```
"...it really felt like being sliced and scorched, too painful to bear. And when I lay down to sleep and drank that bottle of elixir, it was as if a fire was burning up from inside my stomach, leaving me completely drained and nearly unable to move."
Downstairs, Lu Aiguo was pacing tirelessly behind Xia Yuan.
"I thought I wouldn't be able to get up this morning. I really regretted it then, thinking I should've listened to my daughter. Shitou and I can endure this pain without issue, but it wasn't right to let you and our daughter suffer like this. But waking up this morning, I felt that the hardship we've endured was so worthwhile. My whole body feels energetic, and it's hard to describe how light and relaxed I am. Everything tastes amazing. It's just unbearable not to be able to be with you."
