Zeng Min seemed not to hear him, staring unfocused at the ground. Li Minji’s words triggered a memory of something Ou Xueman had once said. Suddenly, she looked up, shouting, “You are Tong Yixuan! No wonder you could say those things!” Hysterically, tears streamed down her face, “You are Tong Yixuan, his true wife, the person most qualified to be by his side…”
Li Minji, seeing her losing control, carried her out of the hospital room, leaving the others space.
The hospital room remained quiet. Ou Xueman kept her head down, her expression unreadable. Tong Yifeng regretted his impulsive actions that had drawn her into family grudges and shattered her peaceful life of eight years.
Di Xihuang’s emotions were complex, filled with shock, joy, fear, confusion, and despair. He desperately wanted to see her eyes, hoping to find answers in her gaze, though the truth was apparent. He wanted her to confirm it herself, hoping it would mean she had forgiven him.
He feared she would hate him, even more, that she would despise him. Despite knowing his actions were enough for her to hate him for a thousand lifetimes, he clung to a tiny hope that she might forgive him.
When Li Minxi first spoke, it struck him like a thunderbolt, leaving him in shock.
Although Li Minxi did not reveal everything, he recalled every move in Tong Yixuan’s room and how, from their first meeting at the cocktail party, she consistently rejected him, drawing lines between them. These doubts suggested she was Tong Yixuan, and only she could explain everything.
A bitter smile lingered on his handsome face. He finally understood her ambiguity and the infatuation he occasionally saw in her thoughtful moments. Because she was Tong Yixuan, the woman who once loved him deeply, his wife. This realization brought him joy—she belonged only to him.
However, memories of how he had once hurt her filled him with fear. His actions drove her to a foreign land, forcing her to hide her identity just to find peace away from him.
She didn’t need him. She no longer loved him…
This thought echoed in his heart, striking him with fear and unease.
In fact, from the moment she saw him again, she should have rejected him. Eight years ago, when she chose to hide her identity, she had already given up on him and no longer loved him. But he had fallen deeply in love with her, so much so that he was beyond control, unwavering in the face of her cold resistance.
“Xuan Xuan, come to England with me. You can be a witness and gather evidence abroad. From now on, brother will protect you,” Tong Yifeng’s voice stunned Di Xihuang. Despair filled his eyes.
Brother. This term shattered all the love and hate tangled in her mind. Tong Yifeng was her brother; they shared the same blood. He wanted to deny it, but it was impossible to cross the divide between them.
“Brother, let me talk to him,” Ou Xueman finally raised her head, knowing it was time to end things.
“But…” Tong Yifeng was worried.
“It’s okay, brother. I’m not the same as I was eight years ago,” she said resolutely.
Tong Yifeng nodded, pulling the bewildered Chen Zhensheng out of the hospital room, leaving them a private space.
He looked at her. From his dim eyes, she saw painful despair, leaving her unsure how to speak.
“Do you hate me?”
His voice, laden with guilt and regret, broke their silence.
Hate? She had asked herself countless times, but searching her heart, she couldn’t find a trace of it. She had to admit she didn’t hate him. The harm he caused was enough to justify a lifetime of hatred, yet she truly felt none.
Why didn’t she hate him? She didn’t dare to think too deeply, only telling him, and herself, “I don’t hate you, because I promised my father I wouldn’t hate you, or Di Ying.” Her voice was weak, clearly self-deceiving.
When she said she didn’t hate him, he thought he would feel relieved, believing she had forgiven his past. But at that moment, he felt heartbroken, as if his heart had been hollowed out, the emptiness making him feel cold.
Her lack of hatred was indifferent, as if he had never existed in her life. Whether the warmth he once gave her was false or deeply hurtful, it had left no trace. He now wished she would hate him. At least then, she would have some emotion towards him, rather than being as indifferent as a stranger. Even hate would be better than nothing; it would occupy more space in her memories than whoever she might love in the future, because hate is more memorable than love.
Looking into his deep eyes, clouded and sorrowful, she sensed a lingering gentleness within him.
She averted her gaze, attempting to erase his sorrow. After several deep breaths, she felt his soft fingertips touch her, reminiscent of a mother’s caress.
“Xuan Xuan,” he called her with tenderness, stirring feelings of jealousy within her. Though he was calling her by that name, she identified as Ou Xueman.
“Let’s get a divorce,” she stated decisively, like a sword piercing his heart. For a moment, his heartbeat ceased, and when it resumed, each beat felt painful.
He slowly rose and moved away, hesitant to leave. Facing the window in silence, he sighed and said, “I won’t divorce you. Even if you go to court, I’ll have my lawyer fight to the end. Proving you are Tong Yixuan will take considerable effort.”
“Why? Why are you so persistent about this marriage that was once just a move for you?”
Ou Xueman shouted at him, “Is it because of your so-called protection? I don’t need it. I believe Brother Yifeng can protect me.”
Her words struck him painfully, causing him to clutch his chest.
“I know you don’t need me. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have been by my side without revealing your identity, watching me search for you in vain.” He turned around, speaking with barely concealed pain. “Can’t you let me do something for you? Didn’t you say you don’t hate me? Tong Yifeng is your brother, but I…” He was unwilling to face this, even more unwilling to admit it, but if being by her side meant being her brother, he was willing. “I’m also your… brother. I want to protect you too.” His final words were weak, almost inaudible.
“Since you know we’re siblings, you should end this marriage even more.” Ou Xueman turned her head away, avoiding his gaze.
“The only people who knew back then are just three. No one else will ever know, right?” Di Xihuang clenched his fists. “Even if we’re siblings, we’re still a legally married couple. You’re not just my sister but also my wife.” And the one I love, he silently thought, even if this love had become a forbidden passion.
“I’m not, I’m not, I’m not!” Ou Xueman shouted.
“Xuanxuan,” his voice was hoarse and deep from pain, “Is accepting my protection so difficult? Even if I’m willing to be your brother?”
“I’m not Tong Yixuan; I’m Ou Xueman,” she screamed, then felt sudden emptiness. “What do you want from me?”
“I…” Di Xihuang fell silent. What did he want from her? She had said she didn’t hate him. Did he want her to hate him to be satisfied? He hoped that when she remembered him, she would still see him as her husband, if only nominally.
“I won’t divorce you,” he reiterated. “Whether you’re angry or hate me, I… don’t want to regret again.” He then left the hospital room in desolation.
Owen became uneasy. “Sis, although the information is not yet definitive, you must be careful. The Yamaguchi-gumi doesn’t know why they’ve released Zeng Min, and there are unclear actions targeting you. It seems to have started when your identity as Tong Yixuan was exposed.” He hugged her tightly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think everything through. I didn’t expect he had backed up Tong Yixuan’s information, drawing you back into this.”
Ou Xueman hugged him back gratefully. “No, brother. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have had eight years of peaceful life. That’s enough.”
