Chapter 33

Chapter 33

*

Miss Yan's thinking was so abstract that Jin Mo struggled to grasp just how bizarre and twisted Yin Jihong's gaze seemed from her perspective.

But there was no denying that after that kiss, she truly needed to re-examine and redefine her relationship with Yin Jihong.

She had spent over twenty years with him day in and day out. Even though she was already fully aware of her own feelings for him, she still couldn't figure out how he truly saw her.

Jin Ping said she didn't understand men, hinting that Yin Jihong's intentions toward her weren't exactly pure. Chen Yuanshan had also subtly warned her, saying Yin Jihong treated her like the apple of his eye, wishing he could stamp his mark all over her, and had an intense possessive streak when it came to her.

Now, even Yan Qinxuan, who had always held reservations about Yin Jihong, had noticed something was off.

The outsider sees things most clearly. She desperately wanted to know—she even wanted to get out of her own head and see for herself exactly what kind of look he was giving her.

She couldn't help but wonder: should she just ask him outright?

The elevator doors slid open, and as the two of them reached the fifth floor, they saw Yin Jihong, Cheng Shu, and Dean Wu already waiting for them.

Dean Wu bustled over eagerly, leading them to the door of a ward: "Miss Jin, Miss Yan, this is my—no, this is the VIP guest ward that CEO Yin has specifically set up for Miss Jin and the two of you."

As the door swung open, a spacious and bright room opened up before them: a private bathroom, full set of high-end appliances, soft leather sofas, and even two small recliners—the space was big enough to host a dinner party.

"Once Miss Jin is out of immediate danger, she'll be transferred to this ward to continue treatment and recovery," Dean Wu said. "CEO Yin specifically instructed that while Miss Jin is in the ICU under observation for the next few days, the two of you should stay here. That way, whether you're visiting Miss Jin or when she's later moved back to a regular ward, you won't have to run back and forth—saves you a lot of hassle."

As he finished speaking, Cheng Shu stepped forward and opened the storage cabinet beside the ward. Jin Mo immediately saw a neat row of everyday essentials inside: toothpaste, toothbrushes, towels, bathrobes... The attention to detail was on par with a five-star hotel. You'd think she was checking into a resort, not a hospital.

"Thank you, Dean Wu. Sorry for the trouble."

"Well then, ladies, if you need anything at all, just give me a shout." Jin Mo and Yan Qinxuan thanked Dean Wu, and the old man, who had been tormented by Yin Jihong all day, looked like he'd just been let off the hook. Letting out a long sigh of relief, he practically scurried out of the room.

Yin Jihong lounged on the recliner, legs crossed. Whether on purpose or not, he let out a soft cough every so often—quiet, but just loud enough for Jin Mo to catch.

Jin Mo didn't know whether to laugh or sigh as she walked over to him: "Have you taken your temperature? Still running a fever?"

He half-closed his eyes, his tone lazy and a little whiny: "Mm."

She didn't say anything, instead turning to look at Cheng Shu. Cheng Shu understood, and the hand hanging at his side silently held up two fingers.

Still running a slight fever—basically nothing.

She breathed a quiet sigh of relief and gently urged, "You've already got everything set up for me here. There's nothing to worry about. Go home and get some rest. If you don't rest properly, the fever won't fully go away."

But he seemed glued to the recliner, not budging an inch: "This ward has great air, birds singing and flowers blooming. Stay a little longer, and maybe my fever will completely break."

Jin Mo's eyes nearly popped out of her head, yet she couldn't spot a single bird or flower anywhere in the room.

Yan Qinxuan knew the Young Master currently wished he could hang two banners at the hospital entrance so Jin Mo would praise him for being so thoughtful. Trying not to laugh, she patted Jin Mo's shoulder: "I'll head home first to grab some clothes, then come back later."

Before leaving, Yan Qinxuan said to the man on the recliner, "Thanks, Young Master."

Yin Jihong glanced up and gave a light snort. Then, suddenly remembering something, he told Cheng Shu to grab the bag of coffee from the table: "Take the coffee with you."

Yan Qinxuan was thirsty anyway, and after a long, exhausting day, she could use the caffeine. She didn't hold back with Yin Jihong, taking the coffee from Cheng Shu's hands. She was surprised to find it was her usual favorite—caramel latte—and she looked genuinely surprised: "You're pretty thoughtful."

The Young Master wasn't about to take credit for something he didn't do: "I didn't buy it. Some old guy who's not as handsome as me bought it. There wasn't any for you originally, but since I'm sick and can't drink it, you can have it."

With that, he turned his head on purpose, eyes sparkling as he looked at Jin Mo, clearly fishing for praise for being so "good."

Yan Qinxuan wished she could bite off the tongue that had just complimented him. Rolling her eyes, she walked off in a huff.

