45.deep affection

Chen Xin lightly patted Xiao Wan's face while shouting her name, but no matter how loudly he called, he couldn't bring her back to her senses. Her body continued to convulse, and the seizures only seemed to intensify. Even Chen Xin, a grown man using all his strength, was struggling to hold her down.

Hearing the commotion, Ellie rushed upstairs, panicked. "Mr. Chen, what's wrong with Xiao Wan?"

"I don't know! I don't know!" Chen Xin was flustered. He quickly said, "Call an ambulance, now!"

Ellie immediately pulled out her phone to make the call. Just as she was about to dial, Xiao Wan's phone on the bedside table suddenly rang. It was Leng Qing calling at that exact moment.

Seeing the name, Chen Xin felt a surge of irritation. He grabbed the phone, intending to hang up, but Xiao Wan's violent movements accidentally caused him to answer the call instead.

Before he could process what happened, Xiao Wan started shaking her head violently and muttering "Don't come near me" and "Please, I beg you." Chen Xin hastily set the phone aside, trying to bring her back to reality. He slapped her cheeks gently and yelled, "Xiao Wan! It's me, Chen Xin! Open your eyes and look at me!"

Perhaps his shouts registered somewhere deep in her mind because Xiao Wan suddenly stopped convulsing. Her eyeballs darted rapidly beneath her eyelids. Just as Chen Xin breathed a sigh of relief, she screamed in anguish and began thrashing wildly again.

She shoved Chen Xin aside with such force that he stumbled onto the floor near her phone. That's when he heard Leng Qing's voice yelling, "Chen Xin! Answer me! If you want to help Lin Xiao Wan, pick up the damn phone!"

Stunned, Chen Xin took a second to react. He motioned for Ellie to keep Xiao Wan from falling off the bed, then picked up the phone and brought it to his ear. He barely had time to say "I—" before Leng Qing interrupted urgently. "Is she convulsing and rolling her eyes back?"

Chen Xin paused, then replied, "Yes. What's going on—"

"No time for questions. Listen to me carefully. There's a song on her phone called Grandma. After we hang up, find it and play it for her. Her symptoms will ease. Stay by her side and don't leave. I'm on my way right now."

Chen Xin frowned. "But I think we should take her to the hospital immediately."

"Trust me. I know how to handle this better than a hospital can. I've been through this before." Leng Qing's tone softened slightly. "This isn't a physical illness—it's psychological."

Though Chen Xin didn't particularly like Leng Qing, he knew Leng Qing would never harm Xiao Wan. So, after a brief moment of hesitation, he agreed. "Got it."

After hanging up, Chen Xin turned to Ellie and said, "Hold off on the ambulance for now."

Ellie hesitated, worriedly glancing at Xiao Wan's distress. "But…"

Chen Xin didn't respond. Instead, he quickly found the song Grandma on Xiao Wan's phone and played it. Sure enough, the moment the gentle melody began, Xiao Wan's trembling subsided almost instantly. She stopped convulsing, her breathing still labored but gradually steadying.

Both Chen Xin and Ellie let out a sigh of relief. Chen Xin placed the phone close to Xiao Wan's ear and said to Ellie, "Could you bring me a warm, damp towel? She's sweating a lot."

"Of course."

While Ellie went to fetch the towel, Chen Xin gently touched Xiao Wan's forehead. She no longer reacted as violently as before, though her body still flinched slightly at his touch.

Chen Xin withdrew his hand and focused on the song. It was a lullaby sung by an elderly voice. Judging by the title, he guessed it must have been sung by Xiao Wan's grandmother.

No wonder it could calm her. While grateful for the song's effect, Chen Xin also felt a pang of jealousy. How could Leng Qing know about this song when he didn't? But now wasn't the time for such feelings. Xiao Wan's safety was the priority.

After Ellie brought the towel, she went back downstairs to give them privacy. Chen Xin carefully wiped the sweat off Xiao Wan and changed her into clean clothes without scaring her further.

