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

"We can go to South Africa together. We get along quite well, even though you can be annoying sometimes."

"You're the kind of person who only says half of what you mean and always hides your actions, but you're not a bad person at heart."

"Going to South Africa together would be great. I've never seen the savannah before, and I've heard the sky there is incredibly blue."

"Just thinking about it makes me happy. When we get there, I want to ride a lion. Don't stop me. I want to have a neck-length contest with a giraffe."

As she spoke, her tone became light and cheerful again, like a dandelion seed scattered by the wind, swirling in the air.

The girl enthusiastically described her future plans, her amber eyes sparkling, and the corners of her mouth turned up high.

But looking at her radiant smiling face, Gu Yan felt that something was off; it wasn't that what she said was wrong.

The problem was the way she spoke; she was too lighthearted and too optimistic, to the point of being like someone dancing on the edge of a cliff.

Put yourself in Fu Wanqing's shoes; he would never do such a thing, he wouldn't even dare to think about it.

She was the true bloodline of the Fu family, yet she was abandoned in a mountain village for thirty years, growing from an infant into a young woman.

During that time when she needed her parents' company the most, she grew up in a mountain village with her adoptive parents and endured all kinds of hardships.

She was finally found and returned to the Fu family home excitedly, thinking that she finally had a place that belonged to her.

They discovered that their spot had already been taken by someone else, and that person was Marquis Wu'an, an SS-level expert.

He is the pride of the entire nation, the pillar of stability for the Great Xia Dynasty, and a hero in everyone's eyes.

Standing there, I felt dispensable, like an extra piece of a puzzle that couldn't be put in no matter how I tried.

Her parents only had eyes for their adopted daughter, the clan elders only had eyes for their adopted daughter, and even the servants only politely called her "Miss".

The distance in her eyes, the stiffness in her tone, the awkwardness of not knowing how to get along with her.

Gu Yan sensed it after staying at the Fu family's house for a few days, so how could Fu Wanqing, who had been there for so long, not sense it?

How could she not have any other emotions? How could she smile like the sun every day?

She must be sad, and she'll probably hide under the covers alone at night and cry, crying about why she was abandoned.

She would probably feel wronged and would secretly clench her fists when she saw her parents showing concern for Fu Shiwei.

She must feel resentful, thinking that she's good in every way, so why didn't anyone choose her?

She would probably be angry and question God why He treated her this way, why He gave her an identity but not a position.

But she didn't. She had none of those qualities. She was always smiling and generous to everyone.

Even when her parents said she was "not qualified," she didn't argue back; she just lowered her head and clutched the hem of her skirt.

Gu Yan stared into Fu Wanqing's eyes for a very long time, so long that the girl felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze.

Fu Wanqing's gaze was somewhat unfocused, as if she dared not look at him for long, but also did not want to look away.

He suddenly realized something, and a question that he had always overlooked but had always existed finally surfaced.

Fu Wanqing's optimism was excessive, to the point of being abnormal, to the point of seeming like a disguise, a protective coloration.

It's not that she's not in pain; it's that she doesn't let others see her pain, and she doesn't even let herself see her own pain.

She hid all her wounds, hidden beneath her smiles and her jokes.

Gu Yan then thought of his Emotional Eyes. He had seen Fu Wanqing's Heart Castle twice, both times in a sunny garden villa.

White walls, blue windows, and a sea of ​​flowers in front of the door, blooming profusely under the bright sunshine, without a trace of gloom.

But could the garden villa be just a facade, or could it be that she locked all the bad things in the basement?

Those dark emotions weren't nonexistent; rather, they were suppressed to the deepest recesses of her consciousness, invisible even to the Eyes of Emotion.

So deep that she herself thought those things didn't exist, so deep that she truly believed she was happy every day.

Gu Yan felt a chill run down her spine as she thought about it, and her fingers tightened slightly as she held the coffee cup.

If that's really the case, then Fu Wanqing's problem is far more serious than Cecilia's coma.

Cecilia only has physical problems, while Fu Wanqing is deceiving herself on a mental level.

It's not that she doesn't have emotions; she's just compressed them to a dangerously low point.

What will happen when all the suppressed emotions finally burst forth at once?

Of course, it's also possible that I'm overthinking it.

Gu Yan dared not think any further. He looked away, picked up his coffee and took a sip; the coffee was already cold.

The bitterness and astringency were stronger, lingering on the tip of the tongue for a long time before slowly dissipating.

"Let's see how things go. We're not even sure if we can get away."

His voice remained calm, but Fu Wanqing sensed something different, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Fu Wanqing tilted her head and looked at him, blinking her amber eyes, but did not ask any further questions.

But she hadn't let go of his hand; her fingers were still nestled between his, and warmth emanated from between their skin.

The night outside the window grew deeper and deeper, and the lights in the distance went out one by one, leaving only a few scattered ones.

Gu Yan was holding her coffee cup to her lips when she suddenly felt a gaze fixed directly on her face.

He looked up and saw Fu Wanqing resting her chin on her hand, tilting her head to look at him, her amber eyes unblinking as if she were looking at some rare object.

The gaze was so focused that it gave him the creeps, and his coffee cup froze in mid-air, unsure whether to continue drinking.

"Wanqing, what are you looking at? Is there something on my face?" He subconsciously touched his face.

Fu Wanqing didn't look away; instead, she leaned forward, her long pink hair sliding down her shoulders.

"I'm looking at you, Master Gu. You're so handsome, even more handsome than my sister." Her tone was very serious.

Gu Yan was taken aback, wondering why she suddenly brought this up. This girl was acting a bit strange tonight.

He took a sip of coffee, pretending to be calm, waiting for her to continue. Sure enough, she still had more to say.

Fu Wanqing blinked, her voice light and cheerful as if she were talking about how nice the weather was today.

"What does your sister look like? Have you looked at her closely? Do you think she's pretty?"

Gu Yan was thinking about Fu Shiwei's stunningly beautiful mixed-race face, with an Eastern skeleton and Western features.

A high, straight nose, deep-set eyes, and amber pupils that seemed to hold both honey and a sharp edge.

That kind of beauty is aggressive, making people afraid to look directly at it yet unable to resist taking a second look.

But he spoke very calmly, as if he were commenting on something that had nothing to do with him.

"Very capable, Marquis Wu'an, the pride of Great Xia." He paused and then added.

"She's quite pretty, with a Western beauty that seems different from that of girls from Great Xia."

Fu Wanqing nodded, the curve of her lips widening, her eyes narrowing into crescents.

"If we were to marry my sister to you, would you be willing? The elders in the clan would be more than happy to do so."