Yan Jinhua was in an very good mood. When the nurse arrived for her shift, she was greeted with a rare, genuine smile.

Could Dr. Tang have found a cure? the nurse wondered in surprise. 

Was that even possible? It would cause an absolute sensation.

There was a significant number of patients suffering from pseudo-atavism worldwide, whether affecting the heart, other internal organs, or even the brain. There was no medical way to manufacture a healthy, rejection-free replacement; patients could only wait for a matching donor, a chance even rare than winning a multi-million dollar lottery.

“I’ll be discharged soon. Thank you for taking such good care of me these past few years,” Yan Jinhua said, expressing her gratitude to the nurse.

“Does Dr. Tang have good news?” the nurse couldn’t help but ask.

“Yes.”

“Oh my god, does that mean…”

“A donor has been found.”

“Ah! That’s wonderful news! Dr. Tang is so amazing to have found one!” To achieve something akin to finding a needle in a vast ocean—Tang Woxue was really amazing. Genius, it seemed, really lay in accomplishing what ordinary people deemed impossible.

The nurse was genuinely happy for both Yan Jinhua and Tang Woxue, with no idea that the “donor” Yan Jinhua spoke of was Tang Woxue himself.

Leaving the ward, she shared the news with her colleagues at the nurse’s station, sparking a wave of excitement and subsequent envy.

“Dr. Tang is far too kind. Honestly, even if Miss Yan saved his life once, the sheer amount of money spent on her hospitalization over the years should have paid that debt back tenfold. Now he even found her a heart donor!”

“Exactly. We’re the most expensive private hospital in the prefecture. Do you know how much a single month costs? No life-saving debt should be this endless.”

“But Miss Yan certainly doesn’t see it that way.”

One of the nurses chimed in, a trace of bitterness in her voice as she stood up for him. Beyond the exorbitant medical bills, Yan Jinhua spent Tang Woxue’s money relentlessly. Even though she couldn’t go out shopping, she often purchased expensive bags and jewelry, having them delivered to her ward just to admire for a while before sending them off to her apartment.

They were willing to bet that no matter how much Tang Woxue earned, his own pockets were basically empty. Every time they saw him, his clothes, though clean and respectable, were all not from a brand.

“Alright, stop being bitter. Some people are just born with the luck of a princess. You can’t envy that.”

“True. Besides, she did save a life, so this is just good karma. If it were you, you might not have had the courage to save anyone.”

“…”

Yan Jinhua had been waiting anxiously since their phone call the previous night. She sat by the window, staring at the hospital entrance, eager for Tang Woxue’s figure to appear. She had even rushed the nurses to pack her things, waiting for him to take her away.

After all, an illegal transplant surgery could never be performed in a reputable establishment like this. She didn’t bother wondering where it would happen. Tang Woxue would handle everything. He had surely even arranged the disposal of his own corpse to ensure no trouble would ever find its way to her.

Securing him the moment she discovered his existence was really the best decision she had ever made in her life.

Was there really no reluctance in her heart? Not entirely. Over the last twenty years, Tang Woxue had given everything for her, resembling nothing less than a fierce loyal hound. Occasionally, she had eyed his heart, but because she depended on his money, she never dared speak of it openly. The resulting frustration had soured her temper, leaving her to lash out and abuse him under the guise of her physical pain.

“Just how much longer do you expect me to wait?”

“Is this what you promised when you said you’d save me? Just how do you plan to do it?”

“I took such a massive risk to save your life back then, and this is how you treat me? What use are you anyway?”

“You’re really useless!”

“…”

Through it all, he had simply endured in silence, never resisting, always obedient.

Even when raising a dog for so many years, anyone would develop some attachment.

Yet, a dog remained a dog. No matter how much it sacrificed, her own life was always more important. Surely, anyone would understand her.

If possible, she naturally wished Tang Woxue could live. She possessed no earning power of her own, so keeping him around would have been the best, but it was impossible.

Fortunately, she had planned ahead for this day. Using the credit cards he gave her, she had purchased numerous high-value bags with appreciating worth, as well as real estate. At the very least, she wouldn’t have to worry about food or clothing in the short term, and she could figure things out from there.

As noon approached, Yan Jinhua finally spotted Tang Woxue. He was in a wheelchair, pushed into the hospital by a man who looked like a hired caregiver.

“A-Xue, A-Xue! What happened to you? Why are you gotten hurt? Was it a car accident?” The moment he appear from the elevator, Yan Jinhua, who had been waiting there, rushed forward and asked anxiously.

“No, it was my own doing.”

“That’s a relief. A-Xue, who is this?” Yan Jinhua glanced at the caregiver, her eyes questioning whether this man could be trusted. Could they speak of the transplant surgery in front of him?

