C17 Chapter 17

Over the next few days, Jiaang Mingyi and Yan Jin took Hee Yu sightseeing—Poseidon Temple, Blue Dream Island, and the Uluwatu cliffs.

Everywhere they went, Hee Yu snapped tons of photos. She wanted to bring them back for her mom—to show her the places they’d promised to visit together. Even if her mom couldn’t make it anymore, Hee Yu could still share the pictures and tell her all about it.

Hearing someone speaking her language, Hee Yu’s curiosity got the better of her and she walked toward the voice. In a foreign place, that familiar sound made her genuinely happy—until that happiness turned into someone else’s panic.

Shi Zhixi spotted Hee Yu near the cliff. Her face went pale as she quickly lowered her head. When she looked up again, Hee Yu was already looking right at her, smiling and waving.

“Zhixi, what’s wrong?” someone beside her asked, noticing how drained she looked.

“I’m fine,” Shi Zhixi said weakly, pressing a hand to her temple. “Just a little dizzy from the sun.”

“Let’s take a break,” the director said, seeing how tired everyone was, and told them to rest for a while.

Once the others scattered, Hee Yu jogged over to Shi Zhixi.

“So you’re working,” Hee Yu said. “Looks pretty rough.”

She handed her a bottle of water. “Here—drink some.”

“Let’s walk over there,” Shi Zhixi said, taking Hee Yu by the hand and leading her toward the cliff. That spot had been used for filming before—if someone fell, they wouldn’t get hurt. They’d just drop into the water. Shi Zhixi thought to herself, Once we get there…

No one noticed Shi Zhixi tightening her grip, guiding Hee Yu step by step toward the trap she’d set—the cliff.

As she saw the two people behind Hee Yu drawing closer, the corner of Shi Zhixi’s mouth lifted slightly.

“Then let’s call a truce.” Just as Hee Yu reached out her hand, she saw Shi Zhixi lean backward. Hee Yu’s fingers only caught the edge of her clothes—then Shi Zhixi dropped straight down.

“Shi Zhixi!” Hee Yu shouted, scrambling to the cliff’s edge and looking down. All she could see were waves slamming against the rock face. Shi Zhixi was gone.

Suddenly, a hand yanked Hee Yu hard backward. In the chaos, she saw Yan Jin jump off the cliff too. Jiaang Mingyi spun around and sprinted toward the base of the cliff. Only Hee Yu stayed behind, sitting there in a daze, lost in thought.

Hospitals were always the same—washed in gray. Gray walls, gray lights, gray uniforms.

Just like that day. The day her mother died. Doctors had moved in and out the same way. Her hands clenched tighter and tighter, her knuckles whitening from the strain. When she lowered her head, a figure stopped in front of her.

“Why did you do it?” Yan Jin asked for the first time with anger in his voice.

“Yan… maybe it was a misunderstanding?” Jiaang Mingyi didn’t even know why he was speaking up for Hee Yu.

“Everyone saw it. What misunderstanding could there be? Or are you saying Zhixi chose to jump into the ocean herself?” Yan Jin shoved Jiaang Mingyi aside and grabbed Hee Yu by the collar. Rage clouded his eyes—because Shi Zhixi might be her. He couldn’t allow even the smallest mistake.

“Starting today, you’re staying at the villa. Mr. Wenn will handle everything else.”

The weather on the island was like someone’s mood—changing without warning. Staring at the pouring rain, she walked straight into it without looking back.

“Miss, take this umbrella.” An elderly man held out the umbrella in his hand to Hee Yu.

“Out here, you always need an umbrella,” the old man murmured, as if he wasn’t sure whether he was talking to her or to himself. “Rain like this… it’s just the tears of the brokenhearted.”

“Is that so? Then it’s good he can still cry. Real heartbreak doesn’t come with tears.”

In the pouring rain, hardly any cars were out. Only Hee Yu walked alone, her figure growing more distant, more blurred.

Not far away, someone else stood in the rain, watching that fading silhouette. Even after she disappeared from view, he stayed where he was, refusing to leave, holding his ground.

Jiaang Mingyi didn’t even know why he’d come out. Why did seeing that back make his chest ache? She was his friend’s wife—his sister-in-law.

“Miss Hee, I’ll take you back to your room.” The moment they returned to the villa, Mr. Wenn stepped forward and spoke to Hee Yu.

“Sure. I’m worn out from the last couple of days anyway. Time to get some rest.” She let out a huge yawn, wiped the tears from the corner of her eye, and headed upstairs to her room.

As Mr. Wenn closed the door, he left her with one last line. “The young master has company business these next couple of days, so he’ll be staying over there for now.”

She stubbornly threw herself into the bed, yanked the pillow over her head, and disappeared under the covers.

Hee Yu squinted, staring hazily around the room.

“Doesn’t matter. I’m just a stand-in anyway. None of it matters.” With that thought, she didn’t even change out of her wet clothes—she spent the night under the blanket like that.

“Miss Shi is just a bit overly shaken up,” the doctor said. Hearing that, the manager finally let out a breath.

“Then can she go back to filming?” he asked anxiously.

“As long as she’s willing, there’s no problem. Just don’t overdo it—she needs rest.”

Listening to the doctor ramble on, Shi Zhixi smiled to herself.

“Since Zhixi’s fine, I’ll head back. It’s already noon.”

“We’ll go back, change clothes, grab something to eat, and then come back.” Jiaang Mingyi stretched lazily, his flirtatious eyes still doing what they always did.

“Let’s go.” Yan Jin was completely wiped out. He hadn’t gotten any rest since last night, and the exhaustion was catching up with him.

“Young master, Mr. Jiaang—you’re back.”

“I’ll have the food brought out right away.” Mr. Wenn looked at the two of them—boys he’d practically raised like his own—and couldn’t help feeling for them.

The meal had been prepared since last night and kept warm the whole time, reheated every couple of hours to keep it fresh, so the moment the young master returned, he could eat something hot.

“Where is she?” Yan Jin asked, scanning the room and not seeing Hee Yu anywhere.

“Miss Hee went upstairs yesterday and hasn’t come back down. She didn’t eat dinner, either,” Mr. Wenn said after thinking for a moment.

“Tell her to come down and eat.” So she’d skipped two meals? Lunch wasn’t that long ago. What was she trying to pull? Yan Jin’s irritation flared.

Tap, tap, tap.

Tap, tap, tap.

The knocking kept going, but there was no response from the other side of the door.

Jiaang Mingyi couldn’t sit still anymore. He stood up.

“Kitten, if you don’t open up, I’m kicking it in. I’ve been in the military.” Without hesitating, Jiaang Mingyi drove his foot into the door and kicked it open.