TNIBFT -Chapter 113 Recovery Is Pretty Fast

Shangguan Ning’er narrowed her eyes as she spoke.

The Emperor was already impatient to see the children. If they didn’t speed things up, Shangguan Ning’er feared that the Great Zhou Empress, Qin Fengyi, might personally come to Sifang City to look for them.

And if that happened, it wouldn’t just be about finding the children anymore.

“There may be a blizzard in the latter half of the night, and there’s also unusual movement within Great Liang’s borders—they’re likely preparing for something. My lord, we must not take risks at a time like this,” someone advised.

Shangguan Ning’er frowned and thought for a moment, forced to consider carefully.

Triplets from the same birth, birthmarks on their wrists.

Ye Tian.

All of this was crucial information. As long as they reached Sifang City and found the right people, they would definitely be able to bring them back. Waiting a little longer wouldn’t cost much time.

With that thought, Shangguan Ning’er let out a breath. “Find a place to rest and regroup.”

…

A few days later.

After several days of recuperation—along with taking Qiu Feibai’s medicine and applying topical treatments—Ye Tian’s burns had recovered by seventy to eighty percent.

The weather had cleared over the past few days. During the day, the three children continued attending school.

Fang Shenghu took care of Ye Tian, and the two of them went to check on the original hot pot restaurant.

Walking along the street, they could see the ruins from afar—a scorched, unsightly mess. The banner with the hot pot design was half-burned, collapsed among the debris. The scene looked utterly miserable.

“As long as people are safe, money can always be earned again,” Fang Shenghu said, sneaking a glance at Ye Tian as he quickly tried to comfort him.

From training staff to tableware, to the stoves used for hot pot—every single detail of the restaurant had been Ye Tian’s hard work. Fang Shenghu had seen it all and felt sorry for him.

“You’re right.”

Ye Tian nodded. It was just a pity that a villain had died for no clear reason.

After all, the enemy of your enemy is your friend. He couldn’t understand how that original novel’s villain had been wired—actually helping Shen Jie deal with him, only to end up getting himself killed.

“The boss is here!”

“Boss!”

The moment they saw Ye Tian, several people who had been lingering around the ruins quickly got up and ran over, drawing curious glances from passersby.

Fang Shenghu said quietly, “These people don’t want to leave. The wages you gave were too high, and the hot pot restaurant wasn’t harsh on them—it’s probably hard to send them away.”

“Also, to save you this time, Yuan Heipang suffered quite a bit. Not only was he beaten black and blue, but he also has several burn injuries. I already brought some things to visit him at his home the day before yesterday. I know you don’t like his scheming, but at a critical moment, there aren’t many people willing to risk their lives to save you.”

“I understand.”

Just as they finished speaking, the group rushed up to Ye Tian, surrounding him with concern.

“Boss, now that the shop is gone, what are we supposed to do?”

“Yeah, ever since we came to the hot pot restaurant, you’ve treated us like family. If we go elsewhere to find work now, it just won’t feel right…”

“Are we reopening the shop?”

As soon as that question was asked, everyone looked at Ye Tian nervously, their eyes full of hope.

Ye Tian frowned as he looked at the ruins. “Someone died in the shop—and it was the Great General’s son. I’m afraid there won’t be any peace after this.”

“This shop… can’t be reopened.”

Hearing this, the group immediately lowered their heads in disappointment.

Yuan Heipang pursed his lips, on the verge of tears.

Why did things turn out like this?

He had risked his life to save Ye Tian—yet not only did he fail to become the manager, the hot pot restaurant was gone, and now he’d lost his job too…

These days, finding a job is even harder than finding your biological parents.

Ye Tian’s gaze fell on Yuan Heipang’s head, and he said slowly, “This shop can’t continue, but we can open a second one.”

“What?!”

Yuan Heipang suddenly lifted his head in excitement, just in time to meet Ye Tian’s half-smiling gaze.

A faint blush spread across Yuan Heipang’s dark, chubby face, and his heart began to race.

Ye Tian continued, “Running a shop isn’t just about making money. When I was trapped in that fire, some people risked their lives to save me. Some ignored the guards and rushed in to put out the flames. While others stood by and talked, you all chose not to watch from the sidelines—you stood up for me, Ye Tian.”

“Just for that kindness alone, it’s worth opening another hot pot restaurant.”

“Since you’ve chosen to follow me, I have to take responsibility for you. I know it’s not easy living in troubled times—everyone just wants a way to survive. So let’s do it together. Let’s all survive together!”

“Waaah… what a great boss!”

“Is Ye Tian’s hot pot restaurant still hiring? Even if it’s through fire and blades, I’ll follow you!” The bystanders gathered around, cheering noisily.

Everyone looked at Ye Tian with shining eyes.

The hot pot staff were even more moved to tears—they hadn’t realized Ye Tian had noticed everything they had done.

He had never thought of abandoning them. Even after the shop burned down and offending the general, Ye Tian was still thinking about their future.

“Mm!”

Yuan Heipang nodded vigorously, wiping away his tears clumsily. Grabbing Ye Tian’s hand, he said, “Truly worthy of being our boss!”

“Our boss has the heart of a bodhisattva—he must be a reincarnated immortal! Handsome and elegant, there’s no second man like him in all of Sifang City. Such a beautiful man—”

Ye Tian: …

“That’s enough, that’s enough!”

Speechless, Ye Tian cut him off and pulled his hand free, looking embarrassed. This guy was always like this—when others flattered, it felt nice, but when Yuan Heipang did it, it just felt greasy and uncomfortable.

Yuan Heipang froze, clearly not understanding what he had done wrong.

With a hurt expression, he looked at Ye Tian, who awkwardly turned his gaze away. “I’m already looking for a new shop. At the soonest, we can open this month. For this month, I’ll still pay half your wages while you stay at home.”

The crowd burst into excitement again.

“Ye Tian…”

“Ye Tian!”

A familiar female voice came from behind.

Turning around, Ye Tian saw at the far end of the street—Xiao Xun’er riding a tall horse. She wore a fitted outfit, one hand holding the reins. Her long hair cascaded over her left shoulder like a waterfall. Tilting her head slightly, her picturesque features were fixed on Ye Tian. The faint golden sunlight behind her filtered through her hair, softly illuminating the side of her face.

Ye Tian was stunned.

Compared to movie stars from his previous life, this girl was on an entirely different level. With looks like hers, she’d definitely win Best Actress if she acted.

Their eyes met.

The people around Ye Tian exchanged knowing looks, glancing between him and Xiao Xun’er.

“Ow!”

Fang Shenghu clutched his stomach and cried out. Ye Tian turned his head—Fang Shenghu’s face was red, his eyes darting as he stammered, “Uh… I suddenly have a headache. Yeah, a headache.”

Everyone twitched at the corners of their mouths.

If you have a headache, why are you holding your stomach?

Bro, are you just bad at lying, or really bad at lying?

“I suddenly have a stomachache too.”

“I think I forgot something…”

“Hey—wait for me!”

With teasing looks, everyone glanced at Ye Tian one last time before blushing and scattering.

“Hey, you guys… what’s going on? Everything was fine just now—is the air toxic or something?” Ye Tian complained helplessly at their retreating backs.

Xiao Xun’er rode closer, dismounted in one smooth motion, holding the reins in one hand while looking Ye Tian up and down.

“Not bad,” she said.

“You’ve recovered pretty quickly.”

“Let me tell you some good news!”