Volume One Chapter 1: Encounter

Feng Xi had been sitting at the entrance of the rehabilitation room for over half an hour. In another thirty minutes, the dormitory doors would lock for the night, yet the handsome man inside, sweat streaming down as he trained, showed no sign of finishing.

Scattered at her feet lay cleaning tools. Tidying the rehab room would take at least ten minutes; running from the hospital to the dorm another ten. It was ten o’clock now—ten minutes left before she would have to usher him out.

Through the glass, Feng Xi watched the man. He was striking, more handsome than anyone she had ever seen: almond eyes, thin lips, sharp features, a resolute expression, tall and broad-shouldered. Beads of sweat slid down his chiseled jawline, soaking the collar and back of his shirt.

His name was Gu Qingchen. A car accident had shattered his thigh and pelvis, and several steel pins more than twenty centimeters long were embedded in his body. Ordinarily, such grievous fractures would condemn most to a wheelchair for the rest of their days.

But money bends the world; for the wealthy, nothing is truly insurmountable.

A friendly nurse had whispered to her once: Gu Qingchen’s background was far from ordinary. One of the hospital’s major shareholders was a close relative of his. The accident had happened after his fiancée eloped with another.

Feng Xi stood at the glass, inwardly marveling that even a man as handsome as Gu Qingchen could be abandoned—what standards must his ex have! A man this attractive and affluent surely drew women like moths to a flame.

Her thoughts drifted—if only she could bask in the glow of such a man, her life would no longer be bound by thrift. For someone so wealthy, a mere flicker of generosity would cover her expenses. She could stay for the winter break, avoid returning home to parents who’d given her life but little else.

The minute hand crept toward the two. Time pressed in, and Feng Xi grew anxious. She was not one for words; though her desires threatened to burst through the bounds of propriety, she faltered at the last moment.

She pushed open the door. Warm air greeted her, washing over her face.

Gu Qingchen was practicing stair descent, his leg strapped to a support, paused on the penultimate step, staring at her in surprise.

His eyes were pools of clarity, lashes long and curled, deep and full of emotion.

Feng Xi hesitated before speaking, “Sir, it’s getting late… Should you perhaps… rest a little earlier?”

Her face flushed, and she looked at him, but he remained silent.

His gaze shifted from confusion to shock, tinged with sadness. He stared at Feng Xi, his grip on the railing loosening, his body slowly pitching forward.

“Careful!” Feng Xi reacted swiftly, stepping in to steady him by the shoulder.

Gu Qingchen breathed heavily, his eyes still locked on hers, one hand gripping her wrist with fierce strength, anger blazing in his eyes.

Feng Xi was so unnerved she dared not speak. Pain shot through her wrist—he was much too strong.

She gasped in pain.

Gu Qingchen snapped out of it, apologetic, loosening his hold, but his eyes never left her face.

“What’s your name?” His voice was urgent, desperate for confirmation.

Feng Xi freed her wrist, rubbing it. “My name is Feng Xi.”

But Gu Qingchen, like a wounded beast, seized her shoulders and shouted, “No, you’re Ye Qinghe, aren’t you? You’re Qinghe!”

Feng Xi brushed off his hands, stepping back in alarm. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, sir. My name is Feng Xi—Feng as in ‘dedication,’ Xi as in ‘cherish.’ Should I call the doctor for you?”

Gu Qingchen slumped onto the step, staring ahead in confusion, murmuring, “No, you’re not Ye Qinghe. No, Qinghe wouldn’t visit me. She’s already left me.”

A thought flickered through Feng Xi’s mind—did she resemble his ex, or had heartbreak warped his perception so every woman was her?

She glanced at the clock—it was already thirteen past ten. She kept her voice calm. “Sir, I need to clean the rehab room. If you need anything, I can call the doctor. Can you stand by yourself?”

Gu Qingchen looked up at her. In just a few minutes, his eyes were red, and his voice weak. “Could you hand me my phone from the table, please?”

She turned to the table by the door—a huge sports bottle beside a phone.

She handed him the phone in silence, then picked up the disinfectant cloth and began scrubbing the equipment from the back of the room.

Time was running out—her hands moved without pause, eyes scanning for spots, swift and efficient.

She didn’t notice that as she worked, Gu Qingchen’s gaze never left her, growing gentler even as disappointment settled in his heart.

She wasn’t Ye Qinghe. Ye Qinghe would never do such hard work—she was a pampered princess.

Feng Xi mopped the floor twice, sweat pouring from her brow. When she returned the mop to the bucket, she checked the clock: twenty past ten. Victory! She stood, hands on her hips, surveying the spotless room with pride.

Suddenly, the door swung open and a young man entered, panting. “Mr. Gu, sorry I’m late!”

Gu Qingchen’s assistant braced his hands on his knees, looking up. His gaze caught Feng Xi standing with hands on her hips, and his eyes widened.

“Ye—?” He stopped abruptly, looking at Gu Qingchen, whose eyes were full of disappointment as he shook his head.

The assistant hurried to Gu Qingchen’s side, helping him up, but kept glancing at Feng Xi, each look charged with disbelief.

Gu Qingchen settled into his wheelchair. Feng Xi gathered her things, preparing to leave—she’d have to run if she wanted to make it back by ten-thirty.

Gu Qingchen gave his assistant a glance.

“Hello, miss,” the assistant suddenly blocked her way. “Sorry, may I ask your name?”

“Feng Xi.”

He smiled warmly. “You seem quite young—why are you working as a cleaner here?”

“Work-study.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “Are you a medical university student?”

“Yes.” It was twenty-two past ten. Feng Xi grew impatient. “Is there anything else? My dormitory will close soon. I have to hurry.”

The assistant looked at Gu Qingchen, who nodded slightly. “Sorry, you just resemble a friend of ours. That’s all.”

Feng Xi tossed her cleaning tools into the closet, threw on her jacket, and dashed downstairs.

In the corridor, Gu Qingchen sat in his wheelchair, gazing after her silhouette, lost in thought.

His assistant spoke behind him, “Mr. Gu, shall I look into this young woman?”

“Do it.”