Si Boye waited in the apartment for a long time, but Jiang Nian did not return.

It went on for so long that he began to suspect that Lu Zhaokun, that madman, might have simply locked him up.

So he decided not to wait any longer.

His men were already stationed nearby.

He had considered the possibility of a confrontation.

However, when he opened the apartment door, Jiang Ren was already standing outside.

He only said one sentence.

"Miss will come back."

Tell him to wait.

*

When Jiang Nian opened her eyes again, there was no one around.

There were only some cold-looking medical devices.

She knew Lu Zhaokun had been investing in the medical field. She never imagined he would use the advanced technology he had developed on her.

The erased memories returned, overlapping with the experiences of these past few days.

If she hadn't touched the scars on her back, she probably wouldn't have been able to tell whether her memories of China were a dream, or whether what she had been told a few days ago was a lie.

The first person she saw when she came out of the room was Chen Ji, Lu Zhaokun's most loyal subordinate.

Seeing her calm and composed face, it was the usually capable assistant who looked quite conflicted.

Take a deep breath and carefully choose your words before speaking to her.

"...I'm sorry, Miss, but I feel that there are some things the gentleman won't say to you on his own initiative, so before you meet him, I'd like to explain to you on his behalf."

"Sir, you did know beforehand that you had planted a bomb in the car."

"However, this is because you already knew that Deng Yan and his ilk were ambitious and believed that you were not qualified to inherit the Divine Hidden Sect compared to them. They were eyeing you and the Divine Hidden Sect with covetous intent."

"The master wanted you to be the sole heir to the Divine Hidden One in the future. So he took advantage of that opportunity to fake his death and spent several months eliminating all forces that might be disloyal to you in the future."

“That period was fraught with danger, and it was not safe to stay in Shenyin. At the same time, the Master knew that you hated him and wanted freedom, so he allowed you to go to China.”

"Moreover, even though he knew about the bomb beforehand, the gentleman allowed it to injure his leg and refused to receive treatment; several shrapnel fragments are still lodged in his leg."

"Because he felt that he killed your friend and angered you. This was his way of punishing himself, even if you had no idea."

Jiang Nian's face was expressionless.

He simply looked over calmly and asked, "Was he monitoring me while I was in China?"

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Chen Ji's face.

"Yes...but the sir is more concerned about your safety and wants to know if you are doing well."

Jiang Nian's expression was somewhat indifferent.

He gave a mocking smirk.

"But seeing that I was doing well, didn't he still send people to arrest me and bring me back?"

"Who did Si Boye order to inflict his gunshot wound—you, or Jiang Ren?"

"The assassination attempt that Si Boye encountered before, and the 100 million bounty, were all his doing, right?"

"No wonder those assassins couldn't find any trace of him, no wonder that bullet came from the hidden military factory, no wonder the owner of the bounty could come up with a hundred million so easily. Apart from him, there are very few people who can do that."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ji clenched his fist.

Slowly exhale.

"...Because before that man appeared, you always felt that one day you would return to Shenyin and return to his side."

“He won’t stop you from experiencing a new life. In his view, all the setbacks you encounter in China are trials. And no matter what happens, he will always be there to support you.”

“But after that man appeared, I could sense that you were afraid… he was afraid that you wouldn’t come back.”

Jiang Nian closed her eyes.

"Because he was afraid I wouldn't come back, he went to great lengths to kill the person I loved, then brought me back to brainwash me and make me forget everyone."

"Should I say that he is really selfish and ruthless? I don't feel like his daughter, but more like an appendage that he can manipulate at will."

Chen Ji said anxiously, "Sir loves you so much, how could he treat you as an accessory?"

"He has no idea what love is."

Jiang Nian opened her eyes.

Love is never about excessive control or possessiveness.

It means caring, respecting, and restraining.

But Lu Zhaokun doesn't understand love.

Just like she used to be.

He taught her that emotions were her weakness, and therefore should be eliminated and discarded. He raised her to be cold-blooded and ruthless, even to the point that she plotted to kill him, and he didn't get angry.

In the end, however, Lu Zhaokun was the one who suffered the most.

Every action he took to show his love for her pushed her further away.

Chen Ji lowered his head: "Miss... since you left, the master hasn't had a full night's sleep. He always smokes all night long, so he got sick."

"Moreover, he had Miss Anne killed without your knowledge, and his intention was also for your own good."

"If possible, please try to persuade the gentleman."

Jiang Nian paused.

Even she herself didn't realize that her heart skipped a beat when she heard those words.

Sometimes, the line between love and hate is too blurry.

Lu Zhaokun did something she could never forgive. Yet he was also the one who pulled her out of hell ten years ago, taught her everything, and gave her everything.

All her past efforts were for the sake of seeing a satisfied look in this person's eyes and hearing him say, "Not bad," in a casual tone.

She knew she was the only person he cared about in this world. She had felt the same way before.

How could I not hate it?

How could I not love it?

"...What illness does he have?"

“Lung cancer, but it was discovered relatively early,” Chen Ji took a deep breath. “My husband doesn’t plan to tell you. The doctor has been urging him to have surgery as soon as possible, but he hasn’t made a decision yet.”

"..."

Jiang Nian remained silent.

Chen Ji stepped back and lowered his eyes.

"I've said everything I wanted to say. Thank you for listening, Miss."

*

Jiang Nian walked towards the study.

The study door was not closed.

Lu Zhaokun sat in his wheelchair with his back to her, his figure appearing somewhat lonely in the moonlight.

On the nights when she wasn't by his side, did he sit alone by the French windows until dawn?

"...What do you want me to do?"

She stood behind the wheelchair.

Lu Zhaokun turned around and met the girl's red eyes.

"What do you want me to do?"