Chapter 9: A New Living Arrangement

"Alright, I'll have Aunt Li prepare a room for you. You can move in," Elara Vance decided firmly after her conversation with Silas Croft. Having him stay here was definitely more convenient—for him and for her.

Silas smiled in response. "Sounds good." Then he turned to Finn Croft and ordered, "Finn, pack up my stuff from the hotel and bring it here."

Finn curled his lip but didn't argue. "Yeah, yeah, got it."

That very night, Silas showed up at Elara's place, dragging his luggage behind him. Loyal Aunt Li and young Clara had already cleaned the room next to Elara's bedroom spotless.

As Finn hauled in the bulky bags, Clara couldn't help but ask, "I thought Mr. Croft's luggage would mostly be clothes… but these look like medical devices?"

Finn sighed. "Yeah, they're for treatment. Better to have them here, just in case."

Aunt Li patted Clara's shoulder quietly, "Don't ask too many questions. From now on, Mr. Croft is the man of the house."

Clara nodded obediently like a little chick pecking grain. Elara, waiting just outside the door, saw the equipment brought in and frowned.

"Those things are all for your treatment?" she asked Silas carefully.

He smiled softly. "Yeah. If I wake up in pain, I use them to calm my breathing and help me sleep."

Elara's heart tightened. "Do you use them often?"

"Every day during the first few years. Then it got less frequent. Moving them here is just a precaution," Silas said calmly.

She pressed on, picturing the scene in her mind: "So if you wake in the middle of the night, you operate those machines yourself?"

Silas's voice was steady, revealing years of hard-won independence: "I've learned how. No need to bother the doctor every time."

Elara sighed silently. No one knew the pain he endured in secret. Yet his expression showed none of it.

Silas looked at her with endless tenderness in his eyes. "Don't look at me like that. It's not as painful as you imagine."

"It's not that it doesn't hurt," Elara said quietly, "you've just gotten used to it."

He didn't look sad. Instead, his eyes shone with something like gratitude. He had grown accustomed to loving her in silence—years of missing her, until fate cruelly ripped her away, only to send her back in a new form. This time, he wasn't going to let her go.

"Aunt Li, the room's ready," Aunt Li reported.

Elara nodded. "Thanks, Aunt Li, you can rest now."

She led Silas inside the freshly cleaned room, checking for any strange smells before letting him settle in.

"From today on, we're neighbors," Elara said with a smirk.

Silas's eyes sparkled with joy. "Thank you, Elara."

"No need for formalities—just call me Elara. When no one's around, you can too."

He opened his mouth to respond—

"Good night, Shu Yan," Elara cut in quickly, using his real name.

"…Huh?" Silas was momentarily caught off guard.

Elara shrugged like it was no big deal. "The Croft family villa is empty now. Perfect place for you to stay."

Silas's expression darkened, shoulders slumping. "Am I bothering you?"

Elara blinked, confused. "What? No, why would you say that?"

"Then it must be Finn bothering you. Sorry, I didn't keep him in check. He probably caused you a lot of trouble," Silas guessed, seeing her discomfort.

Her cheeks burned. She stood up and waved her hands frantically. "No, I didn't mean that at all!"

Silas looked lost, his eyes heavy with sadness. "If that's not it… then why did you want me to leave?"

"I just thought… you went through all that trouble to get Elder Mr. Croft and the others out, so you could live there in peace," she explained.

Silas lowered his gaze, his sadness deepening. "I never planned to live there."

Elara was surprised. "But it's your home. You don't want to move back?"

He shook his head. "Living there is no different from a hotel. I don't like it. But… if I'm really bothering you, I can move out tomorrow… cough cough…" His words were cut off by a sudden coughing fit.

Elara's heart ached. "Enough, stop talking. Where's your medicine? Let me get it."

Meanwhile, elsewhere…

"No way!" Finn Croft sat up, voice rising, then quickly lowered it. "My brother can't be in love with that Elara Miss!"

"Why not?" Driver Mr. Yang frowned. "How can you be so sure?"

"Because there's only one woman in his heart! It can't be that Elara Miss!" Finn said with absolute certainty.

Mr. Yang gave him a suspicious look but said nothing.

Finn folded his arms, eyes sharp as knives, thinking how to deny it. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "I get it! Yang, it's a substitute! Definitely!"

Yang's expression twisted in confusion. "What do you mean? I don't get it."

Finn smirked darkly. "It's complicated. My brother's feelings for that 'Wei Jie' can never change. His kindness to Elara Miss? It's just because she shares the same name and knows jade. She's a stand-in, a fake! Just a stand-in. No match for the real Wei Jie."

Yang didn't dare say another word, unsettled by Finn's tone.

Back with Elara, she noticed a female staffer stiffen when Silas entered. The woman instinctively sniffed herself and looked embarrassed.

Elara quickly explained, "Don't misunderstand. I'm not being sarcastic. It's just his health—he's sensitive to smells."

In the 'Triangle District,' Silas Croft's poor health wasn't a secret. Elara always showered and changed before visiting him, even avoiding scented soap.

The staffer caught Elara's meaning immediately. "Thank you for the reminder. Take care." She hurried out, switching Silas's attendant to a male staff member.

Elara watched quietly, picked up her bag, and brushed past Silas and the others.

In the VIP room, Silas clenched one fist and coughed sharply. After the fit, a faint flush rose to his pale cheeks, lending him a strange, almost ethereal beauty in his frailty.

To be continued…