Seeing the lingering smile on Luo Yuchen's face, Yuen Mui couldn't help asking.
Luo Yuchen raised an eyebrow, produced the pale blue Advanced Enhancer from his pocket, and said, "I found medicine that can stabilize your heart. Isn't that something to be happy about?"
Yuen Mui was taken aback, then gave a wry smile. "Is that all?"
She paused, then shook her head. "Forget it. I know you mean well, but over the years, I've tried practically every medicine there is. None of them work. I appreciate the thought, but I don't want you to be disappointed later. I'd better... not take it..."
Luo Yuchen's face turned stern. "You haven't even tried it, so how do you know it won't work? Be good and drink it. You'll know soon enough whether it works or not..."
Not having the heart to refuse him, Yuen Mui smiled, took the vial from Luo Yuchen's hand, uncapped it, and drank it down in one gulp without hesitation.
Once she truly loved someone, she paid no heed to the consequences. Even if Luo Yuchen had handed her poison, she would have drunk it all the same.
If Luo Yuchen truly wanted to kill her, holding a gun and firing a bullet straight through her heart, she would still convince herself that the gun had misfired and that it wasn't his fault at all.
When she was foolish, she could be foolish to such an extent.
But was this not also a form of profound devotion?
Sometimes, fortune truly favors the simple-hearted.
Yuen Mui was not foolish; on the contrary, she was quite shrewd.
But because she had met Luo Yuchen, good fortune had found its way to her.
"Wait, what do you mean stabilize her heart? What's going on? Sister Mei has... has heart disease?"
Standing to the side, So Ah-sai finally registered what was happening, her eyes darting in disbelief as she asked.
How had she not noticed all these days?
Why hadn't anyone told her?
How could Yuen Mui act as if nothing were wrong day in and day out?
Just how much optimism did that take?
So Ah-sai was stunned.
Hearing this completely dazed her.
Even though they were rivals in love, the way Yuen Mui carried herself and the kindness she had shown had long led So Ah-sai to view her as her dearest sister—closer than blood.
Hearing this thunderbolt of news out of nowhere was something So Ah-sai simply could not accept.
"Sister-in-law has congenital heart disease. The incurable kind..." Tian Yang'en said softly.
"Wait, why... why didn't you guys tell me..." As reality sank in, tears welled in So Ah-sai's eyes, and her voice trembled on the verge of sobbing.
Tian Yang'en shook her head. "Sister-in-law told us not to. She said ignorance is bliss. That way, if she passed away, you would only grieve from that moment on, rather than living in constant worry beforehand..."
"She's so silly..."
So Ah-sai stamped her foot, unable to hold back the tears streaming from her pretty eyes. "Even at a time like this, she's still worrying about other people's feelings! Is she stupid or what?"
"Huh?"
Right then, Yuen Mui let out a gasp of surprise, her eyes blinking as she stared at Luo Yuchen in utter disbelief.
Having downed the pale blue potion, she felt a penetrating warmth surge through her internal organs and spread to every limb and bone, enveloping her in a soothing, cozy sensation.
Her heart, which had frequently flared with discomfort, instantly seemed freed of pain, pulsing with vibrant life.
It felt as if she hadn't experienced such a strong, powerful heartbeat in years!
"This... this is..."
Yuen Mui looked at Luo Yuchen. Overcome with joy, she found herself at a loss for words, reduced to incoherence.
Did this medicine really work?
As the moments passed, not only her heart, but her internal organs, limbs, and bones were all revitalized, feeling better than ever before.
Furthermore, Yuen Mui noticed a sludgy, foul-smelling substance oozing from her arms and other parts of her skin.
At that moment, Yuen Mui gagged. Had she not wanted answers so badly, she would have rushed straight into the bathroom to wash herself clean.
"Can you feel your heart steadying and your pulse returning to normal?" Luo Yuchen asked with a smile.
"Ah! It really worked!"
Hearing this, So Ah-sai, who had been watching tensely, became even more excited than Yuen Mui. She shrieked, "Does that mean Sister Mei's congenital heart disease is cured?"
Tian Yang'en was also overjoyed and asked, "Brother Chen, did you really find medicine to cure Sister-in-law? Will her heart condition never flare up again?"
Listening to them, Yuen Mui also looked at Lok Yu-chen with immense tension and anticipation.
Luo Yuchen shook his head, then nodded. "You're half right..."
"Aiya, what's that supposed to mean? Hurry up and explain! You're killing me with suspense..." So Ah-sai urged him repeatedly, nearly going frantic.
Luo Yuchen pointed at her with a chuckle. "What are you in such a rush for? It's not like I wasn't going to tell you. Can't you stay calm? And wipe your tears—a grown woman like you, crying like a child!"
"None of your business! Can't I worry about Sister Mei? Hurry up and spill it! Stop dragging your feet!" So Ah-sai wiped her tears and rolled her eyes.
Seeing So Ah-sai's tear-streaked face, Yuen Mui knew her concern was genuine, and a warm feeling flooded her heart.
