Xu Xinghe was still immersed in the kiss, her cheeks burning. When she heard these words, she realized what had happened and hurriedly turned her face away, her ears turning so red they looked like they could bleed.

Jiang Linchuan smiled as he looked at her shy expression, then leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Thank you for cooking today. I really enjoyed it. Happy Valentine's Day."

As they spoke, Jiang Linchuan took out a small silver bracelet from his pocket, grasped Xu Xinghe's wrist, and slipped it on.

He specially asked a silversmith in town to make this for him during the Chinese New Year, and he had been counting down the days until today to give it to her.

Of course he knew about Valentine's Day in the West.

Xu Xinghe secretly memorized the movies he liked, the books he often read, and the romantic days mentioned in those books.

Xu Xinghe raised her hand in surprise. Under the candlelight, the silver bracelet shimmered with a warm and delicate light. There were no complicated patterns, only a small cat's face was delicately carved on one side of the bracelet.

"This is... the stray kitten we met in Shanghai?" She looked up at Jiang Linchuan, her eyes full of surprise.

“Yes.” Jiang Linchuan didn’t expect her to remember so clearly. “That day when I was squatting at the alley entrance feeding the cats, I fell for you. If it hadn’t run away later, I really wanted to bring it home and raise it, just like… just like protecting you by my side.”

Xu Xinghe smiled and leaned into his arms, her fingers gently stroking the silver bracelet. "I'll wear it every day from now on, I won't even take it off when I sleep!"

Jiang Linchuan tightened his arms and hugged her. "I have to go. You should get some rest too."

If he stayed any longer, he feared he would lose control again and ruin this perfectly timed warmth.

"Okay, drive carefully, see you tomorrow."

Xu Xinghe saw him to the door and watched his figure disappear into the night before gently closing the door. Touching the silver bracelet on her wrist, she couldn't suppress the smile on her lips.

As night deepened, the candlelight in the courtyard went out.

Xu Xinghe closed her eyes and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, the Shanghai Railway Station was bustling with activity.

A man and a woman, each carrying a heavy bag, were queuing to pass through the ticket gate.

The ticket inspector glanced down at the ticket, then looked up at the man. "Shen An?"

"Yes." The man nodded, his voice steady, but his eyes unconsciously swept over his surroundings.

"Open your luggage and check it." The ticket inspector pointed to the oddly shaped cloth bag in his hand.

"Okay." The man did as instructed and unzipped the bag. Inside were several winter melons wrapped in straw, which he had brought along to eat on the road.

"No problem, go in." The ticket inspector waved his hand.

The two tacitly took hands, quickly walked into the waiting hall, followed the signs to the corresponding platform, and boarded the sleeper train bound for Heilongjiang Province.

The carriage wasn't crowded. The man put his luggage under the berth and, taking advantage of the fact that no one was in the next berth, pulled the woman into his arms. "Qiushi, you've had a hard journey."

The woman leaned shyly on his shoulder and shook her head. "Mingli, I'm not tired. I'm happy to be able to walk with you."

"Call me Chen An." The man's face instantly darkened, and his tone became serious. "From the moment you boarded this train, there was no Xu Mingli, only Chen An. Remember that, and never call me by the wrong name again."

He is no longer the Xu Mingli who was locked up in a mental hospital, appeared in the newspapers, and was despised by everyone; he is Shen An.

A new Shen An, with a completely new identity and a completely new past, has come to seek revenge!

The woman was startled by his tone and quickly tightened her arms around his waist. "I understand. From now on, I'll call you Chen'an. I promise I won't make that mistake again."

"Good girl." The man's expression softened, and he kissed her on the cheek. A hint of malice flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly covered by tenderness. "Qiushi, I knew you understood me best. Once we get what we're owed, we'll go abroad and live a good life. Then you won't have to go back to that cold, dreary mental hospital as a nurse anymore."

The woman's eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously.

This is the day she has been waiting for.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have readily agreed to Xu Mingli's plan, and even went so far as to use her savings to buy him the identity of Shen An through connections.

The real Chen An died in that river half a year ago.

His parents died in an accident, and he was left all alone and devastated. Unable to bear the blow, he ultimately chose to jump into the river and commit suicide.

No one paid attention to this reclusive young man. The neighbors assumed he had run away because he couldn't bear the hardship, and no one even thought to look for him by the river.

Xu Mingli chose this identity precisely because he valued its integrity.

With no relatives or friends, no one cares, and no one will investigate further.

Moreover, in the last few months before he drowned himself, he wore his long hair that covered his eyebrows and eyes all day long, and never left his house. His neighbors had long forgotten what he looked like.

Even if someone occasionally thinks of it, they would never associate the sunken shore in front of them with that reclusive young man.

The train let out a long whistle and slowly started moving. The wheels rolled over the rails, making a clanging sound that was particularly clear in the empty night.

It takes a full five days to travel from Shanghai to Heilongjiang Province. Now, in the freezing cold, the journey will only be longer if there is snow or wind and the road is blocked.

Xu Mingli took out a pastry wrapped in oil paper from his luggage bag, broke off a small piece and put it to the woman's mouth, "Take advantage of the fact that no one is around now, practice a few more times, remember, from now on you can only call me Chen An."

"Understood, Chen An, Chen An..."

Soon, people boarded the train, breaking the previous silence.

A couple with a child moved into the next berth, and the sound of the child crying could be faintly heard.

Xu Mingli immediately composed himself, returned to his lower bunk, lay down, pulled the blanket over half his face, leaving only his sinister eyes visible.

He quietly took a photograph out of his inner pocket.

The edges of the photo are worn and frayed. It shows Xu Xinghe when she was a teenager, with braids and a bright smile.

But there was no warmth in his eyes when he looked at the photo; only a poisonous hatred.

The fingers tightened suddenly, distorting the delicate face in the photo.

It's all her fault!

If it weren't for Xu Xinghe, how could I have been sent to that dark and hopeless mental hospital?

How did it end up in the newspapers and become the laughing stock of the entire city of Shanghai?

Xu Mingli felt a churning in his stomach whenever he thought about his days in the mental hospital.

The caregiver whom Xu Xinghe had specifically instructed to take good care of him was a complete pervert who tormented him in every possible way.

Fortunately, he wasn't driven to madness by the torment.

Not long after he entered the hospital, he set his sights on nurse Feng Qiushi.

He knew that he needed help to escape.

So he spent three whole months telling Feng Qiushi different stories every day, portraying himself as an innocent and pitiful person who was framed by his sister, erasing all the dirty things from the past, leaving only a belly full of grievances.

He knew exactly how to soften a woman's heart, how to evoke her compassion, and then, by following that compassion, gradually win her over.

It wasn't until Feng Qiushi was completely devoted to him that he secretly hid the key and helped him open the back door of the mental hospital.

If it had been any later, he would have been driven insane by that caregiver and turned into a complete psychopath!

Xu Mingli pressed the photo hard against his chest, his teeth grinding together. "Xu Xinghe...you wait, I'm coming for you right now. We need to settle this score!"