The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 445 - 447. Confirm, Disappointed

Chapter 445: 447. Confirm, Disappointed

Carlos had just left Daniel’s room after saying his piece, trusting that his son would make the right decision.

The next day, when Daniel appeared at the study’s doorway, Carlos understood his choice, for he heard Daniel say, "Daddy, I can stay, and I will strive to be a qualified successor, but on one condition: my marriage must be my own decision. I will not marry for business alliances as you arrange. Secondly, I must search for someone. I won’t give up until I find them, and you cannot stop me."

Although Carlos was somewhat displeased with the first condition, seeing Daniel’s resolute gaze, he knew if he didn’t agree, his son might indeed leave the family forever. After all, this was the son into whom he had poured his entire heart and soul; Carlos couldn’t bear the thought of his son leaving.

"Fine, I agree."

**

At the airport in Country Y, Shen Qinglan and Su Qing were sitting in the VIP waiting room. Fu Hengyi was outside, waiting for them. Shen Qinglan turned to Su Qing, "I’m leaving."

Su Qing nodded, "Go ahead. Qin Yan is dead, and there is no longer a Mei in this world. From now on, you are Shen Qinglan, Leng Qingqiu."

"Now that it’s just the two of us, can you tell me the truth—who are you, really?" Shen Qinglan asked, her gaze fixed intently on Su Qing. This question had been weighing on her mind since their first meeting.

Su Qing couldn’t help but laugh, "You actually want to ask if I’m Qin Mu, right? Although I don’t know who this Qin Mu you’re speaking of is, I can assure you, I am not her. Su Qing is Su Qing, with no relation to Qin Mu whatsoever."

"Then why help me repeatedly if you’re not her? We’re merely acquaintances who met by chance, aren’t we?" Shen Qinglan didn’t believe her explanations.

But she had seen Qin Mu die before her eyes; she had even buried her with her own hands. If Su Qing really was Qin Mu, how had she come back to life? And if Su Qing wasn’t Qin Mu, then why would she help her? Too many doubts swirled in her mind, enveloping her in a fog that tightly held her captive.

Su Qing sighed, "Would you believe me if I said it’s simply because I took a liking to you? Well, I don’t believe that reason myself. Don’t ask me why, because I don’t even know."

Shen Qinglan stared silently at her. Su Qing’s eyes drooped slightly, avoiding Shen Qinglan’s gaze, and she spoke softly, "Qinglan, I can call you that, right? Life is long; you’ll meet many people. Some can accompany you on a long journey, like your husband, your children. Then there are others who appear in your life, leave their mark, and then vanish as if to say your destiny with them has concluded. Why insist on clinging on?"

"Which one are you, then?"

"I naturally belong to the latter group. Our stances are ultimately different. Qin Yan is dead, and I’ve gained my freedom. From now on, I too want to live my own life. And you should do the same. Don’t get entangled with the past. Living well from here on is what truly matters."

"Qin Mu, so you really refuse to admit it? Was the memory of those days so painful that you’d rather forget me too?" Shen Qinglan’s voice was soft, very light, filled with a sadness that could not be suppressed, touching Su Qing’s heart. Su Qing looked up at the girl across from her.

Shen Qinglan was only 24 years old, the prime of youth and beauty for a woman. Her eyes should hold curiosity and longing for the world, a zest for life and exploration, but Shen Qinglan’s eyes only held silence, the deep quiet that follows a multitude of experiences.

"Qinglan, I am not Qin Mu. If pretending to be Qin Mu makes you feel better, then I will be Qin Mu for you just this once."

Shen Qinglan stood up, her eyes revealing indifference as she looked at Su Qing, "There’s no need. Qin Mu is Qin Mu; no one can replace her and become Qin Mu. Thank you for your help these few times. Take care." If denial made it easier for you, then let it be.

Su Qing watched with wide eyes as Shen Qinglan walked out of the waiting room towards Fu Hengyi. She lowered her head, hands clenching into fists until her knuckles turned white and veins showed. It took a long time before she slowly relaxed her fists and lifted her head to gaze out the window.

Outside, the sunlight was just right.

