Chapter 17: Scars

Ren Yishan’s expression was particularly vivid, shifting from pale to green in rapid succession. After swallowing her resentment, she finally set her eyes on Xiao Yunchen, who lay in the hospital bed.

“Yunchen, how are you feeling?”

Her gaze toward Jian Qing was searing and overt, only retracting when Li Jingche’s figure completely blocked her from view. Xiao Yunchen then slowly looked away.

“Much better. Just a little feverish still.”

“Yunchen, you’ve always been frail. You should stay in the hospital and rest for a few days.”

As she spoke, Ren Yishan placed the food she’d brought onto the coffee table. She ladled out some soup, blew on it, and brought it to Xiao Yunchen’s lips.

He took the spoon, but choked after a couple of sips. His coughing immediately made his heart monitor and blood pressure readings spike, sending the doctor rushing in.

Jian Qing stood rooted in place, dazed by the sudden influx of people. It was only thanks to Li Jingche’s quick reflexes that she was pulled out of the room.

As he closed the door, Jian Qing’s gaze lingered through the glass pane. Annoyed, she raised her hand to block his line of sight.

“It’s lunchtime. Let’s go eat something,” he suggested.

Jian Qing shook her head. “You go ahead. I’m not hungry.”

Though Li Jingche had phrased it as a question, he clearly hadn’t intended to ask for her opinion. Even with her refusal, he still dragged her along.

But Jian Qing didn’t want to go far, so the two of them settled for a meal in the hospital cafeteria.

Though it was a compromise, the food was far from simple.

The first and second floors offered a variety of regional dishes, either for takeout or dine-in, while the third floor resembled a hotel, boasting three hundred private rooms.

If not for the omnipresent “Hong’ai Hospital” signs and the red cross logos, it would have been easy to mistake the place for an upscale restaurant.

Li Jingche took Jian Qing to the third floor, ordered some home-style stir-fries and desserts, and watched her face for a reaction.

Jian Qing said nothing, simply leaning back in her chair, staring off into nothingness.

“You…”

Li Jingche hesitated over his words. Even a fool could see that Jian Qing was deeply concerned about Xiao Yunchen’s condition.

He wasn’t afraid that Jian Qing was too soft-hearted—he was afraid she hadn’t let go of her feelings.

But Jian Qing didn’t give him the chance to ask.

“I’m just worried about Xiao Yunchen’s illness. His health is the way it is because of me.”

Meeting her candid gaze, Li Jingche poured some hot tea into her cold cup.

“Why do you say that?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Then make it brief.”

Jian Qing was at a loss, thrown off by his persistent questioning. The confusion in her brows was like a startled bird in the forest—striking in its fleeting beauty.

Yet Jian Qing preferred to be in control.

She transferred twenty thousand yuan to Li Jingche.

“Stop asking.”

Li Jingche’s phone buzzed—he knew she’d sent money.

He wanted to take her hand and slip it into his pocket, but instead he pulled out his phone to look at the transfer notification. His expression darkened.

“You think I’ll stop asking just because you give me money?”

Jian Qing waved her hand grandly—another twenty thousand.

Seeing Li Jingche’s silence, she added, “This time, it’s in US dollars.”

Then, with a sweet smile, she took his halted hand.

“So, just be good and do what you’re supposed to. Don’t ask what you shouldn’t, don’t listen to what you shouldn’t.”

Li Jingche’s tongue flicked over his lips as he stared at her.

“Is that how you see me?”

“No. I think you’re smart. Someone who wouldn’t forsake money for the sake of pride.”

The remark left Li Jingche speechless. He didn’t argue, only lowering his gaze to where she held his hand.

In the end, Jian Qing didn’t finish the meal with him. She picked at her food absentmindedly and paid the bill before he could stop her.

Li Jingche stared at the empty seat across from him. It was the first time anyone had left before he did.

He set his chopsticks down and loosened his tie, sinking into the soft leather chair. He was about to make a call when someone dialed in first.

When with Jian Qing, Li Jingche always set his phone to vibrate to avoid exposure, leaving all non-essential business to Qin Jin.

It was just his luck that someone called when he was in a foul mood. He answered, unleashing his frustration.

“So you said playing the pity card would make her care, huh? Looks like Young Master He’s love tactics aren’t working at all!”

He Jiangyu had actually planned to invite Li Jingche to a gathering of the second-generation heirs that evening, since Li Jingche hadn’t turned up in a while and everyone was curious about his recent activities.

But he hadn’t expected his friend to be so troubled by love.

He Jiangyu chuckled.

“Brother Che, you can’t rush these things. Hao Qing is hosting tonight—give me a chance, I’ll help you strategize, okay? You’ve skipped our gatherings so many times. Don’t abandon us!”

Li Jingche checked the time.

“Send me the location.”

…

After leaving, Jian Qing returned to the ward. Ren Yishan was gone, and Xiao Yunchen lay alone, looking as serene and gentle as ever through the glass.

Taking a deep breath, Jian Qing walked in with the fruit she’d just bought.

As soon as she opened the door, Xiao Yunchen turned his head.

“Jian Qing, could you get me a glass of water?”

She didn’t refuse. As she handed him the cup, she said, “If you need money, just ask.”

But as he took the cup, Xiao Yunchen grabbed her hand.

“Jian Qing, I knew you still cared. Even if I end up marrying Ren Yishan, my heart will always belong to you.”

“Don’t be disgusting. If you’re not going to bite, at least don’t make people sick,” Jian Qing snapped, trying to pull her hand away, but Xiao Yunchen’s grip was firm. “I don’t remember anything about the past. Everyone says things happened, but I only came to see you out of courtesy. Don’t push your luck.”

“No memory?” Xiao Yunchen sneered. “I have a permanent scar because of you. I was your personal blood bank for years, and now you say you don’t remember?”

Irritated, Jian Qing wrenched her hand free and turned to leave. Xiao Yunchen shouted at her back.

“Jian Qing! How can you be so heartless? I’ve done so much for you, but you’ve never shed a single tear for me. You’re too much!”

Jian Qing paused at the door, feeling exhausted and dizzy—a sensation she hadn’t experienced in a long time. The world around her seemed to darken, and Xiao Yunchen’s words threatened to tear open the deepest wounds she’d buried in her heart.

Clutching her throbbing head, she forced herself to remain calm.

“I’d cry for you if only you’d die, but you just won’t. Xiao Yunchen, let me warn you: we’re strangers now. You were the one who broke off our engagement. Don’t put yourself on a moral pedestal and try to guilt me—I have no morals left.”

With that, she strode to the elevator, but before the doors could open, her vision went black and she lost consciousness.