"It's Nan Nan."
Mrs. Jiang obviously didn't realize that her posture with Huo Yuhao was inappropriate. She looked at Jiang Nannan, who was standing at the doorway, and spoke vaguely.
"Yuhao is staying with me tonight to help treat the aftereffects."
"Aftereffects?"
Hearing it was for treatment, Jiang Nannan's expression immediately tightened, and she quickly looked at Huo Yuhao.
"Is there any danger in these aftereffects?"
"Uh..." Huo Yuhao's lips twitched. "It's not that dangerous..."
As she listened to Huo Yuhao, Jiang Nannan instinctively recalled her mother's sudden request for wine earlier. A vague understanding dawned on her, and she gratefully nodded towards Huo Yuhao.
"Yuhao, thank you so much for going to such lengths."
"Uh, no..."
Huo Yuhao had the words on the tip of his tongue, but when he saw the gratitude in Jiang Nannan's eyes, he ultimately left them unsaid. His mouth opened and closed several times, and after a brief pause, he sighed softly, as if convincing himself.
"You're welcome."
"Since you're staying here tonight, do you want to...?"
Jiang Nannan hesitated for a moment, her face inexplicably flushed as if she'd thought of something. "Take a shower first?"
A few minutes later.
Knock, knock, knock—
Jiang Nannan stood outside the bathroom door, raising her hand to knock.
"Yuhao, did you bring a change of clothes?"
"I have some in my storage space. Don't worry."
Listening to the voice outside, Huo Yuhao couldn't shake a strange feeling about all this.
This is... weird.
How did things end up like this just from treating an illness?
Before long, there was a rustling sound from outside.
"In that case, let me help wash your clothes."
"No, that's not necessary."
Huo Yuhao's mouth twitched slightly. "I'll take them back tomorrow and wash them myself."
Before he could finish speaking, he heard Jiang Nannan's soft laugh from outside.
"You've done so much for us; I should at least do something."
Before Huo Yuhao could protest, she quickly continued, as if predicting what he was going to say: "And don't say you haven't done much. I know enough about my mother's condition to know how difficult it is to treat."
"..."
Huo Yuhao fell silent, quietly ladling water from a wooden bucket over himself.
"Yuhao, you know, I feel really lucky to have met you at the clinic."
Jiang Nannan, now standing by the bathroom's frosted door, seemed to have opened up. Glancing at the stars outside the window, she spoke softly.
"Actually, before this, I had found a hidden sect that could save my mother. But the price they demanded was... me."
Upon hearing this, Huo Yuhao's eyes flickered, and his mind seemed to grasp something.
Though she hadn't mentioned the sect's name, recalling the past and Jiang Nannan's connection to Xu Sanshi, he finally understood.
"So, you see how much your help means to me."
Jiang Nannan paused before speaking earnestly, "I owe you my life."
"The price for my help isn't that high. Those gold soul coins are enough."
"Is that so?"
Hearing Huo Yuhao's resigned tone, Jiang Nannan smiled faintly.
"Well, I'll just keep it in my heart then."
Not wanting to dwell on the topic, Jiang Nannan changed the subject. "By the way, Yuhao, if it's possible, could you visit my house often?"
"Hmm?"
Curious, Huo Yuhao asked, "Why?"
"My mother seems to really like you. In all the years she's raised me, I've never seen her smile as much as she did during dinner tonight. So, if you have time, I hope you can visit more often. Of course, I'll pay you."
"There's no need for payment."
Huo Yuhao smiled wryly, drying himself with a towel.
"I'd be happy to have a place where I can eat for free. I'll come by often."
Returning to the bedroom, Mrs. Jiang, who had been waiting for some time, thoughtfully lifted the blanket and gave Huo Yuhao an unreadable look.
Her feelings at this moment were strange. For some reason, when Huo Yuhao touched her earlier, her body burned intensely, but she didn't feel any discomfort. Yet during the brief time he left to shower, she felt unsettled all over.
It had only been less than ten minutes, but she already found herself eagerly waiting for him.
Seeing the way Mrs. Jiang looked at him as if she were about to devour him, Huo Yuhao's throat tightened. After steeling himself, he gingerly slipped under the covers.
As soon as he lay down, the heat from Mrs. Jiang's body moved toward him. Like hugging a pillow, she pulled him close into her embrace.
Unconsciously, she inhaled Huo Yuhao's scent, and that strange, shivering sensation swept over her again. A faint moan escaped her lips.
Feeling her unconscious movements, Huo Yuhao became aware of the two 'headlights' beside him, playfully pressing against him, showcasing their impressive size.
The familiar feeling of being tormented, reminiscent of his time in the Star Dou Forest with Zhang Lexuan, hit him again. He felt like a tiny boat in a raging storm, silently weathering the fierce winds and crashing waves.
Sensing his tension, the increasingly feverish Mrs. Jiang pulled her tank top up slightly, and in a husky voice, she asked tentatively:
"Do you want to try... like that day when you treated me?"
Creak—
"Mom, I'm home."
Huo Yuner poked her head out of the kitchen as she prepared breakfast. Seeing Huo Yuhao, she finally sighed in relief. Although she was now a soul master, it still worried her when someone stayed out all night unexpectedly.
"Why didn't you come home last night?"
Recalling his experience of being 'crushed' half the night, Huo Yuhao pressed his lips together, his smile slightly stiff.
"The patient's condition was tricky, and by the time I finished, it was too late. I ended up staying at the clinic."
"Could you even sleep well there?"
Seeing the tiredness etched between his brows, Huo Yuner spoke with concern.
"Eat breakfast, then go get some more rest."
"Alright."
Huo Yuhao nodded. Rather than not sleeping well, it was more like he hadn't slept at all. Every time he closed his eyes, he could only see flashes of last night's scenes.
This kind of 'treatment' isn't for everyone.
Huo Yuhao sighed, sitting at the dining table for a while. Soon, Tang Ya and Gu Yue Na came downstairs.
When she saw him, Tang Ya's eyes lit up. She pulled out a chair, her face filled with concern.
"Yuhao, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, just a bit tired. After breakfast, I'm going to rest."
As he spoke, Gu Yue Na glanced at Tang Ya, who, for some reason, blushed slightly before forcing herself to stay calm and nodding.
"Then rest well."
With that, she hurried into the kitchen to help Huo Yuner prepare breakfast, almost like she was fleeing.
Raising an eyebrow at her reaction, Huo Yuhao was about to say something when he suddenly smelled a familiar fragrance. Gu Yue Na had somehow made her way to his side, and she leaned in close to his neck, lightly sniffing him.
A moment later, Gu Yue Na raised her head, her purple eyes blinking as she asked:
"Did you treat the patient by hugging them?"
"..."
(End of Chapter)