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

Gu Yan didn't press further, but simply smiled slightly.

He turned to look at Cecilia and released Fu Wanqing's support.

Once he had steadied himself, he walked step by step to Cecilia.

His legs were still a little weak, but he took each step steadily and firmly.

"Cecilia, let me say a few words."

His voice was very soft and gentle, as if he was afraid of waking a child who had just fallen asleep.

"The treatment is very effective, and your mental strength is steadily recovering."

"You'll be fully recovered after just one more treatment, just like a normal person."

"But you must keep your emotions in check these next few days and not make any mistakes."

"Don't be overjoyed or sad, don't overthink, and don't take anything to heart."

"Otherwise, all the previous treatments will be in vain, and all my efforts will be wasted."

Cecilia initially couldn't quite listen; it was as if those words were being spoken through a fog.

Her mind was still racing with other thoughts: the pink light in Fu Wanqing's palm, and Lin Jinyu's twirling dance on the stage.

Those images lingered in her mind, like a knot that could never be untied.

Then she looked up and saw Gu Yan's expression.

That pallor wasn't feigned; it was genuine weakness, a weariness that seeped from the very core of his being.

He was standing, she was sitting, but she felt as if he was risking his life to lift her up.

This man has become like this because of his efforts to treat her; his face is as white as paper, and the sweat on his forehead hasn't even dried yet.

If she doesn't manage to control her emotions, all his selfless devotion will have been in vain.

She couldn't let his hard work go to waste; she had to prove herself.

A light suddenly appeared in his icy blue eyes, a light that was not an external radiance, but a rekindled determination from the depths of his heart.

Like a lantern that has been relit, it is not dazzling but very stable and warm.

She looked up at Gu Yan and slowly nodded, the movement small but very solemn.

"I understand. I'll stay calm, don't worry."

Cecilia actually nodded in agreement so obediently.

If outsiders saw this scene, they would be terrified.

When has Miss Chen ever been so obedient to others? She has always been a person of her word.

When Gu Yan saw her eyes brighten again, she finally breathed a sigh of relief, and the weight on her chest lifted.

He turned around and waved to Fu Wanqing, his voice stronger than before.

"Let's go, let Cecilia rest well, let's not disturb her."

Fu Wanqing quickly followed, her steps as light as a rabbit just released from its cage.

After taking a few steps, he turned back and glanced at Cecilia.

Cecilia was looking at her too, and the two girls' eyes met silently in the air.

That glance contained more than a thousand words, and then they looked away.

Gu Yan left, and Fu Wanqing left too; the courtyard returned to silence.

The leaves of the old locust tree rustled incessantly in the wind, and the red roses in the flower bed were in full bloom and very vibrant.

But Aunt Tian stood beside the flower bed, without a smile on her face.

She anxiously rubbed the handkerchief in her hand, twisting the white handkerchief into a pretzel.

The final treatment is coming up soon; time flies faster than a knife.

According to the master's plan, the medicine will be administered during the third treatment.

But Master Gu himself said that she remembered his words clearly.

If he has sex with a prostitute, he will die within a week.

No, Aunt Tian's brows furrowed even more. Last time, Master Gu seemed to have said it would not exceed ten minutes.

She counted on her fingers again and again, but the more she thought about it, the more confused she became.

Is it ten minutes or a week? Why are the two statements different?

She had lived most of her life and had never heard of such a strange thing.

But when Master Gu said those words, his expression was so serious, and his eyes didn't flinch at all.

It didn't sound like a joke; the tone of his voice was serious, and every word was pronounced clearly and firmly.

Aunt Tian switched the handkerchief from her left hand to her right hand, and then from her right hand to her left hand.

My mind is a mess, like a ball of yarn that's been scratched by a cat.

Just as she was lost in thought, a clear, cold voice rang out.

"Aunt Tian."

Cecilia, sitting in her wheelchair, had turned around at some point.

Her gaze was calm, her icy blue eyes steadily fixed on Aunt Tian's face.

That gaze made Aunt Tian's heart leap.

"Miss, please feel free to ask me anything. I will tell you if I know the answer."

Cecilia was silent for a moment, and then the wind in the courtyard suddenly stopped.

The leaves of the old locust tree have stopped rustling, and the air is so quiet that you can hear the dripping of water from the kitchen faucet in the distance.

Then she spoke, her voice not loud, but every word carried a weighty weight that could not be ignored.

"Aunt Tian, ​​what was the price Gu Yan paid for treating me?"

"You know that, right?"

Her eyes were fixed on Aunt Tian, ​​her icy blue pupils like two mirrors that never lied.

Aunt Tian's hand holding the handkerchief froze in mid-air, and sweat suddenly broke out on her back.

Aunt Tian stood there, her handkerchief twisted into a pretzel between her fingers.

Her lips moved several times, but she couldn't utter a single word.

"I, this old woman, why are you suddenly asking about this, Miss?"

Cecilia didn't speak, she just watched her quietly.

There was neither urging nor threat in his icy blue eyes.

But that gaze made Aunt Tian more uneasy than any interrogation.

"Aunt Tian, ​​you watched me grow up since I was a child."

"When my mother passed away, you held my hand and kept vigil in the mourning hall."

"When I had a high fever and was delirious, it was because you hadn't slept for three days."

"I consider you like a second mother, so tell me the truth."

Aunt Tian's eyes immediately reddened.

She bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Miss, please don't ask. Master Gu told me not to say."

Cecilia's voice trembled slightly.

"Aunt Tian, ​​I'm begging you."

The words, spoken by Cecilia, carried more weight than anything else.

Aunt Tian could no longer hold back her tears, which streamed down her aged face.

"Master Gu... he risked his life to save you, Miss."

"Each treatment consumes one lifespan."

"How much longer does Master Gu have to live?"

Cecilia's breathing suddenly stopped.

He was frozen in his wheelchair as if struck by lightning.

It felt like an invisible hand was gripping my chest tightly.

Then tears silently welled up in her icy blue eyes.

Drop by drop, it fell onto the off-white skirt.

The light blue flowers embroidered on the hem of her skirt were soaked with water.

"I...I should have known..."

She cried silently, but her shoulders were trembling violently.

Tears streamed down my face like beads from a broken string, and I couldn't stop them.

In the dark corridor, an old priest sighed softly.

He turned and walked away, his steps much slower than usual.

The maid who was wiping the vase stopped, and her eyes reddened.

A young maid turned away and secretly wiped away her tears.

The entire Chen family mansion seemed to be infected by the sound of crying.

The air was so heavy it was hard to breathe.