"For you, it may just be your duty, but for me, it is because of your dedication that I have the opportunity to lie here today. I am truly grateful to you."

Qiao Xinruo: "..."

It's weird.

However, when this person expressed his gratitude, although he didn't use any fancy words, you could still feel the sincerity of his thanks.

“Okay,” Qiao Xinruo nodded, “then I’ll accept your thanks.”

Despite this shared history, they are essentially still not familiar with each other.

After we finished talking about what happened on the mountain back then, there seemed to be nothing more to discuss.

Qiao Xinruo truly didn't know what to say, while Zhou Jinglan dared not speak.

Whether he had mistaken Leng Yinghong for the Little Goddess or had "improper thoughts" about the Little Goddess, he was unwilling to tell Qiao Xinruo either.

Therefore, the chat could not continue.

"Then take good care of yourself and recover. If there's a chance..." Su Yueya left out a possibility, "we might come to see you again."

"Thank you," Zhou Jinglan said.

The two sisters left.

Su Yueya felt puzzled. She had seen Zhou Jinglan and Qiao Xinruo's interaction earlier, and she also knew that Zhou Jinglan had mistaken Leng Yinghong for someone else. So Zhou Jinglan's reaction made her feel confused.

"How could this be?" Su Yueya asked, puzzled.

"What?" Qiao Xinruo didn't understand.

As soon as she came out of the ward, Su Yueya had a strange expression on her face and kept muttering to herself.

"Don't you think Zhou Jinglan's reaction is a bit unreasonable?"

"How is it unreasonable?"

“From his perspective, he should have realized that he had mistaken someone for someone else and that Leng Yinghong had impersonated him, but he didn’t mention it at all just now. Why? Also, he likes you and considers you his ideal woman, but he didn’t show it at all just now. Does that make sense?” Su Yueya analyzed. “He finally found the person he’s been looking for all along, and he’s so calm. I just can’t believe it.”

"How could you tell he was calm when he was so entangling?"

Qiao Xinruo gave her sister a thumbs up and praised, "Amazing! Sister, you can see through the gauze now?"

Su Yueya: "..."

"Stop being so cheeky. Even if you can't see his expression, you can probably tell from his tone, right?" Su Yueya wouldn't allow Qiao Xinruo to tease her and wanted her to be serious and discuss what had just happened.

Qiao Xinruo, however, felt there was no need for discussion.

"Isn't it obvious? His reaction is exactly what should theoretically be expected," Qiao Xinruo said. The scene just now was not much different from what she had anticipated.

"Why?" Su Yueya asked.

"First of all, the fact that Leng Yinghong impersonated me should be a very embarrassing thing for Zhou Jinglan. Why would he bring it up in front of us? If he knows, he can handle it privately. He doesn't necessarily have to tell us."

"Besides... given his current state, finding a partner would be quite difficult for him. So even if Leng Yinghong is a fraud, he might not necessarily give up, because if he gives up, he might not even be able to find a fraudster."

"As for what he thinks about me, or about the person who saved him, it's unlikely he'd say anything at a time like this."

“He has extensive burns all over his body and may be left with severe scars. His leg is not yet healed. Even if he really has something on his mind, he would never say it at this time. He would have to wait until he is fully recovered before talking to me.”

Upon hearing this, Su Yueya felt that her sister's analysis made a lot of sense.

“That’s true, you know him better,” Su Yueya said.

Qiao Xinruo: "..."

How did you come to say you've gotten to know each other?

She was simply providing a rational and objective analysis based on the current situation.

"Sister, are you up to something?" Qiao Xinru stared at Su Yueya, scrutinizing her, as if trying to discern something from her expression.

Su Yueya shook her head frantically to prove her innocence.

"I didn't!" she raised her hand, as if swearing.

If she had previously been interested in seeing if there was any possibility of a relationship developing between her sister and Zhou Jinglan, now that she saw Zhou Jinglan's miserable state, she felt sorry for her and didn't want her sister to suffer so much.

After all, she had taken care of the seriously injured Lu Zhengjun before, and the hardship she endured was not only physical but also mental.

When you truly like and care about someone, you feel incredibly sorry for them. You'd be even more distressed than them if they got hurt, and you'd have to take care of their sensitive feelings. Su Yueya didn't want her sister to suffer like that.

“Actually, I was just joking before. You’re an adult now, you can make your own decisions about your feelings. Your parents, your brothers, and I won’t put any pressure on you,” Su Yueya said.

She thought to herself, at least Zhou Jinglan has some self-awareness.

If she were a man, even if she weren't as miserable as Zhou Jinglan, she would know that a girl with her sister's qualities is not easy to pursue; she's not someone an ordinary person can win over.

Qiao Xinruo looked startled and quickly walked forward, saying, "Don't scare me. Why are you suddenly speaking so seriously?"

"Slow down! I can't walk too fast, ouch, my stomach..." Su Yueya deliberately lied, her voice still carrying a smile.

Qiao Xinruo knew her sister was lying, but she still fell for it and stopped to wait for her to come over.

"Just keep acting!"

The two sisters linked arms and continued walking back.

Regardless, the play still achieved its purpose—to let Zhou Jinglan know that Leng Yinghong was impersonating Qiao Xinruo.

That's enough.

As for what Zhou Jinglan decided to do after learning the truth—

Whether to expose Leng Yinghong or to make the best of a mistake and find a wife is none of Su Yueya and Qiao Xinruo's business; it is Zhou Jinglan's personal right and will.

After the two sisters left, only Zhou Jinglan remained in the ward.

In that instant, he felt a sense of loss, as if everything was empty.

The ward felt empty, and so did his heart.

Although he was just lying in bed, his experience today was full of twists and turns.

“Leng Yinghong…ha…”

Zhou Jinglan himself found it laughable.

No wonder he always felt something was wrong. Even though he had a little doubt in his heart, he convinced himself that so many years had passed, and it was not impossible for the little goddess to have changed a bit.

Little did they know, it was all a scam from beginning to end.

Leng Yinghong was lying to him at all!

Moreover, it was done on purpose. She must have known that he had mistaken her for someone else, but instead of clarifying, she went along with it. What is this if not deception?

But once he actually marries Leng Yinghong, and then learns the truth...

Zhou Jinglan broke out in a cold sweat.

He couldn't imagine the scene. After all, he was a soldier. Even if he found out later that he had mistaken someone for someone else, he couldn't use that as a reason to get a divorce, since they were already married.