Ye Yanhui continued, a smile on his face. "Ye Li has changed so much recently, all thanks to you, Doctor. This is simply what you deserve. As long as you can completely cure Ye Li, money is no object... However, I must be clear about something."

"Ye Li is mentally ill. He can't think rationally. But you, Doctor, are a top psychologist. You wouldn't make certain… unprofessional mistakes, would you?"

Niu Shurui smiled back, pushing the bag away. "I agree, Mr. Ye. I was thinking the same thing."

Ye Yanhui's face faltered. Niu Shurui typed something on her laptop, then turned the screen to face him. "Which is why I intend to transfer Ye Li's care to my mentor."

Ye Yanhui scanned the document, his brow furrowing. It was a summary of Ye Li's treatment.

"What do you mean, Doctor?"

"I simply want what's best for Ye Li's recovery, just like you, don't you?" She paused, then added casually, "After all, my abilities are limited. Without knowing the root cause of his condition, I can't cure him."

Ye Yanhui's frown smoothed out, a look of understanding on his face. "Surely you jest, Doctor. You've managed to bring about significant changes in Ye Li this past year without knowing the cause."

"But you don't trust me, do you?" Ye Yanhui's response was exactly what she'd expected. Seeing that she wasn't getting any closer to the truth, she decided to push forward.

She gestured to the laptop. "I believe my mentor has a better chance of curing Ye Li, even without knowing the initial trigger. The file is almost complete. If you'd like, I can send you the full version later."

As Ye Yanhui scrolled through the document on the touchpad, Niu Shurui knew he was wavering.

"Time is of the essence, Mr. Ye. I've already spoken to my mentor. As long as you, his guardian, agree, Ye Li can leave for treatment abroad in a few days."

"Are you serious?" Ye Yanhui asked, searching her face for any sign of hesitation, but finding none.

"Yes," she affirmed.

Outside, Ye Li clutched the phone, engrossed in the live feed. Seeing them simply talking, separated by a distance, he relaxed slightly and began rewinding to the previous night's recording.

Waking up this morning, he'd been furious. How could she drug him, taking advantage of his trust, making him miss… the crucial moment?

But then he'd remembered. He'd been exposed when he fell asleep, yet his clothes had been neatly arranged when he woke. Neither Zhao nor any of the other staff would dare touch him. It had to have been Niu Shurui.

The thought of her touching him, her delicate hands stroking him to release, sent a thrill through him.

He couldn't wait to see it.

As he fast-forwarded, a notification popped up: "Ye Li Treatment Record auto-synced."

A simple summary wouldn't have caught his attention, but the string of numbers following it did.

He'd seen Niu Shurui's computer screen before. Treatment records always included dates. Active patients only had a start date. Only closed cases had an end date – whether due to recovery, transfer, or other reasons for discontinuation. He should be an active patient. But the date marked was the day before yesterday.

He knew he wasn't cured, nor had he requested to stop treatment.

A chilling realization dawned on him. He opened the file.

Ye Yanhui remained silent. Niu Shurui's mentor, while not the most renowned in the world, was still highly respected. Transferring Ye Li's care might indeed increase his chances of recovery.

But Ye Yanhui knew this was a gamble.

Before, he might have assumed the best specialist offered the best chance for Ye Li's recovery.

But things were different now. Niu Shurui was the first person in over two decades to evoke such strong emotional responses in Ye Li, even changing his behavior. He'd just witnessed Ye Li pressing her against the door, his desire evident.

If Niu Shurui had shown even a flicker of hesitation, he would have agreed to the transfer without a second thought, assuming it was a ploy.

But she hadn't.

Years of maneuvering and manipulation had made Ye Yanhui cautious. Faced with such a straightforward situation, he hesitated.

"I need to think about it. I'll give you my answer soon."

With that, he stood and left, leaving the money behind. This unsettled Niu Shurui.

This wasn't how she'd envisioned it. Ye Yanhui had initially chosen her because her mentor wasn't available to take on Ye Li's case.

She'd assumed he'd jump at the chance now. But she'd been wrong. She leaned back in her chair. Then, she noticed the time. More than five minutes had passed.

Ye Li hadn't come back. That wasn't like him.

A wave of panic washed over her. Just then, a delayed notification popped up on her computer: "Ye Li Treatment Record auto-synced."

Her eyes widened. Who had accessed the file? Ye Li? Or had Ye Yanhui accidentally triggered it?

More importantly, had Ye Li seen it? He knew what the end date signified.

Her breath hitched. The flush that had receded earlier returned with a vengeance.

The door opened. Through the haze of anxiety, she saw Ye Li walking towards her, his face a mask of cold fury.