The next thing Kim Jin remembered was a piercing ringing in his head, a sound that jolted him awake. He found himself in a car, surrounded by familiar faces, likely from the office. Seeing him stir awake Mei Li, who was behind the wheel spoke, "Kim, are you okay?"

It took a moment for Kim Jin, still processing the chaos in his mind to respond. "I'm okay just need to rest a bit Where are we heading?"

"To the hospital."

"No, I'm really okay" Kim Jin insisted with a hint of weariness in his voice. "It's just the headache; something a simple rest can't fix, Let's head home." He noticed a flicker of hesitation from Mei Li and Jenny, one of the staff members in the back, but then a familiar voice cut through, surprising him with its authority.

"Actually, going to the hospital is unnecessary. It's better he goes home for the night to rest." The person who spoke clearly held some sway because Mei Li, this time without any hesitation, decided it was best to head home. She dropped off her two passengers at a bus station along the way.

He later learned from Mei Li that she had been the one to revive him havingbeen a trained nurse, watching the chaos unfold in front of the building where she was visiting a friend she had introduced herself as a nurse and used basic CPR pulling him back from the brink and basically saving his life. with about thirty minutes left of their drive back home , Kim Jin broke the silence, his voice lowered "Can you please not tell Chi Qian? She already has a lot going on."

Mei Li sighed. "That's a bit too late. She's already waiting for you at home, and she said she's already bought the drug Director Song recommended. It should help with the headache."

Kim Jin wasn't surprised by Mei Li's answer. He'd expected as much; the upheaval caused by his fainting was too significant to hide. The old Kim Jin would never have imagined snuggling up to someone he called 'wife' or being driven home in an old sedan both of which you be a nightmare at any given point.

Wanting to keep the conversation going and genuinely curious Kim Jin asked, "So who is Rui Xin? I heard a few mentions of her today in the office, in conversations like 'If it weren't for the Xin family and Rui Xin, Chi Qian wouldn't be in this mess.’"

Caught in the crosshairs, Mei Li began explaining the complex situation between the Xin family and Chi Qian. Of course, she only shared information easily found online, carefully omitting any mention of Kai Feng or the arranged marriage. Only a handful of people knew about that and Mei Li intended to keep it that way.

But little she said no doubt enough to satisfy Kim Jin’s curiosity, though he let out a soft sigh realizing his "little innocent wife" was quite interesting indeed and within minutes, they arrived in the suburban neighborhood with the car finally pulling up in front of the house.

Mei Li helped Kim Jin out of the car as he was still feeling a bit disoriented , stepping into the house Chi Qian almost immediately pulled him into a tight embrace, a hug that Kim Jin was sure he hadn't experienced in a long, long time. Sensing her worry he spoke gently "I'm okay, you don't have to look so grim. You look beautiful in that dress."

Even as Kim Jin tried to deflect the attention from himself, he couldn't deny it: Chi Qian truly looked stunning in the dark, night-blue gown. It clung to her slender figure perfectly, and the delicate drop earrings added a subtle sparkle.

Chi Qian, recovering from her sudden emotional outburst, finally pulled away from him. "Your hand is a bit cold, but I've placed the medicine Director Song recommended with some food I made. Hope you don't mind if I steal Mei Li for a while."

The latter part of Chi Qian’s sentence wasn't a request; she was already pulling Mei Li across the hallway and into a room, making sure the door was properly bolted. Noticing Chi Qian’s unusual behavior, Mei Li took the initiative,saying "Whatever you want to say, be quick about it. We only have an hour before the dinner party."

" You know Luo Ma sent me the video of what happened in the office today, " Chi Qian said in a low whisper.

"You know I always have your back, right?" Mei Li responded in a tone firm ready with a set of her own questions.

"Yes, so what !" Chi Qian was a bit taken aback by the sudden question.

"Just now, you and Kim... are you really falling for him? This isn't helping him recover his memory anymore, is it? To think you're running from an arranged marriage and find yourself falling in love with one." Mei Li’s voice softened slightly with the last sentence.

"You and I both know the real reason I ran away," Chi Qian retorted, her voice hardening. "The Feng family treats women poorly, and Kai Feng is the last person I want to marry, with all his popular breakups."

"But how do you know Kim Jin isn't the same?" Mei Li challenged, her words hitting home. "With the people after his life, he might be just like Kai Feng – a crazy rich bastard with a perv for women."

Mei Li’s words struck a nerve, leaving Chi Qian speechless, unable to muster a reply. But Mei Li wasn't finished. "He was searching the internet when I found him, probably trying to remember something from his past. That's why he passed out. What if he remembers everything and he has a wife and children waiting for him to come home? And you, who tricked him into thinking you're his wife, Chi Qian... don't fall too deep here."

The next minute passed in utter silence, Chi Qian’s tears smudging her makeup. Finally, Mei Li broke the quiet. "We're out of time now. Tell me the real reason you called me in here. I'll be leaving soon."

"Can you stay and watch Kim Jin for just a few hours?" Chi Qian pleaded, her voice barely audible. " Even if I'm fated to marry Kai Feng I don't want him to be alone, especially not after today."

"Chi Qian, did you hear what I'm saying?!" this time Mei Li totally stunned by Chi Qian's words. Unfortunately before she could even utter a reply, their conversation was abruptly halted by the insistent beeping of Mei Li's phone. Taking a look at the content her expression instantly shifted to concern as she took a looked at Chi Qian. "It looks like Rui Xin knew you were coming for the dinner party... and she invited Kai Feng. Someone on the team spotted the invite on his feed."