Song Xu couldn’t help but suspect that Lu Yunzhou had been possessed by something else. Regardless, this decision was favorable for both Lin Xi and themselves; he had no reason to object.

It seemed Lu Yunqi’s injuries were quite severe—enough to leave her in a coma. Song Xu silently felt a twinge of pity for his childhood friend, but compared to Lin Xi, she paled in importance. He followed Lu Yunzhou’s instructions and began handling the surveillance footage.

—

Lin Xi, meanwhile, was weeping as she applied ointment to Grandma Lin. The two caregivers standing nearby were already trembling with fright.

“Miss Lin, this really wasn’t our doing! We only stepped out for a moment, and when we came back, your grandmother was already like this.”

Lin Xi knew it wasn’t them, of course, but it was their dereliction of duty that had given Lu Yunqi the opportunity to strike.

They were all to blame. Ignoring them, Lin Xi focused entirely on tending to her grandmother.

Lin Xi’s tears fell onto Grandma Lin’s palm—one drop, then two… Suddenly, Grandma Lin’s hand twitched, and the heart rate monitor began to accelerate.

“Miss Lin!” one of the caregivers noticed the anomaly and hurried to call her. “Look, quickly!”

Lin Xi looked up at the monitor. The vital signs were fluctuating. Overcome with emotion, she stood up and pressed the call button.

“Grandma! Grandma!” Lin Xi shouted into the old woman’s ear. “Are you waking up?”

Grandma Lin’s eyelids fluttered. Lin Xi could feel her grandmother struggling to return to consciousness.

The doctor arrived shortly after. “What’s happening?”

“Doctor, please, look at her!” Lin Xi cried and laughed simultaneously. “Do you see? Is she waking up?”

The doctor pried open Grandma Lin’s eyelids and shone a penlight into her pupils. “There’s a response.”

Two nurses wheeled Grandma Lin away for a full body scan, with Lin Xi jogging along behind them. Thank goodness, she thought, Grandma is finally waking up.

—

“Xixi, what’s wrong?” Song Xu returned after finishing his tasks, only to find Lin Xi standing outside the examination room, laughing through her tears.

“Song Xu,” Lin Xi hugged his waist tightly, sharing the good news. “Grandma had a response! She’s waking up—she’s finally waking up!”

Relieved that it was good news, Song Xu softened, stroking her hair. “That’s wonderful. Grandma is finally coming back to us. Stop crying; isn’t this a great thing?”

Lin Xi nodded against his chest. “It is. I’m just too happy.”

“Song Xu,” she whispered his name. “If something unfortunate happens to me, could you take care of Grandma for me?”

“What nonsense are you spouting? Go away, bad luck!” Song Xu couldn’t stand to hear such defeatist talk. He knew exactly what she was worried about. “You’re fine. Xiao Qi damaged her brainstem; she’s likely not going to wake up.”

Lin Xi’s expression turned solemn. It was a shame Lu Yunqi didn’t die, but she didn’t quite understand Song Xu’s logic. “If she doesn’t wake up, why does that mean I’ll be fine?”

Song Xu whispered Lu Yunzhou’s decision to her. “The fewer people who know about this, the better. Don’t tell anyone. Brother Yunzhou and I have already silenced those who needed to be.”

Lin Xi looked up, shocked. “Why would Brother Yunzhou do this? Isn’t Lu Yunqi his own sister?”

Song Xu shook his head slightly. In truth, he didn’t fully grasp it either. “Perhaps Brother Yunzhou is prioritizing the big picture. If this scandal breaks, it won’t benefit either the Lu or the Song family.”

Lin Xi wasn’t entirely convinced. To her, family ties should be paramount, but perhaps things were different in the elite families.

“Is this really okay?” she asked, still uncertain.

Song Xu nodded. “It’s the best way to handle it right now, to avoid further friction.”

As for whether Lu Zhentao would believe it—that was beyond his control. That would have to be left to Brother Yunzhou.

—

Bai Tiantian had returned from Baiyun City earlier than expected. She missed her “Chenchen” far too much, so she had secretly caught a flight back to Jiangbei City without telling her family.

As soon as she landed, she messaged Song Chen: [Honey, what are you doing?]

[Thinking about you!] Song Chen replied instantly.

The message made Bai Tiantian’s face flush. Since they had officially become a couple, Song Chen had completely shed his inhibitions, his romantic lines flowing effortlessly.

[I miss you too,] she replied. [Where are you?]

Song Chen sent a selfie: [At home.]

At the sight of the photo, Bai Tiantian didn’t just blush—her eyes grew hot. In the picture, Song Chen was shirtless, sweat trickling down the grooves of his muscles.

She couldn’t help but swallow hard. She hailed a taxi and headed straight for their residential complex.

[I really want to touch!] She sent a suggestive emoji.

[I’ll let you touch when you get back.] Song Chen sent a few more photos from different angles.

Bai Tiantian chuckled, thinking he was actually quite narcissistic. She stopped replying, intending to surprise him when she arrived.

Song Chen waited for a long time, and seeing the lack of response from Bai Tiantian, his brow furrowed. Does she think these aren’t good? Losing the heart to continue his workout, he dried his sweat and headed into the bathroom.

—

Bai Tiantian dragged her small suitcase up to the 17th floor. She stood at Song Chen’s door and rang the doorbell.

After a long while, the door opened. Song Chen, wearing only a bathrobe, saw Bai Tiantian standing there. His eyes lit up, and he pulled her into a tight embrace. “Tiantian! Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? I would have picked you up.”

“Hehe, I wanted to give you a surprise.” She noticed his hair was still dripping water. “Were you just in the shower?”

“Mm. I was thinking of you while I washed,” Song Chen whispered into her ear. “The more I thought of you, the slower I showered.”

Bai Tiantian understood his meaning. This man had become so intense; he was like a completely different person. “Chenchen, you’ve become a bad boy.”

Song Chen didn’t seem to mind being called “Chenchen” now, provided it was just between the two of them in private.

He pulled her and her suitcase inside and locked the door, unable to wait a second longer as he leaned down to kiss her.

Heaven knew how he’d survived the last few days. They’d only just shared their first kiss when she’d run back to Baiyun City. It felt like having a piece of meat finally reach his lips, only to be snatched away before he could even taste it.

When the kiss ended, Bai Tiantian felt her legs turn to jelly. She leaned against his chest, panting.

“I’m going to change,” Song Chen said, releasing her. “Wait for me.”

Bai Tiantian grabbed his hand. “I want to watch you change.”

Song Chen’s lips curled into a smirk. “Are you sure?”

She blinked. “What are you afraid of? It’s not like I haven’t seen it before.”

“Let’s go.” He led her into his bedroom.

This was Bai Tiantian’s first time in his room. She scanned the area, noting that the decor was as monotonous as the rest of the apartment.

Her gaze fell on a photo sitting on his nightstand—a family of four. It must have been the Song family. She stared at the teenage version of Song Chen for a long moment.

“Huh? Why do I feel like I’ve seen your photo somewhere before?”