Chapter 336: Visiting Her At Work
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

It was Li Lei who hurt Xia Yu.

Whatever the reason was, it was a fact that he had hurt somebody, and that could get him into trouble if he were found out.

Xia Ling supported Li Lei till the end, and would not reveal anything even to her manager.

But was Lin Yunan inexperienced in this field? He could read her mind just by looking at her expression. He chuckled. “Why do you have your guard up against me like I’m a thief? Don’t worry, he has already told me about it himself and even cautioned me that Xia Yu could get back at you anytime. He wants me to look out for you.”

Li Lei always thought of the big picture when he made his decisions. He not telling Xia Ling was in a bid to keep her safe and out of trouble, while informing Lin Yunan was to alert him of possible retaliation. But Xia Ling did not think he made a good choice. “Why does he always tell outsiders about such things? Does he not know that this could get him in trouble?”

“Am I an outsider?” Lin Yunan was offended.

“Are you not?” Xia Ling responded. He chose to be her manager because of the money, they could not even be considered friends.

Lin Yunan was further agitated. “We’re on the same side! Is it not because of you that I have to bother about this?! I couldn’t care less about it, but I could lose my job because of these miscellaneous trivial matters of your personal life!”

Xia Ling was speechless. This Uncle Lin was absurdly agitated, could he be in his mid-life crisis?

It was a pity Lin Yunan could not hear her thoughts as he continued venting his anger for a while more. Xia Ling tolerated his rants the whole way.

Back at the filming set.

She got ready for an afternoon of filming despite her worries.

The afternoon filming was set at a natural lake formation beneath a waterfall, roughly two meters deep. The lake was surrounded by decorative pebbles and stones, raising the scene’s aesthetic beauty. At times, the water from the lake would flow outwards, forming a downward stream. This lake had also been taken for an outdoor swimming pool set in nature.

Xia Ling’s low spirits were finally lifted by the breathtaking scene before her.

Xia Ling walked out in the swimsuit that the costume team had prepared for her, and at that moment, many could not take their eyes off her. She was wearing a light blue colored one-piece suit which was neither too conservative nor too exposing. The design was simple but elegant and highlighted the butterfly wing-like structure on her back. As she took a dip in the water, she looked almost like a gorgeous goddess who had descended to the mortal world.

“Xiao Ling is beautiful…” Luo Luo tugged at Bai Murong by her side.

Bai Murong looked at this innocent girl quietly. He was her “knight,” how was he supposed to respond to that? Would she get jealous if he commented the same? Bai Murong could not figure out a good response.

Luo Luo was completely awed. “Xiao Ling is really beautiful… Murong, look, the way she moves in the water… She’s like a mermaid. I’m so envious…”

“Envious of what?” Bai Murong turned to look at Luo Luo.

Luo Luo was still facing Xia Ling’s direction. “I wish I could look this elegant someday, and look like a mermaid as well.”

Bai Murong told her, “You already look like one now.”

“Ah?” Luo Luo looked up at him.

Bai Murong could not help but pinch her cheeks, which still had some baby fat on them. “I said, you’re like a mermaid princess too, just a chubby one.” She was in a pink two-piece suit, and the pleats on her skirt made her appear a little fleshier than usual.

Bai Murong liked it, and went on to say, “Little Chubby Fish.”

Luo Luo was stunned for a moment but made a pose to hit him when she registered what he had said. “Bai Murong, you’re so mean! How could you mock me like this! You’re the worst!”

“Hahaha.” Bai Murong laughed as he evaded her fists.

As the two of them continued teasing each other, Xia Ling had already tried out a few different filming angles to get the best lighting. If not for the time constraints, the director would have wanted to take more shots of her.

Meanwhile, Xia Yu had also just got changed into her swimsuit. It could be because of the scarring from the needles that Xia Yu chose to wear a very conservative outfit. It was plain white in color and covered her front fully.

“Female stars who go for the innocent image are simply different.” One of the cameramen shook his head at the side. “She won’t loosen up even a little bit.” He shot her from a few different angles and eventually gave up. “This swimsuit doesn’t bring out her figure at all — no chest, no curves, nothing! This is even worse than shooting Luo Luo, the Little Chubby Fish.” He could hear the teasing and laughing going on between Luo Luo and Bai Murong. “And she doesn’t even have her knight here as well.”

