He lifted his eyes, something flashed through his amber gaze, he curled his lips, and weakly said with a smile, "I heard her calling me." Yun Ya sighed, "Mr. Nangong, you need to calm down." Yun Ya pursed her lips, facing such a pair of eyes, she really found it hard to refuse; this was a patient, and she should be patient, she told herself inwardly. "Ah Chen, first calm yourself, slow your breathing." Nangong Chen smiled, releasing her hand, "Don’t worry about me, I’m fine, it’s just that I have a new heart and I’m not quite used to it yet." Yun Ya took his blood pressure and heart rate, and only when she was sure he was alright did she finally breathe a sigh of relief. Nangong Chen leaned against the headboard, gazing out the window: "Dr. Nyx, let me tell you about my story." Yun Ya sat down on the edge of the bed: "Okay." Understanding a patient’s inner world can also help with their condition. "When I was born, the doctors discovered I had a congenital heart defect. My mother originally wanted to abandon me, but since I was the eldest son, she had no choice but to keep me. My childhood was always filled with the smell of disinfectant; I could only stay in my room, watching my younger brothers and sisters run freely under the sun. At that time, my greatest wish was to play with them." He looked out the window, his gaze full of yearning. "I remember when I was nine, I sneaked out, and I met a little girl, all dirty like an abandoned puppy, sadly squatting by the roadside. She had a pair of very clean eyes. I gave her half of my savings, and then I walked away. But she, like a little tail, followed me wherever I went. I asked her why she was following me, and she said it was because she needed to survive. I was attracted by her strong will to live, and later, I brought her home." Yun Ya thought to herself that this girl he had picked up must be the woman who d her heart, and that there was such a deep entanglement between them, just like in television dramas and novels—a melodramatic love triangle that one could guess with even their toes. "You’re as pure and clear as snow, from now on, you will be called Ah Xue," she was so happy, her smiling eyes curved beautifully. Ah Xue had no family, no friends, and couldn’t remember her past. From then on, she lived in my home, and my mother cherished her as her own daughter. Although Ah Yan didn’t like her at first, later, Ah Xue’s kindness and sincerity moved him, and we grew up together, came of age together...." "There were servants who secretly gossiped that Ah Xue would marry me in the future. I heard this and felt so happy. The girl I’d waited for so long was finally going to marry me. During that time, I woke up smiling every day. My mother, knowing my thoughts, quietly prepared our wedding without even asking Ah Xue’s opinion." At this point, he suddenly stopped. His eyelashes were longer than those of a typical woman, thick and curled, accentuating the shape of his eyes and making his amber eyes appear somewhat misty and profound. He didn’t continue, but Yun Ya could guess the rest. That day in the corridor, when the woman called out to Nangong Yan, what kind of feeling did she hold? "On the day before the wedding, Ah Xue found out. She came to confront me. She called me selfish; she said she loved Ah Yan. She only saw me as a brother; she never loved me... Ah..." Thɪs chapter is updated by NoveI(F)ire.net "She said I gave her life, and she was willing to return it to me, pleading with me to set her free...." "Heh..." He laughed mockingly, his eyes full of desolation. "Such a foolish girl. If she died, how could she love? Ah Yan never loved her. How could she be so foolish?" He placed a hand over his heart, feeling the weak but steady heartbeat beneath his palm, and his lips turned up slightly: "She returned her life to me, indeed gaining her freedom, but what about me? I killed her with my own hands...." Yun Ya was profoundly moved; this tangled love triangle ended with the woman’s death. It was fortunate that Nangong Yan had been clear-headed, or rather heartless; otherwise, brotherly feelings could have been hurt over a woman—an outcome not worth the cost. Yet the woman’s fate was truly tragic, but who could truly say what’s right in the affairs of the world? One could only conclude she got what she deserved. "She didn’t die," Yun Ya said softly. Nangong Chen turned to look at her. Yun Ya pointed towards his heart: "She extended your life, reborn within you. Thus, you are not only living for yourself but also for her. You must live well, for her sake."