Suddenly struggling awake from a nightmare, Fu Xueli’s eyes flew open to blinding white everywhere. Dazed for a few seconds, she rubbed her eyes, feeling aches and pains all over her body.

The dirty, bloodstained clothes had been changed, and her body had been wiped clean. Fu Xueli moved slightly but couldn’t muster any strength at all.

Xixi, sitting beside her, saw her wake up and rushed over like seeing a savior, supporting her with teary eyes. “Oh my god! Sister Xueli, you’re finally awake! You scared me to death!”

“Hiss, be gentle.” Fu Xueli drew in a sharp breath, pulling her arm away, her voice hoarse as she spoke with delayed reaction. “I’m in the hospital?”

“Mm-hmm.” Xixi nodded repeatedly.

“How long did I sleep?”

“Not too long. Sister Tang Xin just left. So many reporters are outside but we didn’t let them in. I was just checking Weibo—the online discussion is really intense right now. Everyone’s worried about you.”

In just one night, news of Fu Xueli’s kidnapping had already been released. The outside world was shocked, worried, and gossiping—her fans had exploded, causing an uproar.

As Xixi was speaking, Fu Xueli suddenly threw off the covers and got out of bed. Her knees went soft, cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. She raised her hand to support herself against the wall. “Where’s Xu Xingchun? Where is he?”

Seeing Xixi open her mouth but unable to speak for a long time, Fu Xueli felt something was wrong.

The chaotic memories from before she lost consciousness returned to her mind—

When Zhu Xia had pressed the detonator in her hand, Xu Xingchun had flipped her over and pressed her beneath him, the two rolling several times. Not far away, stars of fire exploded thunderously across the sky, a sheet of crimson red…

Xixi kept her head down without speaking. Fu Xueli grew anxious, pushing past her to walk outside. “Can’t you hear me?!”

“It’s not that…” Xixi didn’t dare say anything that might upset her right now. “The doctor said you need to rest well now and can’t run around. That… that police officer who was brought in with you, he’s also…”

“Did something happen to him?” Fu Xueli took two deep breaths and asked calmly.

“Ah?” Xixi grimaced, speaking in a tiny voice, steeling herself as she grabbed Fu Xueli’s arm, somewhat hesitant. “He’s still in the ICU.”

When Xu Xingchun was first brought in for emergency treatment, his condition was very bad. He’d been shot twice—right shoulder, left knee joint—fortunately both were through-and-through wounds, the bullets hadn’t remained inside to cause secondary damage. But there were too many small fragments embedded in his back from the explosion, the wounds very deep.

He’d gone into shock from excessive blood loss, fallen into a severe coma, his vital signs extremely weak. He’d been rushed directly into emergency treatment.

“When… when can he wake up?”

The doctor looked troubled. “That’s really hard to say. The injuries are quite severe.”

Even though she’d been mentally prepared, Fu Xueli still felt her heart clench. She nodded with feigned composure. Standing outside the overly quiet intensive care unit, she could only hear the beeping sounds of medical instruments inside. Xu Xingchun looked fragile and pale, tubes everywhere on his body, eyes tightly closed, lips white as snow. As if he might die the next second.

She stood stunned for several seconds.

She had never seen Xu Xingchun like this—lying powerlessly before her, his whole body wrapped in white gauze, completely unable to move. So weak he couldn’t even wake up.

Despite being so severely injured at the time, he hadn’t made a sound. Whatever grievances he had, whatever sadness he felt, he never mentioned them in front of her, never proactively reached out to ask for anything.

Fu Xueli turned her head away, her eyes reddening, feeling somewhat heartbroken. Past memories suddenly flooded her heart all at once. Thinking of how she and Xu Xingchun had gone round and round for so many years, it all felt like it happened so very long ago.

People are always nostalgic. Even if they deny it with their mouths, no matter how much they try to escape, Fu Xueli couldn’t deny that she still held an indescribable feeling for Xu Xingchun.

That night at her house, Xu Xingchun’s final look kept lingering in her mind.

Although no emotion in this world was ever that pure or fair, she had abused the privilege Xu Xingchun granted her, constantly and wantonly hurting him. She had been so terrible to him, made him suffer so much, and in the end he never managed to get justice back.

Fu Xueli suddenly became afraid. Actually, she might not love herself as much as she imagined. Freedom and being unburdened weren’t as important to her heart as she’d thought. Her feelings for Xu Xingchun had long ago accumulated unknowingly.

