The two leaned against the railing, facing the river and gazing into the distance.
In the darkness, the river water rippled with black waves, rolling forward like a monster with a gaping maw waiting for food, a little terrifying.
Fortunately, Pei Kexin wasn't afraid of heights or water, so she felt nothing.
As a seasoned acrophobe, Jiang Jingyu felt quite fearful, but he didn't show it.
Seeing Pei Kexin staring into the distance, lost in thought, he waited a few seconds, then quietly took off his wedding ring and threw it at his feet.
With a clink, Pei Kexin looked down.
"Did something fall?"
"My wedding ring."
Jiang Jingyu pretended to be anxious and looked down to find it.
"I've lost weight recently, and the ring doesn't fit properly anymore. Help me find it quickly. I can lose anything, but not this. If my wife finds out, she'll kill me."
He never expected that the esteemed CEO Jiang was also a henpecked husband. Pei Kexin, finding it amusing, crouched down to help him search.
The gaps in the railing were wide enough for a slender person to fall through.
While she was crouching on the ground, opening her phone's flashlight to search patiently, Jiang Jingyu executed his plan.
Before Pei Kexin could even realize what was happening, she was pushed with immense force and slid over the railing.
When Zhan Jingchen arrived, he saw his second brother reaching out to grab Pei Kexin.
He rushed over in three quick steps, but it was too late.
Jiang Jingyu couldn't hold onto her. With a scream and a splash, Pei Kexin fell into the deep water.
The brothers exchanged a look, both stunned into silence.
Jiang Jingyu was the first to react, frantically unbuttoning his jacket and kicking off his shoes.
"It's all my fault for causing Kexin to fall. She absolutely cannot be harmed. You stay back, I'm going down to save her."
How could he not care?
She had explicitly said she couldn't swim before the party started.
Although it was summer, the water wasn't cold, but it was night, and from such a height, wouldn't she be scared?
At that moment, Zhan Jingchen's mind was a blank, filled only with Pei Kexin's terrified face. Without a word, he snatched the initiative from Jiang Jingyu, and without taking off his clothes or shoes, he leaped over the railing with a splash.
When Pei Kexin woke up, she was in the hospital.
She had been changed into a hospital gown and lay alone in the cold, white hospital room. Zhan Jingchen and Jiang Jingyu were nowhere to be seen.
To this day, she still couldn't figure out how she had fallen, nor did she know if Jiang Jingyu was alright.
Fortunately, her body didn't hurt, and she was fine. She quickly threw back the covers and went out to find Jiang Jingyu.
Upon reaching the hallway outside the room, she happened to encounter a nurse passing by. Pei Kexin called out to her.
"Hello, excuse me, who brought me to the hospital? Have Mr. Jiang Jingyu and Mr. Zhan Jingchen arrived?"
"You mean CEO Jiang? He's here, at the entrance to the intensive care unit. It's the room at the end of the corridor."
Intensive care unit? Who had been admitted to intensive care?
Before Pei Kexin could ask more, the nurse hurried into the next room.
She had no choice but to run towards the end of the corridor.
Upon arriving, she saw not only Jiang Jingyu but also two young women holding babies, Jiang Nan Fang, Zhan Bei Jue, and two young men she didn't recognize, all gathered in the hallway.
Hearing her footsteps, everyone turned their heads in unison.
Seeing her, Jiang Nan Fang quickly came forward.
"Kexin, you're awake? Are you feeling alright anywhere? Are you okay?"
Pei Kexin vaguely guessed what had happened and, holding Jiang Nan Fang's hand, said she was fine.
"CEO Jiang is also sitting here well, so who went into the intensive care unit? What exactly happened? Where is Zhan Jingchen?"
Jiang Jingyu approached her with a look of guilt and explained that due to his momentary lapse, she had accidentally fallen, and when Xiao Wu came up, he immediately jumped in to save her, disregarding his own inability to swim.
Because of his fear of heights, he hadn't dared to jump down. After calling for staff to rescue them, Xiao Wu had fainted and hadn't woken up since.
Knowing that Zhan Jingchen, who couldn't swim and was afraid of water, had jumped in without hesitation after learning she had fallen?
Hearing this, Pei Kexin felt a complex mix of emotions.
She was touched and scared, trembling uncontrollably, and looked at Jiang Nan Fang hesitantly.
"CEO Jiang, I'm so sorry, I..."
"It's not your fault, Kexin, you're not to blame."
"But Achen he..."
"He's lucky to be alive and has so many of us to care for and protect him, he'll be fine. The doctor said he swallowed water into his lungs, but he's out of danger. He should be fine after tonight, don't worry too much."
Zhan Jing Ge, Lei Dong Yi, Tian Tian, Chen Dong Yang, Tong An An, and He Yao all came over to surround Pei Kexin.
No one blamed her. They all said Xiao Wu would be fine, the doctors said he would be fine, so she shouldn't worry too much, and it wasn't her fault. Her priority now was to take care of herself. They were watching over everything.
Jiang Nan Fang introduced the family members to her one by one. Looking at everyone's sincere and warm gazes, Pei Kexin felt an indescribable warmth.
But it was impossible not to feel guilty.
The more they treated her this way, the more guilty she felt and wanted to cry.
With so many people caring for Zhan Jingchen, if something happened to him because of her, she wished she wouldn't live either.
Everyone worried that she was physically weak and that staying in the hallway for too long would be bad for her, so they asked her to go back and rest. Pei Kexin refused.
"Knowing he's in trouble, how can I possibly sleep? If I go back and just lie there, it's better to stay and keep watch. At least I'll be reassured the moment he wakes up. Please don't ask me to leave, let me stay here with you."
Jiang Nan Fang instructed, "Then Dong Yang, go get her a thicker coat. She mustn't catch a cold."
Chen Dong Yang went to the nurse's station to get a thick coat for her. Pei Kexin put it on and sat in the hallway, with Jiang Nan Fang's arm around her shoulder.
No one spoke, their faces solemn as they stared intently at the intensive care unit. Time passed agonizingly in the silence.
After an unknown period of waiting, the door to the intensive care unit finally opened.
A nurse ran out with a joyful expression.
"He's awake, he's awake. I'll call the doctor to check his vitals now. Family members, please don't go in yet."
Awake?
Everyone stood up with joy.
Looking through the glass, Zhan Jingchen, usually so full of life, lay on the bed with a pale face, his body covered in tubes. He looked so pitiful.
Pei Kexin could no longer hold back, and tears streamed down her face.
Jiang Nan Fang hugged her and gently patted her back.
"He's awake now, so don't feel guilty. If anyone should feel guilty, it's Jingyu. It's all his fault! What a fool!"
Jiang Jingyu took the blame willingly. "Yes, yes, it's all my fault. Kexin, please don't be like this, it makes me feel even worse."
Pei Kexin forced herself to hold back her tears.
She sighed inwardly, thinking: The family atmosphere of the Zhan family is truly wonderful. Faced with such a serious incident, no one blamed each other; instead, they comforted each other. Anyone fortunate enough to join such a family in the future would truly be blessed.