Not long after he finished, a commotion erupted downstairs, followed by Leng Qing storming into the room, his presence filled with fury. Ellie, flustered, followed him and said, "Mr. Chen, I'm sorry, I couldn't stop him—"

"It's fine," Chen Xin replied. "You can leave us."

After Ellie left, Leng Qing took a moment to suppress his anger and approached the bed. He skillfully checked Xiao Wan's pupils and temperature before exhaling in relief. "She'll be fine after she wakes up."

Chen Xin also relaxed slightly, but before he could say anything, Leng Qing's fist smashed into his face.

The punch was solid and unexpected, sending Chen Xin stumbling to the ground. Leng Qing wasn't done—he charged forward, landing a vicious kick to Chen Xin's abdomen before pinning him down and raining punches on him.

Leng Qing never wasted words in a fight. His blows were precise and unrelenting, leaving Chen Xin's face battered in no time.

With years of martial arts training, Chen Xin could have easily retaliated. But guilt weighed heavily on him. He felt responsible for Xiao Wan's condition and decided to accept the beating as penance.

After several minutes, Leng Qing finally stopped. Grabbing Chen Xin by the collar, he demanded in a low, menacing voice, "What the hell did you do to her? She wouldn't have an episode like this for no reason!"

Chen Xin wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said, "Before we went to bed last night, we talked about her ex-boyfriend, Lance."

Leng Qing lifted him slightly higher and said angrily, "What did you force her to tell you? Chen Xin, you're old enough to know some scars in people's hearts shouldn't be touched, aren't you?"

"I didn't touch it, and I didn't force her to say anything," Chen Xin replied. "She was in a bad mood when she came home tonight and started talking about Lance. I only know she stabbed Lance with a knife, but I don't know why, and I didn't ask."

Leng Qing's expression flickered with surprise. "She told you herself? That she stabbed Lance?"

"Yes," Chen Xin nodded.

Leng Qing's face darkened slightly. He abruptly let go of Chen Xin, stood up, and suddenly went over to the bed, picked up Xiao Wan, and walked out.

"Where are you taking her?" Chen Xin immediately got up and followed.

Leng Qing paused, turned back, and coldly said, "I'm the only one who can take care of her in her current state."

"But Xiao Wan is my girlfriend!"

Leng Qing sneered coldly, "You turned her into this, so you don't deserve to call her your girlfriend."

Chen Xin felt ashamed but still blocked Leng Qing's path. "You can't take her away."

"You'd better let me take her," Leng Qing said with an indifferent and haughty tilt of his chin. "If you really care about her well-being and want her to recover, I'm telling you, I'm the only one who can help her now."

Chen Xin clenched his fists, wanting to argue but finding no words. After all, Leng Qing had known Xiao Wan for years and apparently knew things he didn't. At this point, how could he compete with him?

He didn't back down, but he also didn't move forward to stop him.

Leng Qing saw the change in his expression and, without another word, carried Xiao Wan out of the bedroom.

Ellie quickly ran up, shocked. "Mr. Chen, why did you let Xiao Wan leave with that man?"

Chen Xin rubbed his temples and said, "…I know what I'm doing."

Ellie didn't dare say more, as she was merely a housemaid. After she left, Chen Xin sat wearily on the bed. He suddenly noticed that Xiao Wan's phone had been left behind. He picked it up and unlocked the screen, only to find that the wallpaper had been changed to a photo of him. It seemed Xiao Wan had taken it secretly while he was working in the study.

Before this, Xiao Wan's phone wallpaper had always been a cute cat.

Looking at this photo, Chen Xin regained some confidence. He pressed the phone against his chest for a long time before picking up his own phone to call "Sun."

The person on the other end quickly answered, "Mr. Chen, what can I do for you?"

Chen Xin said, "I asked you to investigate Lance Meyer before, didn't I? I can't wait a week. I need the information as soon as possible."

"Understood."

···

When Xiao Wan woke up, it was already noon the next day.

