CHAPTER 466: CHAPTER 466: FALL

Ji Yu tossed and turned through the night, drifting in and out of a dazed sleep.

The next morning, she woke up running a high fever.

She stared blankly at the doctor in front of her, seemingly confused and curious about what was happening to her.

"Miss Ji, you’d better not move around too recklessly. You’re running a fever, and if you keep this up, you’re only going to make your condition worse."

The doctor glanced at Ji Yu and carefully placed her arm to the side, worried she might accidentally dislodge the IV equipment.

Ji Yu rubbed her temples, her fingers brushing against the cooling patch on her forehead. Only then did she fully register that she was sick.

"It’s nothing serious," she muttered.

To her, the situation didn’t seem as dire.

Just as she was about to pull out the needle, Hu Jianyu’s voice rang through from outside.

Seeing Ji Yu in this state, Hu Jianyu grew increasingly anxious.

"You little rascal, are you trying to scare me to death? Look at yourself! If something happens to you, do you think I, as your father, could ever be happy again?"

It dawned on him that Ji Yu was the type of child who always kept her troubles to herself.

"If you have something bothering you, just talk to me directly! I’m your father, after all—it’s not like I can’t listen to your problems!" His voice was filled with concern as he looked at Ji Yu, terrified that something serious might happen to her.

"Dad, I’m really fine. It’s just a fever, nothing more," she said with a smile, trying to brush past the situation.

But Hu Jianyu wasn’t convinced.

"Yu, you really are too stubborn for your own good. When something like this happens, you should talk it out with me. Staying silent and bottling things up will only make things worse. Just last night, you passed out holding onto a photo album."

For the first time, he realized how much his daughter missed Gu Qixiao.

"Dad, I miss him a little, but it’s just longing—that’s all," she replied, her condition noticeably starting to improve.

Hu Jianyu didn’t press further, but it was clear he had no intention of letting her leave things unresolved.

With a resigned smile, Ji Yu admitted defeat. "Dad, you’ve really got me at a loss here. I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do anymore." Her voice trembled, almost breaking into sobs.

But in the end, she held back.

She chalked up her emotions to exhaustion, convinced that fatigue made her more susceptible to vulnerability.

Yet Hu Jianyu clearly wasn’t thinking along the same lines.

Upon realizing Ji Yu’s deep longing for Gu Qixiao, he went straight to the point and called him over that evening.

Gu Qixiao didn’t know what Hu Jianyu’s intentions were, but knowing he was Ji Yu’s father, he maintained a respectful attitude.

"You’re aware of the relationship between you and Yu, aren’t you?" Hu Jianyu looked at Gu Qixiao, his tone tinged with helplessness.

He knew Gu Qixiao had been trying hard for a long time, but in the end, reality had forced him to accept the circumstances.

"I understand. Why have you called me here?" Gu Qixiao had initially thought Ji Yu wanted to see him but felt a flicker of disappointment upon realizing it was Hu Jianyu instead.

"Don’t be disappointed. Yu’s condition isn’t ideal, so I didn’t tell her I was contacting you. If you want to be with her, then act on it quickly. But if you don’t, then make a clean break—and do it fast."

Hu Jianyu didn’t want to see the two of them stuck in endless, painful entanglement.

"Uncle Hu, I really do want to be with Yu, but her attitude right now clearly shows she doesn’t want us to have anything to do with each other. So all I can do is keep my distance and suppress my feelings for now," Gu Qixiao said, his voice laced with worry.

He was afraid of causing Ji Yu any further harm.

Especially since Ji Yu had made her stance unmistakably clear.

She clearly didn’t want him to risk himself for her.

Watching him struggle, Hu Jianyu felt increasingly frustrated, almost infuriated by his ineptitude.

"You just do whatever Yu tells you? Did you know her fever is related to you? Last night, she clearly missed you but couldn’t bring herself to say a word about it."

These unresolved emotions were practically eating away at Ji Yu.

Seeing his daughter in such pain filled Hu Jianyu with endless heartache. He couldn’t bear to watch things continue down this path.

If it carried on, he was sure his heart would break entirely.

Upon hearing Hu Jianyu’s explanation, Gu Qixiao grew anxious. "Yu is sick? When did this happen? I need to see her right now. Uncle, please let me go to her!"

His voice cracked with urgency, panic overtaking him.

He only wanted Ji Yu to live happily and without burdens—that was why he had stepped away for the time being.

But the current situation was plainly far from what he had hoped for.

"Yu just fell asleep. Go ahead and see her. I don’t know exactly what’s on your mind, but I hope you won’t let my daughter down," Hu Jianyu sighed deeply, worn down by the unfolding events.

After watching the two of them come this far, he couldn’t find the words to say anything else.

"How did it come to this..." Gu Qixiao whispered, unable to hold back. He stormed toward Ji Yu’s room.

Seeing Ji Yu lying pale and fragile on the bed filled him with anguish.

He had never seen her in such a vulnerable state.

He knew she must have endured immense suffering for things to have reached this point.

Unable to control himself, Gu Qixiao sat down beside her bed.

"What are you doing here?" Ji Yu opened her eyes, still disoriented.

Perhaps she believed this was only a dream, which explained why she didn’t immediately try to drive him away.

Gu Qixiao’s heart clenched fiercely. "Shouldn’t I be here?"

"You should be here, but only in my dreams. You can appear freely there, Gu Qixiao. Do you even know how much I miss you?"

Yet all she could do was respond to him with cold indifference.

The Ji Yu lying before him seemed completely different from the one he knew.

Even Gu Qixiao found himself puzzled, unable to discern which version of her was truly real.

"Yu, I miss you too," he confessed.

"I know you must miss me. Otherwise, why would you show up so urgently in my dreams? But this is just a dream, nothing more. I don’t want to hurt you, so we have to keep our distance now." Her smile turned bitter.

She knew her actions must have caused Gu Qixiao pain.

But this was merely the beginning.

The antidote they were waiting for would still take a long time to be developed.

"Gu Qixiao, if you no longer want to wait for me, then you should go. Maybe leaving is the right thing to do."