Chapter 50: Irreconcilable as Water and Fire

Time drifted by, and Su Wan’s tears had long since soaked her entire face, cold and damp. Finally, Mu Yunshen let her go.

His hand gently caressed her cheek. “Don’t cry.”

Su Wan nodded and wiped her face hard, but for some reason, the tears wouldn’t stop; they kept falling uncontrollably.

Mu Yunshen leaned his head on her shoulder. “Tell me a story, will you?”

“A story… I… I don’t know what to say.”

“Then I’ll just sleep, then.”

“No, don’t sleep. I’ll tell you something. I’ll talk.”

Su Wan took a deep breath. “I don’t have any stories, but I can tell you about me and Bo Yezhou.”

“The first time I met him, he was standing next to my father. At the time, I didn’t feel anything special about him. I just thought he was one of my father’s subordinates. But then, once… I was kidnapped, and he was the one who saved me. I was only a step away from death, about to be engulfed by flames, when he rushed in and rescued me.”

As she spoke, Su Wan closed her eyes briefly. “From then on, I began to have special feelings for him. It seemed… he liked me, too. My father was fond of him as well and promoted him in every way. But one day, I suddenly received news that he was going to take up a post in another city. I cried and begged him to stay.”

“But then, he told me that he’d been lying to me all along, that he’d never loved me. He was only with me to use me as a stepping stone, to gain my father’s favor and advancement.”

Su Wan couldn’t help but smile bitterly. “That was the most devastating blow I’d ever suffered. I never imagined that the memories I had cherished so deeply were, to him, nothing but an act.”

When she finished speaking, Su Wan looked at the man leaning on her shoulder. “Mu Yunshen, did you… did you hear what I said?”

“Mm.” He uttered just that, eyes already closed. Su Wan panicked, slapping his face over and over. “Mu Yunshen, don’t scare me! Mu Yunshen!”

—

Su Wan sat outside the operating room, her clothes soaked in blood, looking utterly disheveled. Her hands were clenched into tight fists, her lips bitten until they bled.

After everything was settled, Bo Yezhou approached, having sent someone to buy her a change of clothes.

“Here, put these on.” His voice reached her.

But Su Wan seemed not to hear, sitting there motionless.

Bo Yezhou frowned slightly. “Su Wan?”

At the sound of his voice, Su Wan’s body visibly jolted. She slowly raised her head to look at him.

“Is he going to die?” Her voice trembled.

Bo Yezhou set the clothes down and took a seat beside her. “I don’t know.”

Su Wan lowered her head, tears streaming down her face. “It’s all my fault. Why did I go there? If I hadn’t gone, none of this would have happened. Why…”

Her tears fell like a torrent. Bo Yezhou watched, then reached out and gently patted her shoulder. “Have you ever thought about what they were doing up on that mountain?”

His question made Su Wan’s body tense.

Of course she knew. At the time, those people had almost let them go, but when Xiao Guo revealed her identity, they decided to kill them instead, even willing to turn against Mu Yunshen.

Su Wan didn’t know exactly what they were up to, but she knew they stood in opposition to her father.

Their identities—she could easily imagine.

Bo Yezhou glanced at her and continued, “We found a warehouse nearby. Inside, there was a large amount of heroin that hadn’t been moved yet.”

Su Wan’s hands clenched even tighter.

Bo Yezhou leaned back in his chair. “I can’t persuade you, but think about it, Su Wan. How many times have you risked your life because of him? Yes, you’ve been lucky, escaping again and again, and he’s risked everything to protect you. But what if one day, he can’t anymore?”

“I don’t want to think about that now…” Su Wan said through gritted teeth.

Bo Yezhou nodded. “I know this isn’t the time, but Su Wan, your world can’t be just about love. And your father…”

Before he could finish, the operating room doors swung open. Su Wan rushed forward at once.

Watching her back, Bo Yezhou frowned but followed after her.

“The bullet was successfully removed. It didn’t hit the heart, but due to excessive blood loss and multiple other wounds, the patient needs to be observed for several hours.”

Hearing this, Su Wan’s heart finally settled, and she nearly collapsed from relief.

After a long while, she gripped the doctor’s hand tightly. “Thank you, thank you so much!”

