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

At this moment, Cecilia put down her coffee cup, the bottom of the white porcelain cup gently tapping on the table with a crisp sound. Her icy blue eyes looked at Gu Yan, her voice very calm.

"Why are you back? Aren't you going to watch Lin Jinyu dance? Don't you love watching her dance the most?"

Her tone was unreadable, as if she were asking about the weather or flipping through an old book she hadn't read in a long time.

Gu Yan was dumbfounded, as if struck by lightning, her mouth agape, and she almost dropped the osmanthus cake in her hand onto the table.

He thought Cecilia would ask about their embrace the day before, or even question him about why he took advantage of her and why he held her while she was unconscious.

To his surprise, her first question was about Lin Jinyu's dancing. This was completely unexpected, and he couldn't quite process it.

He breathed a sigh of relief, and his tense shoulders slowly relaxed, but at the same time, an indescribable bittersweet feeling welled up inside him.

Cecilia did want to blame Gu Yan. Anyone would be angry about what happened yesterday. Being held so tightly with their bodies pressed together, who wouldn't be annoyed?

But when she woke up in the morning, she thought about it for a long time. She sat on the bed alone, watching the sky gradually lighten outside the window, and sorted out the whole story.

Gu Yan saved her, risking his life to save her. She could vaguely feel that life-consuming sensation while she was unconscious, as if something was being drawn out of her body.

Moreover, he returned to Shanglu for her sake. Lin Jinyu, that madwoman, would not let him go easily; that blonde woman's possessiveness was outrageously strong.

This shows that Gu Yan found a way to escape from Lin Jinyu's side on her own, and it was for her sake, for a porcelain doll that can't laugh or talk.

Her heart was pounding wildly at that moment, like a little deer was rushing around inside, making her whole chest feel hot.

So she didn't want to bring up yesterday's events, nor did she want to question him. She just wanted to ask him why he came back and why he was willing to take such a big risk for her.

Do you like her?

Gu Yan quickly answered, trying to keep his voice relaxed and natural, but in fact, his palms were already sweating.

"Actually, I don't like her that much, it's just the kind of liking you have between ordinary friends. Ms. Chen seems to be in good spirits."

He deliberately emphasized the words "Miss Chen" to create some distance between them.

Cecilia's brow furrowed slightly, like a tiny ripple on a calm lake.

"What did you call me?" Her voice wasn't loud, but there was an inexplicable sense of pressure in her tone.

Gu Yan was stunned for a moment, her mind raced, her eyes darted around for a second, and then she whispered tentatively.

"Cecilia."

Her brows slowly relaxed, like ice melting in spring, returning to its usual calm.

She lowered her head, picked up a small piece of dark chocolate cake with a silver fork, and held it to Gu Yan's lips.

A drizzle of cream clung to the cake, gleaming softly in the sunlight, while the bitter aroma of cocoa wafted through the air.

Gu Yan was completely stunned. This situation was completely wrong. When did Cecilia become so proactive?

Aunt Tian stood by, laughing and urging him on. Her voice was as loud as someone shouting slogans on a playground, and her face was full of amusement.

"Master Gu, my young lady is going to feed you, so hurry up and open your mouth, what are you standing there for?"

With the dark chocolate cake right next to her mouth, emitting a rich, bittersweet aroma, Gu Yan could only open her mouth and be fed.

Honestly, this pastry is really delicious. It melts in your mouth, sweet but not cloying, and you can tell it's made with top-quality Belgian dark chocolate just by tasting it.

Cecilia forked another piece and fed it to Gu Yan. This piece was even bigger. Gu Yan opened her mouth and ate it, chewing it twice before swallowing.

Cecilia stopped after being fed several times, then took the fork back and put it in her own mouth.

She ate elegantly, taking small sips, but Gu Yan noticed that it was the same fork he had just used.

Her little tongue unconsciously licked her lips, and also licked the spot where the fork had touched, the movement as natural as a habit.

Gu Yan's eyelids twitched several times, and her heart pounded heavily in her chest. Something was definitely wrong.

Just then, Cecilia spoke casually, her voice so soft it sounded like she was talking to herself or asking what the date was.

"Master Gu, do you like me? I'm asking you a question."

Gu Yan almost spilled the coffee she had just picked up; the dark brown liquid sloshed around in the cup several times before a few drops splashed out.

He was truly dumbfounded. He never dreamed that Cecilia would suddenly say such a thing; it was completely unexpected.

His mind went blank, and before he could even form a coherent sentence, another clear voice interrupted from the side.

"Miss Chen, Gu Yan is here for treatment, not to sell herself. Don't overthink it."

Fu Wanqing walked over carrying a white porcelain bowl, steam still rising from the rim. Her face wore a beautiful, healing smile, but her intentions were anything but friendly.

Her smile was bright like a little sun, but her words were anything but polite, a mix of softness and hardness with a hidden edge.

Cecilia's fingers tightened slightly around the coffee cup, her knuckles turning white, and her icy blue eyes grew colder.

The air around us seemed to have lost its warmth, and even the pastries on the stone table didn't smell as sweet anymore.

Fu Wanqing seemed oblivious to the terrifying aura and continued to describe the soup in her hand.

"This is made by stewing bird's nest and red dates, adding goji berries and rock sugar, and simmering it over low heat for two hours."

"Miss Chen, you're still weak after waking up. This is the best thing for you. It's good for replenishing your energy and improving your complexion. Shall I feed it to you?"

As she spoke, she scooped up a spoonful of soup, blew on it, lowered her head to touch it with her lips to test the temperature, and handed it to Cecilia.

Her movements were as natural as if she were taking care of her own sister, but what lay beneath that smile was something only women could understand.

Cecilia was acting strangely; her knuckles were turning white as she gripped the armrests of her wheelchair, and the air around her seemed to have turned several degrees colder.

Gu Yan quickly stood up and grabbed Fu Wanqing's wrist, so forcefully that it shook her soup bowl.

"Wanqing, didn't we say we were going to visit your adoptive parents today? Let's go now, so they don't keep us waiting."

His voice was urgent and rapid, as if he wanted to finish speaking before something was thrown at him.

Fu Wanqing was pulled a few steps by him, and the white porcelain bowl in her hand tilted, spilling a few drops of soup onto the stone floor.

She turned back and smiled at Cecilia, a smile that was as radiant and flawless as ever.

"Miss Chen, I'll be going now. I'll come back to collect the bowl later. Don't drink the soup if it's cold; I'll make you another one."

Cecilia sat in her wheelchair watching the two figures pulling and tugging at each other from behind, while Gu Yan's wrist was tightly gripped by the pink-haired girl.

Her grip on the fork gradually loosened, as if something had slipped through her fingers.

She originally wanted to stop Gu Yan and ask him to explain what he had just said, and to ask him whether he liked her or not.

But she swallowed the words back. When she saw Fu Wanqing's smile as she turned around, it was so bright it seemed to be a declaration of sovereignty.