The two of them said nothing more and walked silently toward the inpatient building.
When they arrived outside the examination room, Su Shiyue was already there, her eyes red and clearly showing signs of having cried. Jiang Bei thought sothing had happened and beca a little anxious:
"What’s wrong? Did the test results co out?"
Su Shiyue shook her head:
"I just felt so heartbroken seeing my brother like that. If it weren’t because of , he and Qiqi wouldn’t have to suffer like this."
Jiang Bei was a bit confused:
"At a ti like this, why are you still blaming yourself? Everyone has told you before, if Qin Nianwan wanted to take revenge on Susu and Fu Shinian, she would have found a way. Even if it wasn’t the day you sent Qiqi to school, it would have been the next day. So there’s no need for you to keep living in guilt. Besides, Susu doesn’t bla you, does she?"
"I know, I know my sister-in-law doesn’t bla , but the more she’s like this, the harder it is for to forgive myself. Just thinking about the things I did to her before... What right do I have to deserve her kindness? If sothing like this happened to , if it were my child who disappeared because of Susu taking them back and forth, I’d definitely think she did it on purpose. But my sister-in-law hasn’t said a single harsh word to ..."
Jiang Bei smiled faintly:
"Now that you’ve co to understand, it’s not too late. You’ll be living together for a long ti in the future. Just treat her well, won’t you? Susu is soone who knows how to appreciate kindness. Though she’s not great at expressing herself, she rembers everything in her heart. The kindness you show her will stay with her. Right now, she doesn’t have the energy to focus on you, but when she has so peace, she wouldn’t want to see you like this either. Trust , adjust yourself, and instead of sitting here blaming yourself, you might as well take good care of the old lady. Though Susu hasn’t been ho much lately, she’s still very worried about her grandmother’s health."
"I know. I’ve been taking good care of Grandma. I ca today because I knew my brother returned and wasn’t at ease not coming to check."
"Mm, I understand."
Ji Nanfeng felt that Jiang Bei and Su Shiyue had spoken a bit too much and suspected they might also be tired from the walk, so he interjected, "Why don’t you sit down and continue talking?"
Jiang Bei, indeed feeling a little fatigued, did not object and allowed Ji Nanfeng to help her to a nearby bench. Su Shiyue didn’t leave; she was clearly waiting for Fu Shinian’s test results. Since it was boring to sit around waiting, Jiang Bei beca curious about how they had found Fu Shinian this ti, so she asked Ji Nanfeng. Ji Nanfeng recounted what Wei Shaoqin had said at the county hospital.
After hearing it, Jiang Bei understood. But as she glanced over, she noticed Su Shiyue’s expression was slightly off—different from her earlier self-reproachful look. Now, she seed visibly unsettled. Thinking she might be feeling unwell, especially since Su Shiyue had lost a lot of weight in a short ti, Jiang Bei held her hand:
"What’s the matter? Are you feeling unwell? Should I call a doctor?"
Su Shiyue shook her head and looked at Ji Nanfeng:
"Who did you say found my brother?"
"Yu Qingzhou," Ji Nanfeng said, staring into Su Shiyue’s eyes. "Your other brother."
Ji Nanfeng’s ability to read people had always been accurate. From Su Shiyue’s expression, he could tell she had long known of Yu Qingzhou’s existence and what their relationship entailed. But beyond that, there seed to be another layer of connection that Ji Nanfeng wasn’t privy to. It wasn’t hard to guess: if she rely didn’t want to acknowledge this brother, hearing Yu Qingzhou’s na should have prompted indifference or apathy. Yet Su Shiyue’s reaction was far more complex, almost like soone suddenly hearing news of a long-lost lover.
Ji Nanfeng: "..."
What kind of absurd drama had unfolded in the ti he wasn’t aware?
So curious.
So eager to know.
But now wasn’t the ti to ask, nor could he let it show. Damn, it was frustrating.
Ji Nanfeng didn’t know how much self-control it took to suppress the questions pressing against his lips. To avoid losing his composure, he even got up and went outside the observation room to check on Fu Shinian.
Ji Nanfeng wasn’t the only one who noticed Su Shiyue’s odd behavior; Jiang Bei saw it too. Though less sharp than Ji Nanfeng, she still sensed sothing was off. However, before she could ask, Su Shiyue already stood up hastily:
"Xiaobei, I’d better head back ho. I’m still worried about Grandma being alone."
