Ren Yunying's voice came from far down the hallway, cold and crisp:
"If even this antidote is useless, I'm afraid your daughter will never recover in this lifetime."
Hearing this, Xavier gave her a cold look.
Ren Yunying paid him no mind. Carrying a vial of freshly prepared medicine, she entered the room and gently poured it into Chloe's mouth.
The medicine was slightly bitter, with a faint, barely perceptible fishy taste.
The moment she drank it, Chloe, who had been in a deep sleep, unconsciously moved her fingers.
Immediately after, beads of sweat broke out on her body.
In her slumber, Chloe felt her whole body sweating profusely, unbearably hot, as if she were hugging an enormous furnace that ceaselessly tormented her body.
The sweat grew more and more profuse.
Chloe tossed and turned on the bed, finally kicking off the blanket and nearly rolling onto the floor.
Outside, Xavier quickly caught Chloe and placed her back on the bed.
But before long, Chloe started thrashing about again, her cheeks flushed red, sweat dripping down in drops.
Ren Yunying clicked her tongue, pushing Xavier aside as she said:
"She's detoxifying. Get out, don't interfere."
Xavier: "..."
He was about to say something when he saw Ren Yunying scoop Chloe up and head towards the bathroom.
Xavier frowned: "What are you taking her to do?"
Ren Yunying: "What, were you planning to let her die of heat?"
With that, she opened the bathroom door, carried Chloe inside, and kicked the door shut behind her.
Splash—
Cold water poured down from above.
Chloe was placed in the bathtub, still dead to the world, while Ren Yunying stood beside her, meticulously cleaning the impurities from her body.
After about four or five hours, Chloe finally came to her senses.
As soon as she opened her eyes, she was nearly blinded by the cold water.
After a shiver, she looked around and saw only Ren Yunying standing by the bathtub with her arms crossed.
Chloe looked at her, then at herself, and immediately pretended to be shy, hugging herself:
"Oh my, Instructor Ren, are we..."
Ren Yunying's face remained expressionless: "Shut up, don't flirt."
"Oh." Chloe obediently closed her mouth, touched the clear water in the bathtub, and asked, "So what am I doing now?"
"Instructor Ren, have you fallen so deeply in love with me that you must hold me and help me bathe even when I'm sleeping?"
Ren Yunying: "..."
This was unbearable. How could such a serious person like herself have taught such a student?
She said coldly: "If I hadn't brought you here to bathe, you would have exploded in bed, you idiot."
Saying this, Ren Yunying walked over and pulled Chloe out of the bathtub:
"Get dressed, you'll have another examination outside."
"Oh." This time, Chloe did indeed obediently get dressed.
She used a spell to quickly dry her hair, put on her clothes, and walked out.
Outside, the old doctor had been waiting for some time.
The moment he saw Chloe, the old doctor was taken aback, then said with satisfaction:
"Little Miss looks much better."
Chloe smiled brightly: "Not at all, Grandpa. You're the one who looks much healthier lately."
The old doctor burst into hearty laughter, saying Chloe was quite amusing.
Xavier: "..."
He helplessly patted Chloe's head: "Sit still, prepare for the examination."
"Alright."
Chloe closed her mouth and sat on the bed, submitting to the old doctor's examination.
Xavier stood in the corner, his lips tightly pressed together, his expression betraying an almost imperceptible nervousness.
Beside him, Kewen appeared silently, softly reassuring him:
"Ancestor, don't worry. The Little Miss has heaven's favor."
Xavier: "..."
"I think her luck has always been rather poor."
Kewen confidently replied: "That's not necessarily true."
Xavier glanced at him but said nothing more.
He too hoped that Chloe indeed had heaven's favor.
Fortunately, their expectations proved correct.
The antidote had indeed worked.
After the old doctor's examination, everyone quickly discovered that the toxins in Chloe's body were approaching zero.
In fact, it would only take another day or two for complete elimination.
The moment this news came out, a cheer erupted outside the room, nearly strong enough to blow the roof off!
"Ahhhhhhh you're alive! You're alive, Chloe!"
"I knew you wouldn't die! You're Chloe, how could you possibly die!"
"Good girl, I told you you were no ordinary fish in the pond!"
It was Daniel and Qin Huaibei.
In their excitement, they completely disregarded their status. If it weren't for the guards blocking them outside, they probably would have rushed in the next second.
Next to the two excitedly cheering men was Katherine, quietly wiping away tears, and Anderson, who kept staring at her with reddened eyes and clenched palms.
Chloe looked at each of them in turn, smiled, and instructed:
"Let them in."
The guards complied, opening a path.
Daniel was the first to dart in, embracing Chloe and beginning to wail, his words an incomprehensible mumble.
Chloe pretended to be disgusted:
"You rascal, don't wipe your snot on me."
Daniel cried loudly: "Chloe, you're heartless! I'm crying my eyes out and you're complaining about my snot!"
"Want me to wipe it all over you?"
Chloe: "..."
She discreetly pushed Daniel away, turning instead to embrace Qin Huaibei and Katherine.
Finally, only Anderson was left.
The two looked at each other, both hesitating for some reason.
The surroundings had quieted down at some point, everyone watching them.
After a long moment, Anderson walked over, his broad arms encircling Chloe's body, burying his head in her neck.
He said nothing, but his body trembled slightly.
He held her tightly, with a touch of lingering affection.
Somehow, Chloe instinctively began to gently pat Anderson's back, a gesture of comfort.
Then, Chloe felt a warm drop fall on her neck.
It was a tear that had fallen from Anderson's eye.
After all her friends had taken turns hugging her, Chloe jumped off the bed and leaped straight into Ren Yunying's arms.
"Wuwuwu, Teacher, give me a kiss!"
Ren Yunying: "..."
She stood stiffly, not knowing whether to move or stay still, finally allowing Chloe to plant a kiss on her cheek.
The ever-dignified Instructor Ren Yunying, forcibly kissed by her own student while being held.
She was utterly bewildered.
Unfortunately for her, Chloe didn't stop there. She turned and threw herself into Xavier's embrace next.
The moment she hugged him, Xavier instinctively wanted to lift her up as he used to, holding her tightly against him.
But in the next second, he realized—he couldn't.
The Chloe of today was no longer the little baby of years past. Not only would it take too much effort to lift her, it wouldn't look appropriate either.
Xavier suddenly felt a surge of melancholy.
But it didn't last long before Chloe dispelled it.
Because Chloe grabbed his head and started kissing it wildly.
Xavier: "..."
He sighed.
Alright, she had indeed grown up.
But looking at her nature, it still seemed just the same as before.
