Repaying Gu Zhiyan had lifted a weight from Song Qi Nian's shoulders, but her relief was short-lived. The debt hadn't disappeared - it had simply shifted from Gu Zhiyan to Shen Ke Qin.
Making money had to be her priority now. But first, she needed to visit the prison.
At the facility, Song Qi Nian learned that her father, Song Guanliang, had been approved for medical parole. Her heart leaped with joy as she scribbled on paper: [Which hospital is he in?]
"He's in a special prison hospital."
[Can I visit him?]
"I'm sorry, that's not possible."
Though disappointed, Song Qi Nian found comfort in knowing her father would receive treatment. [Thank you for your help,] she managed.
On her way home, she couldn't shake the question of why they'd suddenly granted her father's medical parole. Only one person came to mind who could have made this happen.
Back at the house, Zhang Qiaoqiao informed her that Shen Chi Yan was in the study. After knocking several times with no response, Song Qi Nian eased the door open.
She found him asleep on the study's sofa. In repose, his features were striking - sharp angles softened by sleep, thick lashes casting shadows, a straight, noble nose. Despite never using skincare products, his complexion was flawless, poreless.
Only in these unguarded moments did Song Qi Nian dare to really look at him. Her gaze drifted to his lips - those same lips that could deliver such cutting remarks, yet turned so impossibly soft when they kissed.
His brow furrowed in his sleep, as if troubled by whatever he was dreaming.
At this moment, in Shen Chi Yan's dream…
By a tranquil lake, he watched a girl in a white T-shirt, her hair pulled back in a low ponytail, sitting at the water's edge as she drew.
Her slight frame was bent over her work, lost in concentration, oblivious to the world around her.
The sight of her made his heart pound. This felt familiar somehow, as if he'd watched her like this countless times before. He wanted to preserve this peaceful moment, but found himself drawn closer.
She stood suddenly, gathering her art supplies. That's when he caught sight of her drawing - pink and white baby's breath flowers scattered across the page.
As she turned to leave, he moved to follow, but despite being just steps behind her, he couldn't close the distance.
His chest tightened with the certainty that he knew her, loved her, needed to see her face - but even as he ran himself breathless, all he could see was her back.
"Wait! Don't go!"
She stopped, beginning to turn toward him…
Shen Chi Yan's eyes flew open. Song Qi Nian's face hovered inches from his own.
For a heartbeat, her features blurred into the silhouette from his dream.
In the next instant, his expression hardened. He grabbed her throat, pinning her to the sofa. "What do you think you're doing?"
Damn her. If she hadn't gotten so close, he might have finally seen the dream girl's face.
These dreams had haunted him for six months, but the girl's identity always slipped away. This time she'd almost turned around, until Song Qi Nian ruined everything.
His dark eyes blazed with anger. Song Qi Nian's heart raced - she'd been caught trying to steal a kiss, mesmerized by his sleeping face.
Her mind raced. Her eyes brightened as she signed, "There was a mosquito about to bite you. I was trying to swat it away."
Shen Chi Yan let out a harsh laugh. "You expect me to believe that? Do I look like a child to you?"
"I'm telling the truth! If I hadn't stopped it, you'd have ended up with a huge welt on your face."
Song Qi Nian wouldn't dare tell him the truth - admitting she'd tried to steal a kiss would be catastrophic.
Her expression might have seemed innocent enough to convince anyone else, but Shen Chi Yan knew her tell - the way she fidgeted with her thumbs whenever she lied.
His thumb traced roughly across her lips, his smile cruel. "That trick might work on others. I find it repulsive."
The color drained from her face. The pain in her chest felt like being torn apart.
As he turned to leave, she rushed to block his path, her hands flying as she signed, "Did you arrange my father's treatment?"
The mention of Song Guanliang only darkened his mood further.
"I wanted to thank you..." she began to sign, but he cut her off with a harsh laugh.
"Don't misunderstand. I'm not doing this out of kindness. After what he did to Qiuqiu, why would I let him die so easily?"
Though he smiled, his expression chilled her to the bone.
"I'll make that beast wish he were dead for the rest of his life."
A fate worse than death. The words weren't empty threats - Song Qi Nian knew he meant every syllable. Her legs gave out and she sank to the floor.
Just hours ago, she'd been elated about her father's treatment, planning how to thank Shen Chi Yan, hoping she might see her father. Now he'd crushed those hopes, showing her how foolish her dreams had been.
He looked down at her, unmoved. "Better pray Qiuqiu wakes up soon. Maybe then you and your father will suffer less."
As he left the villa, his phone rang. "Young Master, we heard from the whistle shop. They say you showed them a photo that day, saying the whistle was for that girl."
His expression darkened. "What girl?"
"They said you cherished her deeply, but... you only showed the photo briefly before tucking it away, like you couldn't bear others looking at it too long. They couldn't make out her face, but the shop's cameras caught the moment. I've sent you the surveillance footage from that time."
Shen Chi Yan's heart raced. He'd lost his memories of that period, always assuming the whistle had been meant for Lin Qiu Tong.
But lately, his dreams had been haunted by a slender figure - someone who stirred both joy and an inexplicable ache in his chest.
He wasn't certain if it was Lin Qiu Tong. He only knew this person held immense importance in his life.
The surveillance footage might finally unravel the mystery that had been tormenting him all this time.
With his heart pounding, Shen Chi Yan drew a deep breath and opened the video Gao Kunlun had sent...
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