Mo Yichen didn't hesitate any longer, he called for the doctors, and the Xia couple rushed in right after.
"Miss Xia is stable. Her vitals are normal. She'll wake up soon," the doctor informed them. And right on cue, her eyes fluttered open. The world around her was still blurry. She blinked slowly, trying to adjust to the light and make sense of where she was. Then, like a crashing wave, the memories of the previous day came flooding back.
"She's awake," someone whispered. Footsteps followed, and the familiar scent of roses mixed with antiseptic reached her. She was in a hospital. She remembered now, her baba had found her yesterday. He found her. Again. Just like always.
"A-Yan," her mother's voice trembled through tears. Ruyan turned her head toward the sound and winced from the movement.
"Miss Xia, how are you feeling?" the doctor asked gently. He wanted to do a quick check and then leave so the patient could reconnect with her family. She simply nodded.
"We'll do a full-body check-up in a while. For now, just rest," he said, motioning for his team to exit.
When they left, only her parents and Mo Yichen remained in the room.
Her mother moved toward her with careful steps, gently taking her bandaged hand in hers.
"A-Yan," she whispered again, unable to say anything more. Her throat tightened with emotion. Xia Ruyan gestured weakly that she wanted to sit up. Mo Yichen instinctively stepped forward to help, but her parents were quicker. Her father shot him a look, one that clearly told him to step back. But Mo Yichen didn't. He couldn't.
Xia Jingxuan set the pillow behind her, sat down beside her, and softly placed a hand on her head.
"Sweetheart," he said tenderly, "I'm sorry I came so late. I'm sorry you had to go through this." He said he didn't ask her if she was alright because he could see what she was going through. Instead, he apologized after all his daughter had to face this cruelty because she is a Xia.
Xia Ruyan opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. It felt like she was still gagged, still on that cold concrete floor. Her eyes widened slightly as she looked at her parents.
"It's okay, it's temporary," her mother quickly reassured her. "The swelling in your throat just needs to go down. You'll be able to speak soon, don't worry." She helped her take a few sips of lukewarm water, holding the cup carefully.
After drinking a little water, Ruyan relaxed. She reached out to gently wipe her mother's tears, then turned and grasped her father's hand. Without words, she told them she was okay. That they shouldn't worry. Even in pain, she was the one comforting them.
Xia Jingxuan, who had held himself together all night, finally let a tear slip. Ruyan looked at him and gestured for him to come closer. He did, and she wrapped her arms around him, comforting him as much as herself. Despite her bandaged hands, she held him tightly. He could feel the faint tremble in her grasp.
Xia Ruyan shut her eyes. The isolation of yesterday still clung to her like frost, too raw to ignore. She knew she could endure it, but she also knew it would take time.
Mo Yichen stood nearby, silent. Guilt crashed over him like a tidal wave. He could only watch as the Xia family huddled together, forming a quiet circle of warmth and love, one he was clearly not a part of.
When he married Xia Ruyan, he had assumed her family was just another wealthy household clinging to status. But now… now he saw something different. He'd tried to dig into their ancestry and connections, but it was as though they didn't fully exist in public record. Hidden powerfully. And yet, strangely sincere.
They weren't like the elites he knew, where affection was just a performance, where blood meant rivalry, and love was transactional. In those circles, siblings stabbed each other in the back, and parents were serpents coiled around inheritance.
But the Xias… they were different. They protected one another. They cried for each other's pain. They weren't using love as leverage. They simply loved. And Mo Yichen felt something stir deep inside him. A longing. A quiet ache. He had never experienced this kind of closeness, this kind of safety.
And now he wanted in.
Xia Ruyan finally looked at him. Their eyes locked. In her gaze, still calm, still steady, he saw the galaxies. For a fleeting moment, he breathed. She hadn't changed. There was no anger in her eyes, no blame. Just the same cool indifference.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice hoarse with fatigue. She nodded.
"President Mo," Mrs. Xia said sharply, her glare like a blade. "I requested that you leave."
He bit the inside of his cheek, "I'll wait outside," he said quietly, casting one last glance at Ruyan. She looked between him and her parents, clearly beginning to piece together what had happened in her absence.
Her father helped her lie back down, adjusting her blanket with care. "Rest for a while. I'll bring you some breakfast," he said gently.
There was a stark contrast between the Xia Jingxuan of yesterday, the cold, commanding man, and the one here now, whose every movement screamed "father."
Mrs. Xia watched him, a small smile on her lips. Yes, she thought, he really is a daughter's father.
Outside, Mo Yichen finally had a cup of black coffee. The hot liquid made its way from his mouth to his esophagus, and then he felt the bitterness settle on his tongue. He took a deep breath and exhaled, dropping his head back against the cold bench. His hair was ruffled, as if he had combed his fingers through it many times. His grey button-down shirt was wrinkled, the top two buttons undone, revealing the lines of his neck. His sleeves were rolled up, baring his forearms.
"President, will you go home?" Secretary Lee asked softly, juggling calls, postponed meetings, and updates from the Mo family. Elder Mo had already left to visit Ruyan.
"I'll stay," Mo Yichen said firmly.
Before Lee could reply, Xia Jingxuan stepped out of the room. He walked toward Yichen, eyes locked onto his. Yichen stood at once.
"Why haven't you left yet?" Mr. Xia asked coldly.
"Mr. Xia—" he began, but was immediately cut off.
"We made a mistake, Mo Yichen. And I don't repeat my mistakes." His tone was sharp with finality. "I gave you my daughter because I believed in your name and in the promise you and your grandfather gave me. But I was wrong. Now, I will correct that mistake. You are no longer needed here or in my daughter's life."
"Mr. Xia, I understand your anger," Mo Yichen said quietly, "but please… let me explain. Let me try to make this right."
"She doesn't need anything from you. Do you think I didn't know what was happening in your house? My daughter never complains but that doesn't mean I didn't know. You think she has no one to stand up for her?"
He grabbed Mo Yichen's collar, hard. The bodyguards moved, but Mo Yichen raised a hand to stop them.
"I won't ask for your forgiveness, Mr. Xia," he said, steadying himself. "I know I was irresponsible. But it was an accident. You never told me she was in danger. I thought you were just… overprotective. I never imagined your enemies were hiding in the shadows, waiting for a moment like this."
His eyes met Mr. Xia's. "I didn't leave her for another woman. I left because of my mother. I had choices, but I made the wrong one. And it led to this. Yes, I was arrogant and ignorant. But I was not dishonorable, Mr. Xia. Never that."
He explained to Mr. Xia, he knew he hadn't given them any reason to trust him, but he had to speak. He never intended to leave her alone; it all happened in a moment's impulse. But it wasn't for Ye Yutong that he left, it was for his mother, who had been crying endlessly. His brother had called, saying their mother had fainted from stress and begged him to come back immediately.
It was true, he should have made a rational decision. But his pride got in the way, and that pride caused all the damage.
"Do any of your justifications matter now, Mo Yichen?" Xia Jingxuan asked coldly.
"Nothing can undo what's happened," Mo Yichen replied, "but at least let me try to make it up to her."