Mrs. Fu, please be mindful of the appropriate boundaries.

Xu Qingcheng nodded and walked towards the ward.

The man's trench coat hung on her arm, damp with rain and carrying his scent.

At this time, the hospital corridors were filled with the smell of food.

Zhao Lan was sleeping peacefully. Aunt Wang had already prepared the meal and placed it beside her. The other caregiver would not arrive until tomorrow. Xu Qingcheng looked at Aunt Wang and said, "Please rest for a while. Thank you for your hard work today."

"No, that's not true. I'm used to taking care of people, but you, at such a young age, have it tough." Aunt Wang sighed and handed a meal to Xu Qingcheng. "Eat something. You're the most important person in the family, and this family is counting on you."

That hit the nail on the head. Xu Qingcheng took the food and ate a few bites with difficulty.

The ward was quiet. Xu Qingcheng tugged at the blanket. Zhao Lan's arm was wrapped in gauze, but no marks could be seen.

The wounds will eventually heal.

But how do you heal a wound in the heart?!

"Aunt Wang, please sit down." Xu Qingcheng pulled up a chair for her. She had something to ask, "What do you and my mother usually talk about when you're together?"

"Uh..." Aunt Wang looked at Xu Qingcheng, feeling a little awkward.

Xu Qingcheng smiled faintly, "It's okay, even if the words are harsh, it doesn't matter. Tell me, I want to know what she's thinking all the time."

"No, no, Madam has never said anything unpleasant to me," Aunt Wang hurriedly denied. "Really. Madam is just worried that you won't have a good marriage prospect. She said you originally had a very good match."

Xu Qingcheng remained silent, looking down at her bare fingers. When that person put the ring on her ring finger, he had promised to make her worry-free for the rest of her life.

Unfortunately, so many promises are just fleeting memories, only remaining in our memories to constantly remind us of the pitfalls we've fallen into, occasionally piercing our hearts.

As Xu Qingcheng curled her fingers into her palm, she looked at the sleeping Zhao Lan, her nose stinging with tears.

"The previous marriages, since they didn't work out, weren't good matches. But in the future, I'll find someone better."

She spoke softly to Zhao Lan, but it also seemed as if she were speaking to herself.

"Miss Xu, this coat looks torn." Aunt Wang picked up the black trench coat that Miss Xu had put down after coming in; the sleeve was torn. "Oh dear, did you cut your arm? And why is there blood on it?"

Xu Qingcheng turned her head, stared at the clothes for a while, then stood up and picked them up. "Give them to me."

Seeing her neatly fold the clothes and put them in a pocket, Aunt Wang couldn't help but ask, "These clothes are torn, they're hard to mend." These days, young people aren't like they used to be; even if they were mended, they wouldn't wear them anymore.

Besides, that man seemed like a very particular person.

"Hmm. It can't be fixed now." Xu Qingcheng's expression was gentle as she hung the bag on a hanger to the side. "He shielded me from injury on the rooftop; otherwise, I would have been the one who got hurt."

"Oh dear. No wonder," Aunt Wang exclaimed. "Was that gentleman Miss Xu's boyfriend?"

They wouldn't even throw away a torn piece of clothing. It feels strangely intimate.

Xu Qingcheng lowered her eyes and smiled faintly, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

There's a poem that says, "The most tender thing is that lowered head, like a water lily shyly trembling in the cool breeze."

The Xu family's daughter is truly beautiful; Aunt Wang thinks of her own chubby girl and realizes she can't compare.

But it was precisely because she was so beautiful that people were uneasy. Aunt Wang recalled Zhao Lan's hysterical shouting and cursing; even if she didn't know the details, she had heard most of it.

Thinking of this, Aunt Wang couldn't help but gasp. You see, even wealthy families don't always have smooth sailing. Having such a beautiful daughter doesn't make things easy. That man might not be her boyfriend, or he might be... a client.

Xu Qingcheng deals with shrewd people all day long, so how could she not understand Aunt Wang's emotions, which are almost always written on her face?

But if she wants to act, the script has to be presented the way she wants it to be.

"He knew my mother was in trouble and came to check on her." Xu Qingcheng said calmly, "My mother was heartbroken after my engagement was called off. I originally wanted to wait until everything was confirmed before telling her, so I didn't tell her. I didn't expect her to think so much..."

"Oh dear, how could you not explain things to Madam? It's all a misunderstanding, why not explain? What's wrong with talking about normal dating? Even married couples can get divorced, so why wait until everything is confirmed? Don't you know how worried a mother is? I worry about my own daughter, Fatty, every day, afraid she'll be deceived, let alone someone as beautiful as you." Aunt Wang slapped her leg. "When Madam wakes up, you have to have a good talk with her. When a person's heart is open and clear, any illness can disappear."

Xu Qingcheng turned her head to look in Zhao Lan's direction, "My mom and I sometimes don't think or talk to each other, and she might not believe my explanations."

"Why don't you believe me? That's what a mother says, but that's not what she really thinks. You should still tell me."

Aunt Wang is a very outgoing and talkative person. She offered to help, saying, "I'll put in a good word for you too. That gentleman is very handsome, and you two look very well-matched."

Xu Qingcheng smiled slightly, "Anyway, thank you, Aunt Wang."

A mental illness requires a mental cure.

Xu Qingcheng didn't know if this approach would work, but if Zhao Lan was truly worried about her, then she would try to dispel Zhao Lan's worries.

She was beautiful, and Fu Jingting was also good-looking enough for her age.

This should put Zhao Lan at ease a little.

We must never allow such extreme acts as suicide to happen again; this family cannot afford any more damage.

Xu Qingcheng's eyes stung with tears. She got up and went to the corridor to get some fresh air.

……

The cuts on Fu Jingting's arm weren't very deep, and the disinfection and bandaging were done quickly.

The feeling of being bitten by eight insects during disinfection was really unpleasant. Suddenly, the man couldn't help but laugh when he saw Xu Qingcheng's expression when her earlobe was injured and cleaned.

Duan Heng was handing over his phone when he saw Fu Jingting's expression and his scalp tightened. Had he gone mad with anger, yet he was still laughing...?

Fu Jingting looked at the photos on his phone, scrolling through them one by one. They were all side profile shots, and even the side profiles were only outlined. "Not bad, the photos were well chosen."

Duan Heng's anxious heart slowly calmed down. "I'll arrange for someone to send it out through smaller channels."

"Mm." Fu Jingting nodded.

After his arm was treated, Duan Heng listened to the doctor's instructions, noted down the key points, and walked out of the hospital with Fu Jingting.

As they passed the ward building ahead, Fu Jingting seemed to suddenly remember something, picked up his phone, and sent a message.

Seeing that he seemed to be in a good mood, Duan Heng quickly continued his report, "The Ye family has almost suppressed the news. They are more afraid of negative reports about what Ye Wenhan brought up. However, the public opinion against Ye Wenhan has already fermented, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to handle."

Fu Jingting lowered his eyes and casually swiped his phone screen; no messages came in.

The man's eyes narrowed slightly, and he suddenly asked, "Duan Heng, if you were Xu Qingcheng, could you do this?"