Long Fantasy Romance Novel

〈The Reissued Youth〉21

96. The Turning Point of Destiny

At the emergency department of Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, the steady beeping of medical monitors echoed rhythmically through the ward. Cai Shinan lay on the hospital bed, his face pale. A gauze bandage covered his forehead, and multiple abrasions on his body had been dressed. Below his right knee, he had already lost all sensation. The medical team had just completed his amputation surgery. Still under the effects of anesthesia, he remained unconscious, breathing heavily and slowly.

Beside the bed, Cai Shifen waited anxiously for her brother, her eyes red from crying. Looking at Shinans haggard face, her heart was filled with worry and unease. She picked up her mobile phone and called Shi Meilin. Once. Twice. Yet no one answered. The cold automated message came through the phone:

"The number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later..."

Cai Shifen frowned and could not help murmuring,

"Whats going on? It keeps going to voicemail... What on earth is Sister Meilin busy with?"

She glanced at her still-unconscious brother, took a deep breath, and finally left a voice message.

"Sister Meilin, this is Shifen... My brother was seriously injured in a traffic accident. Hes unconscious now and has just undergone a below-the-knee amputation. Hes currently in the emergency department at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. If you have time, please come to the hospital..."

After hanging up, Cai Shifen held her brothers hand. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Brother... you have to wake up..."

At the very same time, the atmosphere inside the conference room of Focus Fashion Company was completely different.

Bright lights illuminated the large projection screen. Standing before it, Shi Meilin was intently presenting the design concept for the companys winter clothing collection to the executives and design team.

Dressed in a smart business suit and holding a presentation pointer, she displayed one design after another.

"The main concept behind this plaid pantsuit is elegance combined with comfort."

Pointing to the clothing illustration projected on the screen, she spoke with calm professionalism.

"Taiwans winters are not as cold as those in Europe or North America. In addition, the northern part of Taiwan is humid, while the south is comparatively dry. Therefore, when designing these garments, we cannot simply pursue thick warmth. We must also consider the comfort of working women who wear them for long hours."

Around the conference table, several department managers listened attentively, occasionally lowering their heads to take notes.

At this moment, Shi Meilin was completely immersed in her work.

She had no idea that, in a hospital far away, a man was lying on the boundary between life and death.

At that same moment, outside the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Zhang Yahui slowly walked out of the examination room, holding her medical report tightly in her hand.

People passed back and forth in the corridor. The cries of children and the footsteps of nurses all seemed strangely distant.

Her face was pale.

It was as if all the strength had drained from her body.

The doctors words kept echoing in her mind.

"Miss Zhang, the tumor in your ovary has been confirmed by biopsy to be malignant. To eliminate it completely, your ovary must be removed as soon as possible, followed by a full course of treatment."

She lowered her head and looked at the report in her hands.

Her fingers trembled slightly.

"Could it be... that I truly have no other choice?"

Just then, her phone suddenly rang.

She took it out and saw that the caller was Cai Shifen.

"Shifen?"

An anxious voice immediately came from the other end.

"Sister Yahui, my brother has been in a car accident!"

Zhang Yahui froze.

Her face changed instantly.

"What?"

"Hes badly injured... One of his lower legs had to be amputated."

The hand holding her phone stiffened.

She stood motionless in the middle of the hospital corridor.

"When did this happen?"

"Yesterday evening, while my brother was traveling north with his former girlfriend, Lin Daihua."

The moment she heard the name Lin Daihua, Zhang Yahuis heart jolted violently.

Everything Cai Shinan had once told her instantly resurfaced in her mind—

along with that photograph from the future.

The woman who might change destiny.

"Shifen, Im coming over right now. Where are you?"

"Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital."

"Okay. Ill be there immediately."

After ending the call, Zhang Yahui did not hesitate for another second.

She hurried outside the hospital and hailed a taxi.

"Driver, please take me to Pingtung Railway Station. As quickly as you can."

The moment the taxi door closed, she stared at the cityscape racing backward outside the window.

On one side was her own uncertain illness.

On the other was Cai Shinans sudden tragedy.

She did not yet know that this storm of fate was pushing everyones lives toward an entirely different future.

97. The Scars Left by Fate

Late at night, in a general surgical ward at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, only the steady beeping of medical equipment echoed through the room. Outside the window, the lights of the city gradually grew sparse, while inside the ward, a heavy silence lingered.

Cai Shi-Nan slowly opened his eyes.

The effects of the anesthesia were gradually wearing off, and his consciousness slowly returned.

He felt as though a massive boulder were pressing down on his entire body, while an unfamiliar emptiness came from his left leg.

He tried to move.

In the next instant, his heart jolted violently.

He lowered his head.

