Chapter 303: Eternal Youth

“Brother Gan, are you saying that Liu Yiyi’s actual age is older than she looks?”

Ma Chulong immediately drew this conclusion from what Gan Hua had just said.

Gan Hua did not confirm it directly; instead, he looked toward Su Yan, clearly hesitating as well.

As expected, Su Yan nodded. “That’s right. Liu Yiyi maintains her youth by relying on the essence and blood of men.”

Gu Yang:...

Ma Chulong:...

Gan Hua:...

Ma Chulan:...

For a moment, all four of them froze in place.

After a full several dozen seconds, Gu Yang let out a dry cough to break the silence.

“Yan Yan, did Liu Yiyi tell you all of this herself? How can such evil sorcery exist in this world?”

In his twenty-plus years of living, this was truly the first time he had heard of such a thing.

“If I’m not mistaken, Liu Yiyi’s sorcery likely comes from Feng Zong. However, it is clearly quite a step below the Feng family’s pillaging methods, though it is sufficient to satisfy Liu Yiyi’s needs.”

As Su Yan’s voice fell, silence descended upon the surroundings once more.

However, both Ma Chulong and Gan Hua knew that what she said was absolutely the truth.

Ma Chulan, who had remained mostly silent, suddenly asked, “If that’s the case, then just how old is Liu Yiyi?”

After all, from the moment they first saw this woman, she had possessed such a beautiful and glamorous appearance.

Gu Yang, Ma Chulong, and Gan Hua all looked toward Su Yan simultaneously.

Su Yan hesitated for a moment. “She’s definitely in her seventies or eighties, and she might even be older.”

*Uh.*

The corners of the three men's mouths twitched almost in unison.

Just the thought of Liu Yiyi being a nearly hundred-year-old old lady gave them all a sense of physiological discomfort.

“It’s a good thing none of us were deceived by Liu Yiyi’s skin,” Ma Chulong said, patting his chest with rare exaggeration.

So, not being lustful was sometimes a form of self-protection.

Gu Yang remained noncommittal.

“Alright, this matter can be considered settled for now. We can rest and adjust,” Su Yan said lazily, lifting her head to enjoy the warmth of the afternoon sun.

Gu Yang and the others also took the opportunity to relax their nerves.

Indeed, these past few days had been truly grueling for them.

“Let’s head back to the hotel,” Ma Chulong said, looking toward Gan Hua.

Gan Hua said hesitantly, “Su Yan, can I speak with you privately for a moment?”

Aside from Su Yan, neither Gu Yang nor the Ma Chulong siblings had expected this.

“Okay,” Su Yan agreed readily.

“Yan Yan, we’ll wait for you by the car,” Gu Yang politely gave the two of them some space.

With only Su Yan and Gan Hua left, Gan Hua took a deep breath and said in an extremely serious tone, “Su Yan, thank you for everything this time.”

After saying this, he bowed deeply to her.

If it hadn't been for Su Yan, all of them would have died in that dungeon.

Su Yan had already guessed that Gan Hua wanted to express his gratitude. “Don't mention it. I was also saving myself.”

Though she said this, Gan Hua didn't believe it at all.

With her methods, it certainly wouldn't have been difficult for her to make a clean escape.

“I haven't told anyone about the Invisibility Talisman,” Gan Hua said solemnly, also to put Su Yan at ease.

The corners of Su Yan's mouth curled into a slight smile. “Fine. Let the past stay in the past. I won't take it to heart, and you had better forget it too.”

Gan Hua’s gaze wavered slightly; he truly could not read this girl in front of him.

However, there was one thing he was absolutely certain of: she was intentionally hiding her true strength, and there was no way she was just Ma Chulan’s little girl.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going. You should head back and rest early as well,” Su Yan took the initiative to take her leave.

“Su Yan, can I ask you a question? Of course, you don't have to answer,” Gan Hua suddenly became somewhat agitated, yet even more cautious.

Su Yan looked at him calmly.

“That night when I was taken to the bedroom by Liu Yiyi, the person who saved me was also you, right?”

This question had been circling in Gan Hua’s mind. At that time, they were the only ones in the dungeon, and they were the only ones who knew he was in deep trouble. The only person with the ability to do it was her.

After asking, Gan Hua held his breath in tension.

One second.

Two seconds.

Su Yan did not answer. She simply gave him a faint smile and walked away.

Watching her departing figure, Gan Hua actually already had the answer in his heart.

On the way back to the hotel, Gu Yang did not ask Su Yan what Gan Hua had said to her.

No one spoke again; they all simply enjoyed this rare moment of peace.

Upon returning to the hotel rooms, the Ma Chulong siblings went to their respective rooms to rest.

Su Yan leaned lazily against the sofa, not wanting to move an inch.

Gu Yang poured her some water and found some clean clothes for her to change into.

Watching the man’s constant, busy silhouette, Su Yan suddenly felt as if the two of them were an old married couple.

“Yan Yan, take a shower first, and then you can rest. A bit later, I’ll have someone bring food to the room.”

Gu Yang arranged everything in meticulous detail, completely unaware that he himself was in dire need of rest.

Su Yan said concernedly, “I can handle all of that, but you should go back and rest too.”

She already knew that he hadn't slept or eaten much these past few days, constantly searching for her.

Gu Yang revealed a gentle smile. “I’m not tired.”

He was indeed telling the truth. Ever since he saw that Su Yan was safe and sound, all his exhaustion had vanished.

Su Yan waited patiently for him to sit down. “Brother Gu, is there anything you want to ask me?”

No matter what he asked, she would answer truthfully.

After experiencing this incident, she no longer wanted to hide her identity from Gu Yang.

Perhaps if he knew the truth, he would fear her and distance himself, but if danger arose, he would also be able to call out to her for help.

But to Su Yan's surprise, Gu Yang simply shook his head.

“Right now, I only want you to get some good rest.”

“Brother Gu, don't you want to know what happened to me in the dungeon?”

Being as intelligent as he was, he should have had a premonition. The reason he chose not to ask was perhaps due to hesitation or fear?

Gu Yang gently took her hand, savoring the feeling of having found something lost.

“As long as you are okay, I don't care about anything else.”

It would be a lie to say Su Yan wasn't moved; not every friend or relative could offer such unconditional trust.

Without waiting for her to speak again, Gu Yang proactively released her hand and stood up.

“So, in order to let you rest properly, I’ll head back first. You can call me when you wake up.”

Su Yan nodded obediently and personally saw him to the door.

The moment the door closed, Gu Yang, who was supposed to have left, stood outside the door for a long time.

His expression shifted continuously.

There was relief, there was reluctance, and there was also a trace of suppressed unease.

In the days to come, the only thing he needed to do was to work even harder to protect her safety.

(End of Chapter)