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Chapter 83 - A Long Night

Blood.

It was the one color Gu Ze Yan hated to see on her.

His chest went tight when he saw Lin Qing Yun stagger into the apartment—face pale, a bruise blooming across her cheek, blood dripping down her wrist. For half a second, fury swallowed him whole. He wanted to kill whoever dared touch her.

But instinct overtook anger.

He rushed forward, grabbing the nearest towel and pressing it against her wrist. His voice was low, trembling, almost begging.

"Sunny… hold on. Don't move."

Her lips parted as if to answer, but exhaustion stole her words.

Ze Yan scooped her into his arms and ran. The night air cut sharp against his lungs as he sped to the hospital. He had always been composed, precise, a man who measured every move. Tonight he broke every red light, one hand clutched to the wheel, the other tightening around her as though she might vanish if he let go.

---

At the Hospital

The white lights of the trauma room stung his eyes. Nurses pulled Qing Yun onto a bed, doctors barking quick orders. Ze Yan, normally unshakable, turned pale.

He nearly fainted when he saw how much blood stained the sheets.

"Local anesthetic, sutures ready."

"The cut is deep, but not arterial."

Those words kept him upright. Not arterial. She would live.

Still, the sound of the needle sliding through skin, the sight of her delicate wrist being stitched—it shredded his composure. He forced himself to watch, because looking away felt like betrayal. His hands curled so tightly they trembled.

Minutes stretched like hours. Then the doctor straightened, removing gloves.

"She's stable. Antibiotics, ibuprofen, rest. No strain on the left hand for at least two weeks."

Ze Yan exhaled a shaky breath he didn't realize he was holding.

He bowed slightly to the medical staff, murmured a hoarse thank you, and went to settle the bill with trembling fingers.

---

The Ride Back

On the way out, he stopped by a beef noodle restaurant. He remembered—this was one of the few foods she would always finish, no matter how tired.

When he returned to the car, she was already asleep, head tilted, lashes trembling faintly. For a long moment, he only stood there, gazing at her fragile figure in the passenger seat, his heart breaking and mending at the same time.

Even after they reached his apartment, she did not wake. Ze Yan carried her upstairs in his arms, like cradling something too precious, too breakable. He laid her carefully on his bed, tucking the blanket up to her chin.

---

Dinner & Medicine

When she stirred, he coaxed her awake gently.

"You have to eat something," he said, kneeling by the bed, holding the steaming noodles.

She blinked at him, voice faint. "I can use my right hand…"

"No." His refusal was firm, unyielding. "You scared me half to death already. Let me do this."

Her lips curved in the faintest smile. "You're overreacting."

But she opened her mouth, letting him feed her bite by bite. The domestic intimacy of the moment nearly undid him.

Afterward, he pressed antibiotics and ibuprofen into her hand, refusing to move until she swallowed both.

---

Bath & Teasing

"I need a bath," she whispered suddenly, frowning down at her clothes. "I feel dirty."

Ze Yan immediately stood. "I'll help you. You can't get the bandage wet—"

She cut him off by shutting the bathroom door in his face.

Silence.

Then the door cracked open.

"Help me… undo this." She turned her back, showing him the bra clasp.

Ze Yan smirked, stepping close, fingers brushing the warm skin of her back as he undid it with practiced ease.

"Why so shy?" His voice was low, teasing. "I've already seen everything."

Her glare could have cut glass. "Nope." The door slammed again.

He laughed softly, leaning against the wall, waiting.

When she emerged, damp and fresh, he was ready with a towel. He dried her hair slowly, then ran the hairdryer until every strand was soft and warm.

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The Long Night

"Now rest," he ordered, his voice softer than the whisper of the dryer.

Obediently, she slipped beneath the blanket. Sleep claimed her quickly.

Ze Yan sat beside her, eyes fixed on the bandaged wrist resting on the blanket. His heart clenched, questions burning in his throat:

Why did this happen? Who hurt her? Why did she look so broken when she arrived?

Fury threatened to consume him. He wanted to tear the city apart to find the man who dared lay a hand on her. But fear was stronger. The fear of losing her.

He reached out, stroking her hair gently, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"Sunny," he whispered into the still night. "Don't ever scare me like this again."

The apartment was silent except for her breathing. It was a long night for Gu Ze Yan, a night spent staring at the fragile figure in his bed, fighting anger, drowning in love, and realizing that he could never, ever let her go.

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