Chapter 18

Four Seasons Warm Courtyard.

Auntie Zhang, who was cleaning, saw Fu Jinghan return from outside. Seeing that it was still early, she asked with a puzzled expression:

“Young Master, why are you back so early today?”

“Hmm, I finished everything. Where’s Young Madam?” Fu Jinghan didn’t see Ji Nuannuan downstairs, so he asked Auntie Zhang.

“Young Madam is upstairs.”

Hearing that Ji Nuannuan was on the second floor, Fu Jinghan headed straight upstairs.

Little did Auntie Zhang know, in order to come home early to see his beloved wife, this Young Master had dumped most of the work on Ye Fan.

At that moment, Ye Fan was working overtime with a dead look on his face.

When Fu Jinghan arrived on the second floor and opened the bedroom door, he saw the woman lying on the bed with a tablet in her arms, breathing steadily, seemingly already asleep.

He walked in softly, gazing at her with affection as she slept — even drooling a little.

Just as Fu Jinghan was watching Ji Nuannuan, captivated, she suddenly seemed to have a nightmare.

Her brows furrowed tightly, her body curled up and trembled slightly, and she kept mumbling something in her sleep.

Seeing her like that, Fu Jinghan was just about to walk over and hold her when he heard her utter in a strained voice:

“Fu Jinghan, go! Get out of here!”

Her voice was full of sorrow and despair.

Fu Jinghan froze on the spot, still in the position of reaching out to hold her — suspended mid-air.

Why?

Why, even though she had accepted him, was she still telling him to leave in her dreams?

Was all of this… just a lie from Ji Nuannuan?

If it had been before, hearing her say “leave” would have made him angry.

But now — after all the warmth and affection she’d shown him — all he felt was a piercing pain in his chest.

Fu Jinghan didn’t want to believe the thought that crossed his mind. His eyes were filled with hurt as he looked at her one more time, then turned and left the room.

In her sleep, Ji Nuannuan felt as though something important was leaving her side, and she suddenly woke up.

She sat bolt upright with a loud gasp. Sweat had soaked through her pajamas, and her whole body trembled from the chill.

Ever since she had fallen out with Ji Xinxin at the mall, she had felt uneasy.

She was scared. Anxious.

So every time she fell asleep, she would dream of that terrible fire from her previous life — watching as Fu Jinghan walked step by step into the flames.

And all she could do was scream for him to run.

She didn’t know whether being reborn would change the ending. She didn’t know what cruel schemes Ji Xinxin would come up with next.

After all, in her previous life, she never would’ve imagined that the person she considered a dear sister would team up with the man she loved to hurt her.

The future was unpredictable. She feared she’d never be able to match Ji Xinxin’s ruthlessness. She feared she wouldn’t be able to protect Fu Jinghan and her grandmother. The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became.

Hearing her scream, Auntie Zhang rushed upstairs in a panic and saw Ji Nuannuan’s face covered in sweat. She was visibly worried.

“Young Madam, what happened? You’re sweating so much — you’ll catch a cold.”

“You’re going to get the Young Master worried if you fall ill.” As she spoke, she pulled the blanket up to cover Ji Nuannuan.

Still dizzy, Ji Nuannuan snapped back to her senses at the mention of Fu Jinghan: “Fu Jinghan… has he come back?”

“Yes, he came back early today. He’s been upstairs for a while. If he’s not in here, he’s probably in the study.”

As soon as she heard that, Ji Nuannuan grabbed a small blanket and rushed to the study to find him.

The study door was always closed — without Fu Jinghan’s permission, no one was allowed inside. Even the cleaning was done by Ye Fan.

Ji Nuannuan knocked on the door, but there was no answer. She tried to push it open, but it was locked.

Was Fu Jinghan busy with something important inside?

She pressed her ear against the door, trying to listen for any sound.

But even if there was work, wouldn’t Ye Fan be inside too? Auntie Zhang had clearly said Fu Jinghan came home alone.

But there wasn’t a single sound from inside. Ji Nuannuan started to worry — what if his stomach problems had flared up and he’d fainted?

With that thought, she began pounding on the door anxiously. “Fu Jinghan! Are you in there?”

After a long silence, the door suddenly opened.

The moment it did, Ji Nuannuan was hit with a strong smell that made her eyes sting and water.

The room was so filled with smoke that she could barely see where Fu Jinghan was.

She had no idea what had happened.

Once the door was closed, Ji Nuannuan looked at the man standing before her.

Just as she was about to reach out and hug him, he took a step back, and his hoarse voice came through:

“Nuannuan, why?”

Ji Nuannuan froze at the sudden question. She took a step forward. “Fu Jinghan, what’s wrong? Why are you asking that?”

As she got closer, she finally saw that his eyes were red, his face full of bitterness.

“Why did you tell me to leave? Were these past few days of being together all fake? Why did you say that in your sleep?”

His voice was cold, laced with self-mockery.

Ji Nuannuan’s heart skipped a beat.

She remembered — in the dream, she really had told him to run. But…

Should she tell him the truth?

If she didn’t explain clearly, misunderstandings like this would keep happening. But if she told him she had been reborn, would he believe her?

Seeing his cold, distant expression, she hurriedly grabbed his hand and explained in a panic:

“Fu Jinghan, I just had a nightmare! I dreamed you were dying, and that’s why I told you to run.”

Talking about the dream brought a sob to her voice. “These days, I’ve been having so many nightmares. In them, you die in a fire trying to save me. I’m scared.”

Fu Jinghan looked at her tear-streaked face, his heart sinking — but his expression stayed cold.

“A dream? You dreamed I was burned alive? So you told me to leave?”

“Are you sure? You’re not lying to me?”

Seeing that he still didn’t believe her, Ji Nuannuan grew both upset and anxious.

She let go of his hand, turned around, and started crying — big tears falling one after another.

“You just don’t believe me. Haven’t I been good these days? Can’t you see?”

“If I wanted to steal your documents, haven’t I had plenty of chances by now?”

“If I wanted to run, couldn’t I have done it during one of our shopping trips?”

“I know I lied to you before. I hurt you.”

The more she spoke, the more wronged she felt. She crouched down and sobbed:

“But what more do I have to do for you to believe me?”

Every time she saw him hurt because of her past self, Ji Nuannuan hated that version of her even more.

One year was all it took for her to wound him this deeply.

How awful she must have been.

Fu Jinghan looked at her crying like that and went blank. He rushed over, scooped her up, and placed her on the desk.

She had hugged him first. She had kissed him. She had even been willing to give herself to him.

She had been so clear about her feelings. She said she loved him.

Why couldn’t he believe it?

Fu Jinghan hugged her tightly from behind, feeling her trembling body in his arms.

“It’s all my fault. I didn’t have the confidence to believe that Nuannuan could truly love me. I made you upset again.”

“Nuannuan, even though I’m Fu Jinghan, in front of you… I don’t feel confident at all.”