Winter in Cloud City was still as cold and piercing as ever. Although there was no heavy snow, the surroundings still appeared bleak and desolate.
Lin Yu knelt dejectedly on the ground. His clothing was thin, and his complexion pale. Long-term hunger had left his entire body frail and emaciated.
He curled his shoulders inward, as though doing so could hide his existence. His head hung low, long messy hair falling over his forehead and concealing eyes as lifeless as stagnant water. An aura of despair surrounded him.
When Gu Qingxiao found him, this was the scene she saw. Her usually indifferent heart seemed to be gripped tightly by a hand, aching so painfully that she could barely breathe.
Without time to think further, Gu Qingxiao immediately ran over, because at that very moment, someone was already preparing to pay silver to take Lin Yu away.
She absolutely could not allow this person to take Lin Yu away again. That was the only thought in Gu Qingxiao’s mind.
Gu Qingxiao steadied her breathing and regained her usual calmness before calling out to the woman who was about to hand over the silver.
“Miss Su Xin.”
The woman called Su Xin heard someone calling her and immediately withdrew the hand that had been about to pay the silver before turning to look at the newcomer.
When the slave broker saw the silver that was practically in his hands about to fly away, he felt displeased, though he still maintained a cheerful smile on his face. Looking carefully, this person seemed somewhat like Doctor Gu.
“Doctor Gu?” Su Xin turned around to look at Gu Qingxiao and asked uncertainly.
Su Xin recognized that the woman before her really was Gu Qingxiao, yet her temperament seemed different. Previously, whenever Su Xin had seen Gu Qingxiao, she had only known how to study medicinal theory, appearing somewhat dull and absent-minded.
But the Gu Qingxiao before her now had bright, clear eyes and delicate features. Her lips were naturally red without makeup. She wore a simple cyan robe, with only a wooden hairpin tucked into her hair. Simple, yet perfectly appropriate. Most importantly, she carried a cold and refined aura about her. If Su Xin had not been familiar with Cloud City and known there could not possibly be a second Gu Qingxiao, she would have thought she had mistaken the wrong person.
Seeing Gu Qingxiao nod, Su Xin knew she had not mistaken her.
“May I ask if Doctor Gu needs something?”
Gu Qingxiao did not bother speaking in circles. She pointed toward Lin Yu.
“I wonder if Miss Su would be willing to give this one to me. I’m interested in him and would like to take him back for a look.”
Su Xin knew doctors naturally had their own judgment when it came to people, but this person truly resembled Nan He. She could not help feeling reluctant to part with him.
The moment Gu Qingxiao saw Su Xin’s expression, she could already guess what she was thinking.
“For the sake of my having treated your mother before, could Miss Su perhaps do me this favor?”
In truth, treating people was simply a doctor’s duty. But today, no matter what, even if she had to shamelessly bring up the matter of treating someone’s illness in exchange for a favor, Gu Qingxiao would not allow Su Xin to take Lin Yu away. This was the beginning of Lin Yu’s miserable second half of life. It absolutely could not happen again. Otherwise, what meaning would there be in her arrival?
Naturally, Su Xin felt unwilling. Nan He’s parents had looked down on her and forbade them from associating. Right now, although this person only resembled Nan He by thirty percent, buying him back to ease the pain of longing would still be good enough.
But after another thought, ever since Doctor Gu had treated her mother, her mother’s health truly had improved greatly. Her mother respected Doctor Gu very much. Furthermore, Doctor Gu was also a somewhat famous physician within a ten-mile radius, respected by many people. Offending her would bring no benefit.
Su Xin secretly gritted her teeth, cupped her hands toward Gu Qingxiao, then left with her young servant.
When the slave broker saw the buyer leave, he became anxious. Lin Yu was thin and weak, and his appearance was nothing remarkable. It had not been easy finding someone willing to buy him, yet now the buyer had left.
Seeing Gu Qingxiao still standing there, he immediately smiled obsequiously.
