After confirming Xu Changqing was awake, Xiao Ran and Yu Jingjing relaxed a bit.
"Yu Jingjing, please contact Mr. Nian for me," Xiao Ran asked again. "I'll pay him a salary of one hundred million if he'll come."
Yu Jingjing promised to try and left. She was worried about problems in M-country; she couldn't go there lightly. If Mr. Nian was willing to come, she would be thrilled, but if not — well, she'd done her best.
The hospital restricted visits — only once every six hours family could come see him — and transferred him to a higher-level ward. Xu Changqing lay on the white hospital bed, feeling his head buzzed and pained as if thousands of ants had gnawed at his brain. When he awoke he didn't remember anyone immediately: names and faces scrambled.
"You finally woke up! You scared us to death!" Xiao Ran and Yu Jingjing greeted him.
"Who are you?" Xu Changqing asked, appearing not to recognize them.
"You don't remember us? I'm Xiao Ran, and this is Yu Jingjing — your senior," they said, smiling. But Xu Changqing still shook his head.
"I don't remember being close to you — who are you people?" he asked, which made Xiao Ran and Yu Jingjing exchange worried looks.
Xu Changqing's apparent memory loss unnerved them. He joked and faked an amnesia bit as an actor would, making Yu Jingjing laugh and Xiao Ran sigh in relief.
After a checkup, the doctor Fang Yuan advised they keep him for observation and treatment. Xiao Ran left the black card with Yu Jingjing — a trust test and symbol of reconciliation between them.
Yu Jingjing, who had been on assignment as a killer earlier, now found herself displaying real concern. She made calls to Violet Orchid and Violet Rose to try to secure Mr. Nian's help. Violet Orchid and Violet Rose's contacts coordinated efforts; she felt hopeful but remained anxious.
Xiao Ran, visiting his mother and family later, indulged in family moments, cooking and comforting his mother Ji Nianfang. The corporate power struggle in Ao Corporation continued to churn as board members jockeyed for control. Many secrets of past tragedies and schemes came to light, including old conspiracies and ancient grudges related to the family's power dynamics.
Through all this, Xu Changqing continued to be monitored and slowly recovered. People who had seemed indifferent at first began to show genuine concern, and many converged around his bedside, each with their own motives and feelings.
Lai Fu, the household manager, and others discussed the Ao Corporation crisis late into the night. Li Chang'an's involvement added unforeseen complications to the boardroom power play.
Xiao Ran visited his mother Ji Nianfang to say goodbye for a bit, worried about the corporate battle spilling into personal danger. Ji Nianfang reminded him of family responsibilities and encouraged him to decide for himself. They joked and shared simple delights — steamed pastries and life's small comforts. Xiao Ran spoke of trying to find a job for Xu Changqing at the Penguin Group, knowing Xu Changqing needed steady work. Ji Nianfang remembered that Xu Changqing had once pointed out a fake oil painting in a hallway, bluntly and without tact. His frankness had caused her to scold him in the past. But she also praised his cooking.
Family matters proceeded in the ordinary domestic way: Xiao Ran's younger sister, Xiao Ya, arrived home and the family shared a warm dinner. Meanwhile, company politics continued to shift and plot, with Xiao Shengwei scheming and Gu Tianhe advising him — lofty plans for takeover, bribery, and strategic moves.
At the hospital, Yu Jingjing paced the halls, worried that waiting too long for Violet Orchid or Mr. Nian might harm Xu Changqing. She resented being dependent on their uncertain help and felt pressure from both sides: loyalty to her employer in M-country and her growing attachment to Xu Changqing. She ultimately resolved to do all she could to keep him alive.
Chen Xi, a nurse, and Dr. Fang had their own small dramas: secret relationships, flirtations, and professional stress. Chen Xi joked and teased Fang, who was more reserved and preoccupied ith the patient's medical mysteries. He found it difficult to maintain distance from administrative pressure and his emotions for colleagues.
Across town, the Ao Corporation board schemed, and money transfers and mysterious 1,000,000-yuan deposits continued to appear in accounts tied to officials, creating panic and prompting police involvement. The tension around the company's fate only grew, and Li Chang'an's presence loomed larger as an unpredictable factor in the conflict.
Li Chang'an chose to meet Lai Fu — not the board leaders — showing that he preferred to work through trusted aides rather than directly confronting the company. With terse, measured words, the two analyzed Ao Corporation's precarious position. Lai Fu, as the company's long-serving but cautious steward, didn't want to overreach. He had sympathy but warned of the limits of his power.
Li Chang'an, ever reserved and calculating, indicated he might help but on his own terms; he also cautioned Lai Fu to be discreet. The board's internal fissures showed their true colors as people maneuvered for influence and control.
Back at the hospital, everyone waited on the patient's condition. Tension between factions within the company grew. Xiao Shengwei and Gu Tianhe plotted bold maneuvers to tip the board down their path; their conversation hinted at sabotage and ruthless ambition. Gu Tianhe suggested a provocative move: better to force an action from Xiao Zheng (the old patriarch) than to sit idle.
As all this played out, Xu Changqing's condition remained a focal point. Yu Jingjing kept vigil. Dr. Fang and nurse Chen negotiated their roles. The personal and the corporate threads intertwined tightly now: the fate of a single young man had ripple effects that reached the highest echelons of power.