Chapter 53

Xu Yan was silent for a moment, then asked, "Classmate Yao Yu, what exactly is the situation with your relative?"

Xu Yan did not continue to deny it but instead began to inquire about the condition, which made Chen Yaoyu feel a glimmer of hope: it seemed that her guess was true, and Xu Yan really had some means. Otherwise, he wouldn't have asked such a question.

She hurriedly explained the situation: the patient was Chen Yaoyu's maternal grandfather, who was already over eighty years old. Since the day before yesterday, he had been suffering from a strange illness with symptoms identical to those of Gong Xueting's father. He had fallen into a mysterious coma, and his bodily functions and organs had rapidly deteriorated. Now, he could only be kept alive with the help of a ventilator and various strong heart stimulants. His condition was critical, and the hospital had already issued a severe critical notice.

Xu Yan asked, "What are the specific symptoms? Have you seen them? Why do you say they are similar to Xue Ting's father's condition?"

Chen Yaoyu nodded, "The doctors have been trying to save him, and I could only go in to see my grandfather once. But the symptoms looked very similar to Xue Ting's father. There was a dark aura on his face, which was quite frightening. The doctors told us the same thing they told Gong Xueting that day: all his organs and bodily functions are failing, and they advised us to prepare for the worst. I knew then that the hospital was helpless in this matter.

"Classmate Xu Yan, can you help me with this?"

Xu Yan frowned slightly, sitting on the sofa in deep thought for a long time.

From Chen Yaoyu's description, her grandfather's condition was indeed the same as Gong Jianguo's, both suffering from the symptoms of demonic energy entering the body. However, because the patient was over eighty years old, his condition was clearly more dangerous, and the difficulty of saving him was greater.

Since he still had the exorcism pill given by Zhu Youxiang, Xu Yan was not too worried about whether he could save the person. What he was concerned about was the trouble that might come after saving him. Especially now, he might already be within the scope of the National Security Bureau's attention. At this time, the best course of action was to stay low and avoid trouble. Otherwise, if the security bureau discovered his abnormality, it could lead to all sorts of problems in the future.

Moreover, there was an even more troublesome issue: after saving Gong Xueting's father, Chen Yaoyu found out and came to him for help. If he saved Chen Yaoyu's grandfather, and then someone else noticed, wouldn't that lead to even more trouble in the future? For Xu Yan, who wanted to keep a low profile, this was not a good deal.

After much consideration, Xu Yan felt that the best choice was to refuse Chen Yaoyu's request and send her away. So, he cleared his throat, "Classmate Chen, I feel very sorry for your grandfather's condition, but I really can't help. Science and technology are advanced now. If your family member is sick, you should consult more doctors and not think too much. Believing in science is the right path. You should quickly contact other major hospitals and not waste your time here."

Xu Yan said this with a serious expression, feeling that even the host of the CCTV program "Approaching Science" couldn't be as serious as he was.

After hearing Xu Yan's refusal, Chen Yaoyu did not speak. She just looked at Xu Yan with her deep, lively eyes, saying nothing, just staring at him.

In the past, Xu Yan often heard people say that silence was the most appropriate and wise response. At the time, he never understood what this meant, but looking at Chen Yaoyu now, he understood. Her bright eyes, like speaking stars, softly gazed at him, her gaze penetrating his entire body, even reaching into his internal organs.

Xu Yan had already prepared for any scenario, imagining that no matter how Chen Yaoyu begged, pleaded, or even scolded him, he could easily brush her off. But now, with Chen Yaoyu not crying, not making a fuss, and not even speaking, just looking at him with her bright eyes, Xu Yan began to feel unable to resist.

He turned around and stared out the window, but he could feel that her gaze had not left him. It persisted, like a hot gaze burning his back.

But Xu Yan did not turn back.

After about five minutes, Xu Yan heard a soft sigh, filled with deep sorrow. Then, he heard Chen Yaoyu stand up and slowly walk towards the door, her steps slow and heavy.

Xu Yan turned his head and saw Chen Yaoyu standing by the door, her head lowered, her shoulders drooping, her slender figure looking sad and weary.

Seeing Chen Yaoyu's back, Xu Yan's heart was deeply shaken: watching someone who could be saved die, and not helping, could he really live with his conscience?

But he was not a god. Every day, people were born, aged, fell ill, and died. How could he save so many?

But this person was different. This person had come to him for help, and he had cruelly refused. Was he responsible for his death? If a person abandoned their conscience and morality, how were they different from beasts and animals?

But if I save him today, who will save me if I get into trouble tomorrow?

Just for a possible danger, are you going to watch someone die?

...