The director beside him spoke up. “Isn’t it simple? Just get a few more shots of Ye Xingling and Luo Luo then. Ye Xingling really is photogenic, no matter what outfit she’s in. Oh right, try to place more focus on Zheng Chenhao, we’re depending on his muscles for the viewership.” Zheng Chenhao had a wonderful, well-trained physique that would make many girls blush. He wore boxer-length swimming trunks and left his upper body bare as he went to stand beside Xia Ling. This was easy, all they needed was for these two to sacrifice a little of their modesty in order to make the whole half-hour show worth watching.

“You’re right, it’ll be easy if we focus on them.” The cameraman had no objections and went to adjust the filming equipment.

On their side, the air that Zheng Chenhao exuded made Xia Ling uncomfortable — not in the way that she would blush, she was just not used to being this close to a man she wasn’t close to. And his figure could not be compared to Li Lei’s anyway. Although Li Lei’s muscles were not as obvious and as defined, they were toned over time through experiences with the triads and actually looked threatening. As for Zheng Chenhao, his muscles did look good on camera, but they were not useful at all…

Xia Ling kept her criticisms of Heavenly King Zheng to herself and quietly swam to the shore.

Heavenly King Zheng did not notice her leaving and continued showing his muscles off in front of the camera.

Realizing that the cameras were pointing towards Zheng Chenhao, Xia Ling, Luo Luo, the others, and Xia Yu got bored. If it wasn’t for all the scars the needles left on her, wouldn’t she be wearing pretty swimsuits as well? Wretched Ye Xingling, watch how I get back at you!

She swam in the water casually, as if she were just getting familiar with the place.

When she reached the edge of the pool, she traced downwards and looked for the mechanism beneath the water, very well…

She smiled in satisfaction and swam back up.

Right as she reached the shore, someone called out to her. “Miss Xia Yu, Miss Xia Yu is here!” One of the crew members looked at her, almost with a congratulatory expression. “Director Pei is here to watch you at work. I’ll take you to him…”

Director Pei? Brother Ziheng was here?

Xia Yu’s eyes sparkled with joy. Back when her sister was still alive, Brother Ziheng often went to watch her at work, and she always wished he would do the same for her. Today, he finally came.

She gave her sweetest smile and walked up to him.

Chapter 337: Accident
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Pei Ziheng was surrounded and admired by everyone around and was accompanied by Director Zhao himself.

It was an impromptu decision to come to the filming set. The scene he saw in the afternoon — the girl running out of the mountains with red, puffy eyes — was etched in his mind. He felt a strange sense of worry and could not fully be at ease until he saw for himself that she was safe and well.

He heard the greetings of the people around him distractedly as his eyes searched for the girl.

She was nowhere.

She was still here a while ago, in her pale blue swimsuit, her hair up, and swimming like a mermaid. But now, just a moment later, she was gone, as if she were deliberately hiding from him.

Meanwhile, it was Xia Yu who smilingly walked towards him.

She was in an off-white one-piece swimsuit and had a big towel wrapped around her the moment she got out of the water. As she approached him, the crowd made way for her.

“Brother Ziheng,” she said sweetly. “Thank you for coming to see me.”

Pei Ziheng was not there for her but made no attempt to call her out for it. He simply gestured to Director Zhao and the others around him. “Get on with your work, there’s no need to accompany me.”

Director Zhao and the rest thought that he wanted some alone time with Xia Yu. Thus, they shot each other glances and naturally took their leave.

From where Pei Ziheng had taken a seat at, the location was very scenic, and the waters were so clear he could see right to the bottom of.

Xia Yu followed him and sat right beside him, trying to find something to talk about. “It’s so chilly today that I caught a cold this morning. But for the sake of the filming, I’ve been holding it out as much as I can. Brother Ziheng, when we wrap up for the day later, shall we go grab something to eat together? I’m falling ill, and I don’t think I should be eating the packed food from the production crew…”

“In future, don’t find trouble with Ye Xingling.” Pei Ziheng cut her off mid-sentence.

What? Xia Yu was stunned. Did Brother Ziheng rush over to the set just to tell her that? No… Xia Yu suddenly came to her senses, Brother Ziheng was not there for her in the first place! His eyes were still looking into the distance, searching for something.

… It was Ye Xingling, it was that wretched woman!

Brother Ziheng was here to see her!

That realization was a stab to Xia Yu’s heart.

