There was only one week left until the third wedding anniversary, which Shen Yunmian had placed such high hopes on.
These days, she devoted all her spare time to it, stubbornly finalizing every detail herself like an obsessive craftsman, trying to use this grand and magnificent performance to cover the truth riddled with holes beneath, even hoping to awaken a trace of Yu Sheng's past warmth.
That night, she printed and bound the final version of the plan after repeated revisions. Holding the thick booklet in her hands, it felt heavy—like all her hopes and unease.
She needed a natural excuse to walk into Yu Sheng's room and say a few words, even if only about this "act."
Standing at Yu Sheng's bedroom door, her raised hand hadn't yet knocked when a light, smiling voice came from inside.
That laughter… made Shen Yunmian freeze in place, her heart struck by a faint, tingling ache.
How long had it been since she last heard Yu Sheng laugh like this? Not the distant politeness of social settings, nor the sarcasm of anger, but such relaxed, lively laughter.
Inside the bedroom, Yu Sheng was leaning against the headboard, holding her phone.
On the screen was Sophia's bright, sunny face, with what looked like a lush green courtyard in the background.
"Yu Sheng, when are you coming again? I've already started missing you!" Sophia's Chinese carried an accent, sounding a bit amusing. "I still want to go surfing with you—next time I'll definitely teach you how to ride the waves!"
Yu Sheng was amused by her enthusiasm, her lips curving again as she softened her voice. "Sure, when I have time."
"Oh! My aunt told me about the art of speaking for you Easterners!" Sophia covered her mouth dramatically, her expression resentful. "'When I have time' usually means 'no time,' right? You're brushing me off!"
Being directly exposed, Yu Sheng rubbed her brow helplessly and admitted honestly, "Alright, I've been busy lately. I might not have time to come over."
"Ah… I see."
Sophia's face instantly fell like a disappointed large dog, but a few seconds later her eyes lit up again as she excitedly suggested, "It's okay! If you don't come to me, I can come to you! I've never been to your country!"
Yu Sheng was slightly surprised and advised, "It's a short trip. You… should discuss it with your family first. Don't act on impulse."
Outside the door, Shen Yunmian heard Yu Sheng's smiling responses clearly.
Every word was like a cold needle piercing her heart.
That blonde girl—they were still in contact, and so close! Yu Sheng was so patient with her. Jealousy and panic ignited like fire, spreading through her body and destroying all her reason.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Unable to endure it any longer, she knocked heavily on the door, almost smashing it, interrupting the conversation inside.
The laughter inside stopped abruptly.
A moment later, the door opened slightly. Yu Sheng stood sideways, looking at her without fully opening it, her body blocking the doorway, her gaze clearly saying "Speak quickly."
"Something?" Her voice was cold.
Shen Yunmian's heart tightened violently.
She wanted to demand recklessly: Who exactly is Sophia? Why are you still in contact? Why do you smile so happily at her? Sharp words churned on her tongue, nearly breaking through.
But the last bit of reason held her back—she couldn't argue again, couldn't push her further away.
Shen Yunmian clenched the plan booklet tightly, her knuckles turning white. She took a deep breath, suppressing her surging emotions, and handed it forward, her voice trembling slightly as she stiffly changed the subject. "The anniversary details… I've finalized them. You… can see if there's anything you want to add or change."
Yu Sheng's gaze didn't linger on the booklet filled with her effort for even a second. She only looked at her, a mocking curve at her lips. "Shen Yunmian, I already said—this is just an act for others. It doesn't matter how it's done."
She paused, her impatience almost overflowing. "Stop bothering me with this."
With that, without waiting for any response, she slammed the door shut.
Shen Yunmian stood frozen outside, staring at the cold door that shut her out. Her shoulders collapsed instantly as all her persistence and pretense crumbled. In the end, she silently turned and walked heavily back to her own room.
The room was empty and cold.
She went into the bathroom, intending to take a shower. Yet her gaze unconsciously fell on the white toilet.
In an instant, that unbearable memory resurfaced—
Yu Sheng had removed the ring symbolizing their marriage without hesitation and thrown it into the toilet, letting it disappear with the rushing water… A sharp, dull pain spread again from deep within her heart, so painful she nearly bent over.
In her daze, a clear obsession seemed to flash through her mind.
The ring! Right—she needed a new pair of rings!
How could such a grand anniversary lack rings? Perhaps… a new pair of rings could become a new beginning? Once the thought appeared, it clung to her mind with a pathological stubbornness.
The next day, Shen Yunmian impatiently asked Secretary Li for the designer's contact information.
As expected, when faced with her request, the designer on the other end once again refused politely yet firmly: "I'm very sorry, Miss Shen. This is my principle—custom wedding rings must be unique."
