Lin Qiu Tong sat in stunned silence, her mind reeling from two earth-shattering revelations. First, that Shen Chi Yan had loved her all along and actually confessed his feelings. Second, that through some cruel twist of fate, he was now married to Song Qi Nian.
"Sister, you have to understand - Brother Chi Yan truly loves you," Lin Lanxing pressed, watching her sister's face with concern. "He was forced into marrying Song Qi Nian. She's nothing compared to you. Now that you're awake, he'll divorce her immediately!"
Lin Qiu Tong remained quiet, her thoughts a tangled mess. When she first opened her eyes after three years of darkness and learned about Shen Chi Yan's marriage to Song Qi Nian, she'd believed her chance at happiness had slipped away forever.
But now? Now there was hope.
It felt like divine intervention - as if the heavens themselves had decided to give her another chance with Shen Chi Yan. Those three years confined to a hospital bed hadn't been for nothing after all.
"Oh!" Lin Lanxing suddenly exclaimed, reaching for her phone. "I completely forgot - we need to tell Brother Chi Yan you're awake right away!"
"Stop!" Lin Qiu Tong grabbed her sister's wrist.
"What? Don't you want to see him?" Lin Lanxing's brow furrowed. "Or are you angry about Song Qi Nian?"
"No," Lin Qiu Tong said softly, her complexion still ashen. "I'm sure Ah Yan had his reasons. I don't blame him. It's just... in my current condition... if he sees me like this..."
"That's ridiculous!" Lin Lanxing cut in. "Brother Chi Yan loves you more than anything. You'll always be beautiful to him, no matter what."
"Please. Just wait until I've recovered a bit more."
Lin Lanxing started to protest, then stopped herself. Her sister had been unconscious for three long years - years that Shen Chi Yan had spent married to Song Qi Nian. She remembered the telling marks she'd spotted on Song Qi Nian's neck. There was no guarantee that Shen Chi Yan hadn't developed feelings for his wife during that time.
Song Qi Nian was clever and calculating. What if she'd managed to work her way into his heart?
Lin Lanxing nodded to herself. Her sister had a point. Even though Shen Chi Yan had visited faithfully all this time, feelings could change. Maybe it was better not to let him see her sister so vulnerable just yet.
The truth was, Lin Qiu Tong's hesitation had nothing to do with her appearance. She simply wasn't emotionally ready to face him. But since Shen Chi Yan believed she was the one he truly loved, everything would fall into place. This was her chance, handed to her by fate, and she intended to make the most of it.
...
Song Qi Nian's leg injury from the car accident meant a lengthy hospital stay. With bone and tendon damage, recovery typically took around 100 days, and Shen Chi Yan insisted she remain under medical care.
Zhang Qiaoqiao brought her wholesome meals every day. While delicious, Song Qi Nian eventually found herself craving something different. When she mentioned wanting sour and spicy noodles one day, Shen Chi Yan immediately shot down the idea.
"Absolutely not - not with your condition!"
Song Qi Nian's lips formed a small pout as she fixed him with a wounded look.
Shen Chi Yan felt his resolve crumbling. Denying her a simple bowl of noodles suddenly felt like an unforgivable offense. Then he remembered how quickly she'd discarded Guan Ming Xu's roses, and his mood lifted. Maybe one bowl wouldn't hurt.
The moment the noodles arrived, their pungent aroma filled the room. Shen Chi Yan's face darkened as he eyed the bowl suspiciously, questioning whether anyone should eat such a thing. But watching Song Qi Nian dig in with pure joy, her face glowing with satisfaction, he found the smell becoming oddly tolerable.
Still... after eating something like that, she shouldn't even think about kissing him for a month... no, ten days... actually, make that three days!
For Song Qi Nian, these noodles were heaven after going so long without them. No fancy restaurant could compare. She polished off the entire large bowl with relish.
As soon as she finished, Shen Chi Yan unwrapped a piece of candy and popped it into her mouth. "Here," he said. "To freshen your breath."
"Next time you eat something like that, you're brushing your teeth five times."
Song Qi Nian nodded, smiling to herself. If he could barely handle spicy sour noodles, she could only imagine his reaction to snail noodles. The thought of him holding his nose and scolding her made her want to laugh.
Shen Chi Yan caught her grinning and pinched her cheeks. When she looked up, his dark eyes were fixed on her face.
"What are you plotting?"
She shook her head, all wide-eyed innocence.
Something shifted in Shen Chi Yan's expression, and he leaned down to kiss her.
Song Qi Nian quickly covered her mouth with her hand. The spicy sour taste probably lingered - she couldn't let him kiss her now. What if he found it repulsive?
Her rejection clearly irritated him. He pulled her hand away, his voice taking on an edge. "If not me, then who? That kid Guan Ming Xu?"
Song Qi Nian shook her head violently.
"You wouldn't dare," he scoffed.
He gripped her chin, moving in for another kiss, when his phone suddenly rang.
The moment shattered. Checking his phone, he saw Lin Lanxing's name on the screen. His brow furrowed as he released Song Qi Nian and answered.
"Hello..."
"Brother Chi Yan, my sister's awake!"
The words hit him like a physical force. Without a second thought, he bolted from Song Qi Nian's hospital room.
At the doorway, he hesitated for a split second. Then, deliberately not looking back at Song Qi Nian, he headed straight for Lin Qiu Tong's room.
Song Qi Nian sat frozen in confusion. Who had called? Why had his face gone so dark?
What could have happened?
Song Qi Nian found her phone - Shen Chi Yan had left his behind. After a moment's hesitation, she sent him a WeChat message: "Is everything okay?"
As she expected, there was no reply.
When Shen Chi Yan pushed open the door to Lin Qiu Tong's room, he saw her sitting up in bed. Her face was ghostly pale, her frame fragile.
The moment he entered, Lin Qiu Tong's eyes found his. Their gazes locked, and tears immediately spilled down her cheeks.
She reached out toward him, her voice breaking. "Ah Yan..."
Shen Chi Yan moved toward her step by step. The people around her bed parted silently to let him through.
To the side, Ye Fanglin dabbed at her eyes while Lin Xing'an squeezed her shoulder in silent support.
As soon as Shen Chi Yan reached her, Lin Qiu Tong collapsed into his arms. Her sobs were raw with pain and longing. "Ah Yan, I missed you so much. I thought I'd never see you again."
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