No matter how much grudges she held inside her, she dared not act up in front of Pei Ziheng. She simply gave a pitiful look. “Brother Ziheng, I wasn’t finding trouble with her, it’s she who keeps finding fault with me…” She wanted to go on but shut her mouth the moment Pei Ziheng turned to look at her. He did not look fierce or angry, but the coldness in his expression made her feel as if he saw right through her.

“Don’t try to fool me.” Pei Ziheng spoke calmly. “Xiao Yu, I know exactly who is provoking who. This time, I was on your side when I went against Li Lei. But if you bother Ye Xingling again… you’ll bear responsibility on your own.”

The last few words were softer than usual.

But Xia Yu was clear that it was when his words were soft that his heart had hardened. And, did he say he went against Li Lei? Which meant that he did not target Ye Xingling directly? Xia Yu clenched her jaw hard, why was Brother Ziheng so defensive of this wretched woman? So much so that even her status as “Xia Ling’s sister” could be disregarded?!

Was Brother Ziheng… in love with her?

Xia Yu was shocked by her own thought and denied it immediately. No, Brother Ziheng was loyal and devoted to her sister, how could he fall for another woman? Even if he had a change of heart, he should only fall for Xia Yu. Why was Ye Xingling in the picture?!

At this point, Pei Ziheng’s vision focused, as if mocking her.

Xia Yu followed his line of sight and saw that it landed on Ye Xingling. She was still in her pale blue swimsuit and accompanied by her assistant and manager as she went through the script with a few male actors. Her smile, along with the light that fell on her beautiful features, made her incredibly attractive.

“Xiao Ling…” Pei Ziheng mumbled.

Xia Yu heard what he said and clenched her fists hard in hatred. She was now glad that she had tampered with the sluice underwater. After today… this wretched Ye Xingling will cease to exist in this world.

Otherwise, if she continued to be around them… there was no telling whether Pei Ziheng would end up with that wretched woman one day.

Xia Yu kept her eyes on the set.

Xia Ling had seen them too. Seeing Xia Yu sitting right beside Pei Ziheng gave her a sense of defeat; all her words and advice were nothing against Xia Yu’s lies. It seemed that she was of no importance at all in Pei Ziheng’s heart. It did not matter anymore anyway, they were no more than strangers now, and she couldn’t care less about his choice.

Xia Ling turned away from them as she resigned herself to it.

She gathered her focus and went into the water.

According to the schedule of work distributed by the production department, the first scene would feature her standing alone in the water as she played games with others on shore. She would spend about 10 minutes in the water, which was rather cold during autumn. Xia Ling had to make a conscious effort not to shiver or tremble in the scene.

It was a perfect take.

The game went well, and most of the production crew managed to relax after this good take.

Having spent a while in the cold water, Xia Ling could feel her body turn a little numb. Just as she made to go to shore for a break and to prevent her muscles from cramping, she suddenly heard a loud sound. She had not even processed what was going on when a wave engulfed her and took her along in its path as it proceeded downstream.

Choking on the water and not even able to scream in distress, before she knew it, her vision blurred and she reached downstream.

What was going on?

As she struggled and flailed her arms in the rushing waters, she vaguely heard people shouting. “The sluice is open!””Be careful!” And that was the last she heard from anyone.

She knocked hard against a boulder in the river and felt a sharp pain. Then, she lost control of her arm.

Was that a fracture? She panicked. If it was, there was no way she could swim her way out of this. Was this the last day of her life?!

She tried to take a few strokes to keep herself afloat but was running out of energy. She felt herself sink, little by little.

In the confusion, she could see the light shining through the water’s surface. It looked as if somebody was swimming towards her, and only when he got closer did she catch a glimpse of his face — it was Pei Ziheng.

Chapter 338: The Rescue
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Was that a hallucination? Was she only seeing him because she was dying?

But the physical touch felt all too real. He supported her with his arm and guided her as they swam towards the shore.

So he was there to save her. At that moment, Xia Ling’s tears welled up in her eyes, and all of her grievances were released through them. Only now, when she faced a situation of life and death, did she realize that he was willing to give up his life for her.

He was her guardian, he always had been.

She struggled to keep her head up and continue swimming with her one good arm in order not to be a dead weight on him. As she swam, she accidentally knocked against his wrist.

A metallic object on his wrist unlatched and came off.

Pei Ziheng turned his head around and his expression changed.

