When Hearts Collide: From Ashes to Love

When she opened her eyes again, she saw Aaron standing behind her, concern in his gaze—or perhaps she was mistaken. Marian's lips were dry; she tried to stand up, only to wobble. Sensing this, Aaron looped his arm around her shoulders from behind to steady her. The faint fragrance clinging to her made his heart skip a beat, a surge of restlessness rising in his chest.

"Let's head downstairs and eat first," he murmured by her ear. "After we finish eating, we'll think of a solution."

In reality, he could easily have tapped his phone and instructed Yi Ming to handle everything, but he wasn't inclined to help her so effortlessly. He wanted to know if Marian was truly over He Bing. After all, he was her first love, cut short by parental interference—if her heart still lingered, old feelings might reignite…

With that thought, he tightened his grip on her hand.

On the first floor, Ms. Li had just finished setting four dishes and a soup on the table. Noticing Marian's pale face, she approached with concern: "Miss Marian, are you alright? Not feeling well?"

"I'm fine. Thank you for asking," Marian replied, forcing a small smile.

Aaron looked up at Ms. Li. "Ms. Li, could you go out and buy some toiletries for her? And maybe some snacks—whatever young women like. I'll transfer the money to you on WeChat. Just pick what seems right."

Ms. Li, bag of groceries still in hand, set it down. She wore an expression of "I get it, I get it," but as she turned to leave, she paused and asked Aaron in a low voice, "Mr. Fu… should I also buy that…?"

It was Mr. Fu's first time bringing a girl here—maybe he hadn't thought everything through. She was kindly reminding him to avoid complications, which was good for both him and Miss Marian.

Aaron, spoon in hand, paused. Raising an eyebrow, he flicked a glance at the somewhat dazed Marian, then turned back to Ms. Li. "Yeah, buy it. We might need it in the future."

Ms. Li accepted the order and happily headed out the door, though she couldn't help thinking, "Not in the future—more like definitely tonight. But then again, in the future you'll certainly need more, so maybe I'll just buy a few boxes…"

"Eat more meat—you're too thin," Aaron said, using serving chopsticks to place a helping of beef into Marian's bowl.

"Thanks," she replied weakly. After a moment, she asked, "Auntie Li… won't she eat with us?"

"No, she's gone to get you some toiletries."

Marian choked on a mouthful of rice, swallowing it down with soup. She looked at Aaron in earnest. "I'm not staying here. There's really no need to buy me toiletries."

Setting down his chopsticks, Aaron fixed her with his usual imposing stare. "Until this is cleared up, you're best off staying put. Don't go anywhere."

Seeing her about to protest, he calmly added, "Xicheng's been quiet these past few years. At last, a sensational story appears. You can bet unscrupulous reporters have caught the scent by now. For all we know, they might already be camped outside your flat—or your hotel."

His cool tone made her heart pound nervously. It wasn't impossible. She recalled reading similar stories online, where once a victim's story was leaked, their identity would be thoroughly exposed—while the perpetrator often stayed well-protected.

"But… tomorrow's Saturday, and I'm supposed to help Zoe at her shop."

"Not a problem. I'll arrange it."

With that, Aaron picked up his phone from the table, tapping a few times with an air of casual confidence. Then he glanced at Marian. "Your friend can still earn her money, and you don't need to leave. It's win-win."

…

At a rowdy nightclub, music blared as Xu Huanran danced and flirted. Suddenly, he felt his phone buzz in his back pocket—Aaron had just messaged him.

He broke away from the girl he'd been talking to and headed for a nearby booth, where Yao Ning and Yao Qian were chatting over drinks.

"What the heck is Aaron's message supposed to mean?" he muttered, waving his phone so that Yao Qian could see. But at the mention of Aaron, Yao Ning rushed over and grabbed it. "Let me see!"