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Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through Jono's abdomen. Her gaze shifted slowly from Yan Beiting on the hospital bed to Jin Chengyan, who was standing beside it. Leaning against the bed for support, Jono managed to stay upright.
However, when she turned her head, her pale face startled Jin Chengyan.
"Jono!" Jin Chengyan called out softly, immediately lifting her into his arms.
Jono held onto Yan Beiting's hand, but as Jin Chengyan carried her away, she felt Yan Beiting's grip gradually loosen, the strength fading away.
He couldn't utter a word; he could only watch as Jono collapsed into Jin Chengyan's embrace. He noticed the blood staining Jono's pants after she was lifted.
Then, Jin Chengyan rushed out with Jono in his arms. He didn't have a chance to say anything to her as he watched her disappear from view.
With an oxygen mask on, he felt breathless. It seemed he could hear the machines by the bed beeping erratically, followed by the frantic calls of nurses summoning a doctor.
Yan Beiting watched as they performed emergency measures at his bedside, but the scenes became increasingly blurry and surreal.
The doctor announced that a cardiac pacemaker was needed; the patient had lost consciousness.
With each electric shock to his chest, it became clear that nothing was working. The doctor climbed onto Yan Beiting's bed and straddled him to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
It seemed hopeless...
The doctor, sweating profusely, ultimately failed to revive Yan Beiting, who had just regained consciousness moments before. Every method had been tried, and in the end, all the indicators on the machine flattened into a straight line.
"Time of death: April 17, 2014, 9:57 PM," the nurse noted as she looked at her watch.
The doctor took a deep breath, removed his mask, and gazed at the patient whose chest was still slightly red from the shocks. His body was gradually cooling down.
With a grave expression, the doctor approached and buttoned up Yan Beiting's shirt, tidying his appearance before covering his face with a white cloth.
"Notify the family." Watching a vibrant life fade away before her eyes, her mood was inevitably heavy, even though this person had no connection to her.
If surviving until now was a miracle, then perhaps now he had found release. Dragging a body plagued by ailments, he had to undergo numerous tests every month, with his bodily functions largely sustained by medication.
Maybe death was the only true liberation.
...
In the cold operating room, Jono lay on the surgical table. She felt something flowing out of her body, desperately trying to hold on to it, but... she was too weak.
The blinding surgical lights shone down on her, forcing her to close her eyes. Perhaps it was due to the pain or perhaps she just wanted to sleep.
She fainted.
It seemed she saw an empty corridor, all white and desolate. She disliked that feeling and wanted to hurry forward toward the light ahead.
But it felt like she lacked the strength; taking a single step forward made breathing difficult.
"Jono..." Someone was calling her name, but she couldn't see anyone ahead of her.
Turning around, she noticed Yan Beiting standing not far behind her, wearing the same suit he had worn when they met in the restaurant four years ago. He looked just as he always had.
They were both unchanged.
Seeing him was such a relief.
Jono ran towards him, suddenly realizing that moving toward Yan Beiting felt much easier.
She embraced him tightly, terrified of losing him again. It was a feeling that even if she were to die, she still wanted him to live.
"Great, you're not dead. You're alive. Do you know how guilty I've felt for the past four years? How much I regret letting you take me away that day and then having you deal with everything afterward? It was my stubbornness that made you endure so much suffering over these four years! I'm sorry; a thousand apologies can't make up for what you've been through!" Those were the words she had wanted to say when she first saw Yan Beiting.
But she couldn't say them earlier because Jin Chengyan was there.
What happened between her and Yan Beiting was their own business, and she didn't want a third person involved, not even Jin Chengyan.
Now it was just the two of them, and she could speak freely.
"You being alive is enough. From now on, you have to live well. You will become the happiest person in this world. You'll find someone who loves you, and whom you love in return, and then you'll live happily together. We are the best of friends; you will always be my most important friend! Irreplaceable!" She hugged Yan Beiting, but felt no warmth at all.
Slowly, she released him. He merely smiled gently at her and then placed his cold hand on her face.
Jono gasped in shock. "Why—why is your hand so cold?" She held his hand tightly, rubbing it, but there was no sign of warmth returning.
"Jono," he called her name softly, "don't worry."
How could Jono not worry? He felt completely devoid of warmth. Was this a dream? Would everything return to normal once she woke up?
