Li Wanran stood silently at the doorway.
Liu Changqing’s words kept replaying in her mind.
She’s younger than …
Her grip on her handbag tightened as her body trembled slightly, as if suppressing the fury surging within her.
She abruptly turned her head, staring at the hospital room door behind her.
She didn’t say a word, just gazed at the closed door, as though she could see straight through it—see the man lying in the hospital bed inside.
Her hand lifted, as if she was about to push the door open.
But halfway through, she hesitated. Her expression turned conflicted.
Accompanied by her ragged breathing, she slowly steadied herself, her face returning to its usual cold and expressionless state.
Then, without another glance, she turned on her heels and walked away, heading toward the elevator.
Head held high, shoulders squared, she carried herself like a proud swan, her gaze steady as she looked ahead.
She appeared calm and indifferent, but inside, her thoughts were a tangled ss.
I… won’t regret this.
Never. Absolutely never!
Outside the Hospital
Liu Changqing got into his car.
As he fastened his seatbelt, he glanced at Chen Dafu, who had climbed into the passenger seat.
A little surprised, he asked, “I’m going ho. Why are you getting in?”
“Wow, that’s cold! I went out of my way to pick you up from the station, brought your car over, and now you’re kicking out?”
“I was just joking, trying to lighten the mood.”
“You didn’t look like you were joking just now!”
“……”
Liu Changqing gave him a sideways glance, slightly surprised that this guy could actually tell he hadn’t been joking earlier.
But he didn’t comnt further. Instead, he started the car and drove toward Chen Dafu’s place first.
About half an hour later, they arrived.
The mont Chen Dafu got out, Liu Changqing made a sharp U-turn and sped off.
Because of how fast he took off, he didn’t notice Chen Dafu running after the car, waving frantically.
In the next mont, the car disappeared from sight.
Chen Dafu stumbled forward a few steps before giving up, completely out of breath.
Bent over, hands on his knees, he gasped for air.
When he finally caught his breath, his face twisted in frustration.
“Is Liu Changqing deaf?! I was shouting so loud, and he still didn’t hear ?!”
Muttering to himself, he instinctively patted his pockets, hoping to find sothing.
But it was gone.
The jade pendant his mother had given him when he was a child—said to bring him lifelong protection—had disappeared.
It was supposed to be hanging around his neck, but earlier, when he was delivering Liu Changqing’s car, the string had gotten caught on sothing and snapped. Since he was in a rush at the ti, he had stuffed it into his pocket.
And now, it was gone.
The mont he realized it, panic set in.
That was why he had chased after Liu Changqing’s car just now.
Still panting, he took out his phone and dialed Liu Changqing’s number.
Holding the phone to his ear, he heard the ringing.
Beep… Beep…
Then, a cold, robotic female voice:
“The number you are calling is currently busy. Please try again later.”
“……”
Chen Dafu’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Damn it! Drive if you’re driving, why the hell are you on the phone?!
Inside the Moving Car
Liu Changqing was driving with one hand on the wheel.
He had originally planned to ignore the call, but when he saw the caller ID—An Yuan Yao—he answered imdiately and put the phone to his ear.
Before he could even say a word, her voice ca through the speaker.
“Where are you…? Qianxun told you were released, so why aren’t you ho yet…?”
“Daddy, co ho soon!”
For a mont, Liu Changqing was stunned.
Hearing both An Yuan Yao and his daughter’s voices, a warm feeling unexpectedly surged in his chest.
This… feeling of soone waiting for him to co ho…
It wasn’t bad.
But… did An Yuan Yao actually tell their daughter everything?
That thought made him reply imdiately.
“I’m driving ho now. You two just wait a little longer—I’ll be there in about ten minutes.”
After hearing her acknowledge his words with a soft “Mm,” Liu Changqing said, “We’ll talk more when I get ho,” then ended the call.
He placed his phone back in its original spot, completely unaware that Chen Dafu had also tried to call him just monts ago.
At Ho
As Liu Changqing approached his house, his phone rang again.
This ti, he didn’t answer imdiately.
Instead, he parked the car first, then sat in the driver’s seat and picked up the call.
“What do you want?” he asked.
“I lost sothing in your car!”
“What thing?”
Still holding the phone, Liu Changqing turned his gaze toward the passenger seat, where Chen Dafu had been sitting earlier.
Unfastening his seatbelt, he leaned over to take a closer look.
Sure enough, he spotted a piece of jade.
It had an odd shape, with so carved inscriptions that Liu Changqing couldn’t quite decipher.
He examined it for a mont before speaking again.
“I found it. I’ll bring it to you tomorrow—I just got ho.”
“No way! I can’t sleep without it!”
“You’re that attached to it? Fine… but you’ll have to wait. I need to go inside first.”
“Forget it, I’ll just take a taxi to your place.”
“Suit yourself.”
With that, Liu Changqing heard the call end.
Shaking his head slightly, he pocketed the jade and got out of the car.
At the Door
Liu Changqing reached his front door.
This ti, instead of using his keys, he raised his hand and knocked.
Knock, knock, knock.
Three knocks.
Inside, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed.
Then, just as they reached the door, there was a brief silence—
Before the door suddenly swung open.
Liu Changqing had stepped back just in ti;
otherwise, he would have been hit by it.
The one who had opened the door was An Yuan Yao.
The mont she heard the knocking, she had rushed over.
Peering through the peephole and seeing that it was Liu Changqing, she had imdiately thrown the door open.
Now, standing in the doorway, she stared at him with slightly reddened eyes, unable to say a word.
Seeing her like this, Liu Changqing paused for a mont before smiling and saying,
“I’m back.”
“Changqing!”
An Yuan Yao threw herself at him, standing on tiptoe as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him—
As if she had just gone through a life-or-death separation.
But strangely, Liu Changqing didn’t feel uncomfortable at all.
Because he knew…
An Yuan Yao was just really, really worried about him.
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