When Lin Wan entered the room, Gu Zhixing was still unconscious.
She took out a silver needle and inserted it into the philtrum point beneath his nose. A moment later, his eyelashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing Gu Zhixing saw upon waking was Lin Wan’s concerned gaze.
“How are you? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”
His consciousness was still hazy from sleep. Only after hearing her voice did he gradually become fully awake, recalling everything that had happened before he lost consciousness.
Being bought from the slave trader by Lin Wan.
Being awakened by her pinching him.
The dispute that had taken place in the courtyard.
And, through his half-conscious state, seeing her administer acupuncture to him…
He had survived once again.
Every time he stood on the brink of death, believing he was finally about to be released from his suffering, fate would stubbornly keep him alive.
Was that good luck—or bad luck?
Seeing his unfocused gaze, Lin Wan had no idea what he was thinking, but she could sense a lifeless aura hanging over him.
She didn’t like it.
Raising her hand, she waved it in front of his eyes.
“Come back to earth.”
Gu Zhixing paused.
The emptiness in his eyes slowly faded as they focused on her face.
Meeting his gaze, Lin Wan said,
“Whatever you want to talk about can wait until after you’ve eaten. Dinner’s ready. If you don’t hurry, it’ll get cold, and cold food doesn’t taste nearly as good.”
She neither questioned nor comforted him.
She simply urged him to eat.
Whether Gu Zhixing was hungry or not, she didn’t know. But she certainly was, and she urgently needed food.
“As they say, food is the steel of life. Skip a meal and you’ll be starving. Come on, let’s eat.”
Under her persistent urging, Gu Zhixing finally supported himself and sat up.
Perhaps it was only his imagination, but his body seemed lighter than before. The oppressive tightness in his chest had also eased considerably.
The two left the room one after the other.
As he followed behind her, Gu Zhixing’s gaze settled on Lin Wan’s slender back.
She looked thin and delicate, yet he suddenly remembered the scene of her carrying him in her arms.
How could such a slight body possess such strength?
Only when they reached the dining table did he pull himself from his thoughts.
Although Lin Sheng wasn’t particularly satisfied with this frail future brother-in-law, feeling that he wasn’t worthy of his capable and outstanding sister, he chose to support her decision.
After all, if this was the man his sister had chosen, opposing it would only make things difficult for her.
Lin Wan briefly introduced them to one another before the three sat down at the table.
Gu Zhixing lowered his eyes toward the meal before him.
A coarse-grain vegetable dumpling and a bowl of egg soup.
Simple, but still far better than the food he’d received at the slave trader’s place.
“Let’s eat.”
Lin Wan picked up a vegetable dumpling and took the first bite.
The taste was average, but given the limited ingredients and seasonings available, it was already quite good.
Lin Sheng also grabbed a dumpling. After only one bite, his eyes lit up.
“Delicious!”
The dumpling was much softer than any he’d eaten before. The wild vegetables carried none of their usual bitterness and instead had a faint, refreshing fragrance.
Gu Zhixing silently studied the bowl and chopsticks before him.
A complicated emotion flickered through his eyes.
After a moment, he picked up his chopsticks as well.
His back remained perfectly straight while he ate, and he made no sound whatsoever. His excellent upbringing was obvious. He carried himself like a young nobleman from a wealthy family, pleasing to the eye even while doing something as ordinary as eating.
Yet despite his refined bearing, he showed no disdain for the humble meal.
He finished both the dumpling and the bowl of egg soup completely.
“Would you like another one?”
Lin Wan pushed the plate of dumplings slightly toward him.
Gu Zhixing shook his head.
“I’m full.”
At least now he wasn’t as cold and distant as he had been at the village entrance.
Back then, he had only wanted Lin Wan to change her mind and avoid buying a dying man who would bring nothing but misfortune.
But now everything was settled.
And she had even saved his life.
The debt he owed her had only grown larger.
Lin Wan didn’t insist.
She knew his appetite must have been damaged by the poison tormenting his body. Being able to finish one dumpling was already a good sign.
While cleaning him earlier, she had noticed countless scars covering his body—some old, some new.
Combined with the deathly despair that constantly lingered around him, it was easy to guess he had endured a painful past.
And if those memories were unpleasant, there was no need to dig them up.
After finishing two dumplings and a bowl of egg soup, Lin Wan finally set down her chopsticks with satisfaction.
Lin Sheng voluntarily gathered the dishes and headed to the kitchen to wash them.
Soon, only Lin Wan and Gu Zhixing remained seated across from one another.
Blinking lightly, Lin Wan took the initiative.
“May I call you Zhixing?”
Gu Zhixing froze briefly before nodding.
“Mm.”
“Then let me introduce myself properly first.”
She rested her chin in her hands.
“My name is Lin Wan. My parents passed away years ago, so it’s just my younger brother and me now. You’ve already met Lin Sheng…”
She proceeded to explain her situation in detail, including today’s formal severance of ties with Old Madam Wu and the Lin family.
The whole conversation oddly felt like a matchmaking interview.
Gu Zhixing sat quietly across from her, listening without interruption.
Only when she mentioned cutting ties with her family did a subtle change appear in his expression.
His eyes grew complicated.
There was no sign of disapproval—only a strange sense of distraction.
After finishing her explanation, Lin Wan continued:
“In one month, I’ll turn seventeen. You probably know the laws of Great Li. Once a woman reaches seventeen, she must marry.”
That was also the reason the original owner had gone to the village entrance today to buy a husband.
Gu Zhixing nodded.
“I know.”
Then he looked at her seriously.
“You understand medicine. You should also know that I don’t have long to live. If you marry me…”
He trailed off.
Though he no longer valued his own life, he had never wanted to drag others down with him.
The life of a widow was not an easy one.
He didn’t want her future ruined because of him.
Only after he finished speaking did Lin Wan respond.
“Since I chose you, it means I’ve already thought everything through carefully.”
She leaned forward, propping her chin on both hands.
“And who told you that you’re going to die soon?”
The distance between them shortened.
In her clear eyes, Gu Zhixing could see his own reflection.
Lin Wan looked at him earnestly.
“I don’t know what happened in your past, but the past is already over.”
“People can’t remain trapped there forever.”
“Eventually, they have to move forward.”
“Maybe what I’m saying sounds easy.”
“But if you’re not even afraid of death anymore, then why be afraid of living?”
“Your poison—I can cure it.”
“The injuries on your body—I can heal those too.”
She held his gaze steadily.
“Do you trust me?”
Gu Zhixing stared at her in astonishment.
He had never expected her to say something like that.
Even the Chief Physician of the Imperial Medical Academy had been helpless against the poison in his body.
Yet she claimed she could cure it.
And for some reason, when he looked into those sincere eyes fixed upon him, he found himself wanting to believe her.
After all, she was right.
If he wasn’t afraid of dying…
Then what was there to fear about continuing to live?