Those two words should have carried at least a hint of tenderness, but coming from this man, they held not the slightest trace of romance. Instead, they were filled with an overwhelming sense of authority.
It was almost like the stern, serious way a parent spoke to a mischievous child.
Qiao Yimian froze for two seconds, then, almost as if possessed, answered with an obedient little “Oh.” She opened the car door and got out.
A nurse immediately came forward with a wheelchair.
Only then did Qiao Yimian realize that the nurse had been waiting here specifically for her. Someone must have informed the hospital in advance.
She couldn’t help turning back to look at the man once more.
The light inside the car was dim, blurring his features, but his eyes were exceptionally bright.
He nodded at her, his expression completely unchanged.
With complicated feelings, Qiao Yimian gave him a small wave.
Only after the car drove away did she secretly breathe a sigh of relief. She sat down in the wheelchair and was pushed into the hospital by the nurse.
Zhou Heng had clearly arranged everything in advance. She encountered no obstacles along the way.
She was pushed everywhere for her examinations, X-rays, and medication, enjoying VVIP treatment from start to finish.
While waiting for the X-ray results, Qiao Yimian couldn’t help saying to Zhou Heng, “Brother Zhou, you should go ahead and take care of your business. My colleague should be here soon.”
Zhou Heng smiled and shook his head. “It’s fine. You should always see something through once you’ve started it.”
Seeing that he had no intention of leaving, Qiao Yimian could only let it go.
A little while later, Song Nanxing hurried over. The X-ray results were also out, and fortunately, there was no damage to the bones.
Only then did everyone breathe a sigh of relief.
Qiao Yimian transferred the medical expenses to Zhou Heng, but he refused to accept them.
“Don’t worry. I’ll get the guy who hit you to reimburse me.”
Zhou Heng gave a soft snort. “That kid brought it entirely on himself. He was driving way too fast on the highway and ended up breaking a bone in the accident. If he hadn’t been sent straight to the hospital, I’d have made sure he came here and apologized to you himself. But he’ll be detained after he’s discharged, and his driver’s license has been revoked. Looks like he’ll never be riding a big motorcycle again.”
Qiao Yimian was surprised.
It had only been such a short time, yet he’d already found out so much.
“Brother Zhou, you and the others helped me so much today, but I still don’t know your full name. I’d like to add a note to your contact on WeChat.”
Zhou Heng smiled.
“Zhou Heng. Heng as in ‘constant.’”
After they said their goodbyes, Qiao Yimian sat in a taxi and typed Zhou Heng’s name into her phone browser.
Unexpectedly, a whole list of people with the same name came up.
She went through several of them but couldn’t find any information that seemed to match him. She had no idea what his identity actually was.
She turned off her screen and gazed out the window at the sky, which had begun to clear.
For some reason, the image of the man in the car suddenly surfaced in her mind.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that… she’d seen him somewhere before.
The two of them took a taxi directly to the accommodation arranged by the television station, a small hotel one street away from the station.
Song Nanxing borrowed a wheelchair and pushed Qiao Yimian through the check-in process. As they walked, he kept talking to her.
“It’s getting pretty late today. The station said we can report tomorrow morning. They also said that if your foot isn’t convenient, you can rest for a few days. There’s no rush to go in.”
Song Nanxing rubbed his nose and apologized again, looking embarrassed.
“I’m really sorry, sis. I wrecked your car. The repair shop said it’ll take at least a week to fix… I’ll pay for it, but no matter what, the car won’t be exactly the same afterward. Ugh, I’m just… so stupid.”
Qiao Yimian turned her head toward him and smiled reassuringly.
“It’s fine. The car is insured, so you don’t have to pay for it. Besides, there’s always a risk when you’re driving. Even if you don’t hit someone else, someone might hit you. You never know what can happen.”
Seeing Song Nanxing still looking dejected, she added, “If you really feel bad about it, then buy me dinner tonight.”
Song Nanxing’s eyes lit up immediately, and he nodded.
“Deal! Order whatever you want! And not just tonight—you can order whatever you want every day! It’s on me!”
Qiao Yimian smiled and shook her head.
Although she’d never asked about it in detail, she could tell that Song Nanxing came from a well-off family. His clothes and the neighborhood where he lived were more than enough to give it away.
He was also quite extravagant with money. Ever since joining the station, he’d often treated his colleagues to afternoon tea. It was honestly reasonable to suspect that he spent more every day than he earned.
With Qiao Yimian unable to walk properly, Song Nanxing personally went to a highly regarded Hong Kong-style café nearby, ordered several dishes, and brought them back to the hotel room to eat with her.
After he left, Qiao Yimian slowly went to wash up and get herself settled.
Once everything was taken care of, she lay down on the bed and picked up her phone.
She hadn’t expected it to start chiming nonstop, with a flood of messages coming in.
Several text messages were from the same unfamiliar number. She didn’t need to think twice to know they were from Shi Yan.
Qiao Yimian sighed. She was already emotionally exhausted and couldn’t bring herself to read them. Instead, she opened WeChat and discovered that the man she’d added previously had sent her a message too.
She had forgotten to ask his name at the time, so she’d given him a simple, straightforward contact name:
**Red Flag Car Owner**
**[Red Flag Car Owner: I heard you didn’t injure any bones. Be extra careful over the next few days.]**
The unexpected concern caught Qiao Yimian off guard. After thinking for a moment, she replied:
**[Okay. Thank you for your concern.]**
The moment she exited WeChat, the unfamiliar number called.
Qiao Yimian thought that constantly rejecting his calls wasn’t going to solve anything. She might as well make things clear with him once and for all.
The moment she answered, Shi Yan’s anxious voice came through.
“Yimian, I’m in Linchuan. I’m right outside the television station. Can we meet?”
“I’m not at the television station, and there’s no need for us to meet again.”
Qiao Yimian took a small breath and patiently continued,
“Shi Yan, we’re really not right for each other. Let’s cut our losses and move on.”
“Why aren’t we right for each other? We’ve been together for a year. We’ve never even had a fight. How could we possibly not be right for each other? I know you’re angry that I got engaged to someone else behind your back, but I explained it. It was only a temporary measure, just to placate my parents…”
“This really was my stupid mistake. I thought I could just keep it from you. I never expected my mother to figure out what I was thinking. She hid my phone and deliberately sent you that message so you’d come and witness this farce…”
Shi Yan sniffed, his voice growing more distressed with every word.
“Yimian, I really was wrong. Terribly wrong… I don’t expect you to forgive me. Just come out and see me, okay? I’m hurting so badly. My hands were shaking around the steering wheel the entire way here.”
Qiao Yimian sighed. After several seconds of silence, she suddenly asked,
“Did your parents know you were coming to Linchuan today?”
“No. I had a fight with them last night. After making my position clear, I went back to my room… But this time, I’m not going to hesitate anymore. No matter what happens, I want to be with you.”
“And then?” Qiao Yimian asked calmly. “If your parents throw you out, cut you off completely, and you lose your right to inherit the company, would you still not care?”