ATY - 48

After Hu Xu finished washing up, as usual, she spent her days working and chatting with Xiang Rui about everyday matters.

During Zhou Jinye’s absence, Pudding had been keeping Hu Xu company. She couldn’t sleep, her eyelids twitching constantly.

Recently, she had someone buy her some aromatherapy to help with sleep. She got up and lit the incense.

The flame flickered inside the cup holding the incense, casting reflections of firelight. Pudding was already dozing off beside Hu Xu, eyes half-closed.

But Hu Xu’s eyes kept twitching, and her heart felt uneasy. Wei Ming hadn’t called Xiang Rui yesterday.

In the end, she put on her slippers and walked to Xiang Rui’s room. Just as she reached the door, she heard an anxious voice from inside.

“Are you guys hurt?”

Through the door, Hu Xu couldn’t hear the voice on the other end of the phone, but from Xiang Rui’s responses, she could vaguely gather what was being said.

“You’re at the hospital now, right? I’ll bring Hu Xu over immediately.”

Upon hearing that Zhou Jinye was in the hospital, a flood of thoughts rushed through Hu Xu’s mind. After Xiang Rui hung up, Hu Xu didn’t bother knocking politely and pushed open the door.

“Which hospital are they at?”

Xiang Rui paused for a moment before responding, “The big hospital downtown. Your brother said Zhou Jinye is injured. I’ll go with you.”

Her eyelids hadn’t been twitching for no reason.

The car ride to the hospital felt endless to Hu Xu. Suddenly, she recalled when she’d been on a business trip in the countryside and encountered a mudslide. Zhou Jinye had rushed over from the city, enduring a three- to four-hour drive to take Li Qingyang’s place. Was his state of mind during that drive similar to hers now?

Hu Xu didn’t know why she always seemed tied to hospitals, but she never liked the smell of disinfectant. Soon, she and Xiang Rui arrived at the hospital.

The car door slammed shut behind her, and she hurried anxiously into the hospital, her steps quick and uneasy.

Xiang Rui followed closely behind, asking for information at the reception desk.

Once they learned the details, the two quickly made their way to the location.

Several police officers were there, and Wei Ming was recounting the events to them. The curtain of the examination room was drawn, and the doctors inside were treating the injuries.

Hu Xu stood waiting for a long time. Fortunately, the injuries weren’t as severe as she had feared. The curtain eventually opened, and the doctor emerged. “It’s just a minor scrape.”

When the curtain was pulled back, she saw Zhou Jinye sitting on the bed behind it, a bandage on his shoulder.

While Xiang Rui asked Wei Ming about the situation, Hu Xu’s gaze remained fixed on the curtain, though she absorbed every detail of the story.

Qin Shili had already prepared a private jet to pick him up. Initially, everything had been set except for the matter of the Qin family bloodline. When Qin Shili revealed the item, Zhou Jinye fought back against him. Upon hearing that Qin Shili had brought out the object, Hu Xu wanted to rush in and pull the curtain aside.

When Qin Shili aimed the item at Zhou Jinye, Zhou Jinye sidestepped and struck Qin Shili’s hand. Thankfully, Zhou Jinye only sustained a minor abrasion.

Hu Xu gazed at the curtain, her worry easing slightly.

Zhou Jinye’s left shirt sleeve was torn.

Her eyes swept over his body several times. Aside from a bruise on his cheek and a scrape on his arm, she didn’t see any other injuries.

Doctors and patients in hospital gowns passed by in the corridor. During his fight with Qin Shili, Zhou Jinye’s white shirt and pants had picked up dust from the house. Many passersby glanced at him curiously.

Qin Shili had been arrested. His accumulated crimes were enough to sentence him to death.

Uncle Xu was fine. After Qin Shili captured him, the two had clashed, and Qin Shili had tied Uncle Xu up. Due to his old age, Uncle Xu fainted from the ordeal.

They visited Uncle Xu’s ward together. He was receiving nutrients through an IV.

Hu Xu and Zhou Jinye didn’t disturb him further. She hadn’t spoken to Zhou Jinye since he handed her over to Wei Ming’s care, and he hadn’t called her during that time either.

As they walked, Zhou Jinye suddenly stopped. Outside the hospital window, streetlights illuminated the road. The evening breeze continued to blow, swaying the branches of trees planted along the path.

“Xu Wangshu,” he broke the silence between them.

Hu Xu turned to glare at him. “Stop calling me that.”

“How dare you call me that?”

She was still angry about how Zhou Jinye had pushed her away.

Zhou Jinye took her hand, gently rubbing her knuckles with his thumb. “I’m your man.”

