Su Yanyan could be quite talkative at times, chattering away about all sorts of whimsical topics.
Tang Weiwei, on the other hand, remained her usual quiet self, spending most of the time simply listening.
Shen Minyao, however, surprised Xu Xiuwen greatly. Perhaps it was because she had faced life and death, but she seemed to have matured, becoming much more reserved.
Most of her attention was now focused on Xu Xiuwen. She frequently asked him if he was thirsty, hungry, or comfortable—practically treating him like an emperor.
Before they knew it, it was 5 p.m. Once again, Shen Minyao asked if he was hungry. Xu Xiuwen nodded in acknowledgment, so Su Yanyan and Tang Weiwei decided to go buy dinner together.
The two girls left the hospital room, leaving only Xu Xiuwen and Shen Minyao behind.
Previously, with her roommates present—especially Tang Weiwei—there were many questions Shen Minyao couldn't ask. Now seemed like the perfect opportunity.
When Su Yanyan was around, her chatter created a lively atmosphere. But with her absence, Xu Xiuwen suddenly found himself unsure of what to say to Shen Minyao. The room grew quiet, with a hint of awkwardness in the air.
After a dozen seconds of silence, Shen Minyao broke it first.
She couldn't hold back and asked, "Xu Xiuwen, why did you go upstairs to save me today?"
Xu Xiuwen froze at the question. He noticed the hopeful, almost expectant look in Shen Minyao's eyes.
He had a vague sense of what Shen Minyao wanted to hear, but he also knew the consequences of saying such things were not something he could bear.
Shifting his gaze to the window, he answered softly, "No particular reason."
That was clearly not the answer Shen Minyao was hoping for. A flicker of disappointment crossed her face, but she didn't give up. She pressed on, "I don't believe you. Even if what you said is true, let me ask you: If it were another girl up there, would you have risked your life to save her?"
"If it were Weiwei or Yanyan, I would've gone up to save them too."
"And if it wasn't them? If it were another girl?"
"I still would."
"You're lying!"
"How am I lying?"
"You rushed upstairs because you were worried about my safety, didn't you? If it had been someone else, you wouldn't have taken that risk," Shen Minyao insisted.
Xu Xiuwen didn't dare meet Shen Minyao's eyes, because she was right.
The situation was so dangerous at the time. Unless it was Tang Weiwei, Cheng Lu, or someone he shared a close relationship with, he absolutely wouldn't have risked running into the fire.
It wasn't that Xu Xiuwen was cowardly or afraid of death, but he always weighed the consequences before taking action.
In his previous life, he had lived through so many hardships. Now, having been reborn a decade earlier, he felt like he had won the lottery. His career was gradually getting on track, and his future was bound to be brighter and more exciting.
He hadn't yet had the chance to truly enjoy life—how could he possibly risk his life for someone who didn't mean much to him?
Besides, the situation was particularly uncertain. No one could say for sure if Shen Minyao was even upstairs. She might not have been in the dorm at all, making the trip utterly pointless.
The effort and reward simply didn't add up.
So if it had been someone else—say Su Yanyan or another girl in their class—he wouldn't have done it.
Xu Xiuwen likely wouldn't have taken the risk under normal circumstances. But Shen Minyao was different.
In their previous life, Shen Minyao had sacrificed so much for Xu Xiuwen—not just financially, but also her career, her time, her family relationships, and even her own health.
Xu Xiuwen had always carried a deep sense of guilt toward Shen Minyao. And, deep down, his feelings for her hadn't disappeared.
So, even though he knew the situation was dangerous, even though the risk might have been unnecessary, he still chose to take it. Because it wasn't a gamble he could afford to lose. He couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to Shen Minyao.
As it turned out, his decision was the right one. Shen Minyao had indeed been in the dorm, dazed and disoriented from inhaling too much toxic smoke. Without him, there was no chance she could have escaped.
Having his true feelings laid bare by Shen Minyao, Xu Xiuwen couldn't bring himself to meet her gaze.
Shen Minyao waited for a response, but hearing nothing from him, her impatience grew. She couldn't help but ask, "Xu Xiuwen, why do you care about me so much?"
"Do I? I don't," Xu Xiuwen denied.
"Don't lie. Back in the dorm, you gave me the only wet towel instead of keeping it for yourself. If you didn't care about me, why would you do that?"
