Dr. Zhang, a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, was serious as he took Lin He's pulse. His expression remained focused.
After a while, he exhaled, his eyes briefly scanning the incense nearby. It was something he had prepared, and it explained why Lin He had been sleeping so deeply.
"From the pulse, there's no major health issue. However, there seems to be some deficiency in the heart and spleen, possibly due to anxiety and restlessness..."
Dr. Zhang chose his words carefully, aware that ever since he entered the room, Jiang Qiao's eyes hadn't left the woman lying in bed. The harshness in his gaze softened only when it was directed at her.
He had been warned for taking a longer look out of curiosity. Dr. Zhang kept his gaze fixed ahead, trying not to be distracted.
Before leaving, he thoughtfully added, "Don't use the incense too frequently..."
In the past, Jiang Qiao would have ignored such advice, but this time, after a slight reminder, he immediately took action.
Jiang Qiao had suffered from severe insomnia, and Dr. Zhang had used a potent mixture in the incense. Despite this, it hadn't been very effective for Jiang Qiao. However, for someone like Lin He, it was quite effective and helped calm her nerves—using it occasionally wouldn't hurt.
Dr. Zhang was surprised by how obedient Jiang Qiao was this time, and a rare curiosity about the woman began to form. He couldn't help but wonder about her background.
As he left the hotel, he mused to himself: maybe someone would be able to look after Jiang Qiao, this difficult patient, in the future.
Once Dr. Zhang confirmed Lin He was physically fine, Jiang Qiao relaxed. He resumed watching the surveillance footage.
He played the video without skipping through anything, noting that no one had entered the room during his absence—not even the cleaning staff.
Lin He's sudden appearance had brought him overwhelming joy, but Jiang Qiao remained cautious. He feared it could be a trap.
For years, people had tried to trick him with women who resembled Lin He, each one more convincing than the last. He had dealt with those behind it harshly, and no one had dared attempt it again for a long time. But there was always the possibility that Jiang Qiao's enemies had devised a new scheme.
Jiang Qiao knelt by the bed, gently placing Lin He's hand against his face. His gaze lingered on her familiar features, and a thick veil of darkness clouded his eyes, unable to be shaken off.
He hadn't found any cracks in the situation yet. If this was truly a clever ruse, he would accept defeat. But he was willing to believe that his He He had truly returned.
Lin He slept soundly for hours, but when she woke up, she found herself lying next to Jiang Qiao, who was still clutching her tightly, his eyes sunken from lack of sleep. She stared at him for a long while.
She didn't dare imagine what Jiang Qiao and the children had gone through in the fifteen years she was gone.
"He He, good morning."
Jiang Qiao's eyes first flashed with panic when he woke up, but upon seeing Lin He still lying next to him, he relaxed. A faint smile appeared on his lips.
It was the first time she had seen him smile since the previous night. He had once been so full of laughter, and she couldn't help but remember it.
Lin He thought about what Jiang Qiao had said the night before—that the children had misunderstandings with him. The use of the word "children" meant that it wasn't just An An, but also the twins, Chu Yi and Shi Wu, who had conflicts with their father...
Lin He couldn't help but be concerned, but she didn't press the issue. She decided to meet with the children first and then talk things through.
After a simple breakfast, the two of them boarded the flight back to their homeland.
Jiang Qiao noticed Lin He's lingering thoughts but didn't bring it up. It wasn't just his relationship with the children that was distant; there were also tensions among the kids themselves.
Lin He had three children. When the plane crashed, her eldest son, An An, had been six, and the twins, Chu Yi and Shi Wu, had been two.
Before they left, she had considered calling An An, but given her bizarre situation, she feared that just a few words might confuse him and lead him to misunderstand everything. She decided to wait until they met face-to-face.
The thought of her children having been without a mother for so many years made her heart ache.
Meanwhile, in B City, An An was equally distressed.
He was primarily angry.
When he returned to the family villa early in the morning, he discovered that a whole section of Damascus roses had been replanted in the garden.
This was his mother's favorite flower! That woman was copying even this?
Since his mother's death in the plane crash, the villa had remained untouched for fifteen years, as if frozen in time. Nothing had changed—not even a vase.
Now, everything was being altered. The sofa had been replaced, the stairs had been renovated, and even the carpets and coffee tables had been changed…
Had his father lost his mind?! Was he erasing all traces of his mother just for a new lover?
An An's eyes flashed with rage. "Stop! Don't change anything!"
The cleaning staff, startled, froze in place and looked to the housekeeper for guidance.
The housekeeper rushed over and said, "Young master, this was Mr. Jiang's instruction."
"What did he instruct?" An An's voice was as cold as ice, making the housekeeper shiver.
Knowing An An's temper, the housekeeper didn't dare to deceive him.
"General cleaning inside and out, planting Damascus roses in the garden, and cleaning the master bedroom on the third floor..."
The housekeeper's voice dwindled as An An's face grew darker.
Everyone in the house knew that the third-floor master bedroom was a sacred space—where the eldest son's mother had lived. For years, only Mr. Jiang was allowed to enter, and he personally handled the cleaning. No one else ever touched it.
But now, the housekeeper had been instructed to clean it, and with all these other changes, it was clear to everyone.
—There was going to be a new mistress in the house!
The housekeeper gestured for the other staff to continue their work, thinking that An An would calm down once he heard.
"I said stop! Didn't you hear me?!"
An An wasn't one to be easily placated. He could accept his father being with someone else, but he found it repulsive to erase his mother's presence from their home.
If there was going to be a new woman, then she could move into her own place! Why did she have to erase everything that had once been his mother's?
And it was clear that this woman had gotten close to his father because she looked like his mother. Did she think that by doing so, she could take his mother's place and take over everything?
Not a chance!
In the end, the housekeeper didn't dare to let the cleaning staff continue.
Seeing the tense atmosphere and An An's threatening demeanor on the sofa, the housekeeper couldn't help but worry. When Mr. Jiang returned with his new wife, An An was likely to cause a scene!
Meanwhile, the housekeeper tried calling Jiang Qiao, but the call didn't go through. Then, he heard the sound of a car approaching.
His mouth trembled in fear. Mr. Jiang had returned!
The staff fell silent, and the air in the house grew tense.
The housekeeper hurried outside to greet him, only to freeze when he saw the new wife, dressed in a pale green dress.
He had worked for the Jiang family for ten years, and though he had only seen pictures of Mrs. Jiang, he could tell at once that this new wife looked exactly like her!
The housekeeper had once thought that a man could only remain loyal to his wife for so long, but seeing this new woman, he realized Mr. Jiang hadn't really moved on.
"Sir, the eldest young master is inside. He..."
Before he could finish, the new wife's face lit up with excitement. "An An is home?!"
Lin He hadn't expected to see her son so soon. She immediately let go of Jiang Qiao's arm and hurried into the house.
Jiang Qiao's expression darkened when he felt the sudden emptiness on his arm, and he followed after her.
Housekeeper: ...
Was the new wife trying to win the eldest son over? This couldn't end well!