A Jin wiped his forehead with his hand, feeling the dampness again. Every time he thought back to that moment, a cold sweat would break out in his body. He truly hated this flaw of his—he was a strong, capable man, yet when he entered the water, he became as weak as a three-year-old child. It was almost laughable.
The time spent in the water felt especially long to him. He had to force himself to shift his focus, and that's when the thought struck him: why did Lin Wan do this? Did she really want to escape so badly, even going so far as to use such a desperate method? Thinking about it made him burn with anger. It was this very anger that had kept him going; otherwise, he might not have had the chance to lie here, recalling it all.
When he had first woken up, his mind had been hazy. The first thought that came to him was: where was Lin Wan? Maybe he had said it out loud, because someone immediately replied, "She's outside." He opened his eyes to see himself surrounded by familiar faces—his good brothers, those he had grown up with, close as family. He recalled their motto: "Brothers are like limbs, women are like clothes." But here he was, almost severing his own limbs for a piece of clothing. Was he out of his mind? Had he lost all sense of reason?
He had never imagined that he would ever do something so foolish to a woman. In his eyes, women were easily dismissed with money. If action was required, it was only ever limited to the bedroom. If there were a woman worth throwing his life away for, it could only be his mother.
Lin Wan? What was she? Just a passing fancy, a disobedient prey. Would a hunter really jump into the river after a rabbit that was running away? And the hunter didn't even know how to swim? The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He must have been bewitched by her. Yes, with her beauty and gentle words, he had been foolish and impulsive.
Hmph. Didn't she want to escape? Then he would bind her to him for life. Even if he grew tired of her in the future, he wouldn't set her free. Her life was given to her by him, and she owed him. He, A Jin, had survived, and he would continue living with ease and success. He would watch her suffer, see her weep every day. The thought of it made him feel satisfied. But somewhere deep inside, a part of him ached, as if something was being torn apart.
So, after waking up, no matter what the others said, he ignored them, finding their chatter annoying, and kicked them all out.
Xiang Yang stood behind him, his face serious as he said to A Jin, "I'm not going to ask you what's going on with you and Lin Wan anymore, though I'm really curious. I'll just say this—this woman can't stay."
"Why do you say that?"
Xiang Yang scoffed, "Why? You're lying here like this. Do you need a reason? This woman has trapped you time and time again, and you keep tolerating her. Now, you almost lost your life because of her…"
"She didn't know I was afraid of water," A Jin weakly explained, still unable to stop defending her, even though deep down he had already condemned her.
"You think she didn't know? I've already confirmed it," Xiang Yang said with certainty.
A Jin's heartbeat skipped, but he only said, "She... she just wasn't thinking clearly."
"Not thinking clearly? Hmph, I think she was thinking perfectly. She was ready to end it all with you," Xiang Yang replied, his voice sharp.
A Jin still remembered the moment he heard those words. His eyelids twitched violently, as if four steel needles had been driven into his heart, making it hard to breathe. She didn't just want to escape; she wanted to die with him? Did she hate him that much, wishing to bring him down with her? Could he not have done something to change her mind, to lessen her hatred for him? When Fang Zheng had brought Lin Wan into the room, A Jin's mind had been filled with so many questions. He didn't want to face her; he was afraid he might end up questioning her. But he trusted no one but himself. He needed to figure it out on his own.
He forced himself to calm down, and soon he realized that it had been his own choice to chase after her, to jump into the water. He wasn't someone who could be easily manipulated; everything had been his own foolish desire. This realization made him feel slightly better. But thinking about how Lin Wan had gone to seek death right after their night together, it still hurt. What was this? Was it a beautiful memory she left him before dying?
He didn't want memories, whether from the past or the future—he only wanted the present. Right now, he was angry, furious. Lin Wan had the audacity to send him to heaven one second and push him into hell the next. She was continuously testing his limits, torturing his nerves. He hated her. He needed to punish her properly and then figure out a way to completely dominate her.
Lin Wan had a meal that Fang Zheng called "brunch," and he insisted she bathe and change clothes. It seemed that since A Jin was fine, Fang Zheng was back to his usual playful self. He joked, "If A Jin sees you like this, he might faint again. All that effort this morning would have been for nothing, and we'd have to stick him with more needles."
Lin Wan couldn't help but smile. Between her and A Jin, it had always been him scaring her, whether as a menacing figure or a silent corpse. She was always left anxious and trembling. Now she was supposed to scare him? She really had thought about it, but when she looked at herself in the mirror, she realized that she was indeed quite frightening. Her hair was messy, her eyes had dark circles, and her face was pale, like a ghost... No wonder Fang Zheng could still eat with her face.
After a hot shower, she combed her hair and put on clean clothes. When she returned to the hospital room, A Jin had woken up. He was dressed in fresh clothes, a thin blanket covering half of him. He lay there, expressionless, staring at the door. When he saw her, his expression became complicated—there was confusion, indifference, and perhaps a hint of longing.
Lin Wan walked over, stopping one meter from the bed. She bit her lip and quietly said, "Thank you."
A Jin stared at her for a moment before the corners of his mouth lifted in a slight smile. "Thank you? It's only natural for a man to save his woman."
His voice was hoarse, the last word almost unspoken, but it carried a certain sincerity. Lin Wan was speechless. He always spoke with such self-assurance, as if his flawed reasoning was irrefutable. But somehow, hearing those words now made her feel an unintentional pang of emotion. Upon reflection, though, it was likely just his twisted possessiveness at play.
Not satisfied with the distance and silence between them, A Jin furrowed his brow and ordered, "Come here."
Lin Wan froze. This was his true nature—playing with emotions didn't suit him. Yet, despite herself, her legs moved mechanically forward, taking two steps toward him.
A Jin patted the bed beside him. "Come up and lie with me for a while." When he saw the change in her expression, he chuckled. "What are you afraid of? Even if I had such thoughts, I wouldn't have the strength right now."
When she still didn't move, he softly added, "Aren't you tired?"
There it was again, playing on emotions. But Lin Wan still took off her shoes and lay beside him. Perhaps it was because of Fang Zheng's warning, or perhaps she was simply exhausted. Seeing the bed felt like seeing a familiar place after a long journey.
The bed was indeed comfortable, the mattress soft like lying on clouds. It felt like she could fall asleep in an instant. But Lin Wan couldn't. Not with him lying next to her, still watching her with a piercing gaze.
"Seeing me lying there, half-dead, does it feel good to you?" he asked.
Lin Wan froze. "Feel good?" She had almost forgotten about that, but now, seeing his clenched teeth as he asked made her feel a little resentful. This was truly a man with an enormous ego.
"Answer me," he nudged her with his elbow.
"A bit," Lin Wan replied, then immediately regretted it. Had she angered him enough to slap her?
To her surprise, A Jin didn't react violently. He only grunted, "At least you're honest."