Xu Meng’s surgery went smoothly, but due to the anesthesia, she wouldn’t wake up for a while.
Yu Yu felt that since the surgery was completed and Xu Meng was temporarily out of danger—and also because she wasn’t very comfortable sharing the same space with Jiang Yi—she urged Jiang Yi to leave.
Jiang Yi also knew there was nothing left for her to do here, and she understood that Yu Yu disliked her. After all, they rarely contacted each other unless necessary.
Being someone who knew how to read the room, Jiang Yi confirmed Xu Meng’s stable condition before driving to Jiang Sixian’s company.
She parked her car downstairs and waited for a while, timing it just right for when Jiang Sixian would finish her meeting. Then she took out her phone and called her.
Jiang Sixian answered almost immediately, her clear, cool voice coming through the receiver: “Hello? Jiang Yi? Is your sister’s surgery done?”
Jiang Yi leaned against the car, phone in hand, and tapped the ground lightly with her toe. Her voice was hoarse as she replied, “Yeah, it’s done. The surgery went smoothly.”
Jiang Sixian sounded genuinely happy. “That’s great! I just finished my meeting. I’ll drive over to meet you soon.”
Jiang Yi sniffled, chuckled softly, and said in a gentle voice, “No need. I’m already parked downstairs at your company. Just come down and you’ll see me.”
Jiang Sixian sounded pleasantly surprised. “You drove here? Wait for me, I’ll be right down.”
She moved quickly. Before long, Jiang Yi saw Jiang Sixian striding toward her in high heels, her steps clicking against the pavement.
When Jiang Yi spotted her, she immediately straightened up and opened her arms.
Jiang Sixian saw the gesture and rushed forward, throwing herself into Jiang Yi’s embrace.
Jiang Yi wrapped her arms around Jiang Sixian’s waist, gently stroking her hair without saying a word. Jiang Sixian tilted her head up and asked curiously, “Why did you come to the company? I thought I was supposed to meet you at the hospital?”
Jiang Yi smiled faintly. “I missed you, so I came to see you.”
She paused, then added, “Besides, Xiao Meng hasn’t woken up yet. Even if you went to the hospital, you wouldn’t be able to talk to her. Might as well come home with me.”
Jiang Yi loosened her hold and took Jiang Sixian’s hand, leading her to the passenger seat. With a playful grin, she said, “Alright, since Xiao Meng’s surgery went so well today, it’s all thanks to you, boss.”
“Thanks for finding those specialists—it gave Xiao Meng an extra layer of security. To show my gratitude, how about I treat you to dinner tonight?”
Though she framed it as a simple meal, to Jiang Sixian, it sounded more like a date invitation. Come to think of it, they had been dating for a while, but Jiang Yi rarely initiated outings. Hearing this now, Jiang Sixian was overjoyed.
She looked up at Jiang Yi with a bright smile. “Sure! What are you planning to treat me to?”
Jiang Yi smirked mysteriously and closed the car door. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
With that, she got into the driver’s seat and headed toward their home.
As they neared their place, Jiang Sixian grew puzzled. “Did a new restaurant open near our place?”
Jiang Yi turned the steering wheel, parking the car by the roadside. She grinned and said, “With my current financial situation, what kind of fancy meal do you think I can afford?”
Jiang Sixian thought for a moment, then hesitantly asked, “If not a fancy meal, then… some delicious street food?”
The young mistress still didn’t quite grasp what “treating someone to a meal” meant in ordinary households. It wasn’t until Jiang Yi dragged her through the supermarket’s fresh produce section, loading up their cart with groceries, that Jiang Sixian finally realized Jiang Yi intended to cook for her.
Jiang Sixian was delighted. “Jiang Yi, you’re making a feast for me!”
Jiang Yi chuckled. “Well, yeah. Among ordinary people, treating someone to a meal usually means cooking at home—especially if you’re close. And you’re my girlfriend, after all.”
She leaned in closer and whispered, “You don’t think I’m being too stingy, do you?”
Jiang Sixian burst into laughter, covering her mouth as she shook her head. “Of course not! I’m thrilled you’re cooking for me.”
Looking into Jiang Sixian’s sparkling eyes, Jiang Yi felt her own mood brighten.
She suppressed the tightness in her chest and reached out to ruffle Jiang Sixian’s hair. Smiling, she said, “Then be a good girl and wait in the living room. I’ll get started on dinner.”
“Okay.”
Jiang Yi carried the ingredients into the kitchen and turned on the faucet to start washing them.
Her cooking skills were half-learned from her grandmother and half-picked up from her comrades in the military. Since Jiang Sixian had a sensitive stomach, she kept the menu light today—corn and pork rib soup, tomato and enoki mushroom tofu soup, and a stir-fry of onions and meat.
After setting the soup to simmer, she started chopping onions. But as she worked, the pungent fumes made her eyes water uncontrollably, blurring her vision.
She wiped at her tears, only for the irritation to worsen, making them stream even harder.
With her sight completely obscured, the onion beneath her knife became a hazy shape. Thinking there wasn’t much left, Jiang Yi steeled herself and brought the knife down in one decisive motion.
A sharp pain shot through her finger. “Ow!”
Through her blurred vision, she saw blood welling up from the cut. She quickly set the knife aside and turned on the tap, holding her injured finger under the running water.
