Qiu Yingying is reborn and bound to a learning system.

As the scent of disinfectant filled her nostrils, Qiu Yingying was awakened by the warmth of her fingertips lightly touching her cheek.

She opened her eyes and met Meng Yanchen's deep gaze. He was lying on the next bed, his back wrapped in thick gauze. The two beds were very close together. He had long arms and hands, and he actually reached out to touch her, his fingertips gently touching her cheek with a careful tenderness.

"Awake? Does your head still hurt?" His voice was hoarse, falling on my ear like a gentle breeze.

Qiu Yingying shook her head. Her throat was dry after she fainted, and her gaze was fixed on the gauze on his back.

In the instant the underground passage collapsed during the earthquake, he held her tightly in his arms, his back taking the brunt of the impact. They kept telling each other, "Don't be afraid, I'm here." Those dozen or so hours of life and death made their feelings for each other even deeper.

Looking into each other's eyes, they felt a sweetness in their hearts that overwhelmed all their lingering fear. Being alive was the best thing; thankfully, they still had a lot of time left.

"I want some water," she said softly, just as she reached for the bedside table, Meng Yanchen grabbed her wrist. His palm was warm, and his grip was gentle.

But he wouldn't let go: "Don't move, I'll do it." He turned to the side, trying to avoid the wound on his back, stretched out his arm to reach the water glass, and carefully unscrewed the lid to let it air out before handing it to her lips. His fingertips inadvertently brushed against her lips, and both of them paused, their ear tips turning red in unison.

When the nurse came to change Meng Yanchen's dressing, Qiu Yingying turned her face away, but couldn't help but listen intently.

The soft sound of the gauze being removed, accompanied by the nurse's instructions and Meng Yanchen's suppressed groan, made her secretly turn her head. She saw the gruesome wound that stretched from his shoulder blade to his waist. Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, but he still managed to smile at her, indicating that he was alright.

"Don't force yourself if it hurts." After the nurse left, Qiu Yingying reached out to touch his wound, but Meng Yanchen held her hand and pressed it against his cheek, saying in a low voice, "Seeing you makes it not hurt anymore." Qiu Yingying's face flushed instantly, and she tried to pull her hand away, but he held it even tighter.

As they were talking, the ward door was pushed open, and footsteps were steady and powerful. Chairman Liu of Qiu Yingying's GG Company walked in front, wearing a charcoal gray suit skirt, the tailoring was neat, and his short, graying hair was combed meticulously. The fine lines at the corners of his eyes hid a sharpness, but when he saw Qiu Yingying, he softened instantly. Behind him, General Manager Wang carried a fruit basket and gift boxes, his expression respectful.

"Qiu Yingying." Chairman Liu walked quickly to the bedside, bent down to examine her complexion, and then touched her wrist. "How are you feeling? Are you recovering well?" Qiu Yingying tried to sit up, but was pressed down by him.

"Chairman Liu, what brings you here?" Qiu Yingying was flattered.

"Our hero is injured, how could I not come?" Chairman Liu smiled and sat on the edge of the bed. "You took the initiative to lead a team to the disaster area to deliver supplies, and you also stayed behind to help. Moreover, you were injured. This is a work injury. How could we not come to see you?"

"You young lady, your drive is just like mine when I was young and venturing into Shanghai. Back then, I stayed up all night outside a client's building in sub-zero temperatures for a single deal. It was only through that indomitable spirit that I built the company." She turned and took out a paid leave notice, placing it on the bedside table. "Twenty-five days of paid leave. Focus on recovering. When you come back, the entire East China Charity Project will be yours, with a higher bonus percentage—you deserve it." She also gave her a recovery bonus.

Qiu Yingying's eyes welled up with tears. She had met Chairman Liu at a company meeting and had always admired her, considering her a benefactor. She had always kept this admiration in her heart. "Thank you, Chairman Liu." She sniffed and turned to meet Meng Yanchen's gentle gaze. He gently squeezed her hand, as if offering silent comfort.

Chairman Liu nodded to Meng Yanchen again, his tone sincere: "President Meng, we are so grateful to you for protecting our employee. We will remember this kindness." Meng Yanchen held Qiu Yingying's hand tightly, his gaze firm: "It's only right. She is more important than anything else." These words touched Qiu Yingying's heart, bringing her a sweet feeling.

Chairman Liu saw this, a knowing smile appeared on his lips, and after giving a few words of advice, he left.

The ward quieted down, and sunlight streamed through the window, warming their clasped hands. Qiu Yingying whispered, "Chairman Liu seems to have figured it out." Meng Yanchen replied gently, "It's even better that he has. We can be open about our relationship and don't need to be afraid of anyone knowing." Qiu Yingying nodded. That was true. There was nothing to be afraid of. They could openly show their affection when they were together; they were a couple they could be proud of.

On the second day after admission, Meng Huaijin and Fu Wenying arrived together. Meng Huaijin carried a thermos, while Fu Wenying carried nutritional supplements. The couple entered the ward and first checked Meng Yanchen's wound. Although Fu Wenying's tone was still somewhat forceful, she couldn't hide her heartache: "I told you to be careful, but you wouldn't listen. Now you're suffering." Meng Huaijin was gentler. He opened the thermos, which contained stewed pigeon soup, and served each of them a bowl. He also told Qiu Yingying to take good care of herself after the concussion and not to think too much.