"You must be misunderstanding. I only did that because I didn't want anything to happen to you. If something happened to you, wouldn't my trip have been in vain?"
Xu Xiuwen's tone was calm, but his words cut like a knife, leaving Shen Minyao deeply hurt.
After a moment of silence, she couldn't help but ask, "Just answer one question for me."
Sensing what might come next, Xu Xiuwen quickly interjected, "I'm tired. I need to rest."
"No resting!" Shen Minyao immediately objected.
Xu Xiuwen frowned. "Do you have no sympathy? I got these burns because I saved you. I'm tired now, and you won't even let me sleep?"
Shen Minyao replied earnestly, "I'm very grateful you saved me. I'll do anything for you—even if you ask me to die right now."
Her tone was incredibly serious.
"What nonsense are you spouting? Who wants you to die? I worked so hard to save you, just to watch you die? If you keep saying things like that, don't ever show up in front of me again," Xu Xiuwen said angrily.
Hearing his anger, Shen Minyao's mood unexpectedly brightened. She even smiled slightly. "Alright, I won't say it again."
"Good. That's more like it."
"Then answer my question. Once you do, I'll let you sleep."
"Shen Minyao, aren't you being annoying?" Xu Xiuwen pretended to be exasperated, turning his head to the other side.
But Shen Minyao wasn't about to give up. She walked around the bed to face him again. Xu Xiuwen turned his head away, and she walked back to the other side.
After this repeated two or three times, Xu Xiuwen finally sighed in resignation. "Shen Minyao, what exactly do you want?"
Shen Minyao's expression was resolute. "I don't want anything. I just want you to answer my question."
Xu Xiuwen let out a helpless sigh. "I must owe you from my previous life."
"Then hurry and ask."
Hearing this, Shen Minyao's eyes lit up with joy.
"You—" The words reached her lips but didn't come out.
"I find you quite amusing. If you have something to say, just say it. Don't be so hesitant. That's not like the Shen Minyao I know."
Shen Minyao perked up instantly. "What was the Shen Minyao you knew like?"
"Huh?" Xu Xiuwen hadn't expected her to take his casual comment so seriously.
"Hurry and tell me," Shen Minyao urged.
Xu Xiuwen was quite sincere in his response. "The Shen Minyao I know is a confident and graceful Dalian girl who knows when to let go."
Hearing this, Shen Minyao blushed slightly. "I'm not as good as you say."
"Whether you are or not is my opinion, not yours to judge. Weren't you going to ask me something? Hurry up and ask," Xu Xiuwen said, pretending to sound impatient.
Shen Minyao nodded. After a moment of hesitation, she finally asked her question.
"Xu Xiuwen, do you like me?"
"What?"
"I'm asking if you like me."
Xu Xiuwen had a hunch about what she wanted to ask, and after a brief pause, he replied, "No, I don't. Happy now?"
"No!"
"Why not?"
"Because you're lying!"
"When did I lie?"
"You hesitated just now, which means you're lying."
"Shen Minyao, can you stop making a fuss? Didn't we make it clear back then that we'd just be friends?"
"Yes, we did. But back then, I was the one who liked you, and you said you didn't like me, so I gave up. But now you like me, which changes everything!"
"Can you stop being so full of yourself? Did I ever say I like you?"
"You didn't say it, but the fact that you risked your life to save me proves you do."
Xu Xiuwen couldn't help but laugh in exasperation, though there was also a faint sense of helplessness and melancholy in his heart.
This beautiful Dalian girl, whether in his past life or this one, was always so bold and straightforward in love. A girl like her—who wouldn't fall for her?
But Xu Xiuwen also knew her well.
In his past life, Shen Minyao had many admirable qualities, but she also had some flaws—or rather, traits shared by many girls. One of them was her strong sense of possessiveness.
For instance, when they lived together in the past, every time Xu Xiuwen was caught watching something on his phone, she would immediately snatch it away and curate it for him, declaring certain things "not interesting."
In Shen Minyao's own words from their previous life: "Xu Xiuwen belongs only to me. You're not allowed to have other women in your heart or even look at them."
If Xu Xiuwen were to be with Shen Minyao, he would have to give up his interactions with other girls entirely.
But that was something Xu Xiuwen couldn't do.