Jiang Bei wasn’t the type to pry into others’ privacy. Since Su Shiyue didn’t want to say more, she wouldn’t probe further. After all, they weren’t close enough for such exchanges. Even if it had been Su Mu in front of her showing such behavior, Jiang Bei wouldn’t force Su Mu to talk if she didn’t want to. So now, she just nodded:
"Alright, drive safely on your way back. When the results co out, I’ll have Su Mu call you."
"Okay."
Su Shiyue walked toward the door but stopped after a few steps as if recalling sothing. She turned back to Jiang Bei: "Xiaobei, should I tell Grandma about my brother now?"
Jiang Bei thought it over:
"Grandma is very likely already aware of Fu Shinian’s situation but has held back out of worry for Su Mu. Now that Fu Shinian is back and no longer in life-threatening danger, I think you should tell her. Otherwise, keeping it to herself might weigh on her and slow her recovery. But there’s no rush—wait until Su Mu shares the results with you; that way, it can reassure her further."
Su Shiyue nodded: "Alright, I understand. Thank you, Xiaobei."
After Su Shiyue left, Ji Nanfeng returned to Jiang Bei’s side. He thought she’d ask about Su Shiyue’s odd behavior earlier, but she remained quiet the whole ti. In the end, Ji Nanfeng couldn’t help but break the silence:
"I don’t believe you didn’t notice Su Shiyue was acting strange."
Jiang Bei smiled faintly:
"So what if I did?"
"Aren’t you curious?"
"Do you know?"
"I’m not sure, but my guess shouldn’t be far from the truth." Ji Nanfeng sounded confident. "Do you want to know?"
"Forget it. It’s enough for you to know. I’m not interested in secrets others don’t want to share with . Knowing won’t make live any happier, and not knowing won’t affect either. I don’t want to waste my ntal energy."
Ji Nanfeng had originally wanted Jiang Bei to praise him for his insightful guess. Now it seed he should consider himself lucky she didn’t label him a creep for being too nosy. With a light sigh, he changed the topic to a slightly more sensitive one:
"How have you been recently?"
It was a simple question, but given their situation—from once being a loving couple to now hovering on the brink of divorce—it carried dangerous undertones. Such a question naturally invited discussions about their past, present, and future.
Although Ji Nanfeng didn’t want to disrupt the current semblance of harmony, so things couldn’t be avoided. He didn’t fear confrontation. In fact, if making Jiang Bei happy ant leaving her to be with Rong Shen, he wasn’t sure if he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
Jiang Bei glanced at Ji Nanfeng, sowhat surprised at his question. A few seconds later, she smiled faintly, a smile more mocking than anything else. Yet, oddly, it gave Ji Nanfeng a sense of relief. He chuckled and asked:
"What’s so funny?"
"Nothing, I guess I’m just not used to seeing you and Rong Shen—two people who typically act so high-and-mighty—suddenly doing a complete 180. I don’t even know what to say."
Ji Nanfeng hadn’t expected Jiang Bei to bring up Rong Shen directly. While he admitted this made him sowhat uncomfortable, he suppressed his feelings. After all, he knew Jiang Bei hadn’t done anything wrong. Those painful mories weren’t sothing she had willingly wanted to endure.
No one wants scars that symbolize pain.
"What... what did he say to you?"
"Do you want to know?"
"If you want to tell , I’ll listen. If you don’t, I won’t force you."
Jiang Bei leaned against the wall and smiled faintly:
"How many tis have you forced before?"
Ji Nanfeng didn’t respond. To be honest, he wasn’t sure what Jiang Bei ant by her words. Sotis she seed to have let go of everything, other tis it felt like she was deliberately picking a fight. But no matter the case, Ji Nanfeng could only sit quietly and play along.
It was bizarre how people’s hearts could change. Once, the proud and untouchable Ji Nanfeng never would have imagined there’d co a day when he walked on eggshells around a woman, putting aside his own feelings, dignity, and pride. All that mattered was whether the woman in front of him was happy.
"I’m sorry," Ji Nanfeng apologized. "I’ve hurt you a lot before. If you can’t forgive , I can..."
"Can what?"
Ji Nanfeng looked at Jiang Bei, seemingly making so sort of resolute decision, and finally said bluntly:
"Were you planning to divorce before?"
Jiang Bei raised her eyebrows slightly, not expecting him to be so straightforward. She didn’t shy away but also didn’t give him an answer right away. Just as she was about to speak, Fu Shinian was wheeled out of the room, followed by Su Mu and Qiao Yu.
