Three months passed by in a blink of an eye. Regardless of how anxious everyone was, the day of Xin Qing's last acupuncture session had finally arrived.
Early that morning, Tang Shuang and Young Master Shen arrived together. "Will she remember everything after you've done?" asked Zhang Mi nervously, who was pacing around Tang Shuang.
Tang Shuang rolled her eyes. "What, do you think the human brain is some kind of switch that you can just flip? The blood clot inside her brain has already dissolved. But not even I can tell for sure whether she'll regain her memories immediately."
A dark look formed on Young Master Shen's face before Zhang Mi could even cry out in protest. "That's not what you told me the first time. You gave me your word that she would recover."
"And she will recover. Just not immediately. She might be fine after a nap. Or she might remember everything by the end of tonight. The point is, with the blood clot gone, she will make a speedy recovery," Tang Shuang said, eyeing both of them. "It's not like I'd run off or something. Hey, I'm the one who has everything to lose if she doesn't recover!"
Finally, the last acupuncture session was completed. Xin Qing seemed a little pale, just like she had been for the past three months. Young Master Shen did not give Xin Qing time to take a breather; he brought her to the hospital straight away. They did not trust Tang Shuang, so they wanted Xin Qing to undergo a full-body checkup.
After he had sent Xin Qing into the observation room and dismissed Zhang Mi, Young Master Shen said, "Alright. You can come out now!"
Ying Qingcang walked out from the passageway. "Why is it that she seems paler and paler?"
Young Master Shen noticed the scowl plastered on Ying Qingcang's face. He shrugged and said, "Guess we'll find out after the doctors checked her out."
Xin Qing was pushed out of the observation room an hour later. "The blood clot in her brain has vanished. It won't be long until she regains her memories," the doctor told Ying Qingcang excitedly.
Ying Qingcang kept his eyes on Xin Qing, who was already fast asleep. "Then why's she still so weak?" Ying Qingcang said, keeping his voice soft as if he was worried that he might startle her by speaking loudly.
"She hasn't been eating well recently. Her body hasn't been obtaining enough nutrients. She will be physically active again once you replenish her nutrition and address her dietary needs," the doctor placated.
They brought Xin Qing to a hospital room. Ying Qingcang stood beside her bed, and for a while, he just observed her. After that, he turned around to face Young Master Shen. "Bring her home when she wakes up. And then... Tell her about me and Tang Shuang."
"Look, now that Xiao Qingqing has fully recovered, we don't have to fear that woman anymore. Say the word, and I'll have my guys grab her right away," Young Master Shen said hurriedly.
Ying Qingcang shook his head. "Do you think she'll just cure Xin Qing without doing anything else? No. I suspect she still has something up her sleeves. Stick to the plan for now. We'll handle the rest after Xin Qing recovers."
"But there's still no need for you to tell her that load of crap! What if I send Xiao Qingqing overseas for the time being?"
"But what will she think if she wakes up and I'm nowhere to be seen? And I'm pretty sure Tang Shuang will find her and then tell her everything. If she's going to find out eventually, you might as well just tell her first rather than her hearing about it from someone else later on." Ying Qingcang sighed deeply. "Just tell her that she'd been unconscious for half a year after she was shotted, and that I had another woman during that time."
Still, Young Master Shen dissented. "Don't you think that's just cruel? It's cruel to you and her both."
"I'm beginning to understand how she felt two years ago." Carefully, Ying Qingcang picked up Xin Qing's hand and began a series of gentle caresses. "Back then, in order to protect me, she had chosen to leave me no matter how much she loved me. She'd rather I hate her and detest her than allowing me to approach her. If two people were to break up, the one who still has lingering feelings will suffer more!" Ying Qingcang stared at Young Master Shen. "Before we catch the person behind everything, nobody knows what kind of accident might happen next time. Right now, Xin Qing is my Archilles' heel. I need to send her away for her own safety."
Realization dawned upon Young Master Shen. "So that's the real reason you agreed to marry Tang Shuang! You want to let everyone think that you've abandoned Xiao Qingqing and found a new love. You're trying to push Tang Shuang out into the public while keeping Xiao Qingqing in the safest place possible."
