Chapter 283: Do You Believe in Yourself?

The Information Processing Center's low-probability speculation that "Jing Yi might be a boy" was like a stone cast into Qin Feng's heart-lake, rousing ripples of deep thought. He did not act immediately, but temporarily shelved this hypothesis, like a patient hunter waiting for more clues to surface.

Meanwhile, under careful care, Xia Wan's physical recovery surpassed the medical team's expectations. Her pale cheeks gradually regained color, the fatigue and confusion in her eyes faded considerably, replaced by a deeper, more restrained calm.

That afternoon, sunlight streamed through the Medical Center's large viewing window, casting warm patches of light. Xia Wan sat leaning against a soft chair by the window, quietly reading a book on basic energy theory—material she had requested herself, as if seeking to understand her inexplicable power from a scientific perspective.

The hospital door opened silently.

Xia Wan sensed it, looked up, and when she saw who entered, she froze slightly, then set down her book and instinctively rose to her feet.

"Don't get up." Qin Feng's voice was flat as he walked over and sat in the chair opposite her.

This was the first time Qin Feng had come to see her alone since returning from Kunlun Mountain.

Xia Wan nervously bit her lip, her hands unconsciously overlapping on her knees. Facing Qin Feng, she always felt a complex mix of emotions—reverence, gratitude, a subtle closeness born from that one "brother," and… the deep, uncontrolled confusion rooted in her Bloodline.

"How is your recovery?" Qin Feng asked, his tone revealing little concern, more like a routine inquiry.

"Much better, thank you, sir," Xia Wan replied softly.

A brief silence spread between them.

Outside the window, sunlight slowly shifted, casting changing patterns on the polished Floor.

Xia Wan could feel Qin Feng's gaze resting on her—not sharp, but as if piercing through flesh to see the unease and struggle deep within her Spirit.

Finally, Qin Feng spoke again, asking a question that seemed simple yet struck at the core:

"Do you believe in yourself?"

Xia Wan snapped her head up, meeting Qin Feng's deep, calm eyes.

Believe… in herself?

Did she believe?

Did she believe in the version of herself who, in the desperate extremity of Kunlun Mountain, fought for survival through instinct and Bloodline Power? Did she believe in the version of herself who dared to ask Su Wenqian to draw closer to the storm's center, seeking answers? Did she believe in the version of herself burdened by a mysterious fate, unable even to see her own path?

Countless thoughts churned in her mind.

She wanted to say "yes," because that was the foundation she needed to keep walking. But deep within, the soul that had trembled in terror under the Kunlun Star Core's spiritual corruption, crying out in despair, clearly told her—she was not certain.

She was not certain she could control her uncontrollable power. Not certain she could bear the weight of the truth that might await her. Not certain… who she truly was.

Her silence, and the unmistakable doubt in her eyes, had already answered.

Qin Feng watched her, showing no disappointment or urgency, only continuing calmly:

"On Kunlun Mountain, you asked, 'Who will save me?'"

Xia Wan's heart clenched sharply.

"I can tell you the answer now." Qin Feng's voice was low, yet carried an odd power, each word etching itself clearly onto Xia Wan's soul: "Only you can save yourself."

"But there is one condition—"

He paused, his gaze like the most precise surgical blade, dissecting all her hesitation and excuses.

"Do you believe in yourself?"

The same question. He asked it a second time.

And this time, Xia Wan could no longer avoid it.

She had to face her deepest fears and doubts.

Believe in her power, even if it was uncontrollable? Believe in her choices, even if the path ahead was uncertain? Believe in her existence, even if burdened by an unknown fate?

Xia Wan's fingertips dug deep into her palms. She lowered her head, her long eyelashes trembling violently, her inner self locked in fierce battle.

Seconds passed, one by one.

The hospital room fell silent, save for the faint, almost imperceptible breathing of the two of them.

Long. Very long.

Xia Wan slowly raised her head.

Her eyes were slightly red, but the confusion and doubt that had once clouded them now scattered like mist before the wind, revealing beneath them a solid Cornerstone.

There was still unease. There was still fear.

But something more fundamental was beginning to emerge.

She looked at Qin Feng, her voice still slightly hoarse, yet no longer trembling, each word seemingly forged with all her strength:

"I… don't know what lies ahead." "I don't know if I can do it."

She took a deep breath, her gaze becoming clearer and more resolute than ever before.

"But…"

"I believe."

"I believe in the version of myself who never gave up in desperation." "I believe in my determination to seek answers." "I believe… in the power I feel, the one that belongs to me, no matter its origin."

"Perhaps I still cannot fully control it. Perhaps I will still fear, still be confused…"

"But—I believe I can."

"I believe in myself."

After speaking these words, she felt as if she had shed a thousand-pound burden. Though her face remained pale, her entire spirit had been renewed—like a green bamboo washed clean by rain, standing taller, more resilient.

Qin Feng watched her quietly, watching the flame of "confidence" she had finally ignited within herself.

He offered no praise, no evaluation.

Only a faint nod.

"Remember what you said today."

Then he stood, as if preparing to leave.

At the door, he paused, without turning back, leaving a sentence that shook Xia Wan to her core:

"Get ready." "Tomorrow, come with me to a place."

He spoke, then pushed open the door and left.

Xia Wan sat alone in the chair, savoring Qin Feng's last words, her heart beginning to pound uncontrollably.

Go with her to a place?

Did he… agree to her request?

And where would that place be?

She didn't know.

But she knew that from the moment she said "I believe in myself," her path had already changed.

And the answer, perhaps, lay in tomorrow.