Realizing that Pei Ziheng had stopped swimming forward, Xia Ling attempted to tug at him, signaling at him to hurry up. Against nature’s forces, they were all too small and helpless, and another second spent in the water was one too many.

But Pei Ziheng did not move.

He looked towards the direction in which that object fell off and then turned towards her.

Xia Ling had a bad premonition, and fear was beginning to wrap around her. All of the panic and darkness… she could not put it into words. But she was lost and helpless, and could only look at him pleadingly as she hoped for him to take her and escape that place.

But he took her hand off him.

It was a forceful and decisive move. Her hand fell away from his arm the same way that the object did.

Xia Ling did not see that coming. She finally knew where the fear was coming from. In the ice-cold water where their lives were in danger, he could forsake and abandon her for an item unknown to her.

Now that she had lost her support, her one good arm was unable to keep her in control of her swimming and ended up being dragged along by the waters. Her eyes were widened as she tried to look at him, to ask him why he did this, but that was when she realized he had already turned away to search for his lost item.

Her heart turned cold, spreading from inside out.

Xia Ling felt like she was sinking deeper by the second and that her muscles were going numb. It was almost as if she were losing her sense of existence. Before she knew it, she had sunk into a quiet, lonely darkness.

It seemed like a prolonged nightmare.

In the nightmare, there was a large cage, monsters, and a boundless void.

She tried to escape in fear as she felt someone chasing after her. She ran until she saw the light before her — it was faint but warm and hopeful. As she ran towards it, she heard someone calling her name. “Ling… Xiao Ling, Ye Xingling…”

Who was she?

Was she not Xia Ling? Why would she be Ye Xingling?

As she stopped running towards the light, the voice became clearer. “Xiao Ling… Ye Xingling… Wake up! Promise me you’ll be fine…”

Whose voice was that? It was familiar.

Ye Xingling…?

Right, she was Ye Xingling, who was Xia Ling?

No… she was no longer Xia Ling.

“Ye Xingling, come back. Ye Xingling!” The voice sounded desperate and urgent.

She dragged her feet towards the light with all her might. Finally, her eyelids quivered, and she was greeted by Li Lei’s anxious expression.

“Xiao Ling, you’ve finally come to!” He was drenched from head to toe, and there was still some mud on his face. He looked dirty and downtrodden, but the smile he had just flashed at her was the most beautiful and sincere one she had seen. He smiled foolishly. “I will save you! Believe me, I’ll save you! Xiao Ling, talk to me. Please stay awake, don’t go back to sleep.”

She found it difficult to breathe as her lungs hurt, but she listened to him and opened her mouth.

“What did you say?” He could not hear her clearly.

“So… so ugly…” She said weakly.

He was stunned for a while before he smiled again and began wiping the mud off her face.

“You’re not ugly.” He said. “You’ll always be the most beautiful.”

“I’m saying… you’re ugly.” She coughed in an attempt to smile.

He was stunned once again, but said, “Alright then, I’m ugly. But you must not despise me, you’ve seen all of me, I want to hold you responsible.” With that, he removed his soaked top and revealed his nicely toned muscles as he held her in his arms, then wrapped his top around both of them.

“What are you doing?” She had no way of resisting him. “You’ll… catch a cold.”

“I’m fit and strong, it’ll be fine.” Li Lei said. “You’ll be warmer this way. Xiao Ling, hold it out for a while more. Help is coming, you’ll be fine.”

She was ice-cold, and her pulse was extremely weak. Li Lei had never been this afraid in his life before he saw that she had almost left him and this world for good.

He was cold too. When he went to save her, he realized that she had been caught underwater by some seaweed and was already in an unconscious state. It took him a lot of effort to rescue her onto the shore, and he was weak now as well. Still, all he was concerned about now was to keep her safe, as she was in her most vulnerable state. She could die from hypothermia, and he could not let that happen.

After holding her for a while, she regained some breath. “I’m alright, you… don’t have to do this anymore.” She could see that he was cold too — his lips were already purple and quivering in the wind. Still, he kept her ice-cold hand on his chest and held it down when she tried to remove it.

“I’m alright.” He was trembling with cold, but he kept his voice steady. “We’ll both survive this. I want to protect you for the rest of your life, I won’t die here in front of you.”

“Hey…” She was a little unhappy, why was he talking about death now?

He smiled and bent over to kiss her forehead. “I’m here, don’t be afraid.” Tracing the outline of her face with his eyes, he spotted the amulet around her neck — the one that he poured his blood and sincere prayers into. “You’ll be fine,” Li Lei said again. “You’re wearing the amulet I gave you.”

