Chapter 180

Liam couldn’t quite put a name to the feeling in his chest.

It was like a drowning man suddenly grasping a piece of driftwood. Like a faint glimmer of light breaking through endless darkness.

He lowered his gaze, his clenched fist slowly loosening.

No matter what, as long as she was willing to see Noah, there was still hope.

"Wait here. I’ll let my uncle know," Suzy said, then closed the door behind her.

She went back inside and quickly informed Leonard and Thomas.

When she came out again, she had put on an extra jacket.

"Let’s go."

Liam nodded and turned to lead the way.

They went downstairs one after the other, their footsteps echoing softly through the dim stairwell.

Reaching his door, Liam pulled out his key and unlocked it, stepping aside to let Suzy in.

The apartment was dark. Only a single candle flickered in the living room, its unsteady glow casting long shadows and lending the space a cold, quiet stillness.

Suzy glanced around. The place was simply furnished, but everything was neat and orderly.

"Noah’s in the bedroom," Liam said, already heading down the hallway.

Suzy followed behind him.

He pushed the door open. Another candle burned inside, its light illuminating the small figure lying on the bed.

Hearing the sound, Noah slowly opened his eyes. When he saw Liam, he called out softly, "Liam..."

Then his gaze shifted past him, landing on Suzy.

His damp, bright eyes blinked, curiosity and a hint of shyness flickering within them.

Liam walked to the bedside and gently ruffled his hair. "Noah, this is Suzy. She came to see you."

Noah looked at her for a few seconds, studying her carefully, then said in a small voice, "You’re really pretty, Miss."

Suzy paused, then smiled. The kid was a smooth talker.

She stepped closer to the bed, quietly observing him.

He resembled Liam, with delicate features and fair skin. But illness had left him noticeably thinner, his chin sharper, his eyes larger and more pronounced.

Now he lay tucked under the blanket, only his small head visible, looking both pitiful and endearing.

A very adorable little boy.

"Your name is Noah, right?" Suzy asked softly. "How old are you?"

"Ten," Noah answered obediently, though his eyes remained fixed on Suzy.

There was no wariness in his gaze, only curiosity and a faint, instinctive warmth.

Something in Suzy’s chest softened. She reached out and touched his forehead. It was still warm, but not nearly as bad as Liam had described.

She already had a general understanding of his condition from Liam.

For now, he didn’t look too bad.

"Miss, are you my brother’s friend?" Noah suddenly asked.

Suzy thought for a moment, then smiled and nodded. "You could say that."

Noah’s eyes brightened. "My brother doesn’t usually bring friends home."

That made Liam shift uncomfortably. He cleared his throat. "Noah, don’t talk nonsense."

Noah pouted slightly but didn’t argue. He just kept looking at Suzy.

Suzy’s voice softened. "Let me take a look at your arm, alright?"

The boy nodded obediently and rolled up his sleeve.

When the fabric lifted, Suzy finally saw the wound.

With the iodine applied, it looked even more grotesque than before. She drew in a quiet breath.

"It’s pretty serious. Does it hurt?" she asked, her brows knitting slightly as she looked at him with concern.

Noah nodded, then quickly shook his head. "...It doesn’t."

He didn’t realize that his brows had already drawn together, the strain obvious on his face.

Suzy didn’t call him out. Instead, she smiled gently. "You’re very brave."

Noah nodded earnestly. "I am."

His matter-of-fact expression made Suzy laugh softly.

"Alright. Let me apply some medicine for you now," she said.

She took a clean cotton swab from Liam, then pulled out a small bottle from her pocket, one that was only half full.

The moment she held it, she could feel Liam’s gaze settle on her, intense and unblinking.

She wondered briefly what he was thinking.

For a fleeting second, an absurd thought crossed her mind. Would he try to snatch it from her for Noah’s sake?

The idea made her inwardly amused. Liam didn’t seem like that kind of person.

She twisted open the bottle, dipped the swab into the liquid, and carefully applied it to Noah’s wound.

"Does it hurt?" she asked softly, her movements slow and careful.

Noah blinked his large eyes and shook his head. "It doesn’t. Not at all."

If anything, it felt... soothing.

The moment the medicine touched the skin, a cool sensation spread across it, washing over the wound and forcefully driving away the pain.

Suzy watched Noah closely. His brows didn’t knit together this time, and she knew he wasn’t pretending.

So it really didn’t hurt.

That meant the medicine was working.

A quiet sense of relief settled in her chest.

She had always known the spirit spring water would be effective, but seeing it with her own eyes made it real.

"Then I’ll keep going," she said softly, gently blowing on the wound as she worked.

Noah nodded obediently.

Liam stood off to the side, watching the scene unfold. The unease in his chest gradually eased.

As Noah’s brother, he knew his reactions well. From the look on his face, the pain had likely subsided.

That was good. The medicine worked.

Liam let out a slow breath.

It didn’t take long for Suzy to finish applying the medicine.

"All done," she said, straightening up.

Liam looked at her, gratitude clear in his eyes. "Suzy... thank you. Truly."

So formal

, she thought.

She waved a hand lightly. "No need to be so polite. But his condition is fairly serious. To be safe, we should apply the medicine a few more times. I’ll come by over the next few days. You don’t mind, do you?"

"Not at all," Liam replied quickly. "I’ll have to trouble you, then."

Suzy smiled gently. "It’s no trouble."

Inside, she was quietly pleased with herself.

She could have cured Noah in one go using undiluted spirit spring water.

But if she did that, this would be her only chance to interact with them.

That wouldn’t be worth it.

It was far better to create more opportunities, more chances to build goodwill.

Besides, curing him instantly would be too unbelievable. Taking it step by step made more sense.

After finishing, Suzy stepped out of Noah’s room.

Before leaving, while Liam wasn’t paying attention, she slipped two pieces of candy into Noah’s hand.

Back in the living room, she and Liam faced each other again.

The way he looked at her had changed. There was warmth in it now, no longer distant or guarded like before.

Suzy was very satisfied with that shift.

She had made the right choice. His favorability toward her had definitely increased.

After all, she had helped his brother.

With the important matter settled, she had no intention of lingering.

She spoke up at the right moment. "It’s getting late. I’ll head back now. I’ll come again at the same time tomorrow."

Liam nodded, his gaze still warm, though his manner remained restrained.

"Alright," he said quietly. "Thank you."

"It’s nothing. Your brother is really cute," Suzy said with a light smile.

Liam paused, caught off guard.

By the time he reacted, Suzy had already turned and walked toward the entryway.

Seeing this, Liam quickened his pace. "I’ll walk you out."