Tang Yiyi shook her head, looking sincerely into Jin Xiao's eyes. "Uncle Jin, Mianmian and I grew up together. Our bond is closer than that of sisters. Don't worry, I will definitely help her get better."
Jin Xiao nodded and turned to gaze at the vast blue sea, his eyes filled with worry. "Yiyi, you should go back and rest. I will continue to send people to search here. I'll contact you if there's any news."
Tang Yiyi didn't insist on staying. She said softly, "Alright. I'm going to the hospital to see Mianmian now. You should also rest well and maintain your spirits to better plan the search for Brother Jin Ye."
With that, she turned and left slowly.
Back at the hospital, Jin Mianmian was lying in bed. Her complexion was a little better than yesterday. "Mianmian, I brought you a little rabbit. Do you think it's cute?" Tang Yiyi sat by the hospital bed and smiled as she handed over the plush rabbit.
Jin Mianmian's eyes moved, and her pale lips curved slightly. "Thank you, Yiyi." She said hoarsely, looking at Tang Yiyi, tears welling up in her eyes again. Seeing this, Tang Yiyi quickly took a tissue to wipe her tears. "Don't cry, Yiyi. If you don't like it, I'll get you another one. Don't cry..."
Jin Mianmian sobbed softly. After crying for a while, she stopped. "Yiyi, don't leave me." She said weakly, her voice so frail it sounded pitiable.
Looking at Mianmian's dependence, Tang Yiyi's heart felt a pang, and she even had an urge to escape. She couldn't bear it. Everyone thought Su Ding was responsible for that incident, and she wished it had been Su Ding. But in reality, it was her. She had failed the sincere Mianmian, and she felt guilty, but it was too late...
"Mianmian, you don't know yet, Su Ding fell into the sea. Brother Jin Ye jumped in to save her, and they still haven't been found." Tang Yiyi didn't answer Jin Mianmian's previous words but changed the subject.
As expected, Jin Mianmian's sorrowful and despairing face showed surprise. She turned her head and asked in disbelief, "Into the sea? Cousin fell into the sea?"
"Yes," Tang Yiyi nodded. "Your father had locked up Su Ding, but Su Ding secretly escaped and went to the yacht for some reason, then inexplicably fell into the sea. Brother Jin Ye happened to see it and jumped in." She sighed, her face full of worry. "They still haven't been found, I'm so worried..."
"Su Ding! It's her again!" Jin Mianmian's eyes turned scarlet with hatred, and she slammed her fist onto the quilt. "She'd better drown! Otherwise, I'll get revenge even if it costs me my life!"
The blatant killing intent and the pervasive hatred made Tang Yiyi's heart tremble. She maintained her expression, feigning shared outrage. "Yes, I'll support whatever you want to do!"
"Yiyi, you're so good." Jin Mianmian held her hand and said softly. If it weren't for Yiyi's gentle encouragement beside her, perhaps she would have fallen into depression and wanted to commit suicide. Tang Yiyi chuckled. "What nonsense are you saying? We're best sisters." She said softly, a faint worry in her heart.
...
Deserted Island.
Su Ding opened her eyes, feeling a wetness on her face. A fine drizzle fell continuously. She was half-buried in the sand, her dress tattered. She shivered from the cold and quickly stood up, looking at the scene before her. Towering trees and dense forests covered the mountains. It didn't look like anyone lived there; it was very primitive...
"I've survived a great disaster!" She dragged her heavy feet towards the mountains ahead. When she fell into the sea, she thought she was doomed, but she didn't expect to be alive.
Su Ding soon found shelter in the mountains ahead. For two days, she sustained herself with fruits and explored the entire island, confirming it was a deserted island. There were no passing ships anywhere. As she habitually scanned the sea, looking for ships, she spotted a figure on the beach...
Su Ding's heart skipped a beat, and she rushed over. If it were a local islander, perhaps she might have a chance of survival. As she approached and turned the person over, seeing the face, Su Ding's heart leaped into her throat, and she called out anxiously, "Jin Ye! Jin Ye!" She quickly began chest compressions on him...
After frantic resuscitation, Jin Ye coughed up water violently and opened his eyes. Seeing the woman's face before him, he immediately rolled up from the ground, gripping Su Ding's shoulders tightly. "You're alright! That's great!"
"How did you drift here?" Su Ding's shoulder blades felt like they were about to shatter. She endured the pain and asked with a frown.
Jin Ye's gaze shifted to the trees in the forest behind them, his face still a little pale. "I came down to look for you, and then..." As he spoke, he understood their current predicament. They weren't returning to the southern territory but had drifted to a strange island...
Hearing this, Su Ding's eyes welled up with complex emotions. She said dryly, "Why did you come down to look for me? Don't you know how dangerous it is?" Although she said this, her heart was filled with emotion.
"How long have you been here?" Jin Ye directly changed the subject. His expression had returned to its usual calm, and his voice carried a hint of distance. He hadn't figured out how to face Su Ding yet. Mianmian's matter was too serious, and there was still an insurmountable gap between them! Even though he loved her deeply, he couldn't forget Mianmian's tragic state.
A flicker of disappointment quickly crossed Su Ding's eyes, which then shifted to a cold expression, as if they were strangers. "Two days. This is a deserted island. It's not large, and no passing ships have been found yet." She said indifferently. Seeing that Jin Ye could stand on his own, she walked ahead.
The moment she saw Jin Ye, she had so many things to say to him. He had risked his life drifting at sea for her, and what about the invitation letter last time... But Jin Ye had coldly changed the subject. Su Ding knew that until that matter was resolved, Jin Ye would continue to interact with her with a conflicted and complex heart.
"For the past two days, I've been in a cave, which offers some shelter from wind and rain." She pointed in the direction ahead. "There are many fruit trees there. You go into the cave to rest first, and I'll go pick some for you to eat." Without waiting for Jin Ye's reply, she quickened her pace and left.
Jin Ye watched her retreating back, a complex expression in his eyes, and then entered the cave. After a while, Su Ding returned, carrying about ten apples, all washed clean. "Make do with these," she handed them over.
Jin Ye took them, his indifferent gaze sweeping over her disheveled appearance, a hint of tenderness flowing in his eyes. He silently gnawed on an apple, silent for a moment.
"Regarding the Jin Mianmian incident, Tang Yiyi is the real culprit behind the scenes." Su Ding looked into his eyes and said firmly.
Jin Ye raised his eyes at the words. "Tang Yiyi?" The tone of his voice conveyed disbelief, as they were childhood best friends.
"It's true. Tang Yiyi found me on the yacht and said she knew clues about the Jin Mianmian incident. So, I went with her to Room 402 to meet. She used aphrodisiac incense to design me and revealed the truth. Later, a man came in and pestered me. I chased Tang Yiyi out, had a conflict with her, and she pushed me into the sea." Su Ding recounted the entire event calmly and seriously, showing no signs of fabrication.
Jin Ye had already felt that Su Ding was unlikely to have done such a thing, but all the evidence pointed to Su Ding, and he was helpless. "She pushed you?" He frowned, his eyes quickly gathering a chilling killing intent.
"She personally admitted to the Jin Mianmian incident. Do you know why?" Su Ding asked.
Jin Ye said coldly, "Why?" He couldn't understand how twisted Tang Yiyi's psychology was, to harm her best friend so well through such extreme means and then frame Su Ding.
Su Ding looked at him with a strange expression. "For love."
"What do you mean?" Jin Ye narrowed his eyes and asked. He knew Tang Yiyi admired him, but he felt he had never given her any indication. They had barely interacted over the years. Why?