Kind and Filial People Shouldn't Be So Pitiful!

Inside the box lay a pill the size of a longan, its entire body a deep brown. A faint, lustrous sheen flowed across its surface, and it gave off a refreshing medicinal fragrance.

It was exactly the kind of Black Tortoise Divine Pill she had seen at the Netherworld Sect.

"Th-This is too precious... I can't..." Jiang Nannan instinctively tried to refuse.

Li Changqing waved a hand, cutting her off. "This thing can improve a soul master's constitution and awaken their potential, but it won't do much for your mother's injuries and illness. At most, it'll be a drop in the bucket. I'm giving it to you, so you and your mother can decide for yourselves how to use it."

Without waiting for Jiang Nannan's answer, he took Ye Guyi's hand while she was still stunned, turned, and walked out of the room, casually closing the door behind them.

In the courtyard, Li Changqing sat down on the stone steps and looked up at the white clouds drifting through the sky, his expression calm.

Ye Guyi sat beside him. After a moment of silence, she finally could not help asking, "Li Changqing, why are you so good to Nannan?"

She paused, her tone carrying a trace of complexity and curiosity. "Don't tell me... you've fallen for her?"

Other than that, she truly could not think of any reason for Li Changqing to be so generous.

Jiang Nannan had asked for money, and he had given her money. In the end, he had even handed over a priceless treasure like the Black Tortoise Divine Pill for free.

It was hard not to think in that direction.

Li Changqing glanced at her. He was not angry, merely saying softly, "Kind and filial people shouldn't be so pitiful. Since I happened to come across her, I naturally couldn't bear to watch her sell her body for that useless pill."

He paused before continuing, "The Black Tortoise Divine Pill may indeed be precious to others, but to me, it's not all that useful. Its value to me is practically negligible."

Ye Guyi fell silent at his words.

She lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously fiddling with the hem of her clothes.

After quite a while, she finally asked softly, "Then... if I were in that situation, would you also help me so wholeheartedly?"

Li Changqing turned to look at her face, which held both apprehension and expectation, and suddenly smiled.

"Of course."

His tone was light, yet utterly sincere. "I'd help an outsider like that, so naturally you wouldn't be an exception."

The moment Ye Guyi heard that answer, a radiant smile bloomed across her face.

It was an exceptionally beautiful smile. Under the sunlight, it seemed edged with a soft golden glow, and the joy she could not hide rippled through her eyes and brows.

Her golden eyes curved into crescents. Her face, which had looked somewhat weary from days of toil, shone with captivating brilliance in that moment.

She said nothing. Instead, she turned slightly and gently rested her head against Li Changqing's arm.

The movement was light, carrying a hint of probing caution, as though she were confirming something.

The moment her hair brushed against Li Changqing's sleeve, she felt her heart skip a beat.

"Thank you," she said softly, her voice far gentler than usual, carrying a rare docility.

Li Changqing did not answer or make any movement, simply allowing Ye Guyi to lean against him.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps between the leaves, casting mottled patches of light and shadow over them.

A gentle breeze drifted past, stirring the loose strands of hair before Ye Guyi's forehead. Several birdcalls sounded in the distance, making the small courtyard seem even quieter and more peaceful.

Time passed second by second.

Neither of them spoke, nor did either break this rare tranquility.

Inside the room, Jiang Nannan held the exquisite wooden box, her fingertips tracing the delicate patterns on its lid.

After struggling fiercely within herself for a long time, she finally raised her head and looked at her mother on the bed, her voice carrying a trace of pleading. "Mom, why don't... we try this Black Tortoise Divine Pill? Even if it can only extend your life by one more year, that would still be good."

As she spoke, her eyes reddened again. "As long as you're still here, I'll still have a home..."

Mother Jiang leaned against the headboard, looking at her daughter's face filled with worry and reluctance. A gentle smile appeared on her pale face.

She gently shook her head. Though her voice was weak, it carried unquestionable resolve. "Nannan, be good. You should absorb this pill yourself."

Jiang Nannan froze and hurriedly shook her head. "No! Mom, this is meant to treat your illness. I..."

"I know my own body."

Mother Jiang interrupted her, extending a hand to gently grasp her daughter's.

That hand was thin and cold, yet it carried a strength that put people at ease. "Being able to hold on until today and see you one more time has already made Mom very content. Since this pill can improve your constitution and awaken your potential, then use it. You're still young, and you have a long road ahead. You can't waste something this good on someone like me who is about to die."

"Mom—"

Jiang Nannan's tears burst forth, and her voice choked so badly that she could barely speak. "What use is being strong if I don't have you, Mom?"

Mother Jiang smiled. That smile held some acceptance, some reluctance, and deep maternal love.

She raised her hand and gently stroked her daughter's face, wiping away the tears that kept falling. "Nannan, my precious daughter, having you by my side for these past ten-plus years has already been the greatest happiness of my life. I can't keep dragging you down because of me."

Jiang Nannan wanted to say more, but Mother Jiang gently shook her head to stop her. "Nannan, be good. I don't want to cling to life like this anymore. It isn't good for you, and for me... it's torture too. Let Mom leave with some dignity, alright?"

Jiang Nannan opened her mouth, but it felt as though something had lodged in her throat. She could not say a single word.

All she could do was tightly hold her mother's hand as tears silently streamed down, drop after drop falling onto the bedding and spreading into dark wet stains.

Mother Jiang reached out to wipe away her tears, her gaze full of affection and reluctance.

She suddenly changed the subject and asked softly, "By the way, that blonde girl outside is your friend, right?"

Jiang Nannan nodded and gave a nasal "Mm."

Mother Jiang asked again, "What about that young man?"

Jiang Nannan was slightly startled, then lowered her head, her voice softening. "He is too... They're both friends I met at the academy. They're both very good to me and take good care of me."

Upon hearing this, Mother Jiang revealed a gratified smile and nodded. "That's good... That's good..."

She paused, her gaze turning distant, as if she were looking toward some faraway future. A faint regret colored her voice. "It's just a pity... Mom won't get to see the day you marry and have children..."

After saying that, she slowly closed her eyes, and her breath gradually faded away.

Jiang Nannan's sobs rose from inside the room and carried all the way outside...