At night, Lin Wanyi tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
Even with the door closed, she felt as though she could still sense Liu Renzhi's breathing.
She couldn't forget that night.
She felt too ashamed to face Liu Renzhi again.
She felt she had tainted the bond between them.
Liu Renzhi couldn't sleep either.
He stared blankly at the moon outside the window.
For so many years, he had been busy with work, busy expanding his company.
Busy providing a better life for his family.
As a result, he simply had no time for romance.
There were very few women around him, the most familiar one being Zhou Chenyu.
Su Jing had introduced him to every suitable girl from a good family in City A, but after meeting each one, he had no desire to pursue things further.
Later, seeing that Zhou Chenyu had stayed by his side for a long time, Su Jing tried everything to set them up.
But Liu Renzhi had never felt that way about Zhou Chenyu.
After failing several times, Su Jing finally gave up.
Without Su Jing's nagging, Liu Renzhi lost even more interest in women.
He threw himself even deeper into his work.
For a long time, he thought he simply didn't like women.
But now he knew he was wrong.
Horribly wrong.
Completely and utterly wrong.
He was not only interested in women, but very much so.
He couldn't help but think back to that night.
He thought of Lin Wanyi's hands roaming all over him.
He thought of her flushed cheeks.
And he thought of the knife she had plunged into her own leg.
He understood.
Lin Wanyi would rather die than be with him...
But he had been ready at that moment, even struggling to hold himself back.
He truly wanted to.
The thought made him even more restless.
Did Lin Wanyi really hate him?
So much that she would rather die than let him touch her.
Sleep completely evaded him now.
At the break of dawn, he went to find the doctor.
"Doctor, roughly when can we be discharged?"
The doctor replied, "You can leave anytime you want, but the wounds haven't fully healed yet. It's best to stay a few more days.
"If you insist on leaving, you must be very careful to avoid infection once you get home."
They would have to fly back, and Liu Renzhi was a bit worried.
But staying here any longer made him feel deeply uncomfortable.
He despised Wang Hao now more than ever.
After some thought, he decided to charter an ambulance for the trip back.
When Lin Jiajun heard this, he repeatedly shook his head.
"No, no way, Brother Liu. That's going to cost a fortune.
"It's such a long distance."
Lin Wanyi disagreed as well.
"Jiajun is right. It's too expensive.
"Brother Liu, I can stay here for a couple more days. It's fine.
"You're busy, you should go back first."
"It's fine?"
Liu Renzhi raised an eyebrow.
"'It's fine' again. Lin Wanyi, are those the only words you know how to say?"
Lin Wanyi was left speechless.
She felt that the Liu Renzhi of the past few days was not the Liu Renzhi she used to know.
In the past, he was aloof and a man of few words.
Now, he snapped at people over the slightest thing, acting as if everyone had wronged him.
The sad part was that she and Lin Jiajun had no way to argue back.
They could only passively accept Liu Renzhi's arrangements.
Lin Wanyi asked Lin Jiajun to handle the discharge procedures.
Lin Jiajun came back and said,
"Brother Liu already paid for everything. It cost over eight thousand."
Lin Wanyi transferred the money to Liu Renzhi via her phone. He twitched the corner of his mouth.
"Do I look like I need your money?"
Lin Wanyi shut her mouth and didn't say another word.
True, he didn't.
But there was no need for him to speak so aggressively.
It wasn't like she had provoked him.
Just as Lin Jiajun finished packing and they were about to leave, the police suddenly arrived at their hospital room.
"Who is Liu Renzhi?"
Lin Jiajun, entirely clueless, was the first to stand up.
"What do you want?"
The police officer asked him, "Are you Liu Renzhi?"
He nodded foolishly. "Yeah, what's the matter?"
Liu Renzhi found it amusing. He pushed Lin Jiajun aside.
"Officer, I am Liu Renzhi. How can I help you?"
The officer told him,
"We received a report claiming you assaulted and injured someone. Please come with us to the police station."
"Assault?"
Lin Wanyi slowly emerged from the inner room on crutches.
"It's Wang Hao, isn't it? Officer, Wang Hao called the police, didn't he?
"It's slander, officer. Wang Hao is just slandering him."
The officer said, "We will investigate the specific details of the situation.
"Please come with us to the station."
Lin Wanyi was frantic. She looked at Liu Renzhi.
"Don't go, Brother Liu. Don't go."
Lin Jiajun chimed in, "That bastard Wang Hao, he did this on purpose."
But Liu Renzhi just smiled and said,
"Don't worry about a thing. It's no big deal.
"I have a lawyer. Wait for me here, I'll be back soon."
Lin Jiajun wanted to go with him, but Liu Renzhi wouldn't let him.
"You stay here and guard your sister. Don't leave her side, understand?
"Remember the lesson from last time."
Lin Jiajun quieted down.
He knew he wouldn't be of any help even if he went.
So he stayed behind.
But he was upset, and he couldn't understand it.
"Sis, how did you ever fall for a scoundrel like Wang Hao in the first place?
"What kind of taste do you have?"
Lin Wanyi thought back to ten years ago.
She and Wang Hao had met on their university campus.
At the time, Wang Hao had pursued her relentlessly.
Having never been in a relationship before, she quickly fell for him.
She had considered that their families lived too far apart.
But Wang Hao coaxed her with sweet words.
He whispered countless sweet nothings to her.
And Lin Wanyi believed him.
Naive as she was, she thought Wang Hao would be her lifelong partner.
So, right after graduating from university, she married him without hesitation.
She had never imagined her life would end up like this.
Lin Jiajun was still indignant.
"I really want to beat Wang Hao to death.
"I mean it, Sis."
Lin Wanyi scolded him,
"Brother Liu is right. You're not an impulsive 18-year-old anymore, Jiajun. You're getting married.
"You're about to start your own family soon. You need to learn how to stay composed.
"You must stay calm when things happen, understand?"
Lin Jiajun suddenly laughed. "Sis, I feel like you and Brother Liu say the exact same things.
"You two are actually quite a good match."
Lin Wanyi quickly covered his mouth.
"Don't talk nonsense, absolutely do not talk nonsense, understand?
"Brother Liu and I are worlds apart. I'm divorced and I've had a child.
"He's an eligible bachelor.
"You are not allowed to mention this again, you hear me?
"Otherwise, people will think we had impure motives when we helped them back then."
Lin Jiajun nodded.
"I know, I was just saying. Big Sis, I won't say these things in front of Brother Liu."
Before they could finish talking, Wang Meijuan and Liu Chunlan suddenly pushed the door open.
Lin Wanyi had no idea how they knew to find them here.
Her face darkened.
"Who let you in? You are not welcome here.
"Get out."
Not only did they not leave, but they stepped even closer.
For the first time, Liu Chunlan didn't speak harshly to Lin Wanyi.
She pretended to be very amiable.
"Wanyi, I heard you were injured, so I came to see you.
"Where are you hurt?"
Lin Wanyi completely ignored her question, simply repeating:
"You are not welcome here. Get out."
Liu Chunlan didn't get angry. She continued,
"Wanyi, we were mother-in-law and daughter-in-law for eight years.
"In all fairness, haven't we gotten along quite well these past few years?
"In the years before you went back to your maiden home, we barely even had a single argument, right?"
"Yes."
Lin Wanyi didn't deny it.
"And why was that? Because I never fussed, because I worked hard without any complaints.
"Because I have always been dutiful to you. Because even when I knew you were wrong, I never talked back.
"Isn't that right? Liu Chunlan, admit it.
"I am the one who always compromises, the one who always gives in, aren't I?"
