“So, that person back then was you?”
Here in the hospital room, Rong Qian drank the cup of water Shen Yi had poured for her. She had heard Shen Yi say this was his friend’s clinic, and now she also knew that the person in that room back then had been him.
“It was me. I’m sorry, I hurt you back then, didn’t I?” Shen Yi was very remorseful about it afterward.
He hadn’t held back his strength at the time—he must have hurt her, which was why she’d passed out.
Rong Qian waved her hand, brushing it off. “It’s not because of you. I just couldn’t hold on much longer to begin with.”
Since they were already on the subject, Shen Yi naturally asked her why she’d been injured.
Rong Qian had known he would ask, and she’d already thought up an excuse in advance. “It’s nothing much. I got into a fight with some people, and I lost. They had more people than me, so I was outnumbered—it’s only normal that I got beaten up.”
“A fight?” Shen Yi’s brows furrowed.
Rong Qian nodded vigorously. “Yep. You know how I am—I’ve always liked stepping in to help when I see injustice. It’s just that this time I didn’t win. A bit embarrassing.”
“A’Qian.” Shen Yi looked into her eyes and suddenly asked, “Are you really a time traveler?”
“Of course. Otherwise, how else would I be here?” Rong Qian wore an expression that said isn’t that obvious.
But seeing that he was still suspicious, Rong Qian made something up on the spot. “Don’t be fooled just because I’m a time traveler—I actually live in reality too, and I’m a person too. So since this is reality, all sorts of things happen. You don’t need to find it strange.”
In truth, Shen Yi had already begun to suspect something. But Rong Qian didn’t want to say more, so he wouldn’t ask.
Although Rong Qian wanted to find a chance to tell him the truth, judging by how he’d reacted just now, she knew this wasn’t the time to tell him yet.
He’d only accidentally laid a hand on her, and he was already this guilt-ridden over it. If he found out that the reason she’d been hurt was inseparably tied to him, wouldn’t he blame himself to death?
“Is there anything I can do for you?” Shen Yi wanted very much to do something for her.
Rong Qian smiled. “Don’t worry about it. There are police on it—they’ve already been caught.”
On this point, at least, Rong Qian wasn’t lying.
As for what Shen Yi was actually thinking on the inside, despite showing nothing on the surface—no one could say.
“I’m sorry, for disappearing without a word, back then too.” Rong Qian thought it over and still felt she needed to apologize to him, not to mention everything he’d gone through afterward…
Shen Yi shook his head. “Don’t say things like sorry. You could never owe me an apology.”
“Are you so sure? What if one day I deceived you?” Especially since she was already deceiving him right now.
Shen Yi gazed steadily into her eyes, then smiled faintly. “Then it would certainly be because I was willing to let you.”
Did that mean—he already knew she was deceiving him?
“Ahem.” Rong Qian gave a light cough and smoothly changed the subject. “About Lin Feng—”
The words had barely left her mouth before she regretted it. Of all the sore spots, why bring up that one!
But to Shen Yi, this matter had happened six years ago—there was nothing he couldn’t talk about.
“Since you’re asking, that means you already know everything. As for Lin Feng—I’ll always owe him. And Jessiny too. It’s a great regret that I couldn’t protect them back then.” As Shen Yi spoke, he casually picked up an apple, found a small knife, and began peeling it for her.
Rong Qian looked at him and still offered words of comfort. “Everyone has people they feel they owe. You mustn’t blame yourself.”
“Mm, I won’t.” Shen Yi handed her the peeled apple, then pulled out a tissue to wipe the knife clean. “It’s just that thinking back on it recently, I really was too young back then. If I handled it now, with who I am today, it wouldn’t have ended that way.”
“That’s how people are—they keep growing. You’ve already done very well.” Rong Qian praised him without holding back.
Shen Yi smiled gently, like a warm spring breeze. “Mm, thank you.”
Rong Qian was struck again.
Gentleness alone already had devastating impact—add in the gentlemanly manners and politeness, and that was a guaranteed finishing move for charming countless young women!
“Lin Feng had a younger brother,” Shen Yi suddenly said.
Rong Qian blinked. “Wasn’t he all alone, with no one to depend on? How does he have a younger brother?”
“When his brother was eight, he was adopted by a couple who couldn’t have children of their own—essentially became someone else’s child. So Lin Feng had nothing to worry about there; he only had to take care of himself.”
Rong Qian asked, “Then what happened to his brother?”
“That couple ended up having a child of their own afterward. An adopted child could never compare to a biological one in the end. By the time he was thirteen, he was running around outside with a group, stealing and snatching things.”
“How do you know about him?” Rong Qian couldn’t help but be curious.
A faint curve lingered at the corner of Shen Yi’s mouth as he said, “He tried to rob me.”
Stealing from him, Shen Yi—wasn’t that essentially plucking hairs from a tiger’s head?
“He looks a lot like Lin Feng. The first time I saw him, I thought I was seeing Lin Feng.”
Shen Yi had felt at the time that it couldn’t be a coincidence, and sure enough, after looking into it, it really was Lin Feng’s younger brother—named Lin Jie.
Not wanting him to go astray and follow in Lin Feng’s footsteps, Shen Yi sponsored his schooling. He was now in high school, doing fairly well academically.
“That’s good. At least there’s a good outcome from it.” Rong Qian felt moved—if Lin Feng knew, he’d surely be comforted too.
Speaking of Lin Feng, though, Rong Qian’s thoughts turned to the root of it all—that scum named Thomas!
She asked Shen Yi, “Is Thomas still in prison now?”
“He was sentenced to life imprisonment. For the rest of his life, until death, he can only spend it behind bars.”
Thomas’s crimes were far worse than they’d ever imagined. Shen Yi had dug up far more evidence of his murders back then, which was what finally put him away.
“Are you sure?” As far as Rong Qian knew, it was in 1978—this very year—that Thomas had gotten out of prison.
Shen Yi heard that there was something behind her words. Holding an almost blind trust in her, he said without hesitation, “I’ll send someone to check.”
“You must find out for certain. Unless someone sees Thomas locked up in prison with their own eyes, there’s no way to confirm he’s still there.” Rong Qian had already put it about as plainly as she could.
Of course Shen Yi could read between the lines. He said, “You came here this time because Thomas might pose a threat to me, is that it?”
“Mm, you’re in danger!” Rong Qian said firmly and decisively.
Shen Yi smiled. Seeing him still able to laugh, Rong Qian said with great frustration, “You’re still laughing? I’m worried to death!”
The smile at the corners of Shen Yi’s mouth only deepened.
Shen Yi would never admit it, but he actually rather enjoyed her worrying about him like this—because the only person who would ever worry about him this way was her…
Still, right now, Shen Yi didn’t need her worrying for him.
Looking at the bruise on the corner of her mouth, Shen Yi’s eyes darkened. He frowned and asked, his voice full of tenderness, “Does it still hurt?”
“I’m fine, it’s just a small injury, I can get out of bed just fine—hiss!” The words had barely left her mouth before she accidentally pulled at the wound, the pain making her wince and grimace—clearly she’d been pushing herself too hard.
Shen Yi was startled by her reaction.
He stood up too abruptly, knocking over the water glass on the bedside table. The glass shattered on the floor with a crisp, ringing crash.
But Shen Yi didn’t even glance at it—his entire attention was on Rong Qian. Tense to the extreme, he asked, “Are you all right?”
“Boss!”
It was Xu Mo, who, hearing the sound of breaking glass from outside, had also been startled. He shoved the door open with a bang and rushed in, all in a panic!