Volume 1, Chapter 3: He Is the Fiance's Uncle!

“Not handing over your ID?” Ning Yu quickly turned around and reached out to take the ID, but the man in front of her was holding onto the edge of her card, showing no intention of letting go.

She looked up at him. “Is there something else?”

“Absolutely no intimacy until the affected area has fully healed,” Li Shiyan said, staring at her. “And avoid any latex-based protection.”

It was hard to tell if it was a reminder or a warning.

Ning Yu was instantly annoyed. She thought to herself, in her twenty-six years, the first time she didn’t use protection at eighteen, she suffered pain for three whole days; the second time, just last night, she used protection but still developed an allergic reaction to latex. When has it ever been with anyone but him?

He was the culprit and yet had the nerve to lecture her here.

Ning Yu snatched back her ID with a sour look. “Fine, just keep your distance, Doctor Li.”

With that, she turned and ran off.

In Li Shiyan’s eyes, she was clearly like a little turtle that had just bitten someone and was now pretending to be scared as it fled.

The emergency room, unusually quiet, was soon pierced by the ringing phone.

Someone was speaking on the other end.

Li Shiyan’s brows furrowed, his eyes falling on the plain silver ring on his finger. His thumb idly rolled the smooth Buddhist beads around his wrist.

After a moment, he replied to the voice on the other end, “Understood.”

...

As soon as Ning Yu stepped out of the emergency room, she received a call from the Ning family landline.

Ning Yunyun’s voice carried a teasing tone, almost provocative. “Brother Haoyu is sick. Isn’t his little sister coming to see him?”

Ning Yu could almost picture the glint of mischief and pride sparkling in Ning Yunyun’s crescent-shaped eyes.

She remained silent.

The voice on the other end suddenly changed, no longer Ning Yunyun’s, but her father’s commanding tone:

“You’re going. And while you’re at it, explain the phone situation to him. The engagement banquet is in three days; nothing must go wrong at this critical moment.”

Ning Yu clenched the stack of papers in her hand. “Dad, I’m currently at the People’s Hospital for a checkup.”

“That’s perfect. Haoyu is also at the People’s Hospital. Hurry over,” her father said without hesitation.

Ning Yu fell silent.

It had always been like this—no matter what she did, no one asked for her opinion, nor cared to know what kind of checkup she was undergoing or what was wrong with her health.

In their eyes, Ning Yu was merely a bargaining chip, a pawn to be manipulated without complaint or reason, expected to be grateful for their control.

All because the Lin family was a noble and prestigious clan in the capital.

---

Her father’s tone softened deliberately. “Don’t forget today is Yanyan’s birthday. He’ll call you at four. Answer it before you go.”

The words floated lightly, even sounding gentle, yet they struck directly at Ning Yu’s vulnerable spot.

She slowly loosened her grip on the papers and replied, “Got it. I’ll go as soon as I can.”

Sitting alone in the hospital corridor, clutching her phone nervously, she waited.

Finally, the phone rang.

The number was unfamiliar, from a virtual location.

Ning Yu answered almost instantly, her hands trembling. It had been so very long since she’d heard Yanyan’s voice.

Her father only allowed her to speak to Yanyan when he was happy.

The call connected, and a youthful, excited voice came through:

“Mommy darling! I miss you so much. Yanyan is eight years old today...”

Ning Yu smiled as tears welled from the corners of her eyes.

Just the word “Mommy” was enough to instantly suppress all her anger, making her tuck away her sharp edges and slip back into the obedient, manageable shell she’d honed over time.

Willingly becoming a pawn at others’ mercy.

...

After finishing her checkup, Ning Yu headed straight to the department where Lin Haoyu was admitted—the urology ward.

Just outside the ward, she overheard Lin Haoyu’s voice on the phone. He wasn’t speaking quietly, and the call wasn’t on speaker.

Lin Haoyu said, “Don’t talk nonsense. I only have eyes for Xiaoyu. I fell for her at first sight.”

The other side chuckled. “Really? Then how do you explain someone else having a night of passion with the Ning family’s eldest miss yesterday?”

Lin Haoyu lit a cigarette and laughed dismissively. “So what? Adults do as they please. I love Xiaoyu, but you know how conservative and pure she is—she won’t accept premarital relations. I’m only twenty-six; I can’t just stay a monk forever. And although I drugged Xiaoyu last night, seeing her struggle made me lose interest. I prefer when she willingly begs me.”

“Brother Yu, you’ve cheated quite a bit before, but this time, are you enjoying the best of both worlds? Hahaha,” the voice teased.

Lin Haoyu raised an eyebrow in warning. “Don’t talk nonsense! If any of this reaches Xiaoyu or Yunyun’s ears, I won’t let you off easily.”

To be fair, Ning Yu had no feelings for Lin Haoyu. The engagement was forced on her by the Ning family.

Lin Haoyu had pursued her for a long time; Ning Yu’s refusals were ignored, and she couldn’t escape him.

She had thought Lin Haoyu was at least respectable and reliable, and that a courteous, surface-level marriage wouldn’t be so bad.

Now, seeing this...

Ning Yu was lost in thought when a sharp, mocking laugh snapped her back—

“Hmph.”

She instinctively turned her head and saw a familiar profile.

Li Shiyan!

She had no idea when he had arrived.

The man stood just behind her, his cold, broad chest pressed against her back, one large hand propped on the doorframe. From a distance, it looked like he was gently enclosing Ning Yu in his embrace.

He tilted his head, pressing his chin lightly against her cheek. “Why aren’t you going in? Afraid?”

His voice remained cold, but the warm breath brushed her skin, tickling and reddening it.

The scent of pine filled her nose again, a forceful pressure settling over her. Ning Yu’s whole body broke out in goosebumps because—

The ward door was half-open. If Lin Haoyu looked up, he would see the two of them tangled at the door!

Ning Yu tried to push him away but found her wrist pinned by his firm grip. She looked up at him, confused and about to question him.

Suddenly, the voices inside the ward stopped. Lin Haoyu had finished his call and was about to look toward the door.

At that moment,

Ning Yu froze, instinctively stepping forward to create some distance and forcing a smile. “Haoyu.”

Lin Haoyu’s gaze was strange—he seemed to be scrutinizing her, as if seeing through her to the man behind her, trying to confirm something in disbelief.

Ning Yu clenched her bag strap tightly.

Then she heard Lin Haoyu exclaim in surprise, “Uncle? Why are you here?”

Ning Yu’s feet felt as if cemented to the ground; she couldn’t move. Hesitantly, she turned her head to look at the tall man who was calmly walking into the ward.

Uncle... Li Shiyan?

She found it hard to reconcile these two identities. How could it be?

The man who had been holding her just moments ago strode in behind her, giving Ning Yu not a single glance, treating her as if she were a stranger.

Ning Yu suddenly recalled what he had said last night: “Has your fiancé ever been here?”

So... he knew from the very beginning!

If anyone else had been involved in what happened last night, they might have kept it hidden, but Li Shiyan’s sudden transformation into Lin Haoyu’s uncle was like planting a bomb right next to her.

One that could explode at any moment.