Even in sleep, the young man’s brows were furrowed, as if trapped in a nightmare. His pale lips murmured fragmented words that Song Yunyi couldn’t quite make out.
Yet she could tell that even in his dreams, he felt no sense of security.
The emotions she had forcibly suppressed burst through the dam, and Song Yunyi could no longer hold back. She ran out of the hospital room and sobbed aloud.
It was a long while before she returned to the room, her eyes swollen and red.
She straightened the blanket he had tangled in his sleep, and seeing that he wouldn’t wake anytime soon, she went to a nearby mall to buy him some daily necessities.
In the middle of it all, Feng Qiyue spiked a fever once, and she stayed by his side the entire time. Only when night fell and the IV drip was nearly finished did she get up to call the nurse.
When she returned to the room, Feng Qiyue was already awake.
After sleeping, his complexion had improved considerably. His white hair hung softly, and lying on the pristine hospital bed, he looked at her with a dazed expression.
“You’re awake? Do you feel any better?” Song Yunyi walked over and pressed her slightly cool hand to his forehead. “You ran a high fever this afternoon.”
The nurse changed his IV, gave a few instructions, and left.
Feng Qiyue nodded. “I’m fine now. Don’t worry.”
But he was actually very uneasy.
It was yesterday that he’d said he wouldn’t cause her trouble or disturb her life.
And yet today, he’d caused such a huge mess.
Would she hate him even more now?
Song Yunyi didn’t answer. She poured a glass of water and held it out to him. Feng Qiyue glanced at her nervously before drinking a few sips through the straw.
Song Yunyi set down the glass and suddenly called his name. “Feng Qiyue.”
The icy tone made Feng Qiyue’s whole body stiffen. His face rapidly turned pale as he gave a soft “Mm.”
“Why did you go fight in the underground boxing ring?”
Feng Qiyue didn’t hide it. “To make money.”
Hearing the confirmation, Song Yunyi’s heart felt like it was soaking in sour water, swelling until her chest ached with bitterness and pain.
“Don’t tell me it was for me.”
Under the light, she looked exhausted—even her carefully done makeup couldn’t hide the fatigue. Her gaze was stern, tinged with lingering fear.
Feng Qiyue said nothing.
Song Yunyi’s fingertips trembled. “Do you not understand what underground boxing means? You have to sign a life-and-death agreement before stepping into the ring. Can you guarantee you’ll win every single time?”
“When I asked about your identity, you hid it. You kept saying your affairs had nothing to do with me—was that really true?!”
Feng Qiyue’s lashes fluttered as he looked up at her, uneasy.
What did she mean?
Did she know?
Seeing his anxious expression only made Song Yunyi angrier. A wave of intense self-blame and lingering fear crashed over her. Her chest heaved violently, as if she couldn’t breathe, and she abruptly turned around.
Feng Qiyue heard the wrongness in her voice and urgently tried to get out of bed.
Song Yunyi spun around and snapped, “You stay put and lie down!”
Feng Qiyue immediately froze.
“I don’t care what your reasons are—you’re never going back there! If you don’t listen, then don’t ever show your face in front of me again.” Song Yunyi’s eyes were wet, her voice hoarse. “I’m not so poor that I need my son to fight underground boxing to make money for me.”
Son?!
Feng Qiyue felt like he’d been struck by lightning.
His lips moved. “What did you say? I don’t understand.”
“Still planning to play dumb?” Song Yunyi wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes. “When you had that fever, you cried and grabbed my hand, calling me ‘Mom.'”
Feng Qiyue remained stubborn. “I wasn’t calling you.”
Song Yunyi let out a bitter laugh. She tossed the rushed paternity test result in front of him. “Go explain it to this, then.”
Feng Qiyue was dumbfounded. “…”
After a long moment, he asked, “When did you find out?”
“I suspected you from the very beginning.”
No one would risk their life for another person without reason.
