Li Zhenmian returned to the private room carrying a full load of anger. Mo Yu and the others looked at her, confused, then noticed the obvious strangulation mark on her neck.
Yan Susu shot up from her seat and walked over to her. “What happened? What’s going on?”
Li Zhenmian raised a hand to touch her neck. “It’s nothing. I just ran into a rabid dog.”
“Ah??”
“Did you get hurt anywhere else?” Yan Susu’s tone was laced with concern.
Li Zhenmian gave a slight shake of her head.
“Which bastard choked you? I’ll go get revenge for you.” Jiang Cheng rolled up his sleeves and was about to head out for a fight when Mo Yu reached out and pulled him back.
“Let’s hear A Mian out first.”
Seeing how they all rallied around her, Li Zhenmian felt a wave of warmth envelop her heart.
“Thanks. It was just a misunderstanding. Sorry for worrying you all.”
Xiao Jiying spoke up. “I’ll have someone bring you medicine to apply.”
Li Zhenmian shook her head in refusal. “No need. I’ll apply it myself when I get home.”
Mo Yu stood up. “Then let me drive you back. I haven’t been drinking.”
“No need. You all keep having fun. I’ll head back on my own.”
Mo Yu wanted to insist, but Li Zhenmian turned him down again.
He reluctantly conceded. “Then be careful on the way. Remember to apply the medicine when you get home.”
Li Zhenmian gave a faint smile. “Okay.”
After Li Zhenmian left, the private room suddenly fell quiet. Mo Yu saw Jiang Cheng’s hesitant expression and knew what he wanted to ask, so he spoke up:
“Say what you want to say.”
Jiang Cheng’s voice carried hesitation. “Is Li Zhenmian really not Zhizhi?”
Even though they knew that Jiang Zhi couldn’t possibly have survived that incident back then, they still held onto hope—hope that a miracle had occurred.
After he asked, Yan Susu and Xiao Jiying both turned their gazes to Mo Yu.
Seeing how tense they were, Mo Yu felt as if his throat were being squeezed. He knew what they were hoping for—including himself—but…
He spoke with difficulty. “A Mian’s records don’t match Zhizhi’s at all. And I observed her training today—her techniques and habits are completely different from Zhizhi’s. So…”
He didn’t continue, but everyone understood what he meant.
“How is that possible? They look so alike.” Yan Susu still didn’t want to believe it.
“Before Li Zhenmian joined the Executive Department, her DNA test results would have been filed. If she and Zhizhi were the same person, do you think Qi Siyan wouldn’t know?” Xiao Jiying suddenly spoke up.
At that, the remaining three all fell silent. Right—if Li Zhenmian and Zhizhi were the same person, how could Qi Siyan not know? But they still found it hard to accept the truth.
Mo Yu composed himself. “Alright. I know you all miss Zhizhi very much, but A Mian is A Mian. Don’t treat her as Zhizhi. That wouldn’t be fair to her.”
…
When Li Zhenmian returned to Lanshan Apartment, she discovered a ring hanging on her bracelet. She froze for a moment, then took the ring off to examine it. It looked somewhat familiar.
She immediately remembered the ring Qi Siyan had been wearing and toying with the first time she met him.
It must have gotten caught on her bracelet during their struggle at Tianwaitian today.
Li Zhenmian studied the ring carefully. On the inside of the band were engraved the letters “JZ.”
JZ…
The name Qi Siyan had whispered in her ear echoed through her mind.
Zhizhi?
She looked at it for a while, then placed the ring on the nightstand by her bed. Just then, her phone chimed with a message notification.
[Mo Yu: A Mian, are you home?]
[Li Zhenmian: Yes.]
[A quick reply came back: Good. Don’t forget to apply the medicine.]
[Li Zhenmian: Mm.]
Li Zhenmian ran her fingers back and forth along the edge of her phone, glancing at the ring.
[Li Zhenmian: Brother Mo, do you know where Qi Siyan lives?]
[Mo Yu: ?]
[Li Zhenmian: He left something behind at Tianwaitian today, and it ended up with me.]
[Mo Yu: You ran into Qi Siyan at Tianwaitian tonight? Was the mark on your neck from him?]
[Li Zhenmian: Yeah. He mistook me for someone else, and in the struggle, his ring fell onto me.]
Mo Yu had already more or less figured out what had happened at Tianwaitian today. At the thought, a dark glint flashed in his eyes.
[Mo Yu: No. 37 Linjiang Road, Nianzhi Villa.]
[Mo Yu: A Mian, try to stay as far away from Qi Siyan as possible from now on.]
Li Zhenmian raised an eyebrow at the message.
[Li Zhenmian: Why?]
Mo Yu’s eyes darkened. Whether or not A Mian had any connection to Zhizhi, it was better for her to keep her distance from Qi Siyan.
[Mo Yu: Qi Siyan is unpredictable. I’m afraid you’ll get hurt again.]
Li Zhenmian pressed her lips together slightly and replied: [I understand, Brother Mo.]
Qi Siyan really was quite unpredictable—she knew that from personal experience.
[Mo Yu: Mm. Get some sleep. Good night.]
[Li Zhenmian: Good night, Brother Mo.]
After showering and lying in bed, Li Zhenmian couldn’t help but think back to the strange attitudes those people at the base had toward her today.
And the fact that Qi Siyan had mistaken her for someone else.
Zhizhi…
She pondered for a while, then drifted off to sleep.
In the dead of night, Li Zhenmian was jolted awake by a nightmare. She dreamed of an explosion—a blaze of fire all around, and a man with a hideous face lying on the ground, his eyes brimming with hatred.
She sat up, her grip on the blanket tightening.
Coming back to her senses, she wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and glanced sideways at the ring resting on the bedside table. Moonlight spilled over it, casting a silvery glow.
Li Zhenmian lay back down. The dream had felt all too real. She tugged at the corner of her mouth and closed her eyes.
The next day…
Everyone in the Nian Zhi Yuan villa was on edge, treading on eggshells.
Because Qi Siyan had discovered his ring was missing and had already sent people to search Tianwaitian all night.
Qi Siyan had sat on the sofa the entire night, his face dark and brooding, like a storm about to break.
Everyone in Nian Zhi Yuan knew how important that ring was to Qi Siyan. If it couldn’t be found, he would likely lose his mind.
The servants in the villa didn’t dare come out and risk catching his wrath.
Su Pei was already frantic, spinning in circles. If the ring couldn’t be found, none of them could bear the consequences.
But they had already searched every corner of Tianwaitian, inside and out. Hope was slim.
Just as Su Pei was at a loss, a servant rushed in carrying a small box.
“Someone just delivered this box at the door. He said a young lady named Li Zhenmian asked him to bring it here.” With that, he handed the box to Su Pei.
Su Pei quickly opened it, and sure enough, inside was the ring Qi Siyan had lost.
Su Pei let out a huge sigh of relief. The anxiety that had weighed on him all night finally lifted.
Thank goodness. He couldn’t even bear to imagine what would have happened if the ring hadn’t been found—they’d all have been in for it.
Clutching the ring, Su Pei wept with joy.
He placed the ring before Qi Siyan. “Sir, the ring has been found.” His voice could hardly contain his excitement.
Qi Siyan picked up the ring, his long, pale fingers closing tightly around it. The restless agitation in his heart was soothed. He closed his eyes wearily, resting.
Zhizhi, I almost—I almost lost the last shred of hope I had left.