Embarrassing Needs and Nightly Restraint

William had just woken up. Serena Feng was still intoxicated with joy and failed to notice anything amiss with William, nor did she catch the flash of sadness in his eyes.

After her initial euphoria, Serena Feng brought over the nutrient soup she had kept warm with an alcohol lamp.

"William, sit up and have something to drink." Serena Feng gently helped William up and fed him with care.

William smiled at Serena Feng, just as he had when they first met. His smile remained pure, tinged only with a hint of dust, as if he had never felt resentment or hatred.

He opened his mouth and cooperated with Serena Feng's feeding, never once complaining about his circumstances or his selfish clan.

He was William—the man who could enjoy and cherish life even if the whole world abandoned him. Resentment and hatred were too heavy; he disliked living with such emotions. The only thing he knew how to do was let go.

Letting go: the moment his clan abandoned him, he abandoned them in turn. From then on, he put himself first, no longer placing his clan above all.

This time, surviving against all odds—and the political benefit his clan gained by abandoning him—was enough to repay his parents and clan for raising him. From the moment he was cast aside, he stopped living as the Grand Heir William Wang Jinling of House Warren; he became William, a man who lives only for himself.

William’s resentment lasted only a moment—he let go almost instantly. Serena Feng never knew that, at the very moment he awoke, William made a life-changing decision.

From that point on, William entrusted himself to Serena Feng. Whatever she asked, he did—obedient and cooperative. But... lying there motionless, there were some unavoidable and awkward issues, like personal needs.

After eating and drinking, the need to relieve himself naturally followed. William was well aware that Serena Feng had changed all his clothes and washed his body while he was unconscious—his skin was clean and dry now. Since both of them tacitly avoided mentioning it, the embarrassment was kept private. But now...

Now awake, William wanted to urinate, but he simply didn't have the strength to move. In his current state, he couldn't get up at all.

William had tried his best to hold it in, but there comes a point when you just can't anymore. He might be the famous 'banished immortal' Grand Heir, but he was still human—and humans have urgent needs. He had endured as long as possible, but if he lost control and wet himself, it would be even more humiliating...

After a long struggle, William couldn't hold back any longer. Face flushed, long lashes fluttering, he hesitated and stammered, "Um, Serena Feng, I... I want to..." Even after steeling himself, he couldn't bring himself to say it aloud.

This kind of thing really ruins the mood and image.

"William, what's wrong?" Serena Feng, being a doctor but not a nurse, inevitably overlooked some things. Now that William was safe, she finally relaxed, and exhaustion hit her hard—her mind wasn't as sharp as usual.

"I... I need to pee." William squeezed his eyes shut and blurted it out loudly. Anyone overhearing might think he was a martyr going to his death—he really did look like he was facing execution.

"You need to pee? Oh, okay, just wait a moment." Serena Feng silently blamed herself for being careless and not thinking of these things.

William was mortified, but seeing Serena Feng completely unfazed and comfortable, he relaxed a little. He was never one to be overly rigid.

But... when Serena Feng brought over a chamber pot and placed it beneath him, explaining how to use it, he felt like dying from sheer humiliation. He was truly mortified to the bone!

"Serena Feng, I don't use things like this." As a man, it was mortifying enough to use a chamber pot, but even worse was the thought that Serena Feng would have to empty it afterward—he couldn't accept that at all.

"You're not in any condition to move. Right now, this is your only option. William, I know it's awkward, but this is a special situation—just bear with it. How about this: you handle things yourself inside, and I'll wait outside." Serena Feng knew William would feel uncomfortable, so she didn't mention helping him directly.

To her, this was perfectly normal. Whether William was her friend or her patient, she was responsible for his care.

Just let me die!

Faced with that chamber pot, William had this thought more than once. But when nature calls, you have to accept reality. Wetting himself would be even more embarrassing.

It took a huge effort for William to convince himself to ignore his discomfort. Hands trembling, he tried to unfasten his pants, only to realize: "Serena Feng..."

William was thoroughly depressed—his image in Serena Feng's eyes must have hit rock bottom.

"What's wrong?" Serena Feng hadn't gone far; as soon as William called, she came right in.

"I can't undo it." William pointed at his pants, his handsome face red as Guan Yu.* If there were a block of tofu nearby, he would have smashed his head against it.

*Guan Yu: a legendary Chinese general, famed for his loyalty and his red face, often used in idioms to mean 'extremely flushed.'