After hanging up, Shen Yunmian sat silently at her desk, staring at the gray sky outside the window.
A few minutes later, she suddenly stood up and pressed the intercom, her tone carrying a desperate resolve: "Arrange the nearest flight to F Country for me immediately. Yes—right now."
During the more than ten-hour flight, Shen Yunmian couldn't sleep at all.
When she arrived, travel-worn, and stood directly before the white-haired, world-renowned designer, the pride and composure of someone in a position of power vanished the moment she spoke.
"Mr. Gray, I apologize for the intrusion."
Her voice was hoarse from the long journey and tension as she struggled to recount the past between herself and her wife.
She spoke of how they first met, of those brief moments of warmth that once existed, of how her own arrogance and coldness destroyed everything, of the ring that had been flushed down the drain, and of the regret and despair now embedded deep in her bones… She did not hide her faults, even laying her most unbearable truths bare before him.
"…I know this is all a complete mess." Shen Yunmian looked stubbornly into the designer's eyes. "But I truly hope for a chance—to use something entirely new, something that represents my repentance and sincerity, to try to make up for it, even if there's only the slightest possibility. That anniversary… may be just an act to her, but to me… it's my last chance."
She lowered her head slightly, pleading in a nearly humble posture. "Please… make an exception just this once. Help me."
The designer listened in silence the entire time. After a long pause, he finally nodded. "Alright, I agree. For your… wish to leave no regrets."
"Thank you! Thank you!" she said repeatedly.
Over the next few days, Shen Yunmian postponed all non-essential work and personally stayed at the designer's studio.
She participated in every detail of the design—the width of the band, the angle of the diamond cut, the engraving on the inner ring—offering her own opinions on each. Her level of seriousness and focus even surpassed that of any major business contract she had ever handled.
The day before the anniversary, she finally received the carefully crafted pair of rings.
The moment she opened the velvet box, even Shen Yunmian—someone accustomed to rare treasures—felt a flash of amazement in her eyes.
The design was exquisitely refined. The main diamond was surrounded by smaller stones like stars encircling the moon, with smooth and elegant lines. She carefully took out the women's ring and examined it in her palm, her fingertips brushing over the engraving inside—the initials of her name and Yu Sheng's, along with a symbol representing eternity.
She couldn't help but curve her lips, closing her eyes as she imagined the scene of the next day: beneath a sky full of dazzling fireworks over the vast blue sea, she would solemnly place the ring onto Yu Sheng's ring finger. Yu Sheng might be surprised, might be moved for just a moment… As long as there was even the slightest softening, even just a little, it would be enough.
—
Soon, the day of the wedding anniversary arrived.
Yu Sheng woke up, staring blankly at the ceiling for a moment before recalling this day that had been forcibly given meaning.
There was a gentle knock on the door. Shen Yunmian's voice came through it, deliberately softened, even carrying a faint, barely noticeable hint of excitement: "Sheng Sheng, are you awake? I've booked a stylist. It's about time."
Yu Sheng didn't respond and simply got up to wash. When she opened the door, Shen Yunmian was already waiting outside.
She was clearly dressed up with care today, wearing a well-tailored long dress, her makeup refined, attempting to conceal the fatigue in her eyes. Yet the slight upward curve of her lips and the unusual brightness in her gaze betrayed a certain anticipation in her heart.
Upon seeing Yu Sheng, she immediately put on a smile, her eyes filled with cautious hope.
"The car is ready." She stepped aside, lowering her posture.
Yu Sheng walked past her without a glance, as if she were nothing but air.
Meanwhile, Shen Yunmian kept her gaze fixed tightly on her, even accompanying her throughout the entire styling process.
She sat on a nearby sofa, her eyes hardly leaving Yu Sheng. From time to time, she tried to start conversations—from the weather to the evening cruise arrangements. Her energy seemed unusually high, as if trying to disperse the frozen distance between them with excessive enthusiasm.
Yu Sheng kept her eyes closed the entire time, letting the stylist work. To everything Shen Yunmian said, she responded only with perfunctory monosyllables, not even lifting her eyelids.
When the styling was finished, Yu Sheng in the mirror looked coldly beautiful and distant, almost devoid of vitality.
"Shall we… eat something first?" Shen Yunmian stepped forward, her tone tentative, her fingers tightening slightly around her handbag.
"No appetite. I'm leaving first," Yu Sheng refused bluntly.
"Wait." Shen Yunmian hurriedly stopped her, bringing out the excuse she had prepared. "There will definitely be reporters outside. If we don't appear together or take the same car, it might lead to unnecessary speculation and coverage…"
The same excuse again.
Yu Sheng frowned in annoyance, unwilling to dwell on such matters, and turned directly toward the door.
