Gu Susu tried to meet his gaze, refusing to lose her composure as she said, "I'm foolish, not as clever as you. But I only want to live an ordinary life. Unlike you, who has such a large family business to inherit, with people constantly vying for it. I don't want to hide anything from you either. I grew up in an orphanage, with no parents and nothing. I don't want to fight for fame or fortune; I've long been accustomed to a life as calm as still water."
"I haven't asked you to fight for anything, only to learn to protect yourself, and you can't even do that. No wonder you were… and even went to jail. With your intelligence, you dared to commit a crime?" Qin Tianyi's tone remained mocking.
"Believe it or not, I never did anything illegal. I was framed!" Gu Susu said seriously.
"Why are you telling me this? I'm not a judge. When you were sentenced, why didn't you find evidence to clear yourself?" Qin Tianyi frowned.
Gu Susu lowered her head, her voice hoarse, "I couldn't find any."
Qin Tianyi stepped forward, his tall frame engulfing her. He leaned down, his lips curling slightly, and whispered in her ear with a seductive voice, "That's why I say you're foolish."
His familiar, burning breath instantly hit her neck. She immediately stammered in fear, "What do you want? In a place like this, and I'm injured, you can't…"
"Even if I'm starving, I won't eat anything available," Qin Tianyi straightened up, his gaze icy as he appraised her from head to toe. "Did the van driver touch you?"
A chill ran down Gu Susu's spine. But then she thought, if he thought she was dirty, he wouldn't touch her even if he kept her by his side. She gritted her teeth and said, "Yes, I used my looks to lure him, to make him careless, so I had a chance to escape."
"So this is your usual tactic." Qin Tianyi's voice clearly turned as cold as an ice cellar.
Gu Susu didn't understand at first. She indifferently lowered her head, no longer caring about his attitude. But upon reflection, she suddenly realized he was implying that she had used the same method to escape from him by making him careless.
She hurriedly looked up, wanting to explain to him that he was completely different from that van driver!
She… she hadn't intended to have any physical intimacy with him. She had been drunk on their wedding night, and he had taken advantage of her. He was the one who had been relentlessly pursuing her.
But Qin Tianyi had already turned his back, not even looking at her. He walked around the rock, waded through the weeds, and used his phone's flashlight to check if the rescue team had arrived, leaving her alone in the darkness behind the large rock.
Not long after, she heard noisy sounds. It seemed the rescue team had arrived. Some people were shouting to throw ropes, while others were using machinery to clear the weeds.
Gu Susu leaned against the rock, utterly exhausted. A person in a rescue uniform and helmet walked towards her and asked gently, "Ma'am, can you walk on your own?"
She nodded, trying to stand up, but lacked the strength and almost fell against the rock. The rescuer immediately supported her and asked others to bring a stretcher, saying, "Don't try to be brave. We'll carry you up."
Soon, two people brought a stretcher. They lifted Gu Susu onto it, secured her with straps, and figured out how to hoist her up.
Lying on the swaying stretcher, Gu Susu, in a daze, could no longer hold on and fainted.
She felt pain all over her body. Dressed in a white long dress, she stood at the edge of a cliff. With just one more step, she would fall.
Facing the calm sea, she struggled, unsure whether to retreat or advance. Someone seemed to be whispering in her ear, "Jump, jump! You'll be completely free."
Seduced by the voice, she lifted one leg, preparing to take another step forward. Suddenly, someone rushed towards her, grabbed her arm, and desperately pulled her away from the cliff.
She turned back and smiled faintly, seeing that the person behind her was Qin Tianyi.
He held her tightly and, without any explanation, said, "You are not allowed to leave without my permission!"
Before she could react, a slender hand stretched out from behind Qin Tianyi and pushed her fiercely. She immediately tilted forward, her foot slipped, and she fell off the cliff.
With a cry of despair, she woke up with a start, realizing she was no longer at the cliff by the sea, nor had she fallen into the ocean. She was lying in a hospital bed.
But the scene in her dream had been so real, and the pain all over her body was still vivid. Judging by the light from the window, it was daytime.
When she was being carried onto the stretcher, her consciousness was hazy. She remembered it was dark, already night, and they were relying on flashlights. She had been unconscious for at least a night.
She tried to support herself with her functional hand, wanting to sit up, but felt an unbearable pain in her left ankle, letting out a groan.
At that moment, a doctor in a rescue uniform and a white coat entered together. Gu Susu immediately asked, "Why does my leg hurt so much? Can it be healed? Will it be crippled?"
The doctor walked over and smiled, saying, "Don't worry, your leg is just a ligament sprain, and it can be healed. Fortunately, there are no obvious external injuries to your head. The rest are just abrasions and scratches, nothing serious."
Gu Susu felt a wave of relief. "Really?"
"Dr. Sun is not lying to you. All the examination reports are on your bedside table. You can look at them yourself," said the rescuer.
Gu Susu then noticed that various examination reports were indeed placed on the bedside table. She thanked them.
She couldn't help but look behind them again, not seeing Qin Tianyi. It seemed he was truly angry this time and didn't care about her fate.
"Are you looking for your husband? He stayed here all night and left early this morning," Dr. Sun said. "You've just woken up, don't move around, just lie down and rest."
Gu Susu responded, her face flushing as she lay in the hospital bed. She hadn't expected Qin Tianyi to watch over her all night.
Dr. Sun performed a routine check and said, "It's good, the wounds haven't worsened, and they will heal slowly."
After the doctor left, the rescuer took out a form and said, "You need to sign this."
"Okay, thank you all." Gu Susu turned her head to look at the form. It described the rescue process and her physical condition, likely for record-keeping. Seeing no issues, she painstakingly took the pen and signed her name.
After the rescuer collected the form, he didn't seem to be leaving. He smiled at her and said, "Gu Susu, you really don't recognize me?"
Gu Susu looked at him blankly. He did seem familiar, but she still couldn't recall who this person was.
He had dark skin, a short buzz cut, well-defined features, bright eyes, and was a healthy, handsome, and sunny young man.
"You are… you are…"
"Sister Susu, I'm Little Dot," the young man from the rescue team said, making a gesture of wiping his nose.
Gu Susu immediately remembered him. He was the "Little Dot" who always followed her around when she was in the orphanage. "It's you!"