Her consciousness slowly returned, and she smelled a familiar aroma in the air. She forced her dry eyes open.

Following the scent, she turned her head and saw Leng Qing sitting beside an induction stove, cooking his signature plain noodles.

In that moment, she couldn't help but recall the first time she saw Leng Qing cooking noodles. She was just over seventeen at the time. Her grandmother had brought her from China to study here, and she met Leng Qing in a language class. Her grandmother gave her ten dollars every day for lunch, but she couldn't bear to spend it and chose to skip meals, saving the money to help her grandmother.

When Leng Qing discovered her skipping meals, he dragged her to his place without a word, silently cooked her a bowl of noodles, and pushed it in front of her, saying, "Eat. I can't afford fancy stuff, but I can manage a bowl of noodles every day."

Xiao Wan remembered crying while eating that bowl of noodles. The taste of the noodles was overwhelmed by the saltiness of her tears. From that day on, Leng Qing's plain noodles became her favorite comfort food. Whenever she was sad or hurt, a bowl of those noodles would make her feel better.

Now, watching Leng Qing scoop the cooked noodles into a bowl with sauce, Xiao Wan instinctively rubbed her eyes.

Noticing she was awake, Leng Qing said calmly, "Hungry? Come and eat if you are."

"Mm," Xiao Wan responded. She tried to get up but felt sore all over. As she slowly propped herself up, she realized something was wrong.

Last night, wasn't she on the couch with Chen Xin, watching a movie? Why was she here at Leng Qing's place now?

Her eyes widened in panic. As she was about to stand, Leng Qing quickly pressed her back onto the couch. His voice was gentle but firm. "Don't get agitated. I brought you here from Chen Xin's place."

Xiao Wan's face turned pale. Her lips trembled as she asked, "Did I… Did I have an episode? How bad was it? What… What did I do? I don't remember anything…"

"Not too bad," Leng Qing reassured her. "You just had some convulsions, but no one was hurt. I had Chen Xin play your grandmother's song, and it calmed you down quickly. Don't worry."

Xiao Wan anxiously grabbed his arm. "What did you tell Chen Xin? Did you tell him anything?"

"Of course not," Leng Qing said, gently brushing her messy hair. "Don't worry. I promised you I wouldn't tell anyone, and I'll keep that promise."

Xiao Wan finally breathed a sigh of relief, but soon a crushing guilt overwhelmed her. She had such a serious condition, yet she hadn't said a word to Chen Xin. Would he think she was selfish if he ever found out the truth?

But she didn't know how to tell him. She didn't have the courage.

"Eat the noodles first," Leng Qing said, skillfully changing the subject. "You must be hungry by now."

Xiao Wan shook her head and tried to stand. "No… I need to go back to Chen Xin. He must be so worried about me…"

Leng Qing frowned slightly and gently stopped her. "I understand how you feel, but Xiao Wan, you need to know that you're very unstable for a few days after each episode. If you go back to him now and something triggers you again, it could be much worse than this time."

Xiao Wan knew he was right, but she couldn't stop thinking about Chen Xin. Tears streamed down her face as she said, "But I'm afraid he's worried about me… I…"

"He will obviously worry about you, but you know that under these circumstances, I have to take you away." Leng Qing said firmly, "Only I can help you, right? You eat the noodles first, and then call him to let him know you're okay. Is that alright?"

Xiao Wan looked at his face, thought for a moment, and then gently nodded.

She sat back on the old couch. Leng Qing took the bowl of noodles, which had become a bit clumpy, and switched it with a fresh bowl of noodles he had just made. He handed it to her, saying, "Eat."

Xiao Wan picked up the chopsticks and slowly ate, her mind drifting back to the times she had eaten noodles at Leng Qing's place in the past: when she was attending language classes and high school, she would come here just for a simple meal, either lunch or dinner. But after her grandmother's death and several breakups with boyfriends, she gradually got used to coming here to eat noodles only when she was hurt, seeking comfort and help from Leng Qing.

