Early in the morning, Tingting told Fang Siying that Bai Peiwen was ill. A wave of intense surprise and unease swept over Fang Siying. ill? She didn't know what time he had come back st night; she had fallen asleep from exhaustion. However, recalling everything from st night, her heart was still filled with the painful passion. She remembered how cruelly she had abandoned him in that ruin. Ill? Was it a physical illness? Or a mental one? She didn't know. And as for her, with her position, how difficult it was to show appropriate concern!

  "What kind of illness is it?" she asked Tingting.

  "I don't know. Lao You have already driven to Taipei to pick up Dr. Liu. Dr. Liu has been Dad's doctor for years, and also mine."

  "Did you see him?" she asked uncontrolbly, unable to suppress the unease, sorrow, and painful concern in her voice.

  "Who? Dr. Liu?"

  "No, your father."

  "Yes, I just saw him. He asked me to go out. I think he has a fever. He keeps tossing and turning."

  "Oh." Fang Siying stared bnkly at the sky outside the window, where a few white clouds were drifting by. How fragile a creature you are, human! Who can withstand the torment of both body and mind? Why? Why do you go into that ruin to search for a ghost? What have you found? Just the futile torture of yourself. She pressed her hand to her lips, the image of Zhang Hanyan in his dreams! Does he still believe that the ghost he kissed st night was Han Yan? She guessed that he was completely convinced.

  Oh, what a tangled mess of emotions!

  "Teacher Fang, what's wrong?"

  Tingting interrupted her thoughts. Yes, she had to break free from this emotion that troubled her. She must! It was terrifying, painful, and infuriating! Fang Siying, oh Fang Siying, you are a resolute woman. Your heart has long been calm, like still water. You have long forged yourself into an indestructible being, standing strong like a mountain. And now? Are you wavering? Ah, no! She shivered slightly, then quickly straightened her back.

  “Oh, hurry up, Tingting, or we′ll be te for school.”

  “Can I skip school?” Tingting asked, gncing worriedly at her father's door.

  “We′ll call home at noon and ask Yazhu, all right?” Fang Siying said. “I think your father just caught a chill. It’s nothing serious.”

  They went to school. However, Fang Siying was so distracted throughout the day that she made mistakes correcting the practice books, gave wrong lessons, and often sank into deep thought. She couldn't even wait until noon and had already called the Bai residence. To Yazhu, she said, "Tingting wants to know how her father's illness is."

  "Dr. Liu says he caught a chill and was also frightened. He has a high fever. Dr. Liu prescribed medicine, and it has already been bought. His temper is very bad, and he won't let anyone into his room!"

  "Oh," her heart tightened. "Isn't he going to the hospital?"

  "Dr. Liu says it's not necessary. He also refuses to go to the hospital."

  "Oh, alright. It's nothing serious."

  After hanging up the phone, her emotions became even more chaotic. Last night! She should never have gone to that ruin! She should never have stayed silent, allowing the other person to believe she was a ghost. That lingering, desperate kiss, those heartfelt confessions from the soul! And that hoarse, frantic cry:

  "Han Yan! Come back! Han Yan! Come back! Han Yan! Come back!"

  Ah! What exactly was she doing? Things were only getting more and more complicated. She had long warned herself not to step into this family! Now, could she still break free? Was it still possible? Did she even want to? If she didn’t escape now, what would happen in the future? Ah! These troubling thoughts, like the tangled vines in the ruins of Hanyan Vil, had become an inextricable mess.

  After school in the afternoon, Fang Siying returned to the Bai residence with Tingting.

  Unexpectedly, Ai Lin was in the living room. Smoking a cigarette, she stood by the window, staring bnkly at the distant mountains outside. This was the first time Fang Siying realized that Ai Lin smoked. She wasn't wearing makeup; her face appeared slightly haggard, and the faint bluish circles under her eyes betrayed signs of sleeplessness. Her short hair was a bit messy, and she was dressed in a casual blue satin robe.

  Upon seeing Ai Lin, Tingting shrank back slightly and, somewhat awkwardly, called out:

  “Mom!” Tingting called. Ai Lin turned her head, casting a cold gnce at them. Though her gaze cked warmth, it was, at least, free of hostility. Clearly burdened with her own thoughts, she uncharacteristically nodded at them and said, “Tingting, go check on your father and ask what he’d like to eat tonight.”

  Fang Siying was momentarily stunned. She suddenly felt the need to reassess her view of Ai Lin. Was her haggard appearance due to worry over Bai Peiwen's illness? Was she truly as cruel and unfeeling as she had believed? Or—was it that any unhappy marriage had multiple causes? Was it fair to pce all the bme on Ai Lin?

  They went upstairs, and Tingting first knocked on Bai Peiwen's door. When there was no answer, she gently pushed the door open. Fang Siying stood at the door, looking at the dimly lit room. The red velvet curtains were drawn tightly, and the window was shut. Bai Peiwen y on a rge bed, his eyes closed, seemingly asleep. Just as Fang Siying was about to pull Tingting back, Bai Peiwen suddenly asked, "Who's there?"

  "It's me," Fang Siying blurted out. "It's me and Tingting. We wanted to see if you're feeling any better."

  There was a moment of silence, and then Bai Peiwen spoke in a commanding tone:

  "Come in!"

  She walked in with Tingting. Tingting ran to the bedside and grabbed her father's hand, which was exposed outside the bnket. Immediately, she gasped:

  “Dad, you′re burning up!” Tingting excimed. Bai Peiwen sighed deeply, looking weak, lonely, and helpless. Fang Siying noticed a packet of medicine and a water jug on the bedside table. Picking up the packet, she saw the instructions: Take one pill every four hours. Opening it, she saw that it contained a two-day supply, with eleven pills remaining. She asked in shock, “You haven’t been taking your medicine on time?”

  “Medicine?” Bai Peiwen frowned, his expression one of irritation. “I think I forgot.”

  Fang Siying wanted to say something but held back. Pouring a gss of water, she walked to the bedside and forced a smile. “I suppose I′ll have to py nurse for a while. Mr. Bai, please take your medicine.”

  Tingting helped her father sit up while Fang Siying handed him the pill and brought the water closer to his lips. Immediately, he took the gss and drank the water as if it were life-saving nectar, draining it to the st drop. Then, he sank back onto the pillow, breathing heavily. Large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, and his cheeks flushed with an abnormal redness from the fever. He seemed slightly delirious, murmuring softly, as if in a dream, "I'm so thirsty, oh yes, I've been thirsty for ten years."