Roses in Flames

In the ward.

Xiao Lin sat leaning against the hospital bed. His once tall and strong figure now appeared somewhat thin, and his left arm was wrapped in a thick white bandage.

A short-haired woman stood beside the hospital bed, dressed in a smart suit, her silhouette revealing a touch of heroic spirit.

The woman was pouring chicken soup from a thermos for him. "How are you feeling today? Does your wound still hurt?"

Her voice was soft, gentle, and filled with familiar concern, as if she had been with someone for a long time.

Xiao Lin lowered his eyes, not looking up, his voice low and hoarse from injury, "I'm alright."

Upon seeing this scene, Ye Yuntang's heart clenched uncontrollably.

She arrived travel-worn, her heart filled with an eagerness to see him.

Worry, anxiety, fear, longing... all sorts of emotions surged like a tide.

She wanted to see him, then immediately throw herself into his arms, cup his face, and give him a deep kiss.

On the way there, she imagined countless times what his expression would be when he saw her.

He loves her so much and cares about her, he must have held her tightly in his arms!

But she never expected to see another woman in the hospital room.

Perhaps it was her gaze that was too intense, for the man, who had been looking down, suddenly looked up and gazed toward the door of the ward.

Ye Yuntang also saw his full appearance in an instant.

His eyebrows and eyes were dark and deep, his nose was high and straight, and his thin lips were pressed into a line.

He looked much thinner, which made him appear even more sharp, cold, and unapproachable.

Ye Yuntang's heart clenched.

He must have suffered a lot these past two years, he's really lost a lot of weight!

The moment their eyes met, she couldn't suppress her excitement and joy.

She took a few steps forward.

But when she saw his indifferent and emotionless eyes, she couldn't help but stop in her tracks.

Why did he feel no joy at the sight of her after such a long separation?

That calm and indifferent gaze made her feel flustered and afraid.

In his eyes, it seemed that she could no longer see the deep affection she once had.

Does he no longer love her?

The features were clearly familiar to her, so why did they feel somewhat unfamiliar?

His aura seemed even colder and more stern than when she first met him.

Ye Yuntang's long eyelashes trembled slightly, and her hands, hanging at her sides, unconsciously clenched into fists.

"Xiao Lin," she spoke first, trying to keep her voice from trembling too much, "when did you get back? Besides your arm, are you injured anywhere else?"

Hearing her voice, the short-haired woman who was pouring soup turned around and looked at Ye Yuntang.

Ye Yuntang glanced at the short-haired woman.

The short-haired woman was probably around the same age as Xiao Lin. Her bangs were neat and tidy, making her both beautiful and spirited, exuding a cool and capable aura.

She and Xiao Lin, who was in the hospital bed, looked like a perfect match.

The short-haired woman glanced at Ye Yuntang, then looked at Xiao Lin with a questioning gaze. "Lin, who is she?"

Ah Lin?

The woman called him Ah Lin?

Ye Yuntang's pupils contracted slightly, and her fingertips dug deeply into her palm.

She didn't speak, and her gaze returned to Xiao Lin.

She wanted to see how he would introduce her.

Xiao Lin withdrew his indifferent gaze from Ye Yuntang, then glanced at the short-haired woman. "She's my colleague at my workplace in Ye City, the forensic doctor Ye."

A casual remark about a colleague was like a sharp dagger, piercing Ye Yuntang's heart.

Her blood felt like it was freezing.

Looking into the man's deep, cold eyes, she felt as if she were about to fall into an abyss.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but her throat felt incredibly dry, and she couldn't utter a single word.

Perhaps she's overthinking it.

After all, when they first started dating, she was the one who said she didn't want it to be public.

Xiao Lin's gaze returned to Ye Yuntang. "Forensic Doctor Ye, this is Ji Shu. She infiltrated the criminal group as an undercover agent a year before me."

He paused, then continued, "During a previous operation, I was almost exposed, and she helped me."

Ye Yuntang's heart continued to sink.

She understood; he meant that he and Ji Shu had become sworn brothers.

Their relationship was no longer ordinary.

During that time, the two fought side by side, risking their lives and enduring gunfire, together shouldering the most dangerous missions.

Two years.

It's been much longer than the time she's known him or the time they've been dating.

A woman appeared in his life who was just as capable as him, was dashing and heroic, and had even saved his life.

It was far more than what she had given him.

They struggled together in the darkness, witnessing each other at their most vulnerable, most disheveled, and most desperate.

We spend every day together, sharing life and death.

It's perfectly normal for him to be tempted.

Ye Yuntang suddenly understood why he hadn't contacted her immediately after returning to Beijing.

I also understand why Huanhuan hesitated on the phone and why he didn't want her to come to the hospital. He was probably afraid she would see his changed heart!

Ye Yuntang froze on the spot, suddenly feeling a sense of dizziness.

All my strength felt like it had been drained away by a giant syringe.

A dense, throbbing pain surged through my chest like a tidal wave.

Her nose stung terribly, her eyes welled up with tears, but she stubbornly held them back.

