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"Yueyue… Yueyue… Wake up…"
Mo Yuwei's voice cracked in urgency as she called out to her friend over and over again.
"Lin Yue… wake up..."
Lin Yue twisted and turned on the bed, sweat glistening on her pale forehead, her brows furrowed in distress.
Her lips parted slightly, whispering unintelligible words as though lost in a painful dream.
Her breath came in sharp gasps, body twitching lightly beneath the hospital blanket.
"Yueyue... Please... Wake up," Mo Yuwei whispered again.
Then, in a sharp breath, Lin Yue bolted upright—eyes wide, chest heaving—as a single name tore from her lips, "AH YAN!!!"
Mo Yuwei flinched from the sudden movement. "Lin Yue…" she called out softly, worry clouding her eyes.
Lin Yue blinked, trying to orient herself, her gaze scanning the sterile white walls, the window blinds, the machines beeping steadily beside her bed.
Everything then came crashing down on her. Her breath hitched.
Seeing Liang Yexuan.
The coldness in his eyes. The pain in her chest.
Fainting in the elevator.
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Yueyue… what's wrong?" Mo Yuwei asked, concern lacing her voice as she sat on the edge of the bed.
Lin Yue didn't respond. She buried her face in her palms, sobbing quietly.
Mo Yuwei pulled her into a warm hug, wrapping her arms tightly around her.
"Tell me… why are you crying like this?"
Lin Yue clung to her like a lifeline, her sobs intensifying as she choked out, "Am I cursed, Yuwei? Am I just… unlucky?"
"Don't say that," Mo Yuwei said, holding her tighter.
"You're not cursed, Yueyue. You're just... too kind for this world sometimes. And I'm not going anywhere, okay? I'm here. Always."
"Then why…?" Lin Yue's voice cracked. "Why does every good thing I get always disappear? Why does everyone leave me?"
"I won't leave you," Mo Yuwei whispered firmly.
For a while, they sat like that — one holding on for comfort, the other trying to be her strength.
Slowly, Lin Yue's tears began to subside.
Lin Yue slowly pulled away, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.
Her eyes were red, nose slightly puffy, but she began to speak in a soft, broken voice.
"I…" she began, her voice shaky but clearer now. "About four months ago… I saved a man."
Mo Yuwei's brows lifted.
"He had no memory. He didn't know who he was, or where he came from. He was lost… scared. So I helped him. Took him in. Gave him a name. Ah Yan."
"Ah Yan…" Mo Yuwei repeated slowly.
Lin Yue nodded with a faint smile, eyes glazed with bittersweet memories. "He was gentle, quiet. He made me feel seen. And before I knew it, I was in love with him."
"And him?" Mo Yuwei asked softly.
"He loved me back," Lin Yue said, a tear sliding down her cheek. "We didn't have much… but he sold the only watch he had from his past to help me. He said he wanted me to have a future… our future."
Mo Yuwei listened, a strange unease growing in her chest.
"I then found out I was pregnant," Lin Yue whispered.
Her breath caught.
"But before I could tell him," Lin Yue continued, " he vanished."
Her fists clenched.
The words hung heavy in the air.
"I thought something had happened to him. I searched… waited… but nothing. Until two weeks later. I saw his photo… on the news."
Mo Yuwei felt her breath catch.
Lin Yue's voice trembled. "His real name was Liang Yexuan… The CEO of Liang Conglomerate… and he had a fiancée."
Mo Yuwei's jaw fell open.
Silence enveloped the room.
Mo Yuwei stared at her, speechless.
She then connected the dots.
Suddenly, things made sense. Lin Yue's breakdown the day she saw the news about Liang Yexuan.
Her insistence on coming to the Liang Conglomerate.
Mo Yuwei struggled to find her voice. "Then you came to Liang Conglomerate… to find out why he never came back?"
Lin Yue nodded slowly.
"So today... when you fainted again... it was because of Liang Yexuan?" Mo Yuwei asked gently.
Lin Yue nodded, biting her lower lip until it turned white.
The pain still stung her deeper than she could bear.
The memory of his cold expression, the indifference in his eyes—it hurt more than she ever imagined.
"But he... He… he looked at me like I was a stranger. Like I was… nothing," she whispered.
Mo Yuwei gritted her teeth. "Liang Yexuan is known for being ruthless… You don't deserve that."