“I wonder, Doctor Gu, if you still want this slave? His background is guaranteed clean. Don’t be fooled by how thin he looks. He’ll definitely be excellent at work.”
How could Gu Qingxiao not know Lin Yu’s background? She did not say much more and simply handed over the silver she carried to the slave broker. Then she removed her cloak and wrapped it around Lin Yu before directly lifting him into her arms and holding him tightly against her chest.
When Gu Qingxiao picked Lin Yu up, she realized that although he was thirteen years old, he was as frail as a child of eight or nine. Due to long-term hunger, his body was frighteningly light. Because of the freezing weather, Lin Yu’s body had already become somewhat numb from the cold, and even his gaze had begun to lose focus.
The slave broker respectfully handed Lin Yu’s slave contract over with both hands. Gu Qingxiao accepted it and carefully read through it before finally letting out a deep breath.
In this life, Lin Yu had her. He would not repeat the same tragic path. She would let him live a happy life.
A gust of cold wind blew past, causing Gu Qingxiao to shiver. She no longer paid attention to the surroundings and quickly carried Lin Yu away.
Lin Yu felt as though he were dreaming. Just a moment ago, he had clearly been terminally ill, unable to seek help anywhere. Yet when he opened his eyes again, he found himself back at the time when he had first been sold. Because the weather was too cold and his body had already gone numb, his mind felt dizzy and unable to distinguish whether this was reality or a dream.
Lin Yu saw that Su Xin had still come to buy him. But he did not want to go with Su Xin.
In this world, women held supreme status. He was a poor family’s child, and also a man. A man sold away by his own family had no right to choose. He felt deeply unwilling. Could it be that in this life, he still had to walk the same old road?
At the moment of his despair, someone interrupted the transaction. Then Su Xin left, and Doctor Gu bought him instead.
He did not understand what had changed, but at the very least, he would not be bought back by Su Xin.
In his previous life, he had never interacted with Doctor Gu. He had only heard Su Xin’s mother mention her before, saying she was a good doctor, though sadly she died young.
Smelling the medicinal fragrance on Gu Qingxiao’s body, Lin Yu could hardly hold on and wanted to close his eyes. But he did not dare. He feared that all of this was merely a dream, and that once he woke up, he would still be bought away by Su Xin.
By the time they reached home, Gu Qingxiao no longer felt cold. After carrying someone all the way back, she had even begun sweating slightly.
Gu Qingxiao lived alone and had never bought servants, so everything depended on herself.
She settled Lin Yu onto the bed and covered him carefully with a blanket. After gently coaxing him into closing his eyes, she hurriedly rose and went to the kitchen.
She needed to boil ginger soup and heat water. Lin Yu’s body was weak now, so falling sick was inevitable. She could only try to prevent it in advance and lessen some of his suffering.
She also needed to cook porridge. When she had briefly taken his pulse earlier, she discovered that Lin Yu’s body was far too weak. He had been starving for quite a long time and was suffering from severe malnutrition. She could only start by feeding him porridge and slowly nourishing his body back to health.
Lin Yu’s consciousness was hazy. In his dazed state, he vaguely felt someone coaxing him to eat something. The voice sounded as though it drifted from far away, so gentle and tender.
Lin Yu thought, had he ascended to heaven? Otherwise, why would someone care about a worthless life like his?
After bustling around for quite a while, Gu Qingxiao finally finished boiling the ginger soup first. Lin Yu had practically lost consciousness already, so she could only slowly coax him while feeding him some ginger soup.
After feeding him a small bowl of ginger soup, Gu Qingxiao paused. Looking at the clothes on Lin Yu’s body, she went out again and returned carrying a basin of hot water. Carefully, she removed his clothing. At this moment, she was a doctor, and Lin Yu was a patient. Nothing more.
After carefully washing Lin Yu and changing him into clean clothes, Gu Qingxiao heard him continuously murmuring that he was cold. She no longer cared about the propriety between men and women. Lin Yu’s life was more important.
Thus, she climbed onto the bed and held Lin Yu in her arms before covering them properly with the blanket so that his body could sweat out the cold.