The two years he spent as an undercover agent were incredibly agonizing for her.

Every day I hope he can complete his mission and return safely, and I pray for him in my heart every day.

When she felt too bad, she would repeatedly watch the video of him playing the piano that he sent her on New Year's Eve, and look at the photos of the two of them setting off fireworks together.

Every time I watch it, my eyes well up with tears.

She used to be such a bright and unrestrained woman. Even though she had been hurt by Fu Shili, she chose to believe in love and men again.

She fantasized countless times about what it would be like when he returned.

She imagined him kneeling down on one knee to propose to her, and she would definitely say yes without hesitation.

I fantasize about them having a wedding, and about them having a lovely baby someday.

Those expectations she held dear in her heart, carefully guarded for two years; those lights that helped her through countless dark nights; those futures she thought were within reach…

Why has everything changed?

Why?

Why?

She waited for two years, hoped for two years, and endured two years of hardship.

In the end, this was the only result we got.

Ye Yuntang bit her lower lip hard with her pearly teeth, and she tasted a hint of blood.

Standing at the door of the ward, Xiao Huan saw Ye Yuntang swaying precariously, and her heart ached terribly.

She stepped forward and supported Ye Yuntang, who looked like she was about to fall at any moment. She glared at Xiao Lin with a scrunched-up face, "Second Brother, don't go too far!"

Xiao Lin sat against the headboard, motionless, his head bowed, his thick, dark eyelashes casting a dark, indistinct shadow beneath his eyes.

Faced with Xiao Huan's accusations, he neither argued nor looked up, but simply remained silent.

Seeing this, Ji Shu said, "I have things to do at the bureau, I'll be leaving now."

Xiao Lin hummed in agreement, "I'll call you later."

Upon seeing this scene, Ye Yuntang's long eyelashes trembled violently.

After Ji Shu left, Ye Yuntang looked at Xiao Huan, who was supporting her, and gently patted the back of her hand. "Huanhuan, I want to talk to your second brother alone."

Xiao Huan frowned, wanting to say something, but ultimately said nothing.

After Xiao Huan left, she closed the door to the ward.

In the ward, with only Ye Yuntang and Xiao Lin remaining, the air seemed to freeze into ice.

Ye Yuntang tilted her head slightly, forcing back the tears that were about to fall.

She took a deep breath, strode over, and walked toward the bedside.

She picked up the chicken soup that Ji Shu had poured from the cabinet, scooped up a spoonful, blew on it to cool it down, and then fed it to the man's thin lips.

The man kept his head down the whole time, neither looking at her nor opening his mouth.

Ye Yuntang held the soup spoon up until the chicken soup cooled down.

"What, are you going to remain chaste for your new girlfriend now, and refuse to even drink the chicken soup that your ex is feeding you?" She curled her lips into a mocking smile.

The man's eyelashes trembled slightly.

He slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his expression remained calm and undisturbed.

After a long silence, he uttered three words in a deep voice, "I'm sorry."

sorry?

These three words are sharper and more cruel than a dagger.

Ye Yuntang forcefully placed the bowl of chicken soup on the cabinet, and a few drops of hot soup splashed out and dripped onto the back of her hand, but she felt no pain.

Because her heart was bleeding.

She sat down on the edge of the hospital bed and looked at his face.

At such close range, she could clearly see the stubble on his chin, the bloodshot eyes from lack of rest, and his gaunt face with not a single ounce of flesh.

She had longed for him for so long and loved him for so long.

But why does it feel so unfamiliar?

"Don't say sorry. You must have suffered a lot to be able to take down that criminal group. My sister's revenge has been achieved, and I should thank you."

She sniffed, trying her best to control her emotions. "Ah Lin, as long as you say those two words, I won't bother you anymore, and I'll even wish you well."

She neither resented him nor hated him.

He's a good man, a good policeman.

She was willing to give anything to ensure his safe return.

Even if it's God punishing her by preventing her from loving him again, or by making her accept that he has another woman by his side.

As long as he's alive, that's enough.

The man pursed his thin lips and remained silent.

Ye Yuntang stared into his eyes, trying to control her expression, but tears still streamed down her face.

She stared intently into his eyes and said, slowly and deliberately, "You said... let's break up."

She would let go as long as he said it.

She would stop bothering him once he told her.

She would grant his request as long as he asked.

Xiao Lin looked at her face covered in tears, but he didn't even frown. His emotions were as indifferent as a stagnant pool.

He opened his mouth, but in the end, he uttered those three words: "I'm sorry."

boom.

Ye Yuntang felt the last string in her mind snap.

She could no longer hold on and squatted down on the ground, her whole body trembling uncontrollably.

Tears welled up.

All the grievances, waiting, anticipation, love, and despair exploded at this moment.

She collapsed, covering her mouth in despair, the suppressed sobs spilling out from between her fingers.

After an unknown amount of time, she stood up and looked at him again.

"If you won't say it, then it's my turn to say it: we're breaking up!"