Chapter 1787 — Astonishment

"Fine, fine — just keep it a secret for me, don't tell Arrow Bro!" Shen Yushu agreed straight away, then promptly flopped down beside Wei Zhao, threw her arms around him, and the next moment was fast asleep...

She was simply too tired. Lying beside Wei Zhao she still had to help him bear off some of the heat, which left her both drowsy and worn out, and it kept her nerves from relaxing even a hair; but now, with Wei Zhao in her arms, she felt so much safer, free to rest without a single care...

Tang Yun and Gu Mengyao exchanged a glance, a flicker of helplessness passing through both their eyes. Tang Yun's helplessness came of having what ought to have been hers taken by another; Gu Mengyao's, of watching Little Shu sink deeper and deeper... And Tang Yun, though she did not reject the girl, had never given her any clear promise either. Gu Mengyao was the one who thought too far ahead... What was to become of Little Shu?

"Let's all get some rest... The friend I've sent for may not arrive until tomorrow. Once he's here, perhaps he can untangle this mess before us..." Old Man Lin said as much, but a trace of worry still crossed his eyes; for even that man had admitted he had not reckoned this tribulation of Wei Zhao's, and had said such a situation was hardly likely to arise — it seemed matters had already gone beyond anything imagined...

But for now, the only thing any of them could do was wait...

The night passed. Early the next morning Old Man Lin was up betimes, and Tang Yun and Gu Mengyao rose as well; it was plain to see that none of them had slept well, all of them fretting over Wei Zhao.

"Good morning, Grandpa Lin..." Gu Mengyao and Tang Yun greeted the old man.

"Morning to you both..." Old Man Lin looked at the dark circles under their eyes and could not help shaking his head. "Neither of you slept well, by the look of it?"

"How could anyone sleep well at a time like this?" Tang Yun and Gu Mengyao said, both alike. "We're both worried sick about Wei Zhao..."

Old Man Lin nodded, and the three of them went together into Wei Zhao's room — where they found Shen Yushu sprawled over Wei Zhao, sleeping like a baby. They were all rather speechless. Of them all, surely the one who had slept best this night was Little Shu.

"Looks like Little Shu has had the best sleep of anyone..." Gu Mengyao said, a little helplessly. "Never mind, let's not disturb her. She's tired enough as it is. Let them rest a while — when the help Grandpa Lin spoke of arrives, we'll wake them then?"

Old Man Lin agreed. "Yes. Seeing that they're all right is enough. For now... we can only wait for my friend to come!"

Tang Yun and Gu Mengyao did not go in again to disturb Wei Zhao and Shen Yushu, but neither had they the heart for anything else. Old Man Lin lay on a reclining chair in the courtyard awaiting that man's arrival, while Tang Yun and Gu Mengyao sat silently to one side, neither in any mood to talk.

In a blink the whole morning had gone. Just as Tang Yun and Gu Mengyao were growing anxious, a figure came hurtling toward them from no great distance, running at incredible speed — and the sight gave them both a violent start!

A gleam of excitement flashed in Old Man Lin's eyes instead; he sprang up from the reclining chair, and the figure drew nearer and nearer — and in the very instant the old man rose, it was already at the gate of the little courtyard!

Gu Mengyao and Tang Yun exchanged a look, dread written plainly in both their eyes; for that figure's speed was beyond all measure. When first they glimpsed it, it had been a blurred shape three or four hundred meters off, yet the moment Old Man Lin stood, it was already before them!

This newcomer, however, was dressed as a Daoist priest, with something of the otherworldly and the ethereal about him, so that Tang Yun and Gu Mengyao were filled with admiration. Judging by his speed alone, this was plainly no ordinary man!

"Old friend, you've come at last!" Old Man Lin let out a breath, a relaxed smile crossing his face. "I never thought you'd be so quick. I'm in your debt!"

"Mr. Lin, when my master left he instructed me to..." Here the Daoist paused a moment, then said, "Besides, you are my master's friend; there's no need for such courtesies. Had we not better look at Little Yi's condition first?"

"Very well!" Old Man Lin said no more. He knew this man's station, and so there was nothing to be done about the courtesy shown him.

Yet had Wei Zhao not been unconscious just then, he would surely have been astonished beyond measure to see this Daoist — for this was the very creature who had once chased his car, the one who called himself "Mo Kongwen"!

At the time, the fellow's behavior had frightened Wei Zhao badly; who would have thought a man could run faster than a car? Even now, Earth Rank expert though he was, Wei Zhao would not claim such speed — and Mo Kongwen had seemed then not even to be going all out.

Mo Kongwen followed Old Man Lin through the door into Wei Zhao's room; and the moment he entered he saw Wei Zhao lying there with a young girl in his arms, and his face at once turned strange. "This..."

Gu Mengyao felt somewhat awkward too, for Wei Zhao and Little Shu were clinging to each other far too tightly just now, and it was bound to invite misunderstanding. She hurried forward, reached out and patted Little Shu. "Little Shu, time to get up... hiss — ah!"

But the instant Gu Mengyao's hand touched Little Shu's body she snatched it back with a start! Little Shu's body was frighteningly hot, just as it had been the last time the girl fell ill. Caught off guard, Gu Mengyao's hand was scalded at once into several blisters...

By now Mo Kongwen had at last noticed something amiss. He shook his head with a touch of embarrassment and said frankly, "My apologies — I misunderstood before. But now it seems the trouble lies with the two of them together. Both of them burning up all over?"

What happened next, however, overturned Mo Kongwen's guess; for before Gu Mengyao could explain, Shen Yushu was startled awake by her push and her cry. She blinked open drowsy eyes, clambered up from the floor, and said, "What? What is it?"

And in her half-waking state, Shen Yushu's body naturally drew away from Wei Zhao — and in that very instant Wei Zhao's body temperature climbed to its utmost, and the thin blanket covering him turned to ash at that same moment!

Mo Kongwen understood the situation now as well, and gave Shen Yushu a startled look. "She can actually share the heat for Little Yi?"

"That's right — it's quite remarkable!" Old Man Lin nodded, then casually took a bottle of medicine from the little chest in Wei Zhao's room and handed it to Gu Mengyao. "Put this on the burns and they'll heal."

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