Chapter 106 Are You Love-Starved?

Chapter 106: Are You That Desperate for Love?

Lu Jingtang hadn't noticed. She followed them out, but by the time she reached the hallway, no one was there. Turning a corner, she collided with Ji Yunyin.

Just as Lu Jingtang assumed Ji Yunyin, like everyone else, couldn’t see her and was about to pass by, Ji Yunyin suddenly turned her head, her eyes fixed on Lu Jingtang, her expression contorted. Her eyes were slightly red as she gritted her teeth and whispered, "Why are you here? Why didn’t he keep a better eye on you?"

Lu Jingtang’s pupils abruptly contracted. She looked at Ji Yunyin and retorted, "Are you afraid of me being here?"

A flicker of fear crossed Ji Yunyin’s eyes, but she forced a calm demeanor. "Since you already know, you should gracefully withdraw. Everything you have now belongs to me. He was meant to love me."

Lu Jingtang found it laughable and said, speechless, "Are you so desperate for love that you’d resort to such schemes, forsake your humanity, and attack another woman—all for a man’s affection?"

"I love him because I am also receiving his love. That’s why I’m willing to fight for him, even if it means getting hurt. If I ever stop feeling his love, I’ll leave on my own—no need for you to tell me. But what exactly are *you* doing?"

Ji Yunyin clenched her fists tightly, her face twisting in anger as if a shameful secret had been exposed.

"Bang!"

A loud noise suddenly echoed. Fu Nanyu stood at the door of the VIP ward, his eyes bloodshot as he stared fiercely in their direction. The bedroom door lay in splinters on the floor, shattered by his kick.

He spoke slowly, each word deliberate and low. "Who were you talking to just now?"

He couldn’t see Lu Jingtang, so the question was clearly directed at Ji Yunyin.

Ji Yunyin’s expression flickered with panic, her heart leaping to her throat. "No one, I was just on the phone. Did I disturb you?"

Fu Nanyu’s gaze was as cold as ice. He stared at her for a moment but said nothing before turning back into the room.

The freshly bandaged wound on his wrist had reopened from the strain, and blood dripped with a steady patter onto the floor.

When Ye Xixi entered and saw the scene, she barely stifled a gasp and quickly called for a nurse to rebandage the wound.

Fortunately, despite his current reckless state, Fu Nanyu didn’t cause trouble while the nurse was working. He obediently allowed her to change the dressing and bandages.

Seeing him like this, Fu Xiaqing and Ye Xixi could only sigh, afraid to say anything harsh lest it push him further over the edge.

All they could hope for now was to find that girl soon. Otherwise, it was hard to say how long Fu Nanyu could endure in this state.

It was strange—how could a living person vanish without a trace, leaving no clues behind? And it seemed everyone had accepted it rather easily. If not for Fu Nanyu’s outbursts, few would even remember Lu Jingtang.

After a long, exhausting day, everyone was tired. Fu Nanyu could no longer be left alone.

Fu Xiaqing initially wanted to stay and keep watch, but Qi Heng and Li Chen persuaded him to go home. For now, the two of them would take turns staying with Fu Nanyu.

Fu Xiaqing sat quietly in his hospital gown, his demeanor bleak and hostile, a far cry from the disciplined, dignified gentleman he usually was. Though his posture remained upright, there was an indescribable fragility about him.

"You’re here, aren’t you?" he suddenly said into the empty air.

No one answered.

Lu Jingtang pressed her cheek against his palm, her tears soaking into his skin. Yet, sadly, neither could feel the other’s presence.

"I’m here."

Recalling last night’s dream, a sudden heaviness settled in her chest. When Lu Jingtang snapped back to reality, she realized her face was streaked with tears.

Afraid of being noticed, she quickly wiped them away. Just then, Fu Nanyu came out with breakfast.

Ye Xixi and Fu Xiaqing weren’t home, so only the two of them were having breakfast.

Lu Jingtang watched as he ladled the congee, her gaze lingering on the wrist wearing the Buddhist beads—the same wrist he had slit.

The beads had to be wrapped twice to fit, conveniently covering the exact spot where Fu Nanyu had cut himself.

Perhaps the scenes from her dream were connected to this string of beads, Lu Jingtang thought.

Noticing her distracted state and slightly red eyes, Fu Nanyu reached out and touched her forehead. She wasn’t feverish. "What’s on your mind?" he asked.

Lu Jingtang shook her head, her eyes curving into a soft smile as she looked at the beads on his wrist. Tentatively, she said, "Nothing. I just think these beads look really good on you. Since you’re wearing them now, could you promise not to take them off, no matter what happens?"