Seeing how much pain his second brother was in, Liam shook his head. He didn't understand.
Even after seeing their parents' marriage and how they got along, his second brother still fell so quickly.
It's true that Niley was quite good, even could be called his savior.
But still, he never trusted women!
Women were too heartless!
"Second Brother, no matter what happens, we are the closest. You should always keep that in mind."
After saying that, Liam got up and walked over to the rattan chair where Niley was sitting.
He felt a little happy inside—his body had really gotten much better. Walking a few steps didn't make him uncomfortable anymore. In fact, he felt warm and comfortable, much better than before.
This wife in name wasn't bad at all, but their relationship was only a name.
Mier heard what Liam said, and his eyes flashed with pain. He moved closer to Niley and held her hand tightly.
"No, don't go, don't go!"
Just then, Niley, who had been lost in thought, muttered something, and Mier looked up.
Suddenly, the whole room was filled with green light. Green vines started to grow from Niley, wrapping tightly around her body.
"This… wife, wake up, wake up! What's happening?"
Seeing Niley being wrapped by the vines, Mier was both worried and scared.
But then he remembered that she had looked like this earlier when she used the green light to heal Liam. He sighed in relief.
Still, he kept holding onto Niley's hands tightly.
Then, he felt a soft touch on his fingertip. Looking down, he saw a tiny green sprout brushing against his palm.
He called out softly, "Wife?"
Surprisingly, the little sprout nodded, then quickly shrank back.
Liam was also shocked by this strange sight. But before he could say anything, the door suddenly opened.
"What's going on? What happened?" Even before the door opened, Xing's anxious voice came from outside.
Soon after, Xing, Han, and the others rushed in, looking serious.
Their eyes landed on the bed, where Niley was glowing green, wrapped in vines like a cocoon.
"This… Second Brother, is this woman some kind of spirit or something?"
Xing covered his mouth in shock, staring at the scene in disbelief.
But Mier was the first to react. "Cover her up! We can't let others see her like this."
He quickly reached out to pull a blanket over Niley. But just as he did, the blanket sank in strangely. When he lifted it again, Niley was gone!
She had vanished along with the green vines!
"Big Brother, she… she's gone…"
Mier rubbed his eyes in disbelief. When he opened them again and saw the empty space, he collapsed to the floor.
He kept mumbling, "What… what's going on?"
He grabbed his hair and hit his head with his fists.
Han couldn't watch anymore. He stepped forward and pulled Mier up. "Has this happened before?"
Mier shook his head.
"I remember this house was empty before, right?"
He had taken his third brother and the others to the town for treatment just five days ago. And now, a woman they didn't even know had moved in.
And she'd become their wife—mysterious and strange in every way.
Han couldn't help but think more about it.
Xing's bright eyes were full of curiosity. "Do you think she's a spirit from the mountains sent to save us?"
As soon as he finished, someone hit him on the head. He looked back at Lei with a wronged face. "Fourth Brother, it's true! That's how it is in those storybooks. And think about it! She's too pretty to be human. She's definitely a spirit!"
"Shouldn't we be more surprised by those vines and how she disappeared?" Liam stood up from the rattan chair and walked to the bed.
The five brothers started discussing Niley's disappearance.
Mier told them everything that had happened while they were in town.
After hearing it all, the brothers were angry. Xing even started cursing. "She dared to sell Second Brother!"
"Doesn't your body hurt anymore?" Liam asked when he saw Xing so worked up.
Xing gave Liam a frustrated look, a bit upset. "Of course it does! But she kept asking for money. If I gave it to her, how would I buy medicine for you?"
"And thinking about it… maybe she really came to save us."
His anger faded as he looked at the empty bed again, feeling down. "Second Brother, you were close to her. Was she acting strange before?"
Mier shook his head. "She rarely went out. That day, things got out of hand."
"So you did it on purpose. You caused trouble so she'd save you. But how could you be sure she was good and not bad?"
Lei spoke coldly.
The brothers had grown up together, so they knew each other well.
Mier had always stayed quiet even when Jiang Yu said he'd sell them. But this time, he suddenly made a big scene—it had to be on purpose.
As expected, Mier nodded.
He looked at the others, a bit embarrassed. "After you all left, Dad and I didn't eat for three days. We were also beaten often. But at mealtimes, the food from her house always smelled so good… I couldn't hold back."
Seeing that everyone understood, Mier quickly explained, "I was desperate. I thought I wouldn't survive anymore. But I didn't expect her to actually save me."
"So whether she's human, ghost, or spirit, I want to be with her."
"…Then shouldn't we find her first?" Liam interrupted him. But Mier only shook his head.
He looked at the empty bed and said firmly, "She's still here. We just can't see her."
"How do you know?" Xing asked, very curious.
He was scared of what had happened to Niley, but even more curious.
After all, she saved Second Brother from being sold to a brothel and gave Third Brother hope to survive. That alone made her worthy to be their wife.
Mier saw their puzzled looks and explained, "When the green vines wrapped around her, a little sprout tickled my palm."
His face turned a little red.
Xing rolled his eyes. "Looks like that 'spirit' really likes Second Brother!"
He said "spirit" with extra force.