Soon, Mu Yunshen was wheeled out, still attached to a ventilator and various machines. Su Wan wasn’t allowed near; she could only watch as others transferred him to the ICU.

When the doors closed, she pressed herself against the glass, staring inside.

“Since everything’s alright, go home and rest. I’ll keep watch here. When he wakes, you’ll need your strength to care for him,” Bo Yezhou said.

Su Wan didn’t answer, clearly still uneasy.

Bo Yezhou frowned. “If you insist on staying, I won’t be able to cover for you.”

He had taken the fall for everything; otherwise, if Su Yichuan found out, Su Wan would be in deep trouble.

At those words, Su Wan’s expression changed slightly. After a longing look at the man inside, she finally turned and left.

Bo Yezhou ordered someone to take her home.

After everyone left, Bo Yezhou stood by the window, looking at the man in the hospital bed, frowning.

His phone suddenly rang.

He answered, “Hello, this is Bo Yezhou.”

“Officer, it’s confirmed. Last night, ‘The Hunter’ sent someone too, but possibly because the plan was disrupted, they didn’t show up.”

Bo Yezhou’s eyes narrowed. “Anything else?”

“The group vanished on the mountain road. They probably caught wind of something and retreated. The warehouse only had samples; the rest of the goods haven’t been found.”

Bo Yezhou hummed in response. “This is a matter for the narcotics squad. Hand it over and close the case.”

After hanging up, Bo Yezhou kept his gaze fixed on the man inside.

Mu Yunshen… things are getting more and more interesting.

—

Su Wan was truly exhausted. But even so, she couldn’t sleep. Her night was full of jolts and nightmares. When dawn finally came, she immediately gathered her things and went to the hospital.

She arrived at the ward just as Pi Zi and several others were standing guard at the door. None of them had tattoos, but their presence alone was intimidating.

Su Wan hurried over. “Is he awake?”

Pi Zi scratched his head. “He came to once, but fell asleep again. Li Man’s inside now.”

Su Wan moved to enter, but Pi Zi blocked her way. “Sis, better wait a moment.”

Su Wan looked at him in confusion.

Pi Zi cleared his throat. “Li Man’s a bit worked up. I’m afraid she’ll hurt you.”

Just as he finished speaking, the door opened.

Li Man stood inside, staring intently at Su Wan. “You’re here?”

Her demeanor seemed calm. Su Wan slipped past her and glanced at Mu Yunshen, who was still sleeping.

Li Man spoke. “Can we talk?”

Su Wan looked at her, then nodded.

The two of them stood on the hospital balcony. Li Man took out a cigarette and lit it deftly.

Su Wan looked at her. “What do you want to say?”

“Gu Yan is dead,” she said abruptly. “Do you know why?”

Su Wan’s brows furrowed.

“They were after Shen-ge,” Li Man continued. “But you’re lucky. They got rid of Gu Yan first. Maybe next time, it’ll be you.”

Su Wan suddenly remembered that night downstairs with Bo Yezhou—if not for him…

“Are you scared now?”

“Don’t you think it’s a little late to say that?” Su Wan quickly regained her composure. “Even if they were after Mu Yunshen and might target me next, it’s already too late for me to back out. Besides, I believe he’ll protect me.”

“Protect you?” Li Man laughed. “Yeah, he can protect you—that’s why he keeps ending up in the hospital.”

Su Wan fell silent.

Li Man stared at her. “And your family doesn’t approve of you two, right? If you had to choose between him and your father, what would you do?”

“I don’t need to make that choice,” Su Wan said. “I’ll make my father accept him.”

“What a joke! Your father is the mayor. How could he accept a gangster as his son-in-law? Do you remember that night you stormed into the bar looking for him? Do you know why he got hurt?”

“It was because of your father!” Li Man’s hands trembled with anger. “He sent people to kill Mu Yunshen! If he hadn’t been lucky, he’d have been hacked to death in the parking lot! He’s a gangster; if he died, no one would question it! But you—you knew nothing. You even blamed him for not keeping your appointment. And to spare your relationship with your father, he never said a word!”

“Impossible!” Su Wan blurted out. “My father would never do such a thing!”

“Believe it or not!” Li Man sneered. “Su Wan, don’t be so self-righteous. Since you’re a privileged princess, go find a suitable man. Why drag him into your mess?”

