Chapter 294: Calm After the Storm

Ma Chulong had noticed long ago. The reason he had waited until now to ask was because, back in the dungeon, everyone except Kong Nian had been blindfolded; he had assumed Su Yan had been forced to do the same.

However, even after arriving at the hospital, Su Yan still hadn't taken off the black cloth and had reverted to her previous appearance. This was clearly abnormal.

"Some problems occurred, so I can't take it off for the time being," Su Yan answered simply.

The Ma siblings frowned simultaneously. It seemed she had suffered quite a bit during her days in the dungeon.

"Su Yan, is it really alright?"

Ma Chulan was filled with worry. They didn't know what was actually wrong with Su Yan's eyes, but no one would enjoy having their vision obscured by a black cloth.

"It's really alright." Just as Su Yan's voice fell, Gu Yang returned.

"Why so fast?"

Su Yan was worried he hadn't properly treated his wounds.

Gu Yang said, "They've been bandaged. They're just superficial wounds."

Ever since he found Su Yan, his eyes could no longer hold anyone else.

The Ma siblings could naturally see this, so they made up an excuse and left the ward.

Left alone with only Su Yan and Gu Yang, even the air became unusual.

Gu Yang knelt halfway in front of Su Yan. Looking at the wounds on her cheeks and the back of her hands, his heart ached to the point of suffocation.

"Yan Yan, you've suffered."

And all of this was because of him.

Su Yan smiled nonchalantly, "It's nothing."

Gu Yang gently took her hands in his. The more she acted like this, the more painful it felt for him.

Su Yan truly couldn't bear to see him like this, so she took the initiative to ask, "How is Liu Yiyi?"

As expected, at the mention of Liu Yiyi, Gu Yang's expression darkened slightly.

"She's been captured. She's with Captain Du."

Su Yan praised him, "Well done. Did you figure out her motive?"

She had tested Liu Yiyi back in the dungeon, but Liu Yiyi had only been cryptic, saying he was a "treasure."

Gu Yang shook his head hesitantly. He had probably guessed some of it, but such things were truly difficult to tell her.

Su Yan raised an eyebrow. "Did she want to suck your blood?"

After all, that was exactly how Liu Yiyi had obtained power from Gan Hua before.

"Suck blood?" Gu Yang was clearly caught off guard by the question. "Not that. She just wanted to..."

Before he could finish his sentence, his ears had already turned slightly red.

Su Yan understood immediately. So, Liu Yiyi's methods for dealing with men weren't exactly the same?

Could it be because Gu Yang was exceptionally handsome?

"But don't worry, Yan Yan. Brother Ma and I cooperated very well; I didn't let her get anywhere near me at all," Gu Yang explained deliberately.

Aside from her, he would never want any other woman.

Su Yan gave a dry cough; because of his explanation, the atmosphere between them became a bit more ambiguous.

Next, Gu Yang asked about her eyes.

This time, Su Yan's answer was different from what she had told the Ma siblings.

"I basically haven't seen sunlight during my days in the dungeon. Now that I'm out, I'm worried my eyes won't be able to handle it immediately, so this is a safer approach."

Hearing this answer, Gu Yang felt relieved. As long as it wasn't what he had imagined, it was fine.

"Yan Yan, you said before that I would have a 'peach blossom calamity.' Does that mean it's over now?"

His voice was so gentle it could drip water.

He just hadn't expected that in his peach blossom calamity, the one getting hurt would be her. In the future, he would have to be even more careful to maintain his purity.

Su Yan hadn't expected him to ask this. Thinking about everything that had happened lately, she wasn't sure how much he actually knew about her.

"Perhaps."

"That's good then." Gu Yang let out a heavy sigh of relief.

He didn't stand up, but instead continued to hold Su Yan's hands, sitting on the floor while leaning against the hospital bed.

Su Yan lowered her eyes, feeling his warm palms.

"You've been worried about me these past few days, haven't you?"

Gu Yang didn't look up, only giving a soft "Mhm."

"Actually, I'm not as much in need of care as you imagine." Su Yan suddenly wanted to tell him that she had the ability to protect herself and protect them.

However, her words did not receive a response from Gu Yang.

By the time she realized it, she found that Gu Yang had already fallen into a deep sleep.

Su Yan leaned forward to look at Gu Yang's exhausted face, a warm current flowing through her heart.

Even though there was no marriage between her and this man, he was already her most important kin.

***

The next day.

After three or four hours of rest, everyone's condition had recovered significantly.

As for Su Yan, she showed no signs of fatigue at all.

Gu Yang woke up in her hospital bed, and even he didn't know what had happened.

"Yan Yan, where did you sleep last night?"

She wouldn't have given the hospital bed to him and sat in a chair all night, would she?

Thinking of this possibility, he felt both frustrated and heartbroken.

"On the bed," Su Yan said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Gu Yang: "..."

There was only one hospital bed here, so...

Before he could investigate further, the ward door opened, and the Ma siblings, along with Du Jinsong, Zhang Ximing, and Tian Wei, all walked in.

"Su Yan, Gu Yang, how did you rest last night?" Du Jinsong asked with concern.

Before coming over, they had confirmed with the doctor that everyone except Kong Nian could be discharged today.

Su Yan replied, "It was alright."

"That's good. Brother Ma has already handled your discharge procedures. There might be some matters later that require your cooperation."

This case had caused quite a stir in the city, and it involved an entire clan; even the higher-ups were paying close attention and required everything to be sorted out clearly.

Su Yan naturally would not refuse.

At that moment, someone came to report to Du Jinsong that Kong Nian had also woken up.

Du Jinsong looked at Su Yan. "Shall we go take a look together?"

Su Yan did not refuse, because she knew that the first thing Kong Nian would want to do upon waking up would likely be to see her.

***

"Miss, try again. Is there really nothing left at all?"

In Kong Nian's hospital room, Kong Xiang's voice was anxious and agitated.

The thing he feared most had finally happened.

After Kong Nian woke up, he had immediately asked her to confirm if she had lost the energy in her eyes.

As expected, he received a confirming answer from Kong Nian.

It felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck him. He kept having Kong Nian try to mobilize her energy, thinking that even if only a tiny bit remained, they might have a chance to nourish it back.

But what he received was Kong Nian's disheartened response.

"It's gone. There's really nothing left..."

Kong Nian's gaze was vacant as she murmured over and over again. For her, this was an equally devastating blow.

Furthermore, besides that innate energy, even her spiritual power, which she had cultivated for many years, had vanished by nearly sixty percent. She was likely now inferior even to the ordinary disciples of the clan.

From the day she was born, she had been the most outstanding child in the family, yet now she had fallen violently into hell.

Rather than being despised and crushed by her clansmen, she would have preferred to have died in the dungeon.

The veins on Kong Xiang's forehead bulged as he let out a low roar, "This grudge is irreconcilable!"

(End of Chapter)