Upon hearing this, Gu Lili pushed open the bathroom door, then swiftly closed it behind her. She pressed the talisman she had brought for He Meiwei firmly onto the center of her forehead.
In that very instant, the violent convulsions ceased. He Meiwei jolted as if waking from a nightmare, blinking in dazed confusion at the people before her.
The doctors and nurses turned to Gu Lili in astonishment. "Madam Long… what was that—?"
"A talisman to ward off malevolent spirits," she replied with a gentle smile. "She was entangled by something unclean, nothing more. Thank you for your efforts—please, leave us for now. We have something private to discuss with her."
Though bewildered, the medical staff filed out, their eyes filled with awe. If they hadn't witnessed it firsthand, they could hardly have believed it. Their gazes lingered on Gu Lili with a newfound reverence.
Once the room was clear, Gu Lili's gaze shifted to the northeast corner. "Will you leave on your own," she asked calmly, "or must I banish you myself?"
A sudden breeze lifted the curtain at the window.
Seeing this, Gu Lili removed the talisman from He Meiwei's forehead. "Keep this with you. It will prevent anything unclean from attaching to you again."
He Meiwei, slowly regaining her senses, took it with trembling fingers. "What… what was it?"
"A child who passed away," Gu Lili answered. "Playing a mischievous game by taking hold of you."
Her face turned ghostly pale. "I don't want to stay in this hospital anymore… Mr. Long, I'm frightened."
"Keep the talisman close. Nothing will attach to you again."
"I'm still scared…"
Gu Lili arched an eyebrow, seeing through her hesitation. "What exactly do you want, then? Don't tell me you're hoping to come home with us?"
He Meiwei's eyes stayed fixed on Long Yubei. "Could I… stay with you until a matching donor is found?"
"No." The word came crisply from Gu Lili. "He Meiwei, don't push your luck. If it weren't for my husband's compassion, do you think he would lift a finger to help you find a donor? You're not the only patient in this hospital. Let's go, darling."
And just like that, Long Yubei was pulled away by Gu Lili, leaving He Meiwei trembling with fear and simmering with frustration.
She glanced around the room—walls, windows, shadows—and the cold rejection of her request echoed in her mind. If she had never broken up with Long Yubei, would there have been any place for Gu Lili at all?
Truthfully, when she returned from abroad, she hadn't intended to find Long Yubei.
She knew her illness was grave and didn't want him to know. Her silent departure years ago had been carefully orchestrated to keep him in the dark.
Being with Gu Xichen had simply been a matter of convenience.
Money was tight. Her medical expenses were enormous. She hadn't been able to work, and her savings had nearly dried up.
When she learned that Gu Xichen—the Gu family's son—was pursuing her, she let herself drift into living with him, more out of resignation than affection.
She liked Gu Xichen, but she never loved him. Her heart had always belonged to her first love—Long Yubei.
Because she loved him, she couldn't bear to let him see her at her weakest.
Because of love, she had never asked him for money.
But now?
She tilted her head back and laughed bitterly. If she didn't spend his money, another woman surely would.
If she refused to let him witness her downfall, someone else would take her place beside him.
From the moment she learned of his marriage, she had been drowning in pain.
That's why, after much inner torment, she sought him out—even after his wedding—to finally reveal the truth behind her silent departure all those years ago.
But it was too late.
Gu Xichen had ended things with her for good. Long Yubei no longer wanted her.
Now, she had nowhere left to turn.