The car door closed, and Sheng Yanyu watched Tang Yan, who had squeezed herself into the corner pressed against the door, trying to make herself as small as possible. His brow, already furrowed, knitted even tighter.
“Why are you avoiding me?” Sheng Yanyu gazed at her deeply, not letting a single flicker of reaction on her face escape his notice.
Tang Yan pressed her lips together and mumbled softly, “I’m not avoiding you.”
“Just now, inside, you avoided me!” Sheng Yanyu reminded her. “And you ran!”
Those last three words gave Tang Yan the illusion that he was thinking: I want to break your legs!
Looking at Sheng Yanyu, who was clearly in a less-than-“healthy” state at the moment, Tang Yan explained quietly, “They’ll laugh at you.”
“What?”
Sheng Yanyu frowned, then suddenly understood what she meant.
His originally icy expression softened involuntarily, and a hint of pleasure stirred in his heart.
“No one dares to laugh at me!” Sheng Yanyu said.
But Tang Yan couldn’t help pursing her lips. “They won’t dare to your face, but I bet they’re talking behind your back right now… You should have just said you didn’t know me earlier.”
Seeing her little expression, Sheng Yanyu couldn’t help but laugh this time.
“Were you worried that your actions—hitting someone just now—would affect how they see me, so you ran off?”
Tang Yan nodded and gave a soft “Mm.”
Receiving her affirmative answer, Sheng Yanyu’s brow finally relaxed completely.
Watching Tang Yan pressed against the car door, Sheng Yanyu ultimately couldn’t control himself and shifted a little closer to her position.
The moment Tang Yan looked at him, he asked again, “Why did you hit Shen Ze?”
It was clear she had gone all out!
And what’s more, she had even taken down Song Wan, who had always called her sister.
Besides, Shen Ze and Song Wan had no idea she would do something like that.
“You didn’t believe me, did you? I was proving it to you!” Tang Yan said with utter seriousness. “If you still don’t believe me, we’ll go to the hospital, and I’ll beat him up again!”
Sheng Yanyu froze, his heart stirred, hardly able to believe it.
So, she had rushed out of the lounge just to hit Shen Ze?
Just to prove to him that her words were true, that she wasn’t lying to him!
Seeing that he wasn’t speaking, Tang Yan thought for a moment, then added, “Or how about this—I’ll hire someone to beat him up and keep him in the hospital for good.”
Sheng Yanyu couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Tang Yan stared at the smile on his face, stunned for a moment, then laughed along with him.
“Sheng Yanyu, I really didn’t lie to you.” Tang Yan reached out and grabbed his hand, sounding a little aggrieved. “If you still don’t believe me, I’ll go beat Shen Ze up every single day.”
The girl’s face was a mess of smudges, and her pitiful expression softened Sheng Yanyu’s heart.
He reached for the tissue in the car, and holding her face with one hand, gently wiped it clean.
Tang Yan blinked her eyes lightly. His movements were very gentle, his gaze focused, as if he were completing a major project—extremely careful.
There was even a hint of gravity between his brows.
“Sheng Yanyu, I really didn’t lie to you. Will you believe me, please?”
Sheng Yanyu silently wiped her face clean, then gazed at her with deep, profound eyes. The glimmer of hope in her eyes—he ultimately couldn’t bear to destroy it.
“I believe you,” he said.
Hearing the answer she wanted, the curve of Tang Yan’s lips widened even more, and in her joy, she couldn’t help but reach out and hug him directly.
Sheng Yanyu was undoubtedly sensitive to the perception of emotions, and naturally, this joy infected him as well.
He couldn’t help but reach out and wrap his arms around her waist, clinging to a trace of greed, hoping this was real.
Feeling the girl in his arms stir, Sheng Yanyu reluctantly let go, suppressing the urge to pull her into his body.
Tang Yan released him but kept her hand holding his, speaking softly: “Sheng Yanyu, I want to go back and continue school, okay?”
The moment the words fell, Tang Yan felt him suddenly stiffen, even the smile in his eyes vanishing in an instant, replaced entirely by disappointment.
“Don’t misunderstand—I just want to cure you!” Tang Yan quickly explained: “I’m not trying to leave you. I won’t leave you.”
Sheng Yanyu was too sensitive; how could he believe what she said now?
Even her earlier words now seemed like they were spoken only to deceive and coax him.
Suppressing the dark thoughts surging within him, Sheng Yanyu’s expression returned to normal, and he tried his best to appear calm.
He was still afraid of scaring her.
Even if it was a lie, he hoped it could last a little longer.
“Ah Yan, I’ll take the medicine. You don’t need to worry about me,” Sheng Yanyu said gently.
But Tang Yan shook her head: “Sheng Yanyu, all medicine has side effects. Taking too much of those drugs is bad for your health. Over time, your body won’t be able to handle it. Let me help you, okay?”
Back then, because of Song Wan, she had chosen to study medicine. She had originally picked Western medicine, but some small complications along the way led her to choose Traditional Chinese Medicine instead.
Although Song Wan had hurt her, she never regretted studying TCM.
Especially now—Sheng Yanyu’s condition only strengthened her resolve to continue.
In her past life, Sheng Yanyu had chosen such a crazed path of revenge, and it was also tied to his illness having reached its terminal stage.
No matter what, this time, she would cure him!
“It’s getting late. Let’s head back,” Sheng Yanyu said, not continuing the topic. He lowered the car window and instructed the driver outside: “Drive back.”
The whole way, both of them remained silent.
Tang Yan was thinking about how to get Sheng Yanyu to agree to her request, while Sheng Yanyu sat rigidly tense, his hands clenched into fists at his sides, his eyes lowered, long lashes shielding the dark intent welling up in his gaze.
It wasn’t until the car stopped at the villa that Sheng Yanyu quickly opened the door and got out. Without waiting for Tang Yan, he strode toward the villa in large steps.
Tang Yan stood by the car, watching his retreating figure in confusion.
The driver got out and, seeing Tang Yan standing there motionless, couldn’t help but add a word: “Miss Tang, you’ve always known how much President Sheng cares about you. Weren’t those words you just said like a knife to his heart?”
Tang Yan pressed her lips together, offering no explanation.
What she hadn’t expected was for Sheng Yanyu to react that way—so intensely.
Thinking of the image of Sheng Yanyu walking away, Tang Yan hurried after him.
The living room was empty.
Going upstairs to the study, Tang Yan knocked on the door, but no one inside responded.
“Sheng Yanyu, are you in there?”
A long moment passed, and still there was no answer from inside.
A wave of panic hit Tang Yan. Forgetting everything else, she reached out and pushed the door open directly.
The room was pitch black, and she saw no one.
Turning around, she headed toward his bedroom and knocked again. This time, the person inside came over quickly and opened the door.
“Are you okay?” Tang Yan asked anxiously, her gaze sweeping over him from head to toe.
The two stood at the doorway. He lowered his head, gazing deeply at her, his eyes as profound as an abyss, as if something was churning within them.
“Is it true?” he asked, his voice seemingly suppressed, the hand bracing the doorframe clenching tightly, knuckles turning a stark white.
“What?” Tang Yan was momentarily stunned, not understanding what he meant.
“Marrying me!” Sheng Yanyu’s voice was taut as he asked, “Is it real?”