The first thing Yun Li felt was warmth. Soft, filtered sunlight brushing across her eyelids. Then came the faint beeping sound beside her and the clean, antiseptic smell of a hospital.
Her lashes trembled and her eyes fluttered open. The ceiling above her was white and unfamiliar. For a long moment, she couldn’t remember why she was here, why her body felt so heavy, or why her throat burned like she had swallowed smoke.
When she tried to move, a sharp tug in her arm stopped her. It was the IV line.
"Miss Yun, you’re awake." A nurse approached, relief evident in her voice. "Please don’t move too much. You’ve been unconscious for nearly ten hours."
Yun Li blinked slowly. "Hospital?" Her voice was hoarse.
"Yes. You were brought in last evening by Mr He. He kept watching over you ever since. He just stepped out for a phone call."
The name stirred something in her chest. He Yuchen. Images flickered faintly—the tea, the sweet scent of jasmine, the strength fading from her limbs, his voice calling her name.
"You were poisoned, thankfully you were brought in early or the damages could have been more severe."
"Poison..." she whispered. "You said... poison?"
The nurse hesitated, then nodded carefully. "The doctor found traces of it in your system, but it wasn’t lethal. You were treated in time. You’re very lucky."
Lucky. The word sounded hollow.
Her mind replayed the scene from where the cup shattered, her dizziness, the sound of his voice calling for help. Somewhere deep inside, fear tangled with confusion. Who would dare do such a thing here, in the He family’s resort?
Her gaze drifted toward the door. The hallway was quiet.
The door opened quietly.
Yun Li’s eyes moved toward the sound, and there he was, He Yuchen. He was still dressed in the same clothes from last night, his hair slightly disheveled, and his expression unreadable.
When his gaze met hers, something in his eyes shifted. The hard, composed mask he had cracked just enough to reveal relief.
"You’re awake," he said, his voice low. He crossed the room in a few quick steps.
Yun Li tried to smile, but her lips trembled instead. "You shouldn’t look so worried. I’m... fine."
His jaw tightened. "You almost weren’t."
The nurse quietly excused herself, leaving the two of them alone. The door clicked shut, and silence filled the space.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. He stood beside her bed, his hands shoved into his pockets, as if restraining himself from reaching out.
Then, softly, he said, "Do you remember anything? Anyone who came into the room after I left?"
Her brows furrowed. She tried to recall the maid, the tea, the faint scent that wasn’t quite jasmine.
"There was... a maid," she said slowly. "She brought tea. I thought she looked familiar, but I didn’t think much of it."
He Yuchen’s gaze darkened. "Lin Mei."
The name meant nothing to her, but the way he said it made her chest tighten.
"What happened to her?"
He didn’t answer immediately. His silence said enough.
"He Yuchen," she whispered, "don’t do anything reckless."
His cold and determined eyes met her trembling eyes. "Someone tried to kill you, Yun Li. I won’t let it go."
Her fingers tightened around the blanket. A quiet shiver ran through her as the reality sank in.
Yun Li’s fingers curled weakly against the blanket. The room felt colder now, or perhaps it was just her body remembering the sensation of helplessness, and the weight of fading consciousness.
She swallowed hard. "Do you think... someone planned this?"
He Yuchen didn’t answer immediately. His gaze stayed fixed on the monitor beside her, watching the steady rise and fall of her heartbeat. "Someone made sure it happened while I was gone," he said finally with his tone low. "That’s not a coincidence."
She could tell he was holding back, his calm voice hid something darker underneath. It wasn’t just concern. It was cold, controlled, and dangerous anger.
"I don’t want you to worry about this," he added after a moment. "You just need to rest."
Her lips parted in protest. "And let you handle it alone? That’s not rest, He Yuchen. That’s ignorance."
For the first time since entering the room, his sharp and direct eyes flicked toward her. "Sometimes ignorance is safer, Yun Li."
She looked at him, really looked at the faint shadows beneath his eyes, the stiffness in his shoulders, the way his hand lingered on the bedrail but didn’t touch her. Something unspoken passed between them, quiet but heavy.
"Safer," she repeated softly, "or easier?"
The silence stretched, broken only by the soft hum of the machines. Eventually, she leaned her head back against the pillow, too tired to push further.
He turned away, walking to the window. The city lights spilled across his face, painting it in gold and shadow. When he finally spoke, his voice was almost a whisper.
"You were never supposed to be part of this."
Her brows furrowed faintly, confusion flickering across her face. But before she could ask what he meant, he’d already straightened, his expression once again unreadable.
"I’ll send someone to stay with you tonight," he said, his tone brisk now, controlled. "If you need anything, have them call me directly."
He paused by the door.
Her voice was quiet but steady. "Be careful." Follow current novᴇls on 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹•𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑒•𝙣𝙚𝙩
He didn’t turn, but the faintest movement in his shoulders told her he’d heard.
When the door closed behind him, Yun Li stared at the ceiling, her thoughts swirling. Poison. Secrets. Fear. None of it made sense, but somewhere deep down, she knew this wasn’t random. Someone wanted her gone.
And whoever it was... was close enough to know exactly when she’d be alone.
Outside the room, He Yuchen stood still for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then he took out his phone and dialed a number.
"Find out who she worked for," he said quietly. "I don’t care what it takes."
The call ended, but the darkness in his eyes didn’t fade.
Inside the hospital room, the monitor continued its steady rhythm, proof that Yun Li was still alive. For now.