She agreed with him softly.

She remembered how she had mocked the amulet for being another generic pendant worth less than a dollar, and refused to put it on. Only after going through so much did she realize that even if it was just another generic pendant, and even if he had picked it up on the streets, the thought and love that went into it were invaluable.

In fact, he was the one she could depend on to protect her for the rest of her life.

Chapter 339: An Understated Apology
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

After a long time, someone finally came to rescue them.

When the show team saw Li Lei, they were shocked. However, it was not the time to be curious. A large group of people got them into a car and sent them to a hospital for treatment.

Xia Ling’s condition was more serious — Hypoxia and pulmonary influx that led to a series of other complications. As such, she needed to be hospitalized.

Li Lei accompanied her as she did a complete check-up and only went to do his own after she had settled into her ward. The check-up results showed that there was no big problem. After he took a shower and changed into clean and warm clothes, he was alive and energetic again.

Xia Ling was put on a drip; she was very weak. She looked at how energetic he was and became jealous. “We climbed out of the lake together, so why are you unhurt?”

“That’s because I’m awesome.” Li Lei laughed shamelessly.

Xia Ling was quiet for a while before saying, “It was very dangerous, right?”

“Hm?”

“Although the pool was not big, the power of the waves is not a joke when the machine is turned on. Why did you jump in to save me in such rapid waters? What if something bad happened?”

“I didn’t think too much.” Li Lei said. After seeing her guilty expression, he added, “I have even swum in the ocean in a storm before. These small rapids were nothing compared to that.” He smiled. “Look, aren’t both of us fine? Cheer up. Don’t look so distressed.”

She forced a smile.

Li Lei thought that she was tired and let her rest.

Before he left, he sort of remembered something, so he turned around and said, “Oh yes, there was someone who was drowning too, and he is resting in the bed next to you.” This hospital was small, and the individual intensive care units were very close to one another.

Xia Ling heard what he said and raised her head. “Who?” Once she said that she realized that besides Pei Ziheng, who else could it be? She remembered that in the cold and rushing rapids, he forcefully let go of her hand and left her behind to die without looking back…

She had told herself thousands of times before that she could not love him.

She had done everything possible to escape being his hunting target.

She even urged him to get married and only treated him as a friend who was a little special.

However… now, it looked like they could not even be friends. Even a stranger would not be so cruel. In Pei Ziheng’s eyes, her life was as insignificant as an inanimate object.

She lightly closed her eyelids and suppressed her emotions.

Sure enough, Li Lei replied, “Pei Ziheng.”

He stared at her nervously. The show team said that when the accident occurred, Pei Ziheng was the first one who jumped down the waterfall to save her. Did she know about that?

“Why is he hospitalized?” She muttered. When she was in the water, his swimming ability was strong, and he seemed to be able to move easily in the water. Unless…

Xia Ling remembered that something fell off his wrist. Did he risk his life for that thing?

However, Li Lei thought that she did not know that Pei Ziheng jumped into the water. He hesitated for some time before saying, “He also went to rescue you. However, it seemed that my luck was better because I found you first.” Their hospital wards were too close, and sooner or later, she would meet Pei Ziheng. It was better if he told her now than letting her hear something from that man’s mouth.

At least he would not exaggerate the story.

Li Lei was very nervous about her response, but unexpectedly, Xia Ling only faintly sighed.

“You look like… you are not surprised at all.” Li Lei was somewhat unconvinced.

“There’s nothing to be surprised about.” Xia Ling’s expression was very dull. “I don’t believe that he would jump into the water for me. Perhaps it was because he dropped something into the water. Before the accident happened, I think I heard that he was looking for something.” There were some lies mixed with truth in her words, but it kept Li Lei guessing. Maybe Pei Ziheng really did not jump down to save her?

With that thought in mind, he was relieved.

“It is possible that he was looking for something,” Li Lei said. “When the rescue team found him, he was unconscious on the river bank clutching a watch and refusing to let go. I heard that the dial was broken. I don’t know why it is so precious to him.”

“Watch?” Suddenly, her heart skipped a beat.

She knew how many watches Pei Ziheng had, and among them were many world-famous products. However, with that man’s character, even it was a valuable object, he would not treasure it that much. Unless…

She remembered that many years ago, she had a watch custom-made for him.