"Jono, listen to me. Turn around and walk away. Don't look back; no matter what, don't look back. From the beginning, we were like two parallel lines with no chance of intersecting. It took me a long time to understand this. But I have never regretted anything I've done for you; I did it willingly. Don't blame yourself; everyone has their own place in this world. Dust returns to dust, earth returns to earth, hell returns to hell."
"Why are you saying this? Are you trying to send me away? Aren't you coming with me? Jin Chengyan is waiting for me; he's waiting for you too." Jono couldn't understand Yan Beiting's words, but she didn't want to leave alone.
He shook his head with a smile. "We can't go together as three people. You need to be happy with Ayan. In the next life, I will definitely meet you first again and confess my feelings first as well. You have to wait for me; until I find you, you can't be with anyone else."
"Okay, I promise I won't be with anyone else until you find me!" She nodded vigorously.
"Goodbye then." He pushed Jono's hand away, even trying to distance her from him. "Alright, you should go!"
"No... I won't go..." Jono's heart trembled completely. She had a feeling that if she left now, she would never see Yan Beiting again!
Jono's stubbornness made Yan Beiting's smile vanish in an instant. He became somewhat fierce, almost unapproachable, and forcefully pushed Jono away.
"Leave! Don't follow me! I hate the way you are right now!" He was angry, shoving Jono hard before stepping back, his fierce expression making her too afraid to take a step closer.
But she didn't want him to leave; she didn't want it to end like this!
Yet everything in front of her grew increasingly blurry, as if some force was pulling her away.
...
"Sir, your wife is showing signs of a miscarriage, and given her previous history, please sign this consent form. You need to decide whether to prioritize her health or proceed with the surgery to remove the child." The doctor handed the choice to Jin Chengyan.
Jin Chengyan stared at the consent form before him, his hand trembling. Normally, he signed off on deals worth hundreds of billions without a hint of hesitation, but now, holding the pen in his hand, he found himself unable to write.
If they removed the child, Jono would be safe.
But if Jono woke up after the procedure having lost the child, she would never forgive him.
"Save her. If the child can be saved, then save it. If not... remove it." Jin Chengyan signed his name on the consent form, those three words weighing heavily as he wrote them down.
This was the best he could do to protect Jono to the fullest extent.
He forgave himself for being selfish, wanting only to keep Jono by his side.
Watching as the doctor entered the operating room, with the surgical lights still shining brightly, he anxiously waited outside.
Before long, a doctor from Yan Beiting's side approached him with a grave expression.
"Sorry, Mr. Yan has just passed away despite our efforts to save him."
Jin Chengyan had never felt that there was anything he couldn't solve; with money and power, he could resolve a multitude of issues in mere moments.
But in the face of life and death, Jin Chengyan felt small for the first time.
He couldn't hold onto his child, nor his brother, and perhaps he couldn't even keep Jono in the operating room.
"Sir, are you alright?" the doctor asked with concern. The man before him exuded an air of wealth and authority, someone who could command the world with a flick of his wrist. Yet, before the separation of life and death, he was just an ordinary person.
Jin Chengyan shook his head, unable to utter a word. All his pain was something he couldn't share; he could only bear it alone.
"I understand," he said in a low voice tinged with sorrow.
The doctor refrained from offering excessive words of comfort. After delivering the news, he quietly left.
In the late-night hospital corridor, there wasn't even a nurse in sight; only the lights outside the operating room remained on.
Jin Chengyan sat on a bench outside the operating room, his hands propping up his head. In a place where no one could see him, a tear fell from his eye.
Yan Beiting, you ultimately refused to let him and Jono go like this.
...
Time passed without him noticing. Slowly, Jono opened her eyes, feeling utterly weak and unable to move even slightly; any attempt to do so brought pain.
Her mouth felt dry, and she could only cough softly to alert those in the ward that she was awake.
Hearing her voice, Jin Chengyan, who had been resting with his eyes closed on the bench, immediately rushed to Jono's bedside.
"How do you feel? Are you in pain? I'll call the doctor," Jin Chengyan said softly, gently stroking Jono's forehead. She felt as fragile as a piece of white paper, crumpling with just a slight touch.
Jono shook her head. "Water..." she wanted to drink.
There was a thermos on the bedside table. Jin Chengyan poured out a cup of water, alternating between two cups to let the temperature cool down quickly for Jono to drink.
