Chapter Thirty-Five: The Terrifying Fan Yirou

On a weekend, four people planned to see a movie together. The two mothers each held their child's hand as they crossed the street, when suddenly a speeding car barreled toward them. The accident happened in the blink of an eye, leaving no time for the mothers to whisk their children away.

The crowd around witnessed everything. Many others, like Dong Xue and her companions, were also crossing the street, and realized what was about to happen. Some, closer to the curb, managed to dodge out of the way in time, but others, like Dong Xue and her group, were trapped.

Both mothers, Zhang Xia and Dong Xue, reacted swiftly. To protect their children, they turned their backs toward the car, holding their children tightly in their arms. Zhang Xia even shielded Dong Xue with her own body, putting herself first in the car’s path.

The result was a devastating traffic accident. Seven people were struck by the car: the four mothers and children, as well as three other pedestrians nearby. The three pedestrians and Zhang Xia died on the spot, while Dong Xue, gravely injured, fell into a coma and was hospitalized. The two children, though not in mortal danger, suffered significant injuries—no loss of consciousness, but fractured bones that required hospitalization.

When Fan Jian received the call notifying him that his wife, child, and their nanny had been struck by a car and hospitalized, he dropped his work and rushed to the hospital. Upon arrival, he was met by the local traffic police chief. Seeing the grave expression on the officer’s face, Fan Jian’s anxiety deepened.

"Mr. Fan, hello, I am..." The officer began, but Fan Jian interrupted him, "How are my wife and child?"

The officer didn’t mind the interruption; he understood anyone would be desperate to know about their family in such circumstances, especially given Fan Jian’s status. So he answered politely, "Your child is not seriously hurt, though there are some minor fractures. The hospital has arranged the best doctors for their care.

As for your wife... Because she was protecting your child, her injuries are more severe. She is currently in a coma, and the doctors are doing everything they can."

Fan Jian was thunderstruck by the news. Though his wife’s life was not immediately in danger, a coma was hardly a good sign.

"And..." the chief continued, "Your nanny died at the scene of the accident..."

"Is that so?" Fan Jian replied calmly, as if hearing something of little consequence.

This response made the police chief frown. Was this man truly so devoid of feeling? The nanny had worked in his home for years; was there no bond at all? To hear the news of her death and remain so unmoved...

The chief felt compelled to say more. "According to our investigation at the scene, your nanny placed herself in front of your wife and child just before the crash. Surveillance footage shows the speed of the car; under such circumstances, no one should have survived. Your wife and child owe their lives, in large part, to the nanny’s sacrifice."

The chief expected that Fan Jian’s attitude would change after hearing this, but instead, Fan Jian’s demeanor grew even more callous. "Hmph! She brought it upon herself."

The chief could no longer contain himself. "Mr. Fan, aren’t you grateful at all? If not for your nanny, your wife and child might have..."

Fan Jian waved his hand dismissively. "Officer, I know what you’re trying to say. You must think I’m cold-blooded, but I assure you, I have my reasons. I won’t go into details. I’ll arrange for her affairs to be handled—rest assured. Right now, I only want to know where my wife and child are."

Faced with such resolute indifference, the chief could only sigh and lead him away. "Please follow me, I’ll take you to them."

...

A few days later, Fan Jian took his still-comatose wife home and assembled a professional medical team to care for her around the clock, unable to trust her safety in a public hospital.

It wasn’t that the hospital lacked skill, or that his own doctors were superior, but after surgery, the blood clots in her brain and body had been cleared, and her organs were not severely damaged. She was out of immediate danger.

Staying longer in the hospital would do little good. Though the ICU was quiet and well-staffed, the hospital was crowded, full of strangers, and besieged by reporters eager for interviews and stories. Fan Jian couldn’t be there at all times, so he decided his wife would be safer at home.

His private medical team was composed of the best doctors and nurses from the same hospital, so he had no concerns in that regard. Most crucially, after two days of investigation, the police discovered the accident was not a simple misfortune—it had been deliberate, with his wife and child as likely targets. This was what the authorities told him.

Fan Jian could scarcely fathom who would dare attempt such a thing so brazenly in broad daylight. Upon learning this, his unease about hospital safety grew.

However... his wife remained bedridden for five years, never awakening, until Fan Yirou turned ten. The original doctors had long since returned to their hospitals, having found, after much observation and treatment, that nothing more could be done. Dong Xue’s condition resembled that of a stroke victim; prolonged blood accumulation in her brain had deprived parts of it of oxygen, leaving her in a persistent coma. With current medical technology, there was no way to wake her; only time could tell if she would ever regain consciousness.

During this period, Fan Jian did as he had promised, arranging a proper funeral for Zhang Xia. It was not a grand affair, but it was dignified—quite different from the impression he gave the police chief. None outside his family knew of this, and Zhang Xia died without ever gaining formal recognition. Her epitaph was written in the child’s voice. Fan Jian never truly played a part in her life.

After the incident, Fan Jian was utterly changed. He hired professional managers to run his company, abandoned his art career, and shut himself away in his study, his activities unknown. Most notably, the affection he once showed his two children vanished; he barely acknowledged them, and one night, Fan Yirou and her brother overheard him, drunk, muttering as if blaming them for their mother’s accident.

This was why, at Gu Mengyan’s birthday banquet, Fan Yirou confided that, though her parents were both alive, her life was far from happy. With her mother unconscious for years and her father lost to despair, what family could feel blessed under such circumstances?

The only consolation was the bond between the siblings. Though not born of the same mother, they were as close as Chen Hao and Gu Mengyan. But after her tenth birthday, her brother was sent to boarding school, leaving Fan Yirou alone.

So, when Gu Mengyan invited her to live together, Fan Yirou didn’t refuse.

Chen Hao looked at the pretty girl before him, recalling his father’s files, and sighed inwardly. Her life, it seemed, was as difficult as Gu Mengyan’s—perhaps even more tragic.

He offered her a gentle smile. "The banquet’s about to begin. Let me take you to the dining hall. Later, I’ll have my father send someone to fetch your things so you can stay with us tonight. My parents will be delighted to have a new friend for my sister."

From that day, Chen Hao’s home gained a new resident—Fan Yirou.

...

Gu Mengyan sat in Chen Hao’s car, reflecting on her childhood, which had been quite happy. Yet Chen Hao knew less about Fan Yirou’s story than Gu Mengyan did. This girl was not as simple as she appeared; after she grew up, even Gu Mengyan found her intimidating.

It wasn’t a matter of cunning, but rather that Fan Yirou liked to tease Gu Mengyan—yes, tease, one girl teasing another. She’d sneak up behind Gu Mengyan in the shower and surprise her, or lift her nightgown while she slept and take pictures.

Fan Yirou even once tried to do the same to Chen Hao, though Gu Mengyan caught her in time. Gu Mengyan couldn’t tell whether this girl preferred boys or girls.

Thus, when she learned that Chen Hao’s collaborator was Fan Yirou, Gu Mengyan reacted so strongly: "You’re still in touch with her?!"