Facing an Ancient God for a Year
Chapter 1271 - 1269: Loss of Image (13)

Chapter 1271: Chapter 1269: Loss of Image (13)

Is this... really the case?

Thoughts surged violently in his mind like never before. Mr. Winslow stared at Fu Qian, momentarily speechless.

From the moment this began until now, the strange actions of this doctor swiftly replayed in his mind.

Every step seemed absurd, yet every step somehow achieved the intended outcome, leading things to this point. Was it really just coincidence?

How could it be just coincidence!

Mr. Winslow was certainly not naive enough to believe that, and immediately dismissed the idea.

Not only had the other party been genuinely diagnosing his daughter the whole time, but he had also subtly steered the entire process.

Up until just a moment ago, the final veil remained intact, minimizing negative impacts...

Could someone really possess this much professional ethics?

"Thank you, Doctor."

While Mr. Winslow reeled from his revelation, Mrs. Winslow unexpectedly spoke first, expressing thanks.

Though her tone didn’t sound particularly warm.

"Apologies, Natalie. Could I trouble you to take the doctor to rest for a bit? He’s worked hard all night."

Before Fu Qian could respond politely, Mrs. Winslow abruptly turned to the family tutor and pointed to a specific location.

Huh?

Natalie’s body visibly flinched; the request clearly caught her off guard.

To be honest, her reaction wasn’t entirely surprising—after all, as a family tutor, hosting guests was undoubtedly outside her responsibilities.

But Fu Qian understood the guilt hidden beneath her shock.

She had come with ulterior motives, so being singled out in such a direct way naturally provoked unease.

Yet, while Mrs. Winslow’s words carried the appearance of soliciting agreement, her tone was uncharacteristically firm, leaving little room for refusal.

After the initial surprise, Natalie composed herself and instinctively glanced at Mr. Winslow. Seeing him with a stern face and remaining silent, she finally nodded in agreement.

"Please follow me, Doctor."

After one last glance at Jane, she called out to Fu Qian and led the way ahead.

...

"We need to take Jane to The Sect."

Amid the sound of the second door closing outside, Mrs. Winslow looked at her husband with a determined gaze.

"Let’s talk outside."

Mr. Winslow seemed unsurprised by his wife’s suggestion and responded ambiguously.

"Can you stay by yourself for a little while?"

Mrs. Winslow did not object to this proposal and softly asked her daughter.

Mm.

The girl obediently nodded in response, saying no more.

"It really looks like the situation we were worried about earlier."

Almost as soon as they stepped outside, Mrs. Winslow lowered her voice and spoke hastily.

"No matter how unreliable the doctor may seem, the idea of that voice existing long before now feels like the most plausible explanation."

"If we trace back to when her eyes first started changing, it coincides precisely with her encounter with the mist."

Mrs. Winslow’s speech was notably faster than usual.

"And just as the information we gathered suggested, the mist is quite unusual... I think we can no longer afford the luxury of waiting for nothing to happen. We need to seek help from The Sect immediately."

"At present, this possibility indeed seems quite substantial."

Listening carefully to his wife’s analysis, Mr. Winslow immediately agreed with her judgment.

"But you’re hesitating."

Mrs. Winslow knew her husband well enough to say this with certainty.

"You couldn’t have realized this just now, so what are you hesitating about?"

"I admit the doctor is indeed remarkable; I can’t rule out that he might have been feigning ignorance. But do you think he can actually treat Jane? He was even prepared to leave earlier."

"Not confident."

Mr. Winslow’s eyes dimmed at those words.

"And yet..."

"I truly don’t know if the doctor can help, but I’ve withheld part of the information we gathered earlier to keep you from worrying unnecessarily."

Mr. Winslow sighed deeply.

"The Sect places extreme importance on the mist, and their attitude toward those involved is even harsher than we imagined..."

Harsh.

The weight of that word was evident in Mr. Winslow’s tone, causing Mrs. Winslow’s tears to flow uncontrollably.

"What should we do then? Just stand by and watch?"

"At least from earlier to now, the situation has somewhat improved."

It was clear Mr. Winslow referred to the gradual changes in Jane’s eyes and the mysterious voice.

Strictly speaking, the latter seemed slightly better than the former, but using this as justification revealed Mr. Winslow’s profound helplessness.

"We’ll wait for a little longer... Besides, don’t worry too much, Natalie and Jane have a close bond. At least for confidentiality, she’s reliable..."

...

Do they really distrust professional opinions this much!

Pulling his attention back from the conversation behind him, Fu Qian sighed heavily, lamenting how unethical colleagues had ruined the reputation of their field.

Despite providing clear, reasoned explanations to the patient’s family, it was obvious he hadn’t earned their trust.

Indeed, life seemed to depend entirely on one’s acting skills.

Glancing at Natalie beside him, Fu Qian noticed that her earlier smile had completely vanished.

"Can you explain this?"

Perhaps feeling they’d walked far enough, Natalie turned and spoke coldly, her gaze fixed on him.

"Why was I dragged into this? I can tell it was your idea."

Addressing the issue head-on, her words clearly showed she’d been mulling them over for a while.

"I’m the type of person who values integrity; I promised fair dealings, so naturally, I must keep my word."

Of course, such bluntness had no effect on Fu Qian. He replied easily without feeling pressured.

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

Natalie frowned.

"Didn’t you want to know Miss Winslow’s condition? Isn’t witnessing it with your own eyes better? Surely more credible than just my one-sided account."

Fu Qian looked at her quizzically.

"You only heard from me earlier; the report wasn’t finished before I left. Of course, fulfilling my promise was necessary."

"...Then what did calling my name mean?"

Momentarily at a loss for words, Natalie paused but quickly thought of another point.

"It was a way to validate the credibility of the information you provided. At least it seems you didn’t lie about the name."

Glancing at her, Fu Qian continued replying without missing a beat.

"Now we’re even."

What kind of ’even’ is that...

The unsettling look in his gaze sent chills down her spine, but Natalie clearly found this outcome unacceptable.

"So what’s your answer?"

"You saw for yourself. What do you think—does Miss Winslow have a problem or not?"

...

Natalie found herself momentarily speechless.

Jane’s voice might have been peculiar, but her eyes had clearly returned to normal. By all appearances, she seemed perfectly fine now.

The result was undeniably not what Natalie wanted to see.

"Impossible. I’ve seen her condition before. How could everything be normal now?"

Nearly shouting, Natalie’s emotions flared forcefully.

At that moment, a familiar door appeared nearby. Per Mrs. Winslow’s earlier instructions, the two had returned to the room where they’d rested before.

"With me here, why would anything be impossible?"

Fu Qian pushed the door open as he spoke, taking credit for the outcome entirely and leaving only his back to her.