Tang Woxue merely turned his head, instructing the caregiver to wheel him into the room and then step out to buy some food. Yan Jinhua immediately understood that the man was just an ordinary worker he had hired.

Once the caregiver left, only the two of them remained in the quiet ward.

“A-Xue, is your injury because of the Long family…?”

“No.”

“That’s good.” Yan Jinhua exhaled in relief. She had no desire to be targeted by the Long family because of him. Trying to sever the young heir’s dragon horn was a grave offense; even if it failed, an ancient Atavist family would hardly let it slide out of the goodness of their hearts.

She failed to notice that Tang Woxue’s gaze was entirely different from before. In the past, his eyes had been as stagnant as death, as if nothing could ever stir a ripple in them. Even when he smiled with apparent warmth, a lingering shadow of gloom hung over him, giving him a complex, contradictory aura.

He still had the same depth and quiet charm, but something new had taken root within him.

“So, are we leaving now, A-Xue?” Yan Jinhua looked at him with expectation.

“Yes, it is time to leave,” Tang Woxue replied.

“Great! I’ve already packed everything. We can head out immediately,” she said happily.

Tang Woxue looked at her face and gave a quiet, calm nod.

Just then, the ward door swung open, and a teenager burst inside. It was Yan Jinhua’s nephew.

“Tang Woxue! Are you really going to give her your heart?” The boy was consumed with jealousy. Why should she be the one saved? She was so despicable and selfish—how could she possibly get to live?!

“Yan Chao!” Yan Jinhua’s expression shifted. She knew exactly what he was trying to do. Even though she trusted that Tang Woxue could never break free from her, his designated lock, she did not want any complications. The nurses were right outside, and she had her reputation to consider. What if they called the police? This surgery was highly illegal!

“If I told you that she—”

“Yan Chao, do you still want that new phone?” Yan Jinhua quickly stepped in front of her nephew, her glare serving as a sharp warning. “Say another word, and I won’t buy it for you.”

At the mention of the phone, Yan Chao hesitated. Yan Jinhua quickly lowered her voice to sweeten the deal. “And I’ll get you a motorcycle.”

Tang Woxue held several medical patents. Once he died, his estate would naturally fall to her. Buying a heavy motorcycle for her nephew would be a trivial matter.

Yet the promise only made Yan Chao even more bitter. Not only was this woman going to live, but she was also going to enjoy a life of luxury, nothing like the rest of them, who were destined to remain poor and die young.

“Tang Woxue! I’m telling you, your parents only went mad and tried to kill you because this woman intentionally lured them into it!”

“Yan Chao! Someone help! Cough, cough…”

“She coaxed them into madness just so she could take your heart!”

“Nurses! Cough Get him out of here…”

“It was all a carefully orchestrated play just to steal your heart! You really think she saved you? She is the executioner! She is the one who drove your parents to their deaths! If not for her, the three of you would have had entirely different lives!”

Amid Yan Jinhua’s desperate shoves and shrieks, Yan Chao’s voice grew louder, laying bare the ugly truth.

The doctors and nurses who rushed in at the commotion stood frozen, too stunned to react.

But compared to the frantic cousins and the stunned medical staff, Tang Woxue—the very victim of this grand scheme—remained tranquil. Not a single ripple of emotion disturbed his face.

“I’ve known about this for a long time,” he said quietly. He had found out the truth back in college. With so many members of the Yan family in on the secret, how could they possibly keep quiet forever? Tang Woxue was no fool.

“What?” Yan Chao’s expression froze.

Yan Jinhua, on the other hand, felt a surge of triumph. She knew it! Everything she had done was right; her master plan had not failed. She cast a smug, delighted look at Yan Chao. Go ahead and choke on your jealousy!

Yan Chao’s face darkened, and he spat, “Then you are really pathetic! Even knowing that, you still want to give her your heart? You deserve to—”

“Who said I was giving her my heart? Such surgeries are highly illegal, and I am a law-abiding citizen,” Tang Woxue interrupted, refusing to let the farce drag on. His head throbbed from the noise, and his body still ached very bad from his injuries. His friend’s dragon form was simply too heavy and difficult to please; a single roll of that massive body could have flattened him.

The thought brought a faint, wry smile to his lips.

Catching that fleeting smile, Yan Jinhua felt her heart plummet. “A-Xue, what do you mean by that?”

“Exactly what I said,” Tang Woxue replied, his face returning to that calm, distant expression. He was polite but cold, entirely devoid of his past canine devotion.

Yan Jinhua froze. Still clinging to a thread of hope, she faltered, “But… aren’t we leaving?”

“Only to transfer you to a different hospital. This private facility is far too expensive. I have other things I need to spend my money on now, and I can no longer afford to waste it on you. Don’t worry, I’ve arranged a decent public hospital for you. Out of a final shred of human decency, I will cover your fees there for the next six months.”

