449 Powerless

She did not know when he arrived, but when he did, he was in a tailored light blue suit, and he took over from the driver from there. She was being half-cradled by him in the afternoon sunlight, it casting its brilliant rays down on her, and she could feel the onset of a headache creeping up.

Xia Ling raised her head to painstakingly look at Pei Ziheng, lips trembling, but there was no sound.

"Where does it hurt? It must feel terrible," said Pei Ziheng, voice bathed in warmth.

He knew this better than anyone else the truth behind Xia Ling's suffering. He had tasked his men to administer the drugs himself, and he had already made it a point to pick the absolute mildest of its kind. And still, nothing could quite remedy the world-shaking ache that came with losing your own blood and flesh.

His brow furrowed in response to watching her struggle. "Xiao Ling, hang in there, please. I'll bring you to a doctor immediately."