Hearing the commotion, Jiang Sixian hurried into the kitchen. Seeing Jiang Yi rinsing her finger under the faucet, she asked anxiously, “What happened? What’s wrong?”
Jiang Yi lifted her head, revealing a face streaked with tears. Jiang Sixian’s heart clenched. She rushed forward, cupping Jiang Yi’s face in concern. “Why… why are you crying like this?”
Jiang Yi’s chest ached. Sniffling as she held her injured finger under the water, she finally managed to steady her voice. “The onions… they’re too strong.”
Jiang Sixian glanced at the chopped onions on the cutting board and relaxed slightly—until she noticed the blood still flowing from Jiang Yi’s finger. Panic set in. “Jiang Yi, you’re bleeding! So much blood… Wait, I’ll call an ambulance—”
Tears still blurring her vision, Jiang Yi watched Jiang Sixian’s frantic reaction. She wiped her eyes, then suddenly pulled Jiang Sixian into a tight embrace. “I’m fine… don’t worry…”
Jiang Sixian clung to Jiang Yi’s clothes, biting her lip anxiously. “But Jiang Yi… you’re bleeding… you’re hurt…”
Jiang Yi held her close, murmuring softly, “It’s nothing… really…”
As she spoke, she buried her face in Jiang Sixian’s shoulder—and for some reason, the tears came flooding back.
It wasn’t the onions. It wasn’t the pain in her finger.
She just… needed to see Jiang Sixian. Needed to hold her.
Jiang Yi clung to her, crying silently.
Cold tears slid down Jiang Sixian’s neck, seeping into her collar. She stiffened for a moment before wrapping her arms around Jiang Yi, holding her carefully. “Jiang Yi?”
Hearing her name, Jiang Yi abruptly let go. She covered her face and crouched beside the sink, trying desperately to stop the tears.
The sudden loss of warmth left Jiang Sixian stunned. She knelt beside Jiang Yi, placing a tentative hand on her shoulder. “Jiang Yi… does your eye still hurt?”
Jiang Yi shook her head but didn’t answer.
Jiang Sixian’s unease grew. She leaned closer, whispering near Jiang Yi’s ear, “Jiang Yi, does your hand hurt?”
Still, Jiang Yi said nothing.
Jiang Sixian had never seen Jiang Yi like this before. Even when they had reunited and recognized each other, the tears in Jiang Yi’s eyes had been joyful.
This was the first time Jiang Sixian had truly witnessed Jiang Yi cry—or rather, seen her in such profound sorrow.
In Jiang Sixian’s heart, Jiang Yi had always been optimistic, bright, and full of life. Even her jealousy was endearing.
She had never glimpsed Jiang Yi’s vulnerability. Now, for the first time, Jiang Sixian realized—Jiang Yi needed her embrace too.
She bent forward, wrapping her arms around Jiang Yi and murmuring softly into her ear, “Jiang Yi, don’t be afraid. No matter what happens, I’ll always be here with you.”
Mimicking what she herself would want in such a moment, Jiang Sixian clumsily offered comfort.
Jiang Yi buried her face deeper, crying harder—but Jiang Sixian only held her tighter.
That warmth effortlessly melted away the icy grip of death’s shadow and the guilt of survival, finally breaking through Jiang Yi’s defenses.
She rested her forehead on her knees, arms wrapped around her legs, and spoke in a voice thick with sorrow. “Jiang Sixian… so many times—in my dreams, when I wake up at dawn, every time I try to sleep—I keep thinking… if only she hadn’t taken that bullet for me…”
“If only she hadn’t been my squad leader…”
“Tell me… she had parents to care for, children to raise… Why did I get to live instead of her?”
“Sometimes I think… I’d rather… it had been me that day…”
“That bullet would’ve just gone through my shoulder… but it killed her instantly…”
“She saved me… and now I can never be at peace again…”
Jiang Sixian listened carefully, finally understanding. Jiang Yi was drowning in guilt too. She was tormented just the same.
In this, at least, they were alike.
The realization brought Jiang Sixian a strange comfort—but mostly, it just hurt.
She hugged Jiang Yi tighter, patting her back gently. “I don’t know… but I’m glad you survived.”
“So many nights… I’ve wondered too…”
Jiang Sixian’s voice cracked. She rested her head on Jiang Yi’s shoulder, crying with her. “Why did you take me away that day?”
“It didn’t matter if I went into heat… didn’t matter if we couldn’t escape… didn’t matter if I was assaulted… As long as you lived, nothing else mattered.”
“But Jiang Yi, you just left… for six whole years…”
“Back then, I kept asking myself—why couldn’t it have been me? There were times… I could barely keep going… I didn’t even want to live…”
“Your scent in your room… it faded little by little, until it was gone… I almost believed you were really dead…”
“But I searched for so long and never found you. No body, no missing person reports… So I held onto a tiny hope…”
“I wanted to wait for you. If I couldn’t… once Mom had another child… I was going to find you…”
“Jiang Yi, I hate myself… I really… really hate myself…”
Tears streaming down her face, Jiang Sixian cupped Jiang Yi’s cheeks and met her gaze. “But you came back… You came back safe and sound.”
“She didn’t save you for nothing. She knew there were people in this world who loved you too. She loved you… and so do I.”
“So Jiang Yi… let’s stop blaming ourselves, okay?”
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