Suspected adultery scene

“18:00 Why won’t you reply?”

“18:01 Why still no reply? Why still no reply? Why still no reply?”

“18:05 If you don’t reply, I’m really going to get angry!”

The barrage of messages from Su Xiaoyou made Yang Yuan’s blood run cold.

He abandoned the idea of replying and instead took a deep breath, powered off his phone, and shoved it into his pocket.

Later, he’d just say the battery died. Survive this crisis first.

“That… thank you for today.”

Li Yu’an suddenly broke the silence in the car, her eyes still fixed on the road.

“I should be the one thanking you.”

“I only helped you once, but you’ve helped me multiple times.”

Yang Yuan was referring to Li Yu’an treating his injuries and covering for him at the trial center.

But Li Yu’an shook her head. That wasn’t what she meant.

Her gaze remained on the road, but her voice had softened.

“I meant… thank you for saying I’m cute.”

Yang Yuan was taken aback. He had no idea what kind of past this renowned female hero carried—why she would care so much about being called “cute.”

“That doesn’t need thanks.”

As someone who had only known her for a few days, Yang Yuan didn’t understand the depth of it, so he brushed it off lightly.

“I was just saying what I truly thought.”

He hadn’t meant anything by it—just being casual—but he didn’t realize this offhand comment had once again landed a critical hit straight into Li Yu’an’s heart.

Soon, the car came to a smooth stop in front of the hospital.

“I’m here. Thanks for everything today.”

Yang Yuan unbuckled his seatbelt and prepared to get out, but Li Yu’an suddenly reached out and grabbed his sleeve.

“About the custom outfit… I’m not sure what to choose on my own.”

“If you’re free later… could you help me pick something?”

Li Yu’an gave a perfectly reasonable excuse.

But only she knew the truth—this was just a carefully crafted lie to give her an excuse to see Yang Yuan again.

“No problem.”

Without overthinking it, Yang Yuan turned his phone back on and exchanged contact info with her.

After getting out, he hurried into the hospital, muttering to himself as he walked.

“Looks like my luck’s finally turning. Even managed to get a top hero’s number.”

Inside the car, Li Yu’an didn’t start the engine. Instead, she quietly watched Yang Yuan’s figure until he disappeared into the building.

Only then did she look down and repeatedly scroll through the newly added contact in her messaging app.

Yang Yuan.

For the first time, a soft smile—so faint she didn’t even notice it—spread across her usually icy face.

It made her realize something: ever since meeting Yang Yuan, her expressions had been growing more and more frequent.

Still thinking, she unconsciously opened her shopping app and, after a long hesitation, tapped into her pinned collection titled Dream.

Inside were rows of items she had once believed “absolutely didn’t suit her”—pink dresses, lace hairpins, cute animal-shaped keychains.

She scrolled through them again and again, her finger hovering over the Buy Now button for an eternity.

Then she remembered Yang Yuan’s words.

Unable to resist, she selected every single item in the list and pressed Purchase.

“This time, no refunds. No letting them sit unused after delivery.”

As she imagined herself wearing those clothes, her thoughts drifted back to Yang Yuan.

“If… I only wear them for Yang Yuan to see… maybe it’ll be okay.”

****

Meanwhile, Yang Yuan’s mood was heavy.

He desperately wanted to see Su Xiaoyou alive and well—but he had no idea how to face her.

This was the first time in history he hadn’t replied instantly.

He rushed back to the ward and pushed the door open. As expected, Su Xiaoyou was alone.

The professional nurse he’d hired must have been sent away—by some means only Su Xiaoyou knew.

The girl sat quietly on the edge of the bed, wearing an oversized hospital gown, gazing at the city’s night view outside. She didn’t seem to notice Yang Yuan’s return.

Moonlight bathed her silhouette, making her look breathtakingly beautiful.

For a moment, Yang Yuan was mesmerized.

But the moment didn’t last. Su Xiaoyou suddenly swayed, then collapsed backward onto the bed.

Panicked, Yang Yuan rushed over, fearing something had gone wrong.

“Xiaoyou! What’s wrong?!”

Lying on the bed, Su Xiaoyou slowly opened her eyes and whispered in a weak voice:

“Ah Yuan… I’m so hungry.”

“?”

To revive Su Xiaoyou, Yang Yuan ordered a mountain of takeout.

Watching her cheeks puff up like a hamster as she wolfed down food, Yang Yuan finally relaxed.

“Why didn’t you just order food yourself when you were hungry? You nearly scared me to death!” he scolded.

With her mouth full, Su Xiaoyou mumbled in protest.

“It’s… because Ah Yuan didn’t reply to me!”

“I kept typing to you… forgot I was even hungry!”

“You’re something else…”

Yang Yuan couldn’t help but mutter, but as long as Su Xiaoyou was healthy, everything was fine.

After she finished eating and Yang Yuan wiped her mouth for her, the real interrogation began.

“Ah Yuan, why didn’t you reply to me?” Su Xiaoyou demanded.

“We promised—messages must be replied to instantly!”

“I wanted to! But my phone died. I only just charged it downstairs and turned it back on.”

Yang Yuan delivered the flawless excuse he’d rehearsed in the car.

“Is that so…”

Su Xiaoyou still looked suspicious, but found no holes in his story. For now, she said nothing more.

Just as Yang Yuan began to relax, thinking he’d escaped unscathed—

Su Xiaoyou spoke again, her tone eerily calm.

“I was waiting for you by the window.”

“From there, I saw you get out of a very expensive black car.”

Yang Yuan’s heart shot into his throat.

‘Dead. I’m dead.’

Su Xiaoyou slowly lifted her head, her sharp eyes locking onto him as she asked, each word deliberate:

“Ah Yuan… whose car did you come back in?”

“And why… does your body smell like a woman I’ve smelled before?”

“Exactly the same as last time.”