Late or not, that question only lingered in Serena Feng's mind for a moment before she let it go.
Right now, she had no right to even think about whether it was too late or not. Her status and what happened at the city gate meant that she was fated to be forever separated from Ninth Royal Uncle.
No matter how hard she tried, she could never erase the fact that she was once Adrian Dongling’s fiancée, nor the humiliation she suffered at the city gate.
Either one of those things alone would be enough to ruin a woman's life—let alone both together.
With her reputation like this, it wasn’t just Ninth Royal Uncle—even any random young lord or noble in the capital was out of her reach. Serena Feng could never hope to marry up.
In Eastlyn, where family background meant everything, she wasn’t even qualified to be a concubine, let alone a wife.
But as someone from the modern world, could she ever accept being a concubine? Or accept a marriage with multiple wives?
She couldn’t...
So, she was destined to be alone in this life.
She would never have a husband, never have children—but she could have friends.
William Wang Jinling counted as one of them.
"No need to be so formal, Jinling. Just call me Serena," Serena Feng replied openly.
"Alright, then I’ll take you up on that." William stepped aside, gesturing for her to enter. "It’s just a humble room, I hope you won’t mind."
"You’re too modest, Jinling. The mountain doesn’t have to be high—if there’s an immortal, it’s famous; water doesn’t have to be deep—if there’s a dragon, it’s magical. This is just a humble room, but your virtue makes it precious. In my eyes, this place is worth more than any mansion." Talking with William Jinling brought out Serena’s hidden ease and straightforwardness.
She was just an ordinary person too, someone who liked talking with kindred spirits. In this world, she couldn’t find anyone to discuss surgery with, nor anyone she could confide in.
William Jinling was one of those rare people. They shared similar views, astonishingly alike in how they saw people and the world.
"This humble room, blessed by virtue—that’s high praise, Serena. I’ll shamelessly accept it." William’s smile grew even brighter; it was clear he enjoyed talking with Serena Feng.
After all, there were very few people in this world who saw things as clearly as they did. Both had been through life’s lowest points, yet both remained passionate about living.
People like them might look fragile on the outside, but their inner strength was immense.
Except for themselves, no one in this world could crush their passion for life or destroy their pride and confidence.
The two of them completely ignored Caleb Wang, chatting away happily. Just as Serena had imagined, they shared similar views about people and the world, unconstrained by convention.
Caleb sat off to the side, unable to get a word in, feeling both envious and a little jealous.
He’d known Serena Feng first, but she still treated him like a mere acquaintance.
After just a few words, those two already looked like lifelong friends, sharing everything with each other. It was honestly a little annoying to watch.
They were all just people—why was there such a gap between them?
But...
Caleb soon felt secretly pleased again.
The more Serena admired his older brother, the more seriously she’d take William’s eye disease.
Honestly, Caleb really had guessed right this time!
Serena Feng wasn’t an impulsive person—or rather, as a surgeon, she had to stay calm and rational. Only then could she make the most accurate judgments.
But when it came to William Jinling’s eye disease, Serena Feng was just a bit impatient.
They’d arrived as the sun was setting, which meant Serena could only stay for half an hour or so before she had to head back—otherwise, she wouldn’t make it into the city before dark.
Ahem...
Honestly, Serena was overthinking things.
The trip didn’t really need to take so long. The reason it took nearly an hour to get here was entirely because Caleb Wang dragged it out on purpose.
Caleb’s original plan was to arrive late, so Serena would have to stay longer—ideally, all night.
The longer she stayed, the easier it would be for him to persuade her.
As for Serena Feng’s reputation as a maiden?
Did Serena Feng even have that anymore? It was already ruined once—what did it matter if it happened again? Caleb Wang, Seventh Young Master of the Wang clan, didn’t care if people gossiped about him and Serena.
Who knew, Caleb’s tactic accidentally worked out—Serena didn’t want to waste time. After chatting with William Jinling for a bit, she finally spoke up:
"Jinling, I have a somewhat presumptuous request." Serena felt a bit embarrassed as she said it.
"Go ahead, Serena. If it’s something I can do, I won’t refuse," William replied.
Though their conversation was brief, William already understood Serena’s character—she was among the very best. He even thought, if Serena had been born a man, General Feng would have had a true successor.
Serena rolled her eyes at him, not amused.
William, could you not be so agreeable? At least ask what I want before you promise—what if I asked you to marry me? Seriously.
Complaints aside, Serena didn’t dare delay the real issue. She’d wanted to be careful with her words, but realized she wasn’t that kind of person—if she beat around the bush, William might think she had some strange ulterior motive.
Serena decided to just ask directly: "Jinling, may I take a look at your eyes?"
Still, Serena softened her tone. She knew William didn’t mind his blindness, but for a woman to ask to examine a man’s eyes was considered quite improper.
She could have just said she was a doctor, brought in by Caleb Wang to help with the eye disease, but...
Serena didn’t want to give William hope only to let him down. As a doctor, she knew all too well—when a patient’s hope turns to disappointment, it quickly becomes despair.
She thought William Jinling might refuse, but to her surprise, he agreed without hesitation.
Serena was a bit stunned by William’s trust in her, and secretly admired him—his openness was truly rare.
If it were her, she’d never let someone examine her eyes—after all, William’s eyes were a wound that would never heal.
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Whatever William thought, since he agreed, Serena didn’t hold back.
As she stood up, she quietly activated the Smart Med-Pack on her left arm.
The moment Serena leaned in, William Jinling’s whole body tensed up.
The feminine scent, mixed with Serena’s unique hint of medicine, made William feel uneasy.
Blind since childhood, William hated being treated as disabled. He’d always handled things himself, never letting maids wait on him—so...
He wasn’t used to women getting close to him.
His ears reddened slightly, but he pretended to stay calm, maintaining his gentlemanly composure.
He could hear Serena’s steady heartbeat, and for a moment, he felt dazed.
Her long hair draped down, its faint fragrance lingering at his nose. William unconsciously relaxed and began to sketch Serena’s features in his mind.
A full forehead, slightly prominent cheekbones—traits of a proud and confident woman.
Features as delicate as a painting, eyes clear and bright—only such a look would suit Serena’s eloquence.
Her nose might not be small, but it must be straight and firm—that’s where Serena’s courage comes from.
Her cheeks are slightly rounded, with dimples when she smiles. No, wait, that’s not quite right...
No, that’s still not it.
It felt like something was missing.
William kept revising the image in his mind, trying to picture Serena’s face, but always found something lacking.
At that moment, William truly wished he could see, just to know what Serena looked like.
Serena—the first and only close female friend William Jinling would ever have.
While William was picturing Serena’s face, she had already finished her examination.
William’s eye condition didn’t even require the Smart Med-Pack—Serena could diagnose it herself, because William’s eyes...