If Xu Xingchun really couldn’t pull through and died like this, what would she do afterward? Without even saying a proper goodbye, they would be separated by life and death.

This city would still have its bustling traffic, nights sparkling brilliantly, streets full of people coming and going. As if nothing would change, but no matter when, calling Xu Xingchun’s phone would always be unreachable.

Wanting to send him a message, it would take a moment to realize—this person no longer existed.

She would never hear his voice again.

Whether gentle, cold, or sweet—she wouldn’t hear any of it anymore.

Without having properly talked things through, this person would be gone forever.

What they show in melodramas is all fake. Fu Xueli stood in the cold, quiet corridor for several hours, waiting until the next day. But there was still no sign of Xu Xingchun waking up.

Working as an actress, no matter how disheveled you are behind the scenes, you must maintain a bright and glamorous appearance in public. No matter how exhausted and powerless, when the camera points at your face, you have to smile.

Apart from being frightened, Fu Xueli had no other major problems. That same day, Tang Xin helped her with the discharge procedures. Just coming out of the hospital’s main entrance, she saw several young police officers in uniform getting out of their car from afar.

Outside, the sunlight was blindingly bright. Fu Xueli had heavy dark circles under her eyes and wore sunglasses that covered most of her face, surrounded by a large group of people. The company had hired several bodyguards to follow beside her.

Tang Xin warned her earnestly, pulling her arm. “Right now outside is complete chaos. Both your fans and He Lu’s fans have gone crazy. Don’t run around carelessly these days. The new drama starts filming next month. I’ve pushed back some of your scheduled promotions. I understand you’re in a bad mood, that… Xu Xingchun, right? But don’t burden yourself too much. Pull yourself together and work. Go film in peace—if there’s any news, I’ll notify you.”

Fu Xueli felt uncomfortable inside but hummed in acknowledgment, indicating she’d heard.

“Recently there’s been too much gossip about you and He Lu. The other team is paying to suppress this matter as much as possible…” Tang Xin went on and on.

Fu Xueli turned her head to look in the direction of a certain part of the hospital one last time, then turned to bend down and step into the van.

A bad mood couldn’t be fixed. No matter how busy she was, no matter how many times she tried psychological suggestion, it was like dark clouds pressing overhead that couldn’t be driven away.

These past few days, Fu Xueli often woke up startled at night. Opening her eyes to pitch-black surroundings, there was a sense of confusion and fear about not knowing where she was.

Sitting still in the dead of night, she would repeatedly recall that nightmare. Xu Xingchun at death’s door, finally covering her tear-filled eyes. Just thinking about this scene made her break out in sweat.

When the tightness in her chest made it impossible to sleep, she’d run outside to catch the night breeze and smoke. Smoking until her head started spinning, then picking up her phone to call Xu Xingchun.

Unanswered.

Calling again, still unanswered.

In a few minutes she’d made several calls, her phone book filled densely with Xu Xingchun’s name.

Fu Chenglin, hearing that Fu Xueli had been in trouble, took a flight to Shen City to see her a few days later. Having arranged a time, the two were currently having a meal at a Western restaurant they’d randomly found near the hospital.

At four in the afternoon, after finishing work discussions and shooting a magazine photo spread, she hadn’t really eaten or rested all day. But Fu Xueli still couldn’t eat much of anything. Putting down her chopsticks, she urged, “Hurry up and eat. I need to go to the hospital in a bit.”

Fu Chenglin raised his eyebrows, poking at the caviar on his plate, speaking in a leisurely manner. “I keep feeling like you two are acting out a melodrama.”

“Get lost, I’m not in the mood to hear your sarcastic remarks.”

Seeing her expression of being miserable to death, Fu Chenglin remained calm and composed, leaning back, looking like he’d seen it all coming. “Little sister, brother told you long ago—when you’re young, do less evil. Sooner or later you have to pay it back.”

Fu Xueli couldn’t muster the interest to joke with him, sitting there in a daze.

Searching through his memories, speaking of Xu Xingchun, Fu Chenglin’s impression was of someone particularly melancholy and aloof, somewhat handsome, with exceptionally good grades. They’d attended the same school in middle and high school, even Fu Chenglin had heard of him—

He was extremely popular with the girls at school, the type who killed it with all types of upperclassmen and underclassmen alike.