"Then... Have you told him about the baby yet?" She suddenly remembered.
"I haven't even told him about the baby…" Lin Yue added in a broken voice.
"Why haven't you?" Mo Yuwei asked gently.
Lin Yue looked down. "I… I was scared. What if he thought I was trying to trap him? He already looked at me like I was dirt under his shoe…"
Mo Yuwei reached out and gently took her hand. "He's not the same person anymore. He's known to be cruel and ruthless."
But Lin Yue shook her head desperately. "No! I don't think he's really like that. I think something's wrong. I know Ah Yan. I know his heart. He's not that cruel. He must have a reason, Yuwei. Please... help me find out. Please."
Mo Yuwei was silent for a moment.
She saw the hope that still lingered behind Lin Yue's eyes — hope that the man she knew as Ah Yan was still in there.
"I'll help you," Mo Yuwei said firmly. "I'll find out what's going on. Maybe... Just maybe… he has his reasons."
Lin Yue's eyes lit up. "You believe me?"
"I believe in you," Mo Yuwei smiled.
She stared into the eyes of a woman whose heart was still full of hope despite being shattered again and again.
It made her ache.
"I'll help you," she said finally. "But you have to protect yourself. No matter what we find."
—
Lin Yue nodded gratefully, then suddenly froze.
"My baby!" she gasped, her hand flying to her stomach. Panic flooded her eyes. "What happened to my baby?!"
Mo Yuwei immediately stood. "Relax! Relax. Your baby is fine. But you almost lost the baby, Yueyue. And your condition was serious. You were in danger too."
Lin Yue closed her eyes, a wave of relief washing over her.
She rubbed her small bump gently, her heart thudding with guilt.
"I'm such a terrible mother," she whispered. "I can't even take care of you properly..."
"Stop it," Mo Yuwei scolded gently. "You're doing your best. You've been through too much."
Lin Yue nodded slowly. Then, clenching her fists, she whispered, "This is the last time. No more breakdowns. No more crying. My baby needs me strong."
Mo Yuwei smiled and walked to press the nurse call button.
The moment Lin Yue saw the doctor, she blinked. It was the same one who treated her twice before.
"You again?" the doctor said with a small laugh, checking the chart. "You really love my ward, don't you?"
Lin Yue blushed in embarrassment. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to keep coming back. I just..."
"You just don't take care of yourself," the doctor teased, but her tone was kind. She placed a stethoscope to Lin Yue's stomach.
The doctor teased lightly as she started to examine her. "What's your excuse this time?"
"I'm just clumsy," Lin Yue murmured, embarrassed.
"Clumsy?" The doctor raised an eyebrow. "Or just too soft-hearted? This is your second emergency in a short time."
"I promise this is the last… unless check-ups then until delivery day!" Lin Yue declared with a small pout.
The doctor laughed lightly. "Well, that's reassuring."
Her tone turned soft but firm as she examined her. "You can't keep doing this, Lin Yue. Your health matters. Your baby's life depends on it. I'm being honest—another scare like this, and things might not turn out so well."
After a brief examination, the doctor looked at her seriously. "You and your baby are stable for now. But I want you to stay for two days for observation."
"Two days?! But my work—"
"I've already handled it," Mo Yuwei interrupted smoothly. "I spoke to your leader and asked for a short leave. You need to rest."
Lin Yue looked at her, touched. "Thank you, Yuwei..."
The doctor chuckled again. "Now, you're only allowed back if it's for delivery or a checkup as you've promised, understand?"
"Yes, ma'am," Lin Yue said with a tiny smile.
---
At Liang Conglomerate, the air was brisk and cold with authority as Liang Yexuan stepped out of the boardroom.
Jin Shu walked beside him, tablet in hand, going over the minutes of the meeting.
As they turned toward the CEO office hallway, Jin Shu paused.
"Young Master," he said.
Liang Yexuan gave a subtle nod, eyes still glued to his phone.
Jin Shu spoke cautiously. "Our sources at the hospital confirmed that your saviour... that Miss Lin Yue is at the hospital."
Liang Yexuan didn't pause, didn't flinch. He merely nodded, eyes still on his screen as he typed something.
"Pay the bills," he said.
Jin Shu blinked. "Sir?"
"Make sure everything she needs is covered."
Jin Shu hesitated for a moment, but nodded. "Understood."
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