Jin Yan was hospitalized after the car accident and remained unconscious for three days.
At the critical moment, the driver had yanked the steering wheel with all his strength, sending the car toward the guardrail and saving both their lives.
As soon as Mother Jin saw that Jin Yan was awake, the first thing she did was tell him how worried Xie Yinyun had been and how she’d looked after him over the past few days.
The Xie family had been furious when Jin Yan asked to break off the engagement. Mother Jin had thought the whole thing would fall through, but Xie Yinyun was willing to let bygones be bygones. It looked as though there was still hope for the two of them.
Xie Yinyun looked at Jin Yan with concern. She picked up a bowl to serve him some congee, and everything she said made it clear how worried she was about him.
Jin Yan was distracted and wanted to send her away.
Mother Jin deliberately tried to give them some time alone. “As soon as Yinyun heard about your accident, she dropped everything on set and caught the first flight back. She came straight to the hospital as soon as she got off the plane.”
“I don’t need anyone to look after me.” Jin Yan frowned, pressing his thin lips together.
Mother Jin was about to say more when Jin Yan learned that Ai Xuan had asked to terminate her contract and that Mother Jin had gone to the company and made the decision on his behalf. His expression changed abruptly. Without another word to either woman, he grabbed his phone and called Ai Xuan.
The call still wouldn’t go through. Her phone was still switched off.
The two women stood there, ignored. Mother Jin’s expression soured, while Xie Yinyun did her best to remain gracious and took the hint, making an excuse to leave.
Unable to reach Ai Xuan, Jin Yan called his secretary instead. When he was told the termination of her contract had already been finalized, he struggled to keep his anger in check.
Mother Jin watched him, looking indignant. “So this is the woman you’ve set your sights on. You were lying here in the hospital, and we didn’t know whether you’d live or die. She went straight to canceling her contract. She couldn’t wait to get away.”
“Did you give her a hard time?” Jin Yan demanded. He was convinced Ai Xuan wouldn’t have done this on her own, and he sounded certain of it.
“She didn’t even show up. Her lawyer handled the whole thing. Give her a hard time? How was I supposed to do that?” Mother Jin laughed in anger. “You break off your engagement and put yourself through all this, and for all you know, she’s already found someone more powerful to latch onto. What are you doing this for?!”
Women on the side were fine for a bit of fun. Hadn’t Ai Xuan been in a car accident? If she’d died or gone missing, that would’ve been the end of it. Instead, she’d turned up out of nowhere and sent only her lawyer to terminate her contract.
When Jin Yan said nothing, Mother Jin brought up his engagement to Xie Yinyun again. He rejected it outright. Furious, she grabbed her handbag and left as well.
Jin Yan’s brows drew together. He still couldn’t make sense of it.
Ai Xuan had strong feelings for him. He’d been hasty about the engagement and hadn’t considered how she’d feel. He’d underestimated his own feelings for her, too. Ever since he’d heard about her accident, he’d been frantic with worry and had spent his days in a daze.
This time, he’d wanted to make a fresh start. Maybe they could go public and give their relationship a real chance. After all, she liked him too much to just let go.
Jin Yan thought for a moment, then made another call.
That very day, news that the president of Daheng Entertainment had been hospitalized after a car accident spread online and quickly dominated the headlines.
Daheng Entertainment was one of the country’s three leading entertainment companies, and it had the Jin family’s backing. That gave it considerable influence. Once major stars started chiming in to express their concern, the news caused quite a stir.
Jin Yan was also handsome, and netizens often joked about which actress would end up marrying the boss of Daheng Entertainment. As the company’s top actress, Ai Xuan came up most often. A few supposed insiders had even hinted that something was going on between the two, though no one had ever come up with proof.
The topic also kept losing traction whenever it began trending, which made people suspicious.
Ai Xuan followed Jin Yan onto the trending list. This time, though, it was because she’d confirmed that she’d been vacationing in Haicheng. The rumors about the two of them had nothing to do with it.
She also said she’d be back at work soon and would bring everyone even better performances.
She ended the post with a three-by-three grid of selfies. In the photos, she wore pink-and-white coral fleece pajamas and struck playful poses for the camera, looking cute and lively.
Her fair, delicate face had a rosy glow, and her clear almond-shaped eyes sparkled. She looked happy and carefree, and the slender, fair fingers visible in the photos were lovely to look at.