Several conflicting thoughts raced through his mind, struggling with each other. Before the chaotic thoughts could reach a conclusion, Xu Yan, as if possessed, called out, "Chen Yaoyu, wait a moment!"

Chen Yaoyu stopped, and at that moment, a cunning smile appeared on her lips, which was quite out of place with her sad expression.

"You finally wavered!"

The cunning smile quickly disappeared, and Chen Yaoyu turned to face Xu Yan with a solemn expression, like a saint about to be martyred.

Xu Yan sighed, knowing that his soft-heartedness was a real problem.

"Classmate Chen, since you've come, out of classmate friendship, I'll go with you to take a look. But I can only take a look—I've already said I can't treat any illness. I can only accompany you, and you shouldn't have too much hope."

Chen Yaoyu was taken aback but nodded, "No problem. As long as you can come, whether or not the person can be saved, I will still be grateful."

"Another thing, you must not reveal my identity to anyone else—neither your family nor anyone else. All information about me, my identity, and my profession must be kept secret. Can you do that?"

Chen Yaoyu thought seriously for a moment, then asked, "Then, how should I introduce you? You know, with my grandfather being so ill, many people are waiting at home, and they won't let a person with an unknown identity into his room."

"That's something you need to figure out. As long as my real identity isn't exposed, you can say whatever you want—can you promise that?"

Chen Yaoyu frowned slightly, then nodded silently, "I promise, I won't reveal your identity."

"Do you guarantee?"

"I guarantee!"

"Also, no matter what I do, you must not ask too many questions or talk too much—can you do that?"

"This... Okay, I promise! But you have to promise me to do your best to save my grandfather."

Xu Yan said calmly, "I've already told you, I can only take a look, and I can't guarantee anything. You shouldn't have too much hope."

Chen Yaoyu bit her lip and glared at Xu Yan, "Do you have any other requirements? Say them all at once."

Xu Yan thought for a while, but couldn't think of anything else to say. Then he said, "Classmate Chen, can you please step outside for a moment? I need to change clothes and freshen up."

"Okay~ But, Xu Yan, can you hurry? My grandfather's condition is very urgent, and there's always a risk."

"Understood!"

After sending Chen Yaoyu out, Xu Yan thought for a while, then walked over to knock on the guest room door. But before he could knock, the door opened on its own, and Zhu Youxiang looked at him with a complex expression.

Under Zhu Youxiang's gaze, Xu Yan felt a bit ashamed. He didn't dare to meet her clear eyes and muttered, "Sorry, Xuan Yun, I was being selfish again."

Zhu Youxiang shook her head, "Why should you apologize, Master? You have a good nature and act according to your instincts. What's wrong with that?"

Xu Yan understood that his soft-heartedness and tendency to make rash promises would definitely bring a lot of trouble. If he got into trouble, it would also put Zhu Youxiang in danger. But Zhu Youxiang did not blame him; instead, she gently comforted him, which made Xu Yan feel even more guilty.

Xu Yan asked, "Is there any way out?"

Xu Yan's question was vague, but Zhu Youxiang understood his meaning. She frowned and thought for a moment, then shook her head, "I think the key lies with your classmate, Miss Chen. If she can keep the secret and not reveal your identity, you won't have much trouble afterward. But I'm worried that under the immense pressure of life and death... Miss Chen will find it hard to keep her mouth shut."

Xu Yan still held a glimmer of hope, "Xuan Yun, I think Miss Chen, though a bit arrogant, is a good person. I believe she will keep her word and not reveal my identity."

Zhu Youxiang shook her head, "Master Xu, I'm not criticizing Miss Chen's character, but in the face of life and death, people will do anything to survive. From my years of experience—though it might sound strange for me to say this, I still have to say it: Master Xu, relying on a woman's promise for your life and safety is the most foolish thing in the world."

Xu Yan nodded, understanding Zhu Youxiang's point—If Chen Yaoyu's grandfather was saved and the news spread, the families of other patients would likely flood Chen Yaoyu's doorstep. At that time, Chen Yaoyu, the only one who knew his identity, would become the last hope for those desperate families. Just as he couldn't resist Chen Yaoyu's pleading, how could a delicate girl like Chen Yaoyu withstand the pressure from all sides?

Xu Yan sighed deeply, realizing that he had once again shown his soft-heartedness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chen Yaoyu waited outside the door for Xu Yan to come out. Based on her experience with boys, she knew that no boy would let a beautiful girl like her wait for long. She thought Xu Yan would come out quickly.

