She fumbled for her phone and pressed Qiu Tian’s number with trembling fingers. He answered quickly, “Fang Ke Xin? What’s wrong? I’m on duty.”
Clinging to his steady voice like a lifeline, she finally let the searing pain overwhelm her. Her body trembled violently, her teeth chattering audibly as she tried to speak. “Qiu Tian, hurry! Go to the Military District General Hospital. He Su Ye… he’s been injured. Surface wounds aren’t obvious, but he’s unconscious and needs further diagnosis. And… notify his father.”
Qiu Tian, calm despite the gravity of her words, reassured her. “I understand. Keep yourself steady—I’m heading there now. Don’t panic!”
Military hospitals are known for their efficiency. Soon after their arrival, He Su Ye was diagnosed with a mild concussion and a fracture. He was immediately moved to a VIP ward to await his recovery.
Fang Ke Xin, utterly drained, slid down the wall and sat on the cold floor. She told herself not to cry, but her strength was spent. The pain she had been suppressing burst forth, and tears streamed down her face, unchecked.
All the fear, anguish, and exhaustion dissolved upon hearing the words “He’s safe.”
As long as he’s safe, as long as he’s happy, I can compromise. I can step back. Isn’t that what loving someone is? To find happiness in their safety and peace.
A voice interrupted her spiraling thoughts. “Fang Ke Xin, stop crying. He’s fine. He’s fine.”
She refused to lift her head, her voice hoarse. “I know… I just can’t control it. Qiu Tian, let me have a moment of quiet.”
Qiu Tian sighed but said nothing more. He stood silently beside her in the empty hallway, a quiet witness to her breaking heart. The door to He Su Ye’s room opened and closed, unnoticed by anyone else.
After a long pause, Fang Ke Xin spoke. “Qiu Tian… does Senior Brother like Shen Xi Fan?”
“Mm.”
“Call her, then. Tell her he’s been injured. Right now, she’s probably the person he most wants to see. Maybe if he knows she’s here, he’ll wake up. I just want him to regain consciousness. After that… whether he ignores me or continues treating me as his junior, I don’t care anymore.”
“It’s already midnight. I’ll call her tomorrow, I promise.”
“Qiu Tian—”
“Hmm?”
“Do you think Shen Xi Fan likes Senior Brother? Will she hurt him like Zhang Yiling did?”
“I don’t know. But your Senior Brother likes her with all his heart, even if it’s hard for him.”
“Qiu Tian… if I call Shen Xi Fan here, Senior Brother won’t blame me, will he? Knowing him, he wouldn’t want her to feel sad. But what if he gets angry and stops talking to me?”
“He might even thank you in his heart—you never know.”
“Qiu Tian, if Senior Brother loves Shen Xi Fan and she loves him back, wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
“And what about you?”
“I… what can I do? In every love story, there’s always a supporting role. But supporting roles aren’t needed in the end. When the time comes, the curtain falls, and the only choice is to leave with a smile.”
“Fang Ke Xin, don’t say that. It hurts to hear you talk like this.”
“Qiu Tian—”
“Hmm?”
“…I’m hungry.”
And so, that’s it, she told herself. There’s no meaning in waiting any longer. A woman only has so many years to wait for someone who will never look her way.
Her youthful recklessness was over. She had spent the best years of her life on an unrequited love so deep it left scars, and now she had little left to give. Her life stretched ahead of her, and perhaps someday, she would meet a man who would love, cherish, and care for her.
Unrequited love is the most painful thing in the world, but it is also the most beautiful. Because in those moments, there is no regret—no regret in loving someone who, to you, is utterly unique.
In the end, we smile and wish them happiness, even as we linger, hearts aching. Even as the smile feels forced, we let go.
Because we all know, loving them was the best thing we ever did.
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