Chapter 46: Forgetting to Love

Hatred made me forget how to love...

By: Lu Huaining

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By the time Xu Ze caught sight of her curled up in pain through the rearview mirror, it was already too late.

This sudden accident caught everyone off guard. The entire film crew, stunned into silence, was instantly roused from their drowsiness and surged forward in panic.

Xue Zui Ning curled into herself, hands instinctively shielding her head. Her dress had long since been torn, and if not for prior training in class, her legs might already have been mercilessly crushed by the wheels. Even so, her body was mottled with bruises from the impact, a dull ache throbbed at her scalp, and blood gushed forth, soaking the towel that barely staunched the wound. Her smooth calf was stained with a shocking red, frightening the young assistant into a helpless burst of tears on the spot.

No amount of regret or self-reproach could lessen her pain. Xu Ze pushed aside the flustered crowd desperately trying to bandage her and, gathering the semi-conscious Xue Zui Ning into his arms, strode powerfully toward the van.

“Don’t be afraid, you’ll be fine!” His words—perhaps meant as much for himself as for her—hung in the air.

But before he’d gone ten meters, an unexpected intruder arrived, changing the course of events entirely.

Through the fine curtain of rain, a man’s indifferent gaze swept across the figure nestled in Xu Ze’s arms. At that moment, she seemed as fragile as a sapling snapped by a merciless hand, stripped of all support, her longing for protection plain to see.

“Good dogs don’t block the way! Lu Huaining, get out of my way!” Xu Ze roared.

With a single glance from Lu Huaining, the well-trained bodyguards behind him immediately stepped forward. Before Xu Ze could react, the delicate body in his arms had already been transferred to another’s embrace.

Holding the injured Xue Zui Ning, Lu Huaining turned and headed for the car. Xu Ze, both shocked and furious, tried to follow but was held back by the assistant, Chu Ci. “Young Master Ze, please don’t interfere anymore in matters between Young Master Lu and Miss Xue. Otherwise, you’ll only bring her more embarrassment and unnecessary trouble.”

The warmth in his arms was swept away by the wind and rain, not even leaving him time to savor it...

Elsewhere on the set, another pair of eyes watched the black Maybach speed away through the rain, their grip on the phone tightening abruptly.

Pain wracked her entire body—so much that Xue Zui Ning felt she might shatter in the next moment. Every breath tugged at her wounds.

Lu Huaining looked at her pallid, pain-stricken face and felt as if an invisible needle had been driven into his heart, leaving him with a dull, heavy ache.

She seemed so cold, always searching for warmth in his embrace. Her murmured words were fraught with helplessness. He tested her forehead; she seemed feverish, yet her shivering body was icy cold. “Old Yang, turn up the heat. Hurry to the hospital.”

From the front seat, Chu Ci glanced at the ambiguous scene in the back, then quickly composed himself. Thankfully, he had notified the hospital ten minutes earlier, instructing the top doctors from each department to stand by; otherwise, his master would surely have his hide.

Soon, the car arrived at the most prestigious First Hospital in City A.

Lu Huaining, holding her in his arms, didn't bother with an umbrella. He strode straight through the rain, carrying her into the emergency room.

The doctors dared not ask questions. Even disheveled by wind, rain, and blood, the man exuded an authority that made it impossible to meet his gaze. The meticulous examination began at once, and his unwavering tension made the doctors wish they could dissect her down to the last cell just to be certain.

The doctor carefully cleaned the pus and blood from her wound. The sting of the alcohol forced Xue Zui Ning to open her eyes. Seeing that weary yet still sharp face, she realized this was all real, not a dream.

Lu Huaining’s dramatic arrival at the hospital naturally alarmed the higher-ups. The on-duty supervisors were shocked to confirm his identity, and the hospital director was roused from his warm bed by a phone call. Only after the doctors assured him repeatedly that everything would be fine did Lu Huaining finally enter the director’s office, uninterested in their flattery, merely instructing them to keep all staff silent and not gossip.

Her clothes were in disarray, rainwater diluting the bloodstains on her shirt, the faint scent of blood harsh and pungent. The quick-witted assistant handed him a change of clothes. When Lu Huaining returned to the emergency room, he unexpectedly overheard an argument.

“What’s going on?” Lu Huaining frowned at Xue Zui Ning, who looked stubbornly uncooperative.

The surgeon, caught between a rock and a hard place, could only report honestly, “Young Master Lu, Miss Xue’s head wound is deep and should be stitched, but the patient refuses to cooperate.”

Xue Zui Ning’s gaze swept coldly over Lu Huaining, now neatly dressed, her expression indifferent. “I know my own body. It’s unnecessary. Besides, I have work tomorrow. Just stop the bleeding simply, please.” In truth, the second reason was the real one—she knew that stitching the head wound would require shaving the area, and how could she complete her final shoot as a half-bald nun?

Lu Huaining stared at her stubbornly unyielding face, feeling his blood rush to his head. He reminded himself that she was the patient, he couldn’t lose his temper. Softening his tone, he tried to persuade her, “Be good, listen to the doctor. Don’t joke with your health. If there are any work complications, I’ll have Chu Ci handle it.”

“Joke? I’ve never made such a dull joke in my life.” Xue Zui Ning rejected him flatly, her voice edged with mockery. “Have you forgotten, Young Master Lu? I’m just a commodity you paid a high price for. A commodity—how could it have the right to claim pain? If I delay your fiancée’s film release, even selling myself wouldn’t repay the debt.”

Su Yi, who had rushed to the hospital out of curiosity, arrived just in time to hear Xue Zui Ning’s biting retort. Not bad, at least she hadn’t been tormented to death by Lu Huaining.

Lu Huaining was so infuriated that he stormed out of the room. Su Yi grinned as he saw him, sauntered over, and gave him a playful punch on the shoulder. “Brother, you’re looking good today. That artfully messy hair, the stubble, and those eyes—how should I put it—yes, a touch of melancholy. Forget business—are you planning a career in the arts?”

Only then did Lu Huaining realize he’d forgotten to tidy himself up. He cursed Xue Zui Ning inwardly while running a hand through his hair. The stubble, though, was beyond help. As they walked, he asked, “What are you doing here?”

“What, not happy to see me?” In the hospital lounge, the two men sat on small sofas. Su Yi idly scrolled through his tablet, and seeing the fatigue on Lu Huaining’s face, his playful side surfaced again. “Two consecutive days as headline news in the entertainment circle—bro, you’re about to become a celebrity.”

He turned the tablet for Lu Huaining to see.

Lu Huaining, surprised, looked up. On the screen was a photo of him carrying the injured Xue Zui Ning, the hospital’s emblem clearly visible in the background. Su Yi opened the comments: some envied the car, others swooned over his looks, and some swore they’d seen this man carry a woman into the hospital in the dead of night.