When Emily first learned that Luo Aiqin had run away from her marriage, leaving her to marry a stranger in her place, she had no choice but to comply. The only reason she agreed in the end was because her parents pushed her into it.
She thought about the man she was marrying—what kind of man, and what his name was. On the wedding day, when she first saw the man she was about to marry, she froze. It was him—the very same man she had fallen in love with at first sight three years ago in the film and television city.
She hadn't forgotten his face, nor the intensity in his eyes. But he didn't seem to recognize her. She couldn't understand why. Was it the passage of time? Or was it the makeup she wore back then that had made her unrecognizable to him?
But none of that mattered. What mattered was that she had met him, just as she had wished. And more than that—she was marrying him. Three years ago, she had sworn to herself that she would never marry anyone but him. Now, her dream had come true.
When she learned his name from the priest, she repeated it to herself quietly, almost afraid she might forget. Alexander. What a beautiful name.
If she hadn't married him, she would've confessed her true identity to the Lu family a long time ago, and never allowed him to touch her, let alone endure the torment from her overbearing mother-in-law and sister-in-law for two whole years.
Five years. Three years in college, and two more years after marriage. She loved him for five years, but all she received in return were three divorce papers.
She didn't know if it was worth it. All she knew was that she never regretted meeting him.
And now, despite everything, she was still carrying their child. She would raise the baby on her own and continue to love him quietly, from a distance, where he couldn't see.
Palm Springs.
Emily rode the sightseeing elevator back to her home. The place was eerily quiet. The scent of her parents was absent, and she couldn't hear their voices.
"Morning light?" she called out, looking into the living room.
Luo Chenguang, her younger brother, was nowhere to be found. She wasn't sure how long she had been waiting, but no one responded.
Was he not home for the weekend? It was Saturday after all.
She pulled her suitcase back to her room, placed her clothes in the closet, then took a quick shower before calling her mother.
Luo's mother answered, her voice tinged with impatience. "What's going on? Did Alexander agree to return your father's company?"
Emily bit her lip, hesitating for a moment. "Mom, I'm sorry..." she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"What do you mean by that?" Luo's mother sounded confused, but it was clear from the tone of her voice that she already had a sinking feeling.
How could Emily possibly fail?
"Mom, Alexander and I... we're divorced," Emily said softly, her words heavy with sadness.
"What?! You're divorced? Why would you do that? Are you out of your mind?" Luo's mother's voice was sharp, filled with disbelief. "If you were going to divorce him, at least get him to give back the company before you sign those papers!"
The realization dawned on Luo's mother. She had finally understood what Alexander meant when he said, "Soon, it won't be the Lu Group anymore."
It all made sense now—he wanted to divorce Emily.
But why?
"Mom, Alexander knows that I'm not his sister. If I hadn't signed the divorce agreement, he would've sued us for fraud," Emily said, her voice breaking with tears. The words she had never wanted to speak now seemed inevitable.
Her mother fell silent. A long pause followed before she spoke again, her voice cold. "How did he find out you weren't Aiqin? Did you tell him?"
Emily lowered her head, her throat tight. "No, I didn't tell him. He figured it out on his own."
Her heart felt like it was being crushed. How could she have ever told him the truth? The truth that would have torn everything apart? Unless, of course, she had stopped loving him.
"You fool! If it had been Aiqin, Alexander would never have known the truth."
Click. The line went dead. Luo's mother hung up before Emily could say anything more.
"Mom—!" Emily cried out, but the call had already ended.
Her mother didn't even give her a chance to ask which hospital Luo's father was in. The phone dropped from Emily's hand as she lay back on the bed, exhausted. She had no more strength to cry.
Tears welled up in her eyes, but sleep overtook her. She let her head sink into the pillow, her body heavy with fatigue.
Private Hospital.
Alexander hurried into the VIP ward, where several medical experts were gathered around a patient in a bed. The room was filled with hushed conversation as they discussed her condition.
"Alexander, you're here," Bai Geng, one of the doctors, said when he spotted him.
Alexander nodded, moving closer to the bed. The experts stepped aside to let him through.
"What's going on?" Alexander asked, his face creased with concern as he looked down at Dong Nianxue, lying motionless in the hospital bed. "Didn't she wake up? Why is she still asleep?"
He had waited for three long years, and now that she had finally woken up, she had fallen back into a deep slumber within a day. He had hoped to take her on the world tour they'd always talked about, fulfilling the promises they once made.
Bai Geng adjusted his glasses before speaking. "Her pulse is stable. The waking and sleeping patterns are normal. The brain requires a recovery process, but don't worry—it doesn't mean she'll be asleep for three years again. She'll wake up more and more often, and soon enough, she'll be fully conscious. During this time, Alexander, you need to be here more. Talk to her, help her stay awake longer. That will speed up her recovery."
"How long will this last?" Alexander's voice was tight with worry.
"That's hard to say," Bai Geng replied, his face etched with uncertainty. "It depends on the person."
The words hung in the air, and Alexander's heart sank.
It depends on the person.
It all came down to Dong Nianxue herself. He could do little more than be a bystander in her recovery.
"Are you okay?" Bai Geng asked, noticing Alexander's sudden shift in mood.
"I'm fine," Alexander replied quickly, though his voice was far less convincing than usual. "I'm just going to the bathroom."
He turned and left the room without another word. Bai Geng watched him leave, his brow furrowed in confusion. The VIP ward had its own bathroom, so why would he go all the way out to the public restrooms?
In the hospital's public restroom, Alexander stood in a small, isolated cubicle, the smell of stale smoke filling the air. He had taken up the habit of smoking during the three years Dong Nianxue had been in a coma. The stress, the isolation—it had all driven him to it. And today, with the weight of everything hanging over him, he couldn't shake the need for a cigarette.
He lit one, taking a long drag, letting the smoke cloud his thoughts. It was only after finishing half a pack that he returned to the VIP ward.
When he stepped back inside, Bai Geng immediately noticed the pungent smell of cigarettes hanging around him.
"You've been smoking again?" Bai Geng asked, his tone a mix of concern and disapproval. "You know it's harmful to your health, right? You should quit."
Alexander stiffened. He had once prided himself on being a teetotaler. But in the last three years, it had become a way to cope.
"I'm fine," he muttered, his eyes distant. "I'm fine."
Bai Geng didn't press the matter further, though the concern remained in his gaze as he watched Alexander approach Dong Nianxue's bed.