".?"
Meeting Jiang Nannan's gaze, Huo Yuhao felt his brain shrink a little.
No way, girl, you're playing it real big here.
"I... I'm a little scared."
Because of her overwhelming nervousness, Jiang Nannan's voice trembled slightly as she explained, looking at Huo Yuhao earnestly.
"You... you should do it instead."
Then she added another sentence, "I won't tell anyone."
Huo Yuhao was dumbfounded.
Is that really the issue here? Whether you'll tell or not? Are you planning to make us accomplices?
Before he could say anything, Jiang Nannan stood up from the bedside, making room for him.
"..."
Well, whatever, I've already seen it all. It wouldn't hurt to... He thought, after a not-so-dramatic internal struggle. He stood up from the chair and approached the bed. Just before he moved, he instinctively glanced at Jiang Nannan and said softly,
"Don't make too much noise."
Jiang Nannan immediately nodded, even lowering her breath without realizing it.
Huo Yuhao turned back toward the beautiful woman lying on the bed. Whether because of her illness or the lack of sunlight in the medical facility, her skin was an enticing pale, which made the faint redness on her body seem even more delicate...
No, he couldn't afford to let his thoughts wander any further. The task at hand was too important.
Taking a deep breath, his eyes became calm and focused as he gently placed his hand on the area closest to her heart.
The soft, smooth sensation beneath his palm spread through him, and the tenderness seeping between his fingers stimulated his nerves. But now was not the time to get distracted by such things. Guided by his hand's contact, his soul power steadily flowed in.
The odd scene made Jiang Nannan's face flush red. Strangely, a part of her felt an inexplicable thrill, as if she had opened the door to a new world. The sickly feeling was like poison—it spread through her heart rapidly once it appeared.
But gradually, that feeling was replaced by worry.
Through Huo Yuhao's shared spiritual detection, she could clearly see his soul power slowly entering her mother's heart. Her entire body tensed up, filled with an overwhelming nervousness that made her too afraid to even breathe, lest she disturb Huo Yuhao.
Time passed slowly, but progress was smooth. Though Huo Yuhao had faced many challenging situations before, this experience felt far more intense than anything he had gone through in his past life. Perhaps it was because of the added weight of her being a friend's mother, or maybe the intensity of the scene itself—either way, it left him shaken.
Despite the difficulty, he managed to resolve every issue within the heart with his soul power.
Finally...
Thump-thump—
The sound of a powerful heartbeat resonated from her chest, and blood surged through her veins at an unprecedented speed. Watching her mother's skin regain a healthy color, a hint of joy flashed in Jiang Nannan's eyes.
Huo Yuhao, too, relaxed slightly. However, an indescribable fatigue hit him immediately. After practicing the "Fate's Death" earlier in the afternoon, his spiritual power had been nearly drained. What little he had recovered was now once again fully depleted. The continuous drain on his spiritual power left even him struggling to cope.
After retracting his soul power and martial soul, a strange expression appeared on his face. Perhaps due to his hand's proximity to the heart, the first rush of blood seemed to reach his palm. He could feel a noticeable difference in his hand now.
". It's done."
Huo Yuhao coughed lightly, summoning his remaining willpower to withdraw his hand. After pulling up the blanket to cover her, he looked toward Jiang Nannan.
"Auntie should be fine now. She'll wake up soon. Afterward, you should use medicines that nourish the heart and lungs, promoting blood circulation. As for her diet, have her start with congee for the first few days—keep it light. Oh, right."
As he spoke, Huo Yuhao took out a small, frozen chunk of meat from his storage space, roughly the size of a palm. Handing it to Jiang Nannan, he explained softly,
"When cooking the congee, chop this meat into small pieces and add a little bit at a time. Don't use too much at once; divide it over five days, three meals a day. I'll come back in five days to check her condition."
This meat came from the hundred-thousand-year-old Blood Corroding Dragon Lizard. Even though it was just a small piece, the energy contained within was immense. Congee with finely minced meat would be the best way for an ordinary person to handle it.
Jiang Nannan instinctively reached out to take the meat. As soon as it touched her hand, she realized it wasn't ordinary. Even through the thick ice, she could feel the powerful energy within. It was clear that the meat's quality was extremely high.
She pulled out a bag of golden soul coins and handed it to Huo Yuhao.
"Thank you... can you tell me where you live? I'll repay you for the rest."
"No need for that; this is more than enough."
Huo Yuhao initially wanted to refuse, but seeing Jiang Nannan's determined gaze, he reluctantly took half the coins and returned the rest.
"Honestly, it wasn't too much trouble."
Just as Jiang Nannan was about to say something more, a faint murmur caught her attention. She immediately turned her head and saw the beautiful woman on the bed slowly open her eyes after her eyelids twitched a few times.
"Mom, you're awake?"
"Nannan... why are you here?"
The woman's eyes brightened at the sight of her daughter. Concern evident on her face, she asked, "Is it your break?"
"Yes, it's the holidays, so I came to see you. Mom, how do you feel?"
"I... huh?"
Hearing Jiang Nannan's question, the woman instinctively assessed her own condition. After a moment of surprise, her face lit up with joy.
"I feel much better! My head isn't dizzy anymore. Did a doctor find a cure for me?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Nannan looked back but realized that Huo Yuhao had already left.
A hint of frustration flickered in her eyes, but remembering that he would return in five days, her mood eased slightly.
"Yes, the doctors at the clinic brought in someone very skilled today. He's already treated your illness. You just need to rest for a while, and you'll be fine."
The woman nodded slightly, then noticed her exposed upper body. A blush crept across her face, and after a brief hesitation, she asked quietly,
"Is he still here?"
"He was in a hurry, so he left after the treatment. He said he'll be back in a few days to check on you again."
"Oh... such a life-saving kindness... we must thank him properly next time he comes."
Jiang Nannan smiled, reassuring her mother. "Don't worry, Mom. I'll make sure to thank him. For now, just focus on resting—you'll recover soon."
"Ah, you're such a good child."
After a brief pause, the woman awkwardly spoke again, "Nannan, can you hand me the clothes next to you... and maybe step outside for a bit?"
Seeing her mother in better spirits, Jiang Nannan couldn't help but feel relieved.
"Mom, are you really embarrassed to get dressed in front of your daughter?"
The woman's face flushed even more deeply, almost as if blood would drip from it.
"Alright, hurry up and go out."
Though a little surprised, Jiang Nannan had witnessed everything Huo Yuhao did earlier and had no doubts about him. The spiritual detection also confirmed that her mother's illness had been cured.
Unable to make sense of her thoughts, Jiang Nannan didn't say much more. She handed her mother the clothes from the cupboard and left the room, heading toward the clinic's kitchen.
It was nearly mealtime, so she planned to borrow the kitchen to make some meat congee for her mother. As she walked, she seemed to remember something, her delicate brows furrowing slightly as she muttered to herself,
"Huo Yuhao... why does that name sound so familiar?"
Inside the room, the woman lifted the blanket and glanced down at her rather ample chest, a look of embarrassment flashing in her eyes.
"Why hasn't it gone down yet...?"
(End of chapter)