Deanna watched this scene, and Julia was stunned.
Then, she couldn't help but shake her head and laugh.
Her eyes were gentle, full of tenderness, and radiated maternal light.
Lance noticed her reaction.
He couldn't help but take a closer look.
This version of her was different from what he had seen before.
There was no business-like coldness or steadiness, nor the prickliness from being bullied at the wedding tonight, nor the subtle helplessness.
It was the first time he had seen her so gentle.
She walked over gently, carefully picking up Chloe and Gregory one by one.
Her movements were gentle, not waking them up.
The two children were carried all the way to the children's room next door.
Then Deanna came over and said to Lance, "Mr. Mercer, if you're tired, take a rest. I'll come to remove the needles later."
Lance was full of needles. He nodded and responded, "Okay."
His voice revealed exhaustion.
Long hours of work, day and night, plus the fatigue from travel.
He was indeed very tired now.
Deanna had gone to the hall to prepare the herbal ingredients for his medicinal bath.
The bedroom was quiet, and she left a silver needle in him to help him sleep.
Lance felt tingling sensations all over his body.
There was a faint fragrance on the pillow, belonging to her.
The environment was comfortable, and his eyelids fought against drowsiness, eventually succumbing to sleep.
An hour later, Deanna wiped the sweat off her forehead and came in to remove the needles.
In her sight was Lance sleeping soundly.
Asleep, he softened his usual hardness and sternness, adding a touch of gentleness.
She couldn't help but be curious and looked at him for a while longer.
Deanna sighed as she looked at the needles on his body.
She removed them one by one, causing him to grunt slightly in discomfort.
Then he fell asleep again.
Seeing that it was already late, he still needed his medicinal bath, and he couldn't keep sleeping here.
She leaned closer to him and whispered, "Mr. Mercer? Wake up, the needles are removed."
He was deeply asleep and didn't respond.
Deanna was helpless and raised her voice a bit, "Mr. Mercer, wake up! You still need your medicinal bath!"
He furrowed his brows but remained immersed in his dreams.
She glanced at Xavier standing aside and called out to Lance loudly.
"Mr. Mercer! Wake up! After the medicinal bath, you can go back to your own bed!"
Deanna didn't dare to shout too loudly, afraid of waking up the two babies next door.
But Lance still didn't wake up.
She chuckled in exasperation, hesitating as she reached out and pushed his shoulder.
His muscles were tight, unexpectedly good to the touch.
Deanna felt a warmth inexplicably spreading across her face.
But Lance remained motionless.
She couldn't help muttering softly, "You must have never slept in your past eight lives."
He was truly exhausted, not having had a good sleep for several days.
Deanna looked at the herbal ingredients she had prepared on the table, feeling at a loss.
She asked Xavier, "If Mr. Mercer doesn't wake up, how can he take his medicinal bath?"
And, seeing him like this, was he really going to stay overnight in her room?
This situation of a man and a woman alone together was somewhat awkward.
Xavier looked at Lance, his eyes carrying a faint hint of exhaustion. His young master hadn't had a good sleep for five or six days, and he still had intense work to do.
He asked Deanna, "Dr. Deanna, can we skip the medicinal bath tonight? My young master has been too busy abroad and hasn't had a good sleep for several nights. He's too exhausted."
His voice was filled with concern.
Deanna pondered for a moment and agreed, "We can skip the bath tonight, but it needs to be made up for later."
She observed him up and down.
There were dark circles under his eyes, a clear sign of long-term sleep deprivation.
Ordinary people would have collapsed long ago from such a lack of sleep.
It was rare for someone to not fall asleep on the streets after so long.
It was probably due to some sleep disorder he had.
She sighed. If it weren't for him constantly using her medicine, he probably would have ended up in the hospital.
He really didn't make it easy for her to worry about him.
Xavier, hearing her words, also breathed a sigh of relief.
Deanna asked him, "Does he usually suffer from insomnia?"
Xavier nodded. "Yes, he does."
He couldn't help but admire her insight.
Dr. Deanna was truly perceptive. She could tell everything about his young master with just a glance.
Deanna furrowed her brows and said, "How long has he been suffering from insomnia? Has he used medication before?"
Xavier glanced at the sleeping Lance.
He hesitated before replying, "It's been a long time. His insomnia used to be severe, unable to sleep for entire nights. Sometimes he would take sleeping pills to help him sleep."
Deanna frowned disapprovingly.
She shook her head, indicating, "Sleeping pills have side effects and can be addictive. Long-term use is a burden on his body. Let's not use them for now. I'll help prepare some herbal remedies to help regulate his sleep."
Xavier thanked her sincerely, bowing to her. "Thank you, Dr. Deanna."
She nodded, picked up the herbal ingredients, and prepared to leave.
But Xavier stopped her.
She turned back, puzzled by his hesitant expression.
Xavier solemnly requested, "Dr. Deanna, could you let the young master stay here tonight and have a good sleep?"
If he were to be woken up halfway through, it would be unlikely that he'd fall asleep again that night.
She hesitated for a moment before nodding, "Okay."
In the past, she would never have allowed this.
Not to mention, he was occupying her bedroom!
But tonight, he had indeed helped her.
So she agreed.