He’d thrown himself in front of a taxi to save her, asked for nothing in return, and even given her three hundred thousand. So while he wasn’t paying attention, she’d snipped a few strands of his hair.
Originally, she just wanted to see if there was any blood relation between them.
She never expected this result.
What an eye-opener.
“Why didn’t you acknowledge me?” Song Yunyi asked.
Feng Qiyue’s voice was low and dejected. “You hate me and Dad…”
Song Yunyi bluffed. “Your dad is Feng Cheng?”
“How did you know…” Feng Qiyue exclaimed in surprise.
“At the Hurricane Boxing Gym, the way you looked at him—your eyes were practically shining.” The two of them standing together looked far too similar, not to mention that dream…
But if she was going to have a child with Feng Cheng in the future, then why would she hate them?
The only reason was…
“I was forced?” Song Yunyi’s eyes turned cold as she asked him.
Feng Qiyue gave an “Mm” and didn’t dare look at her.
Then everything made sense.
A child born against her will—even knowing it had nothing to do with Feng Qiyue, she truly couldn’t bring herself not to resent him.
She didn’t continue that topic. “Focus on recovering first. We’ll talk about everything else later.”
Feng Qiyue showed the first smile since they’d met. There was a small dimple at the corner of his mouth—shallow, and very gentle.
In the room diagonally across.
Qiao Shuran’s assistant said cautiously, “Sister Shuran, the car has arrived. We should get going.”
Qiao Shuran stared at her chat screen, irritated. “What’s the rush? Tell them to wait!”
She was having an allergic reaction today, so she made a special trip to the hospital, hoping Gu Lianhuai would come pick her up.
She had already arranged for the paparazzi, but Gu Lianhuai had something come up at the last minute.
In the entertainment industry, there was no shortage of people who fawned over the powerful and trampled on the weak.
She came from a humble background, so to establish her authority, she needed someone of higher status to pursue her—the more submissive their demeanor, the better. That way, others would elevate her higher and higher.
She had recently set her sights on an S-tier commercial blockbuster with billions in investment. The director was a celebrated filmmaker who had just won the Golden Leopard Award, and the screenwriter was renowned in the industry for their literary refinement and impeccable aesthetic sense.
The moment casting rumors surfaced, countless actors rushed to submit their self-recommendations.
She had been in the industry for three years and was a popular young star with a devoted fanbase, but if she wanted to transition, she had to shed the label of a mere internet celebrity.
This literary film was the stepping stone she had chosen.
She had already discussed the role of the second female lead with the director. He seemed quite pleased with her, yet appeared to be hesitating over something.
Today’s arrangement was meant to be a decisive push for the director.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned.
Her phone rang. Qiao Shuran saw the caller ID, her eyes lighting up as she answered, “Lianhuai gege! Are you done with work?”
The voice on the other end was gentle but tinged with weariness: “Sorry, Shuran, I’m stuck at a dinner party and really can’t get away. I’ve already sent my assistant to pick you up. I’ll make it up to you next time.”
The smile on Qiao Shuran’s face gradually faded, but her tone remained upbeat: “It’s fine, you have your own things to take care of. Don’t bother having Assistant Zhang come get me—I can manage on my own.”
“Shuran, be good.” Gu Lianhuai’s voice carried a hint of displeasure. “I’m not at ease with you going alone.”
“Alright then.” Qiao Shuran added, “Do you have time tomorrow evening? We could have dinner together?”
Gu Lianhuai paused briefly before slowly speaking: “I have plans tomorrow night. How about the day after?”
Her hand gripping the phone suddenly tightened. It took a moment before Qiao Shuran spoke softly, “Okay then, see you the day after, Lianhuai gege. You go ahead and get busy.”
With a beep, she hung up first.
On the other end of the line, Gu Lianhuai’s expression was somewhat unusual.
Meanwhile, Qiao Shuran heard her young assistant’s anxious inquiry and smiled sardonically: “Why would I be upset? After all, the person I like isn’t him.”