Shen Qinglan walked step by step toward Fu Hengyi. He extended a hand and draped it over her shoulder, "Let’s go, it’s time to board."

Shen Qinglan stopped in her tracks and looked at Fu Hengyi, "Fu Hengyi, I want to go to one more place, the last place."

Fu Hengyi looked into Shen Qinglan’s eyes, saw the plea in them, and slowly nodded, "Okay, I’ll accompany you."

They came to the primitive jungle, where Shen Qinglan looked at the ground, overgrown with various plants, her expression blank.

"Qinglan, do you remember the location? Is it here?" Fu Hengyi removed a creeper that had crawled onto him and asked Shen Qinglan.

They had walked through the jungle for a day and a night to reach this place, but all around them were plants, and no traces were visible.

Shen Qinglan wasn’t sure either; she had come here guided by memory, but after all, more than a decade had passed, and the depths of the undisturbed jungle had long lost the appearance of the past.

Her eyes searched the area, trying to find something that felt familiar. Suddenly, her gaze sharpened, and she looked toward the southeast.

There was a cave there. Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi walked towards it. As they approached the entrance, a black panther suddenly ran out from the cave. The panther and the two exchanged looks, its eyes exuding ferocity. Fu Hengyi was ready to fight, prepared to move at any sign from the panther, but in the end, the panther only glanced at them before walking away.

The cave wasn’t large, and Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi had to stoop to enter. It seemed the panther had lived here for a long time. Inside was a scent unique to animals, and the cave’s walls had many marks clawed by the panther.

Shen Qinglan stared at the familiar yet strange cave, a glint of moisture flashing in her eyes. Fu Hengyi stood quietly by her side while she knelt and gently touched a pattern on the wall.

Upon closer inspection, it was a ’7’, carved by Qin Mu during a rest in this cave years ago.

Shen Qinglan exited the cave, closed her eyes, and walked thirty steps to the left, then stopped, "Fu Hengyi, I think it should be here."

Fu Hengyi took an entrenching tool off his back and looked at the dense vegetation on the ground, "Are you sure you want to dig?"

Shen Qinglan nodded firmly, "Yes." Her heart wouldn’t be at peace in this life if the mystery remained unsolved.

Without a word, Fu Hengyi bent down and began to work.

Three hours later, Fu Hengyi stopped about five meters from that spot; he seemed to have hit something.

He crouched down and dug a dagger out of the earth. The blade was covered in rust, but the plastic handle seemed undamaged.

Shen Qinglan held the dagger in her hand and cleaned off the mud. The blade was rusty and its original appearance was indiscernible. Shen Qinglan didn’t look at the blade but at the end of the handle, where a small ’39’ was engraved—it was the code name they once used.

At the end of her own dagger, a small ’7’ had been inscribed, while Qin Mu’s was ’5’.

"Fu Hengyi, this is the place," Shen Qinglan said with certainty this time; she had buried Qin Mu with her own hands right here.

Fu Hengyi nodded and continued to dig around that patch of land, finding some bone fragments on the surface, looking more like animal bones than human.

Shen Qinglan had dug more than a meter deep to protect Qin Mu’s body, but now Fu Hengyi had dug nearly two meters and still hadn’t found Qin Mu’s remains.

"Qinglan, could you have remembered it wrong?" After so many years, with the jungle vegetation so dense, it wouldn’t be unusual not to find it.

"I won’t, it’s right here." Shen Qinglan was certain, the dagger she had just found was meant as a burial offering for Qin Mu, all the daggers from those who had attacked them had been placed by her at Qin Mu’s side as burial objects.

"I’ll look again," Fu Hengyi said, carefully digging around the area. It wasn’t long before he stopped, a section of white bone appeared before the two of them; Shen Qinglan stared at that piece of bone and jumped down, gently digging away the surrounding soil with her hands, and quickly, an intact skeleton appeared before their eyes.

The skeleton, smaller than that of an adult’s, was clearly that of an adolescent. Around the skeleton’s neck hung a chain, which Shen Qinglan took into her hands and upon examining it, she found a small, indented "5."

"Fu Hengyi, she’s really gone," Shen Qinglan said sorrowfully, gripping the now-blackened silver chain tightly. Fu Hengyi didn’t know how to comfort Shen Qinglan.