"I hadn't planned to do that at first. After all, that woman did cure Ah Qing." A look of cruelty shone from the depths of Ying Qingcang's eyes. "But she's the one who had sought this path. So you can't really blame me for being cruel." Ying Qingcang lowered his head and kissed Xin Qing's forehead. "Let Ah Qing hate me for the time being! That way, she'll have the courage to live on. We'll reveal the whole truth to her after everything's settled."
"Okay, I've got to head back first," Ying Qingcang said. "I'll leave everything to you, pal."
Ying Qingcang headed back to Ying's residence first. He had to destroy Xin Qing's leather notebook, she could never know everything that had happened after her amnesia. After that, he went to the lawyer's office.
That night, Young Master Shen and Zhang Mi stayed at Xin Qing's hospital room.
"She's moving! She moving!" Zhang Mi jumped up in excitement. "Xin Qing? Xin Qing?"
The person on the bed stirred. Her lashes fluttered a few times before she slowly opened her eyes. "Mimi..."
"Argh! Argh! Argh!" Crying and laughing at the same time, Zhang Mi threw her arms around Xin Qing in a hug. "You've recovered! You've finally recovered!"
Xin Qing sat up and mocked the other woman. "You look ugly as hell. Stop crying." Then she turned to Young Master Shen. "Hey, why are you so emotional as well? Oh, right. I remember being shot. But what about Ying Qingcang?" Xin Qing had finally noticed that something was amiss. She did not see Ying Qingcang...
"What happened to him? Did he get shot too?"
Zhang Mi quickly held her back. "Calm down. Calm down! We'll explain everything to you slowly." Zhang Mi gave Young Master Shen a pointed look.
"Xiao Qingqing! The bullet hit you in the head, and you've been in a coma for over half a year."
Xin Qing let out a tiny squeak. "Huh? I was out for that long? So you're saying that I nearly became a vegetative patient!"
"Oh, hush, hush! What nonsense are you talking about? You're awake right now, aren't you? The doctors have already told us that you've fully recovered. You're fine now!" Above, Zhang Mi stared at Xin Qing. Below, she secretly gave Young Master Shen a kick.
At this point, Young Master Shen could be facing down a couple of assassins and he would not be as nervous as he was now. How the heck was he even supposed to say this...
"Is there something you guys are hiding from me?" Xin Qing prodded after she saw the nervous look on each of their faces.
Zhang Mi gritted her teeth. "Xin Qing, you listen to me well, okay? Ying Qingcang has had a change of heart. He's marrying another woman now." After those words left Zhang Mi's mouth, both Zhang Mi and Young Master Shen were looking at Xin Qing as if they were about to charge into a warzone.
Xin Qing stared at them wordlessly for God knows how long. The silence dragged on until even Zhang Mi was starting to feel scared. Just when Zhang Mi was about to open her mouth to speak, Xin Qing said, "Let's go home!"
"Xin Qing-" Zhang Mi was cut off abruptly by Young Master Shen. "Yes! That's right. Let's go home first. Ah Sha is still waiting for you at home!"
At Ying's residence, Aunt Tian was holding Ah Sha in her arms. She and Uncle Fu were waiting for Xin Qing's return. They both stood up anxiously when Xin Qing made her entrance.
"Aunt Tian, Uncle Fu!" Xin Qing greeted them both with a smile. "I'm home!"
"Oh, it's so good to have you back home! How wonderful!" Aunt Tian said, holding back her tears. Handing Ah Sha to Xin Qing, Aunt Tian said, "She insisted to wait for your return. She just fell asleep."
Xin Qing cradled Ah Sha in her arms and gave the child a kiss. Then she turned around to address Young Master Shen. "He... Is he willing to see me?"
"Huh?" Young Master Shen was dazed. After a moment, he recovered. He wanted to nod his head, but in the end, he chose to act rationally and said, "I don't know. Shall I ask him?"
Xin Qing considered the suggestion for a while. "If he isn't willing, or is indisposed, just forget it then."
Zhang Mi kept her eyes on Xin Qing as Xin Qing walked up the stairs. Feeling suspicious, Zhang Mi nudged Young Master Shen. "Say, do you find her behavior odd?"