Because the school forum frequently had hot posts like:

【How can I hook up with that really handsome underclassman in first year with really good grades named Xu Xingchun】

【Does Xu Xingchun have a girlfriend】

【There’s this really handsome top student in the science class, heard his name is Xu Xingchun, seeking contact info】

【Was that boy on duty at the school gate this morning named Xu Xingchun?】

【How can the guys in first year Class 9 be so good-looking? Besides Xie Ci, what’s that class president’s name?】

Even Fu Chenglin was often puzzled. A boy receiving so much admiration at this age—couldn’t he easily have girls swooning left and right? How could he possibly be devoted to one person? And his target was his own wild, unrestrained, and arrogant little sister.

Honestly, Fu Xueli really wasn’t very likable. Even Fu Chenglin, her older brother, was often driven to fury by her.

He still remembered when Fu Xueli was hospitalized in high school with the flu, Xu Xingchun came to the hospital more frequently than he did as her brother.

Even more terrifying—Fu Chenglin never would have imagined that someone as indifferent and cold as Xu Xingchun would be so completely good to Fu Xueli without any principles or bottom line. He’d caught them a few times—Xu Xingchun half-squatting on the ground helping Fu Xueli change her shoes…

Good flowers don’t bloom forever, good days don’t last. What goes around comes around. Sigh, but her awakening wasn’t too late—looks like Xu Xingchun’s good days were about to arrive.

Fu Chenglin silently sighed, fiddling with his lighter. “I can understand you. When your sister-in-law was in that car accident, I was exactly like you are now. Just wanted to be with her twenty-four hours, never leaving her side. Wishing I was the one lying there…”

“Stop talking.” It was just clichés that didn’t hit the mark anyway. It didn’t ease Fu Xueli’s melancholy one bit. Just as Fu Chenglin was calling the waiter to settle the bill, Fu Xueli suddenly received a call from the hospital.

After just a few words from the other side.

“Really?!” Fu Xueli instantly jumped up from her chair. Under Fu Chenglin’s bewildered gaze, she hastily grabbed her bag, gesturing to indicate she was leaving.

The news of Xu Xingchun waking up was really too sudden. So sudden that the moment Fu Xueli got off the elevator, she stopped in her tracks.

She couldn’t quite describe what she was feeling. She just suddenly remembered what she’d said to Xu Xingchun before. Even though she was used to being thick-skinned, she really didn’t have the face to see him again.

Even seeing him, she didn’t know what to say.

Xu Xingchun’s attending physician recognized Fu Xueli. Having just come out of a regular ward, he turned around and saw her, saying in surprise, “Oh, you got here so fast?”

“Ah?” Fu Xueli’s forehead was slightly damp with sweat, still breathing lightly. “I was just… downstairs at the hospital.”

The doctor smiled. “What a coincidence. Go on in.”

Fu Xueli’s heartbeat accelerated. “He… he really woke up?”

“Not sure, might have fallen back asleep.” The doctor laughed and walked away with a nurse.

Gently placing her hand on the door handle, carefully rotating it half a turn, opening just a crack. A bit of dim yellow light came through from inside.

Fu Xueli’s heart tightened. Steeling herself, slowly, slowly, she slipped sideways through. Without making a sound.

Some time had passed—Xu Xingchun seemed to have fallen back into sleep. She stopped by the curtain, looking at him.

After a few minutes, she still couldn’t help herself. Her fingers touched Xu Xingchun’s cold, soft cheek.

On the clean, soft white pillow, he slept quietly. His fingers suddenly moved slightly. Fu Xueli’s heart clenched as she quickly withdrew her hand.

Watching him slowly wake from unconsciousness.

Fu Xueli felt his eyes open slightly, seeing her. Her voice was very low, trembling slightly. After holding it in for a long time, she managed to squeeze out a sentence, somewhat at a loss. “Xu Xingchun, you’re awake?”

She could hear Xu Xingchun trying to breathe, but the sound of struggling to catch his breath.

In this moment, emotion was suddenly magnified infinitely. Eyes couldn’t hide secrets. Nearly dying from holding it in, originally not wanting to cry, Fu Xueli still couldn’t hold back. Silently turning her head away, she cried without dignity.

Xu Xingchun looked at her once and extended his hand. Tears fell onto the back of his hand.

Fu Xueli didn’t know what he wanted to do. Holding his hand, she said hoarsely, “Put your hand back in.”

Seeing him like this, her whole body ached. Crouching down, she took out her phone and typed out a line with one hand:

“You can’t speak, right? If yes, blink once.”

The entire hospital room was silent.

Xu Xingchun slowly nodded his head once.