Jin Yan was injured and in the hospital, while Ai Xuan was all radiant smiles. However you looked at it, they hardly seemed to have anything going on. They might as well have had nothing to do with each other.
If Ai Xuan were really trying to get her hooks into Jin Yan and marry into the Jin family, this would’ve been the time to show how much she cared. The rumors fell apart on their own.
Her fans hit back hard at the haters and saved the photos Ai Xuan had just posted while they were at it. This was a treat for them, after all. Some people looked good in every photo, and the pajamas Ai Xuan was wearing sold out in no time.
Silver Sea Bay.
Ai Xuan read through the comments on Weibo and picked a few to reply to.
Her playful replies prompted another flood of mentions from her fans, along with countless private messages. Once she saw that public opinion had shifted, she closed the page.
Knock, knock, knock.
A maid knocked on the bedroom door and brought in a glass of milk and a few slices of whole wheat bread.
“Is Gu Heng back?” Ai Xuan asked.
“Mr. Gu just got back,” the maid replied respectfully, lowering her head.
“I won’t have these tonight. You can take them away.” Ai Xuan got up and headed downstairs.
She’d had such a good time in Haicheng, eating and sleeping well, that she’d put on a few pounds. For the past few days, she’d been skipping dinner and having just a little milk and whole wheat bread in the evening.
Tonight, she really couldn’t face any more of it. She wanted some juice.
Gu Heng came in from outside, walking briskly. Once inside, he raised his clenched hands to his mouth and couldn’t suppress two soft coughs.
“What’s wrong?” Ai Xuan asked as she came down the stairs.
“Nothing.” He looked up, saw that it was her, and shook his head. “Why are you still up? Are you hungry?”
She’d been dieting for days and wouldn’t listen no matter what he said. He was worried she’d make herself ill.
“Have you caught a cold?” Ai Xuan left his question unanswered. She looked at him, a hint of worry in her lovely eyes. “Should we ask Doctor Zhang to come take a look?”
She kept her bright, dark almond eyes on him. Gu Heng’s Adam’s apple bobbed involuntarily as he swallowed his denial. He turned aside, raised a fist to his mouth again, and lowered his head to cough twice more before heading for the sofa. “It’s nothing serious.”
Ai Xuan followed him. “Is it your throat, or is it something else?”
“My head feels a little heavy.” It was the first excuse he could think of. He was about to say a good night’s sleep would take care of it when she furrowed her brows and asked, “You don’t have a fever, do you?” She hurried toward the other side of the room. “Wait here. I’ll find the thermometer.”
“I’ll get it,” the maid said, and quickly brought over the first-aid kit.
“I’ll take it from here.” Ai Xuan opened the kit and began looking through it, telling the maid she could get back to work.
The maid glanced at Gu Heng. His expression was cool and impassive, yet there was something intimidating about it. She hurried out to the backyard without daring to linger another second.
Everyone in the villa knew how much Mr. Gu liked Miss Ai. He treated her as though she might break if he so much as let her slip through his fingers. Whenever Miss Ai was around, Mr. Gu was a different man altogether.
Now that the two of them had a chance to be alone, why would she stay and get in the way?
Gu Heng looked back at Ai Xuan. Her head was lowered as she searched the kit, her expression intent. Seeing her like that, he swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue again.
Did this mean she cared about him? It made him crave more of her attention, as though he were letting the poison sink deeper.
“Found it.” She took out the infrared thermometer, walked over, and sat beside him. She switched it on. “If you have a fever, we’ll have to ask Doctor Zhang to come by.”
To take his temperature, she had to aim it at his forehead. She raised her hand and brought it close.
She was near enough for him to catch her faint, fresh scent. Her hair was soft and smooth, her cheeks fair and delicate, her brows fine and her lashes long.
Gu Heng looked away and pressed his thin lips together.
Her eyes were so expressive they seemed to speak, and she was captivating to look at. When they were this close, he avoided meeting her gaze. He couldn’t hide what he felt. The possessiveness in his eyes burned too fiercely. Even in his dreams, he wanted her all to himself.
That thought ate away at him every moment of the day.
“No fever. It’s probably a cold.” Ai Xuan lowered the thermometer, her slender brows still drawn together.
