He disregarded all other etiquette and pushed the door open to enter.

The curtains weren't drawn, and the cool moonlight shone through the windowsill onto the floor. The window wasn't closed, and the night breeze gently blew in.

The night breeze had no effect on Qin Yan, but it was fatal for Yun Nuan, who was shivering in bed.

She was trembling, clutching the blanket, her forehead covered in cold sweat, her stomach burning, and her intestines twisting and tormenting her.

She bit the soft flesh around her lips until it was bloody and raw, and the taste of rust spread through her mouth.

As that familiar pain surged through her, she felt a sense of relief. All that calm surface was an illusion; this was the life she knew, not the life where she could lazily bask in the sun.

"Yun Nuan, how are you?" Qin Yan's anxious voice was in her ear. She opened her eyes with difficulty, but could not see very clearly.

"I feel like my stomach is still hurting." Her voice was barely audible. The next second, she pushed Qin Yan away, vomited all over the floor, and tears welled up in her eyes.

She felt like she was going to vomit her insides, and just as she was about to fall, Qin Yan caught her in time.

"It's dirty, stay away from me," she struggled to speak. Qin Yan's face darkened. He took a tissue to wipe her mouth, then put his arm around her waist, picked her up, and took her out of the bedroom.

In an instant, the villa was brightly lit. The bodyguard had already parked the car at the door. Qin Yan told her to rinse her mouth, prepared warm water, and led her into the car.

The bodyguard looked shocked, but quickly composed himself, opened the car door, and closed it.

"Go to the hospital," Qin Yan's voice came from the back seat. He held Yun Nuan tightly, his face solemn.

When the bodyguards took on the job, all they knew was that their employer had become disabled in both legs due to a car accident. When they first met him, they were captivated by his aura; he was a natural leader, and even in a wheelchair, he could still command others' subservience.

From that time on, no one asked why. They did their best to follow Qin Yan's orders, and they also regretted that such a person had to encounter such a thing.

To this day, they have witnessed their employer stand up and move freely.

"Keep all news under wraps tonight." The person behind him gave the order again, and the bodyguard nodded.

"clear".

"Yun Nuan, don't bite your lip. If it hurts, bite this instead. Be good, let go of your mouth." A voice kept filling her ears, gentle and steady, like cotton being peeled open under the sun, carrying a dry scent around her.

She released her mouth and then bit down on the thing that was offered to her; it was a bit hard.

She was in so much pain that she was sweating profusely. Qin Yan had one hand being bitten by her, while he used the other hand to wipe her sweat with a handkerchief, and occasionally whispered in her ear.

"Don't be afraid, we'll be at the hospital soon."

"I'm sorry I didn't take good care of you. Once you're better, you can scold me or hit me however you want."

"Yun Nuan, we've arrived."

The sound of wheels, the familiar smell of disinfectant—she opened her eyes a crack and saw a white coat. The nurse took her hand and pressed it against the spot where she was in pain, asking how she was feeling.

She tried hard to organize her thoughts, unsure if the nurse had heard her, until a pair of large hands were placed over her eyes and a deep voice entered her ears.

"You'll feel better after a good night's sleep, go to sleep."

Yun Nuan slept for three days straight. During these three days, she was in a daze, half-awake and half-asleep. Someone fed her some water and wiped away her sweat. She tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids were heavy, and the nightmare pulled her back into darkness.

Qin Yan sat in a wheelchair, with Lin Yu and Jiang Miao standing behind him.

The two didn't know how they knew Yun Nuan was there, but Qin Yan didn't stop them. Yun Nuan was too lonely, and he had no reason to refuse other people's visits on her behalf.

She was wearing a mask on the hospital bed, the electrocardiogram next to her was fluctuating, her hand was covered in bruises, and an IV drip was running.

Lin Yu and Jiang Miao were speechless, their lips pressed tightly together, their faces pale. This was the first time they had ever seen Yun Nuan in such a state of illness.

In the past, when Yun Nuan complained of pain and clung to Lin Yu, she always thought he was just putting on an act. If he was really in pain, he should have gone to the hospital long ago.

The doctor said the crack in her heart had worsened, to the point that she could no longer eat and could only be sustained by glucose injections. Her frail body was being tormented by the illness to the point of being unrecognizable.

"Will she always be like this? Is there no other way?"

Jiang Miao asked, her hopeful gaze fixed on Qin Yan, hoping to hear a different answer. Qin Yan stepped forward to adjust her hand; her body would become stiff if she held the position for too long.

"There's no other way, thank you for coming all this way today."

Lin Yu couldn't bear it and grabbed Jiang Miao's hand. Both of their hands were trembling. Yesterday, she had so easily defeated the bad guys, and today she was lying in a hospital bed.

Yun Nuan hadn't woken up, so the two of them didn't linger and left the ward after saying goodbye.

Through the transparent window, Qin Yan wiped the sweat from her forehead. This usually strong man was now filled with a deep sense of powerlessness—powerlessness against illness, powerlessness against life itself.

Jiang Miao wiped her eyes and left the hospital with Lin Yu.

Yun Nuan woke up midway and vomited again, bringing out all the bitter fluid. Even though her hands were in so much pain that they started to spasm, she didn't utter a single cry of pain. Qin Yan felt a sense of fear rising within him.

"Yun Nuan, if you're in pain, just say so. Or, if all else fails, bite me, okay?"

Yun Nuan pushed away his hand that was placed in front of her, lay on the hospital bed panting, and Qin Yan fed her warm water and wiped her mouth. She fell asleep again after a while.

It was actually impossible to tell whether she had fainted from the pain or had fallen asleep.

Qin Yan went to ask the doctor, who simply replied, "Her symptoms have been recurring over the years, and it can only be said that she has gotten used to it. Pain is no longer torture for her; perhaps it's just a numbness in her heart. Her family should try to comfort her and awaken her will to live."

These few words left Qin Yan speechless, his throat dry as he responded.

"Understood".

Assistant Wen came to the hospital and then left. Uncle Qin didn't want Qin Yan to go to other companies, so he thought of having him return to Qin's Group as a small manager.

Upon hearing this news, Qin Yan merely told his assistant, Wen, to expedite the process and rejected his second uncle's suggestion.

He will return to the Qin family, but in a different way.

On the fourth day, Yun Nuan finally woke up. While Qin Yan was out dealing with matters, she woke up alone. When she opened her eyes again, she saw the white ceiling. The pain from the back of her hand reminded her that she was still alive.

"Oh dear, Nuannuan is awake."

Aunt Lan was carrying many things, her face filled with joy and emotion.

"Aunt Lan." She moved her lips slightly and spoke softly, but her voice was hoarse and so soft that Aunt Lan couldn't even hear her.

"I was worried that my husband wouldn't be able to take care of you, so I rushed back. You just woke up, so I had the doctor check you over again."

She rang the bell, and a doctor came in shortly after. A nurse followed behind and led her to the examination room. Qin Yan, who had just arrived, was standing at the door. His eyes were bloodshot, as if he hadn't slept all night.

She managed a weak smile at him through the crowd.

His lips were tightly pressed together, and his eyes were dark and unfathomable. He waited until the doctor finished the examination before stepping forward to ask questions.

How is she?