Crushed Again (Sad)

"Ah, Nannan."

Mother Jiang clearly had not realized there was anything wrong with her posture with Huo Yuhao. Looking at Jiang Nannan in the doorway, she mumbled, "Yuhao is sleeping with me tonight to treat the aftereffects."

"Aftereffects?"

Hearing that it was to treat aftereffects, Jiang Nannan's expression immediately tightened as she hurriedly looked at Huo Yuhao.

"Are these aftereffects dangerous?"

"Uh..." Huo Yuhao's lips moved hesitantly. "They're not that dangerous..."

Listening to Huo Yuhao, Jiang Nannan subconsciously recalled how her mother had suddenly said she wanted to drink before. She vaguely understood something and nodded gratefully at Huo Yuhao.

"Yuhao, thank you so much for going to all this trouble."

"Uh, no—"

The words had already reached Huo Yuhao's throat, but faced with Jiang Nannan's grateful gaze, he ultimately could not say them. His mouth opened and closed repeatedly before, after a moment, he seemed to convince himself and let out a soft sigh.

"You're welcome."

"Since you're sleeping here tonight, do you want to..."

Jiang Nannan hesitated. As though she had thought of something, her face inexplicably flushed. "Take a bath first?"

A few minutes later.

Knock, knock, knock—

Jiang Nannan arrived outside the bathroom and raised her hand to knock on the door.

"Yuhao, did you bring a change of clothes?"

"I have some in my Storage Space, so don't worry."

Hearing the voice outside, Huo Yuhao could not shake the feeling that there was something indescribably strange about all this.

No, wait.

How had treating an illness turned into this?

Before long, rustling sounds came from outside the door.

"Then I'll wash the clothes you change out of along with ours."

"N-no need."

Huo Yuhao's mouth twitched. "I'll take them back tomorrow and wash them myself—"

Before he could finish, Jiang Nannan's soft laugh sounded from outside.

"You've helped us so much. I should do something too, shouldn't I?"

Then, as though she had anticipated what Huo Yuhao was about to say, she spoke first. "And don't say you haven't done much. I know a little about how difficult my mother's illness is to treat."

"..."

Huo Yuhao fell silent, quietly scooping water from the wooden tub to rinse himself.

"Yuhao, do you know? I actually feel very lucky that I was able to meet you at the Medical Hall."

Separated by the frosted bathroom door, Jiang Nannan seemed to have opened up. She glanced at the stars outside the window and spoke softly.

"Before this, I heard that a Secluded Sect could save my mother. But the price they wanted was me."

Huo Yuhao's eyes flickered, and something suddenly clicked in his mind.

Although she had not named the sect, recalling the relationship between Xu San Shi and Jiang Nannan in his previous life, he finally understood.

"So you should know just how much you've helped me."

Jiang Nannan paused, then said seriously, "I owe you my life."

"My fee wasn't that expensive. Those Gold Soul Coins were enough."

"Is that so?"

Hearing Huo Yuhao's helpless reply, Jiang Nannan's lips curved into a faint smile.

"Then I'll remember it in my heart."

No longer dwelling on the subject, Jiang Nannan spoke again. "Oh, right, Yuhao. If you can, could you come over to my house often?"

"Hm?"

Hearing something similar to what Mother Jiang had said earlier, Huo Yuhao asked curiously, "Why?"

"Mostly because my mom seems to like you quite a lot. She's raised me all these years, but I've never seen her smile as happily as she did during dinner today. So, if you have time, I hope you can come over more often. Of course, I'll pay you."

"There's no need for payment."

Huo Yuhao tugged at the corner of his mouth, stood up, and dried himself with a towel.

"I'm already happy to have a place where I can mooch meals. I'll come often from now on."

When he returned to the bedroom, Mother Jiang, who seemed to have been waiting for a long time, thoughtfully lifted the blanket and stared at Huo Yuhao with an unreadable look in her eyes.

Her feelings at that moment were strange. For some reason, although her body had burned frighteningly hot whenever Huo Yuhao touched her, she had not felt uncomfortable at all. Yet during the brief time he had left to bathe, she had felt restless all over.

It had only been less than ten minutes, yet she was already growing impatient.

Facing Mother Jiang's gaze, which looked as though she wanted to devour him, Huo Yuhao swallowed lightly. After steeling himself, he finally slipped in on tiptoe.

The moment he lay down, Huo Yuhao felt the blazing warmth beside him draw close. Like she was hugging a body pillow, Mother Jiang wrapped her arms around his entire body.

As her nose unconsciously breathed in Huo Yuhao's scent, Mother Jiang felt that strange sensation that made both her body and mind tremble surge up again. A soft moan, faint as a mosquito's buzz, slipped from her lips.

Following their owner's unconscious movements, Huo Yuhao felt the two headlights beside him mischievously squeeze against him, arrogantly displaying their rather considerable assets.

The familiar feeling of being tormented by Zhang Lexuan in the Star Dou Great Forest washed over him again. He felt like a tiny boat on the verge of capsizing in a storm, able only to silently endure the dazzling wind, rain, and towering waves.

As if noticing Huo Yuhao's restraint, Mother Jiang, whose mind was already muddled by the heat, swallowed softly and lifted her camisole slightly. Then she asked tentatively.

"Do you want to try it? Like when you treated me that day?"

Creak—

"Mom, I'm back."

Huo Yun'er, who was making breakfast, poked her head out from the kitchen. Seeing Huo Yuhao, she finally relaxed slightly. Though he was already a Soul Master, him suddenly staying out all night still worried her.

"Why didn't you come back last night?"

The memory of being run over by a big truck for most of the night surfaced in his mind. Huo Yuhao pursed his lips, his smile looking somewhat stiff.

"That patient's condition was a bit troublesome. By the time I finished treating her, it was too late, so I just made do for the night at the Medical Hall."

"Can you even sleep well in a place like the Medical Hall?"

Seeing the faint exhaustion between Huo Yuhao's brows, Huo Yun'er said worriedly.

"Have breakfast, then go get some more sleep."

".Okay."

Huo Yuhao nodded lightly. Rather than saying he had not slept well, it was more accurate to say he had barely slept at all. Now, whenever he closed his eyes, all he could see was the expanse of pale white flesh from last night.

Treating illnesses really was not a job ordinary people could handle.

Huo Yuhao sighed softly and sat at the dining table for a while. Tang Ya and Gu Yue Na soon came downstairs as well.

Upon seeing him, Tang Ya's eyes lit up. Pulling out a chair, she asked with concern.

"Yuhao, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just a little tired. After breakfast, I'm planning to go back to my room and rest some more."

As his words fell, Gu Yue Na seemed to casually glance at Tang Ya. Tang Ya, noticing her gaze, did not know why, but her face suddenly reddened. She then nodded while forcing herself to remain calm.

"Then get some good rest."

With that, she quickly fled into the kitchen as though escaping disaster and began helping Huo Yun'er prepare breakfast.

Huo Yuhao raised a brow at this, but before he could wonder about it, a fragrant breeze suddenly washed over him. Gu Yue Na had somehow come to his side, her delicate face leaning toward his neck as she gently sniffed.

A moment later, Gu Yue Na lifted her head again, her purple eyes blinking twice.

"Did you treat her illness while hugging her?"

"."