He grabbed a straw to make it easier for her.
She quietly sipped the water, moistening her throat, feeling somewhat better in her mouth.
She could feel the cool sensation of the IV drip flowing into her body from the back of her hand, which was slightly uncomfortable.
She recalled the strange dream she had while unconscious, the conversation with Yan Beiting, where he pushed her away and told her to leave.
She also remembered seeing a transformed Yan Beiting just before entering the operating room.
Most importantly, she thought about the baby inside her.
"Ayan..." Jono's hand lifted slightly as she tried to grasp Jin Chengyan's hand, wanting to know if it was warm.
Jin Chengyan held Jono's hand in return.
"I'm here."
His eyes were bloodshot, whether from staying up all night watching over Jono or from having cried.
"The baby is still there, right?" Even though her abdomen was flat, and even if she had lost the baby, Jono wouldn't be able to tell. "Beiting is still here too, right?"
His grip tightened slightly. Jono couldn't tell if it was because he heard about the baby or because he heard Yan Beiting's name that made him hold on more firmly.
"The child is still here, it's fine, you did great, you kept it." Jin Chengyan gently rubbed Jono's forehead, needing to confirm that his lifelong love was still with him.
Jono let out a long sigh of relief; as long as the child was safe, he felt he had done well by not making the decision to terminate the pregnancy on his own.
"Thank you." The slight smile at the corner of his mouth reflected the emotion of keeping the child and his deep feelings for Jin Chengyan.
However, Jin Chengyan didn't know how to tell Jono about Yan Beiting. Should he say it now or wait?
Fortunately, the arrival of Qiao Chen and Jin Mengxi helped Jin Chengyan escape this dilemma.
"Brother, Qiao Chen and I will take care of your wife. You should go back and rest," Jin Mengxi said as she and Qiao Chen arrived early in the morning.
In truth, he didn't need rest; he just wanted to be by Jono's side. But he couldn't continue facing Jono like this, fearing that he might accidentally reveal the truth. She would surely struggle to accept the news of Yan Beiting's death.
"Okay." His voice was hoarse. After tucking Jono in, he quietly left the room.
Instead of returning to the hotel, he took on the role of a family member to handle Yan Beiting's affairs.
When Ye Yun arrived, he shot a cold glance at Jin Chengyan but said nothing.
The two men silently dealt with Yan Beiting's matters, tacitly agreeing not to inform the Yan family. Since it was a lie, they decided to let that lie continue.
In two days, Jin Chengyan and Ye Yun managed to settle everything regarding Yan Beiting. Without a burial site, they scattered Yan Beiting's ashes over the East China Sea.
He loved freedom; let the sea carry him to faraway places.
That day in Shanghai, it drizzled lightly, and the weather was gloomy—perfect for a farewell.
Over these two days, Jin Chengyan had been smoking heavily. After scattering Yan Beiting's ashes, he stood on the deck, pulled out a cigarette, and for some reason—whether due to distraction or something else—he tried lighting it several times without success.
Finally, Ye Yun came over and lit his cigarette.
The two of them silently finished the first cigarette before lighting up a second one.
"I'm sorry for what I said on the phone a couple of days ago. It was a bit heavy," Ye Yun said, dressed in a black suit, his demeanor dark and brooding.
"What did you say that was wrong?" Jin Chengyan took a deep drag, feeling the weight of personally sending off his friend.
"This is something Beiting entrusted me with before the incident, insisting that I help you all with it." Ye Yun handed Jin Chengyan an envelope.
Jin Chengyan opened it and felt a lump in his throat.
...
A little over half a month later.
Jono was discharged from the hospital and discovered that everyone—Qiao Chen, Jin Mengxi, Xining, Jasper, Jin Mengli, Chu Tiankuo, Xiao Yuanshan, and A-Shan—had come to see him.
It felt as if the atmosphere was quite serious.
But there was one person missing: Yan Beiting.
Jono thought maybe he was still in the intensive care unit and couldn't come out yet.
However, she needed to return to Qin Cheng to take care of her pregnancy properly.
Their cars were all black Mercedes-Benzes as they headed towards the hotel.
But at the last moment, Xining, Jin Mengxi, and Jin Mengli took Jono to his room first.
After entering the room, Jono was taken aback.