Jin Mo took the other cup of coffee from Cheng Shu, not sure whether to laugh or cry: "Brother Yuanshan bought these? Where is he?"

"He said Geshan had something urgent to deal with and left." Yin Jihong paused, then added with a face full of disgust, "Before he left, he asked me if I'd ever felt that burning sensation in my chest. That old guy is such a weirdo."

He'd ratted Chen Yuanshan out, then turned to Cheng Shu: "You should head back too. Look at your face—all wrinkled like a prune. At this rate, my kid will be in elementary school before you even get a girlfriend."

Cheng Shu, who hadn't slept well since New Year's Eve because of this man: "..."

Jin Mo felt bad for him, so she walked Cheng Shu to the door herself, telling him to rest well when he got home and to just turn off his phone—even if the sky fell, she'd deal with Yin Jihong for him.

When she returned to the ward, Yin Jihong had already dragged the other recliner over and placed it beside his own.

Jin Mo adjusted the AC, then went to pour a glass of warm water. Sitting down beside him, she handed him the cup.

Yin Jihong took the cup obediently, sipped it twice like a gentleman, then said, "If all goes well, Jin Yuan should be able to move to a regular ward tomorrow. But her body and mind have been worn down over a long time. Even if she pulls through, she's got a long road ahead."

How could Jin Mo not understand what he meant?

Jin Yuan had managed to survive—first because she was lucky, and second because Yin Jihong and Dan Jingchuan got there in time. But her physical and mental state could easily send her spiraling again at any moment.

Jin Mo was quiet for a moment, then looked up at him directly.

"What's wrong, suddenly staring at me like that?" Yin Jihong smirked playfully and spread his arms wide. "Mm, I know—your Brother Ji still looks good even when sick. Go ahead, look all you want. I won't charge you."

She didn't laugh at his joke: "When did you first find out about Yuan Yuan and Shen Yuan?"

Yin Jihong's eyes flickered slightly, still looking totally casual: "A long time ago. At least over two years now."

Sensing the shock in Jin Mo's eyes, he added slowly, "Once, when I went to Guangzhou for a banquet, I happened to run into the two of them making out in a dark corner of the restroom area. Never mind whether He Qin was there—Jin Yuan wasn't even on the guest list."

Shen Yuan's wife, He Qin, was also a famous heiress from a big family in their circle. Pampered since childhood, she'd never lifted a finger even after marrying Shen Yuan, treated like a delicate flower and kept at home. All she did day in and day out was accompany their children or go out for afternoon tea with other society wives, maxing out Shen Yuan's credit cards. But she depended on Shen Yuan—he didn't want her out in the public eye, and so she never so much as set foot outside S City.

Shen Yuan was used to playing the devoted husband, so in S City he naturally had to tread carefully around her and keep a low profile. But once outside S City, he had no restraints whatsoever.

That was why Jin Yuan would always fly out to see him whenever Shen Yuan was on a business trip. No matter how much Jin Mo and Yan Qinxuan tried to dissuade her, they couldn't stop her from walking right into the fire. One message, one phone call from Shen Yuan, and she'd board a plane without looking back.

"The Shens are all great actors." Yin Jihong slowly swirled the cup in his hand, his tone calm. "I think Shen Yuan met Jin Yuan by chance, got interested in her. He found her naive and easy to deceive, so he played the victim in front of her, claiming his marriage to He Qin was a political one, unhappy and loveless."

"Then he sweet-talked Jin Yuan, saying he fell for her at first sight, that he loved her so much, that he'd find a way to divorce He Qin and be with her. He made her completely obsessed while he played with her feelings."

Every word of his guess was right.

Before Shen Yuan, Jin Yuan had never been with another man. She was a completely blank slate when it came to romance.

Shen Yuan was, after all, the eldest son of the Shen family—presentable in appearance, and he came off as gentle and steady. A successful, mature man like that, playing pitiful and selling his sob story, hit the innocent, kind-hearted Jin Yuan like a ton of bricks.

During her university years, Jin Yuan was the type to drop everything and take injured stray cats or dogs to the hospital, rain or shine.

To her, Shen Yuan was that wounded soul who needed her care and love—the one who couldn't survive without her, who was all pain behind the shine.

At the same time, Shen Yuan gave her—someone who'd grown up starved for love—a mix of fatherly and romantic care and support... plus the thrill of a secret affair.

Jin Yuan always believed that she and Shen Yuan were each other's everything.

But in reality, she had walked straight into the trap Shen Yuan had carefully set.

Yin Jihong watched the complicated look on Jin Mo's face, his voice lowering: "Momo, if Jin Yuan hadn't gotten into trouble today, I would have continued pretending I knew nothing about them."

