Chapter 24: His Identity

Early the next morning, when Ran Xing arrived at the set, Xiao Yi rushed over to her, unable to hide his eagerness.

"Sister Ran, you're here quite early today, aren't you?"

Ran Xing gave a cold, provocative smile. "Not as early as you, President Lu."

Xiao Yi’s expression faltered, a flicker of panic crossing his features. "Sister Ran, what do you mean by that?"

"Xiao Yi, who are you, really?" Ran Xing asked, cutting straight to the point.

"I... Sister Ran, I don't quite understand what you're talking about," Xiao Yi replied with a forced, apologetic smile.

Ran Xing sneered. "Remember when you picked me up outside the café yesterday? I asked you how you knew where I was, and you said Wang Ying told you. But Wang Ying had no idea where I was going after I left the press conference."

Xiao Yi feigned composure, his voice smooth. "Sister Ran, let me explain. The truth is, I was just worried about you, so I..."

"So you what? So you tracked my phone?"

Unable to hold back any longer, Ran Xing slapped him across the face. Xiao Yi bit his lip, grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her toward the car. Wang Ying, arriving just in time to witness the scene, stood frozen in confusion.

Seeing this, Xiao Yi scooped Ran Xing up into his arms and said to Wang Ying, "Tell the director that Ran Xing and I have an urgent matter to attend to."

Ran Xing struggled to push him away. "Put me down!"

"We need to talk," Xiao Yi said, a hint of chill in his eyes.

Inside the car, Xiao Yi drove at breakneck speed. Seeing that he had no intention of explaining, Ran Xing spoke first.

"Who are you exactly? How did you know my phone password? What is this about you being 'President Lu'? And the arson case—Xiao Yi, how many secrets are you keeping? If you are President Lu, you clearly don't lack money, fame, or status. So, what exactly are you after by going to such lengths to get close to me?"

"And what about you? Haven't you been lying to me as well?" Xiao Yi asked calmly.

"When have I ever lied to you?" Ran Xing asked, feeling guilty.

"My phone wasn't lost; it was in my pocket the whole time. Yet, to dispel my suspicions, you deliberately told Lu Qing that it was lost. Isn't that a lie?"

"I only did that because I wanted to know the truth."

"Alright, sister. You’ve said so much—tell me, which one would you like me to answer first?"

The way he addressed her as "sister" sent a jolt through Ran Xing’s heart. Only Xu Ting had ever called her that. Why did it feel so familiar? Could it be that the voice she heard the night of the car accident wasn't a hallucination, but actually Xiao Yi’s voice?

Before she could dwell on it, Xiao Yi’s expression softened, and his voice turned gentle. "You want to know who I am, right? Come with me to a place, and I will tell you everything, Ran Xing."

Twenty minutes later, the car pulled up outside a hospital. Xiao Yi got out and opened the door for her. Looking at the unfamiliar building, Ran Xing asked, "Why are you bringing me here?"

Xiao Yi took her hand and said softly, "Follow me." He then helped her limp into the hospital. When they reached a consultation room on the third floor, Ran Xing stopped. "Why are you bringing me here?"

Xiao Yi pushed the door open. "What? Are you afraid to go in?"

As soon as the door opened, a doctor greeted Xiao Yi warmly. "Mr. Lu, you're here."

After helping Ran Xing into a chair, Xiao Yi sat down beside her and began to speak with the doctor. "Yes. Doctor, do you remember what I told you back then? I’ve brought her here today."

The doctor looked at Ran Xing and gave a knowing smile. Ran Xing was bewildered. "What are you both talking about?"

The doctor joked, "This must be Miss Ran, then? Three years ago, when Mr. Lu was discharged, he made a promise to me. He said he would bring his fiancée to visit. And here he is, bringing you today."

"No, wait a minute," Ran Xing quickly interjected. "Doctor, there must be a misunderstanding. He and I are not in that kind of relationship."

Xiao Yi just smiled at her with doting eyes.

"But wait, you said he was discharged three years ago? What happened to him?"

The doctor looked at Xiao Yi, confused. "What? You didn't tell her?"

Xiao Yi shook his head slightly, looking helpless. "If not for today, I don't think I would have ever told her."

Ran Xing felt a wave of unease, suppressing the turmoil in her heart. "Doctor, why was Xiao Yi hospitalized? Since you brought me here today, isn't it to tell me everything?"

"Three years ago, when Mr. Lu was brought in, he had suffered burns over ninety percent of his body. He required skin grafts and reconstructive surgery. To have recovered like this in three years is truly remarkable."

Ran Xing slumped in her chair, tears welling in her eyes. She couldn't bear to look at the man beside her. Choking back sobs, she asked, "Burned all over? Three years ago? It can't be such a coincidence, can it?"

Xiao Yi spoke abruptly, "Ran Xing, do you know my real name? It’s Lu Ting."

Ran Xing let out a tearful, shaky laugh. "Lu Ting? Is that so? Your real name should have been..." She paused, turning to look into the eyes of the man whose own were now red-rimmed. She couldn't stop herself from whispering, "Xu Ting, it’s you, isn't it?"

Xiao Yi broke into a smile. "Sister Ran, I'm so happy that I’m still in your heart."

"No wonder you knew my phone password. No wonder you were able to save me every time I was in danger. Xu Ting, I’ve missed you so much."

Ran Xing sobbed, her hand reaching out to touch his face. Her heart ached. "Does it hurt?"

Xiao Yi shook his head, his voice strained. "It doesn't hurt."

"How could it not hurt? I'm so sorry I didn't recognize you sooner."

Xiao Yi pulled her into an embrace, as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones. He patted her back with extraordinary gentleness. "I’m the one who should be sorry. Forgive me for not revealing myself to you sooner."

"But how did you become President Lu? I thought your surname was Xu?"

Xiao Yi explained patiently, "My original surname was Lu, but the patriarch of the Lu family branded me an illegitimate son and drove my mother and me away. My father died in a car accident because of it. Afterward, I took my mother's surname and became Xu Ting. Three years ago, the old man threatened my mother’s life to force me to intern at the Yang Group, where I was nearly burned to death. It was the old man who sent me to this hospital. After I recovered, I became the president of the Lu Group and reclaimed my original surname."

"So that was it. No wonder whenever I visited your mother, she would always say she saw you. It wasn't her talking nonsense, was it?"

"No, I visit her whenever I have the time."

"Do you know who harmed you? It was Zhang Tong."

"I have always known, and I have been investigating. Ran Xing, I don't want you to get involved."

"But... how could I possibly watch you walk into danger and do nothing?"