Lin Wan was startled, and Fang Zheng continued, "I think what he's truly afraid of might not be water itself. For him, water is like a mirror that reflects something terrifying. Seeing it makes him associate it with those things—that's what really scares him."
Lin Wan immediately thought back to Chen Jin's strange behavior after swimming in the villa. At the time, she had thought he was just having one of his usual fits, but now, looking back, it wasn't normal. His speech had been odd, his emotions unstable, his body temperature low, and his hands had been icy. He wasn't as strong as usual. Afterward, he had pressed her to stay in bed with him for several hours. If she hadn't pushed him away when she could no longer breathe, he probably would've crushed her.
Then she recalled a half-remark Fang Zheng had made earlier, and asked, "Is this what you were referring to last time?"
Fang Zheng froze for a moment, then nodded. "Looking back now, his twisted personality might have started from that time." He sighed deeply and continued, "I can't say much more. This is his taboo. And I'm not telling you this so you'll understand or sympathize with him. That's separate from everything else. His flaws are clear. We accept and tolerate them because we're brothers, but others don't need to pay the price for their childhood trauma. I've also realized there's a lot going on between you and him. I guess even if I ask, you might not tell me, so I won't push. I admit I was too hasty before and said things I shouldn't have. I apologize."
Fang Zheng looked at Lin Wan, his expression sincere.
Lin Wan quickly replied, "It's okay."
Fang Zheng gave a faint smile and said, "If I'm not mistaken, he's probably forcing you to be with him, right?"
Lin Wan didn't respond, but her reaction said it all. Fang Zheng shook his head. "I really didn't expect him to use such hard-handed methods for this."
Fang Zheng looked up at the sky, then thoughtfully said, "Here's the deal. Think it over. If you truly don't want to be forced, Xiang Yang and I can try to talk some sense into Ah Jin. After all, we don't want to see either of you hurt, whether it's him or you."
Lin Wan's heart warmed. This felt like a rare act of kindness from their world. It was so kind that it almost overwhelmed her, and before she knew it, her eyes were misty. Fang Zheng immediately said, "Hey, don't get emotional. We're just talking, we don't even know if we can make it happen."
"Thank you, Fang Zheng. No matter what, I still want to thank you," Lin Wan said, her tears falling. She couldn't say much more. She felt like a traveler who had been walking through the desert for days, only to hear that an oasis was ahead. Even if it were far away or nonexistent, she would still be moved—just for that moment of comfort.
Fang Zheng stood frozen for a moment, silently understanding Chen Jin's unwillingness to let go. He instinctively reached out to wipe away her tears but hesitated for a second, then pulled out a light blue checkered handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. "Wipe your tears. If someone sees, they'll think I've been bullying you."
Lin Wan took it, wiping away her tears, and glanced at the damp spot on the light handkerchief. "I'll clean it before I return it to you."
Fang Zheng smiled and snatched it back, casually stuffing it in his pocket. "It's no big deal. I can clean it myself." Then he stood up and asked, "Do you want to go in and check on him? He should be awake by now."
Lin Wan nodded, standing up and walking with him away from the flower bed.
They reached the second floor, where they saw Xiang Yang coming out of the makeshift hospital room. His expression had clearly relaxed. Fang Zheng asked, "Has A Jin woken up?"
"Yeah," Xiang Yang said, glancing at Lin Wan behind him and teasing, "You've been smoking that one cigarette for a long time."
Fang Zheng ignored his sarcasm, slapped his shoulder as he passed by, and kept walking. Xiang Yang grabbed his arm and whispered, "He just woke up. Get these people out of here. Don't stay long when you go in."
Fang Zheng nodded and paused in front of the door, turning to Lin Wan. "His temper's not great when he wakes up. Be careful not to upset him."
Lin Wan nodded, feeling uneasy.
When they entered, they found Chen Jin still lying there with his eyes tightly shut. Lin Wan glanced at Fang Zheng and softly asked, "Didn't he wake up?"
Fang Zheng looked at the bed, then whispered, "He will probably go back to sleep. Let's go eat something first, we'll come back later." He turned and walked out, seeing Lin Wan still frozen in place. He waved at her.
Lin Wan glanced back at the bed, noticing that Chen Jin seemed to be in a slightly better condition, and then followed Fang Zheng out.
As soon as the door was closed, Chen Jin opened his eyes, his gaze clear and calm. He didn't want to see her yet, or perhaps he wasn't ready. His mind was still in disarray, and he needed some time to sort things out.
Early in the morning, when he turned over, he noticed that the space in his arms was empty. Reaching out, he found only air. He immediately woke up. Glancing outside, he saw the sky just beginning to brighten. He got out of bed, searched the bathroom and the balcony, but there was no sign of her. His unease began to spread rapidly, like that strange instinct from last night slowly turning into reality.
He cursed himself, slapping his head. Everything had been so perfect the night before—Lin Wan had suddenly seemed to open up, showing unprecedented enthusiasm. He had been too focused on physical pleasure, disregarding everything else. Now, looking back, he realized that wasn't normal. It felt like a final moment before death—like a last flash of life before fading away. The thought scared him, so he quickly stopped worrying and dressed hurriedly, rushing out the door.
He asked the security guard outside and learned that Lin Wan had indeed left early. His heart sank, and after asking for the general direction, he hurried to follow her. In his haste, he completely forgot to gather everyone else to help search. He walked faster, becoming more anxious. Lin Wan had a habit of sneaking out at night, and he thought she was better now. But now, it seemed worse. In this unfamiliar place, wherever she went was dangerous. He couldn't even bear to think about what would happen if she encountered the wrong people.
The more roads he took, the more he realized he couldn't find her. Then, by instinct, he remembered one place. It was the largest and deepest lake in the area, and he usually avoided it. But now, his gut told him that Lin Wan had gone there. As he ran toward it, he kept telling himself, "Please don't let it be true. Please let me overthink it. Maybe when I go back, I'll find her in the room. She might have just gone out to get food." But as he thought that, he wished he could turn back immediately.
Then, he remembered the time she had betrayed him—after their big fight, when he had gone to find her, nervously opening the bathroom door, only to be filled with embarrassment and anger. He hoped that this time, it would be the same—that she would be hiding from him, and he wouldn't get mad. But all the hopeful thoughts vanished in an instant when he saw the pinkish hue on the lake's surface.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead in frustration. Why did his eyesight have to be so sharp? If it weren't, he could have just assumed it was a fish or anything else and told himself Lin Wan wasn't there. But he couldn't lie to himself, because the woman was struggling, on the verge of dying. He jumped in without hesitation, realizing only when he was submerged that he might not be able to hold on.