Jin Mo's lips parted slightly: "...Why didn't you ever ask me about it?"

"If there's something you don't want to tell me, I'll just pretend I never knew." Yin Jihong's gaze was full of tenderness and understanding as he looked at her. "Likewise, I wouldn't stoop to threatening Shen Yuan with something like this. Not only would that be classless, it would also drag Jin Yuan into the mess."

Something in Jin Mo's heart stirred again.

She thought, if the roles were reversed and Shen Yuan had gotten hold of Yin Jihong's secret, he'd use it like a knife without a second thought for who got caught in the crossfire.

But the man she loved was so kind and righteous.

Underneath his wild exterior, he had a strong but gentle heart.

Unlike Shen Yuan, who was two-faced and full of hypocrisy, Yin Jihong was a true gentleman.

"Brother Ji." She suddenly spoke, her tone serious. "Thanks for helping Yuan Yuan."

Yin Jihong looked at her for a few seconds, then raised his hand and gently ruffled her hair, his touch unbelievably gentle. "Still mad at your brother?"

At those words, Jin Mo's hand trembled slightly around her coffee cup.

The hospital room was eerily quiet; if they didn't speak, all you could hear was the two of them breathing.

She couldn't help but look into Yin Jihong's eyes. Her reflection was clear in those beautiful eyes, with no trace of anything else. He was waiting for her answer, completely focused on her.

"Just..." At that moment, a wave of impulsiveness surged up along with the emotion swelling in her chest. She mustered up all her courage and asked hesitantly, "When you were unconscious this morning... do you remember anything that happened?"

When he heard the question, Yin Jihong tapped his fingers lightly on his crossed knees, not answering right away.

His silence just made her more nervous.

No exaggeration, she felt like her heart had jumped into her throat.

A dozen seconds stretched on like torture, each one making her chest feel tight.

Finally, Yin Jihong slowly opened his mouth, a hint of teasing in his voice: "You mean the thing where I was bullying you?"

She had just opened her mouth when his next words cut her off, his tone deliberately lazy and indulgent: "Like I said, you gotta tell your brother first how I bullied you, and then I can apologize and make it up to you."

So he really didn't remember that kiss from when he was unconscious.

Jin Mo's mind was a mess. Her fingers were clenched tight, her palms damp with sweat.

She knew all too well that once she told him about that kiss, all her secret feelings would be out in the open, and there would be no going back.

"Momo." Yin Jihong suddenly shifted in his seat, leaning back slightly and looking at her with a half-smile. "If it's really that hard to say, why don't you just show me yourself?"

...

Jin Mo's head was about to blow up.

She looked at his captivating eyes and had no idea how to respond.

Having been "brother and sister" for so long, she was too used to carefully suppressing and enduring the overwhelming feelings in her heart. At this moment, even though he had basically set it up for her, she still panicked, too scared to take a step forward, unable to easily speak up and break through that thin barrier.

But Yin Jihong was incredibly patient. Seeing her face turn red, he didn't rush her, just waited calmly.

As if no matter what she said or did, he could handle it.

Just then, Yin Jihong's phone suddenly rang.

He took it out, glanced at the caller ID, and initially wanted to hang up. But his finger hovered over the screen for two seconds before he finally answered, bringing it to his ear with an impatient tone: "Guozi, this better be important."

Whatever Dan Jingchuan said on the other end made his relaxed expression instantly turn into a frown.

Almost at the same moment, the hospital room door was knocked on urgently.

Dean Wu pushed the door open, looking tense, his face pale as paper and drenched in sweat, his voice trembling: "Mr. Yin... it's bad! Miss Jin's family is all here! They're causing a huge scene on the ICU floor right now!"

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Author's note:

Red packets continue to drop randomly! Please keep hitting me with collections, comments, and nutrient solution~ Love you all! Also, don't forget to collect my column! Feel free to check out my next new book "The Crane" in my column, a Beijing circle story (might switch to a Beijing circle ensemble piece), anyway it's all mature men and women, very exciting haha

Isn't this the critical moment!! They were about to finally speak up! And now something else happens! This Sang Jie is so annoying, Momo almost asked it out loud!! So frustrating!!!

The little dog really gives people a sense of security, with such upright values! A true gentleman!! He respects Momo and women! Never uses despicable means to achieve his goals! He's just too fond of asking his wife for rewards, so cocky hahahaha

Little dog: What do you know? A man who doesn't act cute gets no candy. I'll only get more demanding later, just wait and see

Anyway, with all this push and pull, we'll soon get to the content you've been waiting for! Don't worry, this book will be quite long, with lots of plot and content to write! This year should be just this one, so let's slowly accompany each other through the summer haha~

There's another Easter egg this time! Roughly speaking, Brother Xuan also got to enjoy Shanmei's coffee offering.