"I should have believed it long ago, how could Su Qing be Qin Mu, but Fu Hengyi, how much I wish she was Qin Mu, I wish Qin Mu was alive." She lowered her head, looking at the ground beneath her feet.

Fu Hengyi wanted to embrace her, to offer her some comfort, but his hands were covered in dirt.

"Qinglan."

Shen Qinglan blinked, "I’m fine, Fu Hengyi, just give me three minutes, I’ll be okay soon." She crouched down and placed the bones into a box she had brought along, then put the chain into her own pocket.

The two of them then refilled the pits. Although the soil had been disturbed, the plant life here was very resilient; it wouldn’t take long for the area to return to its original state, perhaps even better than before.

The primitive jungle was dangerous at night, so Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi decided to wait until daylight to leave. After the leopard had left and not returned, the two spent the night in a cave.

Fu Hengyi gathered some dry firewood and lit it at the mouth of the cave, to keep warm and to ward off certain wild animals.

Shen Qinglan leaned into Fu Hengyi’s embrace, watching the flickering flames, "Fu Hengyi, do you think I’m crazy? Clearly, it was I who personally buried Qin Mu, she died in my arms, yet I still hoped that she hadn’t died at that time and was now alive before me."

Fu Hengyi held her, "Qinglan, stop thinking about it. When we return, we’ll find a place with a good view to bury Qin Mu’s ashes, and we will visit her often."

Shen Qinglan hummed in acknowledgment and fell silent. After a while, she spoke again, "Fu Hengyi, I really feel like Su Qing is Qin Mu." Even though there was not a single similarity between the two, even with Qin Mu’s bones lying next to her—but what if, what if those bones weren’t Qin Mu’s? What if Qin Mu had returned from the dead?

It wasn’t a matter of someone being helpful just because they were pleasing to the eye, she was not a three-year-old child. She wouldn’t believe such a lie even at the age of three.

"Qinglan, whether she is or isn’t, if she doesn’t want to admit it, then even if she is, to her, Qin Mu is already a thing of the past. Why insist?"

"Do you think I’m insisting too?" Shen Qinglan said with a faint smile. The firelight reflected on her face, making it look warm. She slowly closed her eyes as Fu Hengyi held her, occasionally stirring the firewood. These past years, Shen Qinglan had never truly rested.

The next day, as dawn broke, they left. The first thing Shen Qinglan did upon returning home was to bury Qin Mu’s ashes with Fu Hengyi, placing them in the graveyard where Granny Shen was buried, not far from Granny Shen’s tombstone.

Standing at the doorstep, looking at the familiar gate, Shen Qinglan suddenly felt as if she had been gone for ages, although it had only been half a month. It felt like half a lifetime had passed.

Chu Yunrong was about to go to the morning market to buy some tofu pudding for Anan when she saw the couple standing at the doorstep. Her bag fell to the ground in shock, "Qinglan."

Chu Yunrong embraced her daughter as if she couldn’t believe she had returned, "Qinglan, where have you been all this time? You had your mother worried to death, you know."

Shen Qinglan patted Chu Yunrong’s back, "Mom, I’m fine, I’m back now, aren’t I?"

"Look at you, going out without even turning on your cell phone. Who are you trying to kill with worry?" Chu Yunrong pounded on Shen Qinglan’s back, her voice choked with emotion. Despite Shen Qian and Old Sir Shen keeping her in the dark, she could tell something must have happened to Shen Qinglan; otherwise, Shen Qian wouldn’t have acted like that.

Although Chu Yunrong was hitting Shen Qinglan, her blows were not hard.

"Sorry, Mom, for making you worry," Shen Qinglan apologized.

"Qinglan, promise me that no matter what happens in the future, don’t ever let me lose you again. I’ll be scared, Qinglan. Mom can’t bear the pain of losing you once more."

"Okay. I promise you," Shen Qinglan said.

It was a long time before Chu Yunrong let go of Shen Qinglan and gave her an up-and-down look. "How have you gotten even thinner?" Her tone was filled with deep concern.

Shen Qinglan smiled. "Mom, I haven’t lost any weight; you just think I have."

