Chapter 29

Pei Yu raised his hand to brush away her tears, his voice low and gentle. “I shouldn’t have been harsh with you.”

He had been so terrified of losing Yun Yin, so consumed by anxiety, that he had lost his composure.

Hearing his apology, Yun Yin gradually emerged from her earlier despair and self-loathing. Pei Yu hadn’t done anything wrong; her own raw nerves had been touched, causing her emotions to spiral out of control.

“You don’t need to apologize,” Yun Yin said, managing a weak smile. “This illness of mine is truly a burden.”

She considered her options. Besides the original owner’s savings, she had a substantial sum of money left. She didn’t want surgery, and her material desires were minimal. That money would be enough to live comfortably for the rest of her days.

No one else needed to bear this risk. Perhaps this was best for everyone.

After a few moments of silence, she spoke slowly, “I don’t think we’re right for each other.”

Her words hung in the air, freezing the atmosphere for several seconds.

“…What did you say?” Pei Yu’s voice remained steady, but a faint tremor betrayed his composure.

“I said,” Yun Yin repeated, slowing her pace and lowering her voice, “we’re still not right for each other.”

Pei Yu was so intelligent, he would understand her meaning and know which choice was best for him.

Yet, the moment the words left her lips, Yun Yin felt a fleeting moment of confusion. Wasn’t this exactly what they had planned? But why did she still feel reluctance and…

Regret.

“Where are we not right?” As Yun Yin continued to dwell on her words, Pei Yu’s voice broke through her thoughts. This time, she clearly heard the tremor in his tone.

Where are we not right?

Yun Yin fell silent for a moment, as if struggling to formulate an answer.

“My health isn’t good. I’m delicate and difficult to care for…”

These were all the things Pei Yu disliked.

“Yun Yin,” Pei Yu interrupted, “do you think I’m just finding out about this now?”

Hearing his words, Yun Yin suddenly felt a flicker of clarity. The anxiety and restlessness in her heart inexplicably calmed.

“Why do you think I would care about any of that?” he asked.

Pei Yu knew the woman in his arms was delicate and difficult to care for.

But what did it matter?

If you wanted to keep someone, you had to risk tears.

He wasn’t afraid of danger.

He was only afraid of losing Yun Yin.

From love springs sorrow, from love springs fear.

Even he couldn’t escape it.

Pei Yu suddenly tightened his embrace, his hot, ragged breath fanning her neck. His arms wrapped around her shoulders and back with such force it felt as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones.

After a few seconds, Yun Yin heard his deep, trembling voice whisper in her ear: “No matter how delicate or difficult you are, I will care for you.”

Yun Yin didn’t struggle. Pei Yu’s reaction was more intense than she had imagined.

She heard a thunderous heartbeat, so loud she couldn’t tell if it was hers or his.

Deafening.

“My illness won’t get better,” Yun Yin said calmly, as if speaking of someone else.

Pei Yu jerked upright, his voice resolute. “It will get better.”

He had already found the best doctors. Her illness would be cured.

Pei Yu repeated to himself inwardly.

“But…”

“No buts,” Pei Yu interrupted, his expression unreadable.

Yun Yin fell silent.

She had read about Pei Yu, knew the stubbornness and madness hidden beneath his cold exterior.

Once he set his mind on something, nothing could change it.

Pei Yu closed his eyes briefly, suppressing the madness and agitation within him. Controlling his emotions, he said softly, “Don’t say things like that again. It makes me unhappy.”

Yun Yin hesitated, wanting to say something, but when she met Pei Yu’s gaze, she moved her lips and ultimately said nothing.

His eyes churned with emotion, a complex, indescribable light flickering within them, leaving her utterly perplexed.

For a moment, neither spoke. The air hung heavy with silence until Pei Yu’s voice, now calm, broke it: “A-Yin, are you still angry with me?”

Even if Yun Yin had been truly angry before, after this exchange, how could she possibly still be upset? Besides, she had never been angry with Pei Yu in the first place.

She wasn’t being stubborn; she had simply come to a sudden realization. Her body was a burden to anyone, and Pei Yu had no obligation to shoulder that risk.

“I’m not angry,” Yun Yin said, gazing into Pei Yu’s dark eyes. “This is my own problem.”

Pei Yu gently cupped her chin, his gaze focused and tender. “Let me say it again, I’ve never thought of you as a burden.”

Yun Yin lowered her eyelids, her voice barely audible. “I understand.”

“You’re not a burden,” Pei Yu said in a low, deliberate voice, emphasizing each word. “You’re not allowed to think that way.”

His gaze burned into her, so intense it felt tangible. Yun Yin flinched as if scalded by his gaze and averted her eyes.

After a moment, she said, “Then you’re not allowed to be harsh with me anymore either.”

“Alright,” Pei Yu promised, his eyes still fixed on her. “I won’t be harsh with you anymore.”

An unspoken emotion hung in the air between them, fermenting uncontrollably and spreading like tendrils through the space between them.

Perhaps bewitched, Yun Yin looked up at him. In a daze, she raised her hand, stopping abruptly just before her fingertips brushed his eyelid.

Meeting Pei Yu’s deep gaze, she stammered, “Your eyes are so bloodshot.”

There were faint dark circles beneath his eyes, as if he hadn’t slept all night.

“It’s nothing,” Pei Yu said softly, his eyes fixed on her.