Supported by Ji Nanfeng, Jiang Bei stood up and walked over:
"How is he?"
Qiao Yu nodded, removing his mask:
"The results are okay. They’re not much different from the tests done at the county hospital. There’s so blood clotting in his brain, which is why he hasn’t woken up yet."
"Does he need surgery?"
"I consulted with the chief of neurosurgery. The location of the blood clot is tricky. For now, we’ll proceed with conservative treatnt. If his condition improves, surgery might not even be necessary."
Jiang Bei nodded, instinctively glancing at Su Mu. Seeing that her expression wasn’t too grim, Jiang Bei felt a bit at ease. Well, of course—compared to the earlier uncertainty about Fu Shinian’s life and death, this outco was much easier to accept. At least he was rely in a coma and not hopeless.
Su Mu noticed Jiang Bei’s gaze, t her eyes, and smiled faintly:
"I’m fine."
Jiang Bei nodded:
"Then stay with Fu Shinian for now. I’ll head upstairs to check on Qiqi. When I ca down earlier, she was still asleep; she should be waking up by now."
"Qiqi, is she..."
"Don’t worry," Jiang Bei smiled. "She’ll get better day by day. Besides, with Mom and Dad around her, there’s no better dicine."
Su Mu nodded, saying nothing more. The bond between her and Jiang Bei had been forged through shared experiences; they had long since passed the stage of saying thank you. Besides, even if she did say it, would a simple "thank you" be enough?
Jiang Bei planned to go back to the top-floor ward. Ji Nanfeng wanted to follow but hesitated due to the possibility that Fu Shinian might need soone nearby. For a mont, he was torn. Qiao Yu, perceptive as always, smiled faintly:
"It’s fine. Go on and accompany her. There’s nothing you need to do here."
Ji Nanfeng chuckled knowingly:
"Call if anything cos up."
"Got it."
"Oh, by the way," Ji Nanfeng suddenly rembered as he was leaving, "I haven’t seen Wei Shaoqin since we got here. Where is he?"
"He’s sleeping in the lounge. Poor guy’s been through a lot; let him rest."
Ji Nanfeng nodded and said no more, quickening his pace to catch up with Jiang Bei. Qiao Yu stood where he was, watching their retreating figures. After a long pause, he smiled faintly. Su Mu followed his gaze briefly but then looked away:
"It seems like Xiaobei won’t be getting a divorce."
Qiao Yu nodded:
"That’s good."
"After everything that’s happened, Ji Nanfeng should know to cherish Xiaobei now. You can rest easy."
Qiao Yu chuckled at Su Mu’s words:
"I have nothing to be uneasy about. Even if I did, it wouldn’t change anything. Whether or not Ji Nanfeng is the one by her side, it wouldn’t have been . I had my chance to treasure her but didn’t. Now I have no one to bla but myself, so I don’t have any complex feelings about it. I just hope she’s happy."
"She will be."
"Mm, I know."
Qiao Yu wouldn’t speak on behalf of what Ji Nanfeng had done in the past, but as soone who had grown up with him, he still believed in Ji Nanfeng’s character. Plus, the changes Ji Nanfeng had recently made for Jiang Bei were unprecedented. When such a person changes, it’s absolute. That was why Qiao Yu genuinely felt at ease.
After being entangled in this for so long, he decided it was ti to let himself go, too.
Qiao Yu asked Su Mu whether Fu Shinian should share a room with Qiqi. Without hesitation, Su Mu refused. Given Qiqi’s fragile condition, seeing Fu Shinian in the hospital would only make her healing more difficult. Qiao Yu agreed and arranged for Fu Shinian to stay in the room next to Qiqi’s instead.
Once Fu Shinian was settled into the ward, Su Mu sat in the chair by his bed and suddenly felt as though all her strength had left her. It was as if the force that had been propping her up all this ti had vanished in an instant. Yet oddly, she didn’t feel any discomfort—on the contrary, there was a sense of relief, as if she could finally be herself again.
No more fear, no more anxiety. No more hiding, no more running away. If she wanted to see Qiqi, she could simply visit the room next door. If she worried about Fu Shinian, she could sit here and keep watch. Even if he never woke up, it didn’t seem to matter that much. At least now, he was by her side. And Su Mu could stay with him, just like this, for a lifeti.
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