Unexpectedly, Chen Yaoyu waited and waited, but Xu Yan did not come out. By then, the sky had started to brighten, and some elderly people were already out and about. They passed by the hallway and saw Chen Yaoyu, a beautiful girl, waiting by Xu Yan's door. They all gave her curious looks and whispered, "This girl doesn't look like one of our residents. Why is she waiting here so early in the morning? Who is she waiting for?"

"Shh~ This room is rented by the college student, Little Xu. He's handsome and polite, of course, girls like him... So early in the morning, maybe they didn't even... You know what I mean?"

"Oh~ I see! I said, young girls these days have no self-respect. This girl is quite pretty, but how can she be so shameless, chasing after boys to their doorstep? Is this what girls are like these days?"

"So, raising a girl is more troublesome than raising a boy if you don't discipline her properly!"

...

Listening to the gossip of the elderly people as they walked away, Chen Yaoyu's anger burned fiercely. At that moment, she finally understood the feelings of the boys who had waited for her outside her dormitory, sending flowers and waiting for her to come down. But she had always been the one who trampled on the self-respect of those boys, and today, she was the one whose dignity was being trampled, which made her very uncomfortable.

She wanted to knock on the door and urge Xu Yan to come out, but she was afraid that doing so would completely anger him and make him refuse to help. After much thought, she could only endure the strange looks from passersby and continue waiting, secretly cursing Xu Yan in her heart.

After about half an hour, Xu Yan's door finally opened. Before he opened the door, Chen Yaoyu had planned to tease him about taking longer to get ready than a girl, but when she saw Xu Yan, she was stunned: the boy was dressed in a neat dark blue suit, with a tidy tie and a serious expression. The dark blue suit fit Xu Yan well, making his already tall and slender figure even more elegant and dignified, adding a touch of maturity to the otherwise slightly naive boy.

Seeing Xu Yan dressed like this, Chen Yaoyu was stunned, and the teasing words she had planned to say were left unsaid. Xu Yan, who usually didn't care much about his appearance and often wore casual clothes, looked surprisingly handsome and cool in this outfit. His striking good looks made Chen Yaoyu hesitant to look him in the eye.

She turned her head slightly and said, somewhat discontentedly, "Why did it take so long? What if the condition worsens?"

Xu Yan gave her a glare and walked down the stairs first. Chen Yaoyu was taken aback for a moment, then hurriedly followed Xu Yan, saying urgently, "I have a car downstairs. Let's take my car."

The two rushed to the parking lot, got into the car, and the car started with a low rumble, slowly driving out of the plum blossom residential area where Xu Yan lived. As the car drove along the road, Xu Yan noticed that it was not heading towards the city center's People's Hospital, but he didn't bother to remind Chen Yaoyu—wherever they were going, she should know, so there was no need for him to remind her.

After the car left the university area, Chen Yaoyu glanced at the serious-looking Xu Yan and cleared her throat, "Classmate Xu Yan, how should I introduce you to my family?"

Xu Yan said indifferently, "You decide. I don't care, as long as my real identity isn't revealed."

"In that case... Classmate Xu Yan, I have an idea. Do you think it's appropriate?"

"Go ahead and tell me."

Chen Yaoyu glanced at Xu Yan, "Uh, Classmate Xu Yan, don't be angry when you hear this—some of the elderly in my family are quite superstitious. My grandfather's illness, with the dark aura on his face and his loss of consciousness, looks very much like he's been possessed... If I say you are a master from Hong Kong, specifically brought to exorcise my grandfather—would you be angry?"

Xu Yan looked at Chen Yaoyu with a strange expression, surprised. He never thought that this seemingly serious and cold girl could have such a creative and fitting idea!

Pretending to be an exorcist had many advantages. The symptoms of a person possessed by demonic energy were similar to those of being possessed, and the various unusual phenomena that occurred when Xu Yan treated the patient could be explained away as the exorcist's actions.

Moreover, most people were afraid of supernatural and mysterious things, and they would keep their distance from an exorcist, not daring to get too close or harass him. If Xu Yan pretended to be a famous doctor, not only might the family not believe him, but they would also demand a detailed explanation of the treatment, which would be very troublesome.

Even better, exorcism was a matter that might work or might not. If Xu Yan cured the patient, everyone would be happy and praise Master Xu for his profound skills and divine power. If he couldn't cure the patient—well, that was the norm, right? Superstitions were like praying to gods; if you believed, they worked; if you didn't, they didn't. Who could guarantee that they would always work?

Even if Xu Yan couldn't save the patient, he could simply say, "This old gentleman has deep karmic ties, and I'm truly powerless." In the world, it was common to see the families of deceased patients hounding doctors who couldn't save them, but when had anyone seen a family hounding an exorcist?

So, pretending to be an exorcist was a clever move, both offensive and defensive.