With a silent sigh, he decided it was better to make things clear with her.
"Shen Minyao, I really don't like you. Stop wasting your time on me. I heard Liu Zhihao has been pursuing you this semester. He seems like a decent guy with a good family background—"
"Stop it!" Shen Minyao interrupted him.
"I have nothing to do with Liu Zhihao. I know he likes me, but I don't like him at all. The person I like has always been you. It's always been you. Why are you so cruel to me? You clearly like me, so why won't you admit it? You risked so much to save me. The way you looked at me then, full of worry and concern—it was obvious you care about me. Why are you lying?"
As Shen Minyao spoke, her emotions grew more intense.
"If you're determined to think that way, then I have nothing more to say," Xu Xiuwen said, closing his eyes and turning his head away.
Suddenly, he felt his head being "seized."
Xu Xiuwen opened his eyes to see Shen Minyao holding his face with both hands, forcing him to look at her.
"Shen Minyao, what are you doing?"
"Look me in the eyes and tell me the truth. Do you like me or not?"
"How many times do I have to say it? No, I don't. Now let go of me!"
Shen Minyao's expression was blank as she looked down at Xu Xiuwen, her gaze sharp and piercing.
Her intense stare made Xu Xiuwen feel uneasy. "What are you trying to do?" he asked warily.
In a soft voice, Shen Minyao said, "I don't believe what you're saying. If you didn't like me, there's no way you'd risk so much to save me."
Before Xu Xiuwen could respond, Shen Minyao leaned down suddenly.
"You—" He barely got the word out before Shen Minyao silenced him with her lips.
Xu Xiuwen's eyes widened in shock. Shen Minyao was kissing him—forcefully! And in a hospital, no less!
After the initial shock wore off, Xu Xiuwen tried to turn his head to break free, but Shen Minyao firmly held his face in place, refusing to let him escape. Helpless, Xu Xiuwen could only stare, stunned, as Shen Minyao continued her bold move.
She had no technique, no experience—just like when they were together in their previous life. Even her flushed cheeks were the same as he remembered.
For a brief moment, Xu Xiuwen felt like he had been transported back to the days when he and Shen Minyao were dating.
Back then, Shen Minyao was nothing like his ex-wife. Every quality she had seemed to fill the gaps left by his failed marriage, making her feel like an angel sent to rescue him from despair.
He had truly loved her during that time.
Lost in this fleeting memory, Xu Xiuwen froze, his resistance fading.
But the moment passed, and clarity returned. He tried to push back again, but with his injured hands, he was no match for Shen Minyao's determined grip.
Forced to endure her kiss, Xu Xiuwen felt both helpless and "suffering immensely."
This was Shen Minyao's first kiss. She lasted barely a minute before pulling back, panting heavily, her face bright red.
Xu Xiuwen immediately glared at her. "Shen Minyao, are you insane?! Do you even realize what you just did?" he shouted.
Shen Minyao, still catching her breath, said nothing. She simply looked at him, her eyes sparkling with a determination that unsettled him.
And just as he feared, after a few more quick breaths, she leaned in again, repeating her earlier move.
With both his hands injured and unable to move, Xu Xiuwen had no way to fight back. His head alone was no match for Shen Minyao's persistence.
Once again, he was forcefully kissed.
Xu Xiuwen was completely dumbfounded.
Shen Minyao's actions were so unexpected, so unbelievable, that he couldn't reconcile them with the girl he thought he knew. Was this really the same Shen Minyao? It was unfathomable.
Xu Xiuwen was no saint—he enjoyed kissing girls. But being kissed like this, against his will, left a strange, uncomfortable feeling in his chest.
For over ten minutes, he endured Shen Minyao's relentless advances. Finally, she stopped her wild behavior.
Her face was still flushed, but her eyes shone with excitement as she asked, "Now, do you still want to say you don't like me?"
Xu Xiuwen frowned. "Stop being ridiculous. What you're doing won't do you any good."
"I don't care," Shen Minyao replied. "All I care about is that you like me."
Seeing her unyielding attitude, Xu Xiuwen felt a wave of helplessness.
After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked, "What about Weiwei? Are you asking me to abandon Weiwei and be with you?"
At the mention of Weiwei, Shen Minyao's face turned pale instantly.