Su Kangxi, sitting by the side, watched Sister Susu tirelessly attend to Qin Tianyi, worried that her health would give out. He said, "Sister Susu, he's asleep. You should rest too. Even closing your eyes for a bit would be good. Take care of yourself."
Susu stood up and sat beside him, stretching her numb arms. She said softly, "I can't sleep. As soon as I close my eyes... close my eyes..."
She trailed off, and Su Kangxi understood completely. "Me too. Whenever I close my eyes these days, all I see is him in his madness, and then... and then his eyes in that last moment when he fell off the cliff."
"It's alright now. We need to completely forget those nightmares. We all need time. Time is the best medicine," Susu whispered, comforting him.
Su Kangxi said with a hint of unease, "The police overseas said they searched the bottom of the cliff many times afterward but never found Yang Sijie's body. Do you think he might still be alive?"
"No. There's the sea below the cliff. Falling from that height into the sea would surely have shattered him. His remains were probably washed away by the currents, which is why the police couldn't find them," Susu said with certainty.
No matter how resilient Yang Sijie was, surviving in such a situation was impossible.
"You're right. The ocean tides are so complex. Once you fall into the sea, it's hard to find a body," Su Kangxi said, trying to push the terrible thoughts away.
Upon returning to Lancheng, Su Kangxi went directly to the police station to report in.
Susu accompanied Qin Tianyi to a specialized orthopedic hospital. Qin Tianyi was admitted into a pre-booked VIP room, where professional medical staff immediately began to alleviate his pain and stabilize his fractures.
Seeing that his pained expression had eased considerably, Susu felt a sense of relief.
She went outside the ward and called Wei Yanan first, asking about Xiao Xingxing.
When Wei Yanan heard her voice, she was first excited, then let out a long sigh of relief, and repeatedly confirmed that Susu was not injured.
"Don't worry, I'm fine, completely unharmed," Susu reassured Yanan again and again. "I'll be back in Dechuan in a couple of days. You'll see then that I wasn't lying. Thank you for taking care of Xiao Xingxing for us during this time."
Yanan laughed and said, "Xiao Xingxing is such a good child. Besides, Xiao Mei is also looking after him, so I don't have to worry too much. You and I, why be so polite?"
"Yanan..." Susu said, hesitating a little. "Kangxi also returned to Lancheng safely."
Yanan simply responded with an "Oh" on the phone. Susu was still unsure of Yanan's current feelings towards Kangxi and feared that saying too much might bring up painful memories, so she ended the call.
Susu then called Chang Qingchuan to report her safety. She hesitated whether to also inform Xiao Anjing.
After Qin Tianyi vomited blood by the cliff, she had stayed by his side without leaving. She hadn't seen Qin Tianyi contact Xiao Anjing.
After some thought, she decided to call Xiao Anjing.
"Mr. Xiao, hello, this is Gu Susu..."
As soon as the call connected and she began to speak, a woman's voice came from the other end of the phone.
"Gu Susu, why are you always haunting us? After seducing Qin Tianyi, you're now setting your sights on Anjing."
Susu froze for a moment, holding the phone. It was clearly Shu Yan's voice. "Why is it you? I didn't dial the wrong number."
"Is it strange that I'm with Anjing?" Shu Yan said haughtily. "Don't think you're the only one men like. Besides Qin Tianyi, there are many men who like me..."
"I didn't mean that," Susu interrupted, having no time for her chatter. "Is Mr. Xiao there? I need to talk to him about something. If he's not there, I'll call him another day."
"What is it? Is it about Qin Tianyi?" Shu Yan's tone instantly became tense. "What happened to him? Is he alive or dead?"
"He's fine. He's currently in an orthopedic hospital in Lancheng. Please tell Mr. Xiao to visit him at the hospital when he has time. Tianyi might need him." With that, Susu was about to hang up.
"Wait, explain yourself clearly. What happened to Qin Tianyi? Which ward is he in..." Before Shu Yan could finish speaking, a baby's cry was heard nearby.
She immediately threw the phone aside to soothe the child.
Susu hung up, stunned. She hadn't expected Xiao Anjing to be with Shu Yan. Could that child of Shu Yan's be Xiao Anjing's?
But she had never heard that Shu Yan liked Xiao Anjing, nor did she know when Xiao Anjing had fallen for Shu Yan.
However, if Shu Yan had found a new target, at least she wouldn't be bothering Tianyi, and the conflict between Tianyi and the Shu family could also be resolved. That would be for the best.
When she returned to the ward, Qin Tianyi was sleeping soundly. His complexion had improved, and his brow was no longer furrowed in his sleep.
Susu gazed at him, dazed. She was also extremely tired but had no desire to sleep.
She looked at him greedily, wishing time could freeze at this moment. After experiencing so much hardship, she finally understood how blissful it was to be able to stay by the side of the person you loved.
...
Xiao Anjing returned from the village entrance with a basket of eggs and saw Shu Yan coaxing the child by the crib.
This child was almost half a year old now. His hair was golden, and his eyes were a clear blue. He was clearly a mixed-race child, definitely not Tianyi's.
Ever since he learned that the Shu family had sent Shu Yan to their hometown to give birth, he had made time to visit Shu Yan from time to time, and also to look after them, mother and daughter.
Shu Yan had given birth to a baby girl six months ago. The day after the child was born, only Jia Nanfang had come to see her. Upon discovering how the baby looked, she had scolded Shu Yan severely, felt ashamed, and left without staying long.
Poor Shu Yan and her daughter had no one to care for them. When Xiao Anjing came to see her, she was still in her confinement period but had to cook, do laundry, and care for the child herself.
Xiao Anjing couldn't bear to see a young lady like her reduced to the state of a neglected village woman, so he often came to visit them.
He had just bought a basket of eggs from a farmer to supplement Shu Yan's nutrition.
"You're back. Gu Susu called you earlier. She said Qin Tianyi has returned to Lancheng safely and that you don't need to worry."
Shu Yan spoke while playing with the child, her tone calm and unruffled.
Xiao Anjing put down the eggs and said with a sigh of relief, "That's great. Then I'll be returning to Lancheng tomorrow."
Shu Yan looked at him, a hint of reluctance in her eyes. "Okay."
Xiao Anjing, not wanting to leave them, cautioned, "If you need anything, remember to contact me anytime."
"I'm fine. You should hurry back to Lancheng. Qin Tianyi is back, and he'll surely have things to discuss with you." Shu Yan became understanding.
Xiao Anjing scratched his head and said, "How about I contact your mother again and ask her to send someone to look after you and the child?"
"Don't contact my mother. She's still angry with me and won't pay attention to me," Shu Yan immediately stopped him.
Xiao Anjing couldn't understand. Jia Nanfang had doted on Shu Yan before, but now she could abandon them, mother and daughter.