Every year, for a month or two at the height of summer, the gourd-shaped clouds over Liuxian Island would be blown apart, for this was the season when typhoons came calling.

During this season, ships never set out to sea, and so Liuxian Island became entirely cut off from the outside world — not even letters could travel back and forth.

The Gu family residence occupied the highest peak of Liuxian Island. A stretch of open ground at the summit had been left untouched until, just three years ago, a new dwelling had finally been built there — the Gu family’s main residence. Its position was exceptional; standing there, one could take in the entire island at a glance, even watch the comings and goings of Liuxian Island’s harbor.

However, this main residence wasn’t where Master and Madam Gu themselves lived. They, along with their unmarried second daughter, resided in the east wing below this summit residence. Before this summit residence had existed, the east wing had itself been the Gu family’s main hall. Opposite the east wing stood the west wing, where the eldest daughter, Gu Meiting, lived with her husband, Jiang Chen.

Where one lived symbolized one’s standing, and this summit residence had been left for Jun Beiyue by Master and Madam Gu — clear proof of just how much importance the couple placed on him, and clearer proof still that this heir to the Gu family patriarchy could be none other than Jun Beiyue.

Of course, this dwelling had been built even before Jun Beiyue had ever set foot on Liuxian Island, precisely to announce to all the island’s families that the Gu family was not without an heir!

At this moment, Jun Beiyue lay in this very residence. Ever since his internal energy had been restored, he had remained lying on the bed, with Physician Gu and Yingzi watching over him day and night, waiting and waiting, yet seeing no sign of change.

He truly looked exactly as though he were merely asleep — his face so handsome it seemed to provoke both gods and men to envy, cold and forbidding even in stillness, allowing no one to draw close.

At this moment, Physician Hua and Master Gu remained inside the room. Physician Hua came every day to perform acupuncture on Jun Beiyue — currently the only means available to help him wake sooner.

Madam Gu, Yingzi, and Physician Gu stood outside, gazing at the dark, dense clouds gathering on the horizon — a sign the typhoon was approaching — all of them deeply worried.

“His internal energy has been restored for nearly two months now, and still he hasn’t woken. What can be done?”

Madam Gu shook her head helplessly. It was clear she genuinely worried over this son who wasn’t even her own by blood. These past days, she’d secretly sought out renowned physicians and searched for remedies, all to no avail.

“Madam, you should go rest. The household affairs of the family are already exhausting enough for you — don’t wear yourself out. If the master were to find out, he’d surely be troubled.”

Yingzi urged her gently. The Gu family had no household steward — all domestic affairs were managed by Madam Gu together with her two daughters, while family business matters were handled by Master Gu and his son-in-law, Jiang Chen.

Exhausting as it was, at least it kept matters within the family — and besides, many of the Gu family’s internal affairs weren’t things easily shared outside. This time, for instance, Jun Beiyue had been staying nearly four months already, and yet the people of Liuxian Island still had no idea!

“Sigh, how can I possibly rest when Beiyue hasn’t woken? Once he wakes, I’ll simply set aside every last one of these household matters, wash my hands of all of it, and finally rest!” Madam Gu said, half-serious, half-joking.

Physician Gu and Yingzi both returned faint smiles, saying nothing more.

Truly, what woman in this world would treat a son not born of her own body the way Madam Gu treated Jun Beiyue?

And this son wasn’t even the child of a concubine — he was the product of her own husband’s indiscretion outside the marriage. And now that this son had returned, he posed a direct threat to her two biological daughters, even to herself, and to her husband’s standing within the Gu family!

And yet, these past days, Madam Gu’s exhausting efforts had not gone unnoticed by Yingzi and Physician Gu. They had seen it all, and taken it to heart.

This lady was truly kind, truly magnanimous, truly thinking of the greater good of the Gu family.

And yet, kind as she was, Physician Gu and Yingzi didn’t dare draw any hasty conclusions. That half-serious, half-joking remark just now — heard casually, it would have seemed nothing more than an ordinary joke.

But listened to carefully, there was a great deal packed into Madam Gu’s words!

The most direct implication was this: the moment Jun Beiyue woke, she would set aside every household matter entirely. She had clearly realized that once Jun Beiyue woke and accepted his identity as the Gu family’s son, the entire power structure of the Gu family would inevitably undergo a massive upheaval!

Physician Gu and Yingzi hadn’t really noticed any of this before — but the attitude of the Gu family’s eldest son-in-law, Jiang Chen, that day, had put them on guard!

Even if Madam Gu’s intentions were entirely genuine, once her biological daughter and son-in-law began vying for power, there was simply no telling which way her heart would ultimately incline.

Just as Physician Gu and Yingzi exchanged uneasy glances, a young servant boy came rushing over in a panic.

“Madam, something terrible has happened — the young master is ill!”

Young master?

Hearing those three words, both Yingzi and Physician Gu were struck with confusion — the Gu family had never had a young master. Where had this “young master” come from?

Yet upon hearing this, Madam Gu’s expression changed instantly. She asked anxiously, “What happened? He was perfectly fine — how could he suddenly fall ill? Where is he now? Are the eldest young mistress and her husband there?”

“They’re both in the west wing. Several physicians have already looked at him. The eldest young mistress sent me to ask you to…”

Before the boy could even finish speaking, Madam Gu said quickly, “Go find Physician Hua at once, right away!”

Then, anxiously, she added, “Physician Gu, could you come with me? My grandson has never been ill before!”

At this, Physician Gu and Yingzi finally understood — this “young master” referred to none other than the Gu family’s young grandson, Jiang Yuan, the son of Gu Meiting and Jiang Chen.

Gu Meiting and Jiang Chen had one son, six years old. Though the boy carried the Jiang family’s bloodline, he lived with his parents at the Gu residence most of the time, and was deeply doted upon by Master and Madam Gu, treated almost like their own grandson.

Yingzi and Physician Gu, whose full attention had always been devoted to their own master, knew little about the Gu family’s inner workings — they’d only ever heard of this young master in passing, known as the little tyrant of the Gu family, someone no one dared offend.

Physician Gu nodded quickly. “Of course, of course!”

But just as they were about to set off, Master Gu and Physician Hua came rushing out — even more anxious than Madam Gu — and hurried off toward the west wing without even so much as a word of explanation.

Seeing this, Yingzi stopped in his tracks, exchanging a glance with Physician Gu before turning back inside — someone absolutely had to stay and watch over their master here!

But the moment Yingzi stepped through the door, he froze in shock — Physician Hua had only gotten halfway through administering the silver needles to their master, half of them still stuck in his head, the other half left lying untouched!

A surge of fury rose in Yingzi’s chest. However precious that young master might be, was this really cause for such panic? Leaving their master like this, without a single word of explanation — what kind of behavior was that?

Without a word, Yingzi immediately dashed after them, chasing all the way to the west wing, where from a good distance off he could already hear a child’s broken sobbing and everyone’s soothing coaxing.

He found Madam Gu holding the six-year-old boy, coaxing him nonstop; Master Gu personally holding a bowl of medicine nearby; Gu Meiting carefully spooning it out; and a whole crowd of attendants standing by, all carefully trying to entertain the little boy.

It was like serving a little emperor!

The child’s face was flushed and healthy — he didn’t look seriously ill at all!