Shen Yunmian took it as a silent agreement and quickly followed.
Inside the extended luxury car, the space was wide, yet the atmosphere was suffocatingly oppressive.
Shen Yunmian opened her mouth several times, trying to find a topic to break the awkward silence. But Yu Sheng clearly had no intention of speaking, maintaining her gaze out the window, leaving only a cold side profile.
The light in Shen Yunmian's eyes dimmed little by little. Her right hand tightly clutched the small handbag—the velvet box inside, holding the rings, seemed to be the source of all her courage at that moment.
She adjusted her breathing, about to gather the courage to speak again.
Suddenly—
Boom—!
A deafening explosion rang out without warning!
A massive force slammed into them from the side. The car jolted violently, instantly losing control and veering off. The sharp sound of shattering glass pierced the ears!
Everything happened in a split second.
At the moment danger struck, Shen Yunmian's mind had no time to think—her body reacted before consciousness. She lunged toward Yu Sheng, shielding her beneath herself, taking the brunt of the impact.
Yu Sheng felt the world spin. The immense force and inertia made her instantly dizzy. Something struck her temple, sending a dull pain through her head.
Then she felt warm liquid with a metallic scent—drop by drop—falling onto her face.
The heat made her heart tremble.
Amid the chaos, she struggled to open her eyes. Through her blurred vision, she saw Shen Yunmian's face.
Blood was flowing continuously from her forehead, trailing down her pale cheeks, strikingly vivid.
Shen Yunmian's eyelashes trembled as she used all her strength to maintain a sliver of consciousness, her gaze fixed tightly on her. Her right hand still clutched the now-deformed handbag, and through her fingers, the edges of the velvet box could faintly be seen—as if it were something she refused to let go of even in death.
"Shen Yunmian!" Yu Sheng heard the panic in her own voice, unfamiliar to herself.
Shen Yunmian forced a faint smile, her voice as weak as a thread, barely audible. "Don't… worry… I'm… fine…"
"Sheng Sheng, I really wanted… to put it on you myself…"
The last few words seemed to exhaust all her remaining strength, faint as a sigh, filled with endless regret.
Yu Sheng stared at her blankly, her lips parting with difficulty, but no sound came out.
Before she could process the shock, another violent impact came from behind.
A sharp pain struck the back of her head. Her vision went black, and her last bit of consciousness drifted away into endless darkness like a kite with a broken string.
—
The smell of disinfectant filled her nose, carrying the coldness unique to a hospital.
Yu Sheng's eyelashes trembled as she struggled to open her heavy eyelids. Her blurred vision gradually focused, revealing a white ceiling and Su Qingyu's face filled with concern.
"Miss Yu! You're awake?" Su Qingyu's voice was filled with obvious relief and joy. "How do you feel? Are you especially uncomfortable anywhere?"
Yu Sheng tried to move, but a sharp headache and dizziness struck immediately, making her frown. She weakly shook her head, her voice hoarse. "…I'm okay."
The doctor soon arrived and conducted a basic examination—checking her pupils, testing her reactions—professional and efficient.
"Miss Yu, you're very fortunate," the doctor said calmly after putting down a small flashlight. "Thanks to effective cushioning and protection, you mainly have a mild concussion, along with some soft tissue bruises and minor cuts from glass. Nothing serious. We'll observe for a bit—if there are no further issues, you can be discharged soon."
Effective cushioning and protection…
The doctor's words were like a key, instantly unlocking the floodgates of her memory.
The chaotic collision, shattered glass, the spinning loss of control… and that figure who had rushed over without hesitation, shielding her completely, using her own body as a barrier.
And the blood that had fallen onto her face, carrying warmth and that metallic scent…
Shen Yunmian!
Yu Sheng's heart clenched violently as a sense of dread surged over her like icy water. She suddenly looked at the doctor, her voice tense without her realizing it. "Doctor! The person who was brought in with me—how is she?"
The doctor adjusted his glasses, his tone measured and cautious. "Your partner… is in serious condition. She took the majority of the impact. There is a skull fracture, and we are still checking for intracranial bleeding. There may also be internal organ damage… She is currently in the ICU under observation and emergency treatment."
ICU… emergency treatment…
Yu Sheng stood there in a daze, sinking into overwhelming shock and confusion.
Seeing this, Su Qingyu quickly stepped forward and called softly, "Miss Yu…"
It was as if Yu Sheng hadn't heard her. She stiffly lifted the thin blanket off herself and tried to get out of bed. The pain and dizziness made her movements slow, yet her gaze was firmly fixed toward the door.
"Miss Yu, where are you going? You need to rest!" Su Qingyu hurriedly supported her.
