During the flight, Julia clearly wasn't in the mood to speak. She didn't look around the G550, didn't admire anything, didn't care about the comfort or the luxury. She simply sat there in silence, eyes unfocused.
Jason didn't try to force conversation.He knew this wasn't the time.
When the flight attendant brought food and drinks, Julia didn't pretend or act polite—she ate quietly but steadily.
She understood one thing well:
When life falls apart, when emotions collapse, the body must not.
She couldn't control her grief.But she could stop herself from fainting.
She had lived with hardship long enough to know that starving would only make things worse.
While she ate, Jason made several calls, speaking in a low, steady voice. He learned that Julia's father was in the ICU, and her mother was still in surgery. Both situations looked grim.
He didn't tell her.
He only rested a hand over hers and said, "We're almost there. Your parents are strong. They'll be okay."
Julia nodded faintly.She didn't believe it fully—but she wanted to.
Her hometown was in Savannah, Georgia—a place with deep history, old neighborhoods, churches, and lush southern-style architecture. Some people considered it part of the broader "Old South," others argued it wasn't truly southern anymore. Everyone had their own opinion.
The flight lasted a little over two hours before landing at Savannah/Hilton Head Airport.
A black Maybach was already waiting on the tarmac.They got in, and it sped straight toward the hospital.
Inside, they learned that Julia's father was still in the ICU. The stress from hearing about his wife had overwhelmed him—guilt, fear, and grief combined. His previous surgery for an intracranial aneurysm had been successful, but he hadn't fully recovered yet, and the emotional blow worsened his condition again.
Julia's mother was still in surgery.
The diagnosis was severe: skull fracture, intracranial bleeding, and the need for an emergency craniotomy with skull repair.
Several hours of surgery.
Upon hearing this, all color drained from Julia's face. She didn't cry—she simply sat down by the operating room door, hollow and silent.
Jason sat down beside her.
He didn't touch her shoulder.Didn't tell her to be strong.Didn't offer empty comfort.
He was simply there.
Time crawled at a painfully slow pace.Even Jason felt it—every few minutes felt like half an hour.
Every time he checked his phone, only three or four minutes had passed.
He looked at Julia.She hadn't moved.Her pale face stayed fixed on the operating room door.
He couldn't claim to understand what she felt, but he could imagine how agonizing the wait was.
After about half an hour, Zhao Lie arrived. Jason gave him a small nod, signaling him to wait nearby. Zhao Lie sat quietly on a bench, fully aware of the situation.
Jason had already planned to keep Julia's family factory afloat regardless, but that could wait. Right now, the priority was Julia herself. He had to make sure she didn't collapse from shock.
Half an hour passed.Then an hour.Then two.Then three.
Finally, after three and a half hours—
The operating room door opened.
Julia shot to her feet and rushed toward the doctors.Jason followed right behind her.
The doctor understood the girl's panic, so he didn't waste a second.
"The surgery went very well. She's out of danger for now."
Julia's knees almost buckled.
Her tears burst out instantly.
"Th… thank you, Doctor… thank you…" she choked.
She turned toward Jason—eyes red, wet, trembling.
A flood of relief, fear, and gratitude filled her expression.
She looked like she wanted to cry into him, cling to him, thank him, collapse in his arms—anything to release everything she'd been holding in.
And in that moment—
She looked at him as if he were the only stable thing in her world.
"See? Your mom's going to be okay. And your dad will pull through too."Jason nodded softly, genuinely relieved for Julia. If anything had truly happened to her parents, he wasn't sure Julia would have survived the emotional collapse.
The doctor nearby added, "Good people tend to have strong luck on their side. Your parents… they're good folks." He clearly knew about Julia's family.
It wasn't surprising. Her father's charity work had made national news, and in his own city, nearly everyone knew his name. The staff, nurses, and doctors respected him deeply.
Maybe the success of the surgeries wasn't just "luck" at all. Maybe the hospital rallied behind them—assigning the top surgeons, pushing themselves beyond 100%, giving them the best possible chance.
In moments like this, "good people get rewarded" felt real.
But then, remembering the shameless relatives, the people who took advantage of her parents, the ones who nearly killed her mother—
The phrase suddenly felt painfully ironic.
A good man gives his whole life helping others, yet gets treated like that.
The world didn't always make sense.
They had to wait before entering the room. A few minutes later, a nurse approached Julia.
"Julia, your father has regained consciousness. Once we finish checking his vitals, you can visit him in the ICU."
Julia, who had just stopped crying, broke again.Except now, her tears were from joy.
Her entire body trembled as the pressure in her chest finally loosened.
The dam burst.
She cried—loud, messy, heartbreaking, raw.
Jason immediately pulled her into his arms.She buried her face in his chest, sobbing uncontrollably. Within minutes, she had soaked the front of his shirt.
After a long while, she finally calmed down. Sniffing, she pulled back and wiped at his shirt with her sleeve.
"S-sorry… I'll wash this for you later…"
Jason chuckled softly."It's fine. It'll dry. But if someone calls me a 'creepy old man' because my clothes feel salty and wet, you're explaining it."
The corner of Julia's lips lifted despite her tears.
Her face was still wet, still soft, still fragile like flowers after rain—and her small smile was beautiful enough to break anyone's heart.
After she laughed, she glanced at his shirt again.
"Your clothes are expensive… can they even be hand-washed?"
"They weren't expensive before," Jason said casually. "But now? They're priceless. They're stained with a beauty's tears. Wash or don't wash—it doesn't matter. Let's go see your parents."
"Okay…"She nodded obediently, her voice small.
People had called her "beautiful" before, plenty of times.But hearing Jason say it… felt different.Gentler.Warmer.Like he was trying to hold her spirits together.
Thinking about how Jason had flown her across the country, stayed with her all day, never leaving her side—Julia felt something warm bloom quietly inside her chest.
Julia: Favorability +10
The system chimed in Jason's mind:
"Julia's favorability has exceeded 90.Status bar updated. Please check promptly."
Status — Julia
Age: 20
Appearance: 9.1
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 115 lbs
Favorability: 30 → 95
Ex-boyfriends: None
STDs: None
Opportunity:Automatically detects life-changing opportunities around her, ensuring she never misses them. Helps guide her toward an ideal future.
Jason's eyes brightened.
This was the first time someone had shot past 90 so quickly—straight to 95. A historical record.
Then again, when he had only indirectly helped solve her scholarship issue, her favorability jumped by 30 in one go—more than anyone else.
Pure-hearted, sensitive, grateful girls were indeed easy to move.
And Julia… was the purest of all.
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