Fu Tingyu and Gu Yan grew up together. Gu Yan must have been as worried as his family when he suddenly disappeared.
âSorry for making you worry.â
âItâs good that you came back safely.â
A few simple words could reveal the bond of brotherhood they shared.
Qin Shu stood by the coffee table, eyeing Jun Li. For a moment, she did not know what to say. As far as Fu Tingyu was concerned, she was still an amnesiac with no memory of who she was.
If she spoke to Jun Li, she would be exposed.
It never occurred to her that her actions taken in a fit of rage would come round and bite her.
Xiao Jiu looked up at his mother. He ran up to Jun Li and gave him a once over. âUncle Jun, are you feeling better?â He asked.
âIâm feeling much better, thank you,â Jun Li answered before meeting Qin Shuâs troubled gaze. âQin Shu, thank you.â His voice was barely more than a whisper, yet it sounded gentle and clear, like a warm spring breeze, easing one of their troubles.
Xiao Jiu spoke up, reminding him, âUncle Jun, my mother has lost her memory. She doesnât remember Uncle Jun. Donât worry. Iâm sure sheâll recover her lost memories soon, just like my father!â
âSheâs lost her memory?âJun Li cried in disbelief, shooting Qin Shu a worried look.
Gu Yan, too, was troubled by the news of Qin Shuâs supposed memory loss. When he caught sight of the bandage wrapped around her head, he muttered tentatively, âIs she injured? What happened?â
Qin Shu wanted nothing more than to dispel their concerns, but she could not. Her carefully crafted ruse was going to ruin everything!
Although Jun Li was still on the thin side, at least he was alive. It was what mattered most.
Awkwardly, she said, âI hit my head.â
Fu Tingyu walked over to her side, his gaze trained on the back of Qin Shuâs head. Even with the bandage on, he knew what hid beneath: a fairly deep wound caused by a door clipping the side of her head.
âItâs because I didnât protect her that she got hurt.â
âYou must be tired after sitting on the plane for so long. Rest. Dinner will be ready shortly,â Jun Li said.
âOkay.â Qin Shu was about to sit when Fu Tingyu led her by the hand to the sofa.
â
The butler ordered the maids to bring the dishes to the table.
The six of them gathered at the dining table. Qin Shu and those present were well acquainted, so they did not stand on ceremony.
Qin Shu clasped her chopsticks in her hands and hungrily stared at the dish of bamboo shoots. Before she could help herself, Fu Tingyu had already picked up two pieces and placed them into her bowl. âYou were just discharged from the hospital. You shouldnât eat anything too greasy,â He gently reminded her.
There was nothing wrong with him giving her food to eat, but now, she could only sigh in the quiet depths of her heart.
Pursing her lips, she offered her polite thanks, âThank you.â
Her tone was polite but not so painfully distant as it was before. Still, this subtle change was enough to bring joy to Fu Tingyu. He believed that even if his wife had forgotten him, it would not be hard for her to fall in love again.
Xiao Jiu emulated his fatherâs example and picked up his chopsticks, placing a large piece of delicious-looking fish into Jun Liâs bowl. Tilting his head up and grinning cheekily, he said, âUncle Jun, you should eat more vegetables. You wonât put on any weight unless you eat more.â
Jun Li received Xiao Jiuâs token offering with gratitude, the barest hint of a smile touching his lips. He was impressed with how sensible Xiao Jiu was. âI will. Thank you, Xiao Jiu.â
Just as he was going to dig in, Su Ying interjected hurriedly, âYoung Master Jun, please allow me to debone the fish.â
Su Ying skillfully removed the fish bones with practised ease without mutilating the soft, succulent meat.
Seeing this, Xiao Jiu tilted his head thoughtfully and said, âUncle Jun, youâre just like my mother. My father also removes the fish bones for my mother before serving her. Donât you know how to spit them out?â
Jun Li laughed. âYes, Uncle Jun isnât very smart. He doesnât know how to spit them out.â
Su Ying returned Jun Liâs bowl of plump fish perfectly deboned. âYoung Master, itâs done.â
Jun Li picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks and brought it to his mouth, savouring the taste of fresh fish.
Meanwhile, a similar scene took place on Fu Tingyuâs end. He selected a juicy piece of fish and expertly removed the fishâs small bones with his chopsticks, one bone at a time. After which, he placed the fish into Qin Shuâs bowl. âYou should eat some fish. Itâs rich in calcium.â
Xiao Jiu sighed dramatically. âIâm the youngest, but no one has ever deboned a fish for me to eat... Am I not cute enough?â
Xiao Jiuâs lighthearted sarcasm caused everyone to burst into laughter.
It was a kind of music that filled the air.
â
Qin Shu returned to her room. When she passed by the open-air balcony at the corner, she saw a thin figure leaning against the balustrade.
Under the cold moonlight, she could see that the person was wearing a light grey nightgown. Their frail form looked like it would fold under the gentlest of breezes.
Qin Shu suddenly thought of a person who was also extremely weak.
She walked towards that lonely figure.
âJun Li.â She came to stand beside Jun Li. It was not cold where they stood.
Jun Li knew it was Qin Shu from the sound of her footsteps. There were obvious differences between a manâs and a womanâs steps, and Jun Li had long since learned to differentiate between the two. Even female martial arts practitioners would not possess the same presence as a man.
He slowly turned around, and his gaze fell on Qin Shu. It was too dim, so he could not see clearly. âYou havenât gone to bed yet?â
Jun Liâs voice was as warm as the first rays of dawn thawing fresh snow. It was pleasant to listen to and made people relax.
âI was planning to rest, but I saw you and decided to come over.â Qin Shu was well aware of how painfully thin Jun Li was. How could she not when they were seated so close together at the table earlier? Now, under the waning moon, Jun Liâs condition was obvious. He was so thin that all his bones stuck out at sharp angles. He had not changed since she last saw him.
She had not had the chance to ask Gu Yan about Jun Liâs physical condition over dinner or what were the side effects of using this different treatment method.
Would Jun Li make a full recovery? Would he return to what he once was? She was dying to know.
âHowâs your body?â
âIâm fine. Itâs already good enough that Iâm getting to live a while longer...â Jun Li replied indifferently.
Qin Shu interrupted before Jun Li could finish, âDonât say such things! I believe youâll recover! Youâre going to live a long and happy life.â
Jun Li smiled but did not refute her words. Instead, he asked, âWhat do you think is the most important thing in life? Is it to live a life without regrets?â
The most important thing in life...?
Fu Tingyu was the most important person in her life.
She had Fu Tingyu, Xiao Jiu, and a good friend who treated her very well.
She thought for a while before saying, âAlthough itâs a little selfish to protect the person who is the most important in your heart, itâs inevitable for a person to have selfish motives. Just as Tsangying Gyatso once said: Nothing in life is perfect; therefore, regrets are inevitable.â
Jun Li suddenly smiled in relief. âYouâre right. Itâs inevitable for a person to have selfish motives. Itâs not a bad thing to have regrets.â
Qin Shu looked at Jun Li. The forlorn moon shone on his jade-like cheeks, and she felt an unbearable sadness weigh upon her heart. âJun Li, whatâs wrong? Why are you saying these things?â She asked worriedly.
Jun Li shook his head. âIâm fine. I just passed through the Gates of Hell. Iâm probably overthinking things...â