“It’s nothing.” Gu Heng wasn’t concerned.
She got up and poured him a glass of warm water.
Gu Heng took it, drank a couple of sips, and asked with a faint smile, “Are you hungry?”
Ai Xuan didn’t feel like having juice anymore either. She found a bottle of essential oil in the kit and handed it to him. “I’m not hungry. If your head hurts, rub a little of this on. It’ll help you sleep tonight, too. If you’re still feeling unwell tomorrow, we can ask Doctor Zhang to come by, or I can go to the hospital with you.”
He was attentive to her in every little way. Every day, he worried about whether she was feeling down or hungry and asked what she wanted to eat.
She loved performing and enjoyed being in front of the camera, but apart from her family, no one cared how tired she was. Her manager only ever told her to eat less so she could stay in shape and look good on camera.
And to keep her family from worrying, she’d always told them the good news and kept the bad to herself.
Gu Heng’s thoughtfulness touched her. He really was good to her.
Gu Heng held the bottle of essential oil. It seemed to still hold the warmth of her hand. His lips curved into a gentle smile. “Okay.”
Ai Xuan looked at him and considered her words for a long moment before saying softly, “I’m joining a production the day after tomorrow.”
Before she’d even finished speaking, Gu Heng’s expression grew guarded. He kept his reaction in check and asked gently, “Where are you going?”
“Xuzhou. I’ve taken a role in a series. Filming will probably take about three months.”
She’d long since had enough of letting her manager and the company dictate her life. Now that she’d gone independent, she could take on scripts she liked and enjoy the freedom.
Emotion stirred in Gu Heng’s eyes, though he kept his voice measured. “Going there on your own to film won’t be easy. What made you decide to take a role there?”
He’d known about it for some time, but he still couldn’t help feeling disappointed. Once she left, this wouldn’t be where she came back to. It would be much harder just to see her, and he wouldn’t have a good excuse anymore.
“I really like the script.” Her eyes sparkled as she spoke, curving with her smile. “I don’t mind if it’s a little hard. I’ll still be happy doing it.”
She’d put herself forward for the role and earned it.
Seeing how happy she looked, Gu Heng swallowed everything he’d been about to say to dissuade her. “As long as you like it.”
He knew how hard filming had been for her before. Even so, after what had happened, he was especially uneasy about her being out there on her own. To be more precise, anytime she was away from him, he worried about her and missed her like mad.
Before, looking at her photos had been enough to ease the longing. Now that they’d spent every day together, his desire to have her to himself had only grown stronger. The thought of her going back to Jin Yan sent him into a dark mood and drove him mad with jealousy.
Late that night.
Gu Heng stood tall and still by the window, replaying what she’d said earlier.
She’d booked a flight for three in the afternoon the day after tomorrow. They had less than two days left together. This stolen time was about to end.
He tightened his grip on the bottle of essential oil. In the end, he still didn’t try it. He simply ran the pads of his fingers over the bottle, his eyes full of longing.
Secretary Pei called. “Third Young Master, the Jin family suspects someone caused the crash deliberately, and Jin Yan is investigating it himself in earnest. Should we give him a hand?”
They hadn’t caused the crash. They’d been about to teach Jin Yan a lesson when someone beat them to it. What made it interesting was that the more they looked into it, the more the trail led back to the Xie family.
The two families were about to be joined by marriage. What on earth were they up to now?
At the mention of Jin Yan, Gu Heng’s gaze turned sharp and cold, and his expression darkened. When he spoke, his voice was flat. “No need. It’s too soon.”
“Understood,” Secretary Pei replied.
…
Gu Heng hung up and glanced at the phone in his hand. It was from the same series as hers, and the thought softened his expression considerably. He stepped out and headed for the room at the far end of the hallway.
He’d rushed home that day because news of Jin Yan’s car accident was everywhere. Ai Xuan was bound to have heard. Only when he saw that she seemed her usual self did his worry ease a little.
Soft moonlight spilled into the room. Ai Xuan was sleeping soundly.
Gu Heng sat gently on the edge of the bed. Holding his breath for fear of waking her, he leaned over and carefully tucked her exposed hand back under the covers. As he looked at her fair, delicate face, his eyes filled with tenderness again.
Anyone who hurt her deserved to go to hell!