Chapter 4, Part 4

I shrank back sharply. Before, I had only wanted to place a bouquet at my father’s grave together, but Gu Huaibei had ruthlessly crushed the flowers underfoot.

“Ji Anan, what right do you have to honor the mastermind of the crime in front of the victim?”

“If you dare do that in front of me again, I won’t hesitate to find someone to smash his headstone.”

From then on, I never dared to visit my father’s grave in Gu Huaibei’s presence; I could only come secretly on my own.

“Forget it, let’s go.”

But Gu Huaibei’s gaze remained cold and sharp.

It wasn’t until we got in the car, ready to go home, that I received a call from the hospital.

“Miss Ji, good news! Your mother moved slightly today—a sign of awakening. You should come see her!”

I gripped the phone tightly, my heart pounding heavily.

My voice trembled with nervousness.

“Really? I’ll be there right away!”

Gu Huaibei glanced sideways at me; he had heard the conversation and gripped the steering wheel tightly.

I abandoned all pretense and humbly pleaded with him.

“Huaibei, please, let me see my mother.”

“I can go by myself; I won’t trouble you.”

Gu Huaibei lowered his eyes, masking all expression.

Just as I was about to desperately open the car door and jump out, Gu Huaibei smiled.

“Of course you can. This is a great joy; of course you should go. I’ll take you.”

I didn’t care what Gu Huaibei was thinking. The hope that my mother, who had been unconscious for two years, might wake was overwhelming.

But when we arrived at the hospital, my mother still lay quietly on the bed.

I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment.

The doctor comforted me gently, “Your mother really did move her finger today. Our observations show her awareness of the outside world seems heightened. This is a good sign; the chance of waking up is very high.”

Gu Huaibei clenched his fists so tightly his nails dug into his flesh.

Her mother still had a chance to wake, but his own parents would never see that day.

The doctor left the room, leaving me alone.

I held my mother’s hand, endlessly trying to speak, hoping she could hear me.

Gu Huaibei closed all the doors and windows of the room and, intimately, wrapped his arms around me from behind.

“Nannan.”

I froze. Since the accident, Gu Huaibei had never called me so tenderly.

He leaned close to my ear, warm breath brushing behind it.

A shiver ran through me as I realized what he wanted to do. Unease and fear quickly swelled within me.

“Huaibei, don’t... not here.”

He ignored me and his hand reached the edge of my pants.

Beside the hospital bed was a sofa. Gu Huaibei picked me up and threw me onto it, then pressed his whole body down on me.

“Nannan, Mom’s about to wake—that’s a great thing. Shouldn’t we let her rest assured that we’re deeply in love...?”

I was pinned on the sofa, tears streaming uncontrollably onto the fabric.

“Please, not here. Sorry, sorry... let’s wait until we’re home, okay?”

My desperate pleas shattered every shred of dignity I had left.

But his handI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.