In the luxurious presidential suite, a pristine white wedding dress was displayed on a mannequin, illuminated by a beam of light from above, creating a breathtaking scene that left Jono breathless.
"This..." She gazed at the wedding dress, unable to find her voice.
Once upon a time, she had longed to wear a wedding dress and have a perfect wedding with Jin Chengyan.
But now, half a year had passed, then a year, and even four years, and she had never had the chance to wear one. Now, with this dream wedding dress before her, everything felt surreal.
"Put it on! Your brother is waiting for you in the church!" Jin Mengxi said, her eyes slightly red. Ever since Jin Chengyan announced he wanted to prepare this wedding, each of them had been doing their utmost for it.
They all hoped that Jono could happily wear the wedding dress and become the most blissful bride.
"Why... didn't anyone tell me... I just got out of the hospital, I look so awful..." She covered her face, knowing she must look pale and lacking color. She needed to recover properly to look like a beautiful bride!
"Jono, as long as you wear the wedding dress, you'll be the most beautiful bride! The most beautiful in the world!" Xining said sweetly.
"Trust me, Ayan has great taste. He chose this wedding dress," Jin Mengli comforted Jono. As someone who had been through it herself, she understood how Jono felt at that moment.
Jono broke into a smile; it was truly unexpected. She never imagined that after leaving the hospital, she would go straight to the church in a wedding dress.
The process of changing into the wedding dress and getting her makeup done was quick—perhaps due to the top-notch team—within just an hour, Jono transformed into someone entirely different from who she was moments ago.
Dressed in their own formal attire, Jin Mengxi, Jin Mengli, and Xining wished they could teleport Jono right to Jin Chengyan's side.
They took a Lincoln limousine to the church located at 158 Puxi Road in Xujiahui. The bodyguards had already cleared a path through the crowd outside.
As Jono stepped out of the car, warm sunlight bathed her in its glow. She felt healthy and happy—happier than ever before.
Dressed in a white little dress, Qiao Lovely stood at the door holding a Flower Basket. Upon seeing Jono, she immediately ran over and happily stood behind her. On the other side was Jin Mengli's son.
Two flower children, one big and one small.
They slowly walked into the church, step by step, and Jono could hear the sound of her own heartbeat.
Fragments of her acquaintance with Jin Chengyan flickered in her mind.
She had stumbled into Jin Chengyan's room, inexplicably finding herself about to marry him. Falling in love with him seemed to happen in just a second, and even knowing he had someone he deeply loved, she still threw herself into the flames.
Finally, she moved him, but they never had the fate to be together again.
After going in circles, she still ended up wearing a wedding dress, preparing to marry this man!
Thus, for those in love, no matter how twisted the journey may be, it is always a path to relive old dreams.
Jono saw Jin Chengyan standing on the steps of the church, dressed in a white tailcoat, gazing at her with deep affection. This moment was something she had waited for as long as he had hoped for.
A typical wedding process, but without experiencing it, there would be regrets. They exchanged Wedding Rings and shared a passionate kiss. She tossed her bouquet, they took photos together, creating joyful memories.
The wedding photos hung in Jin Mansion—there were some in the living room, some in the side hall, and others in the bedroom study.
Jin Chengyan looked at the wedding photos for a long time before finally saying, "Thank you, Beiting."
Everything culminated in him even preparing for the wedding with Jono; otherwise, who would have the heart to plan a wedding under such circumstances?
That day on the deck, when Jin Chengyan saw the information Ye Yun had prepared for him, he was completely stunned! Then came an overwhelming sense of emotion.
Now, nine months had passed. Jono's belly grew day by day; she was now in the hospital preparing to give birth.
He didn't go to the hospital, nor did he want to see Jono.
In the tranquil Jin Mansion, every corner held memories of him and Jono. If he could, he would want to create even more memories.
But...
At four fifty in the afternoon, the hospital called.
"Mr. Jin, the Young Mistress has given birth to a son, but... the Young Mistress is experiencing severe hemorrhaging. We did our best."
The phone slipped from his hand and fell to the ground as Jin Chengyan sank into his chair. In that moment, he felt as if the bright daylight of Qin Cheng had lost all its luster.
He thought that Jono must have known that Yan Beiting had already passed away that day.
She was punishing herself in this way.
In Qingming of 2015, Jin Chengyan went alone to the cemetery to visit Jono.
On the tombstone, it was engraved: My Wife, Jono.
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