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

Seeing Gu Yan walk over, Chen Sinian put down the scissors, took out a white handkerchief from his pocket, and slowly wiped his hands, his movements very careful, even wiping between his fingers.

"Master Gu is here. How did you sleep last night? Are you comfortable in the room? Is the mattress the right firmness?"

His voice was gentle, and his eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses were smiling, but there were some bloodshot streaks in the whites of his eyes, as if he hadn't slept well.

Gu Yan nodded, stood opposite him, her gaze calm, and got straight to the point without beating around the bush.

"Old Chen, I'm ready. I'll go see Cecilia today. We can't delay any longer."

Chen Sinian's eyes lit up for a moment, as if someone had lit a lamp inside. His fingers clenched the handkerchief for a second, then relaxed.

"Alright, Master Gu, what are your thoughts on the compensation? Just tell me, and I will do my best to help you."

Gu Yan thought for a moment, went through the numbers she had prepared in her mind, and said them directly without being polite. Her voice was not loud but very clear.

"Two hundred billion in cash, deposit it into my account. No checks, no transfers, just the kind that can be withdrawn directly."

What he was thinking was that his grandfather needed money to go to South Africa, he needed money to buy a house, he needed money to hire someone to take care of his grandfather, and if he died prematurely, his grandfather would still need money to support him in his old age.

Chen Sinian nodded, his expression unchanged, as calm as if he were listening to today's vegetable prices.

"No problem. I'll give you 50 billion, let alone 20 billion. As long as you can save Celia, it's worth any amount of money."

His tone was casual, but Gu Yan could hear the weight in it. It wasn't about money; it was about a father's willingness to give everything for his daughter.

Gu Yan added another sentence, this time with a more serious tone. She tapped her fingers lightly on the hilt of the knife at her waist, making a soft sound.

"I also need a high-level ancient martial arts sword technique, the kind that can be mastered to the highest level, not some cheap, mass-produced book, but one that can actually be used."

Chen Sinian chuckled, pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, the lenses flashing in the sunlight, and nodded decisively without the slightest hesitation.

"No problem. There are several ancestral sword techniques books in my Chen family's library. You can pick whichever one you like later."

Gu Yan breathed a sigh of relief. Two hundred billion was enough for him and his grandfather to live on in South Africa for a lifetime. If they used it sparingly, they could even hire the best doctors for his grandfather.

Swordsmanship is for his own practice. Pei Zhanyue once said that his physique was too poor and he needed skills to make up for his lack of strength.

Just as he was about to say something more, an elderly man with gray hair walked in through the small gate of the garden. His back was slightly hunched, but his steps were steady, and he took each step firmly.

The old man was dressed in a gray Zhongshan suit, buttoned up to the top, and was carrying a mahogany tray with copper trim on the edges, which was polished to a shine.

On the tray was a small white porcelain bottle with a smooth, round body. The mouth of the bottle was sealed with a red cloth and tied with a red string. It was impossible to see what was inside, but one could faintly smell a medicinal aroma.

Uncle Fu walked to Chen Sinian's side, bowed slightly, his movements were very respectful, and his voice was not loud, but the garden was very quiet, so every word could be heard clearly.

"Sir, the ingredients are ready. They've just been cooked as you instructed. Shall we send them over now?"

As he said this, he glanced cautiously at Gu Yan, then quickly looked away, as if he had done something wrong and was afraid of being exposed.

Gu Yan was stunned for a moment. When she saw Uncle Fu's evasive eyes, her heart skipped a beat, as if something was trembling in her mind.

"What, does Cecilia still need to take medicine? She's unconscious, she can't take it, can she?"

His tone was questioning, his brows furrowed slightly, and his gaze shifted between Chen Sinian and Uncle Fu.

Chen Sinian was also taken aback for a moment. He rubbed his fingers on the seam of his pants as if he were wiping away non-existent dust before speaking, his tone still as gentle as usual.

"It's medicinal food, to nourish her body. She's been unconscious for so many days, her body is very weak, she needs to replenish her qi and blood. Aunt Tian will feed her."

His tone was natural, but his eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses were a little unfocused. He didn't look directly at Gu Yan, but instead looked at the potted Podocarpus macrophyllus next to him.

Moreover, his smile was a bit stiffer than before, and the curve of his mouth was unnatural, as if someone had pulled him up and then let go.

Looking at him, Gu Yan felt that something was wrong, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. It was like a puzzle piece had been misplaced.

Chen Sinian is not a guilty person. He even dared to cheat the Lin family and fought with Lin Zhenting for half his life. When has he ever backed down?

But the glance that Uncle Fu gave him just now, and Chen Sinian's somewhat unnatural smile, left a question mark in his mind.

However, he didn't press the matter. Asking wouldn't reveal anything, and it would only make the atmosphere more awkward. It was better to pretend he didn't see it.

Chen Sinian cleared his throat, changed the subject, looked up at Gu Yan, and his tone became much more serious.

"Master Gu, can you cure Celia in one session, or will you need to come several times?"

Gu Yan shook his head. He had thought about this question many times last night, over and over again, and the conclusion was the same.

"It's not possible to cure her in one session. Her mental strength has been severely damaged. It may take several visits, depending on her recovery."

"I can't say exactly how many times. It could be two or three times if it's quick, or five or six times if it's slow. I can't give you an exact number."

His voice was calm, but what he was thinking was that each time would cost him his life, and each time would be one less time he could take it, but he didn't say it out loud.

Chen Sinian nodded, and gently flicked the leaf of the Podocarpus macrophyllus with his finger. The leaf bounced back and trembled a few times.

"Alright, Master Gu, you can go ahead now. Aunt Tian is waiting for you outside Cecilia's room; she'll be keeping watch the whole time."

"I'll go check on the medicinal cuisine, I'll be there soon. You can start now, don't wait for me."

After he finished speaking, he turned around and glanced at Uncle Fu. They didn't exchange many glances, but Uncle Fu seemed to understand. He picked up the tray and left first, walking much faster than when he came.

Gu Yan felt increasingly strange, but she had no reason to stay and ask questions, so she could only turn around and leave, leaving a knot in her heart.

Fu Wanqing followed behind him, and after a few steps, she turned around and glanced at Chen Sinian.

Chen Sinian was still standing in the garden, holding the scissors in his hand again, but he didn't cut them for a long time. The scissors hung in mid-air, as if he had forgotten what he was supposed to do.

The sunlight shone on him, casting a long, long shadow on the ground, like a silent question mark standing there.

Fu Wanqing turned her head and followed Gu Yan's steps, lowering her voice to say something with a hint of unease in her tone.

"I think Boss Chen is acting strangely. I can't quite put my finger on it, but he's just weird. He's not the same as yesterday."

Gu Yan didn't say anything, but what she was thinking was, if you can see that it's strange, then it really is strange.