He really wanted to die—seriously, just die.

"I'll help you." Without waiting for William to protest, Serena Feng crouched down and unfastened his pants, pulling them down—though only the outer layer. She was not the type to cross boundaries.

William closed his eyes and pressed his lips together, silent. In all his life, he'd never been so humiliated—not even when he was blind before; nothing had ever been this embarrassing.

To outsiders, he was the untouchable 'banished immortal,' but in reality, he was very capable and independent. He only kept a manservant, rarely used maidservants, and handled most daily matters himself.

But now, he was like a useless cripple, unable to do anything. Worst of all, Serena Feng witnessed every bit of his helplessness. God, was this some kind of punishment?

"William, if you need anything, just call me. Just think of me as your doctor—don't overthink it." Serena Feng smiled at William, her look saying, "I understand, I really do."

At that, William's ears felt like they were bleeding.

Serena Feng told him not to overthink, but of course he thought about everything—things he should and shouldn't. And then, embarrassingly, his body reacted.

William really wanted to faint. After finally finishing, he found things still wouldn’t calm down. Staring silently at the sky, he knew Serena Feng would realize what was happening.

Just let him die!

William silently pulled up his pants, reciting the Purification Mantra in his heart.

At that moment, he wished more than anything to be an ascetic free of desire—then he wouldn’t have to face such humiliating situations.

Serena Feng waited outside the tent for a long time, but William never called for her. Worried, she finally called out, "William, are you all right?"

"N-no problem." Startled by Serena Feng’s voice, William’s body finally returned to normal. He was deeply relieved—not having to embarrass himself in front of her.

Just as he relaxed, Serena Feng came straight in to empty the chamber pot for him.

William’s mouth twitched, but he said nothing. Though embarrassed, what he felt even more was warmth. Such a small act showed Serena Feng’s kindness and thoughtfulness.

In his memory, his parents had never done such dirty chores for him—they always left them to the servants. Yet Serena Feng did it herself, without the slightest discomfort or complaint, as if it were perfectly natural.

Once there’s a first time, there’s a second. After his initial mortifying experience with the chamber pot, William quickly became proficient and much calmer the second time—at least, except for his ears, everything else was a normal color.

Watching Serena Feng do these things for him, his heart soared—not just aching for her, but filled with happiness.

Of course, besides this, there was one more thing that was both torment and joy for William: sharing a bed.

It was late autumn, and the nights in the canyon were bitterly cold. Even inside the tent, it felt chilly—especially for William. No matter how many clothes he piled on, his body never warmed up.

Serena Feng knew that William’s body was too weak to retain warmth. In such conditions, she couldn’t afford to be squeamish—a simple cold could worsen his condition or even threaten his life.

So at night, Serena Feng lay down beside William, fully clothed, sharing a bed so he could finally get warm and sleep well. After the first awkward night, things got much easier.

William was a true gentleman—more chaste than even Liu Xiahui.* Plus, Serena Feng added a mild sedative to his medicine, so every night, all he did was hold her loosely. No matter what he wanted in his heart...

*Liu Xiahui: a paragon of chastity in Chinese legend, famed for his restraint even when sharing a bed with a woman.

Everyone has a little wicked beast in their heart. Some let it out freely, some let it out occasionally, and some keep it tightly chained, never letting it escape.

William was clearly the last type. No matter how much he suffered, no matter how he woke every morning painfully aroused, even with sedatives, he never acted inappropriately toward Serena Feng—not even a little.

Never mind that Serena Feng didn’t love him as a man—even if she did, he would never take advantage. If she ever accepted him, he’d give her the best of everything, because she deserved it.

If Serena Feng never accepted him, he’d bury everything that happened in the canyon as a secret, known only to the two of them. He would never let his desire ruin her life or happiness.

While Serena Feng and William lived in quiet harmony in the canyon, Felix was getting frustrated up above. Serena Feng had promised three days; he’d waited five and still hadn’t seen her emerge.

"Damn it, didn’t you find the guy? Why are you still hanging around at the bottom of the canyon? Dead or alive, give me a sign! Are you planning to put down roots and camp here forever?" Felix shouted down, but no one answered.

Felix was so worried he almost jumped into the canyon himself. If Serena Feng didn’t come out soon, he’d go down and drag her out, no matter what it took.

But Serena Feng had no intention of leaving. She would stay as long as William needed her, no matter how long it took. She had made up her mind—she would never let William down again.