This time, Su Weichu did not raise her paddle again. The final bid stood firm—twenty million. Lin Huaiyu had reclaimed what was once his family’s, but at a price that was anything but victory.

A slow, knowing smile curved Su Weichu’s lips as she rose from her seat. With measured steps, she ascended the stage, her gaze sweeping over Lin Huaiyu’s unreadable expression. Then, with the grace of someone who had already won, she bowed slightly before speaking.

“I’d like to extend my deepest gratitude to Mr. Lin for his generous donation of twenty million to the children in the mountain regions. On behalf of them, I thank you.” She paused, letting her words settle over the audience. “And thank you all for your support of tonight’s auction…”

Before she could finish, a sudden wave of dizziness crashed over her. Her vision blurred, the golden glow of the chandeliers above twisting into a haze of light. She blinked rapidly, willing the sensation away, but her limbs felt unbearably heavy.

Summoning the last of her composure, she forced a brief closing remark, then turned swiftly to leave.

From the corner of the room, Lin Huaiyu shot to his feet. He didn’t hesitate—ignoring the startled calls of Qiao Shan and Lin Chenxi behind him, he moved.

Outside the auction hall, Su Weichu barely made it a few steps before the world tilted beneath her feet. Her breath hitched as her knees buckled.

But before she could hit the cold, unforgiving ground, a pair of strong arms caught her, pulling her into a firm embrace. The scent of cedarwood and something achingly familiar enveloped her.

Dazed, she lifted her gaze, meeting the storm-dark eyes of Lin Huaiyu. His brow was furrowed, concern etched deep into his face.

“I’m taking you to the hospital,” he said, his voice low but resolute.

She should have protested, but as the last of her strength ebbed away, she let her weight sink against him.

“No need… don’t trouble yourself, Lin—”

Su Weichu’s words barely left her lips before her body suddenly went limp, the last thread of her consciousness unraveling as she collapsed into Lin Huaiyu’s arms.

His breath hitched. “Chu Chu!”

Panic flickered in his usually impenetrable gaze as he instinctively tightened his hold around her, lifting her effortlessly into his embrace. Without another second’s hesitation, he strode out, his long steps urgent, slicing through the night like a blade.

The laboratory was bathed in sterile white light when Lin Huaiyu burst through its doors, his presence an uncharacteristic storm of distress.

“Quick! Check on her!” he commanded, placing Su Weichu onto the examination bed with a carefulness that contrasted his urgent tone.

The lead researcher—unused to seeing Lin Huaiyu in such a state—hurried over, glancing warily at the unconscious woman.

“She’s having another episode,” Lin Huaiyu muttered, his fists clenched. “But she’s never fainted before. Has there been no progress with the stem cells I provided? Have you still not found a way to treat her condition?”

The researcher hesitated, adjusting his glasses. “Lin, these things take time. Besides, stem cells have limitations—”

“I don’t care,” Lin Huaiyu cut him off, his voice edged with rare desperation. “Take more. Do whatever it takes. I want results. Now.”

The room fell into a weighted silence. The researcher exhaled sharply, his gaze shifting from Su Weichu to Lin Huaiyu.

The researcher exhaled, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, his gaze flickering with concern.

“Lin, your body may be stronger than most, but excessive extraction of stem cells will have consequences. If you keep pushing, you won’t just fail to find a cure—you’ll destroy yourself in the process.”

Silence stretched between them, heavy and unrelenting.

Lin Huaiyu said nothing, his expression carved from stone.

Lin Huaiyu’s gaze never wavered from the unconscious woman lying on the examination bed. Her face, usually so composed and unreadable, was pale against the white sheets, her breath shallow.

The scientist hesitated before answering, choosing his words carefully.

“Lin, we’re still searching for a solution. The stem cells you provided—so far, they haven’t yielded the breakthrough we need. Her collapse isn’t solely due to her illness. The primary cause of Mrs. Lin fainting, is due to exhaustion. She’s pushing herself too hard. What she needs most right now is to rest.”

With those words, the tension in Lin Huaiyu’s chest finally loosened—if only just a fraction. The storm raging in his chest quieted, but his dark eyes were fixed on Su Weichu’s pale face.

Rest?

How could she rest?…when she has always been carrying the weight of the world alone?

He said nothing as he gathered Su Weichu into his arms, holding her against him with a quiet, possessive protectiveness. Thereafter, without another word, he strode out of the lab, his grip firm yet careful, as if she were a valuable and fragile glass he refused to let shatter.

—

The moment the car rolled to a stop in front of the Lin estate, the night air was thick with tension. Just as Lin Huaiyu stepped out, still carrying Su Weichu in his arms, he came face-to-face with Qiao Shan and Lin Chenxi, both just returning.

Lin Chenxi’s brows furrowed sharply. Her voice cut through the stillness like a blade. “Brother! Why did you bring her back?!”

Qiao Shan’s gaze flickered toward Lin Huaiyu, her sharp instincts catching the hard edge in his expression. Swallowing back the unease creeping into her chest, she stepped forward, her tone deliberately soft. “Huaiyu, what happened? Is Weichu alright?”

“She’s fine.” His reply was curt, clipped, giving nothing away. Without pausing, without sparing them another glance, he brushed past them, carrying Su Weichu into the house as if they were nothing more than ghosts in his periphery.

Qiao Shan’s lips pressed together, her fingernails digging into her palms as she watched his retreating figure. The way he held Su Weichu—the quiet intensity, the possessiveness—sent a sharp stab of jealousy through her chest.

Her hands curled into fists.

This woman.

No matter how many times she was cast away, why did she always find her way back into his warm embrace?