"Yes," Young Master Shen said, nodding. "She didn't cry. Didn't kick up a fuss either."
"I know, right? Damn, what the hell's going on in her head right now?" All of a sudden, Zhang Mi jumped up. "This won't do. I'm going to watch her. What if she's just putting on a brave front and then ends up losing her mind and doing something stupid?"
Young Master Shen also found that to be a huge possibility. "Go on, then. I'll find Ying Qingcang."
Ying Qingcang remained silent for a long time after he had heard about Xin Qing's behavior. "What do you think is going on with Xiao Qingqing?" Young Master Shen said a little frustratedly.
"Do you think it's likely that she still remembers the stuff that had happened after she lost her memories?" Ying Qingcang frowned. "Can't believe she never shed a single tear..." he thought.
Just then, his phone rang; it was Zhang Mi.
"You guys need to come back quickly! Xin Qing has locked herself inside the bathroom. She's refusing to come out."
Ying Qingcang sprang to his feet and began making his way out. Behind him, Young Master Shen shouted as he ran. "I knew it! I knew that something's up with her!"
When Ying Qingcang got there, Zhang Mi was banging on the bathroom door. "Xin Qing! Xin Qing! Please, open the door! Oh, please, don't scare me like that," Zhang Mi yelled. When she saw Ying Qingcang, she said, "I heard her crying inside just now. But now I can't hear a damn thing."
"Kick down the door!" Young Master Shen suggested.
Ying Qingcang kicked the door hard. It did not budge; he had set an overly high standard to be met during the renovations.
"Together!" Young Master Shen said, raising his foot as well. Simultaneously, the two men kicked the door forcefully. A loud crash sounded, and a hole formed right at the center of the door. Ying Qingcang reached in through the hole and turned the door lock from within. The door opened, and the three of them rushed inside. They saw Xin Qing sitting beside the glass window. Despite the ruckus that they had been causing, she acted as if she had heard none of it.
"Ah Qing..." Ying Qingcang called out tentatively in an attempt to test the waters. Still, he had no clue how to even begin telling her the rest of what he had planned to say.
Slowly, Xin Qing turned her head. She smiled at him. "You're here!"
Zhang Mi burst into tears and threw herself at Xin Qing, wrapping the latter in a hug. "Don't. Don't be like this. Don't smile. Cry if you feel like crying! You'll feel better after you cry. Cry, damn it! Cry!"
"I have no tears to shed," Xin Qing said. Then she shook her head and added, "I'm fine."
Ying Qingcang approached her slowly. Then he crouched down before her. "Ah Qing, you can hate me. But please don't hurt yourself."
"I don't hate you," Xin Qing said, smiling again. "Despite everything, you've once loved me so dearly, and for that, I have to thank you." She stared at him. "Even if you don't love me anymore, I will give you my blessing. I won't be attending your wedding, though. After today, I'll take Ah Sha and return to France."
Ying Qingcang listened to her from start to finish; every single word was like a dagger, lacerating his heart. For a moment, he truly wanted to cast everything aside, and just wrap her in his arms without caring about anything else.
"Just what do you think you're doing?" Tang Shuang said as she walked in lazily. Ying Qingcang's eyes instantly turned into ice as he stared at the newcomer. All of a sudden, Xin Qing released an ear-piercing scream as she held her head.
Panicking, Ying Qingcang reached out a hand to support her. "What? What's the matter?"
"Head... hurts... so much..." In a blink of an eye, Xin Qing's face had gone as white as a sheet and her forehead was dotted with sweat. She shoved Ying Qingcang aside then and rammed her head straight into the wall. "Argh! It hurts so much.... Argh!"
Zhang Mi strangled Tang Shuang's neck. "It's you, isn't it? You did something to her!"
"Go ahead, strangle me to death if you want her to die of pain!"
As he held Xin Qing back from the wall, Ying Qingcang glared at Tang Shuang. "Ease her pain, now."
"You're welcome!" Tang Shuang shoved Zhang Mi aside and walked over to Xin Qing. After that, she poked a few needles into Xin Qing's skull. Slowly, Xin Qing fell silent. Then Xin Qing's eyes rolled to the back of her head as she passed out.