His pupils were as black as ink, his gaze complex and intense. Yun Yin’s hand, hovering in mid-air, involuntarily curled into a fist. Just as she was about to withdraw it, he seized her wrist.

Pei Yu’s grip was tight, almost painful.

Yun Yin felt the sting, but this time she didn’t cry out. She sensed that Pei Yu was suffering even more than she was.

Suppressing the pain, she whispered, “What’s wrong?”

Pei Yu remained silent, his gaze unwavering.

After what felt like an eternity, he loosened his grip and spoke slowly, “I was just reflecting on myself.”

Yun Yin blinked, staring intently at him.

“I shouldn’t have said those things before.”

Yun Yin let out a soft “Ah,” understanding dawning. Something within her seemed to crumble slightly, revealing her most vulnerable emotions. “I forgive you.”

Pei Yu momentarily lost himself.

An overwhelming emotion surged through him, uncontrollable and unwanted.

He released her wrist abruptly, leaving a red mark behind.

This time, however, Yun Yin didn’t cry out in pain.

Pei Yu stared at her for a long moment before finally asking, “Does it hurt?”

“Hmm?” Yun Yin blinked, surprised. He was asking if her hand hurt.

Normally, she would have immediately accused him of hurting her, but now she hesitated. “It’s okay. It doesn’t hurt too much.”

“I’m sorry,” Pei Yu said softly, his voice slow and gentle. His eyes were filled with undisguised guilt and tenderness.

Yun Yin’s eyelashes fluttered, and a faint smile touched her lips. “I forgive you.”

“Are you hungry?” Pei Yu asked. “Aunt Lin made your favorite sweet congee.”

Yun Yin nodded. “Yes.”

Pei Yu dialed the villa’s intercom. Moments later, Aunt Lin entered with a steaming bowl of freshly cooked congee.

Yun Yin was genuinely hungry and ate more than half the bowl. But her appetite was small, and her pace slowed as she neared the end.

Finally, unable to eat another bite, she looked up at Pei Yu. “I can’t finish it.”

Pei Yu lowered his gaze to her wrist, holding the spoon. It was worryingly slender. His brow furrowed. “You’re too thin.”

Yun Yin’s throat was still hoarse, and her voice was weak and soft. “I can’t gain weight.”

She hadn’t eaten much at all, so how could she possibly gain weight?

Noticing the half-bowl of porridge remaining, Pei Yu coaxed softly, “There’s only a little left, A-Yin. You wouldn’t want to waste food, would you?”

True to her virtuous upbringing, Yun Yin finished the sweet porridge.

After she finished eating, Pei Yu pressed the back of his hand against her forehead. Still concerned, he took her temperature again.

Only when it was normal did he tuck her into bed.

Yun Yin wasn’t fully recovered from her illness. The meal, combined with her recent emotional turmoil, made her drowsy.

Moments later, she buried her face in the quilt and drifted into a heavy sleep, her hand still tightly gripping Pei Yu’s finger.

Having undergone multiple heart surgeries since childhood, Yun Yin no longer feared the operations themselves. What terrified her was the aftermath of anesthesia—when the drugs wore off and the pain became unbearable, often blurring her consciousness. She would wake to find the room empty.

Perhaps this was why she dreaded pain so much and felt so deeply insecure.

She clung to anything she could grasp, refusing to let go.

---

When Yun Yin woke up again, she was alone in the room.

Her body finally felt less uncomfortable.

After sleeping for nearly a full day and sweating profusely, Yun Yin wanted to take a shower.

Pei Yu returned just as Yun Yin emerged from the bathroom.

She had just finished bathing and was wearing a white nightgown, her skin still glistening with moisture. Her face had regained some color, no longer as pale as before.

Pei Yu’s eyes darkened slightly.

“Why didn’t you dry your hair?”

Yun Yin had simply grabbed a towel, given it a perfunctory rub, and tossed it aside, leaving her hair still damp.

She was tired. Her hair was long and thick, and blow-drying it always took ages. Combined with her lingering weakness from the bath, she preferred to let it air dry.

Pei Yu frowned, unable to bear the sight.

After a moment, he said, “Go get the hairdryer. I’ll dry it for you.”

Yun Yin’s eyes lit up instantly, her voice brimming with delight. “Really?”

She hurried to retrieve the hairdryer from the bathroom and handed it to him.

Pei Yu settled on the sofa. To make it easier for him to dry her hair, Yun Yin sat on the carpet, leaning lazily against his leg.

“That’s enough,” she murmured, her eyes closed, like a cat purring for attention, making it impossible to refuse her.

The hairdryer was silent, emitting no sound, only the sensation of Pei Yu’s fingers gently weaving through her hair. His movements were so gentle that Yun Yin felt drowsy with comfort.

After some time, the hairdryer switched off, and Pei Yu stopped moving. Just as Yun Yin was drifting off to sleep, she heard him whisper in her ear, “There’s a charity auction next week. Would you like to go?”

By then, Yun Yin’s illness had subsided. Without opening her eyes, she immediately declined, “No, I don’t want to go.”

She had no interest in such events and didn’t particularly enjoy those kinds of gatherings. It wasn’t that she disliked them; she simply found them tedious.

Pei Yu paused, then leaned closer, his breath brushing against her ear, sending a slight shiver down her spine. Yun Yin instinctively drew back her neck. “But everyone else will have someone to accompany them,” he said, “except me.”

Yun Yin: “……”

On the day of the auction, Yun Yin still went with Pei Yu.