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

The two men stood at the door, stamping their feet anxiously. Uncle Fu's tray trembled in his hands like a leaf in the wind, and the medicine in the porcelain bottle spilled out.

When Fu Wanqing rushed in, the scene she saw made her breath catch in her throat, and her chest felt like it was being squeezed.

Cecilia sat on the bed, her white hair draped loosely over her shoulders like snowflakes blown about by the wind, with a few strands falling beside her cheeks.

The straps of her slip dress slipped down to the middle of her arms, revealing a whole expanse of fair shoulders and collarbone, her skin gleaming faintly in the light.

Gu Yan knelt on the edge of the bed, her clothes were wrinkled, two buttons on her shirt were undone, there were traces of white hair on her face, and several red marks on her neck.

Fu Wanqing's voice trembled, each word sounding as if squeezed out from between her teeth, carrying a bitterness she herself was unaware of.

"Gu Yan, is this how you treat patients? Is this what you call saving lives? Explain yourself clearly."

Gu Yan was stunned for a moment, then quickly stood up from the bed, her movements so fast it was as if she had been burned, and hurriedly straightened her clothes.

He turned up his collar and buttoned up his shirt one button at a time, from the bottom to the top, his fingers trembling slightly.

He fastened his belt, straightened his clothes, and his face was full of innocence and helplessness, like a wronged cat.

"Wanqing, you're overthinking it. It's really not what you think. I was just saving her; I just woke her up."

"She had just woken up and was not fully conscious. She hugged me, and I was explaining to her and getting ready to get up when you came in."

His voice was fast and urgent, as if he was trying to finish speaking before something hit him, without even taking a breath.

Fu Wanqing looked at him, biting her lip angrily until her lower lip turned white, then grabbed his wrist tightly, her fingers gripping him like an iron hoop.

Her palms were warm, her fingers were slender, but her strength was frightening; her nails were almost digging into Gu Yan's skin.

She pulled him outside, her steps quick and long, her high heels clicking crisply on the floor.

Gu Yan stumbled a couple of steps as she was pulled along before catching up, the Demon-Suppressing Blade at her waist swaying back and forth beside her legs, making a soft clanging sound.

The two walked past Chen Sinian and Uncle Fu without even glancing at them, her chin held high and her long pink hair flowing behind her.

Chen Sinian opened his mouth as if to say something, but couldn't utter a single word. His eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses were filled with a bitter smile, and his lips moved a few times before closing again.

Cecilia sat on the bed, trembling all over, whether from shame or anger, or both.

Her face was still red, from her cheeks to her ears to her neck to her exposed shoulders, all flushed pink, like peach blossoms in March.

But her icy blue eyes held not only panic, but also a hint of calm scrutiny.

She was quickly analyzing everything that had just happened.

Gu Yan did come to rescue her. The girl with pink hair was named Fu Wanqing, and she was Gu Yan's bodyguard. Her father had been guarding outside the door the whole time.

Her brain operates like a sophisticated instrument, categorizing, organizing, and storing this information before emotions take center stage.

For a moment, she wanted to call out to Gu Yan, to ask him to stay and explain, to ask him what had just happened, and to ask him who that pink-haired girl was.

But extreme shame gripped her throat like a hand, rendering her unable to utter a single word. She could only watch helplessly as the door closed in front of her.

Only after the footsteps of the two people disappeared at the end of the corridor did she slowly lower her head to look at her hands. Her fingers were long and slender, and the touch of Gu Yan's clothes still lingered on her fingertips.

Just moments ago, those hands were wrapped around his back, fingers gripping his shoulder blades, but now there's nothing there, only air flowing through their fingers.

Cecilia's eyes shifted from shyness to anger, then from anger to calm, like the waves on a lake slowly subsiding, leaving only undercurrents in the depths.

She remembered the girl with pink hair.

The face was unfamiliar, but the way she held Gu Yan's hand was very natural, as if she had done it many times before.

She spoke coldly, her voice not loud, but every word was sharp and icy, enough to shatter into powder if it hit the ground.

"Father, Uncle Fu, you may come in. I have something to ask you."

Chen Sinian and Uncle Fu exchanged a glance, their faces filled with fear and helplessness, like children who had done something wrong and were waiting to be scolded.

They saw it clearly from the doorway: Fu Wanqing pulled Gu Yan's hand and walked straight out, as if dragging away something that belonged to her.

Gu Yan didn't struggle, and didn't even look back at Cecilia. She was just pulled away like that, and her back looked a little flustered.

Chen Sinian pushed open the door and walked in, with Uncle Fu following behind him. Both of them walked cautiously, as if stepping on thin ice, afraid of taking a heavy step.

They dared not look at Cecilia's face, but stared at the floor as if there were some incredible patterns on it worth studying for a lifetime.

Chen Sinian coughed, breaking the deadly silence. His voice was so dry it sounded like he hadn't drunk water for days, and his throat was practically on fire.

"Cecilia, Master Gu is young and impetuous. He might just be too anxious. It's not what you think. Don't take it to heart."

"And as long as you like it, your father will support you in whatever way he does. No matter what method he uses, it's a good thing that he can wake you up. The process doesn't matter."

Uncle Fu nodded along, his voice barely audible, but he still managed to say it, each word sounding silly.

"Yes, Miss, Master Gu is a nice person, but he's a bit too fast. But everyone has their moments of romance in their youth, so it's understandable."

The two of them talked back and forth, and the more they talked, the more outrageous and nonsensical it became. Cecilia's face grew redder and redder as she listened, but her eyes became increasingly calm.

Chen Sinian pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, rubbed his fingers on the temples a couple of times, and his tone suddenly became serious, as if he were arranging something important.

"Celia, I've had some tonics prepared. I'll have Aunt Tian stew them for you later. You're too weak; you need to nourish yourself properly."

"There are deer antlers, donkey-hide gelatin, ginseng, and seahorses transported from the South China Sea, the deep-sea kind, they're especially big."

"You're weak after waking up, you need to nourish yourself properly, especially that... that area, you can't let it become a chronic problem."

When he mentioned "that place," he pointed to his waist, then quickly lowered his hand, looking as guilty as a thief.

Cecilia didn't understand at first; her icy blue eyes were full of confusion, like a thin mist covering a lake in winter.

It's just a supplement, why point to the waist? Why emphasize "that area"? Why is Father talking so strangely today?

Then her mind slowly came to its senses.

She was well aware of the effects of those things; she had read many medical books in the Southern Study.

Deer antler is an aphrodisiac, donkey-hide gelatin is a blood tonic, ginseng is a qi tonic, and seahorse is an excellent kidney tonic. Add to that the gesture the father made, and the ambiguous expression on his face.