Chapter 1

Chapter 1: She Needs This Man “Brother Huai, having Jiang Qingyue make your fiancée’s wedding attire—aren’t you afraid she’ll find out?” Jiang Qingyue stood outside a private room at the club, her breath suddenly catching. Half a month ago, Shen Jiahuai had asked her to make a traditional Chinese wedding outfit, saying it was for his friend Zhou Yao’s wedding. She had pulled ten all-nighters, embroidering an auspicious dragon-and-phoenix design stitch by stitch. It turned out that the “friend” he had mentioned was actually his fiancée. From the age of twenty-one to twenty-eight, she had been with Shen Jiahuai for nearly seven years, wagering everything on him. She knew that their family backgrounds were worlds apart, so she had never brought up marriage. She had simply waited patiently. She wanted to build up her Suzhou embroidery studio and stand proudly at his side. It turned out Shen Jiahuai wasn’t unwilling to marry. He had simply never thought of marrying her. Jiang Qingyue tugged at the corners of her lips and gave a self-mocking smile. If he no longer loved her, then he no longer loved her. In this reckless gamble, she admitted defeat. She turned to leave, but Shen Jiahuai’s voice rang out. “She doesn’t know anything. And what could she do even if she found out?” “That little Suzhou embroidery studio of hers survives on the Shen Group’s support. And then there’s her mother. Two compatible kidney donors have already been found for her, but I blocked both matches. If I don’t give the word, who in Jingshi would dare perform the surgery?” The private room erupted in laughter. “Young Master Huai certainly knows how to keep a woman like a caged canary. What a move!” “To do something so despicable and still make her feel grateful to you… That’s impressive.” Jiang Qingyue stood frozen in place. A year ago, her mother had been diagnosed with uremia. Jiang Qingyue had decided to donate a kidney, but the match had failed. She had cried until she collapsed outside the hospital ward, and Shen Jiahuai had held her as he comforted her. “Be good, Qingqing. Money isn’t a problem. I’ll do my best to find a kidney. Auntie will definitely be all right.” She had truly believed he was her light. She had waited bitterly for an entire year, only to discover that he had been deliberately holding everything back. He had treated a human life as leverage to control her. Fury burned through her insides. For six years, she had been unbelievably stupid. Her phone rang sharply. “This is People’s Hospital. Your mother, Zhang Shulan, suddenly developed a blood clot that caused a blockage during dialysis. Her condition is critical!” Jiang Qingyue’s mind went blank with a buzz. Without even having time to rush inside and confront Shen Jiahuai, she turned and ran into the elevator. By the time she reached the hospital, her mother had been wheeled into the interventional procedure room. A nurse hurriedly handed her a document. “Please sign the critical condition notice. The department directors are all in surgery, and there’s no one available to take this case right now.” “What do you mean, no one is available?” Jiang Qingyue’s voice trembled. “Severe kidney failure. This surgery is extremely difficult. An ordinary doctor can’t—” Before the nurse could finish, the elevator doors opened, and a tall figure strode out. As he walked, the man removed his leather gloves, revealing long, slender, unusually pale fingers. A group of doctors in identical white coats followed behind him, nervously briefing him on the patient’s condition. “T-Teacher Zhou?” The nurse stared at him in surprise. “Didn’t you just get off an international flight? Director Jiang said you should rest first.” He answered concisely, “The scans.” The resident doctor hurriedly handed them over. Jiang Qingyue looked up blankly and suddenly met a pair of deep eyes. She recognized that face. Zhou Muyuan, the heir apparent of the Zhou family in Jingshi—and the younger paternal uncle of Zhou Yao, the woman Shen Jiahuai was engaged to marry. The moment their eyes met, Jiang Qingyue’s heart inexplicably tightened, and a familiar feeling surged through her. The man’s gaze lingered on her face for several seconds. There was a sharp scrutiny in his eyes, along with a faint, almost imperceptible ripple of emotion. Then he lowered his head again. His judgment was astonishingly quick. He tapped a particular spot on the scan with his finger. “Notify Anesthesiology. Perform an interventional thrombectomy. Take her into the operating room in five minutes.” The nurse looked troubled. “But the surgical deposit…” “Activate the emergency fast-track procedure. I’ll sign as guarantor for the expenses.” Jiang Qingyue jolted. “Thank you…” The disinfectant smell in the hospital corridor was sharp and biting. The studio’s profits were decent, but she had recently invested every last bit of available cash in an expensive silk fabric. She couldn’t come up with two hundred thousand yuan in liquid funds. So now she had to find two hundred thousand as quickly as possible and repay Doctor Zhou, a complete stranger. She gritted her teeth and called Shen Jiahuai. It rang for a long time before someone finally answered. But the voice that came through was Zhou Yao’s. “Jiahuai, someone’s calling from a number you haven’t saved…” “Mm.” Shen Jiahuai’s voice was cold. “Ignore it.” Jiang Qingyue no longer held out any hope and hung up directly. