Ye Qingling raised her head and looked intently at Yan Ning:

"Yan Ning, thank you."

Yan Ning put down her bowl and waved her hand.

"Hey, why are you saying all this?"

She spoke casually but sincerely, "No matter who it is, I would have helped them in that situation. It's a small matter, don't worry about it."

Ye Qingling nodded and remained silent for a while.

As if she had made up her mind, she asked again:

"Actually... I can tell that Mr. Xie treats you very differently."

She looked into Yan Ning's eyes. "And what about you? How do you...feel for him?"

Yan Ning was stunned.

This problem came so suddenly!

She lowered her head, her fingers rubbing the rim of the bowl.

She opened her mouth, then closed it again.

After a long while, she said somewhat vaguely:

"I...I can't really explain it...It feels a bit complicated, I can't put it into words..."

Seeing his conflicted expression, Ye Qingling smiled gently.

There was a hint of relief and a touch of tenderness in that smile.

"I see."

Her voice was soft but clear: "Since you like each other, then don't miss out."

She paused, then her tone became even more sincere, "I will wish you all the best."

Yan Ning's mind was in turmoil.

What exactly does she think of Xie Huaiye?

Like it? That seems like going too far.

Appreciate? That seems too superficial.

It feels like a tangled mess of thread, impossible to untangle.

Ye Qingling saw her lost in thought and smiled.

"Mr. Xie has woken up too, and he's worried about you. Shall we go see him? He's right next door."

"Mm." Yan Ning nodded, suppressing the turmoil in her heart.

It's worth going to take a look...

Ye Qingling led her to the door of the next room.

He wisely walked away.

Yan Ning gently pushed the door open and went in.

In the small room, Xie Huaiye was leaning against the headboard.

His eyes were closed, and his face was as pale as paper.

Sunlight streamed through the windowpane, casting dappled shadows on his face, making him appear even more haggard.

Hearing the noise, he struggled to open his eyes.

Upon recognizing Yan Ning, he forced a smile, his voice low and hoarse:

"You've come... I was just thinking of going to see you... but alas..."

He took a breath and shook his head self-deprecatingly, "In this state, it's difficult to even move."

Yan Ning approached the bedside.

Only then did they realize that Xie Huaiye's originally jet-black temples were actually mixed with a few glaring strands of white hair.

He seemed completely drained of energy.

His eyes were sunken and his lips were pale.

A bittersweet feeling welled up in Yan Ning's heart.

She lowered her voice: "Stop struggling, you should just lie down and rest."

Xie Huaiye did not respond.

He subconsciously raised his hand and touched his empty neck.

That warm and lustrous jade should have been hanging there.

His fingertips traced his skin, a look of bewilderment and disappointment on his face.

"The spirit jade... is broken."

His voice was low and tinged with sadness, "It was she... who protected us."

Yan Ning's gaze also fell on his empty neck, and her heart felt heavy.

The spirit jade dissipated to protect them... and even protected them twice.

“Yes,” Yan Ning replied softly, her tone sincere yet sorrowful, “She was remarkable.”

Xie Huaiye took out half a fragment of spirit jade, handed it to Yan Ning, and said in a low voice:

"I only found this fragment at the scene. Now I'm returning it to its rightful owner."

"Okay." Yan Ning took the spirit jade, her face somewhat gloomy.

A quiet yet heavy atmosphere permeated the air.

Neither of them spoke again.

Seeing Xie Huaiye's weak state, Yan Ning wanted to say something to comfort him.

I don't know where to begin.

The words Ye Qingling just said to her.

This made her feel a little uneasy.

Even Ye Qingling could tell that Xie Huaiye's feelings for her were different.

Could it be... that he really is?

Is he interested in her?

"Bang bang bang!"

Just then, a series of urgent knocks sounded on the door.

Yan Ning was startled, and her chaotic thoughts vanished instantly.

"Sister Ning! Young Master Xie! Are you inside? Are you still alive?"

Sun Wuji's signature loud voice pierced through the door panel.

Immediately afterwards, he pushed the door open casually.

He burst in, all flustered and energetic.

His hair was still a bit messy, but his eyes were surprisingly bright, clearly indicating that he had just sobered up and was full of energy.

He was followed by a hovering drone.

The buzzing sound of the aircraft immediately filled the room.

Holy crap! We finally found it!

【Young Master Xie!!! What happened to your hair?! Did it turn white overnight?!】

[Ah! Sister Ning's face is frighteningly pale!]

What happened after the live stream went black last night?! I'm so worried!

Is this a post-war scene? The atmosphere feels so heavy...

The drone's camera faithfully captured the scene.

The live stream chat exploded instantly.

A dense stream of shocks and questions rolled by.

Sun Wuji didn't even look at the comments.

He widened his eyes and pointed exaggeratedly at Xie Huaiye on the bed and Yan Ning standing:

"My God! You two look completely drained after just one night!"

"Young Master Xie, your hairstyle... is quite trendy, is it highlighted?"

He pointed to the few strands of white hair at Xie Huaiye's temples.

His tone was full of unbelievable mockery.

He moved closer to Yan Ning, reeking of alcohol from the previous night.

He lowered his voice and said mysteriously:

"I heard it from Miss Ye! Sister Ning, you're amazing! You took on a thousand-year-old fox demon one-on-one? And you won?"

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