’re doing good”
“Wuxi looks stupid but he’s on top of our class” Hou Jei Li muttered as she finished the sorbet she got from Wuxi.
“Hey! What do you mean I look stupid?”
“You do look stupid”
“You—”
“That’s great, Xiao Xi” Hou Wei Yan muttered with a smile to deflect the argument that’s slowly brewing between them. Her tactic worked wonders because Hou Wuxi smiled once more and didn’t mind what Jei Li said. After a while, she turned towards Hou Jei Li who was now busy finishing the juice in her glass. “What about you, Xiao Jei?”
“Second” she happily answered before she pointed at Wuxi. “He’s a tiny bit more intellectual than me”
Hou Wuxi sighed at her word and action. There was no need to say such a thing and ye she went on and opened up another topic worthy of an argument. Well, since she was the one who offered it, Hou Wuxi decided to take the bait and fight her.”Admit your defeat, Jei Li”
“If I study more I can take that spot” she answered with a pout.
Her twin only shook his head at her answer. She can take such a spot but when did she ever take her studies seriously? “Too bad you’re lazy”
Hou Jun Shen sighed at their antics. Not a moment after, unable to take in their quarrel, he shoved a spoonful of sorbet in Wuxi’s mouth. “Okay, let’s end that there”
His older sister smiled at what he did and followed after him. She took Jei Li’s attention and decided to feed her a spoonful of cheesecake. Contrary to Hou Wuxi’s annoyed reaction, Hou Jei Li accepted her offer and smiled as she chewed at the soft cake. “Xiao Jei is so cute. If boys ever approach you, tell them you have a big scary Big Sister”
“No boys would dare” she answered almost immediately. “Wuxi always pick a fight with them”
Surprised by this, she turned towards Hou Wuxi who was now shaking his head in defense. “Xiao Xi?”
“Hey, say it properly” he exclaimed as he looked at his twin but she only teased him with her stare. A few seconds later she stuck out her tongue at him causing him to get annoyed even more. To clean his dirtied name, he looked at his sister as though falsely accused by a crime. “I shooed them away, I didn’t pick a fight at all”
Hou Wei Yan laughed at his sudden display of adorableness. She couldn’t help but ruffle his hair with a cheeky smile on her face. “You’re so reliable now”
“Big Sister” Hou Jei Li called out, not liking that he was getting her attention. “Wuxi has a lot of girls too. Should I shoo them away?”
“Is that right, Xiao Xi?” she asked almost immediately. Well, she can’t deny that her baby siblings are divine looking but she never expected that they would draw such attention at such a young age.
“That’s not true!”
Hou Jei Li smirked at his sudden outburst. He doesn’t know or is he just ignoring them?! “Mimi told me she has a crush on you”
“That doesn’t automatically make her my girl” he defended quite logically making the others smile.
Their big sister laughed at their little blunder with regards to crushes. It’s good to see them get along with others but issues like this are still too early for them. “It’s only natural to have a crush but you’re still young so don’t take anything seriously”
Hou Wuxi nodded his head alongside Hou Jun Shen. Not long after, he smirked and turned towards their dearest sister. She knows these little issues with their love affairs and yet they’re still blind with regards to hers. “How about you, Big Sister?”
“What about me?”
Hou Jun Shen leaned closer with a serious look on his face. “You don’t have a boyfriend right?”
“No” she answered truthfully before she slowly looked at Fang and smiled. — I have a husband though.
“But you must have a crush?”
Hou Wei Yan looked at her little brother seriously. Well, she technically has a crush on her husband but because they’re already a married couple, it’s no longer a crush right? But even so, because she has feelings for him and she admires him greatly, she decided to answer in a manner that wouldn’t disappoint anyone or raise their suspicion. “Yeah. You could say so”
“Really? Who?” the trio asked in chorus. Many men adored their Big Sister but she was always ‘Men Proof’ when someone tries to pursue her. She didn’t appear to like others as well and has quite an impenetrable defense when it comes to liking someone.
“It’s a secret” she remarked as she drew her fingers close to her lips before she gave them a wink.
“I’m curious, Big Sister” Hou Jun Shen muttered as he looked at her intently. He’s not planning on letting go of such a topic. “Who is the lucky guy?”
“I don’t know his name” she answered immediately. Well, it was true after all. She has feelings for him, she views him as her husband but she doesn’t know his name.
“You don’t? How is that possible?”
She smiled widely at them before she looked out the window. “Let’s just say we had a brief meeting but he left quite a mark”
“Finally! Big Sister is in love and we’re having another Big Brother soon!” the twins suddenly exclaimed causing some people to look at them. Hou Wei Yan smiled at them and gave an apologetic bow.
After she settled in, she ruffled Hou Jei Li’s hair with a smile on her face. “Silly girl. Big Sister still has a long way to go”
Hou Jei Li pouted when she heard this. She was looking forward to having another Big Brother so she can’t help but feel sulky when she heard this. Don’t they like her sister? One look and everyone would surely fall for her charms! “Just smile at him. Won’t that be enough?”
