He tricked the female lead into becoming his boyfriend, but then went on to criticize the male lead.

My head felt like it had been hit hard by a heavy object, or like countless tiny needles were pricking my temples.

A dull, heavy pain pressed down on his consciousness. Fu Yanchen struggled to open his heavy eyelids. Before him was a snow-white ceiling. A breeze carrying the smell of disinfectant gently swept past his nose, unfamiliar and cold.

He subconsciously raised his hand to cover his forehead, pressing his palm against it, but the aching pain did not ease at all.

As his gaze slowly focused, he could finally see his surroundings clearly—a simple and clean single hospital room with white bedding.

He was stunned for a few seconds, his mind a complete blank, and he couldn't remember how he ended up lying there.

"Mr. Fu, you're awake? How are you feeling? Is your head still throbbing?"

A calm and restrained voice sounded beside me.

Qin Shen stayed by the bedside the whole time. When he saw him open his eyes, he immediately took half a step forward, his face full of worry.

As Fu Yanchen's assistant and personal secretary for several years, he rarely saw this usually calm, composed man, who always had everything under control, in such a disheveled and fainting state.

Fu Yanchen's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, his dry voice hoarse from just waking up, and his eyes still clouded with lingering fatigue: "What's wrong with me?"

"You suddenly fainted in the office just now, collapsing right in front of your desk, which startled me," Qin Shen reported truthfully, his tone slightly cautious. "I rushed you to the school clinic. The doctor examined you and said it was due to excessive stress, overwork, and intense emotional fluctuations, leading to a sudden fainting spell. There's nothing seriously wrong with your health, you just need to rest. Also, your phone screen is completely shattered and it's unusable now."

The emotions fluctuated wildly.

These six words were like a pebble, crashing into Fu Yanchen's chaotic mind.

The next second, the fragmented memories returned instantly, so clear they were blinding.

Just before he fainted, his phone screen lit up with a call from an unknown number; it was from Wen Zhaoci.

The call was short, lasting only a few dozen seconds, but it was enough to shatter all his reason.

On the other end of the phone, Wen Zhaoci's voice was lazy yet arrogant, with the air of a victor, clearly telling him, word by word, that he and Sang Jiuning had registered their marriage.

Sang Jiuning.

The moment those three words popped into his mind, Fu Yanchen's heart clenched, and the pain in his temples intensified instantly, causing him to instinctively furrow his brows and his fingertips to tremble slightly.

A dark, sinister glint flashed across Fu Yanchen's eyes. His chest felt tight, so suffocating he could barely breathe.

Seeing his suddenly gloomy face, Qin Shen clearly sensed that his boss was in a bad mood, and quickly said, "President Fu, let me call the doctor to come and examine you again, to see if your headache has worsened, and to prescribe some soothing medicine."

As he spoke, he turned to turn around.

"Need not."

Fu Yanchen spoke coldly, his voice low and hoarse, carrying an undeniable force, directly stopping his actions.

He doesn't want to see any doctors or hear any words of comfort; all words would seem superfluous and ridiculous.

He just wanted to stay quiet and suppress the madness that was about to spiral out of control in his heart.

Qin Shen stopped in his tracks, not daring to say anything more, and could only stand quietly to the side, keeping a close eye on his condition.

The ward fell silent instantly, with only the faint sound of the wind outside the window.

Fu Yanchen closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm his surging emotions, but the sharp pain in his head lingered.

He tilted his head slightly, trying to change his position to relieve the discomfort. His gaze swept casually across the room, but then he noticed something strange on the bedside table next to the hospital bed.

That wasn't a flower; it didn't have soft, vibrant petals, nor a sweet fragrance.

There was only a bunch of bare, densely packed rose stems.

The dark green branches were straight and stiff, covered with sharp, fine thorns, densely packed, looking cold and ferocious. They sat alone on the white cabinet, out of place in the clean ward, exuding an indescribable eeriness and gloom.

Fu Yanchen's gaze was fixed on the rose stem, his pupils suddenly contracted, and his heart sank.

His head, which had been throbbing slightly, suddenly ached even more, as if countless thorns were piercing his mind, pulling out dark memories that had been buried for many years.

His breathing slowed unconsciously, all the muscles in his body tensed up, and a strong, physiological aversion and fear rose in his heart.

"Who sent this?"

His voice was chillingly cold, devoid of any warmth, with a slight tremor at the end, a sign of his desperate attempt to suppress his emotions.

Qin Shen followed his gaze and was instantly stunned, his face full of confusion and bewilderment.

In all his years as an assistant, he had seen countless visits to the sick with gifts—flowers, fruit baskets, tonics, all sorts of things—but he had never seen anyone bring such bare rose stems covered in thorns.

It was ugly and eerie, even carrying a hint of malice. It didn't seem like they were there to visit a patient at all, but rather to deliberately cause trouble and scare people.

Qin Shen frowned, recalling the events carefully, his tone filled with remorse: "I'm sorry, Mr. Fu. Your condition was unstable when you were first brought here. I went out for a few minutes to check your test results with the doctor. In that short time, I didn't notice anyone coming in and had no idea who brought this. I'll check the hallway security footage immediately and find out who it was!"

"No need to check anymore."

Fu Yanchen interrupted him, her gaze fixed on the thorny rose stem, a deep gloom swirling in her eyes, her entire aura chillingly cold.

No need to check.

There is only one person in the whole world who likes to give this kind of thing, and only likes to use bare rose stems covered with thorns.

The person who disappeared for nearly twenty years, who should have lived forever in his dark childhood.

Fu Yanchen's hands, hanging by his sides, trembled slightly with his fingertips. Fragments of his childhood that he had deliberately sealed away and forgotten all came to the surface at this moment, enveloping him completely.

His childhood was never filled with warmth or favoritism.

The so-called father was rarely home and was always cold and distant towards his son, never showing him any patience or affection.

His mother harbored resentment and didn't love him. She locked herself in her room all day and was always indifferent and cold towards him.

From childhood to adulthood, he had no parents to accompany him, no right to be spoiled, and in the huge villa, he was always all alone.

There was only one person who stayed by his side during his youngest and most helpless years.

Wen Ruzhi.

She was her father's secret lover, and also her mother's best friend.

In front of outsiders, she is gentle and generous, tender and considerate, and dotes on him. Everyone praises her for her kind heart and feels sorry for the young master who lacks love.

But only Fu Yanchen knew that beneath this gentle and kind exterior lay the darkest and most twisted malice.