It was a Patek Philippe set for two with the names of a man and a woman engraved on them. Unfortunately, the customization duration was too long, and it took three years to order and obtain the watches. She did not even have the chance to see them personally before she was imprisoned, tortured, and eventually murdered. Was it possible that that was the watch he was wearing now?

With her understanding of Pei Ziheng, this was probably the only item with a sentimental value that was worthy of him keeping.

Yet….

She laughed at herself. Did she really understand him? If she really understood him, why did so many tragic events in the past happen? In reality, he was an enigma, and to her, he was forever a mystery.

She turned her head and looked out of the window.

Li Lei instructed her to rest and left.

Xia Ling was recuperating in the hospital and lived in deep seclusion. Sometimes, she would take a walk outside and meet Pei Ziheng in the small garden.

He sat alone on a bench under the maple tree and was looking down at something in his hands. The coat around his shoulders was trailing on the ground and stained with dirt, but he was completely unaware.

Xia Ling did not want to meet him and decided to take a detour, but just at this time, he lifted his head.

“Ye Xingling.” His voice was very flat, and he was no longer as calm as usual. Even his appearance looked terrible. He did not shave his beard cleanly, his grey cheeks were sullen, he was very thin, and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked extremely haggard and in a worse condition than the girl who fell into the water first.

Xia Ling was sad, but she did not know if she was feeling sad for herself or for him.

Pei Ziheng looked at her deeply with a complicated expression. It was as if he were trying to see through her heart.

Xia Ling felt uneasy after he looked at her like that. When she spoke, she was a little sarcastic. “Why are you looking at me like that? Go look for your watch! Thanks to you, I almost died in the river.”

He slowly said, “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” Xia Ling laughed in anger. “You almost killed me. Sorry is truly an understatement. Pei Ziheng, Big Boss Pei, Chairman Pei! If you don’t want to help me, don’t give me hope from the start. Don’t throw me into hell after making me think that I could be rescued! Don’t you think that you are too cruel?”

In her past life, she also thought of him as her savior, but in the end, she always put him on a pedestal and was greatly disappointed.

“Pei Ziheng, do I owe you anything?” She demanded. “Even if I do, how much do I owe you? 5 billion? 10 billion? Just tell me a number and I will return it to you. Why do you always have to haunt me like a ghost? Why do you always have to disturb my calm emotions?!”

The man in front of her did not respond and tightly held the item in his hands.

Chapter 340: Happy Birthday, I Love You
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Xia Ling saw it clearly this time.

There was a metallic reflection that shined between his fingers. It had a broken dial and a motionless needle but still had a low-key luxurious extravagance. That was… a Patek Philippe.

She recognized the watch by its unique custom-made design. Sure enough, it was the one she gave him.

She did not feel that it was absurd. He could not protect the person but still wanted to protect her relics? In any case, since he loved “Xia Ling’s” relic, she should let him remember her for a lifetime. In this lifetime, she should mind her own business. She did not want to care about him anymore and did not hope to be friendly with him. She wanted to treat him like… they never met each other before.

She turned around and walked away.

“I can’t bring myself to betray her.” His voice came from behind her. It was very low and seemed to contain endless pain.

Xia Ling stopped in her footsteps for a moment and walked forward silently.

Pei Ziheng lowered his head for a long time.

The autumn maple leaves fell on his shoulders.

In the palm of his hand, the broken Patek Philippe was very cold. He brushed his fingertips against the back of the dial a little. There was a small line of words engraved there — Ling loves Heng.

It was simple, but it was her final confession to him.

At that time, she fell from the stage, suffered a concussion, and died on the spot. For a long time after her death, he was weary and depressed. As the days passed, he did not even have the heart to manage Imperial Entertainment. Sometimes, he felt that he had died with her and was a living corpse surviving in this world.

Chu Chen tried to persuade him to get a hold of himself.

Xia Yu also persuaded him. Many senior executives and confidants were all anxious and looked forward to him coming back to life.

However, he knew that they were all just afraid that everything would fall apart if he collapsed and that the company would be overtaken by someone else. No eggs could remain unbroken when the nest was upset. No one truly cared about him. The only woman who would be excessively worried over him falling a little sick and hug him after he came back in the middle of the night was never going to come back…

As he paralyzed himself with alcohol, the enemies in his family attacked.

The position of the head of the family was almost about to be changed.

