I raised stunning young ladies, but they all wanted to possess me.

"How is the situation?"

"Did you catch up?"

Chen Sinian glanced at them, having already given up hope, but still asked a symbolic question.

Uncle Fu shook his head with a grim expression, his voice low and deep: "Master, we were so close, so very close, to stopping the carriage."

"But two of Lin Zhenting's three pillars suddenly appeared and desperately stopped us."

"By the time we got rid of them, the car was long gone."

Chen Sinian waved his hand wearily: "I know, it's not your fault."

He had long anticipated that since Lin Zhenting dared to make a move, he must have arranged the strongest backup plan.

"Patriarch, there's something else. Among those who are blocking our way, I think I saw someone from the Pei family."

At this moment, Aunt Tian hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and spoke in a low voice.

Chen Sinian suddenly looked up: "The Pei family?"

"Aunt Tian, ​​are you sure you saw it clearly?"

"You didn't see wrong?"

Aunt Tian nodded firmly, her tone serious: "I can't be mistaken."

"That person controlled nine silver flying blades as thin as cicada wings, with treacherous and ruthless trajectories. It was clearly a magical ability to manipulate objects that only a core member of the Pei family could possess."

"Moreover, the methods and techniques used are undoubtedly those of a direct descendant of the Pei family."

Controlling objects?

The Pei family?

Chen Sinian frowned, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the armrest.

The Pei family, an ancient martial arts and superpower family with an equally long history and an even more secretive and low-key approach.

Since issuing the second Heavenly Sword Order due to a certain incident, the Pei family has been silent for a long time, so low-key that he almost forgot they existed.

But how did they end up here?

They even helped the Lin family to stop him?

wrong!

How could the Pei family be so kind as to help the Lin family?

A sentence suddenly flashed through Chen Sinian's mind.

The mantis catches the cicada, and the oriole is behind.

That old dog Lin Zhenting... he might be a cicada himself!

The real mastermind may be someone else entirely!

"Master, take the dinner in for Miss, but she hasn't touched it."

"Would you like to go take a look?"

Just then, a servant hurried in, his face filled with worry, and whispered the news.

Chen Sinian was taken aback. With such a commotion outside, his daughter couldn't possibly be completely unaware.

But she neither came out to ask questions nor made any statement; she just refused to eat.

His heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "Did Miss mention Mr. Gu?"

The servant shook his head: "No."

"The young lady didn't say anything, she just told us to put our things down, and then she just kept looking out the window."

Chen Sinian was silent for a few seconds, then waved his hand: "Give me the plate, I'll go check it myself."

He took the freshly prepared, exquisite lunchbox from the servant, which contained several of Cecilia's favorite snacks and side dishes.

Then, he turned to the people in the hall and said, forcing himself to be cheerful, "Everyone has worked hard tonight."

"All injured brothers will have their medical expenses fully covered, and will receive an additional three months' bonus."

"Even those who weren't injured will receive a stipend for their hard work."

"Uncle Fu, please make the arrangements."

"Aunt Tian, ​​contact Minister Li Zhengguo immediately and report the situation tonight, especially the possibility of the Pei family's involvement."

"yes!"

The crowd responded and withdrew.

Chen Sinian took a deep breath, carrying the lunchbox alone, and walked towards the small building where Cecilia lived deep inside the mansion.

His mind was in turmoil. His original plans had been completely disrupted.

He originally wanted to find an excuse to let Gu Yan stay a few more days, to create an opportunity, and preferably to make a substantial breakthrough in the relationship between Cecilia and Gu Yan, or even have a child, then he would be completely secure.

But now that Gu Yan has been taken away, the whole plan has fallen through.

What unsettled him even more was that, given his daughter's past temper and her concern for Gu Yan, how could she be so calm upon learning that the person had been taken away?

She's not crying or making a fuss, she just won't eat.

Don't you know?

impossible!

There's such a commotion outside.

This unusual calmness, on the contrary, made him feel a series of palpitations.

He walked to the door inlaid with ice crystal gems and knocked gently.

"Lia, it's Daddy. May I come in?"

There was silence for a few seconds before Cecilia's voice came through, hoarser and lower than usual: "...Come in."

Chen Sinian pushed open the door and went in.

Only one dim wall lamp was on in the room.

Cecilia remained seated in her wheelchair, standing before the enormous floor-to-ceiling window, her back to the door, facing the dark night sky and the scattered lights of the distant city.

Her long white hair was loose and looked somewhat dull in the dim light.

Chen Sinian approached and placed the lunchbox on the small round table beside him.

Only then did he get a clear look at his daughter's profile.

In just half a day, she seemed much more haggard. Her originally fair skin was now almost transparent, and there were faint dark circles under her eyes. Her icy blue eyes stared blankly out the window, as if she had lost all focus.

"Lia," Chen Sinian asked gently, his voice softening, "Why aren't you eating?"

Are you feeling unwell?

"Was it too noisy outside tonight and scared you?"

Cecilia slowly, very slowly, turned her head and glanced at him.

That calm and unwavering gaze sent a shiver down Chen Sinian's spine.

There was nothing there—no anger, no sadness, not even the usual aloof and detached air; only an almost deathly emptiness.

"Father."

She spoke, her voice dry and hoarse, like sandpaper being rubbed against her skin, "I'm not hungry."

"Eat a little bit, it's all your favorite food."

Chen Sinian picked up a bowl of warm sweet soup and handed it to her, his tone pleading, "Look, it's still warm."

Cecilia's gaze lingered on the bowl of soup for a moment before shifting back to the endless darkness outside the window.

"Thank you, Dad... I'm not hungry."

She glanced at the lunchbox, then slowly looked away, gazing out the window again, her voice weak and listless.

"Even if you're not hungry, you should eat something," Chen Sinian said with great concern. He opened the lunchbox, and the aroma of food wafted out. "Look, these are all your favorites. Just eat a little to keep Dad company, okay?"

Cecilia remained silent, offering no response. After a long while, she spoke very softly, her voice filled with a sense of bewilderment: "Daddy..."

"Hmm? Dad's here," Chen Sinian replied quickly.

"I……"

Cecilia raised her hand and gently pressed it against her chest, her icy blue eyes revealing clear confusion and hollow pain.

"It feels like there's a gap here."

"That's strange."

"Even though nothing happened, I still feel really uncomfortable."

"It hurts here when I breathe."

"Everything looks like it's seen through a layer of fog, blurry and colorless, without any meaning."

She looked down at her hands resting on her lap, her fingers unconsciously curling up: "Am I... sick?"

As Chen Sinian listened to his daughter describe the feeling of heartbreak in a calm, almost numb tone, he felt as if his own heart was being violently gripped, a sharp, aching pain.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything to comfort her. He could only reach out and gently hold his daughter's cold hand.

"It will be alright, Leah."

All he could repeat was that pale sentence, "Everything will be alright. Dad's here with you."

Chen Sinian would rather his daughter be like Lin Jinyu, making a big fuss and even losing her temper, than be as quiet as she is now, like a beautiful porcelain doll that has lost its warmth.