When Prince Nolan and William Wang Jinling returned, they found Serena standing in the doorway, arms folded. Meeting Serena's faint, unreadable smile, Nolan's face remained expressionless as he silently stood before her, locking eyes.
There was no way around it—Serena was blocking the door, and they couldn't get inside.
William instantly felt guilty. Seeing that Serena refused to budge, he had no choice but to speak: "Serena, are you heading out for a walk, or just coming back?"
He was really just asking Serena to let them through. With her blocking the way and staring at them like that, it made them nervous.
Serena acted as if she hadn’t understood William’s hint, staying perfectly still and responding with a question: "So, Grand Heir, did you just get back from your walk?"
William hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Yes."
"With Prince Nolan?" The smile in Serena’s eyes faded, her expression growing distant.
William felt increasingly uneasy. Under Serena’s dark gaze, his guilt deepened, but he forced himself to answer, "More or less."
"When did Prince Nolan and the Grand Heir get so close that even their walks are together?" Serena swept her gaze toward Nolan.
Don’t think staying silent will let you off the hook—Serena wasn’t that easy to fool.
"If you want to ask something, just ask." Nolan’s handsome brows furrowed slightly; Serena was acting very out of character.
Serena let out a cold laugh. "That’s exactly what I wanted to tell you both. Grand Heir, Prince Nolan, if you want to know something, just ask me. Next time, don’t scheme behind my back. This time, I’ll pretend nothing happened, but if there’s a next time, our friendship ends—here and now."
Serena bit out those last four words, her face now frosted over, her eyes utterly lifeless.
These two men were clever, but she wasn't stupid either. Once she calmed down and thought about what happened at the tea shed—Nolan's indulgence toward Elaine Lane, their perfectly timed departures—it was all just too coordinated.
She hadn’t realized their relationship was so close—close enough to team up and set her up. It chilled her to the bone.
"Serena, do you know what you’re saying?" Nolan’s expression turned cold in an instant. He knew Serena wasn’t speaking carelessly—she was dead serious, and that scared him.
‘Ends here’—his relationship with Serena was more than just friendship. If it ended here, did that mean everything between them was over?
"Serena..." William’s chest tightened. He called out softly, "Don’t say things like that."
Serena remained unmoved, her dark eyes now icy and frighteningly indifferent. "I know exactly what I’m saying, Prince Nolan, Grand Heir. If you want answers, just ask. I’ll tell you everything honestly—no more secrets."
The moment they learned her secret, she would disappear from their world forever. Some truths couldn’t be spoken aloud—even if everyone already knew in their hearts, once the words left her lips, there’d be no going back.
This is self-deception, but if both sides are willing to guard this secret for a lifetime, to weave this lie together, then it becomes reality.
She is willing, but they are not.
"Serena, I'm sorry." William knew Serena was serious this time and quickly apologized: "I promise there won't be a next time—never again."
Serena nodded. She doesn't believe in condemning someone for a single mistake; she's already set her boundaries. If they cross her line again, she'll never forgive them.
She said it: this time she can forgive, but there must never be a next time.
"Nolan, what about you? If you want to know something, just ask. I promise I'll answer every question honestly, holding nothing back. Do you want to know why I've changed so much? Why I can heal? Or about my hidden weapons? As long as you ask, I'll tell you the truth—no secrets." But she would never volunteer it on her own.
In front of Nolan and William, Serena gradually revealed her differences, hoping they could accept her, understand what made her unique. She understood their suspicion, but couldn't accept being schemed against.
If you want to know something, just ask. If she can say it, if she's willing to say it, she absolutely will. But these two didn't even ask—instead, to probe a possible secret, they set her up. It hurt her deeply.
How little must they trust her, to go this far? After a year together, do these two still not understand her character? If she wanted to hide things from them, she could have concealed everything—even if it meant dying, she would never have exposed her differences before them.
It was because she trusted them that she revealed her most unusual side, without reservation. And how did these two repay her?
They suspected her, but chose this method to test her. She was truly hurt by it. Was she really so undeserving of trust? Did they have to use another person to test her?
Serena's eyes brimmed with tears, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall. The tears swirled in her eyes, yet she smiled at the two of them, waiting for their answers.
