Dorian Owen's whole body itched unbearably, burning with pain, and his mind felt hazy. He peeked at Ninth Royal Uncle—seeing that Nolan wasn’t watching him but was instead focused on Serena—Doudou finally relaxed.
Gathering his courage, he sneaked a glance at Serena. Once sure Nolan hadn’t noticed, Doudou stared at Serena with hopeful eyes, wishing she’d hurry over and help him.
He was about to die!
It was unbearable!
Wuwuwu, Serena, you villain—if you don’t save me soon, I’m going to die.
Serena might not be a good person, but she was definitely a great doctor. She knew Doudou’s condition couldn’t wait, so she didn’t waste a single moment.
After quickly finishing up Nolan’s wound, Serena tidied everything away and reminded Nolan to put on his clothes carefully and avoid the injury. Then, turning around, she picked up her medicine chest and tray and walked straight over to Doudou.
"Serena, I feel awful." Doudou was swollen and red all over, dazed and curled up like a pitiful little kid.
Seeing Doudou like this only made Serena feel even more guilty.
"I’m sorry." Serena apologized sincerely, taking Doudou’s pulse as she spoke, while simultaneously using her Smart Med-Pack to diagnose him.
"Wuwuwu... Serena, you have to save me. I don't want to die yet." Doudou couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed to the ground. Serena quickly caught him and gently laid him flat.
"Don't worry. As long as I'm here, you'll be fine." That was the confidence a doctor should have.
Lying on the ground, Doudou finally stopped forcing himself to hold on. He let out a breath, fluttered his eyelids twice, then obediently closed his eyes.
He always used to say, 'Cherish life, stay far away from Serena,' but now he needed her to save him. If he wanted to survive, he had no choice but to cling tightly to her.
Doudou’s weakness made Serena even more anxious.
"Damn it." Serena cursed under her breath. At that moment, her Smart Med-Pack started beeping, signaling the diagnosis was complete.
Serena lifted her sleeve for a look, her face darkening. "He really is poisoned."
"Nolan, we won’t be able to leave here today." Serena turned to tell Nolan, who nodded to show he understood, then calmly finished dressing without a hint of urgency.
Serena didn’t say anything more. Since Nolan hadn’t warned her that staying here was unsafe, she didn’t need to worry; with Nolan around, she had no need for fear.
Serena put aside her worries and continued checking on Doudou. He lay flat on the ground, and for the sake of injections and cleaning his wounds, Serena could only kneel beside him. After a while, half her body went numb.
Serena gritted her teeth, pounded her leg to get the feeling back, then switched to kneel on the other one, staying half-crouched beside Doudou. She kept an eye on the IV and continued cleaning his wounds.
Serena wasn’t skilled at detoxifying poisons, so she could only give Doudou one of the Hundred-Poison Antidote Pills prepared by the Master of the Mystic Healer Valley.
Normally Doudou was wild and mischievous, but when he was sick, he was as obedient as a child. Serena pinched his jaw, and he quietly opened his mouth and swallowed the pill—even though it made him frown in discomfort, he didn’t make a sound or move an inch.
It was obvious he hadn’t been raised spoiled.
Everyone has it tough; Doudou’s life wasn’t easy either.
Serena sighed inwardly at the thought, but didn’t dwell on it. She kept working, busy for most of the day before finally letting out a breath of relief.
"Finally, it's over." The fever had subsided, the toxins cleared—if nothing went wrong, he’d wake up tomorrow.
"The Valley Master's medicine really is good stuff," Serena thought to herself, resolving to ask for more next time.
The Valley Master's medicine was a must-have for travel.
Serena stood up, stretched her stiff legs, and rolled her neck. Once her limbs felt less numb, she turned to look for Nolan.
One look around nearly startled Serena out of her skin.
The change was way too fast.
Just moments ago, the ground was littered with wolf corpses. Now everything was spotless, and Nolan had built four or five campfires all around them.
The fires were set a little ways off. Serena had been so focused on saving lives she hadn’t noticed, but by now the Miasma Forest was almost completely dark. If not for those emergency campfire lanterns, she wouldn’t be able to see anything.
Crackling sounds came from the fires, and the faint aroma of roasting meat drifted over.
Uh... Nolan was actually roasting caterpillars. But honestly, it was a smart move—once the caterpillars were dead, they wouldn’t have to worry about getting stung overnight.
Nolan moved incredibly fast, but now... where was he?
Serena glanced around but didn’t see Nolan anywhere. She called out, "Nolan, where are you?"
"Over here." Nolan’s voice came from not far off in the woods, and a moment later Serena saw him walking toward her, one arm holding a bundle of branches.
Uh...
Serena was stunned on the spot.
Why did this scene feel so out of place?
That bundle of branches completely ruined Nolan’s image.
Seriously, could you imagine the dignified Nolan, looking like a village farmer, carrying a pile of firewood and walking with his pants rolled up?
Serena just couldn’t get used to it. Even with the branches in his arms, Nolan was still so elegant and noble it made her grit her teeth, but she still couldn’t stand the sight.
Serena hurried forward. "Nolan, let me take those. You’re still injured."
She reached out to take the branches from him, but Nolan dodged. "They’re not heavy."
"If they’re not heavy, then let me carry them." Fine, she admitted she was a little masochistic—she’d rather carry the bundle herself than see Nolan’s image ruined.
"They’re dirty." Nolan still refused, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Go on."
Serena couldn’t win against him. Even though she was annoyed, she had no choice but to give in.
The two of them walked over to Doudou. Nolan stacked the branches by the campfire to dry them out, getting them ready for later use.
Serena immediately grabbed a water pouch and went to Nolan’s side, pouring water for him to wash his hands.
Once Nolan had washed and dried his hands, he naturally took the water pouch and poured water for Serena in return.
They didn’t speak or even exchange glances, but somehow each knew exactly what the other wanted. There was no room for a third person between them.
After a quick clean-up, they sat down together, eating rations and sipping heated water. As they looked at each other’s faces, both felt content.
Once they’d eaten and rested, Nolan finally had the energy to ask about Doudou. "How is he?"
Nolan nodded toward Doudou, who lay stiff as a corpse, his tone carrying a hint of concern.
Nolan showing concern for someone?
Serena raised her eyebrows in surprise. But seeing Nolan’s expression was as calm as ever, she didn’t ask further and just explained Doudou’s condition.
"As long as he’ll be fine. Once he wakes up, we leave this place." Spending another night here was risky enough.