To have such a sister was enough to make this life worth living.
Even if she had to share his love in the future, she was willing.
Luo Yuchen smiled and looked at Yuen Mui. "Mui'er, I promised I would find a way to solve your congenital heart condition. For now, consider half of that promise fulfilled. This potion will stabilize your heart for at least three years. Within these three years, your condition will definitely not relapse..."
"Huh? Only three years?" So Ah-sai asked in alarm. "What happens after three years?"
Yuen Mui shook her head and smiled. "Three years is already more than enough for me. If I really don't suffer any episodes for three years, I'd gladly trade a lifetime for those three years. It's far better than living in helpless anxiety, never knowing when my time will come. I don't want to live like that anymore. Having a definite timeframe is infinitely better than dreading the day the Grim Reaper comes knocking."
"But..." So Ah-sai grew anxious.
Luo Yuchen waved a hand to interrupt her. "I haven't finished speaking. What are you rushing for?"
So Ah-sai had no choice but to keep quiet and listen.
"This potion only stabilizes your heart for about three years," Luo Yuchen explained. "Later on, there will be another medicine that can cure your heart disease once and for all. But we'll have to wait a while for it—probably around two to three years. When that time comes, you'll make a full recovery and never relapse again..."
Pausing, he gazed deeply at Yuen Mui and said tenderly, "I will fulfill every promise I made to you. Didn't you agree to stay by my side until the very end?"
Seeing her own reflection in Lok Yu-chen's deep eyes, Yuen Mui nodded vigorously, her smile blooming like a flower.
With a man like this by her side, what more could a woman ask for?
Watching their deep affection, So Ah-sai couldn't help feeling a twinge of jealousy.
But thinking of how well Yuen Mui treated her, how Lok Yu-chen genuinely cared for her, and how she had essentially inserted herself between them, she felt a pang of guilt. Then again, Yuen Mui had tacitly accepted it, and she truly loved Lok Yu-chen herself. In pursuing her own happiness, she found peace with the situation.
Perhaps this was fine too.
At least this was the happiness she had pursued, a choice of her own making.
Having one... er, two bosom sisters might not be so bad after all.
Tian Yang'en didn't share So Ah-sai's tangled thoughts.
Seeing that Yuen Mui was safe for now, and witnessing the deep love between Luo Yuchen and Yuen Mui, Tian Yang'en was moved.
To have someone like Luo Yuchen—who never gave up, who would move heaven and earth to find a cure for the woman he loved with unyielding devotion—was a lifetime's blessing.
This only strengthened the resolve in her heart.
Hadn't Second Brother said that when a man chases a woman, there is a mountain between them, but when a woman chases a man, there is only a layer of gauze?
It seemed it was time for her to make a move!
Just like So Ah-sai.
In fact, over the past few days, Tian Yang'en had noticed a few telltale signs herself; she just hadn't voiced them.
In the warm atmosphere, Yuen Mui wanted to throw herself into Luo Yuchen's embrace, but seeing the foul-smelling grime oozing from her arms and skin, she held back.
The most pressing matter was to get cleaned up.
Before leaving, however, she couldn't help asking curiously, "Luo Yuchen, where did you find this... er, this potion? How could such a miraculous medicine even exist?"
She had consulted Doctors everywhere and taken countless medications, yet even the world's leading Doctor had declared her congenital heart disease incurable. Now Luo Yuchen had produced a vial out of nowhere and claimed it could stabilize her heart—how could she not be curious and astonished?
Most importantly, it genuinely seemed to work.
Her own body's reaction was undeniable.
And this sludge-like grime seeping out—could it be toxins being purged from her body?
Wasn't this a classic trope in wuxia novels?
Once one cultivated profound internal martial arts, the body would expel impurities, leaving the person revitalized and looking far younger.
Could this potion possess the same effects as internal cultivation?
Yuen Mui's imagination ran wild, drifting into thoughts of martial arts.
While she wasn't entirely correct, her guess wasn't completely off the mark either.
So Ah-sai and Tian Yang'en also stared at Luo Yuchen, clearly eager to know.
Luo Yuchen smiled and said, "You all know I practice ancient martial arts, specifically ancient Baji Quan. Since I practice martial arts, I must have a master. This potion was given to me by my master. As you might know, ancient martial arts have always been closely tied to medicine. My master possesses boundless knowledge and divine medical skills. Years ago, he began researching the marrow-cleansing elixirs of antiquity. The vial I gave you is the culmination of his life's work—you could call it a successful prototype from the initial stages. This first vial, which is also the only one in existence right now, was used to treat you..."
A white lie.
After some thought, Luo Yuchen decided against telling them about the pay-to-win system.
Some secrets were better kept to himself; there was no need to share everything.
"Huh? Your master is that incredible?" So Ah-sai's eyes went wide, looking as if she were listening to a fairy tale.
"Where else do you think my martial arts came from? Medicine and martial arts share common roots, so it's hardly something strange. Isn't that right, Xiao'en?" Luo Yuchen said with a grin.