Ecstatic Joy, Saving You Even at the Cost of the World

Serena took a deep breath, her tightly clenched hands finally relaxing the moment she touched William, then gently placed her hand on his body, pressing her ear to his chest to listen closely...

Warm—he's still warm, and his heart is beating. Thank goodness, thank goodness, William can still be saved. There's still hope.

Serena burst out laughing with joy, tears streaming down her face. In the depths of despair, fate had handed her an overwhelming surprise. Serena gripped William's hand tightly.

"William, I knew it—I just knew you’d wait for me." In this moment, her wild joy was beyond words. Never before had she been so grateful for her medical training; only because she was a doctor could she be confident she could save William.

"I'm such an idiot, William, I really am—I scared myself for nothing. You’re clearly still alive, but I thought you were dead and nearly frightened myself to death."

"Look how foolish I am, William. I’m really not a qualified doctor—too emotional, I couldn’t even judge life or death properly." Serena laughed at herself, her happiness overflowing.

Serena wiped away her tears, gave William a little water, then activated the Smart Med‑Pack to run a checkup on him.

Just as Serena had guessed, William’s injuries weren’t severe—it was extreme starvation, his vital signs dangerously weak. He needed nutrition as soon as possible.

Serena glanced at the corpses at her feet—the bodies were already reeking. With William so frail, she knew he absolutely couldn’t stay here among the dead. She had to get him out.

Normally, she could never carry William out on her own, but now he was so emaciated there was barely any flesh left. With a gentle lift, she could pick him up easily.

A young master born to luxury—how much suffering must he have endured to end up like this in just three months? Serena's heart ached for him.

"William, whoever drove you to this point, I won’t let them go. When we get back, we’ll find every last one of them and make them understand: the famed Grand Heir isn’t someone to be trifled with. Anyone who dares cross you will pay the price."

Serena found a flat spot, laid William down, pulled glucose from the Smart Med‑Pack, and started an IV. Once the drip was set, she took out a few pieces of clothing and covered him up.

After some effort, Serena got the tent pitched and moved William inside. She cleaned his body and changed him into fresh clothes. Looking at the once-elegant Grand Heir, now all jutting bones, her heart hurt even more.

Besides being so thin, William had other injuries—a broken lower leg, which his guards had treated hastily but poorly. Without blinking, Serena re-broke the bone and set it properly.

Seeing how William’s face didn’t flinch at the pain of having his bone reset, Serena felt a bitter ache inside. She wished she could take his suffering for him, and blamed herself for not paying attention to his situation sooner—if she had, he wouldn’t have been trapped here so long.

The Grand Heir—someone so cherished that even if you offered him the world, it would never be enough. Who could possibly bear to push him to this point? How could they bear it?

Serena tended to William with utmost care, never leaving his side. She knew that even after replenishing his nutrition and energy, William would wake up starving. But his stomach was too damaged—he could only handle warm liquid food. In this situation, where could she possibly find hot food for him?

With no other choice, Serena took out a medical alcohol lamp and started cooking for William. Not knowing when he’d wake, she began early and kept the food warm over the flame.

That night, the temperature in the canyon dropped sharply. Feeling how William’s body was colder than normal, Serena didn’t hesitate—she held him tightly in her arms, keeping him there the entire night.

Serena knew that sometimes a patient’s will to live could decide their fate. So she spent the whole night talking softly into William’s ear, not even noticing how every word felt like a knife slicing her throat.

By morning, her limbs were numb and aching, but Serena didn’t complain. She fetched fresh water, cleaned William’s face, hands, and feet. Just as she was about to pour out the water, she heard William’s faint voice behind her: "Qing...chen!"

Crash—the glass vessel shattered in Serena’s hand, water splashing all over her.

"William, you’re awake?" Serena spun around, seeing William’s eyes half open. Tears of joy spilled out as she smiled again.

In that moment, she finally understood how family members felt hearing a doctor say, "The patient is awake."

For once, she wasn’t a cold, formulaic physician announcing a patient’s recovery. She was just an ordinary person, terrified for someone she loved.

"William, you’re finally awake. Thank goodness, thank goodness!" Waking up meant William was out of immediate danger. With proper care, he would recover in time.

"Serena, it’s so good to see you." He’d thought he was dreaming, hearing her voice in the darkness. Now, seeing Serena for real, William struggled to lift his hand and touch her, to be sure he wasn’t imagining it. But his arms felt impossibly heavy—he couldn’t move them.

Still so weak.

William let his hand fall in defeat. Serena noticed at once, quickly grasped his hand and pressed it to her own cheek. "William, it’s me. I came. I came to find you."

Actually feeling Serena’s touch, William’s spirits lifted. But when he saw her exhausted, thin, and pale face, his heart ached for her. "You’ve worked so hard for me."

"It’s not hard, not at all. As long as you’re safe, nothing else matters." Serena’s smile was radiant—no gloomy sky could hide her happiness.

"Idiot." William smiled and scolded her softly.

"Still, I’m really glad—so glad you came for me. Serena, thank you. Thank you for coming to find me." For the first time, I know I haven’t been abandoned by the world.

Serena, you don’t know—now I only have you. Only you.

William let his hand fall, closed his eyes, and turned away, not wanting Serena to see the sadness and tears in his eyes.

For the first time, William resented the Wang clan—his own relatives who stood by and watched him suffer. If his family hadn’t abandoned him, Serena wouldn’t have had to risk everything to save him alone.

He wasn’t foolish enough to throw away his life for the clan leader’s seat or some test. Once he learned who was behind the plot against him, he immediately sent out a call for help to the Wang clan.

After that, he kept waiting for the clan to rescue him—but in the end, his hope died. He realized he’d been abandoned. The clan would never sacrifice its power for one person, not even to stand against his enemies.

Driven into the canyon, he and his guards broke through the encirclement again and again, only to fall each time. If it hadn’t been for the medicine Serena prepared for him, he and his men would have died long ago—he never would have lasted for her to arrive.

Ha... his clan—the one he poured his heart and soul into, the one he sacrificed himself for—turned out to be the first to abandon him.

The family he lived with for over twenty years turned out to be less reliable than Serena, a friend he’d known for less than a year. He didn’t know whether to feel tragic or grateful...