85: Do you know how much this piece of clothing of mine costs? Can you afford it?

Gu Xiaoxiao cried even more sorrowfully, leaning forward and burying her face in Gao Xuewei's shoulder, a choked sob escaping her throat, her shoulders trembling slightly with her crying.

Xiao Xi, seeing this, blinked her large, watery eyes, which were filled with innocence and sympathy.

Her chubby little hand reached into her pocket, fumbled around for a moment, and pulled out a brightly colored candy.

She held her small hand high, placing it in front of Gu Xiaoxiao, and said in a clear voice, "Sister, don't cry, I'll give you my candy."

Gu Xiaoxiao lifted her tear-streaked face, looking at the innocent Xiao Xi in front of her, whose adorable appearance was like a little angel, her rosy cheeks like ripe apples, and a sweet smile on her lips.

Her pure gaze and lovely gesture were like a ray of light shining into her dark world.

For some reason, a surge of strength suddenly welled up within her.

Gu Xiaoxiao bit her lip hard, preventing herself from crying out again, and wiped the tears from her face with her soaked sleeve.

Then, supported by Gao Xuewei, she stood up, her legs trembling slightly, but she tried her best to straighten her back.

Her gaze stubbornly turned towards Lu Chen, whose expression remained cold.

Gu Xiaoxiao looked at Lu Chen; even though he was soaked, he showed no signs of dishevelment.

His close-fitting top clung tightly to his broad chest and firm abdomen, the lines of his muscles faintly visible beneath his clothes, as if they were a work of art meticulously sculpted by an ancient Greek sculptor.

His disheveled hair was swept back, a few strands casually falling on his forehead, looking even darker and shinier after being wet by the river water.

His deep eyes were like a cold pool, icy and profound; his high nose cast a shadow on his stern face; his thin lips were slightly pursed, carrying an innate sense of aloofness and indifference.

His appearance, stern yet exuding endless charm, radiated an irresistible aura with every movement.

Gu Xiaoxiao didn't need a mirror to know that she must look utterly disheveled at this moment.

She secretly decided that she would now go and wash up, change into clean clothes, and meticulously apply exquisite makeup, to stand before Lu Chen again in her most perfect state and ask him what exactly he meant.

Then, Gu Xiaoxiao turned her head to look at Gao Xuewei, her voice trembling slightly, and softly said, "Thank you, then I'll trouble you."

Gao Xuewei's lips curved upward, and she smiled gently, shaking her head slightly as she replied, "You're welcome."

With that, Gao Xuewei was about to lead Gu Xiaoxiao away.

However,

Just then, Lu Chen's voice, like a cold arrow, rang out faintly: "Wait a moment."

Their figures instantly froze, and they both turned their heads to look at Lu Chen.

A hint of curiosity flashed in Gao Xuewei's eyes; she widened them slightly, her eyelashes fluttering gently, her gaze full of confusion, not understanding why Lu Chen had stopped them.

Gu Xiaoxiao's eyes, on the other hand, held a hint of expectation, like a flickering candle in the dark, faint but still holding a glimmer of hope.

Lu Chen's brows furrowed slightly, and the incomprehension and doubt in his eyes spread like a mist.

He first directed his gaze at Gao Xuewei, his eyes as cold as frost, and questioned, "As my personal secretary, you're not serving me by helping me bathe, but instead going to serve a stranger. Do you think this is appropriate?"

Gao Xuewei's face instantly stiffened; her gentle smile immediately froze, and a hint of panic flashed in her eyes.

She instinctively shrank her neck, like a startled deer, her voice trembling and stammering as she mumbled, "I... I was just worried she would catch a cold..."

Lu Chen's gaze grew even colder, as if it could freeze the surrounding air; he pressed on, "Then you're not worried about me?"

Gao Xuewei's body trembled slightly, her eyes darting away as she weakly replied, "I... I've already prepared your bathwater."

Lu Chen's eyes turned cold, as if cold stars flickered within them: "Still daring to talk back?"

A chill ran through Gao Xuewei's body, icy coldness shooting up her spine; she immediately lowered her head, not daring to speak further, nervously clutching the corner of her clothes with both hands.

Listening to the conversation between Lu Chen and Gao Xuewei, the trace of anticipation in Gu Xiaoxiao's eyes, like a candle in the wind, instantly extinguished and vanished completely.

She gave a desolate smile, filled with self-mockery and despair.

The glimmer of confidence that had just been kindled in her heart by Xiao Xi was also mercilessly shattered, like a fragile hourglass, breaking into dust, with no possibility of reassembly.

Then Lu Chen looked at Gu Xiaoxiao again, his tone icy, like a cold wind blowing from an ice cellar in winter:

"Saving you was this young master's kindness, unable to bear watching a life vanish just like that. What? Are you planning to stay here and not leave?"

Lu Chen's words were like a sharp, cold blade piercing directly into Gu Xiaoxiao's heart; she slowly looked up at Lu Chen, her eyes misting over and becoming wet again.

Her head shook gently, with an extremely small movement, as if she had used all her strength, her voice choked in her throat, and it was with great difficulty that she squeezed out a trembling response: "I didn't..."

"Didn't? Then you're really planning to bathe and change clothes here? Do you know how much a piece of clothing costs here? Can you afford it?"

Lu Chen's voice was still cold, carrying a hint of merciless sarcasm; his words were like sharp icicles, Stab Gu Xiaoxiao's every nerve.

Even Gao Xuewei felt a chill run through her body just hearing such words; she couldn't imagine how heartbroken, sad, and helpless she would feel if Lu Chen said such things to her.

Gao Xuewei raised her head and glanced at Gu Xiaoxiao, her eyes filled with worry and sympathy, secretly sweating for her.

She could hardly imagine how much pain this young woman must be feeling at this moment, a pain that must be like a surging tsunami, completely engulfing her.

Gu Xiaoxiao's tears once again fell like a string of broken pearls; she tightly pursed her pale cherry lips, which trembled slightly from the effort, as if she was desperately trying to suppress her inner sorrow.

Her shoulders shrugged slightly, her body swaying gently, her breathing rapid and disordered, her chest heaving violently.

The weather grew colder, and the river wind howled in gusts, a coldness that seemed to penetrate to the bone, making one shiver uncontrollably and fall into utter despair.

Gu Xiaoxiao felt as if the last bit of warmth in her body had been blown away by the river wind, and a chill shot from her feet to the top of her head.

Her eyes gradually became hazy, the scene before her began to blur, and the world spun.

Her legs seemed to lose their supporting strength, beginning to soften and buckle.

Her body also uncontrollably tilted backward, her hands weakly flailing in the air a few times, trying to grasp something to steady herself, but it was futile.

Until her consciousness finally dispersed, and her whole body completely fell backward, like a flower withered by the wind and rain...