Grace raised her eyes to look at Ethan.
There was no longer the professionalism of a doctor in them, nor the earlier urgency to extract answers—as if she wanted to understand him inside and out. Instead, her gaze carried an indescribable tension.
She had thought this through carefully.
If what Ethan said about sex was true… then who had he been with?
He had brushed it off with vague words like "beautiful women," but there were only three nurses assigned to his previous ward—and all of them were women.
So which one?
Several faces flashed through her mind.
Could it be Sophia?
Sophia had been directly in charge of Ethan, and she had been acting a little strange lately. It wasn't that Grace wanted to pry into his private affairs—she only wanted to understand what miracle had stabilized his vital signs. After all, even she hadn't been sure he would survive the night just days ago.
She was a doctor. She believed in science.
But Ethan's test results didn't lie.
In just three days, his creatinine had dropped drastically, his urine output had returned to normal levels, and even his blood pressure had stabilized.
Wasn't that a miracle?
No—this felt like something beyond that.
Divine intervention.
And if this "miracle"… really was related to sex—
A thought surfaced in her mind.
She stiffened.
But she couldn't suppress it. If anything, it only grew stronger.
"Ethan…" Her voice wavered slightly. "That thing you mentioned this afternoon… that…"
"Hmm?"
Ethan looked at her.
Her lips were tightly pressed together, her hands clenched, and there was something fragile—almost cautious—in her eyes.
"Which one are you referring to?" he asked slowly. "The one where having sex can cure diseases?"
Grace's face flushed red again.
But this time, she didn't run.
She took a deep breath, as if making an incredibly difficult decision.
"I… I want to verify it."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Verify?"
"Yes." She nodded. "In your case, no known treatment could achieve these results."
She paused, lowering her voice.
"If what you're saying is true… this could be a major medical discovery. Something that could benefit countless people."
Ethan looked at her, then smiled faintly and shook his head.
"I can tell you it's true," he said. "But it won't become some groundbreaking medical discovery. It's just…"
He paused, choosing his words.
"You could say I have a special constitution. A… gifted physique."
Internally, he cringed. Damn, I really sound like a fraud.
Grace stared at him.
For a long time.
"I don't believe it," she said finally.
Ethan blinked, caught off guard. So I was right—this woman really is stubborn.
"I don't believe in any so-called special constitution," Grace continued. She stepped closer, stopping beside the bed. "I want to see it with my own eyes. I want to verify it myself."
As she spoke, she leaned down.
Closer.
And closer.
The distance between them shrank until it was almost nonexistent. Ethan could catch the faint, natural scent of her—no longer masked by disinfectant.
She was so close their lips were only inches apart.
Then she stopped.
Completely still.
Ethan could see the flush on her cheeks, the slight tremble of her lashes, the uneven rhythm of her breathing.
Her heartbeat was racing.
Her rational mind insisted this was purely for medical verification.
But her body… told a different story.
This was the first time in her thirty-three years that she had been this close to a man.
"Doctor Grace," Ethan said softly.
She didn't respond.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath—
And then abruptly straightened up.
Without another word, she turned and hurried out of the room.
"I'll… come back to see you again!" she called out as she left.
The door shut.
Silence returned.
Ethan lay on the bed, staring at the door in bewilderment.
Then he let out a quiet laugh.
"I never expected Doctor Grace to have a side like this," he murmured. "Interesting."
---
Nine o'clock that evening.
Sophia entered the ward, carrying a tray for changing dressings.
Her hair was tied up in a neat bun, exposing the curve of her fair neck. Her uniform seemed slightly tighter than before, subtly accentuating her figure.
Though her face remained expressionless, she glanced at Ethan more than once.
Ethan smirked. "You look prettier today than yesterday."
A flicker of joy passed through her eyes.
"So… tonight…" she said softly, "shall we start with a kiss?"
The moment the words left her lips, she lowered her head, cheeks flushing, and began rearranging the items on her tray—left to right, then right to left.
Ethan chuckled inwardly. "Of course."
He casually transferred four thousand to her.
Seeing the notification, Sophia's face grew even redder. She quickly drew the curtain.
---
Forty minutes later.
[Ding! Intimacy complete.]
[Life extension: 3 days.]
[Current remaining lifespan: 13 days.]
[Reward: Low-grade Rejuvenating Pill x1]
---
"You seem to be in better shape today," Sophia remarked.
Ethan nodded with a faint smile. "Looks like that day isn't too far off."
Sophia snorted lightly. "We'll see."
She picked up her tray and quickly left the ward.
---
Twenty minutes later, the door opened again.
Ethan frowned slightly, growing a bit irritated by the constant interruptions. He had just wanted some rest.
Still, he looked up.
Rose slipped inside—quietly, almost furtively—and locked the door behind her.
Tonight, she was dressed differently.
A fitted black dress, her hair left loose, subtle makeup enhancing her features.
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Why are you sneaking around like a thief?"
Rose walked toward him quickly.
"I came after making sure no one saw me," she said.
Ethan smiled faintly. "And what brings you here?"
She hesitated for just a moment… then stepped closer.
"I…" she began softly, "wanted to talk."
Ethan studied her, amused.
Then his gaze flickered briefly to her bag.
"Do you carry lipstick with you?" he asked casually.
She blinked, confused. "Yes… why?"
Ethan's lips curved into a faint smile.
"Perfect."