"Enough, enough. I’ll have Sister-in-law Song make some soup for you and Hengyi at noon, to give you a good nourishment. You can’t keep going like this; being too thin is not attractive," Chu Yunrong muttered, then suddenly realized that Fu Hengyi was nowhere to be seen. "Where’s Hengyi?"

"I asked him to go inside first," Shen Qinglan said.

"You should go in quickly too. You look so unwell; did you not rest properly? Go and get some rest immediately. I’m going to buy Anan some tofu pudding now." "Anan?" Hearing her son’s name, Shen Qinglan was also filled with longing.

"He’s asleep," said Chu Yunrong. "You should go inside."

Shen Qinglan nodded and just as she reached the door, she saw Shen Junyu. Shen Junyu was smiling at her, opening his arms. Shen Qinglan gave a small smile and stepped forward to hug Shen Junyu.

"Lanlan, welcome home."

A tear welled up in Shen Qinglan’s eyes. "Brother."

Shen Junyu patted her back. "You don’t need to say anything, I already know everything. As long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters, Lanlan. Seeing you unharmed puts my mind at ease."

"Brother, thank you."

At this, Shen Junyu slightly annoyed, ruffled Shen Qinglan’s hair into a mess. "What nonsense is that, thanking me? Now, tell me if I should give you a beating for that."

Shen Qinglan chuckled. "Yeah, I deserve it."

"Alright then, Grandpa knows you’ve returned; he’s waiting for you in his room. Go upstairs," Shen Junyu gently ordered, after fixing Shen Qinglan’s hair.

When Shen Qinglan entered, Fu Hengyi was sitting and talking with Shen Qian in the living room. Shen Qinglan greeted Shen Qian and went upstairs to see Old Sir Shen. Opening the door, she saw Old Sir Shen standing in front of Granny Shen’s portrait, seemingly lost in thought.

Shen Qinglan knelt before Old Sir Shen with a thud. "Grandpa, I’ve returned."

Old Sir Shen turned around, looked down at his granddaughter on the floor, scrutinizing her carefully. Seeing no injuries, he finally felt relieved. "It’s good that you’re back. Get up; what are you kneeling for?"

Shen Qinglan did not rise, but looked up at her grandfather. "Grandpa, I’m sorry." She believed that at this moment, her grandfather already knew the truth of the matter.

Old Sir Shen personally helped Qinglan up from the ground, "You haven’t wronged Grandpa, it’s Grandpa who wronged you, it’s the Shen Family that wronged you. If Grandpa had protected you properly back then, you wouldn’t have had to go through all that, Lanlan, don’t carry this burden in your heart, you are my Shen Yuanyi’s granddaughter, and you always will be."

"These days, I’ve been telling your Granny Shen that we must pray for your safe return. Now that you are back, I can finally rest easy."

"Grandpa, I’ve already resolved everything. From now on, I am just Shen Qinglan."

"Good, even if it wasn’t resolved, it doesn’t matter; Grandpa is here. No matter what happens, I will always be there to shield you," Old Sir Shen seriously said as he looked at his granddaughter.

Cries from Anan drifted up from downstairs. Old Sir Shen patted Shen Qinglan’s shoulder, "Anan has woken up, hurry and go check on him. He has missed you so much while you’ve been away."

Shen Qinglan was also eager to see her son and nodded before walking out.

When Anan saw his mother, he cried even harder, "Mommy, Mommy."

Shen Qinglan, looking at her son crying so hard he could barely breathe, felt a tingling in her nose and immediately took her son from Fu Hengyi’s arms, smelling the familiar milky scent on her son, Shen Qinglan closed her eyes, "Anan, don’t cry anymore, it’s Mommy’s fault, Mommy made Anan sad."

Anan cried in his mother’s arms for a long time before he gradually calmed down, but he refused to leave Shen Qinglan’s embrace. Knowing Anan missed her, Shen Qinglan just held Anan, letting him cling to her.

"Daddy, hungry," Anan held on to Shen Qinglan’s neck and said to Fu Hengyi.