They sat for more than half an hour, chatting about everyday things, without mentioning the dangers of the disaster area, nor pressing her about her relationship with Meng Yanchen. Only when Fu Wenying was about to leave did she glance at the two of them and say simply, "Take good care of each other."

Qiu Yingying felt relieved, knowing that this was the elder's tacit approval. Later, Meng Huaijin and Fu Wenying came twice more, each time bringing some nourishing things, staying for a while and then leaving without disturbing her, but their care was hidden in the details.

To Meng Yanchen's surprise, Xu Qin also came. That afternoon, the ward door was gently pushed open, and Xu Qin stood in the doorway, wearing a simple white T-shirt, empty-handed, without bringing anything.

She walked in, her gaze fixed on Meng Yanchen. Her large, bright eyes held a strange sense of grievance and accusation. She remained silent for a long time, neither asking if Meng Yanchen's wound hurt nor mentioning Qiu Yingying's concussion, whom she didn't know. She simply stared at him, her eyes filled with an indescribable emotion.

Qiu Yingying saw it all, but felt nothing, only awkwardness. Meng Yanchen frowned even more, feeling uncomfortable under her gaze, even his teeth ached. He had always known she was aloof, but she was family, after all. She came to visit a patient empty-handed, without even a word of concern, just staring at him with her eyes, which was really unsettling.

"What's wrong?" Meng Yanchen's tone turned cold. He pulled away from Qiu Yingying's hand and subconsciously pulled her towards him.

Xu Qin was taken aback, as if she hadn't expected his tone to be so cold. After a long while, she said softly, "I heard you were injured, so I came to see you."

"Finished reading?" Meng Yanchen raised an eyebrow, his tone devoid of any warmth. "If there's nothing else, you should leave now. You need to rest here."

Xu Qin's face paled, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she didn't. She just glanced at Meng Yanchen again, then turned and left without saying a word to Qiu Yingying.

The awkwardness in the ward dissipated after Xu Qin left. Qiu Yingying couldn't help but laugh and nudged Meng Yanchen's arm: "Your tone just now was so fierce."

Meng Yanchen ruffled her hair, his expression softening, and said helplessly, "I couldn't help it because of her staring at me." He paused, then added seriously, "Don't overthink it, she's my troublesome adopted sister."

A few days later, Fan Shengmei, Guan Juer, Qu Xiaoxiao, and Andy arrived together.

Four girls, carrying large and small bags, crowded into the ward as soon as they entered. Fan Shengmei held Qiu Yingying's hand and looked her over carefully, nagging her to take good care of herself and bringing her some pork rib soup that she had personally stewed.

Guan Juer handed her a soft pillow and a soothing music CD, saying it would make her more comfortable when she lay down.

Qu Xiaoxiao walked around the hospital bed, raised an eyebrow and teased Meng Yanchen and Qiu Yingying: "I knew it, I knew you two would be together."

Meng Yanchen didn't refute, but simply reached out and gently brushed away the stray hairs from Qiu Yingying's forehead with a tender gesture. Qiu Yingying shyly covered her face with the blanket.

In the days that followed, she didn't tell her parents about her injury, so as not to worry them. Her good friends would come to keep her company whenever they had free time. Fan Shengmei would occasionally help her tidy up her hospital room and change her clothes, taking care of her life perfectly; Guan Juer would occasionally come to read to her and read the news to her, relieving her occasional headaches.

Qu Xiaoxiao always manages to find fresh jokes and funny stories to cheer her up, and Andy occasionally comes to visit her as well.

Meng Yanchen recovered more slowly than Qiu Yingying. His back wound couldn't bear weight, so he could only lie face down most of the time. When Qiu Yingying had nothing to do, she would read the news to him, read picture books to him, or just quietly hold his hand, carefully playing with his well-defined knuckles, touching his hand with a look of infatuation, and even rubbing his hand against her face like a kitten.

Sometimes she would get sleepy while reading and doze off in bed. Meng Yanchen would quietly turn up the air conditioning temperature, gently cover her with a thin blanket, and lightly touch her head with his fingertips.

When she woke up groggily, she would always see him looking at her with his head turned to the side. When he saw that she was awake, he would chuckle softly. Qiu Yingying shook her head and leaned over to touch his cheek.

Later, Chairman Liu and the general manager visited Qiu Yingying again to offer their condolences. She sat by the bedside, watching Qiu Yingying and Meng Yanchen interact.

His eyes were full of relief: "Yingying, you have good judgment. President Meng is a trustworthy person. Just work hard, the company will always be your support." Qiu Yingying nodded, her heart filled with gratitude, feeling both grateful for his recognition and the warmth of being acknowledged by an elder.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. Qiu Yingying's concussion had basically healed, and Meng Yanchen's wound had also healed well. The doctor said he could be discharged from the hospital and go home to recuperate.

On the day of their discharge, Meng Yanchen and Qiu Yingying sat in the back row.

The car drove across the Huangpu River, the setting sun casting shimmering light on its surface. Qiu Yingying turned to look at Meng Yanchen, who extended his hand to her. She gently took his, their palms touching, the warmth still there.

"Meng Yanchen".

"Um?"

"We need to be more careful in the future."

Meng Yanchen smiled, his voice low, carried by the evening breeze: "Okay, from now on, no matter where we go, I'll accompany you, protect you, and never let you suffer any more grievances."

This accident brought them fear and pain, but it also strengthened their resolve to be together. These precious memories became the most valuable imprints on their love, shining brightly in the years to come.