For the next few days, Ye Tinglan slept most of the time, and his wounds healed at a visibly rapid pace.
Like a cocoon slowly transforming into a butterfly, Feng Yinwan knew his suffering was immense, yet she didn't know how to alleviate his pain. Yu Che had explicitly stated that with the Samsara Gu inside him, she could not use any medicine.
Compared to her overflowing anxiety, Ye Tinglan seemed to manage himself far better.
When she asked daily, "Do you feel any better?" he would patiently reply, "Yes." And when he woke up in the evening, he would hold her hand and say he wasn't uncomfortable at all.
Feng Yinwan knew he was trying to put her at ease. However, the ten-day deadline felt like an ordeal, and the countless times he had secretly coughed up blood behind her back felt like sharp blades continually piercing her heart.
By the evening of the tenth day, this vague unease had amplified infinitely, accompanied by a hidden, burgeoning anticipation.
As the sun set, the first commotion arose within the sect. Jian Ye rode a swift horse, bringing news of Feng Jin'chen.
"Please rest assured, Miss. The young master is currently staying at the Immortal Medicine Sect. He is safe."
Feng Yinwan's heart, suspended for days, finally found a sliver of solace.
She flipped through the letter Jian Ye had brought. It read:
[Qixiu, that useless brat, can't even defeat a mere old man. He's such an embarrassment to our Xuanmen!]
She chuckled, almost seeing Feng Jin'chen's displeased little face through the handwriting.
Pausing for a moment, she continued reading and saw:
[Mother, everyone here is so strange! When are you coming to pick me up? Sob, sob, I'm so scared...]
Did the old man help him that much?
It was indeed quite strange.
Feng Yinwan recalled her own experiences within the Immortal Medicine Sect and felt a pang of mingled amusement and exasperation.
The final section was written by Qixiu, roughly stating that he was injured and couldn't mobilize his internal energy, otherwise, he would have brought the boy back already.
He then reassured them not to worry. While the people at the Immortal Medicine Sect were eccentric and difficult to deal with, they would not harm Feng Jin'chen, so they should relax.
The handwriting on the letter was crooked, with some strokes that jutted out rather abruptly.
Feng Yinwan could almost imagine the two of them wrestling for the brush as they wrote the letter.
As she smiled wistfully, a light cough sounded from the bed. She immediately looked up and saw Ye Tinglan had awakened from his slumber. He was leaning against the headboard, his gaze silently and tenderly fixed on her.
Feng Yinwan faltered for a moment, then approached with the letter in her hand.
"Why didn't you call me when you woke up?"
"Seeing you engrossed, I couldn't bear to disturb you."
The warm, golden afterglow spilled in from the window. Holding the letter, she smiled gently, a picture of peace.
Feng Yinwan's eyes flickered slightly at his words. She raised the letter and handed it to him, "Jin'chen sent it."
Ye Tinglan had guessed as much. Upon hearing her words, he took the letter, but his expression tensed further.
Sensing his change, Feng Yinwan asked with doubt, "What's wrong?"
Ye Tinglan looked up, his usually composed face showing a hint of awkwardness. "Will Jin'chen like me... as his father?"
Feng Yinwan was momentarily stunned.
Yes. Previously, she had never mentioned anything about Ye Tinglan, coupled with Qixiu's convoluted gossip, which had led Feng Jin'chen to believe for a long time that his biological father was an utterly wicked person.
And the events at Prince Mo's mansion had only deepened his misunderstanding of Ye Tinglan.
If he knew Ye Tinglan was his biological father, what would his reaction be?
The atmosphere in the room froze, with only the tranquil sunset flowing silently.
Ye Tinglan's heart sank as if weighed down by a massive stone.
Suddenly, his hand was clasped.
Feng Yinwan's eyes reflected his, her gaze filled with immense determination.
"He will."
She said, "It was you who were absent from his life before, and I, as his mother, failed to teach him correctly. Now that you are here, he will come to understand what a father is, and I will diligently guide him."
The room was bathed in the warm yellow hue of the setting sun. She looked at him intently, a smile blooming at the corners of her lips.
"Don't worry. When you're better, we'll go to the Immortal Medicine Sect together to bring him back."