However, on his thirty-fourth birthday, he received a present. It was packaged in a dark purple velvet box which was decorated with stars and was as gorgeous as the vast night sky. He opened it to take a look and saw that it was a pair of custom-made couples’ watches. The man’s watch was low-key and luxurious, while the woman’s was delicate and elegant. Both watches had names engraved on the back.

On the back of the man’s watch, “Ling loves Heng” was engraved.

On the back of the woman’s watch, “Heng loves Ling” was engraved.

There was also a card that she wrote personally.

[Even if our love can never be exposed, as long as we wear these watches, your skin will touch your watch and my skin will touch my watch, so we will always be able to feel each other’s love.

Ziheng, happy birthday. I love you.]

At that moment, he burst into tears.

He held the pair of watches and sat in his study for the whole night.

The next day, when he came out, he had already regained his callous decision-making of the past and ordered his employees to reorganize his entire corporation. In a few days, the situation was back under his control.

That’s right. He could not collapse.

He needed to hold the Pei family and Imperial Entertainment firmly in his hand.

Only then would he be able to successfully bury her in the graveyard of his ancestors and let her enjoy the same glory as she did in her life during her death. As long as he was alive, they would not dare to move her bones. On the day that he had successfully gained the authority and was about to die, he would also be able to choose a suitable heir to take care of her grave.

He already understood that the Pei family would be the same without him, but she would never be able to leave him.

He wore this man’s watch on his wrist for two years. Every time he was tired or annoyed, or missed her or was in pain… he only needed to touch it and remember the words engraved underneath the watch to gain the motivation to live on. Her love would always be there.

However, now, it was broken.

His fingers ran across the broken dial, leaving a trail of blood. The redness was a horrifying sight.

“Xiao Ling…” He mumbled in a low voice but did not know who he was calling. “What should I do…?”

Pei Ziheng was very afraid, and his heart was rattled like never before. In the rapids, he hesitated when choosing between the watch and Ye Xingling, but if he gave up the watch to save Ye Xingling… would that mean he had betrayed his dead lover? He told himself that he could only really love Xia Ling and no one else.

As if to strengthen his beliefs, he abandoned Ye Xingling and pursued the Patek Philippe.

However, he had had the same dream every night. In his dream, he always saw Ye Xingling’s unbelievably hopeless eyes. Those eyes were full of emotion. In his dreams, they actually coincided with Xia Ling’s eyes…

When he woke up suddenly at midnight, he could not tell clearly who was who. It was like…

It was like the person he abandoned at that time was not Ye Xingling but the deceased Xia Ling herself.

It was a really strange feeling.

But it weighed him down.

Pei Ziheng questioned himself if he had really fallen for Ye Xingling.

When he woke up from his coma after he was rescued, he grabbed the medical staff, and the first question he asked for was: “How is Ye Xingling?” He only relaxed after hearing that she was safe.

However, how could he face Xia Ling after death?

The leaves of the maple tree fell and covered his body. Unaware, he continued to sit alone in silence and desolation.

Xia Ling returned to the ward, looked for Lin Yunan, and asked when she could leave the hospital.

“What’s the rush?” Lin Yunan asked. “Drowning is very serious, and there can be many complications. If your brain is deprived of oxygen, you will even become stupid. Although you are not very smart, to begin with, no matter what, it is still better to stay in the hospital for the doctors to monitor your health for some time. The show team has already changed the game plan, and there are only very easy activities in the upcoming filming session.”

Xia Ling said, “I want to transfer to another hospital then.”

“What’s the purpose of the transfer?” Lin Yunan exclaimed. He saw the neighboring ward from the corner of his eye and suddenly understood. “Because of him? Hey, you really are emotionless. Pei Ziheng is actually very pitiful. There were so many people, but the second the accident happened, he selflessly jumped into the water to save you… Although he was unlucky and was unable to save you, why do you need to hide from him?”

“You’re so noisy.” Xia Ling was unhappy. “Help me transfer to another hospital. Otherwise, I will ask someone else to help me.”

“Sure, you don’t need to say anything more.” Lin Yunan swayed as he walked out. “I’ll arrange a transfer for you, ok? Where should I transfer you to? How about the hospital near Skyart Entertainment? It will be more convenient for that person to see you.” He intuitively felt that there was something wrong with her and Pei Ziheng, but since she did not want to talk about it, he was too lazy to ask questions as long as it did not impact her job. As for whether it would affect her job? Probably not… right?