Song Qi Nian stared at him with guarded eyes, clearly not recognizing him. When Guan Ming Xu noticed this, he couldn't hide his surprise. "You really don't remember me?"
She shook her head, wondering why she should.
"It was June 12th, by the Trade Building. My car hit your scooter." He paused, then continued. "And later, on July 3rd at the Romanda Hotel, when someone drugged you—I was the one who helped. I went to get you water, but when I came back, you'd disappeared."
Regret tinged his voice as he finished speaking.
As he spoke, fragments of memory stirred in Song Qi Nian's mind. The incident near the Trade Building hadn't left much of an impression—she hadn't been hurt and had been too rushed getting to work to even notice the driver. The hotel was hazier; her drugged state had left everything a blur. But now that she thought about it, she did remember someone calling her "Little Sweetheart" that night. It had been him.
Some of her tension eased as she realized he wasn't a threat. She gestured, asking why she was here.
Though Guan Ming Xu couldn't understand sign language, he got the gist of her question. "My friend and I were driving down Yuquan Road last night when we hit you. We brought you straight to the hospital."
Last night...
The memory sent a dull ache through her chest, and she lowered her eyes.
"What happened to you on Yuquan Road? Those marks on your face—who did that to you?"
When she shook her head, he didn't push. He had no desire to make her relive whatever trauma she'd endured. Besides, he'd already set people to investigating. Whoever had hurt her would pay for it.
"I should properly introduce myself. I'm Guan Ming Xu, but you can call me Xu Xu..." He scratched his head, suddenly self-conscious. "That's, uh, what my family calls me."
At the name "Guan Ming Xu," her eyes snapped up to meet his.
Song Qi Nian's mind raced. Guan Ming Xu? Could this be the same man who'd sent her all those roses and love confessions? No—it had to be a coincidence, just someone with the same name. After all, the Guan Ming Xu who'd pursued her had been part of Qin Qin's scheme.
But then why would this Guan Ming Xu call her "Little Sweetheart" with such familiarity?
Her thoughts turned practical. She had no phone, no bag, and she was too injured to make it home on her own. As for Shen Chi Yan... The pain in her chest tightened at the thought. He despised her now—he wouldn't waste a moment wondering where she was.
Still, there was a chance Zhang Qiaoqiao would notice her absence and contact Grandma or Qin Qin. Clinging to this hope, she gestured toward Guan Ming Xu's phone.
"Oh, you need to call your family?"
Before he could hand over his phone, the hospital room door swung open. A group of young men—all notably handsome—burst in. They were Guan Ming Xu's racing companions from the night before.
"Hey, Little Master Guan! How's your true love doing?"
"She's awake? No wonder you've been obsessing over finding her. She really is cute!"
Guan Ming Xu's face flushed red as his friends casually exposed his feelings. He wanted to strangle them all.
"Shut up!" he snapped, worried they'd frighten Song Qi Nian. "Stop talking nonsense!"
"Would you look at that—Little Master Guan is blushing! Never thought we'd see the day!"
"I'm not blushing, you idiots! My whole face is just... hot. The room is stuffy, that's all!"
His weak excuse only made him look more guilty.
Song Qi Nian watched this chaos unfold, completely bewildered.
Just then, Guan Ming Xu's phone rang. Seeing Shen Ke Qin's name on the screen, he immediately rejected the call. That kid never brought anything but trouble.
Shen Ke Qin called again immediately, as if ready to blow up his phone until he answered.
Guan Ming Xu clicked his tongue in annoyance. He turned to Song Qi Nian with an apologetic smile. "I need to take this."
Before leaving, he shot his friends a stern look. "Behave yourselves—don't scare her!"
"Look at him getting all protective already!"
"Told you he's hopeless—always putting love before friendship!"
Guan Ming Xu hesitated at the door, not wanting to leave Song Qi Nian alone with his unruly friends, but Shen Ke Qin's persistence left him no choice.
"Shen Ke Qin, you're ruining everything! I finally found her—why are you bombarding me with calls?"
"Quick question: is your 'true love' named Song Qi Nian?"
"Uh..."
Guan Ming Xu drew a blank. He realized he still didn't know Little Sweetheart's name—thanks to his friends barging in before he could ask.
"Why do you want to know?"
They'd grown up trading barbs, but their friendship ran deep. Neither took the other's jabs seriously.
"Okay, then tell me this: is she mute?"
Guan Ming Xu wondered for a moment if Shen Ke Qin had somehow planted a camera on him.
"How did you—"
"How did I know? Because she's my sister-in-law! Which hospital are you at? I'm coming over!"
After Song Qi Nian's disappearance, Shen Ke Qin had posted online asking for help finding her. Just moments ago, she'd spotted Xia Gaoyang's post:
"Breaking news: Little Master Guan's mystery woman revealed!"
Below was a photo of a slight figure in a hospital gown, sitting on a bed, watching with vacant eyes as the group of men horsed around.
Shen Ke Qin had recognized Song Qi Nian instantly, even from just the side profile. She'd called Guan Ming Xu without a second thought.
Her words—"She's my sister-in-law"—hit Guan Ming Xu like a physical blow, leaving his head spinning.
"Stop talking nonsense!" he snapped, his expression darkening. "I've met your sister-in-law before, and that's definitely not her. If you keep making things up, we're done!"
"No, you've met my actual sister-in-law," Shen Ke Qin rushed to explain. "Song Qi Nian is my cousin—she's Shen Chi Yan's wife!"
"That's impossible... Since when is Shen Chi Yan married?"
"Three years now, but they kept it secret. Most people don't know. But forget about that—just tell me where you are so I can get her! If my brother finds out his wife spent the night with you, you're dead!"
As Shen Ke Qin finished speaking, Guan Ming Xu spotted Shen Chi Yan approaching, radiating cold fury.
"Hello? Guan Ming Xu! Are you listening?"
But Guan Ming Xu's eyes were locked on Shen Chi Yan. "It's too late," he murmured, and ended the call.
0 Comments