"ICU." Yu Sheng's voice was soft, but carried unquestionable determination. "Take me there."
Knowing persuasion was useless, Su Qingyu could only carefully support her as they slowly made their way toward the ICU.
The corridor was long and silent, the strong smell of disinfectant almost suffocating.
Turning the corner, the tightly closed, heavy automatic doors of the ICU—symbolizing the boundary between life and death—came into view.
On the bench in the waiting area outside sat two figures.
One was the Shen family's matriarch, Shen Yunmian's grandmother. She wore a dark qipao, her silver hair meticulously styled. Though her back remained straight in an attempt to maintain her usual authority, the slight tremble of the hand gripping her cane and the exhaustion between her brows revealed the turmoil within.
The moment Zhou Yaqin saw Yu Sheng, she sprang up from the bench and rushed over recklessly, her sharp voice cutting through the silence of the corridor:
"It's all your fault, you jinx! If it weren't for you, how could Yunmian end up like this?"
Yu Sheng pressed her lips tightly together. She had neither the strength nor the will to argue. At this moment, she seemed more like a stunned bystander struck by sudden disaster, all her emotions sealed beneath an outward calm.
Su Qingyu instinctively stepped forward, trying to shield Yu Sheng behind her.
"Enough!" A low but commanding voice rang out, carrying undeniable authority. The old madam struck her cane heavily against the ground and shot Zhou Yaqin a sharp look. "Isn't this chaos enough? Will making a scene here bring Yunmian back?"
Intimidated by her mother-in-law's presence, Zhou Yaqin retreated a few steps and collapsed back into her seat.
Only then did the old madam turn her gaze toward Yu Sheng, her expression complicated. "Yu Sheng, now you should see clearly, shouldn't you? At that moment… Yunmian's first reaction—her only reaction—was to protect you."
Yu Sheng's numb eyes flickered slightly. Everything was too heavy, too much for her to process at once.
After a long pause, she finally raised her gaze, looking past the grandmother toward the tightly closed ICU doors, her voice hoarse. "She… how is she, really?"
The last bit of composure in the grandmother's eyes crumbled. She lowered her head, seeming to age instantly, her voice filled with helplessness. "The surgery just ended. But the doctor said… the situation isn't optimistic. She hasn't… she hasn't passed the critical stage yet."
The corridor fell into deathly silence.
Time crawled forward second by second in agonizing anticipation, stretching as long as centuries.
After more than half an hour, the heavy doors finally slid open. A doctor in green surgical scrubs and a mask stepped out, his expression tired and grave.
Everyone's eyes instantly focused on him.
The doctor removed his mask, choosing his words carefully. "The patient's craniotomy has been completed. Some blood clots and bone fragments have been removed. For now… she has just passed the most unstable phase of vital signs."
A faint glimmer of hope had just begun to rise—
Only to be frozen by his next words.
"However, due to the severity of the head trauma, the extent of brain tissue damage still requires further observation. The next 48 hours are critical. If the patient regains consciousness on her own, the chances of recovery will be much higher. If…" He paused, as if reluctant to voice the cruel possibility. "If she cannot wake up, then… she may fall into a long-term coma—a vegetative state."
A vegetative state…
The words felt like a final judgment.
Zhou Yaqin let out a short cry, nearly fainting, and was hurriedly supported by someone nearby.
The grandmother's body swayed violently. Suppressing immense grief, she stepped forward and tightly grasped the doctor's hand, her voice choked with emotion. "No matter what, please save my granddaughter! Use the best medicine, bring in the best specialists—at any cost! The Shen family… cannot be without her…"
The doctor nodded in understanding. "Don't worry, we will do everything we can."
At that moment, the ICU doors opened again, and nurses pushed out a mobile hospital bed.
Shen Yunmian lay quietly on it, her head wrapped in thick white bandages, an oxygen tube in her nose, and various monitoring wires attached to her body. The lines and data on the screen flickered faintly.
She looked too still—completely different from the composed, calculating President Shen she used to be.
The group silently followed behind as Shen Yunmian was wheeled into a private observation room adjacent to the ICU. Through the large glass window, she could only be seen lying there motionless, devoid of vitality.
Su Qingyu looked at Yu Sheng with concern, only to find her expression empty, as if all emotion had been drained from her.
She spoke softly, "Miss Yu, you don't look well. Why don't you return to your room and rest? If there's any news, I'll inform you immediately."
Yu Sheng did not object. She simply nodded slightly and silently returned to her hospital room.
Leaning against the headboard, her gaze unfocused, fixed somewhere in the air, the sound of shattering glass still seemed to echo in her ears. A surreal sense of absurdity enveloped her.
She never expected that the two of them would be bound together again in such a tragic way.
—
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