Pushing against him with what little strength remained.
"Go away… he wants to kill you… run… run…"
"Go away… he wants to kill you… run away…"
Haoran held her tighter, refusing to let her go. He began to move her toward the ghost car, her body limp in his arms.
His heart shattered just looking at her—this woman, once delicate and proud, now weak and broken. She struggled to touch his face but couldn't lift her arm. "Aah…" she whimpered softly.
It was then that he noticed the fractures in her arms, her shoulder. The realization hit him like a sledgehammer, paralyzing him with guilt. How didhad it come to this?
"Run… to Glen City. The Han people… will save you…" she murmured, her voice fading as dizziness overtook her once again.
Haoran shook off his shock and scooped her into his arms, gently settling her in the ghost with her head resting in his lap. Shen Mu took the driver's seat, leaving the chauffeur behind to deal with the bodies of the fallen men.
The engine roared to life. "Sir, we can head to Glen City's hospital is the safest place," Shen Mu suggested, his voice tense.
Haoran's voice broke. "Just get to a hospital. Fast!"
"Yes, sir."
Haoran bent over Han Xue, his hands trembling as he tried to rouse her. "Xue… wake up… Xue, don't die, please…" His voice cracked, raw with emotion.
"Xue!" His desperation was palpable, his face contorted in pain as if he were physically hurting alongside her.
Her eyes fluttered open, if only for a moment. "Hao…ran… run away…" she whispered weakly.
"We're going to the hospital, Xue. Don't sleep. Stay with me." His hands frantically wiped the blood from her face with a wet towel, hoping the cold would revive her.
The dampness stirred her slightly. She gazed up at him, and for the first time, Haoran's face was filled with concern and warmth—emotions she had longed to see for years.
"Can you bear it a little longer?" he asked softly, his voice gentle as he caressed her face. "We'll reach the hospital soon."
She suddenly spoke in a frail voice, "You were right... I'm a cheater…"
"Shh," he hushed her quickly. "Don't say nonsense."
"Let me speak… I won't get this chance again…" Her voice was a mere whisper, but her words held the weight of finality.
As Haoran stared at her fading form, the fear of losing her sank deep into his soul. In that moment, he realized—he couldn't even begin to imagine a world without her.
All the anger, all the irritation he felt when he saw her with other men—those emotions weren't hatred; they were jealousy. He had always been consumed by his emotions for her, feelings he never fully understood until now. She had always bothered him, but not because she was a nuisance. It was because she made him lose control. Every time.
But now, all of that seemed insignificant. In this moment, he knew with absolute clarity—she was the only thing that mattered to him.
Watching her crash was the most terrifying experience of his life. The fear gripped him in a way nothing ever had.
He, the man who had tortured countless people, who had orchestrated deaths without a second thought, the man whose very name could strike fear into others, was now utterly powerless.
The sight of this woman, wounded and broken, was unbearable.
And the thought that she might die? It felt as if his entire world was collapsing around him.
"I won't let you die like this," Haoran insisted, the words almost a plea.
Han Xue's lips trembled. "I kissed Liam… Kang Manchu's son…"
Haoran glanced at Shen Mu through the rearview mirror, his eyes pleading for him to drive faster. Shen Mu understood the silent command—he had never seen his master so vulnerable, so helpless. "I'll break every traffic rule to get her to the hospital in time," Shen Mu vowed, pressing the accelerator as hard as it would go. The car roared down the road, speeding through traffic lights as they neared Glen City.
"I… I really became what you always said…" Han Xue began to laugh weakly, her voice broken, but it quickly turned into a fit of coughing. Haoran hurriedly gave her water, his hands now completely stained red from her never-ending blood loss. His heart raced with fear. Why is she bleeding so much? he cursed internally.
"I don't care!" Haoran said, his voice thick with emotion. "You're still my wife."
Han Xue's eyes clouded with sorrow. "But I cheated… I let him… I let him do what he wanted…"
Her confession hung in the air like a dark cloud, but Haoran shook his head, refusing to let it consume him. "Stop. I know. You're not a cheater. Forget about it."
"At least… this time, you believe me…" Tears welled up in her eyes, streaming down her pale cheeks.
Her eyelids fluttered. "I… I only…"
Panic surged through Haoran as he saw her fading. He tapped her cheeks gently. "Han Xue! Wake up! Finish what you were saying!"
He wiped her face with the wet towel again, his hands shaking.
Her eyes barely opened. "I…"
"Finish what you were telling me!" Haoran urged, his voice shaking with fear.
"I…"
"Yes, Xue, I'm listening… you only what?"
With the last of her strength, Han Xue whispered as Haoran brought his ear close to her lips, "Only… loved you…"
And then she slipped into unconsciousness once more.
Her final words struck Haoran like a dagger to his heart. He froze. His body went cold. It was as if a thousand scorpions had stung him all at once. The woman he had never trusted, never supported, had only ever loved him. The woman he had insulted, controlled, and never truly seen—had just sacrificed herself to save him.
A tear slid down his cheek.
The fear of losing her gripped him with an intensity he had never known. Nothing else mattered. Nothing. All that mattered was saving her—this small, fragile woman who had chosen to confess her love while on the brink of death.
[===o===o===]
WDD Mini Series: "Help, I'm in a Novel!"
( A hilariously chaotic series of banter where the characters double as their own story's spectators, breaking the fourth wall with mischievous humor, exaggerated emotions, and side-splitting commentary about their tangled, dramatic lives. )
Title: "Only Loved You (ಥ﹏ಥ)"
ZH:
"You kissed Liam?! Wifey, why?! (╯°□°）╯"
HX:
"You said I'm a cheater. I figured I'd live up to it. Hmph. (¬_¬)"
ZH:
"Wifey! You're not allowed to cheat, die, or even THINK about leaving me! (눈_눈)"
HX:
"So dramatic. You're the one who said you didn't care… (¬‿¬)"
ZH:
"Didn't care?! I'll confess to every crime just to save you! Worship me? Hah, you'll fear me in your next life if you try this again! (ಥ﹏ಥ)"
HX:
"Hmph… so possessive… I like it. (¬‿¬)"
ZH:
"You better! Now stop bleeding and stay alive, or I swear I'll follow you to the afterlife!"
HX (weakly):
"You'd better not… I need some peace and quiet for once. (¬_¬)"
ZH:
"WIFEY!!! (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ"
[===o===o===]