Ryan Sullivan remained silent, then nodded after a moment.

This was a top-tier private sanatorium in Jianning. Even just being kept alive by machines here was expensive, let alone waking up in good physical condition—he must have received meticulous care over the past few years.

But no matter what, after three whole years in a coma, it was still hard to physically recover right away.

“Did you hear? That patient in bed 538 who was in a coma for three years is her fiancé!”

“A rich, beautiful young woman being so devoted...”

“So young, what a tragedy. Maybe he’ll never walk again?”

...

Emily Carter personally pushed the wheelchair into the elevator. The doors slowly closed, shutting out the whispers in the air.

The elevator began to descend. The metal doors reflected Ryan Sullivan’s expressionless face, while Emily Carter behind him looked a bit awkward and coughed: “When you were transferred here back then, the nurse asked me to fill out a form. There was a question about family relationship, and I just got flustered and confused...”

Ryan Sullivan said, “If it hadn’t been for you back then, I’d already be dead.”

“How can you say that? If it weren’t for you, Brother Sullivan, I’d probably still be in prison somewhere. Everything I have now is because of you—”

“But those people didn’t let me go.” Ryan Sullivan interrupted her. “I can’t move easily and my life is still in danger. Be careful not to get dragged down by me.”

Emily Carter wanted to say something more, but when she saw the reflection in the elevator doors, Ryan Sullivan had already closed his eyes, so she held back.

·

The city lights hadn’t fully come on yet, but the neon signs of the Night Palace KTV were already glowing. A Mercedes stopped at the back entrance. Emily Carter got out quickly and opened the back door. Just as she was about to help, Ryan Sullivan raised his hand to stop her.

Ryan Sullivan grabbed the car door, exerted some effort, and let out a barely audible grunt. After a moment, he actually managed to stand up slowly.

“Whoa, sir, take it easy!” The driver instinctively reached out, but Emily Carter was faster, quickly supporting him and leading him toward the KTV’s back entrance.

It had been less than a month since Ryan Sullivan woke up, and he still struggled to walk. Emily Carter was wearing high heels, so the two of them wobbled onto the sidewalk. Ryan Sullivan said, “It’s still open.”

He was referring to this KTV. Emily Carter replied, “Yeah, you were the one who resolved the contract dispute back then. With this place open, you can hear all kinds of news from all walks of life—it’s actually safer. What are you looking at?”

She followed Ryan Sullivan’s gaze. Not far from the quiet back door of the KTV, a young man with a backpack was standing on the curb, seemingly waiting for someone. As soon as their eyes met, the young man quickly lowered his head and hurried away.

“It’s nothing.” Ryan Sullivan looked away. “Let’s go in.”

“The first and second floors are all private rooms. The third floor is the office and also my dorm. I usually stay here. The conditions are average, so you’ll have to make do for now. Hey, Little Miller! What are you standing there for? Get some water for Brother Sullivan!”

The waiter hurried out, but Ryan Sullivan stopped him: “Go do your work.”

The dorm was well soundproofed; you could barely hear the noise from the KTV downstairs. Emily Carter had prepared everything in advance. The window faced the back alley, and the room was fully furnished, just like a small hotel suite.

“There are too many people and too many eyes in the club, so it’s not convenient. In a few days, I’ll buy a place and settle down, so we’ll have somewhere to hide. Those people from Gongzhou can’t find me here. It’s been years—they must think you’re already dead. If there’s still no news in another couple of years, I’ll close the club and we’ll run far away...”

Emily Carter rambled on, her graceful figure moving around as she tidied up and drew the curtains.

Ryan Sullivan’s gaze fell on the dressing mirror. The dim light cast his face in shadow, his eyelashes and nose creating sharp contours, hiding his cold eye sockets and lips in darkness.

Emily Carter said, “China’s so big. If we hide out in some remote corner of Guangxi or Yunnan, no one will ever find us... Hey, Brother Sullivan, I’ve put your toiletries here.”

She turned around and saw Ryan Sullivan sitting under the lamp, the light outlining his upright figure, his long fingers interlaced, the tips catching a faint glimmer.

No matter how beautiful a face is, it can’t withstand illness. The brutal car accident and three years in a coma were enough to change anyone’s looks. But in that moment, as Emily Carter looked at Ryan Sullivan under the lamp, she felt he hadn’t changed much at all. Something deep in his bones, something soul-stirring, was just the same as when they first met years ago.

Emily Carter didn’t dare disturb him. After a long while, Ryan Sullivan said in a low voice, “Once I can move around better, I’ll go back to Gongzhou for a bit. You should pack up and go back to your hometown to lay low.”

“—What?” Emily Carter was completely caught off guard. “No, Brother Sullivan, those people always finish the job. If they find out you’re alive, they’ll definitely come after you! And it’s not just them—there’s that person, the even scarier one—”

Emily Carter’s voice suddenly stopped, as if it had been cut off.

There was someone even more terrifying. Just the thought of that person, without even mentioning a name, was enough to make her too afraid to speak.

“I know,” Ryan Sullivan said. “But when the plastics factory exploded, my team was inside. The fuse went off and more than a dozen lives were lost. I owe them an explanation.”

Emily Carter choked up. Ryan Sullivan waved his hand at her, signaling her not to say any more.