After all that had happened, Lingyuan still remembered the moment Pei Qingyan burst through the flames to rescue her. She’d truly thought she was going to die, but Pei Qingyan appeared like a ray of light in her darkest hour.
He carried her out of the burning herb garden and took her straight to his private estate in Australia.
“Ouch,” Pei Qingyan hissed as Lingyuan gently applied medicine to his back.
“Sorry, I was too rough,” she apologized, guilt flooding her as she looked at the scars still marring his skin. During the fire, Pei Qingyan had shielded her from a collapsing beam. Though it hadn’t injured his vital organs, the pain had been excruciating.
To repay him, Lingyuan personally mixed ointments and applied them to his wounds every day. Over time, the awkwardness between them faded, replaced by a quiet intimacy.
“It’s nothing. The scent of the herbs is just right,” Pei Qingyan said, rolling over and giving her a soft smile, as if to ease her guilt.
Sunlight streamed through the window, dappling his bare back with golden light. Lingyuan’s cheeks flushed, and she quickly turned away.
Pei Qingyan’s smile deepened. He grabbed his shirt and slipped it on, buttoning it neatly. Only when he was dressed did Lingyuan dare turn back, and they walked out together.
“Miss, the housekeeper is looking for you,” a maid called as she hurried past. Pei Qingyan waved goodbye and followed the maid, his expression growing serious as soon as Lingyuan’s back was turned.
He picked up the phone and saw that Gu Yanze had put out a nationwide reward for information on Lingyuan’s whereabouts. He hadn’t expected Gu Yanze to go so far—Lingyuan had almost been killed!
Ever since the night in the private room, when Lingyuan drunkenly confessed to Gu Yanze at age eighteen, Pei Qingyan had kept an eye on her from afar. After that, he left to run his family’s business in Australia, but he never forgot the sight of Lingyuan clutching her dress, terrified that someone would see her photos. She’d looked so lost and fragile, like a fawn in headlights.
Later, he learned from the news that Gu Yanze had slapped Lingyuan in public, chasing after another woman. Pei Qingyan was furious—how could anyone treat such a precious girl so cruelly?
He punched the desk in anger, startling his secretary. Just then, his grandfather called, asking him to return to China and bring Lingyuan home. Pei Qingyan immediately ordered his secretary to scrub all news of Lingyuan from the internet, then cleared his schedule and flew back.
He arrived just in time to sneak past the guards and find the herb garden in ruins. Without hesitation, he rushed into the flames.
“Lingyuan! Lingyuan, where are you?!”
His voice grew hoarse as he searched, panic threatening to overwhelm him. Finally, he found her—burned, thin, and unconscious. Tears filled his eyes.
He remembered when Lingyuan was just twelve, always lively and sweetly calling him “senior brother.” After her parents’ accident, she’d fought with her grandfather and moved in with her uncle, Gu Yanze. If only Gu Yanze had treated her well, she wouldn’t have ended up like this.
Gu Yanze had nearly burned her alive—he was an animal!
At that moment, a burning beam crashed down. Pei Qingyan shielded Lingyuan with his body, taking the blow on his back. He smiled through the pain, relieved that she was safe.
From that day on, he vowed to protect her—no one would ever hurt her again.
He called his private jet and took Lingyuan to Australia, arranging for her to reunite with her grandfather and recover in peace.
After investigating, Pei Qingyan discovered that Su Wantang had framed Lingyuan at every turn, while Gu Yanze, blinded by jealousy, had punished her again and again. They had nearly destroyed her.
He handed the full report to Lingyuan’s grandfather, who was so furious he nearly collapsed. The old man immediately cut all ties with the Gu family, hired a team of lawyers to press charges, and left the evidence for Gu Yanze to see. If Gu Yanze had any conscience left, he would finally understand what he had done.
One day, they would make Gu Yanze and Su Wantang pay for everything.
In the new herb garden, Lingyuan carefully planted the thawed Swallowflower seeds. The soil for Swallowflowers was unique, so she’d brought some with her in her suitcase. Pei Qingyan had spent months experimenting to recreate the perfect environment for her precious plants.
Chapter 11
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