“I remember.” Liu Yi’an looked at him. “Because when that person told me, ‘Don’t be afraid,’ his voice was so gentle.”
She paused. “And you have never spoken to me in that tone.”
Fu Yanchen’s expression darkened completely.
It was true. He hadn’t saved Liu Yi’an.
After carrying Wei Qing out of the fire, he had originally intended to leave. But the colleagues who had gathered outside were all shouting, “Liu Yi’an is still in there!” If he hadn’t gone back, people would certainly have criticized him afterward.
But by the time he rushed back into the fire, Liu Yi’an had already been rescued.
That person had moved quickly, carrying Liu Yi’an out through a side entrance. Fu Yanchen had only managed to catch sight of his tall figure from behind.
At the time, Fu Yanchen had found it strange, but then he thought about it and decided that, since Liu Yi’an had been rescued anyway, it didn’t matter who received the credit.
So he simply went along with it and let everyone believe that he had been the one who saved her.
He never expected Liu Yi’an to remember those details.
“Are you so jealous that you’ve lost your mind?” Fu Yanchen took a deep breath, his tone taking on a reproachful edge. “Liu Yi’an, I know you’re upset, but you should understand that my sister-in-law is my elder brother’s widow. Taking care of her was my brother’s dying wish.”
“As Fu family’s daughter-in-law, you should understand that instead of making a scene here for no reason.”
Hearing his self-righteous excuses, Liu Yi’an suddenly laughed.
In her previous life, she had been brainwashed by this very argument for thirty years, believing that she truly ought to understand, yield, and make sacrifices for everyone else.
But now she finally understood. That so-called “dying wish of my elder brother” was nothing more than Fu Yanchen’s excuse to cover up his affair.
“Fu Yanchen.” Liu Yi’an looked at him, her voice frighteningly calm. “You can fool other people if you want, but don’t fool yourself.”
Fu Yanchen’s expression stiffened. “What do you mean?”
“You know exactly what I mean.” Liu Yi’an said calmly, “You saved Wei Qing first not because she was closer to the exit, but because you never intended to save me in the first place.”
“If someone hadn’t rushed into the fire before you, I would be dead by now.”
Fu Yanchen, exposed by her words, became furious with embarrassment. “Liu Yi’an, don’t be so ungrateful!”
“Ungrateful?” Liu Yi’an sneered. “When Wei Qing came to my dormitory that day, did you really think she was there just to deliver dumplings? She came to steal my research materials.”
“And you helped her switch the materials I submitted, allowing her to take first place.”
Fu Yanchen’s pupils contracted.
Liu Yi’an continued, “The laboratory fire was deliberately started by Wei Qing to destroy the evidence. She threw an alcohol lamp at me, intending to burn me and the evidence along with it.”
“And you knew exactly what she had done, yet you still helped her cover up the truth.”
“Fu Yanchen, ask yourself honestly do you even have the right to utter the words ‘my elder brother’s dying wish’?”
Fu Yanchen’s face turned livid. “Do you have any evidence? Without evidence, it’s slander!”
“The evidence was burned,” Liu Yi’an said calmly. “But I’ll recreate it.”
She looked at Fu Yanchen and spoke each word clearly. “I will prove that those research achievements belong to me.”
“And when that happens, everyone will know about the disgraceful affair between you and Wei Qing.”
The determination in her eyes stung Fu Yanchen. He abruptly turned around and slammed the door behind him as he left.
In the hallway, he leaned against the wall, his chest rising and falling violently.
Liu Yi’an’s words were like a knife, cutting through the respectable facade he had carefully maintained.
He suddenly remembered the tall figure he had seen outside the fire earlier the man who had carried Liu Yi’an away.
Who was that man?
Why had he appeared there?
An inexplicable irritation surged through Fu Yanchen’s heart.
Inside the hospital room, Liu Yi’an leaned against the headboard and closed her eyes.
