Shen You’an took out a silver needle, channeling True Qi from within her body. The silver needle quivered slightly, emitting a faint, sharp hum—clear and piercing.
She returned the silver needle to its place, tucked the corners of the thin and stiff blanket for the elderly couple. The blanket offered little warmth against the cold. Shen You’an’s gaze darkened as she stood up.
A hand suddenly grabbed her.
Shen You’an turned around.
The elderly lady asked cautiously, "Are... are you leaving?"
Shen You’an sat back down and tucked her in again. "I’m not leaving."
A look of struggle appeared on the old woman’s face. At last, she slowly released her grip on Shen You’an’s hand and lay back down.
"You should leave."
Shen You’an smiled faintly and stood up to leave the room.
The old woman turned over, reached out to stroke the old man’s face, her fingers hovering under his nose, feeling the faint life in each breath. She let out a sigh of relief.
The door opened, then quietly shut again.
Silence returned to the room.
The elderly woman held the old man tightly, her cheek resting against his chest, listening to his weak heartbeat. A contented smile curved her lips.
No matter how bitterly cold the night was, as long as she was with her beloved, it didn’t feel so cold.
The door was abruptly pushed open, and Guo Cui jumped up, startled.
Seeing that it was the female doctor Wei Lai had brought over, she breathed a sigh of relief. "You scared me."
"If you have a clear conscience, you won’t fear ghosts knocking on your door."
Guo Cui: ...
What is it about this female doctor that feels so odd?
Wei Lai turned to her. "Keke, how’s it going?"
Shen You’an shook her head. "Not great. I’ll stay here. With me around, at least they can hold on for another month."
Guo Cui’s face immediately darkened.
Another month? Seriously?
"Why bother saving them? Better to die sooner and clean things up...."
A frosty glare shot over, sending an unexplainable chill through Guo Cui. Yet when she tried to trace its source, it vanished into thin air.
"It’s almost New Year’s. If they were to die before that, it’d bring bad luck to the big families. Better to wait until after the New Year."
Wei Lai thought this made sense. The old madam was deeply superstitious, and such misfortune before New Year’s might sour her mood. Perhaps the eldest lady had Wei Lai find a doctor to extend their lives for this very reason.
Wei Lai lifted his eyes to look at the woman across from him. "Keke, you...."
"Don’t worry, Uncle. I’ll stay and take good care of them."
"Keke, you can’t use electronic devices here, and the conditions are harsh. Can you manage?"
The woman before him replied calmly, "Uncle, have you forgotten? I grew up in the mountains. The conditions there were worse than this, yet I made it through."
Wei Lai felt gratified by her composure. "Rest assured, once this matter is resolved, I will ensure you aren’t treated unfairly."
"I look forward to Uncle’s support in the future."
Wei Lai laughed. This girl was astute.
Coincidentally, the Yu family was expanding their medical team. If he could push Keke into the group, it would be mutually beneficial.
Wei Lai handed her a simple phone for the elderly. "This phone can make calls; my number is saved inside. If you need anything, call me, and I’ll send someone over."
Shen You’an accepted it. "Thank you, Uncle."
Wei Lai turned to Guo Cui. "While Keke is here, you need to help take care of her. If anything happens to her, you understand the consequences, don’t you?"
His last sentence carried a warning.
Guo Cui hadn’t forgotten that "Uncle" remark. She pounded her chest and promised that she’d look after Zhu Keke.
Wei Lai couldn’t stand being in this place for another moment. He left immediately to report to the eldest madam.
Shen You’an stood at the doorway, watching as Wei Lai departed Silent Garden. The wooden gate slowly closed behind him.
All returned to silence.
She raised her head to look up at the sky. Dense clouds obscured the moonlight, the night oppressive, as wind and snow threatened to come.
Guo Cui plopped down on a stool, crossed her legs, and started sipping tea. "I say, Keke doctor, you’re a young girl with bright prospects, why insist on staying in this godforsaken place and suffering? There’s still time to leave."
"Those two old bags of bones, just let them live out their miserable fate, why take on this pair of trouble magnets? Smart girl like you, how’s your brain so muddied...."
Shen You’an turned around, slowly walking over.
Guo Cui refilled her cup with hot tea, raising it to her lips. "Anyway, I don’t have a place for you to sleep... Ah...."
Without a word, Shen You’an kicked out the stool from under Guo Cui, sending her tumbling to the ground. The scorching tea splashed onto Guo Cui’s face.
She let out a bloodcurdling scream, uncertain whether it was from the pain in her backside or the boiling burn on her face.
In her field of vision was a pair of icy, frost-bitten eyes that exuded a coldness as deep as hell’s abyss.
The pair of leather boots stomped down onto Guo Cui’s mouth.
"If you don’t know how to speak, then don’t speak at all."