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

Soon the three of them left the Chen residence. A black limousine was already waiting at the gate, its body gleaming with a low-key, understated matte finish in the morning sunlight.

Fu Wanqing quickly climbed into the back seat, her long pink hair swaying by the car door, her skirt twirling around, before she poked her head out and waved to Gu Yan.

"Gu Yan, why don't you sit in the back with me? It's more spacious in the back, and too crowded in the front."

She patted the leather seat next to her, and the leather made a slight thud.

The air was filled with the mixed scents of car wax and leather, and the morning breeze carried the fragrance of roses from the garden.

Just then, Aunt Tian from behind called out "Master Gu!" Her voice was not loud but very clear, carrying an undeniable hint, as if someone was giving her a warning from the shadows.

Gu Yan turned his head and saw Cecilia sitting in her wheelchair staring straight at him, her icy blue eyes unblinking like two polished gems.

Her white hair fluttered gently in the morning breeze, a few strands brushing against her cheeks. The hem of her light blue dress hung down to her knees, and she looked as serene as an oil painting.

Gu Yan was a little confused. His heart skipped a beat. Was that look in his eyes telling him to carry Cecilia to the car? He still vividly remembered the accident when he carried her last time.

That accident still haunts him; the memory of the girl's soft body and the sudden tight embrace makes his back sweat.

He coughed twice to clear his throat, turned to look at Aunt Tian, ​​his voice carrying a hint of probing and deference, and ran his fingers along the seam of his trousers.

"Aunt Tian, ​​why don't you carry Miss Cecilia upstairs? Since Miss Cecilia is in the mood to go out for a stroll with us."

Aunt Tian glanced at her young mistress furtively, and saw Cecilia look away expressionlessly before speaking, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"I'm so sorry, Master Gu, I strained my back yesterday when I was moving flower pots, and I can't lift them anymore."

"I'm too old to be of much use. The orchid I moved yesterday was too heavy. My old back is still hurting, and I can't even bend over. I'll have to trouble Master Gu."

As she spoke, she rubbed her lower back, her expression sincere, her brows slightly furrowed, but Gu Yan felt something was off.

Gu Yan blinked. He felt that Aunt Tian was lying to him. How could she walk so fast with a sprained back? She didn't even frown when she was pushing the wheelchair, and she was chatting and laughing with Uncle Fu.

But he couldn't give any evidence, and Aunt Tian's pained expression looked so real, with her features all scrunched up, that he felt embarrassed to refuse an old woman.

Moreover, judging from the setting in the original novel, Cecilia hates it when others touch her body, so why would she agree to let him hug her?

She used to frown even when nurses touched her, so why has she suddenly become so quiet? This is not like her.

He thought for a moment and then asked, trying to keep his voice polite so as not to offend the young lady. His back was soaked with sweat, and a small patch of his shirt was dampened.

"Miss Cecilia, do you agree? If you don't, I'll have Aunt Tian figure something out."

Cecilia glanced at Gu Yan, her icy blue eyes lingering on his face for two seconds, like two cold, sharp knives, before she looked away.

She gazed at the flowerbed in the distance, where roses were in full bloom, red, white, and pink hues crowding together, their petals trembling slightly in the breeze.

She neither nodded nor shook her head, neither spoke nor made any gestures; she simply sat quietly in her wheelchair as if she hadn't heard a thing.

Gu Yan was even more dumbfounded. Was this considered tacit agreement? Silence meant consent, but who could guess Cecilia's thoughts? She never played by the rules.

Just as he was caught in a dilemma and didn't know what to do, Fu Wanqing strode out of the car, her high heels making a crisp sound on the ground.

Her long pink hair fluttered behind her as she bent down and scooped Cecilia up from the wheelchair with a swift and practiced motion.

"Gu Yan has thin arms and legs, even the Iron Clan can't lift him, his waist isn't even as thick as mine, I'll carry him, as his bodyguard I'm strong."

As she spoke, she settled Cecilia into the back seat, supporting Cecilia's back and knees with both hands. The movement was gentle, but it still made Cecilia's body stiffen slightly.

Cecilia's eyes turned cold for a moment, like an undercurrent surging beneath the surface of ice. Her white hair was pressed down under her shoulders, but she neither struggled nor spoke.

After Fu Wanqing put her down, she clapped her hands, shook off non-existent dust from her skirt, and revealed a bright smile, her amber eyes curving into crescents.

Gu Yan was secretly delighted. Wan Qing was quite useful at times. She was much more effective than him in crucial moments. She could hold a grown man without even panting.

He figured he could just sit in the front passenger seat; there was one seat left, so he wouldn't have to squeeze into the back with those two women, and he could finally relax.

As for sitting in the back, he didn't want to go. First, he was afraid of causing some trouble, with two women flanking him and asking him all sorts of questions. Second, he knew that contact with Cecilia would shorten his lifespan, and who could withstand that?

He wanted to live a few more days. He couldn't keep risking his life. Even the soft and fragrant body of a beautiful woman was too much for him. If he lost his life, he would lose everything.

But someone was faster than him. Aunt Tian rushed into the passenger seat like a gust of wind, fastened her seatbelt, and moved with the speed and agility of someone who had practiced the art of shrinking the distance between people.

She turned to Gu Yan with an apologetic look, her expression a mixture of regret and helplessness, her eyes conveying the message, "I can't help you anymore."

"Excuse me, Master Gu, the front passenger seat is where our servants sit. Please sit in the back with Miss and Miss Fu."

"These are the rules of the Chen family. We can't break them, or the master will scold me. Please understand this old woman's situation."

Seeing Aunt Tian's pleading eyes, Gu Yan felt a pang of helplessness. They were all working people, so why make things difficult for them?

He sighed and could only bend down to sit in the middle of the back seat. The leather seat was soft, but the feeling of being sandwiched between two women made him very uncomfortable.

The sound of the seatbelt buckle was crisp, like chains closing, locking his fate in this cramped space, with no way to escape.

The car started, the engine sound was deep and steady, but the cabin was eerily quiet. No one spoke, only the wind whistling past the window.

Fu Wanqing, however, couldn't stay still. Seeing a tree by the roadside covered in pink and white flowers, she patted Gu Yan's arm and asked what kind of tree it was.