Resigned, Fu Hengyi got up and went to the kitchen to get a bowl of soft tofu. This had just been bought for Anan by Chu Yunrong. He planned to take his son to feed him, but since Anan refused to leave Shen Qinglan’s arms, Fu Hengyi had no choice but to sit beside her and feed their son bite by bite.

"Now that Mommy and Daddy are back, Anan has got his appetite back," Chu Yunrong said with a laugh, as these past few days, Anan had given her a really hard time, and she was quite worn down.

Anan chewed on his food, but his eyes never left Shen Qinglan, fearful that she might disappear if he blinked. His little hand clutched tightly onto Shen Qinglan’s sleeve, which rendered Shen Qinglan incredibly heartbroken.

After Anan was full, Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi finally started to eat. Anan sat on Shen Qinglan’s lap, quietly watching as she had breakfast.

After breakfast, Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi took their son home. Grandpa Fu had received a call from Fu Hengyi the day before, knowing they would be returning today. Seeing the two of them return safely, the worry that had weighed on his heart finally settled.

"It’s good to be back, good to be back," Grandpa Fu said with relief, "Qinglan girl, you look like you’ve lost weight. Didn’t Hengyi take good care of you?"

Shen Qinglan smiled, "No, Grandpa, it’s just that my own appetite wasn’t good. I’ve worried you during this time."

"What’s there to worry about? Seeing you safe and sound is all this old man needs for peace of mind. You and Hengyi must be tired, go rest," Grandpa Fu said, not fully aware of what Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi had been up to, but he could guess a thing or two from the undertones in Old Sir Shen’s words.

Shen Qinglan nodded and carried her son to the bedroom, while Fu Hengyi stayed behind; he had something to say to the old man.

That evening, after Anan fell asleep, Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi sat on the chairs on the balcony, "Fu Hengyi, don’t you have anything you want to say to me?"

"No," Fu Hengyi said softly as he looked at the stars in the sky.

"I’ve been so wilful. Are you really not going to say anything to me?" Shen Qinglan asked. Before she left, Fu Hengyi had spoken about wanting a divorce.

Fu Hengyi turned his head and looked at Shen Qinglan, "I am still angry. Qinglan, I am very angry about you leaving me behind to take risks on your own. Even now, I remain angry. I don’t like the feeling of being protected by you and watching you take risks. I am a man, and if I can’t even protect my wife, I feel like a failure."

"But Fu Hengyi, I don’t regret doing it," Shen Qinglan said seriously. If given another chance, she would make the same choice. "Fu Hengyi, I admit I was selfish. I only considered my feelings and not yours." Her voice was ethereal, dissipating into the night sky with a hint of a sigh.

Fu Hengyi turned to her, "Hmm, at least you can recognize your own mistake."

"Fu Hengyi, if you want to scold me, or even hit me, that’s okay, but I will not agree to a divorce."

Fu Hengyi looked at her wordlessly, "When did I ever say I wanted a divorce?"

"You..." Shen Qinglan stopped mid-sentence, looked into Fu Hengyi’s eyes, then suddenly smiled. "I remembered it wrong."

Fu Hengyi turned his head to look at the few twinkling stars in the night sky, and began to speak in a gentle tone, "Shen Qinglan, that was the last time. If it happens again, I will definitely not forgive you."

"Alright." Shen Qinglan solemnly promised. "Will this trip back to the military cause you much trouble?" She had been reluctant to let Fu Hengyi follow her because she was worried it might affect his career, but in the end, she couldn’t stop him.

"It won’t be a big deal, just writing a self-criticism at most. I’ve done it once before, I have the experience, I’m not afraid," Fu Hengyi said nonchalantly.

Shen Qinglan knew it wouldn’t be that simple, but since Fu Hengyi didn’t want her to worry, she pretended not to know.

The next morning, after Fu Hengyi had returned to the military, Shen Qinglan went to find Old Sir Shen at the Shen Family home. Shen Qian was there as well, "Daddy, Grandpa, I want to know what impact this will have on Fu Hengyi?" Shen Qinglan got straight to the point.

Shen Qian didn’t want to tell his daughter, "A self-criticism is mandatory, and then a reprimand; there shouldn’t be much more than that, after all, Fu Hengyi has his military achievements."