As soon as Li Man finished, Su Wan turned to leave.

“What, going to confront your father? Do you think he’ll admit it?”

Su Wan froze in place.

Li Man approached from behind. “Su Wan, I’m begging you, okay? You and he live in different worlds. You’ll only hurt each other! He’s nearly died for you several times already! Are you really… this selfish?”

As she spoke, her eyes reddened, and she clutched Su Wan’s hand. “Please, promise me, will you?”

Su Wan looked at her but said nothing.

Li Man lowered her head. “I know I’m not worthy of him, but at least, I want him to be safe.”

Su Wan pulled her hand free and walked away. Whether she agreed or refused, it was unclear.

When she returned to the ward, Mu Yunshen was still asleep.

Su Wan sat there, gazing at his face for a long time before pulling out her phone and sending a message, typing each word carefully: “Can you do me a favor?”

There was no reply—he was probably busy.

Not knowing what else to do, Su Wan set her phone aside and gently took Mu Yunshen’s hand.

As she interlaced her fingers with his, he finally woke.

He looked at her, then closed his eyes again.

“What’s wrong? Does it still hurt somewhere?” Su Wan asked anxiously.

Mu Yunshen opened his eyes and smiled. “No, I just thought I was dreaming that a goddess had descended from heaven, so I had to clear my head.”

His words caught Su Wan off guard. After a moment, she retorted, “Can’t you be serious?”

“I can.” He reached out, pressed her lips to his, and kissed her gently. “Is that enough?”

Su Wan’s eyes immediately reddened. Mu Yunshen frowned and wiped her tears away.

“Don’t cry. Seeing you cry hurts more than taking a bullet.”

Su Wan quickly wiped her tears. “Now that you’re awake, I won’t cry.”

“Good.” Mu Yunshen glanced outside. “Go call Pi Zi in for me, and then buy me something to eat.”

Su Wan understood and got up to leave.

As Pi Zi closed the door, Su Wan saw Mu Yunshen struggling to sit up in bed.

Bo Yezhou and Li Man’s voices echoed in her mind.

Had she… really overestimated herself?

From the very beginning, she and Su Yichuan were like water and fire—completely incompatible.

But… but.

“Miss? Miss?”

The man across from her called out several times before she snapped out of it and took the porridge from his hand.

On her way back, she received a call from Bo Yezhou.

He was as straightforward as ever—never wasting time on texts, always calling.

“What’s up?”

Su Wan had already decided what to do. “Nothing. I just wanted to thank you for yesterday and invite you to dinner.”

“Now?”

“Of course not. I’ll let you know the time. Please do me the honor.”

Bo Yezhou knew Su Wan wouldn’t call just for that, but he didn’t press her. “Alright.”

Su Wan hung up and called Linda. “Can you help me find a private investigator? I need something checked.”

—

Over the next few days, Su Wan cared for Mu Yunshen with meticulous devotion. Whatever he wanted, she provided. He healed quickly and had no desire to linger in the hospital. After a week, he insisted on being discharged and naturally moved into her place.

Xiao Guo, whom Bo Yezhou’s team had found, had narrowly escaped the ordeal. Traumatized, he took several days off work.

Su Wan cautioned him never to speak of what happened, lest it endanger his life.

Terrified, Xiao Guo agreed without reservation.

Linda soon had news from the private investigator. After work, Su Wan found the information in her email.

There were several stills from a security video in the hospital parking lot—not official footage, but clips captured by a nearby car’s dashcam.

The images were distant, but she could make out Mu Yunshen. She wasn’t sure if the other men were really sent by her father, but she had a plan.

She transferred the fee and added another request: “I want you to look into Mu Yunshen's background as well.”

“Ex-military. One hundred thousand. No haggling,” came the prompt reply.

Su Wan pursed her lips and replied, “Deal.”

After deleting all messages, she headed upstairs.

The apartment was pitch black.

Su Wan frowned. “Mu Yunshen? Are you here?”

A strange smell lingered in the air. Su Wan tried the lights, but they wouldn’t turn on.

Was there a short circuit?

She turned to go check, but after two steps, an arm wrapped around her from behind.

Su Wan shrieked, and just then, the lights blazed on overhead.

