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

Grinding soybeans, boiling water, brewing—the movements were slow and practiced, as if they were doing something very important, and they were meticulous in every step.

Water flows out of the pour-over kettle in a thin stream, swirling around the coffee grounds, causing them to expand and produce tiny bubbles.

The aroma of coffee slowly wafted out, filling the entire living room. The strong, bitter fragrance was mixed with a hint of fruity acidity and a touch of floral notes.

As Shen Youyao sat on the sofa and smelled this scent, her nose suddenly stung, and her eyes instantly reddened.

The taste was so familiar; she could recognize it with her eyes closed. It was a dark roast Colombian bean, the kind that Gu Yan Ge liked the most.

After Gu Yan helped her chase away Wang Hu for the first time, he took her back to the rented room. The room was small but very clean, with blue curtains and gray sheets.

She huddled on the sofa, trembling like a kitten drenched in rain, too afraid to speak or look at him, hugging her knees and curling up into a ball.

He made her a cup of coffee, brought it to her, squatted down to be at eye level with her, and said that if she drank something hot, she wouldn't be afraid.

She still remembers the taste of that coffee: a thin layer of milk foam floating on top of the dark brown liquid, a dark blue cup with a fine crack along the rim.

She picked up the coffee cup that Gu Yan handed her. The crack on the rim was still there, and she could feel the texture of the crack when she touched it with her fingers.

She took a sip, and tears fell, soaking into the coffee and creating a small ripple on the surface.

It wasn't because she was sad, but because she missed him so much. He was right in front of her, but she still missed him, and it hurt her heart.

The kind of longing isn't the kind that comes after separation; it's the kind that makes you think about him even when he's around, when you see him, and when you hear his voice. It's like an illness.

Gu Yan carried another cup of coffee to Fu Wanqing and handed it to her. The warmth of the cup traveled through the ceramic to Fu Wanqing's palm.

Fu Wanqing took the cup with both hands, her amber eyes looking at the liquid inside. The dark brown coffee reflected her face, making it appear distorted.

She took a small sip, frowned slightly, and noticed the bitterness; the tip of her tongue contracted slightly from the taste.

But she didn't say anything, took another sip, and slowly got used to the taste. After the bitterness dissipated, there was a hint of sweetness that lingered on the back of her tongue for a long time.

Gu Yan sat on the sofa, looking at Shen Youyao. After she finished her coffee, her gaze was as calm as a still pond.

Shen Youyao put down the cup, the bottom of the porcelain cup making a soft sound as it tapped against the glass of the coffee table. She looked up at him, her eyes and the tip of her nose red.

Gu Yan spoke, her voice calm but her tone serious, like a doctor conducting a consultation.

"Youyao, what exactly happened? How much control do you still have over your body?"

Shen Youyao fell silent, looking down at her hands resting on her knees. Her fingers were fair and slender, and her nails were neatly trimmed.

She didn't know what to say; she couldn't very well tell the truth.

She could take back her body, and she could suppress Shen Youwei at any time. Her mental strength was much stronger than Shen Youwei thought.

But she didn't want to take it from her; she didn't want to suppress Shen Youwei.

Because when Shen Youwei sat on Gu Yan's lap, hugged Gu Yan, and leaned against him, she could feel it too.

The feeling of being enveloped by his body heat was like a warm stove in winter or a cool breeze in summer.

The feeling of his fingers touching my head, the fingertips gliding over my scalp, the sensation of calluses on my skin, it was ticklish.

The feeling of leaning against his chest, being able to hear his heartbeat, thump, thump, thump, steady and strong.

It felt so good, so incredibly good, so good that she didn't want to come back, so good that she was willing to give her body to Shen Youwei.

As long as Shen Youwei can get closer to Gu Yan for her, as long as Shen Youwei can do things for her that she dares not do.

She knew it was wrong of her to think this way, but she couldn't control her heart; the heart never listens to the brain.

Shen Youwei did what she dared not do, and said what she dared not say.

She hated Shen Youwei, hated that she had taken her body, hated that she had done what she wanted to do but dared not do.

But she can't live without Shen Youwei, because Shen Youwei is a part of her, the part of herself she dares not face.

This contradiction was like a thorn stuck in her throat, preventing her from speaking and leaving her only able to remain silent.

Gu Yan looked at her without speaking, then sighed deeply and for a long time, as if she had exhaled all the air from her chest.

"Youyao, I'll come see you again in a few days."

He reached out and touched her head, gently rubbing her scalp with his fingers. The rustling sound of his fingertips brushing against her hair was particularly clear in the quiet living room.

"You need to practice your mental strength on your own; don't always rely on me."

"Meditate for fifteen minutes every day, feel the presence of your own consciousness, and feel the boundaries of your body."

"When you feel confused, focus your attention on your breathing, one breath in and one breath out."

"Nail yourself into your body like a nail, and don't let anyone push you out."

Shen Youyao nodded as she listened to these words, her hair brushing against his palm, tickling him, but only she knew what she was thinking.

Gu Yan withdrew her hand and stood up, her palm still warm from Fu Wanqing's hair, as she looked at her.

"Let's go back."

Fu Wanqing stood up, placed the coffee cup on the coffee table, swished the bottom of the cup against the glass, and followed Gu Yan out.

Shen Youyao also stood up and saw him to the door. Her blue and red eyes watched Gu Yan's back. The blue eyes were bright and sparkling, while the red eyes were heavy and heavy.

As Gu Yan reached the door, Shen Youyao spoke. Her voice was soft but clear, and she spoke each word with great effort.

"Brother Gu Yan, I'm taking the martial arts college entrance exam. You absolutely have to come and see me."

Gu Yan paused, her steps faltering. It was the martial arts college entrance exam.

The martial arts college entrance exam in the original work is a plot point that appears very late in the story, at least several years later.

How come it's been moved up now? This isn't right, this is completely wrong, it's like a book suddenly skipping dozens of pages.

He turned to look at Shen Youyao, his blue and red eyes filled with expectation, like two different colored stars twinkling in the night.

He nodded, a smile spreading across his face, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned.

"Okay, I'll come see you then. Good luck!"

Shen Youyao smiled, a bright smile, like sunlight shining through the clouds, like river water thawing beneath the ice.

Gu Yan turned and left, with Fu Wanqing following behind him. The sound of their footsteps faded into the distance, echoing down the corridor.

Shen Youyao stood at the door, watching their backs disappear at the end of the corridor. She stood there for a very long time, like a statue.

Then I closed the door, leaned against it, and felt the coolness of the door seep through my clothes onto my back.

The moment the door closed, she closed her eyes, her eyelashes trembled a few times, and when she opened them again, her pupils had turned completely red.

It didn't change gradually; it happened in an instant, like someone flipped a switch, the blue was pulled away, and red filled the entire eye socket.

That red wasn't an ordinary red; it was a deep, dark red, like congealed blood, so dark it was almost black, like two black holes that could devour all light.