As she thought of this, Xiao Wan's tears fell again. She couldn't help but put down the bowl and cover her face. Leng Qing immediately came over, softly asking, "Why are you crying again? Is it because the noodles don't taste good?"

Xiao Wan shook her head, choked with sobs, and said, "I'm just… very scared, Leng Qing. In this world, you're the only one who understands me. I'm so scared that others will look at me like a monster."

Leng Qing said, "Didn't you always tell me that you didn't care about how others saw you, as long as I understood you? I've already promised you that I will protect you no matter what. You don't have to worry. As long as I'm alive, no one can hurt you."

"I know. But I…"

Seeing Xiao Wan hesitating, Leng Qing suddenly understood, his expression darkening slightly. He asked, "You want Chen Xin to understand you, don't you? Are you thinking of telling him what happened to you in the past?"

Xiao Wan bit her lip, nervously nodded her head.

Leng Qing's tone became slightly impatient, "Why do you suddenly want to tell him? You've had so many boyfriends in the past, but you never thought of telling them about that thing! Why do you want to tell Chen Xin?"

Xiao Wan shook her head in panic, "I don't know… but seeing how he accepts me, I… don't want to hide anything from him."

"But that thing… only I know about it!" Leng Qing said, unable to accept, "All this time, it's only me! You said you only trust me!"

Seeing him angry, Xiao Wan shrank into herself, feeling guilty and sad. "I'm sorry, Leng Qing. It's not that I don't trust you, it's just…"

"You've really fallen in love with him, haven't you?" Leng Qing completed her sentence, and felt his heart drop into a bottomless abyss.

Xiao Wan hesitated for a moment, then buried her face in her hands, crying again. "I'm sorry, really sorry…"

Upon seeing her cry, Leng Qing immediately lost his temper. He gently pulled her into his arms, patting her back as he said, "It's my fault. I shouldn't have been so harsh with you. Don't say sorry to me, Xiao Wan. You've never wronged anyone."

Xiao Wan couldn't help but cry out loud, leaning into his chest.

Leng Qing said nothing, just gently patted her back, allowing her to release her sadness and frustration. After a long while, he lifted her face and asked, "Xiao Wan, I just need one answer from you. Do you really love Chen Xin? More than any of your past boyfriends?"

Xiao Wan looked at his face, her eyes red, and nodded seriously.

Then what about me? Has your love for him surpassed your feelings for me?

The question was on the tip of Leng Qing's tongue, but in the end, he didn't ask it. He was afraid to hear the answer. He lowered his head slightly and said, "Alright, since Chen Xin is so important to you, I won't stop you from telling him about that thing. But not now."

Xiao Wan asked, "When then?"

Leng Qing gently patted her head and sighed, "You haven't seen Dr. Kelly for a long time, have you? Listen to me, go see him and let him assess your current condition. If he thinks you're ready to tell Chen Xin, then I'll agree."

Xiao Wan hesitated, "But… I don't want to see him…"

Leng Qing was not surprised by her reaction but softly persuaded her, "But he's the one who's been treating you all this time. He knows your condition best, doesn't he? You don't want to change doctors and go through the whole diagnosis process again, do you?"

Xiao Wan immediately shook her head in fear.

"Then be a good girl and go to Dr. Kelly. Let him check you out, okay?" Leng Qing said, "Only then will I be at ease."

Xiao Wan thought for a long while before finally nodding, "Okay, I'll listen to you."

"Good." Leng Qing sighed in relief and said, "Now, can you eat properly? Or have you gotten used to eating delicacies with Chen Xin and are tired of my simple noodles?"

"No, Xiao Qing's noodles are always my favorite," Xiao Wan said, quickly picking up the noodles to eat, but Leng Qing stopped her. He smiled faintly and said, "Alright, I was just teasing you. The noodles are cold now, don't eat them. I'll go out and get something good for you. What do you want to eat?"