Hu Xu pulled her hand away. “So you remember I’m your woman, huh? You sure didn’t think that way when you pushed me away.”

“You ungrateful little thing. I did that to protect you.”

With those words, she punched his scraped wound.

“Does it hurt?”

Hu Xu looked at the expression on Zhou Jinye’s face. “This is the pain I felt while waiting for news of you these past few days. What difference does it make if I wasn’t allowed to be there?”

Her voice cracked, tears welling up. “Do you even realize that if you hadn’t dodged that, he would’ve blown your head off? Do you understand?”

But the tears spilled uncontrollably down her cheeks.

Zhou Jinye listened as she spoke, raising his hand to wipe away her falling tears. “I’m not going to disappear. Though I’ve always been by your side, if you couldn’t see me, wouldn’t that leave you alone to suffer?”

His words were eerie yet teasing. All Hu Xu could do was lightly punch his chest in frustration.

“All right, I haven’t been around for a while. Let me have your company today.” A smile played on his lips.

Just as Hu Xu was about to speak, she noticed someone walking toward them from behind Zhou Jinye.

She recognized him from financial news reports—Qin Shuheng.

“Excuse me for interrupting. I need to speak with Mr. Zhou.”

Even though Zhou Jinye had told her to stay, Hu Xu stepped back. Zhou Jinye had saved Qin’s child, so the purpose of this visit was clear.

“Qin Shili has completely fallen. The companies under his control have been acquired by us, including those related to new energy vehicles. We can gift you a few of them.” Qin Shuheng stood casually, hands in his pockets, offering gratitude through business channels.

Zhou Jinye gave him a sidelong glance. “I’m not interested in dividing spoils like some colonial victor. I just thought the kid resembled someone.”

Qin Shuheng had been exposed to the business world since childhood, following Old Master Qin. He was well aware of everyone’s motives for approaching him. However, this nephew of his, Zhou Jinye, who carried Qin family blood but was a few months older, had little interaction with him and displayed a vastly different personality from the Qin family. He showed no interest in accepting the offered benefits, which caused Qin Shuheng to rethink his impression of Zhou Jinye as Qin Shili’s son: “It’s truly rare that you didn’t inherit your father’s character.”

“I have no connection with your Qin family. If we meet again in the future, it will only be in a business context. As for anything else, I believe the Qin family and I are completely unrelated.”

With that, he turned and left, leaving Qin Shuheng standing by the window.

The massive Qin family had learned the news much more quickly than Zhou Jinye and the others. As for why they were late in rescuing their nephew, Zhou Jinye didn’t bother guessing. After today’s conversation, he had severed all ties with the Qin name.

Hu Xu never brought up the matter again, and life returned to normal.

No one obstructed their relationship anymore. After Chen Haili learned about Hu Xu’s situation, his conscience surfaced, and he granted her leave within a few days. Zhou Jinye and Hu Xu enjoyed a sweet period together.

Today, Jiang Zihan had an appointment with her. Zhou Jinye had already gone to the company, so Hu Xu arrived at the hospital where Jiang Zihan worked.

Jiang Zihan still had some time before her shift ended, so Hu Xu entered the hospital intending to wait for her in her department. Just as she stepped into the hospital building, she unexpectedly ran into Xu Tianya, who was carrying medicine and supporting someone.

Unlike the last time Hu Xu saw him in a wheelchair, this time he was standing.

The person stared at Hu Xu intently, his lips trembling slightly as he forced out the words: “Xu… Xu-family girl.”

Hu Xu, who had initially intended to pass by, stopped when she heard the voice. She turned to look at the person Xu Tianya was supporting.

Xu Tianya led her agitated father to a bench in the hospital corridor and sat him down. Turning back to Hu Xu, she sneered: “What, don’t you remember him? Uncle Xu, your father’s friend from the small town of Jiangcheng—you’ve forgotten?”

Hu Xu’s pupils widened as she looked at the face not far away, which was now staring at her. No wonder he had seemed familiar earlier.

Xu Tianya introduced him: “This is my father. Over ten years ago, he ran a noodle shop and got into an argument with a criminal. At the time, your father was arresting someone, and that person was the very criminal your father was after. My father became a hostage, but instead of saving him, your father let the criminal injure him, turning him into a vegetative state. He only woke up a few months ago.”

The hospital was bustling with people registering for appointments, and the sound of footsteps made Hu Xu take a long moment to process everything.

Then, Xu Tianya continued: “No wonder I disliked you from the start. Do you know how my father and I have lived all these years?”

Her words were filled with blame toward Hu Xu’s father.

“I later learned about Qin Shili’s true nature and deliberately sent you over. But after hearing the recent news reports, why…” Xu Tianya gritted her teeth, her eyes brimming with hatred. “Why are you still here, alive and well?”