Once again, the image of the man who had told her “Don’t be afraid” in the fire surfaced in her mind.
Who was he?
Why had he saved her?
Liu Yi’an clenched her fists.
Whoever he was, she would find him and thank him in person.
Outside the window, the setting sun slowly sank below the horizon.
At the end of the corridor, a tall figure in a military uniform stood in the shadows, silently watching in the direction Fu Yanchen had left.
He held a medical record in his hand. Three characters were written on it: “Liu Yi’an.”
The man pressed his thin lips together, his eyes deep and unreadable.
“I’ve found you,” he murmured.
Liu Yi’an remained in the hospital for three days.
During those three days, Fu Yanchen never came to see her even once.
Whenever the nurses made their rounds, they couldn’t help glancing at her, their eyes filled with sympathy.
“Your boyfriend is really good to the woman next door. He stays by her side every day and even feeds her himself,” the young nurse whispered. “Weren’t the two of you injured together? Why is he…”
Liu Yi’an said calmly, “He’s not my boyfriend.”
The young nurse froze for a moment before awkwardly walking away.
Liu Yi’an leaned against the headboard, flipping through the aerospace journal in her hands.
Her injured leg still throbbed faintly, but she was already able to get out of bed and walk around. The doctor said she was recovering quickly and would be able to leave the hospital in another two days.
As she was reading, the door to the hospital room suddenly opened.
Fu Yanchen’s mother walked in carrying a thermos. Her smile was somewhat more subdued than usual.
“An’an, are you feeling better?”
Liu Yi’an put down her book. “Much better. Thank you for worrying about me, Auntie.”
Fu Yanchen’s mother sat beside the bed and opened the thermos. Inside was her signature black-boned chicken soup.
“I simmered it all morning. Drink it while it’s hot.”
Liu Yi’an took the bowl. She had only taken one sip when Fu Yanchen’s mother sighed.
“An’an, Auntie knows you’ve been hurt and feel wronged.” Her tone was complicated
“But Yanchen… he and his elder brother have been close since they were children. His brother passed away so young, and he sees taking care of his sister-in-law as his responsibility. You should try to understand that.”
Liu Yi’an’s hand paused.
In her previous life, Fu Yanchen’s mother had said the same thing to her.
Again and again, she had used lofty excuses like “responsibility” and “his dying wish” to make Liu Yi’an yield, endure, and sacrifice for them.
“Auntie.” Liu Yi’an put down the bowl, her voice calm. “I understand.”
Fu Yanchen’s mother’s eyes lit up. “It’s good that you’ve finally come to your senses…”
“But I won’t accept it.” Liu Yi’an interrupted her. “Taking care of his sister-in-law is his responsibility, but I am not his responsibility.”
Fu Yanchen’s mother’s face stiffened.
Liu Yi’an continued, “Auntie, Fu Yanchen and I are not going to get married.”
“What did you say?” Her voice suddenly rose. “An’an, don’t make an impulsive decision!”
“I’m not being impulsive.” Liu Yi’an looked at her. “I’ve simply realized that I’m not right for him.”
Fu Yanchen’s mother’s expression changed several times. Finally, she took a deep breath. “Focus on recovering from your injuries first. We’ll talk about everything else later.”
She stood up, picked up the thermos, and was about to leave.
“Auntie.” Liu Yi’an stopped her. “I can’t finish the soup. You can take it home.”
Fu Yanchen’s mother paused. “Then keep it and drink it tonight.”
“No need.” Liu Yi’an’s tone was indifferent. “I don’t have much of an appetite.”
Fu Yanchen’s mother looked at her with a complicated expression. In the end, she said nothing and left with the thermos.
In the hallway, Fu Yanchen’s mother stopped for a moment and glanced toward the hospital room nearby.
From inside came Fu Yanchen’s gentle voice:
“Come on, Sister-in-law. Open your mouth. Let me feed you.”