Seeing who it was, she sighed in relief and smacked him lightly. “You scared me to death!”

Mu Yunshen grinned and pointed inside. “Look—surprise!”

Only then did Su Wan notice what he’d prepared.

There were several dishes already laid out, and… a cake.

Suddenly, something dawned on her, and her expression changed.

Mu Yunshen looked at her. “I saw your ID card. Today’s your birthday, isn’t it?”

Su Wan nodded.

He could tell she wasn’t… happy.

He frowned. “You’re not happy?”

He made a mental note to go beat up Pi Zi—who said girls would definitely be happy with this kind of surprise?

Su Wan looked at him and shook her head. “No, it’s just… I haven’t celebrated my birthday in a long time.”

“Why not?”

“My mom passed away a long time ago. After that, my dad was always busy with work—so busy I could hardly ever see him. On every birthday, he was never there, so I just stopped celebrating altogether.”

Mu Yunshen frowned and took her hand. “It’s alright. From now on, I’ll celebrate with you every year.”

Su Wan turned to look at him.

Her eyes shimmered with tears, but something else seemed to be melting inside her as well.

Before Mu Yunshen could react, Su Wan wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

He had held back for so long—her initiative was like a spark igniting a prairie fire. Mu Yunshen immediately pulled her into an embrace, turning her passive kiss into an impassioned one.

Su Wan didn’t know how she ended up in the bedroom, nor when her clothes came undone.

She clung to him, her grip tightening out of nervousness.

Mu Yunshen kissed her gently. “Don’t worry. I’ll be very gentle.”

Su Wan bit her lip and said nothing, but her body trembled slightly.

He kissed her from her neck downward, a strange sensation coursing through her, making her clutch his hand even tighter.

He placed his hand at her lips. “If it hurts, bite me.”

Su Wan just held his hand, fingers intertwined.

Even though he was as patient and gentle as possible, when that sharp pain came, Su Wan couldn’t help but cry out, pushing him away as tears streamed down her face.

Mu Yunshen bent down, kissing her over and over.

Su Wan bit her lip until it bled, tears falling endlessly.

He bowed his head, swallowing every drop of her tears.

There was no pleasure, no joy—only pain, so clear and sharp it was unforgettable.

Her fingernails left red marks on his back, a stark contrast to his own scars, almost laughable.

Not wanting to hurt her, Mu Yunshen only wanted her once. Afterward, he carried her to bathe.

Su Wan was completely drained, letting him do as he pleased.

After she finished washing, Mu Yunshen stayed in the bathroom for a long time. She didn’t need to guess what he was doing in there.

She lay on the bed, eyes closed, trying to sleep, but couldn’t.

In a daze, she heard him come out, then leave the apartment.

When the door closed, Su Wan felt lost.

Suddenly, all those thoughts about how “men don’t cherish women after they’ve had them” flooded her mind.

But just as she thought she’d been abandoned, he returned.

This time, he brought medicine.

When he handed her the pills and water, Su Wan tensed, slowly turning to look at him.

“I don’t want to take the medicine,” she said.

Mu Yunshen frowned.

Su Wan held his hand. “If I get pregnant, we’ll get married.”

Mu Yunshen shook his head.

It was a firm, resolute shake.

Su Wan’s heart went cold.

Mu Yunshen placed the pills in her hand. “Be good, take the medicine first.”

Su Wan laughed, nodded, and swallowed the pills. “Satisfied? You can go.”

Mu Yunshen didn’t move.

Su Wan ignored him, curling herself tightly in the blanket.

Suddenly, his hand reached over and pulled her into a fierce embrace.

She struggled, but his voice came. “Three years.”

Su Wan froze.

“Give me three years. Right now, I can’t make you any promises. But in three years, I’ll have settled everything. Then, I’ll give you the best, the grandest wedding.”

Su Wan looked at him. “Really?”

“Will you… wait for me?”

Su Wan smiled and nodded.

Mu Yunshen smiled, too, pulling her close. “Does it still hurt? Should we… try again?”

“…No!”

At that moment, Su Wan truly believed she and Mu Yunshen could last a lifetime.

She believed that as long as two people loved each other enough, every obstacle could be overcome.

But she was wrong.

She couldn’t. And neither could Mu Yunshen.