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and forced herself to call her father, Jiang Guohua. “Mom urgently needs two hundred thousand for her surgery. I can pay you back on Monday…” “Two hundred thousand?” Jiang Guohua said impatiently. “You’ve been with Shen Jiahuai for so many years, and you can’t even come up with that little money?” “Back then, I asked you to use a little pillow talk to help me secure a partnership with the Shen Group. You acted all high and mighty and refused to get involved. Now that you’re out of money, you remember your old man? Let me tell you, it’s too late!” The call was brutally disconnected. She rubbed her temples, her eye sockets throbbing with pain. The surgery lasted two hours. Zhou Muyuan walked out of the operating room and removed his surgical cap. “The clot has been removed. She’s temporarily out of danger, but a kidney match must be found as soon as possible. Come to my office later to register and sign the paperwork.” “I understand… Thank you, Doctor Zhou.” * * * Outside the ICU, Jiang Qingyue looked at her unconscious mother and recalled Shen Jiahuai’s words. The Shen family was enormously powerful. If she wanted to break free and save her mother, she needed to find a more reliable tree to shelter beneath. Zhou Muyuan—the future head of the Zhou family and her mother’s attending physician. If she could win him over, her mother would have a chance at survival, and Shen Jiahuai would be wary of her for the sake of preserving the marriage alliance. The thought of dragging down a man who had just helped her was shameless, insane, and dangerous. Yet at that moment, it clung tightly to Jiang Qingyue’s reason. She had to seize hold of something—something that could pull her out of this mire, and perhaps even drag the Shen family down with her. Jiang Qingyue walked into the restroom, wiped away her tears, touched up her light makeup, and then found Zhou Muyuan’s office. The man was sitting behind his desk, reading medical records. “Doctor Zhou, I’m sorry to disturb you. I need your help arranging a kidney donor match for my mother.” She softened her voice. Zhou Muyuan looked up. His gaze fell on the reddened corners of her eyes, and he was silent for a moment. “All right.” “And the surgical expenses… I’ll add you as a contact. I’ll transfer the money to you as soon as I’ve gathered it.” “There’s no need.” Zhou Muyuan opened a drawer, took out a bank card, and pushed it to the edge of the desk. “Put the money into this account.” “The password is my birthday.” Jiang Qingyue felt a little disappointed that she hadn’t managed to add him on WeChat so naturally. Holding the bank card, she asked softly, “Then your birthday is…” Zhou Muyuan stared at her, his gaze gradually turning cold. He enunciated each digit. “950728.” “I’ll remember it, Doctor Zhou.” “You’ll really remember it?” Zhou Muyuan’s voice suddenly turned icy. “I think Miss Jiang has quite a poor memory.” There was an indescribable resentment in his tone—and perhaps even a hint of grievance? Jiang Qingyue didn’t understand and didn’t dare ask. She tore off a sticky note, quickly wrote down her phone number, and pressed it into his hand, her fingertips brushing ever so lightly across his warm palm. Zhou Muyuan’s fingers curled involuntarily. “Doctor Zhou, this is my number. You can contact me anytime.” After the door closed, Zhou Muyuan picked up the note. He had long since memorized the string of numbers written on it. His eyes grew colder. He loosened his fingers, dropping the note into the trash can. Reader's Notes: 1. Brother Huai: “Brother” is a familiar form of address for a male acquaintance in Chinese. It does not by itself mean that the speaker and Shen Jiahuai are related. 2. dragon-and-phoenix design: The dragon and phoenix are a traditional Chinese wedding motif representing an auspicious and harmonious marriage. They are often associated with the groom and bride. 3. Suzhou embroidery: Suzhou embroidery, also known as Su embroidery, is a traditional Chinese needlework style associated with Suzhou and renowned for its fine, intricate silk stitching. The term describes a craft, not necessarily the studio’s location. 4. Jingshi: Jingshi is the city name used in this novel. Its Chinese characters suggest a capital-city setting, but the story does not establish here that it is Beijing or identify an exact real-world city. 5. Young Master Huai: “Young Master” is a status-based form of address for a man from a wealthy or influential family. Here it is not a noble or imperial rank, and it differs from the familiar “Brother Huai.” 6. caged canary: In this context, a “caged canary” is a derogatory metaphor for a woman kept financially dependent and controlled by a wealthy man. The speaker is describing an unequal relationship, not an actual bird. 7. Auntie: In Chinese, “Auntie” can be a respectful way to address an older woman, including a romantic partner’s mother. It does not necessarily mean a biological aunt. 8. Teacher Zhou: In Chinese professional settings, “Teacher” can be a respectful title for a senior or highly regarded colleague or mentor. It does not necessarily mean Zhou Muyuan teaches at a school. 9. heir apparent: The original Chinese expression literally evokes a crown prince, but in this modern setting it describes the influential heir or favored successor of a powerful family. Zhou Muyuan is not a royal prince. 10. emergency fast-track procedure: Chinese hospitals may use an emergency “green channel” to prioritize rapid treatment for critically ill patients, sometimes allowing care to proceed before payment is settled. Here Zhou Muyuan also personally guarantees the expenses. 11. WeChat: WeChat (Weixin in Chinese) is a widely used Chinese messaging and social app. Exchanging WeChat contacts is a common way to keep in touch.