Shen Chi Yan


Song Qi Nian couldn't make sense of Shen Chi Yan's sudden gentleness. She shook her head, then nodded. Yes, it hurt. Everything hurt—her heart, her face, her entire body. But unlike others, she couldn't voice her pain, couldn't put her suffering into words.


Shen Chi Yan held her close, his chest tight and face creased with worry. If Guan Ming Xu hadn't been there last night... He didn't want to think about what might have happened. By all logic, he should hate Song Qi Nian. Her safety shouldn't matter to him. Yet when he thought about last night, a residual fear gripped him. The thought of something truly terrible happening to her was unbearable.


Song Qi Nian rested against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. Since last night, she'd been consumed by anger at him for breaking their plans. But one glimpse of his tenderness, and her resentment crumbled. Her love for him was simple yet unshakeable. Whatever had happened before, whatever might come next—right now, in this moment, she was content.


He offered no explanation for missing their appointment, and she asked for none.


Over the next two days, Shen Chi Yan visited regularly. Her spirits lifted, and her recovery picked up pace.


When Shen Ke Qin came to visit, worry lined her face. She trudged to the bedside and collapsed into Song Qi Nian's arms. "Sis-in-law, I think my brother's going to have me killed!"


Song Qi Nian quickly grabbed paper and pen: [What happened?]


"It's all because of Guan Ming Xu. I used his name to pursue you as a joke, but who could have guessed he'd fall for you the moment he saw you? What kind of cruel twist of fate is this?"


Song Qi Nian sat in stunned silence. The revelation hit her like a thunderbolt - not only was Guan Ming Xu real, but he'd saved her life. Twice.


As if summoned by her thoughts, the door swung open. There stood Guan Ming Xu, a vision in a pink suit that would have looked ridiculous on anyone else. In one hand, he held a bouquet of red roses; in the other, his black sunglasses, which he'd just removed with practiced ease.


"Hey, Little Sweetheart," he called out, his eyes twinkling. "Been thinking about me?"


Before Song Qi Nian could even process his presence, Shen Ke Qin's voice cut through the room. "Guan Ming Xu! Do you have a death wish? My brother will tear you apart!"


He breezed past Shen Ke Qin as if she hadn't spoken, placing the roses on the bedside table. His smile, when he turned to Song Qi Nian, was warm enough to melt frost. "Picked these myself this morning. Fresh from the rose farm. Even wrapped them myself. What do you think?"


Song Qi Nian found herself trapped between gratitude and discomfort. After all, he had saved her life. She managed a weak smile and reached for her notepad.


As she wrote, her movements were delicate, precise. Her dark hair was pulled back in a neat bun, though a few wayward strands had escaped to brush against her neck. There was something captivating about her quiet focus.


Guan Ming Xu watched her with such tender attention that Shen Ke Qin felt her skin crawl. In her mind, warning bells were clanging - this man was dangerous.


He took the offered notepad with reverence. "Such elegant handwriting," he murmured, before he'd even read a word. "I'd expect nothing less."


Song Qi Nian snatched it back, quickly adding another line.


The first message was simple: [Thank you for saving my life and for the flowers, but I'm married :)]


Below it, she'd written: [I'm Song Qi Nian. Please don't call me Little Sweetheart. Thank you :)]


Guan Ming Xu studied those innocent smiley faces as if they held the secrets of the universe. With deliberate care, he folded the paper and slipped it into his pocket. His smile took on a different quality - softer, but somehow more determined. "I know you're married. That doesn't change anything for me. And if Little Sweetheart bothers you..." He paused, considering. "How about Xiao Nian Nian instead?"


Song Qi Nian and Shen Ke Qin could only stare in speechless disbelief.


Shen Ke Qin stared at Guan Ming Xu in disbelief. Here he was, clearly younger than Song Qi Nian by a few years, throwing around pet names like "Little Sweetheart" and "Xiao Nian Nian" without a hint of shame. Was this what people meant when they talked about younger men pursuing older women?


She caught herself. No - this wasn't some cute romance. This was Guan Ming Xu actively trying to wreck her brother's marriage. She grabbed him by the arm and hauled him out of the room before he could say anything else.


But before she could lay into him, Guan Ming Xu's face split into a knowing grin. "Xiao Nian Nian definitely has feelings for me."


"What?" Shen Ke Qin gaped at him. "Are you out of your mind? What makes you think my sister-in-law has any interest in you?"


He gave her a look that suggested she was the slow one. "Weren't you watching? When she smiles at you, she only shows six teeth. But with me?" His grin widened. "Eight teeth. The more teeth, the more genuine the smile. It's basic math."


Shen Ke Qin's expression darkened. She made sure to drag him away with her when she left - there was no way she was leaving him alone with Song Qi Nian while her brother wasn't around.


Meanwhile, on the hospital's top floor, Lin Qiu Tong was finally stirring. After a brief moment of consciousness days ago, followed by another stretch of darkness, she was truly awake at last.


Lin Lanxing, who hadn't left her sister's side, rushed to embrace her. "Sister!" she sobbed, clutching Lin Qiu Tong close. "I thought... I thought I'd lost you forever!"


Lin Qiu Tong was barely strong enough to process what was happening, her body still weak from the long sleep.


"Do you have any idea what our family's been through?" Lin Lanxing continued through her tears. "These past three years while you were unconscious..."


"Three years?" Lin Qiu Tong's voice was barely a whisper. She'd thought she'd just dozed off for a moment. How could three years have slipped away?


"And Chi Yan... he loves you so much. How could you leave him alone all this time?"


That hit Lin Qiu Tong harder than learning about the lost years. Her mind raced, trying to make sense of it all.


What in the world had happened while she was asleep?


Lin Qiu Tong's head spun. Shen Chi Yan - in love with her? It didn't make sense.


Something must have happened while she was unconscious. But what?


She tried to speak, each word an effort. "Lanxing... the last thing I remember is being kidnapped. Then the accident. After that... nothing." The simple act of talking left her breathless, her chest tight with exertion.


Lin Lanxing noticed her sister's struggle and gently rubbed her back, wiping away her own tears. "You remember when Brother Chi Yan told you he loved you, don't you?"


Lin Qiu Tong stared at her sister. This had to be a dream. Or maybe she'd woken up in someone else's life.


Shen Chi Yan was supposed to confess to Song Qi Nian - not her. How had this happened?


Oblivious to her sister's inner turmoil, Lin Lanxing pressed on. "The day you were kidnapped by Song Qi Nian's cousin... that's when the accident happened. You've been unconscious ever since. Brother Chi Yan was in an accident too. He lost some memories from that time, but..." She squeezed her sister's hand. "He never forgot that he loves you."