"Daddy, although I’m not in the military, I’m not entirely ignorant about it. Now, even though he’s no longer with Sharp Blade, where the demands are not so strict, he is still a military officer, and leaving the military without authorization can’t possibly be resolved with just a self-criticism?"

Shen Qinglan turned to look at Old Sir Shen, "Grandpa, is Fu Hengyi’s situation very serious?"

Old Sir Shen sighed, and that very sigh gave Shen Qinglan her answer; her heart sank. "Grandpa, I want to know what the worst outcome could be?"

"There won’t be a worst outcome, not with your grandpa here. Although I’ve been out of the military for many years, I still have some influence; I’ve already taken care of it. Hengyi will be fine when he goes back."

The trouble this time lay in the fact that the military had found out about Fu Hengyi’s departure record. According to regulations, active-duty soldiers are not allowed to leave the country at will, and even retired soldiers cannot leave within two years after retirement.

After Fu Hengyi returned to the military, he was immediately called to the leaders’ office. Inside, five or six leaders were already sitting and waiting for him, asking him in detail about the reasons for leaving the military without authorization. Fu Hengyi shared what he could say, mentioning only that he had spotted a spy and chased after her, and this spy was the Housekeeper.

Of course, the leaders did not believe his account. They questioned him repeatedly and even had him undergo a psychological assessment.

No matter how many military achievements Fu Hengyi had accumulated in the past, this mistake was real and wouldn’t be so easily overlooked. However, in light of his past performance and the joint plea from Old Sir Shen and Old Sir Fu, the punishment was not too severe. He was reprimanded and asked to write a self-criticism as well as face a demotion.

Shen Qinglan learned the news three days later from Old Sir Shen himself. At that time, Fu Hengyi was undergoing punishment for reflection and couldn’t be contacted.

"Lanlan, you don’t have to worry too much. Hengyi’s abilities are clear for all to see. This situation is only temporary," Old Sir Shen was quite confident. As long as Fu Hengyi didn’t leave the military, with his capabilities, it was only a matter of time before he would be reinstated. Old Sir Shen was well aware that the higher-ups had been hoping for Fu Hengyi to return to Sharp Blade and work for them.

"Grandpa, I..."

"Grandpa knows what you’re thinking, Lanlan, no one blames you for this, and it’s not your fault. It was Fu Hengyi’s duty as a husband to help you. If a man were to watch his wife in danger and choose to stand by because he’s worried about how it might affect his future, then he doesn’t deserve to be my granddaughter’s husband. Old Sir Fu and I have discussed this, and we’re of the same mind."

Shen Qinglan looked steadily at Old Sir Shen, "Grandpa, I’m so glad I chose to come back."

Old Sir Shen patted her shoulder, "It should be I who am glad, that you were willing to return to this family. By the way, Hengyi told me that you went to save Ya Xi, the child. How is Ya Xi doing now?"

Upon hearing Ya Xi’s name, Shen Qinglan fell silent. In truth, since that day, Yan Anbang had taken Ya Xi away, while she had been preoccupied with searching for Jin Enxi and had no time to think about Ya Xi. She didn’t know how Ya Xi was now, but she could imagine that Ya Xi’s situation could not be good.

"Grandpa, I plan to visit Ya Xi in a few days."

"Go ahead, but come back soon."

Ya Xi had already returned to Nancheng, making it convenient for Shen Qinglan to visit, as Anan did not want to leave her mother, so Shen Qinglan decided to take him along.

Yan Anbang had brought Ya Xi back to the Yan Family, and Doug had also come, attempting to treat Ya Xi, but to little effect.

"Where is Ya Xi?" Shen Qinglan asked Yan Anbang as he opened the door. In just over ten days, Yan Anbang seemed to have aged ten years.

Hearing Shen Qinglan’s question, Yan Anbang wiped his face and pointed upstairs, "She’s up there, with Doug."

"Is Ya Xi’s condition any better?"

Yan Anbang shook his head with a face full of vicissitudes, "No."

Arriving at Ya Xi’s room door, Shen Qinglan didn’t immediately enter. Instead, she said to her son, "Anan, stay with this grandpa for a while. Mommy will be in there for just a moment and will be out quickly, okay?"