Hu Xu held her phone tightly in her hand, a photo of her and her father attached to the phone strap. After hearing everything Xu Tianya said, she asked, “So what do you want now?”

“Yes, my father failed to save your father, but he also sacrificed his own life. He was a police officer, just like your father. Your father became a vegetative person, and I pity you for that. But my father did nothing wrong to yours. He used his body to confront the criminal. He didn’t have the ability to heal himself—he died. Your father is still alive, and he has hope. You have something to look forward to.”

“You have no right to hate my father.”

“Tianya… What are you saying?”

Xu Tianya’s father had noticed that Xu Tianya wasn’t speaking kindly to Hu Xu. Though his limbs were uncoordinated, his mind was still sharp.

Xu Tianya knew her father still regretted the events of the past and missed his old friend without blaming him. But she felt resentment and couldn’t find further words to accuse Hu Xu.

This incident deeply affected Hu Xu. While shopping with Jiang Zihan, Hu Xu kept asking: “If you knew someone blamed you like this, would you still save them? And if you didn’t save them, would you still be by my side?”

But if you didn’t save them, wouldn’t you live your whole life with guilt?

In the supermarket, someone was picking out clothes for their parents. Hu Xu gazed at the scene, missing her father, just as he used to joke with her when she was a child.

“If I stop working, what will we eat?”

“I can take care of you, Dad. I’ll earn lots and lots of money, renovate the house, buy you plenty of clothes, and take care of you in your old age.”

“…”

She wanted him to wear the clothes she bought for him. She imagined taking care of him after his illness, just as Xu Tianya did for her father…

Seeing Hu Xu’s emotional state, Jiang Zihan stopped shopping and called Zhou Jinye to pick her up.

After dinner, Hu Xu finally told Zhou Jinye everything. The next day, he took her to Jiangcheng.

Just like in high school, he accompanied her.

This time, she spent a long time talking to her father’s grave in the cemetery before leaving.

Under the warm sunlight, the photo on the tombstone showed her father in his police uniform, his smile proud and radiant.

That night, after eating dinner, they stayed in a small inn.

“Thank you.”

After showering, Hu Xu lay awake and chatted with him.

“For what? I finally got to meet my future father-in-law.” Zhou Jinye, satisfied from the meal, grinned widely. “I didn’t go inside with you before, but I’m ready now.”

Turning to Hu Xu, he asked, “We’ve met your parents. When are we getting married?”

“What about your parents?”

“That means you agree.”

As soon as he finished speaking, she felt something cold slip onto her finger. Hu Xu pulled her hand out from under the blanket—it was a ring. “When did you prepare this?”

He replied, “I customized it on the day you said you’d chase me.”

Hu Xu froze. The design on the ring was the one she had originally created, with a few letters added. She pulled out Zhou Jinye’s hand from under the blanket—he was already wearing one too.

The pattern was different from hers but matched the one on her necklace, with the same letters engraved beside it.

Holding his hand, she asked a question she had never asked before: “What does this mean?”

Zhou Jinye said, “Have you forgotten your nickname, Wangshu? The crescent moon shape represents your name, and the letters are initials. Can you guess?”

The letter resembled a Z shape, with a diagonal line crossing above and a hook below. Hu Xu compared it to the necklace around her neck.

They were identical.

He smiled and reminded her: “Three letters connected.”

She tried guessing based on the Z.

Zhou Jinye

ZJY

The diagonal line represented JY combined.

Hu Xu touched the necklace in her hand and asked, “Why did you place the crescent moon under your name?”

“You are my only Wangshu,” he said seriously. “Though Wangshu isn’t big or small, the light you emit is enough to guide me.”

He feared the darkness, but there was a Wangshu to light his way.

“There are also handwritten letters of your name.” Zhou Jinye pointed them out to Hu Xu. He had brought aromatherapy with him. During the five days he investigated with Wei Ming, he learned from him that Hu Xu’s sleep had been poor for seven years. He always prepared some for her and asked before she slept: “Do you want me to light it tonight?”

“No need,” Hu Xu said. “It’s not as bad as Brother Wei says.”

Zhou Jinye naturally didn’t believe her. His arms tightened around her waist. “From now on, no matter what happens, you must take care of yourself.”

“All right.”

As they talked, they drifted off to sleep. Her final words before sleeping were reasonable: “Tomorrow, I’ll take you home to meet my parents.”

Tonight, the moon hung in the sky over Jiangcheng, unobscured by mist.

In the darkness, the only light came from their room in the inn. They held hands, embracing each other, no longer surrounded by darkness.

(End of the story)

Thank you for reading!