Chapter Eighteen: The Mysterious Man

“Mm... don’t go.” Leng Zhen clung tightly to the corner of Cheng Yunting’s coat, her voice tinged with tears. “Don’t leave me…”

“I won’t leave you. I’m going to make you some sobering soup and bring your stomach medicine,” Cheng Yunting replied, lifting her gently into his arms. “I’ll carry you downstairs.”

“Mhm.” Leng Zhen nodded obediently, then slipped back into sleep.

Cheng Yunting smiled, placing her carefully on the sofa. He gave her the stomach medicine first, then went to prepare the soup to help her recover from the alcohol.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

Unhurried, Cheng Yunting fed the soup to Leng Zhen before going to answer the door.

“What the—! You—mm…” The mysterious man at the door was about to curse, but Cheng Yunting covered his mouth.

“Keep your voice down. Xiao Zhen is sleeping,” Cheng Yunting said, carrying Leng Zhen upstairs. “Follow me.”

…

“Alright, go on, what do you want to know?” The mysterious man slumped on the sofa in the bedroom, watching Cheng Yunting hold Leng Zhen.

His identity was anything but simple: the future fourth uncle of the Cheng family, the fourth son of the Qin family—Qin Yu.

“I want to know everything about Xiao Zhen, especially what she’s been through these past few months.” Cheng Yunting gazed at Leng Zhen in his arms with aching tenderness, gently wiping the sweat from her brow with a towel, though his demeanor toward his future uncle was less than cordial.

“Alright.” Qin Yu nodded. “This little sister of mine—though not by blood—has inherited the passionate devotion of both the Qin and Su families. Once she’s set her heart on someone, it’s for life.

During her birthday banquet when she took over the Qin and Su family responsibilities, she saved you, and from that moment her heart belonged to you. Naturally, you feel the same.

Did you know? The night you left four months ago, she didn’t sleep at all—she was awake the whole time.

She’s adept at disguising herself, never letting anyone see her true feelings, never allowing outsiders into her world. Except for you—even we are kept outside.”

Qin Yu paused for a moment, then continued, “After you left, the emotions she had managed so well, which seemed on the verge of improvement from moderate depression to mild, collapsed completely, deteriorating into severe depression, just as it was before.

She couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat—anything she managed to swallow would come back up. Emotional breakdowns became routine.

During those nights after you left, the brothers took turns watching over Xiao Zhen, and Chu Yuxiu was always there, accompanying her.

She’s been through so much. She’s utterly disillusioned. She desperately wanted to die, but was also terribly afraid of death.

She wanted to die because she couldn’t bear the nightly torment, the endless insomnia... but she didn’t want to die because she hoped to see you one last time.

You could say she waited and endured for you. Despite everyone insisting you wouldn’t return, she unwaveringly waited for you, just to see you again.

You may never fully grasp how much pain she’s endured. The longest stretch was ten days without sleep, and on the eleventh day, she fainted.

At her shortest, she managed to sleep only once in three days, and that was after drinking so much that she ended up in the hospital with gastric bleeding. The rest were agonizing stretches—a week without sleep, four days, and so on.

Whenever she ate, she’d vomit; even porridge wouldn’t stay down. She couldn’t tolerate any food, only water, and even milk made her sick.

In the end, the only option was to sustain her with intravenous nutrition.

Her stomach is ruined, but she loves to drink—every time she does, she ends up with gastric bleeding…”

“She’s spent these four months in a haze, as if her soul has wandered far from her body.”

Cheng Yunting kept his head bowed, gazing at Leng Zhen, holding her tightly as if afraid she would vanish.

Qin Yu smiled, a mix of self-mockery and something else.

“Do you know? I remember the first time I saw her smile at you, I was consumed by jealousy. It was the first time she smiled at anyone other than Chu Yuxiu, showed emotion, and spoke her heart.

As for Xiao Zhen, most of what we know comes from Chu Yuxiu.

All us brothers adore her—some as siblings, others... as men.

Our eldest brother, third brother, myself, and even the sixth have all been enamored with her, but she’s so exceptional that we can only look up to her.

We hope you treat her well, never hurt her, or else... you’ll have a whole crowd to answer to.”

“I will treat her well,” Cheng Yunting said firmly, holding Leng Zhen even tighter.

“Alright, I’ll take my leave.”

“Okay.”

PS: Ah! Don’t get hung up on the details, don’t nitpick! I'm just afraid people will say things like, ‘In real life, going ten days without sleep would be fatal,’ but that’s unnecessary—everyone knows that already, no need to point it out.

This is a novel, not reality!

Once again, I’ve ended up as the wicked stepmother.

At forty thousand words, Xiao Zhen’s journey of revelation begins—there was a typo earlier.

The Qixi Festival is almost here, yet I’m still alone, sigh.

Single life forever!

Another chapter is coming soon, see you in a bit~