It was a mystery what the old master saw in Yun An'an, why he was so fiercely protective of her, refusing to even entertain the idea of divorce. Yun An'an froze on the landing, unable to take another step. A sharp pain twisted in her chest as she tightened her grip on the banister. Old Master Huo sipped his tea, unhurried. His aged face looked weary, but his voice was firm and heavy when he spoke. “In the Huo family, we have widows, not divorcées. If you insist on leaving her, fine. You’ll walk away with nothing. Everything goes to that girl, An'an, as compensation. After that, this old man doesn't care what you do.” He wondered just how much this clueless little brat would one day regret the words he was speaking. “Grandfather, she is not a Huo,” Huo Sijing stated, his brow furrowing slightly, his tone a calm statement of fact. “She is if I say she is,” Old Master Huo let out a dry chuckle. “Don't think I don't know what you're up to, you little rascal. As long as this old man is breathing, you can forget about any of that nonsense. That girl An'an has been through enough. And you're bullying her? What kind of man are you?” The nearby maids struggled to stifle their laughter, but one cold glance from Huo Sijing had them ducking their heads at once. “Aside from the empty title of ‘Mrs. Huo,’ I will give her nothing else.” Hearing this, Old Master Huo snorted, a sound halfway between a laugh and a scoff. “Sijing, it's not that Grandfather wants to criticize you, but you've been brilliant at everything since you were a boy… except for your judgment of people.” Huo Sijing didn't reply, a shadow of displeasure settling between his brows. Yun An'an took a moment to compose herself, rubbing her cheeks to bring some color back to her face before stepping into the living room. “Grandfather,” she greeted him. At the sight of her, what little warmth was in Huo Sijing’s expression vanished. His hawk-like eyes stared at her, icy and hard. “An'an, my girl, Grandfather hasn't seen you in what, two weeks? And you've gotten thinner,” Old Master Huo said, his face breaking into a wide smile, clearly delighted to see her. “If you're not comfortable here, you must say so. Don't let yourself be wronged.” “Grandfather, you know being bone-thin is all the rage these days. I'm already too fat as it is!” Yun An'an smiled sweetly, sitting down beside him. But as she looked up, the smile on her lips faltered. The old master’s complexion… did he look like he’d been poisoned?! Old Master Huo burst out laughing. “You silly girl, you're nearly skin and bones and you call yourself fat! Sijing, you need to stop burying yourself in those emotionless files and spend more time with An'an. Are those papers going to take care of you in your old age?” Hearing this, Yun An'an managed a faint smile, but a heavy feeling settled in her heart. Huo Sijing, looking exasperated, hadn't glanced at her once since she’d entered. “Frankly,” he said, his voice hard, “I’d rather spend the rest of my life with my files.” “Fine! The day you produce an heir with a stack of paper, you let your grandfather know. I'd love to see that before I die!” Huo Sijing: “...” Yun An'an's eyes darted thoughtfully as an idea suddenly struck her. She took Old Master Huo's arm, her voice turning coaxing. “Grandfather, you don't look well. Have you been waking up startled in the middle of the night? Finding it hard to fall back asleep?” “How did you know, An'an, my girl?” Old Master Huo looked at her, astonished. Besides his doctor, not even his own son and daughter-in-law knew about this. Then he remembered. Yun An'an's grandfather had been a master physician. Back in the day, he could pull a patient back even if they had one foot in the grave. Having grown up by the old master's side, An'an's medical skills were surely nothing to scoff at. But it felt as though she was hinting at something more...