The nurse, noticing her agitation, hurried to soothe her, "Please don't move so restlessly..."
"Don't concern yourself with me—go stop him..."
Of course, the nurse would never dare. "Mr. Long is beyond my reach."
Hearing the door close behind him, He Meiwei's spirit deflated instantly, a profound ache settling in her heart.
She had been the one to lose him—
She had lost him herself.
She vowed to reclaim him at all costs.
Closing her eyes, she lay upon the hospital bed, powerless for now, determined to heal before taking any further action.
"Mr. Long, you have returned," greeted Gu Lili's instructor warmly.
"And where is she?"
"She's out."
"How is her progress?" Long Yubei inquired.
"I do not mean to flatter Mrs. Long, but her memory is truly astonishing, and her aptitude for learning remarkable. I originally allotted three months for her studies, but at this pace, I believe she may complete them in less than a month."
Long Yubei's eyebrows rose in surprise. "So soon?"
"Indeed. I too am amazed. Mrs. Long is unlike anyone I have encountered."
"She certainly is no ordinary woman," Long Yubei remarked. "Teach her all you know—I will compensate you generously."
"Very well."
…
Gu Lili fixed her gaze on him. "The house in Xiliang Mountain is my home. I shall renovate it as I see fit, and that is none of your concern."
"Why should it not be my concern?" Gu Xichen retorted. "That is my mother's residence. Could you not preserve the house as it once was?"
"No. I intend to stay there frequently, and I want it to reflect my tastes. What's the matter with that?" She arched an eyebrow. "I have lived with my master for so many years. Though you are her son, how much time have you truly spent with her? Gu Xichen, I am not her biological daughter, yet I am as dear to her as one."
"If that is how you feel, then I must speak plainly. Just because you were raised by my mother does not sever the bond between us. Though our engagement was called off, I remain your brother." Gu Xichen spoke with unmistakable resolve.
"Is it really so terrible for us to lose contact?" Gu Lili could not fathom. "My intellect and worldview do not align with yours—I am unworthy to be your sister. How would it look for me to disgrace you?"
Her biting words drained the color from Gu Xichen's face.
"I apologize."
"What?"
"For ever saying your intellect and outlook could never match mine. You were raised in Xiliang Mountain without formal schooling; everything you know was taught by my mother. I should never have spoken so harshly."
She could not read his true intentions—
What was this charade?
"Why?" Gu Lili asked. "You could have ignored me, severed all ties. Is it because I married Long Yubei that you see me as useful, just as your father does?"
Gu Xichen's voice tightened with anger. "I am not that sort of man!"
"Then answer me truthfully—why?"
"I deeply regret what I said earlier." His voice was low and somber. "When my mother was alive, I didn't spend enough time with her. Now, reflecting on it, I ought to be grateful you were there. Your years beside her eased her loneliness. And about the broken engagement—I was in the wrong."
Gu Lili pursed her lips. "If Master knew you felt this way now, she would surely be comforted."