Chapter 71 Long Time No See

Eric's voice dripped with sarcasm, "Oh really? Let's see if you can stick to your principles."

I ignored his taunts and focused on soaking the medicinal sachet in the bath. The water was perfect, and I could feel my exhaustion melting away. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Weirdly enough, I had another dream.

In the dream, I was chilling in a hot spring, surrounded by mist. Through the haze, I saw a blurry figure—it looked like a woman.

I squinted, trying to make out her face.

She slowly turned around, and as she did, I caught a glimpse of her face through the mist. It was super creepy.

"Emily, long time no see."

Her voice was so ethereal that everything around us went silent.

She knew my name, and I asked, confused, "How do you know my name? Do we know each other?"

She paused, her voice now tinged with sadness. "Emily, why did you forget your promise? Why didn't you listen to me? Why did you get involved with him?"

I stepped forward, puzzled.

I had no idea what she was talking about; I just wanted to understand her.

But as I moved closer, the mist thickened.

We were so close, yet I couldn't see a thing.

I asked, "I don't know you, and I wouldn't make any promises to you. Are you sure you have the right person? Who are you? What do you mean?"

No response.

I couldn't recall making any promises to anyone. And I definitely didn't know her. What was going on?

I was still trying to figure it out when the dream shattered.

The bathwater had gone cold, and I quickly got out, shivering.

The window was half-open, letting in a chilly breeze.

I grabbed a towel, wrapped myself up, and hurried back to my room.

But I couldn't remember the dream. I usually remembered my dreams, but this one slipped away as soon as I woke up.

As I left the bathroom, I saw my phone light up.

I walked over and saw a message from my mom.

The moment I read it, I realized what Eric was up to. So this was his plan all along.

Mia: [Emily, the witch said your health is really bad, and you need to extract Yang Energy every half month, or it could be life-threatening.]

Mia's message made me realize the foolishness of my words to Eric. His mocking tone replayed in my mind, and I bit my lip, filled with regret.

My mom didn't know the exact way to keep me alive, but the witch did. Did that mean I had to sleep with Eric every few days? This was a nightmare!

I had just told Eric off and promised never to cross the line. And now they were saying I had to do this?

I dropped my phone, feeling a chill run through me.

"What are you spacing out for?" Eric came up from behind and took my phone.

I quickly turned it off and tossed it on the bed.

He raised an eyebrow, looking at me with mild surprise. "What's the big secret?"

I forced a smile, trying to play it cool.

Eric ignored me and slipped into his robe. It wasn't his usual black; this time, it was a light purple, giving him a different vibe from his usual mysterious and aloof self.

I swallowed, unsure how to bring up the topic.

"You look good in that color too. Why do you always wear black?" I asked, trying to change the subject as I sat on the bed.

Eric leaned back against the pillow, a smug expression on his face. "With a face like mine, anything I put on looks good," he remarked confidently.

I thought, 'True, but wow, he's really full of himself.'

"Jonathan said your friend woke up. If she's fine, she should leave tomorrow," Eric said, his tone suddenly turning cold.

I turned to him, surprised. "Why? She just woke up. Can't she stay a few more days?"

The villa had plenty of rooms, after all.

Eric put down his phone and grabbed my ear. "Don't even think about staying in the same room with her. No outsiders are welcome on my turf."

I nodded, not wanting to push him further.

Amelia was awake; at least I could go see her, right?

I quickly got dressed and ran to the guest room Jonathan had set up for Amelia.

When I got there, she was energetically looking around the room.

"Amelia, what are you looking at?" I asked from the doorway, interrupting her.

Hearing my voice, Amelia pouted and rushed over to give me a big bear hug.

"Emily, you have no idea. I was so scared being here alone. I remember falling asleep at school, and then I woke up here. Thank goodness you're here. This isn't a dream, right?" Amelia clung to my arm, looking pitiful.

I followed her hand and pinched her arm. The pain made her wince.

Amelia said, "You really pinched hard. But it's not a dream."

I pulled her to sit on the chair and explained everything that had happened over the past two days.

Amelia nodded, deep in thought.

She asked, "I thought I was dreaming. I didn't expect such a bizarre story. It's so eerie. How did you bring me back? Were you alone?"

Amelia stared at me, horrified.

I shrugged, not hiding anything. "Of course, I couldn't bring you back alone. I owe it to my fiancé."

Amelia's eyes widened, full of curiosity. "Thank him for me if you get a chance. You live in this big villa; no wonder you took a break from school. Are you getting married? Are you pregnant? Did he bully you?"

Amelia got more and more excited, ready to confront Eric.

I quickly held her hand. "It's not what you think. Let me ask him first. We should respect his opinion."

Amelia didn't argue and waited silently.

I then went to tell Eric what she was thinking, as he stared at the marks on his wrist that had not yet completely faded.

After hearing my words, he frowned. "Why does she want to see me?"

I quickly nodded. "She's curious about what you look like. Just meet her, okay?"

Eric got up and followed me.

Seeing him beside me, my nervousness eased. I had thought Eric wouldn't agree, but he did.

"I'll meet her in the hall. Let her come out," Eric said, patting my arm.

I quickly called Amelia out, but the moment she saw Eric, she was stunned.

She grabbed my arm tightly, her eyes wide. "Your fiancé is such a handsome guy. You're so lucky!"