After being reborn, I became the big boss's darling.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here."

A deep, gentle voice sounded in her ear, making her ears feel slightly numb, but her heart unconsciously calmed down.

Shen Ceyan stood behind her, bent down, and covered her eyes with his hand. He gestured to the doctor with his eyes.

The doctor immediately began the procedure.

Shen Ceyan felt a slight itch in his palm.

The whole process didn't last long. Ji Nianci found that the stitches weren't as painful as she had imagined. For some reason, she felt more nervous.

When Shen Ceyan's hand covered her eyes, her heart began to beat faster involuntarily, her breathing became rapid, and the skin around her eyes became sensitive.

People probably become more tense and sensitive in dark environments.

she thought.

After the stitches were done, the doctor prescribed some daily medications and explained some precautions for the wound.

Shen Ceyan listened very attentively.

Then, seeing that she had been caught in the rain and was injured, Shen Ceyan was worried that her wounds would get infected, so he arranged for her to be hospitalized. He told her to stay in the hospital for a day to see how she was doing.

Shen Ceyan had always been by her side, taking care of everything personally. But for some reason, Ji Nianci always felt a faint sense of distance from him, just like... when they first got married.

……

After everything was settled, Ji Nianci finally lay down on the hospital bed, and Tang Zhi, who had received her message, rushed over. Shi Xubai was also behind her.

"Niannian!" Tang Zhi's eyes were still red, and she rushed over as soon as she saw Ji Nianci.

"Waaaaah, are you alright? You scared me to death, you know..."

Ji Nianci looked at her with amusement. "I'm fine. Look, I'm perfectly alright. Don't get so worked up."

Tang Zhi held her shoulders and looked her up and down, naturally noticing the injury on her arm.

"Your hand..."

"Oh, it's nothing, just a minor injury, only a few stitches."

"You even needed stitches?!" Tang Zhi exclaimed in surprise, "That must be very serious. It's all my fault for not stopping you..."

"It's good that you didn't stop me. I told you it was just a minor injury, nothing serious. Look, I can still run and jump, can't I?" Ji Nianci's lips curled slightly, her expression calm.

Shi Xubai stood aside, watching the two of them chatting so intently. Not wanting to disturb them, he greeted Ji Nianci and left.

"Niannian, tell me, what exactly did you do this morning?" Tang Zhi grabbed her hand and asked seriously.

Ji Nianci unconsciously touched her nose. "Zhou An asked me to meet him, so I went to see him. And then... well, he tried to kill me."

"What?! What happened? That bastard Zhou An, I really..." Tang Zhi felt her anger rising to her chest, about to erupt.

Suddenly, as if she remembered something: "Wait, what you said to me this morning... So you knew he was going to do something to you?"

Ji Nianci nodded.

"Then you still..."

Ji Nianci interrupted her: "Zhizhi, there are many reasons why I don't know how to explain them to you yet. I'll explain them to you when I have the chance later."

Tang Zhi didn't delve too deeply into the matter, as she was currently consumed by rage. The mere thought of Zhou An made her want to tear him to pieces.

"Where's that good-for-nothing Zhou An? Where is he now? I'm coming over there right now to kill him. How dare he lay a hand on you? Who gave him the guts?"

Tang Zhi started to walk out as she spoke.

Ji Nianci couldn't help but laugh and quickly pulled her back, "Alright, alright, Zhizhi, don't be angry. He's already been taken away by Shen Ceyan's men. Even if it wasn't Shen Ceyan, the police would still deal with him. You don't need to worry. Besides, do you think he'll have a good life in Shen Ceyan's hands?"

“That’s true…” Tang Zhi sat down again, still looking sullen. “You shouldn’t have dated him in the first place. What kind of taste do you have?”

"Yes, yes, you're right..."

……

Shi Xubai circled around the ward but couldn't see Shen Ceyan.

He was finally found on the hospital rooftop.

When Shi Xubai saw him, he was leaning against the railing, a cigarette between his slender fingers, his half-closed eyes blurred by the rising smoke. The moonlight shone on him, casting a long, long shadow that made him appear exceptionally lonely and desolate.

Shi Xubai walked forward and saw a small pile of cigarette butts on the railing beside him. A faint smell of tobacco filled the air.

He raised an eyebrow, and asked with some confusion, "Oh, what's wrong? Everyone's back safely, right? You're not blaming yourself, are you? This isn't like you, Young Master Shen."

Shen Ceyan acted as if he hadn't heard. He remained silent for a long time before speaking, his voice so low it was almost inaudible.

"Tell me, did I do something wrong?"

"what?"

"Should I not have kept her by my side in the first place? Well, after all, I got this marriage through underhanded means in the first place." Shen Ceyan finished speaking and took another deep drag on his cigarette.

"No, what are you talking about?" Shi Xubai was confused by his two incoherent sentences.

"...Do you think she doesn't love you?" he asked tentatively.

"I don't know." Shen Ceyan's voice was so low it seemed to drift away in the wind. "She doesn't want to tell me anything. Even about today's incident, she knew Zhou An was going to hurt her, but she still did it. She'd rather risk it all alone than tell me."

Shi Xubai hesitated before speaking, "Or perhaps she has some kind of hardship..."

“Perhaps.” Shen Ceyan sighed softly, “But this isn’t the first time. She always promises me that she won’t hide it from me anymore. But she never keeps her word. Every time I ask her why, she stammers and stammers. I’m really exhausted.”

"I've always been waiting, waiting for the day she falls in love with me. I always thought that as long as I'm good enough to her, she'll eventually fall in love with me. Finally, she saw through Zhou An's true colors, and she started to treat me well and focus her attention on me. I thought she had finally fallen in love with me, but now I realize that she just doesn't love Zhou An anymore, not me. There seems to be an insurmountable chasm between us, and I can never hold onto her heart."

Shi Xubai listened quietly. He rarely saw Shen Ceyan so emotionally expressive. Even when the brothers were together, he usually listened while others spoke. He had always been calm and composed; nothing could defeat him. But now…

It turns out that love really can make the proud bow their heads.