“I’m afraid not” Hou Wei Yan muttered as she sighed.
Hou Jun Shen couldn’t help but be more and more curious about his identity. Just who is he really? Who has enough defense to repel his big sister’s charms? “Really? Just how dense is your crush, Big Sister?”
“He’s not dense” she defended as she wore a smile on her face. “I just haven’t made my moves yet”
“Make a move then”
“I’m surprised that came from you, Xiao Shen” she blurted out with a chortle. “Aren’t you adamant about making a move on the girls who like you?”
“Big Sister” he called out before he smirked at her once more. Nice try but he won’t fall for it. “Don’t shift the topic on me”
She could only laugh at what he said. She then clasped her hands together and brought it to her thin before she smirked at him confidently. “If I see him again, then I might make a move”
“You can do it, Big Sister!” the twins cheered on making her laugh once more.
She couldn’t help but reach out to her hands and ruffle their hair. “Receiving a cheer from you guys is making me bashful”
…..
Once the payment was settled, Hou Wei Yan glanced at her clock and knew that it was already time for her to return. She doesn’t have surgery but she needs to do her rounds and be on duty in the Emergency Room. “I have to go now. I till have another appointment with a patient”
“Thank you for coming, Big Sister” Hou Jun Shen muttered as he hugged his sister rightly.
Wei Yan smiled at him and ruffled his hair as a sign of affection. “Next time, let me take you out for dinner”
“Sure!”
She then crouched down and gave the twins a hug. Once they parted she kissed both of them in their cheeks and like what she did with Jun Shen, she ruffled their hair with a huge smile on her face. “Big Sister loves you”
“Shin will bring you to school” she added as she glanced out the restaurant where a car awaits them.
“It’s okay, Big Sister” Hou Jun Shen suddenly interjected with a smile on his face. He directed his gaze on the other car parked outside. “We have our ride”
“Okay. Then, I’ll be leaving” she slowly muttered as she took short steps out of the restaurant. She waved them one final farewell and gave them a goodbye kiss before stepping out. “Take care you three! Call me if something comes up!”
“Okay” he exclaimed with a smile on his face. But as soon as the car left the area, his smile turned into a frown and he turned towards the two midgets who were already fidgetting under his gaze. “Jei Li. Wuxi”
The twins looked at one another before they gulped down their own saliva. Not a moment too soon, the question was finally asked making them nervous than ever. “Be honest with me. Did Fe Rou Chao hurt you while I was away?”
“No” the twins muttered in chorus but their words weren’t enough to convince him.
Contrary to their words, their actions and anxiety greatly implies that something did happen to them. “I said, be honest”
“It’s the truth” Hou Wuxi answered bravely making him turn to the little angel instead.
“Xiao Jei” he called out with warning. He doesn’t like it when they lie to him and they know that.
“She never hurt us” she answered in a truthful yell sullen manner. “But she locks us up in the attic when Auntie Ran is away”
As soon as he heard this, his fist immediately curled up and he grated his teeth in vexation. She’s doing this freely and their father is letting her run amok! “What is he doing?”
“Father probably doesn’t know” Hou Wuxi answered with a sad smile.
“I doubt he doesn’t” he muttered before he sighed in anger. He then looked at the two of them seriously and was quite angry that they kept it from him! “Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you tell anyone?”
Hou Jei Li looked him in the eye and honestly told him why they would rather suffer the abuse. “Because we don’t want to cause trouble”
“Stepmother will only get angry if we tell anyone” Hou Wuxi added making Hou Jun Shen more vexed than ever.
He crouched down and hugged the two of them. “From now on, don’t keep silent. Tell me what happens to you so I can go back and whip her back”
“Big Brother should focus on his studies”
“Besides, we’re okay. We didn’t get hurt”
“This is not okay at all!” he exclaimed once more as he tried to let them understand that abuse is not okay at all. No matter what form it takes, abuse is not right! And they shouldn’t suffer it! “Why is she becoming like this!?”
“We’re really okay” the two of them chorused making him sigh.
Noticing the dangerous air surrounding him, Hou Wuxi decided to remind him not to tell anyone else about it. “Don’t tell mother or Big Sister. I don’t want them to worry and break their relationship with Father”
“Something must be done” he truthfully answered with a sigh. He feels guilty that he’s keeping such a deep secret from their big sister but what can he do? The twins don’t want Xing Mei Yi to get involved because they aren’t blood-related and they don’t want to see blood coming from their father. “I can’t return for the meantime but I’ll ask someone to watch over you. Don’t try to interact with that woman without Father”
“Okay” the two answered with a smile, trying their best to assure him that everything is okay. Besides, they aren’t mistreated every day so it was bearable for them.
After deciphering their gaze, Hou Jun Shen felt guiltier than ever. He is still powerless so he needs to obtain more and more strength to protect them. He embraced the two of them tightly and sighed worriedly. “I’ll get you guys out of there”