Waste? Yan Jinhua stared at him in disbelief, feeling as though she had plunged into a nightmare. Her dog—the creature she had trained so carefully—was betraying her?

“A-Xue, A-Xue! You have to understand! Even without me, your parents would never have been good to you! They would have killed you eventually! I only sped up the process to free you from them earlier! I saved you…”

“That’s hard to say. Without you around, whether they would have actually pushed him to the brink of death is a mystery. There were countless possibilities, and Tang Woxue might have found other paths. But because of you, his fate was sealed. You are the executioner,” Yan Chao chimed in from the side, crossing his arms and veru much enjoying the show.

“None of that matters now.” Tang Woxue checked his watch, a touch of impatience creeping into his voice. “That is all.”

He signaled the hired caregiver to wheel him out, having no desire to linger or trade words with this woman. He had initially intended to accompany her to the new hospital out of respect for their shared past, but now, he decided against it.

“I won’t accept this!” Yan Jinhua screamed, completely falling apart. “What do you mean, ‘That is all’?! If it’s not because of your parents, then why? You changed your mind in a single day! What happened?!”

The sheer terror of losing everything washed over her. Wasn’t she his lock? Wasn’t she his entire reason for living? Wasn’t he afraid that without her, he would plunge into absolute darkness, devoid of any purpose? Or was it… had someone else taken her place?

She suddenly recalled the warm smile that had crossed his face moments ago. How many years had it been since she last saw such a genuine flicker of emotion from him?

“I see.” Yan Jinhua’s face twisted with rage. “Who is it? Which little tramp seduced you and dragged you away?! Who is she?! Tell me, who is that—”

The look Tang Woxue gave her froze the words in her throat. Her face, flushed red from hysterics, turned instantly pale.

Tang Woxue didn’t care if she insulted him, nor did he care if she cursed his parents—he might have even pointed her to their graves so she could scream at them there. But to dare insult his dearest friend was to touch his reverse scale.

“While I’m still willing to be civil, I suggest you stop before you make things worse,” Tang Woxue said, his face showing no emotion and his eyes frighteningly cold. “You are more despicable and shameless than almost anyone else on this earth. You should know that without me having to remind you. I didn’t care before because there was nothing in this world I valued. But things are different now. I’ve found someone far more precious than you, someone who offers something pure, free from your filthy, twisted feelings.”

A heavy silence fell over the room. It wasn’t just Yan Jinhua; everyone present was thoroughly suppressed by the cold aura radiating from him, barely daring to breathe.

“Do not speak out of turn again,” he warned coldly. “Otherwise, I might strip away everything I’ve ever given you, with absolutely no civility left.”

Yan Jinhua stared at him blankly. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the floor, completely defeated as genuine tears finally spilled from her eyes. She couldn’t believe Tang Woxue could ever treat her with such cold indifference. For the first time, she felt true grief and real pain.

“A-Xue… I was wrong. Please don’t say such things to me…”

Yet Tang Woxue merely averted his gaze, and the caregiver quietly wheeled him out. No matter how hysterically she wept and pleaded behind him, he never once paused. His eyes remained as cold as ice.

He no longer needed to cling to her to survive like a hollow shell moving solely for the sake of staying alive. Deep within his soul, a spark of his own will had ignited, a driving force born from within rather than borrowed from another. This inner fire was nothing like the stagnant pool Yan Jinhua had trapped him in; it was entirely different from that soul-crushing sense of homelessness. It was warm, vibrant, and pulsed like a living heart—one that would never stop beating as long as he drew breath.

“A-Xue! Don’t leave me, A-Xue! Ahhh…”

Yan Jinhua sobbed hysterically, coughing until she gasped for air, her fragile organs aching under the strain. Perhaps even she didn’t know what she was really weeping for—the sudden ruin of her decades of plotting, the loss of the heart that would have saved her life, the end of the fortune she had spent so lavishly, or simply the departure of the one person who would have once given everything for her.

The doctors and nurses exchanged looks, none of them moving. They were still reeling from the shocking truths laid bare in their conversation. To think Yan Jinhua was such a person, and that Tang Woxue had been so pitiful!

Thank goodness Tang Woxue had opened his eyes in time and would no longer foot her astronomical bills at this hospital. Otherwise, they would have had to keep holding their breath and serving such a wretched woman, which would have been really agonizing.

Tang Woxue stepped out of the hospital. The sky was vey clear and bright, a brilliant shade of blue he felt he was seeing for the very first time in his life. He tilted his head back, letting the warm, radiant sunlight pour into his deep, dark eyes—eyes that, until now, had resembled a forgotten, stagnant well.