"Pfft..." Wei Zhao nearly burst out laughing at Shen Yushu's words. This girl really was a piece of work! He had grown so used to her ways that he was almost reluctant to leave — but some things demanded a choice be made, whether one liked it or not.

"Xiaoshu, stop butting in and let Wei Zhao tell us what he means to do!" Gu Mengyao glared at Shen Yushu, though in her heart she could not help wondering: if it really was as Xiaoshu said, if that was the only way to restore Wei Zhao's power — would she accept it?

Maybe... she would? After all, he had lost his strength because he took a wound for her sake, and had nearly died for it. What was a small sacrifice on her part? Not out of any feeling between man and woman, but a life for a life — her way of repaying him.

Thus Gu Mengyao consoled herself.

And yet — he had Tang Yun. Why would he want anything to do with her? Gu Mengyao shook her head and flung these muddled, unrealistic thoughts to the back of her mind.

"Those novels have led you astray..." Wei Zhao said with a bitter smile. "That's just the male lead being lecherous, inventing excuses for his own misconduct..."

"Uh... so are you lecherous, Brother Arrowhead?" Shen Yushu asked.

"..." Wei Zhao had no answer. Appetite for food and desire for beauty are human nature — he would not lie.

"Xiaoshu, why must you talk so much nonsense? Stop pestering Wei Zhao and let him finish — how can his power be restored!" Gu Mengyao glared at Shen Yushu and snapped, thoroughly annoyed.

"Oh, all right. Then go on, Brother Arrowhead — how can your power be restored? Sister Yaoyao and I are your solid backing!" Shen Yushu nodded.

"How to restore it..." Wei Zhao sighed softly. "For now I haven't found a way. Which is why I've come today, in fact, to resign..."

"You... you're leaving?" Gu Mengyao was struck dumb, staring at Wei Zhao in disbelief. His words hit her far too hard; for a moment she could not take them in. Everything had been fine not long ago — how could he suddenly be leaving?

"Yes." Wei Zhao nodded. "I have to go and search for a way to restore my power!"

"Can't you search for it here?" Gu Mengyao grew anxious.

"I took Uncle Chu's money to come here and keep you company. But I've lost the ability to protect you — what am I still doing here?" Wei Zhao shrugged. "Hah, don't worry. After I go, Uncle Chu will find you a new attendant. Maybe he'll be more obedient than I am, and never make you angry..."

"I..." Gu Mengyao wanted to say, "I don't want anyone else, I want you!" But the words stuck at the edge of her lips and would not come out. She stared blankly at Wei Zhao, feeling as if none of this were real. He was truly leaving? So soon?

"Oh, it's fine. You've got money anyway — you don't care about that thirty thousand. You can just forgo the salary, and Sister Yaoyao and I will support you!" Shen Yushu, with none of Gu Mengyao's reservations, spoke without thinking. "Once you've got your power back, you can ask for a raise!"

"Hah..." Wei Zhao smiled. "Don't talk nonsense, Xiaoshu. You're not actually foolish, are you?"

Shen Yushu looked at him, startled, eyes wide. At last she lowered her head and said nothing.

"You're really leaving? I know you don't care about the thirty thousand!" Gu Mengyao bit her lip and looked at Wei Zhao. "You said we were friends! You lost your power for our sake — how could we possibly throw you out over something like this? Do you think I, Gu Mengyao, could do such a thing?"

"Hah..." Wei Zhao looked at the young miss, reluctant as well, but his mind was clear. "It's I who am resigning of my own accord — it has nothing to do with you. All right, I'll step out first. Before I leave, I need to speak with Tang Yun as well..."

"You..." Gu Mengyao looked at Wei Zhao, wanting to say something, but when she saw him rise and head for the villa door the moment he finished, a sudden helplessness came over her and she closed her mouth again...

And just like that, Wei Zhao left, vanishing from Gu Mengyao's and Shen Yushu's sight.

Gu Mengyao withdrew her gaze. Something was stuck in her chest, though she could not say whether it was melancholy or something else — only that her mood was very, very bad.

The good spirits Gu Mengyao had felt at Wei Zhao's full recovery vanished utterly in that moment, as though she had lost something precious. She had an urge to cry, but she glanced at Xiaoshu beside her, and in the end she did not cry.

Yaoyao, be strong! How can you cry over a man? If he wants to go, let him go — it isn't that you mean to wrong him, it's that he insists on leaving... So Gu Mengyao spoke to herself in her heart, but she truly felt wretched, utterly wretched...

"Sister Yaoyao, is Brother Arrowhead really leaving?" Shen Yushu asked.

"He is." Gu Mengyao nodded.

"But I don't want him to go," Shen Yushu said honestly.

"I know. But we can't stop him." Gu Mengyao shook her head.

"Not even Uncle Chu?" Shen Yushu asked suddenly.

"Daddy..." Gu Mengyao was momentarily taken aback. It occurred to her that Wei Zhao had been found by her father — so if her father spoke, would Wei Zhao listen? Surely he would? Otherwise, why would he have come a thousand miles to her side for thirty thousand yuan and taken on such a grueling job?

At the thought, Gu Mengyao's eyes lit up. She scrambled to the telephone, snatched it up, and dialed Gu Pengzhan's number.

"Yaoyao? How is Xiaoyi — has he woken up?" Gu Pengzhan had just gotten off work and received his daughter's call on the road. These past few days, with no Uncle Qing to drive him, he had not hired a chauffeur either, but driven himself, and had gotten used to it.

"Yes..." Gu Mengyao nodded. "Daddy, but Wei Zhao is leaving — he wants to resign..."

"Resign? Why?" Gu Pengzhan was startled. "Is it because it's too dangerous?"

While Wei Zhao lay unconscious, Gu Pengzhan had been very worried too. This time, what Wei Zhao had been through was indeed too dangerous; Gu Mengyao had already told him how it had gone. Wei Zhao had come within a hair of losing his life.

"No... His wounds have healed, but his skill is gone..." Gu Mengyao said. "He says he's no different from an ordinary person now, that he can't protect me and Xiaoshu anymore, so he wants to resign..."

"Is that so? Then wait — I'll be right over!" Gu Pengzhan said hurriedly. If that were the only reason, he would not mind; bodyguards could always be hired again. But Wei Zhao, once gone, would not come back...