Chapter 402

He Lele looked toward the man on the hospital bed at the sound.

Respiratory tract burns and mild burns on his face and neck—for someone carried out of a fire scene, this was undoubtedly the lightest possible injury. But the injured man was Producer Shentu Mo, the location of the injury was her home, and the reason for the injury...

She didn't want to think about it, but she couldn't stop herself—why!

Why would this man disregard the fire and thick smoke and put himself in danger? What did he want to do? Why did he do it?

A heroic act of saving lives?

He was Producer Shentu Mo! The cold-blooded demon king Producer Shentu Mo!

"What kind of look is that?" A hoarse, dull voice, followed by a muffled cough.

"... Don't talk." She walked to the bedside and handed him a notepad and pen. He Lele looked down at the red, swollen wounds on his hands, her heart feeling heavy and congested.

"I'm fine."

Listening to his forever superior tone and staring into his dark, deep eyes, all the pent-up frustration she had felt regarding him for so long seemed to be softened by some powerful liquid, turning sour—so sour that her limbs, throat, and eye sockets felt a slight sting.

"I'm not fine! Why were you at my house? Why did you rush in? Do you know that if things had gone wrong, you could have—" Why did she even ask? Why?

She turned her face away, wiped the tears overflowing from the corners of her eyes, and forced herself to suppress them.

"Alright... stop crying." An unprecedented tone of coaxing.

"..." Her heart skipped a beat. He Lele glanced at Producer Shentu Mo in a panic, and with just that one look, she couldn't look away.

This man had the spirit of an eagle overlooking the earth, the power to control everything the moment he appeared in a crowd, and the domineering arrogance that looked down upon everyone in the world!

A man born to be a king, a man who made someone as small and humble as her unable to resist even a fraction, no matter how hard she tried!

She had thought about it: if he pushed her to the limit, she would fight him to the death, even if it meant mutual destruction.

But he... how could this be the way he "pushed" her?

She had lost, lost completely and utterly.

"Thank you."

Thank you for... being willing to rush in.

Thank heaven that Mom, Dad, and he were all okay.

Producer Shentu Mo's brows twitched slightly. Watching her tears flow, he sighed and took the tissue box from the bedside to hand to her.

Seeing her wiping her tears and occasionally looking at him timidly, he suddenly remembered the scene when she thanked him last time.

At that time, she was apologizing while scrambling out of the bathtub in a panic. Her bare, graceful body was fair and soft under the lights. When she turned, her thin shoulders were shrinking in tension, her hands clutching the bath towel to protect her chest—which he had tasted countless times—and her wet little face was burning red—

"Th-thank you!" she had said.

The memory was so clear, so clear that he could even recall the shape of every single water droplet on her body at that time. He had never known he could remember a woman's demeanor, expressions, and movements so clearly...

Unaccountably, a feeling called pleasure welled up inside him. It was very comfortable, indescribable, but he knew how to hold onto this rare comfort.

"I'm hungry."

"... I'll go get you something to eat."

"Fried rice?"

"You can't eat that right now, it will hurt."

"..."

"I'll make it for you when you're back."

"... Mm."

Due to He Lele's temporary withdrawal, the final peak battle of "Next Stop, Queen" changed from a three-woman race to a two-phoenix struggle. In the end, Li Jing wore the crown with a narrow lead. The production team even put on a gimmick-filled coronation ceremony, having her wear a specially made empress's robe and crown to ascend the dragon throne amidst the homage of civil and military officials.

After the competition ended, the reason for He Lele's withdrawal naturally became a hot topic. News soon spread from He Lele's hometown that her house had caught fire. Fortunately, no one was home, except for a man who rushed into the fire and was choked unconscious. Luckily, the rescue was timely and his injuries were not severe. He Lele's withdrawal that night was to rush home to visit her parents and the injured man. Once the news broke, He Lele's supporters expressed understanding but still felt regret. Fans even wrote joint letters to the animation production team asking them to reconsider their choice.

Before they could be surrounded by the media who had caught wind of the news and rushed to the hospital, the men took He Lele and left Z City. Producer Shentu Mo, who needed a week of nebulizer treatments and oral care, also returned to S City with them, temporarily staying in the "exclusive ward" of the He× Hospital's Deep Blue Apartment. Because of this, Zong Jieran was grinning from ear to ear, finding someone to put up a glowing duty roster on the wall outside the ward. After the four surnames "Ruan, Ji, Mu, Producer Shentu," there was a "1," while only after the character "Qin" was there a "0." Among them, the light was currently lit after the two characters "Producer Shentu"...

Two days later, the He family's new residence in S City.

"Mom, Dad, I'm going to the hospital." Putting the thermal container into a cloth bag, He Lele slung it over her shoulder and walked to the entryway to change her shoes.

"Mm-hmm, okay! Go ahead. The house is mostly tidied up, you don't need to rush back, spend more time with him!" Mother He hurriedly instructed.

"Mom..."

"Go on, go on. Since you were little, your father and I haven't been able to make decisions for you, and we've let you suffer so many grievances for so many years. From now on, live however you want, your father and I have no objections."

"I, I'll tell you about it when I come back tonight."