Anan looked at Shen Qinglan, seemingly reluctant.

Shen Qinglan continued to speak, "Mommy isn’t leaving. I just need to see an auntie and will be out soon."

Frowning, Anan finally nodded.

Shen Qinglan looked toward Yan Anbang, "I’ll leave Anan in your care."

Yan Anbang picked up Anan, "Rest assured."

Ya Xi’s room door was ajar, Shen Qinglan pushed it open and saw Doug washing Ya Xi’s face while she sat motionless on the windowsill, arms wrapped around herself, staring blankly outside.

Upon seeing Shen Qinglan, Doug nodded at her and stepped out, leaving the space to her.

Shen Qinglan sat beside Ya Xi, tilted her head to look at her, and gently asked, "What are you looking at?"

Ya Xi didn’t answer, just kept her gaze outside, her eyes unfocused.

Shen Qinglan followed her gaze and saw only a few birds walking on the lawn, "Those birds are cute; do you like them, Ya Xi?"

"Like... them..." came two words from Ya Xi’s mouth before she fell silent again.

Shen Qinglan watched the birds with a smile, "I like birds too. Shall I take you to see them?"

Ya Xi didn’t respond. Shen Qinglan reached out to grab Ya Xi’s hand, but Ya Xi recoiled as if frightened, almost falling off the windowsill. Shen Qinglan caught her and immediately let go once she was steady.

"Don’t be afraid; I won’t touch you."

Ya Xi glanced at Shen Qinglan briefly before slowly turning her head away again.

Shen Qinglan sat with Ya Xi at the windowsill, both looking out at the lawn. "Ya Xi, I don’t know if you remember me, or if you can understand what I’m saying right now. But I want to tell you, Ya Xi, you’re the most optimistic girl I’ve ever met. You’ve spread your joy to me, and I’m sorry you’ve endured such pain. I’m sorry I didn’t take good care of you. But Ya Xi, your life is just beginning. You have family and loved ones who care for you. You don’t want them to see you like this forever, do you?"

"Ya Xi, Doug has been by your side. I can’t imagine how he has coped seeing you like this, but I know his pain is no less than yours."

Shen Qinglan softly voiced her thoughts. Hearing Doug’s name, Ya Xi finally reacted.

"Dirty, wash."

Shen Qinglan didn’t understand at first, but she helped Ya Xi down from the windowsill when she saw Ya Xi moving toward the bathroom. She could feel Ya Xi’s body tense up the moment her hand touched her arm, so she let go as soon as Ya Xi was stable.

Ya Xi walked straight to the bathroom, and Shen Qinglan realized what she intended to do. Sure enough, Ya Xi turned on the shower as soon as she entered the bathroom, letting the cold water from the showerhead pour down on her as if she didn’t notice.

"Dirty, so dirty," murmured Ya Xi with a soft voice, her hands scrubbing continuously over her body, repeating, "Dirty, dirty."

Witnessing this scene, Shen Qinglan felt a prickling at the tip of her nose, and tears quickly filled her eyes.

She turned off the shower and embraced Ya Xi, "Ya Xi, stop this, you’re not dirty, not at all. Please, don’t torture yourself like this, okay?"

Ya Xi started to struggle, her mouth emitting sharp cries.

It was uncertain where her strength came from, but Ya Xi managed to push Shen Qinglan away, turning the shower back on to continue washing.

Shen Qinglan watched, her heart aching unbearably.

Doug had been just outside the door all along, not leaving. Hearing the commotion inside, he rushed in and turned off the water, wrapping Ya Xi in a towel, "Ya Xi, it’s okay, I’m here."

Ya Xi trembled slightly in his arms, with Doug speaking softly into her ear. After Ya Xi completely calmed down, he took her to get dressed. At that time, Ya Xi wouldn’t let anyone else touch her, and Doug took care of her personally.

Once Ya Xi was dressed, Doug had her sit on the sofa, "Would you like to sit here and look at the flowers?" he pointed at the garden flowers.

Ya Xi didn’t respond but didn’t leave either.

Taking it as a silent agreement, Doug stood up and found a towel for Shen Qinglan.