William looked at Serena with aching heart. If he'd known their test would hurt her so much, he swore he never would have done it.
"Serena, I'm truly sorry. We never meant to hurt you," William said, full of remorse and regret. He tried to take out the handkerchief from his pocket, but his hands were shaking so badly that it slipped to the ground.
I'm really sorry, Serena. I was just worried, only worried.
"I know. That's why I said I can pretend nothing happened this time. Ask... ask whatever you want to know, and I'll answer honestly." Serena closed her eyes, refusing to look at either William or Nolan.
"Who are you?" Unlike William, Nolan didn't apologize—he just asked directly.
At this point, there was no need to ask further. If they still didn't know, they'd be fools. Serena chose to reveal the truth, not keep hiding—it was her way of admitting their suspicions were correct.
"Serena Feng." That would never change. She remembered every detail of Serena Feng's life, possessed all her emotions.
Even she couldn't tell if she was the military doctor running through battlefields, or the Serena Feng who struggled to survive after losing her parents. To her, she was Serena Feng, and Serena Feng was her.
"Will you always be Serena Feng?" Nolan asked his second question. Serena didn't fully understand his intent, but she nodded: "I will always be Serena Feng."
"Alright, I'm done asking. Now move aside." Nolan acted like a true bandit—seeing Serena refuse to budge, he simply strode forward and bumped her aside.
He didn't want to meet Serena's accusing eyes; that would make him feel like a criminal. He admitted that testing her had hurt her, but he couldn't admit he was wrong...
Serena was caught off guard by Nolan's bump and stumbled to the side. Fortunately, William reacted quickly and caught her.
Serena fell into William's arms, but as soon as she regained her balance, she pushed him away: "Thank you."
That 'thank you' sounded distant to William's ears, making him feel a pang of hurt. He was about to say something when Nolan suddenly turned back: "Serena Feng, I promise there will never be a next time. As long as you are Serena Feng, nothing else matters."
If it's a lie, then let her fool him for a lifetime—he only wants this Serena Feng.
Yes, as long as Serena Feng always remains like this, nothing else matters. He wants this Serena Feng, not the weak, tearful one from before. He understood that long ago, but...
He just wanted to be sure, that's all.
He never imagined that his momentary impulse to test her would hurt Serena Feng so deeply.
Serena didn't feel moved at all by his words—she just laughed, but the laugh sounded even sadder than crying.
She sniffed, blinking away the tears in her eyes, and looked up: "Nolan Dongling, you're being duplicitous. You do care, and it does matter. If it didn't, why go to such lengths to test me? If it didn't matter, why not just ask?"
She cared too, but is that really her fault?
She never had a choice. From the moment she woke up, she became this way. Fate never gave her a chance to choose, or any room for regret.
From the moment she woke, all she wanted was to survive—to live like an ordinary person, to marry, have children, and live quietly.
To live out her life peacefully. But...
But these people wouldn't let her go. None of them would. They forced her to fight back. Her hands are stained with blood; she kills without hesitation. But she has never deliberately killed an innocent.
At first, all she wanted was to survive. Is that so wrong?
No matter how high she held her head, she couldn't stop the tears from falling. Serena wiped her face with her sleeve.
"Nolan Dongling, William Wang Jinling, isn't this what you wanted to know? Fine, I'll tell you now. I am..."
"No..."
"Don't..." William, closest to Serena, rushed forward and covered her mouth as she began to speak: "Don't say it, Serena, please don't say it."
Some things, once spoken, can never be taken back.
This is enough. They all understand in their hearts—this is enough.
"Serena, as long as you are you, that's enough. You are Serena—the one who restored my sight with her own hands; the one who saved thousands of Eastlyn disaster victims. Serena... this you is irreplaceable."
William held Serena tightly, afraid that if he let go, he'd never find her again.
"Serena, don't say it, please don't say it."
He was certain that if Serena spoke the words, they would lose her forever...
They couldn't bear the consequences of losing Serena. It was precisely because they feared losing her that they tested her, but they'd never force her to leave...
Nolan stood motionless, watching Serena's tear-streaked face, his own heart aching.
Serena, I'm sorry!
I was just so afraid of losing you—that's why I wanted to be sure...