Inside the room, Serena Feng couldn't help with the treatment. Besides, most physicians had their own unique methods and disliked having colleagues present, so Serena simply stepped outside.
She knew Victor Yun had something important to discuss with her—especially since it concerned William Wang Jinling.
Victor Yun was very cautious. He pulled Serena under a tree, made sure no one was nearby, then lowered his voice: "Serena, when did William arrive at your manor?"
"Yesterday morning. Why?" Serena immediately sensed something was wrong.
Victor Yun's mouth twitched hard. "This morning, the Wang Clan announced William's disappearance. The whole Wang household is in chaos right now."
In other words, the Wang Clan started fighting over power and the patriarch’s seat the very next day after William disappeared. They didn’t care about William as the clan head at all—which meant the Wang Clan was almost certainly behind this, and it wasn’t just one faction, but a joint effort from several. It was basically certain William would never make it back alive.
"Looks like William’s coma has everything to do with the Wang Clan. Yesterday morning, his attendant rushed him over—even if he was careful, there would’ve been traces. But two days have passed, and not a single Wang Clan member has come knocking." Serena mocked herself. She’d gone so far as to detain that attendant to keep word from leaking and buy William more time, only to realize, after hearing Victor’s explanation, that it was completely unnecessary.
"I think so too. Serena, you need to be mentally prepared." Victor Yun looked at Serena with deep concern. Judging by the Wang Clan’s attitude, William’s odds of survival were slim.
Her heart clenched—Serena staggered, took a fierce breath, and forced down her grief. "Do everything you can and leave the rest to fate. I’m a doctor; as long as he’s still breathing, I won’t give up."
What she feared most was losing someone close to her on the operating table. That kind of guilt and self-blame could destroy her as a doctor. But sometimes, doctors really are powerless—like with William. Now she truly understood what it meant to be helpless.
"I'm glad you see it that way. Things aren't that bad yet. Knowing how cautious the Grand Heir is, I doubt he'd let himself get cornered like this." Victor Yun didn’t want to be harsh—he was just being honest, giving Serena a heads-up in case something really did happen and she couldn’t handle it.
To be honest, the last person in the world who wants William dead is Victor. If William dies, he’ll be left all alone—among the scholar-gentry, only William could match him, and vice versa.
Someone like William could die, but he shouldn’t die a coward’s death in the middle of a power struggle, or at the hands of his own family’s scheming. Still, Victor believed all of this was part of William’s calculations.
"If he doesn’t wake up, no matter how much he’s planned, it’s all pointless." Serena bit her lip, tears shimmering in her eyes.
Whatever William was plotting, it all depended on him staying alive. And before falling unconscious, he had someone send him to Feng Manor—which meant Serena was the key. But she couldn’t save him.
"Don’t worry yet. Let’s see what the doctors say first. The Wang Clan won’t come looking for William for now, but I suggest you make arrangements ahead of time. Once the Wang Clan’s internal chaos settles, they won’t let you off." What he meant by the chaos settling was the moment the next clan head was chosen.
When the new patriarch takes over, they’ll definitely want William’s body found. And the one who took him in—Serena—will be in trouble. Someone has to take the blame for William’s death.
"I get it. I need to discuss this with Ninth Royal Uncle." She’d grown used to life and death, but it was hard to accept that someone as young as William might be lost to something like this.
Ninth Royal Uncle was right—people like them, dying of old age is a luxury. The higher their status, the more dangers surrounded them; it was impossible to guard against everything.
She finally understood why General Warren Yu would rather stay in her shabby courtyard than go home. For him, home was full of danger—even sleep was never peaceful.
It was the same for the Wang Clan—maybe for William, leaving like this would be a kind of happiness. Death isn’t always the end; sometimes it’s a new beginning. Just look at her.
Thinking this way, Serena felt lighter; the pain in her heart eased a little.
Victor Yun admired Serena for bouncing back so quickly. He knew he hadn’t misjudged her—Serena was tough, tougher than most men. She could survive anywhere, no matter how cruel.
The Young Clan’s doctors were still inside, and there wasn’t a sound. Serena knew it would take a while, so she sent someone to Prince Nolan’s manor to invite him over.
The road from Prince Nolan’s manor to Feng Manor wasn’t short, but even after he arrived, the two doctors inside still hadn’t reached a diagnosis. Serena and Victor Yun realized those doctors must have hit a wall.
Serena didn’t grieve, nor did she have red-rimmed eyes—William wasn’t dead yet. Even if he died, she couldn’t let herself fall apart in front of Prince Nolan.
Serena smiled and greeted Prince Nolan. Seeing him there, her anxiety faded—if Prince Nolan was around, they would all be safe.
Prince Nolan was pleased by Serena’s trust and reliance. The three of them didn’t disturb the two elder doctors, but sat in the neighboring wooden cabin to discuss Wang Clan affairs.
Since yesterday, Prince Nolan had been busy dealing with the mess Prince Titus of Lyndaria caused. No matter what, he had to protect Serena’s secret and keep anyone from learning she was the one who fitted Titus with prosthetic limbs.
He’d just managed to suppress the scandal when the summons from Feng Manor arrived, asking him to come over.
Normally, Prince Nolan would have been delighted that Serena came to him first. But after hearing the news about the Wang Clan, he guessed Serena was seeking his help for William’s sake.
The Wang Clan was a mess—and this time, William was finally ruthless.
"Don’t worry, this is all part of William’s plan. He’ll be fine." Prince Nolan saw things more clearly than Serena—if the Wang Clan was plotting against William, he was plotting right back.
William was gentle and refined, but that didn’t mean he was easy to fool. When he decided to act, no one could withstand him. A nobleman like him would never soil his hands lightly—but when he did, he’d strike straight at the enemy’s heart.
William was gambling—with his life. He was using his own fate to draw out the restless elements within the Wang Clan.
William trusted Serena. With her by his side, he believed he’d be safe. So he let himself fall into the Wang Clan’s trap, using the chance to expose those who’d been hiding deep within the family.
A powerful enemy isn’t the real danger—the real danger is not knowing who around you is friend or foe. Last time, William was poisoned by someone’s treachery. They caught a few culprits, but William knew the masterminds were still hidden.
William punished those people severely, but the others didn’t settle down. The carriage incident had enraged him completely. To root out the Wang Clan’s cancer, William staged this entire drama—he’d calculated everything, except for one thing: there are illnesses even Serena can’t diagnose, diseases that can’t be cured...