The room door opened, and the Xia Qingtian sisters immediately stepped forward, their expressions tense.
"I'm going back to sleep if nothing's wrong," Erya said, stretching. "I'm exhausted."
"How is she?" Xia Qingtian asked nervously.
"She's entered a state of suspended animation. The蠱 worms have also become dormant again. Preliminary estimates suggest she can last for about a week," Miao Tong looked much more reliable than Erya. His brow was also filled with exhaustion, but he still earnestly instructed, "During this state of suspended animation, she cannot drink water or eat. Try to minimize movement. As long as her body temperature doesn't drop rapidly, there won't be any major problems."
"I understand." Xia Qingtian nodded, remembering Miao Tong's instructions. She then turned to look at Di San, who also had a tired expression, and thanked him again. "Brother Di San, thank you."
"It's nothing. I appreciate your long-term care for Erya and Xia Shang. It's a small favor, and it's what I should do." Di San had only acted out of consideration for Xia Qingtian.
The people of the Nine Tombs Guardians never liked to meddle in other people's affairs.
After many thanks, Xia Qingtian asked Xia Qingyu to leave with Erya. After seeing everyone off, Xia Qingtian returned to the bedside and sighed as she looked at Gaia in suspended animation.
Just then, there was a soft knock on the door. Xia Qingtian responded and saw Lu Yaoyang pushing the door open.
"Qingtian, I heard from Miao Tong that you..." Lu Yaoyang's words were cut short when he saw Xia Qingtian rushing towards him and hugging him tightly, burying her small face in his chest.
Lu Yaoyang was stunned at first, then he reached out and gently stroked Xia Qingtian's soft hair, offering silent comfort.
Xia Qingtian was completely panicked.
This feeling of watching life slip away before her eyes, being helpless, and having to leave things to fate, was terrible.
She had already been feeling very distressed before, but Qingyu was there then.
Qingyu's feelings must have been even heavier than hers. In front of the delicate Qingyu, Xia Qingtian couldn't collapse or show fear.
So she fulfilled her duty as an older sister, accompanying and comforting Xia Qingyu.
But in reality, she herself was on the verge of a breakdown, just gritting her teeth and holding on.
When the extreme evil and utter selfishness of human nature shaped a victim like Gaia, and she was presented before her in this manner, Xia Qingtian felt a profound sense of powerlessness.
Anger and fear were insignificant at this moment.
Now, in front of Lu Yaoyang, Xia Qingtian no longer had to force herself. She held Lu Yaoyang tightly, trembling uncontrollably, and greedily inhaled the familiar scent that made her feel safe.
After a long time, Xia Qingtian, with her eyes red and watery like a rabbit's, looked up at Lu Yaoyang and said in a hoarse voice, "I'm a bit hungry..."
As if to verify the truth of Xia Qingtian's words, her stomach rumbled long and loudly.
Lu Yaoyang's lips curved into a gentle smile. He took Xia Qingtian's hand and led her familiarly to the ship's kitchen.
The evening party had ended. The guests had either returned to rest, content, or had passed out drunk and found a place to sleep.
The entire ship had fallen silent, with only the sound of waves lapping against the ship's hull and the whistling sea breeze providing solace.
Lu Yaoyang tied on a white apron and unbuttoned the cuffs of his black shirt, rolling them up.
Afterward, he skillfully chopped vegetables, heated oil, and whisked eggs.
Before long, a bowl of hot noodle soup was ready. It was garnished with a fried egg, sprinkled with chopped scallions, and finally drizzled with a little hot oil.
With a sizzling sound, the aroma of scallions mixed with the fragrance of noodles, powerfully dominating Xia Qingtian's senses.
"It smells so good..." Xia Qingtian took a deep breath and said, blinking, "Let me try."
"Be careful, it's hot." Lu Yaoyang felt slightly relieved seeing Xia Qingtian's good appetite.
After finishing the entire bowl of noodles, even drinking the soup clean, Xia Qingtian licked the remaining soup from the corner of her mouth. Her eyes narrowed into a smile. "Thank you for the meal. I'm full."
"It's good that you're full." Lu Yaoyang took off his apron, put down his sleeves, and slowly fastened the buttons.
Xia Qingtian had to admit that just watching such a scene was a great enjoyment in itself.
As if remembering something, Xia Qingtian asked, "Yaoyang, do you know about the Nine Tombs Guardians?"
"The Nine Tombs Guardians?" Lu Yaoyang's movements froze slightly. He looked at Xia Qingtian, seeming a bit surprised, and then nodded. "The Di family of the Nine Tombs Guardians. Their ancestors were said to have been tomb raiders. Something happened, and they completely disappeared. I heard they both looted tombs and guarded them, never interfering in other people's affairs. What's wrong?"
"Brother Di San, who is with Erya, is from the Di family of the Nine Tombs Guardians," Xia Qingtian said. "Do you think he came this time for the treasure too?"
"I don't know." Lu Yaoyang shook his head slightly. "Based on his current behavior, I feel he's more like he's here to supervise Erya's studies."
Recalling the image of Di San forcing Erya to read, Xia Qingtian couldn't help but laugh. "This is the first time I've seen Erya like this. It seems her past life was probably not easy either."
"Possibly." Lu Yaoyang chuckled. "You should go back and rest now that you've eaten. We'll be landing on the island tomorrow morning, and then..."
"Don't worry, I'll stick close to you," Xia Qingtian said, hooking her finger around Lu Yaoyang's. "Be careful with everything tomorrow."
"Mm." Lu Yaoyang nodded, clasped Xia Qingtian's hand back, and sent her back to her room.
As soon as they reached the door, they saw people from the Wen family guarding the entrance. They nodded upon seeing Lu Yaoyang and then left.
It seemed Lu Yaoyang had spoken to Wen Jiu beforehand and specifically asked the Wen family to keep an eye on the situation here.
Thinking of this, Xia Qingtian blinked her eyes and looked at Lu Yaoyang with a touch of admiration.
It had always been like this, it seemed. Wherever she was negligent or hadn't thought of something, Lu Yaoyang would silently handle everything.
This warmth made her heart feel sweet.
"Rest early. I need to go back and prepare as well." Lu Yaoyang kissed Xia Qingtian on the side of her cheek. After watching her enter the room, he turned and went back to his own bedroom.
As soon as he entered the room, Lu Yaoyang was met with a pair of displeased eyes.
"You ran off when we were halfway through talking, and then you left us here for so long!" Miao Tong said, crossing his arms and pointing at Erya, who was tilting her head and sleeping soundly on the sofa. "And you made me stay here alone with her! Are you really not afraid we'll fight?
Lu Yaoyang, you'd better give me a reasonable explanation."
"Went to coax my wife," Lu Yaoyang met Miao Tong's gaze with utter frankness. "Reasonable, isn't it?"