The person standing in front of Shen Heyu was still Lu Yi. Why did Shen Heyu, upon seeing him, feel as if she had glimpsed Pei Yansi?
She must be dreaming, she thought. Then, her eyes darkened, her body softened, and she collapsed.
"Heyu!" a cry of alarm pierced through the sky.
Lu Yi, quick on his feet, caught Shen Heyu and picked her up. After bringing her into the room, he immediately called the family doctor to come and examine her.
"Mr. Lu, you need not worry too much," said the family doctor. "Miss Shen merely fainted from a severe emotional blow. As long as she gets good rest, takes care of her diet, and maintains nutritional balance, she will recover soon."
Lu Yi, looking worried, glanced at Shen Heyu, who was lying on the bed. She had been unconscious for over an hour now but still hadn’t awakened.
"When will Heyu wake up?" Lu Yi asked anxiously.
"Miss Shen is currently in a comatose state; she will wake up naturally once she’s had enough rest. I can’t say precisely when that will be."
Lu Yi had thought Shen Heyu was still in a faint, but hearing that she was just sleeping, he felt somewhat relieved.
"That’s fine, you may leave now. Also, a reminder—she is not ’Miss Shen,’ she is my wife. Please watch your language in the future."
The family doctor was slightly stunned, but he quickly nodded.
After sending him away, Lu Yi stayed seated beside Shen Heyu’s bed. He gazed at her delicate and pale face, his heart feeling as if it were being repeatedly squeezed by a strong hand.
Why did he love Shen Heyu so much, while she never seemed to notice him always by her side? Could it be that her eyes held only Pei Yansi, stubbornly harboring feelings for a man who had treated her poorly?
Thinking of this, Lu Yi felt an even deeper pain in his heart.
He gritted his teeth harshly and frowned, looking up and wondering at Shen Heyu. If possible, he wished he could soul-switch with Pei Yansi so that he could have all of Shen Heyu’s love.
Unlike now, when Shen Heyu had entered this sham marriage with him simply to force Pei Yansi to let go, their marriage was in name only.
But now that Pei Yansi hadn’t fully let go, Shen Heyu, feeling Lu Yi’s burning love, was eager to break free from his constraints, ignoring his affection.
"Why, Shen Heyu, why do you treat me this way? In what way am I inferior to Pei Yansi? Have you forgotten how obsessively he treated you?"
Lu Yi was genuinely baffled. Overwhelmed with emotion, he couldn’t help but shout at the unconscious Shen Heyu.
After venting his frustration, he saw Shen Heyu slightly furrow her brow. Fearing he might have upset her, he hastily apologized.
"Heyu, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I just... I just..." Lu Yi’s words suddenly choked in his throat, unsure of what to say next.
He raised his hand to smooth out her furrowed brow, but suddenly Shen Heyu lifted a hand and tightly grasped Lu Yi’s.
She clung to Lu Yi’s hand so tightly, as if he were sand that could slip through her fingers.
Lu Yi slowly widened his eyes, overjoyed as he watched the sleeping Shen Heyu, uncertain whether Shen Heyu had awoken. Cautiously, he called out her name, "Heyu?"
Shen Heyu was still in a state of stupor, unable to hear Lu Yi’s voice. Yet, her lips moved slightly and the name that came out was, "Pei Yansi..."
Hearing Shen Heyu call out Pei Yansi’s name in her sleep, the hand she held tightened around hers with such force that it pained Shen Heyu, causing her to furrow her brows and cry out softly.
Hearing Shen Heyu mention pain, Lu Yi could only grit his teeth and subdue the resentment in his heart as he gradually loosened his grip.
Lu Yi’s eyes turned red as he looked at Shen Heyu. He hadn’t misheard, nor was it a hallucination; he had indeed heard Shen Heyu call out Pei Yansi’s name in her sleep.
Thinking of this, Lu Yi twisted his mouth in a bitter smile, mocking himself for being so concerned about her, worried that Shen Heyu might get hurt. But she had never truly seen him.
Lu Yi felt as if his heart had been brutally pierced by a rusty sword.
He slowly released the hand that Shen Heyu was holding and, as he stood up to leave, Shen Heyu subconsciously grabbed his wrist.
Lu Yi turned back to look. Lying on the hospital bed, Shen Heyu’s expression was one of fear, as if afraid of losing a treasure.
But even in her dreams, the name she called was still that unchanging name.
What she called out was, "Pei Yansi, don’t leave."
These words completely shattered Lu Yi’s defenses. Initially, despite hearing Shen Heyu call out Pei Yansi’s name in her sleep, Lu Yi could have stayed by Shen Heyu’s side. However, "Pei Yansi, don’t leave" utterly crushed him.
Lu Yi had clearly seen the way Shen Heyu distinguished her boundaries with Pei Yansi during the day, her expressions and demeanor so decisive. Yet now, in the stillness of the night, unknown to others, her subconscious still hoped Pei Yansi would stay by her side.
Lu Yi smiled weakly, feeling in that instant that the world he had strived so hard to build had, in a flash, crumbled into ruins.
He slowly pried open the hand that held his fingers, Shen Heyu’s hand weakly falling back onto the bed.
Without any lingering affection, Lu Yi turned and walked step by step out of the room until, with a click, he shut the door.
After shutting that door, Lu Yi could no longer contain the burning anger in his heart. Clenching his fist, he violently pounded it against the wall. His knuckles broke the skin, blood seeping out, even leaving a mottled shadow on the pristine wall.
"Why, after all I’ve done, can I still not compare to Pei Yansi? Don’t you like gentle types? I’ve been so gentle with you, always accommodating and caring for you, putting your feelings first. But how do you treat me? I’ve done so much, given so much, yet what have I gained in return? You’ve never truly regarded me, because your eyes hold only Pei Yansi."
"Pei Yansi, who is about to marry another woman—you still can’t forget him. Is it only if Pei Yansi dies that you’ll be able to forget him?"