CFSSIR

‧₊˚ 75 ‧₊˚

"Yaoyao? Yaoyao!" When the car stopped, Shen Qingyao heard Lu Zhao softly calling her, but her eyelids felt unbearably heavy. She could sense the sounds around her, yet she couldn't open her eyes.

Lu Zhao's expression tightened. Initially, he thought she had simply fallen asleep, but after calling her a few times and noticing something was wrong, he saw her unusually flushed face. Lu Zhao placed his hand on her forehead and, sure enough, it was burning hot.

Not daring to delay any further, Lu Zhao immediately bent down and picked her up. As he got out of the carriage, he encountered the anxious Shen siblings and Cui Qiao, who had cried several times over losing her Miss.

When they saw Lu Zhao carrying Shen Qingyao, they all sighed in relief. Shen Yushu clenched his fist to suppress his overwhelming emotions and said quietly, "It's good that she's found, it's good..."

"Miss..." Cui Qiao's eyes reddened again, filled with guilt.

But Lu Zhao had no time to explain. Frowning and hurrying, he only said, "Find a doctor!"

His words made them realize Shen Qingyao's serious condition, and their hearts tightened. Without hesitation, Cui Qiao wiped her eyes and ran off. Shen Yushu, now unable to contain his concern, asked anxiously, "What's wrong with Yaoyao?"

Lu Zhao didn't respond, causing Shen Yushu's heart to sink, and Shen Qinglin's anxiety to grow. As her gaze shifted from Shen Qingyao, she unexpectedly spotted someone familiar in the crowd.

Kong Lin had a restless night, and had just been helped out of the car by Tu Lan. He noticed the serious expressions and, upon listening carefully, realized the little girl was ill again. Kong Lin coughed, but no one paid him any attention. Annoyed at being ignored, he was about to shout when Shen Qinglin, in disbelief, rushed over and grabbed him excitedly. "Master Kong? What are you doing here?"

Lu Zhao paused, looking over intently, "Are you Kong Lin?"

"Hmph," Kong Lin snorted arrogantly, but Tu Lan nudged him, pointing to the unconscious Shen Qingyao and mouthing, "Help her first."

Kong Lin hesitated, then grudgingly moved forward with his cane.

"Hmm... It's indeed her heart condition, but she also has Gu in her body, making it more dangerous." Kong Lin took Shen Qingyao's pulse as Lu Zhao held her, and after a moment, spoke nonchalantly.

At the mention of danger, Lu Zhao and Shen Yushu's expressions changed, but Kong Lin remained calm. Seeing Lu Zhao still standing, he clicked his tongue and said, "What are you standing there for? Lay her down quickly! With me here, why call for another doctor?"

He pouted, still resentful of being ignored earlier.

Tu Lan stifled a laugh as Lu Zhao carried Shen Qingyao inside. Though still worried, everyone felt somewhat reassured by the old man's confident tone.

[Host? Host, wake up...]

"Yaoyao?"

"How is she? Why isn't she waking up?"

"I've removed the Gu from her body, and there's medicine to temporarily suppress her heart condition. Now, it's up to the girl when she wakes up..."

*Sigh...*

Shen Qingyao could clearly hear the people around her, but she couldn't wake up. The fragmented words floated into her ears, circling lazily before sinking into the darkness. Her consciousness grew fainter until, accompanied by a sigh whose source she couldn't identify, she completely drifted away.

When her consciousness cleared again, she raised her eyes and saw a serene full moon overhead. The surroundings were silent, occasionally disturbed by the whistling wind, which startled a flurry of birds into flight. She found herself in a deep forest where every rustle and murmur added to the eerie atmosphere. Shen Qingyao shivered involuntarily as a gust of wind sent shivers down her spine, and she rubbed her arms, realizing her body felt unnaturally light.