Pei Donglai stared at Lin Xiao in bewilderment.

"Captain, you… what do you want me to act out?"

"It's simple. Just play along with me. Now, pretend that I'm severely injured and you're terrified!"

Pei Donglai was stunned once again. He still didn't understand why Lin Xiao wanted to put on such a show.

But he would soon find out.

Just as Pei Donglai put on a terrified expression and began supporting Lin Xiao, the door to the security room was pushed open. Su Qingning then rushed in, followed closely by Shen Jingzhe and Shao Mei'er.

The three young women were all shocked by the scene. Su Qingning, in particular, froze on the spot. She saw Lin Xiao's pale face and his weakened state. It was obvious he was injured. The sight made her mind explode.

Without a second thought, she threw herself in front of Lin Xiao, her hands trembling as she tried to help him up.

Lin Xiao offered Su Qingning a pitiful smile. "My love, I'm sorry for making you worry!"

His voice was weak, so faint it was barely a whisper.

Su Qingning's eyes immediately turned red. Before she could even speak, large teardrops began to fall. They traced paths down her fair cheeks, making her look both tragically beautiful and utterly desperate.

"Lin Xiao, don't scare me! What… what on earth happened?" Su Qingning asked, her voice trembling with a panic she had never felt before.

Yes, Su Qingning was panicking. It felt as if a huge piece of her heart had been torn away. She had convinced herself that her firm decision to divorce Lin Xiao was for his own happiness. But at this moment, she finally realized the truth.

I was just deceiving myself.

Just the sight of him injured made her this frightened. If he really married another woman, I probably wouldn't be able to go on living.

"It's… it's nothing. Just a small injury. You… don't worry. I… I'll be alright!" Lin Xiao's performance was heartfelt and convincing, as if he had truly suffered a grave wound and was on the verge of death.

Shao Mei'er was in no less of a panic than Su Qingning. She was not only frantic but also consumed by a profound sense of guilt. She knew perfectly well that Liu Chengfeng was the one who had harmed Lin Xiao. If she hadn't brought Liu Chengfeng to the bar, how could this have happened?

At that moment, Shao Mei'er's heart was filled not only with guilt but also with a towering rage. She vowed to make Liu Chengfeng pay a bloody price.

Compared to the panic of Su Qingning and Shao Mei'er, Shen Jingzhe appeared much calmer. Although she had also been startled by Lin Xiao's pitiful state and was filled with concern, she quickly sensed that something was amiss. Lin Xiao's condition looked terrible and his breathing was weak, but the weakness seemed feigned. After all, Shen Jingzhe was a cultivator of the highest caliber; she could tell if it was an act with a single glance.

Thus, the quick-witted woman realized Lin Xiao was faking. As soon as she did, the corners of her mouth lifted involuntarily. "This damn scoundrel is so full of tricks!" she cursed inwardly.

Of course, Shen Jingzhe knew exactly why Lin Xiao was putting on such a performance. It was because Su Qingning wanted to divorce him. He was clearly doing this to make Su Qingning worry, hoping to change her mind.

Just then, Shao Mei'er suddenly choked out, "Qing Ning, I'm so sorry! This is all my fault. If it weren't for me, Lin Xiao wouldn't be so badly hurt!"

Su Qingning's expression hardened. Her previously frantic eyes instantly became sharp as she shot a piercing glare at Shao Mei'er. Then, she turned to Shen Jingzhe and said, "Jing Zhe, call 911!"

Shen Jingzhe didn't respond immediately. Instead, her gaze shifted to Lin Xiao, silently asking for his instructions. She knew he was only pretending, and a trip to the hospital would expose the entire charade.

Lin Xiao gave a subtle shake of his head. "Jing Zhe, Mei'er, Pei Donglai, you three should go out for a bit. I want to have a word with my wife alone!"

His words were an undeniable command to the three of them. Since Shen Jingzhe and Pei Donglai were in on the act, they stood up and headed for the door.

Shao Mei'er, however, didn't move. She was genuinely worried about Lin Xiao. Unlike Shen Jingzhe, she didn't possess world-class cultivation and couldn't see through his performance.

"Mei'er, you… you should go out, too," Lin Xiao said with feigned difficulty.

"I… I… I…" Shao Mei'er stammered, so overwhelmed with worry that she couldn't form a complete sentence. She didn't want to leave. Her heart was torn between crushing guilt and overwhelming concern, but she didn't dare disobey Lin Xiao. After a moment's hesitation, she reluctantly left the security room.

Soon, only Lin Xiao and Su Qingning remained in the spacious room.

Without a second thought, Su Qingning sank to the floor and pulled Lin Xiao into her embrace. Her bloodshot eyes were fixed on him as he extended a trembling right hand, reaching with immense difficulty toward her captivating face.

Seeing this, Su Qingning quickly grabbed his hand and pressed it against her cheek.

"My love, I'm sorry. I made you worry!"

Fresh tears streamed down Su Qingning's face, but she paid them no mind. Crying, she shook her head, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out. She had so much to tell him. She wanted to tell him how much pain she was in, how much she truly liked him. She even wanted to admit she had been wrong. But at this moment, she couldn't utter a single word. An unprecedented wave of panic washed over her, leaving her trembling, suffocated, and desperate.

Lin Xiao wiped away her tears and managed a difficult smile. "My love, don't cry. I'm… I'm okay!"

Despite his words, his voice grew even weaker, as if he were about to bid farewell to the world at any second. This only made Su Qingning cry harder.

"My love, can I ask you something?" Lin Xiao asked weakly.

Su Qingning nodded vigorously. "Say it," she sobbed. "I'll agree to anything!"

"Can… can we not get divorced? I… I don't want to divorce you!"

Su Qingning nodded again. "We won't! Don't worry, I won't divorce you. When you get better, I want to have lots and lots of children with you. We'll definitely grow old together!"

Lin Xiao was ecstatic. He had to pinch himself hard to suppress the urge to laugh.

"My love, I… I have one more thing!"

"You… you can say it!"

"Can… can you kiss me? I…"

Before he could finish, Su Qingning's soft lips pressed against his.

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