Xiao Wan had been restless the whole night and now felt hungry. She couldn't help but say, "How about roast chicken? The one you used to buy for me."

"Alright, no problem," Leng Qing replied, picking up his wallet and keys as he headed out. He turned at the door and warned her, "Stay here and don't run around."

"Okay."

After Leng Qing left, Xiao Wan washed her face and was eager to call Chen Xin. However, after searching around, she realized she had forgotten to bring her own phone. She quickly grabbed Leng Qing's phone to call herself. As expected, someone picked up quickly—it was Chen Xin's voice.

"Xiao Wan?"

Hearing his familiar voice, Xiao Wan's heart immediately warmed. She choked up and said, "It's me. Xiao Guai, I'm sorry, did I scare you last night?"

"It was a bit scary. I thought I was going to lose you." Chen Xin sighed and asked, "Where are you now? How are you feeling? Are you still in pain?"

"I'm at Leng Qing's studio, I… I'm fine now." Xiao Wan quickly said, "Sorry for making you worry about me. Maybe Leng Qing didn't explain clearly, but it's not a physical illness… it's… a psychological issue."

"I know, he told me."

"Then… do you want to know what happened?"

Chen Xin said gently, "Of course I want to know everything about you. But Xiao Wan, I promised you I wouldn't force you to do anything you're not ready for. Last night, seeing your condition really worried me. After Leng Qing took you away, I kept blaming myself, wondering if it was because we talked about Lance that triggered your condition."

Xiao Wan bit her lip, "I'm sorry…"

"I should be the one saying sorry," Chen Xin said regretfully. "No matter what happened before, as long as you're not ready, you don't have to tell me. You can even decide never to tell me. Xiao Wan, I cherish your present and future more than your past. I just want you to be happy living by my side."

Xiao Wan couldn't help but cry again as he spoke. "I know. I… I will try to be happy."

"Okay," Chen Xin said, "When are you coming back?"

Xiao Wan replied, "I want to see the psychologist I used to see… If everything's fine, I'll come back to you."

"Alright. I'll wait for you." Chen Xin paused and then said, "Xiao Wan, I love you."

"I… I love you too." Xiao Wan wiped her tears. At that moment, she really wanted to rush back to him, but she didn't dare. She was afraid he would see her in her vulnerable state again, or that she might do something to hurt him.

The two lingered on the phone for a long while before Xiao Wan reluctantly hung up. She took a deep breath, trying to stop her tears and decided to keep her promise to Chen Xin to make herself happy. So, she started looking at the sculptures in Leng Qing's studio. He seemed to have created several new pieces recently, and his techniques had improved compared to before. As she looked at the vivid sculptures, her mood lightened a little.

But then, she suddenly noticed something covered with a black cloth in the corner.

Is it a new piece of work? Xiao Wan didn't think too much about it and bent down to uncover the cloth. But when she saw what was beneath it, she was shocked—this was indeed a stone sculpture, but it depicted one person reaching into another's chest and tearing out their heart, ripping it in two.

Both figures were faceless, but Xiao Wan could tell from their shapes that they were likely two men. She felt a chill run down her spine because this sculpture was completely different from Leng Qing's usual style. Looking at it, one could sense a deep hatred from the artist.

She stared at the sculpture for a long while, until a knock at the door brought her back to reality. She thought it was Leng Qing returning and hurriedly covered the sculpture back up. She rushed to open the door, saying, "Didn't you bring a key? Why—"

But her words stopped when she saw who was standing outside.

A tall man leaned casually against the doorframe, holding a cigarette in his mouth. He wore a silver shirt and black trousers, which accentuated his muscular build. Behind him were two burly black bodyguards, both of whom looked unfriendly.

When the man saw Xiao Wan, he narrowed his eyes, which looked strangely similar to Leng Qing's, and he gazed at her with an almost predatory look. Then he smirked, saying, "Tsk, so that's why that idiot is staying in America, huh? He's keeping a mistress here. How much does he pay you for each time he sleeps with you?"