As a matter of fact, the incident was awful. Han Qing had a phobia of fires, for seeing even the tiniest flicker of a flame would remind him of what had happened in the past. Therefore, the day she encountered a fire was a time when he found it excruciatingly difficult to overcome his phobia.
In the end, however, he overcame his phobia of fire for her sake.
Even so, little did he expect Yan to suffer from the exact same phobia in the end.
Could this be a test that God has subjected to the both of us? he thought to himself.
Nonetheless, no matter how rigorous the test was, he could take these tests and pass them as long as he and Yan were not parted in life or death.
However, he had to ensure her safety.
Yan kept trying to evade Han Qing upon hearing his words, but the latter continued to clasp her hand in a vice-like grip.
He said, “Don’t run away, don’t be afraid, and listen to me. The danger is over; we are very safe now. We can spend our lives like this as long as you and our baby are safe. However, what about our baby and me if something happens to you? Promise me that you’ll stop going on like this, okay?”
Yan still did not utter a word, but her eyelashes were moistened with drops of tears.
Then, Han Qing continued, “Do you know why I’ve never celebrated my birthday? That’s because I got my Dad killed in a fire while celebrating my birthday when I was little. Since then, I have been deeply afraid of my birthday and flames, which was why my mind was flooded with the memories of my past when you celebrated my birthday the other day. My mind was preoccupied with those memories even when I plunged into the fire to save you. I was scared that I couldn’t overcome my fears, but I was even more scared that you would get killed in the fire as my Dad did, so how could I be immersed in my deepest fears without considering your life? Therefore, it can be said that you have saved me. You pulled me out of my trauma so that I stopped being afraid of these memories and faced them bravely, but now, you ended up being traumatized instead—this is not the ending I want.”
As he continued to speak, Yan’s eyelids quivered more and more rapidly.
She was initially touched by Han Qing’s mention of their baby, followed by his confession about the incident on his birthday. When they made up after that incident, she promised at the time that she wouldn’t fuss over that issue again; moreover, she was unwilling to reopen old wounds within him.
However, he chose to tell her the truth behind his trauma right now, which meant that he had opened the old wounds within him once again.
When she heard him telling her that his father had died in a fire on his birthday, she could even imagine the hesitation and the psychological struggle in his mind when he plunged into the fire that day.
He knew that he had a phobia of fires, yet he plunged to her rescue at the risk of his safety.
Even the slightest bit of carelessness would get him buried in a sea of flames at the time. Because of that, Yan could tell that her life was more important to him than his own.
Tears began falling from her eyes. Ever since she escaped from the fire, passed out, and regained her consciousness, she had never shed a single tear, but she had nightmares and mood disorders all day long.
However, after listening to what Han Qing had to say, her tears fell uncontrollably like pearls from a broken string, hitting the back of his hands.
Her heart ached terribly as though something was digging into her heart. At the same time, though, she felt as if some emotions had gone out of her chest.
When Han Qing took her into her arms, she finally had a breakdown and sobbed, “I was so scared. I was really scared. When I saw you dashing toward me in the fire, I thought all three of us were going to die there.”
“No, we won’t. I won’t die, and I won’t let you and our baby die either.” Han Qing could only try his best to comfort her.
Yan sobbed so hard that Han Qing could feel his shoulder getting drenched in tears, but he did not feel depressed at all. Instead, he felt very relieved—that was because Yan was probably letting out her long-suppressed emotions by crying this time. Han Qing thought to himself, Well, we have got to hand it to my younger sister, for women do understand women. If there’s anything that I can’t figure out in the future, I’d better ask Muzi for advice.
Yan’s uncontrollable sobbing was gradually reduced to quiet weeping before she eventually lay in Han Qing’s arms and fell asleep.
Since she had been sobbing so aggressively moments ago, she continued to tremble and hiccup in her sleep.
Han Qing’s heart ached a lot, but when it occurred to him that she would be back to normal after she woke up, he thought it was good for her to shed more tears.
He carried her to the bed, tucked her in, and left the room.
As soon as he pushed the door open, he bumped into his parents-in-law, who were eavesdropping outside the door.
Luo Huimei and Mr. Zhou looked visibly embarrassed when they met Han Qing’s gaze.
However, Luo Huimei reacted quickly as she immediately asked, “What’s wrong? Why did I hear Yan crying so loudly? Is her condition still the same as before? Qing, why don’t we take Yan to the hospital? Things aren’t going to work out if the situation drags on like this. As of late, she’s been having a poor appetite and low-quality sleep—not to mention that she had suffered injuries during that fire and nearly miscarried her baby. What if she miscarries her baby in the future should things continue to go on like this?”
Luo Huimei’s words sounded unpleasant, but what she said was indeed possible.
“Don’t worry, Mom. I think the problem should be solved by now, but we still have to give Yan some time. Don’t force her too much; she is exhausted and wants to rest right now, but she should be okay when she wakes up later.”
Luo Huimei was quite surprised. “Really? Would she be okay when she wakes up later?”
Han Qing smiled. “Probably. Even if she doesn’t get any better, I’ll stay by her side and try hard to help her get better.”
This son-in-law of mine is so positive and considerate that my help isn’t needed at all, Luo Huimei thought to herself.
For a brief moment, she was at a loss for words. Luo Huimei and her husband had wanted to look after Yan when they came to stay at Han Qing’s home, yet they couldn’t offer any help over the last few days despite being served good food and good drinks. The most they could do was to have a little chat with their daughter, but the latter would break down again as they spoke.
“Rest assured, Mom and Dad. You two just have to stay here while I take care of Yan.”
“You have gone through a lot of trouble lately, so you need to take care of your health. Let us help you if you can’t endure it any longer. Now that you and Yan are married, we have become a family; you don’t have to be so polite to us.”
Luo Huimei felt sorry for Han Qing when she saw his haggard face and the dark circles under his eyes. As Yan’s mother, she even felt that she had not been taking much care of her daughter.
Mr. Zhou nodded in agreement and said, “Huimei is right. You have to take good care of yourself so that you can take good care of Yan. Therefore, you have to rest and eat when you should. If you can’t endure it any longer, just ask your Mom and me for help. Got it?”
“Okay.”
As Yan’s state of mind improved, she managed to sleep for as much as five hours this time. She had a very deep sleep; not only did she not talk in her slumber, but she also did not have any nightmares.
Luo Huimei was amazed as she stayed at her daughter’s bedside.
After waiting for a while longer, Luo Huimei discovered that Yan’s condition was still stable. Therefore, she said to Han Qing, “Get some rest. Yan’s condition seems quite stable right now, so I can watch over her myself.”
Han Qing turned to glance at Yan before compressing his lips. Then, he recalled Mr. Zhou’s words.
You have to take good care of yourself so that you can take good care of Yan.
Indeed, it was time for him to get some rest; he hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep for several days, and his eyes were bloodshot.
“Alright. In that case, I’ll go get some sleep. Sorry for troubling you here, Mom.”
“Just go to sleep. You should sleep a while longer since you don’t have to come here in a hurry.”
After that, Han Qing proceeded to leave Yan’s room. However, instead of going back to his room, he took his keys and went out instead.
His eyes were bloodshot, but the look in them was chilling. “How did the investigation go?”
