Fu Tingyu and Gu Yan grew up together. Gu Yan must have been as worried as his family when he suddenly disappeared.

  “Sorry for making you worry.”


  “It’s good that you came back safely.”


  A few simple words could reveal the bond of brotherhood they shared.

  Qin Shu stood by the coffee table, eyeing Jun Li. For a moment, she did not know what to say. As far as Fu Tingyu was concerned, she was still an amnesiac with no memory of who she was.

  If she spoke to Jun Li, she would be exposed.

  It never occurred to her that her actions taken in a fit of rage would come round and bite her.

  Xiao Jiu looked up at his mother. He ran up to Jun Li and gave him a once over. “Uncle Jun, are you feeling better?” He asked.

  “I’m feeling much better, thank you,” Jun Li answered before meeting Qin Shu’s troubled gaze. “Qin Shu, thank you.” His voice was barely more than a whisper, yet it sounded gentle and clear, like a warm spring breeze, easing one of their troubles.

  Xiao Jiu spoke up, reminding him, “Uncle Jun, my mother has lost her memory. She doesn’t remember Uncle Jun. Don’t worry. I’m sure she’ll recover her lost memories soon, just like my father!”


  “She’s lost her memory?”Jun Li cried in disbelief, shooting Qin Shu a worried look.

  Gu Yan, too, was troubled by the news of Qin Shu’s supposed memory loss. When he caught sight of the bandage wrapped around her head, he muttered tentatively, “Is she injured? What happened?”


  Qin Shu wanted nothing more than to dispel their concerns, but she could not. Her carefully crafted ruse was going to ruin everything!

  Although Jun Li was still on the thin side, at least he was alive. It was what mattered most.

  Awkwardly, she said, “I hit my head.”


  Fu Tingyu walked over to her side, his gaze trained on the back of Qin Shu’s head. Even with the bandage on, he knew what hid beneath: a fairly deep wound caused by a door clipping the side of her head.

  “It’s because I didn’t protect her that she got hurt.”


  “You must be tired after sitting on the plane for so long. Rest. Dinner will be ready shortly,” Jun Li said.

  “Okay.” Qin Shu was about to sit when Fu Tingyu led her by the hand to the sofa.

  –


  The butler ordered the maids to bring the dishes to the table.

  The six of them gathered at the dining table. Qin Shu and those present were well acquainted, so they did not stand on ceremony.

  Qin Shu clasped her chopsticks in her hands and hungrily stared at the dish of bamboo shoots. Before she could help herself, Fu Tingyu had already picked up two pieces and placed them into her bowl. “You were just discharged from the hospital. You shouldn’t eat anything too greasy,” He gently reminded her.

  There was nothing wrong with him giving her food to eat, but now, she could only sigh in the quiet depths of her heart.

  Pursing her lips, she offered her polite thanks, “Thank you.”


  Her tone was polite but not so painfully distant as it was before. Still, this subtle change was enough to bring joy to Fu Tingyu. He believed that even if his wife had forgotten him, it would not be hard for her to fall in love again.

  Xiao Jiu emulated his father’s example and picked up his chopsticks, placing a large piece of delicious-looking fish into Jun Li’s bowl. Tilting his head up and grinning cheekily, he said, “Uncle Jun, you should eat more vegetables. You won’t put on any weight unless you eat more.”


  Jun Li received Xiao Jiu’s token offering with gratitude, the barest hint of a smile touching his lips. He was impressed with how sensible Xiao Jiu was. “I will. Thank you, Xiao Jiu.”


  Just as he was going to dig in, Su Ying interjected hurriedly, “Young Master Jun, please allow me to debone the fish.”


  Su Ying skillfully removed the fish bones with practised ease without mutilating the soft, succulent meat.

  Seeing this, Xiao Jiu tilted his head thoughtfully and said, “Uncle Jun, you’re just like my mother. My father also removes the fish bones for my mother before serving her. Don’t you know how to spit them out?”


  Jun Li laughed. “Yes, Uncle Jun isn’t very smart. He doesn’t know how to spit them out.”


  Su Ying returned Jun Li’s bowl of plump fish perfectly deboned. “Young Master, it’s done.”


  Jun Li picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks and brought it to his mouth, savouring the taste of fresh fish.

  Meanwhile, a similar scene took place on Fu Tingyu’s end. He selected a juicy piece of fish and expertly removed the fish’s small bones with his chopsticks, one bone at a time. After which, he placed the fish into Qin Shu’s bowl. “You should eat some fish. It’s rich in calcium.”


  Xiao Jiu sighed dramatically. “I’m the youngest, but no one has ever deboned a fish for me to eat…… Am I not cute enough?”


  Xiao Jiu’s lighthearted sarcasm caused everyone to burst into laughter.

  It was a kind of music that filled the air.

  –


  Qin Shu returned to her room. When she passed by the open-air balcony at the corner, she saw a thin figure leaning against the balustrade.

  Under the cold moonlight, she could see that the person was wearing a light grey nightgown. Their frail form looked like it would fold under the gentlest of breezes.

  Qin Shu suddenly thought of a person who was also extremely weak.

  She walked towards that lonely figure.

  “Jun Li.” She came to stand beside Jun Li. It was not cold where they stood.

  Jun Li knew it was Qin Shu from the sound of her footsteps. There were obvious differences between a man’s and a woman’s steps, and Jun Li had long since learned to differentiate between the two. Even female martial arts practitioners would not possess the same presence as a man.

  He slowly turned around, and his gaze fell on Qin Shu. It was too dim, so he could not see clearly. “You haven’t gone to bed yet?”


  Jun Li’s voice was as warm as the first rays of dawn thawing fresh snow. It was pleasant to listen to and made people relax.

  “I was planning to rest, but I saw you and decided to come over.” Qin Shu was well aware of how painfully thin Jun Li was. How could she not when they were seated so close together at the table earlier? Now, under the waning moon, Jun Li’s condition was obvious. He was so thin that all his bones stuck out at sharp angles. He had not changed since she last saw him.

  She had not had the chance to ask Gu Yan about Jun Li’s physical condition over dinner or what were the side effects of using this different treatment method.

  Would Jun Li make a full recovery? Would he return to what he once was? She was dying to know.

  “How’s your body?”


  “I’m fine. It’s already good enough that I’m getting to live a while longer……” Jun Li replied indifferently.

  Qin Shu interrupted before Jun Li could finish, “Don’t say such things! I believe you’ll recover! You’re going to live a long and happy life.”


  Jun Li smiled but did not refute her words. Instead, he asked, “What do you think is the most important thing in life? Is it to live a life without regrets?”


  The most important thing in life……?

  Fu Tingyu was the most important person in her life.

  She had Fu Tingyu, Xiao Jiu, and a good friend who treated her very well.

  She thought for a while before saying, “Although it’s a little selfish to protect the person who is the most important in your heart, it’s inevitable for a person to have selfish motives. Just as Tsangying Gyatso once said: Nothing in life is perfect; therefore, regrets are inevitable.”


  Jun Li suddenly smiled in relief. “You’re right. It’s inevitable for a person to have selfish motives. It’s not a bad thing to have regrets.”


  Qin Shu looked at Jun Li. The forlorn moon shone on his jade-like cheeks, and she felt an unbearable sadness weigh upon her heart. “Jun Li, what’s wrong? Why are you saying these things?” She asked worriedly.

  Jun Li shook his head. “I’m fine. I just passed through the Gates of Hell. I’m probably overthinking things……”