Beneath the blanket, the lower part of his left leg—where it should have been—was gone.

At that moment, his entire body froze.

The blinding white light inside the tunnel flashed through his mind, followed by the image of Lin Dai-Huas sedan disappearing into the wormhole of time.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"So... this is the price I had to pay for staying behind."

Beside the hospital bed, Cai Shi-Fen and Zhang Ya-Hui were talking quietly, unaware that he had awakened.

"Honestly, Shi Mei-Lin is unbelievable..."

Sitting in a chair, Shi-Fen frowned.

"My brother was injured in such a terrible car accident. Even if shes busy with work, she should at least return a phone call, shouldnt she? Somehow... she seems rather cold-hearted."

Sitting on the other side, Zhang Ya-Hui gently shook her head.

"Shi-Fen, maybe shes genuinely busy. Dont jump to conclusions so quickly."

As she spoke, her eyes drifted toward Shi-Nan on the bed.

This man had leaped from a speeding car without the slightest hesitation in order to protect the people he wanted to cherish.

Just then, she noticed that his eyes were open.

"Shi-Nan is awake."

Shi-Fen immediately stood up in delight.

The two women hurried to the bedside.

Zhang Ya-Hui bent down and gently stroked Shi-Nans pale face, her eyes filled with concern.

"Shi-Nan, youre awake."

Shi-Nan looked at them and forced a faint smile.

In a gentle voice, Zhang Ya-Hui explained,

"The doctor said the tissue below your left knee had become necrotic. If it hadnt been treated immediately, it could have developed into sepsis."

"Shi-Fen had no other choice. She didnt want your life to be in danger, so she agreed to let the doctors perform the amputation."

Shi-Nan remained silent for a moment.

A bitter smile slowly appeared on his face.

"Im already grateful that I managed to survive."

Holding her brothers hand, Shi-Fens eyes reddened.

"Brother... how exactly were you injured?"

"And wheres Sister Dai-Hua?"

"Werent you riding with her on the way to Taichung?"

Shi-Nan stared at the ceiling as his thoughts returned to that horrifying accident.

"We were approaching the mountainous area near Miaoli when a violent thunderstorm suddenly broke out."

His voice was low and heavy.

"When Dai-Hua drove into the tunnel, I discovered there was a time wormhole inside."

"I shouted for her to brake... to reverse the car... but she didnt react at all."

He paused briefly.

"I didnt want history to repeat itself."

"So... I pushed open the car door and jumped out."

Closing his eyes, he recalled the final scene.

"And then... right before my eyes, Dai-Huas car disappeared into the tunnel."

The hospital room fell completely silent.

Shi-Fens eyes widened in disbelief.

"Brother... what did you just say?"

She lowered her voice.

"A... time wormhole?"

Shi-Nan looked at his younger sister.

He knew he could no longer keep the truth hidden.

"It was a time tunnel."

He spoke slowly.

"I came back to the present by passing through that time tunnel on September 21, 2019."

Shi-Fen stood there with her mouth open, unable to utter a single word.

She looked at her brother, then turned toward Zhang Ya-Hui.

"How... how is that even possible?"

Yet Zhang Ya-Hui showed no surprise.

She had already known the truth.

Lowering her head, a complicated wave of emotions welled up inside her.

"So thats what happened..."

she thought.

"At the very moment when history was about to change, Shi-Nan chose to risk his own life in order to stay behind."

"And all of this..."

"...was because he didnt want to lose Shi Mei-Lin."

At that thought, she felt both deeply moved and overwhelmed by an indescribable bitterness.

Shi-Nan suddenly turned toward Zhang Ya-Hui.

"Ya-Hui..."

"Im sorry."

Zhang Yahui was taken aback.
"You promised to take you and your students on a seaside sketching trip... Im afraid Ill have to break that promise."

Zhang Yahui smiled faintly and shook her head.

"Its all right."

She paused for a moment.

"Actually, I just applied for a long leave from school as well."

Cai Shinan was startled.

"A long leave?"

Zhang Yahui looked at him with gentle eyes.

"Didnt you want me to live a healthy and happy life? I listened to you. Im actively receiving treatment."

Cai Shinan looked at her and instantly understood what she meant.

He knew that she had finally faced her illness.

A surge of gratitude welled up inside him.

A relieved smile appeared on his lips.

"Yahui... thank you."

Zhang Yahui stood up.

"Get some rest first. Shifen and I are going to buy a few things."

With that, she took Cai Shifen by the hand and walked out of the ward.

In the corridor.

Zhang Yahui stopped and looked at Cai Shifen.

"Shifen, Im going to Taipei to see Shi Meilin."

Cai Shifen froze.

"To see Sister Meilin?"

Zhang Yahui nodded.

"Give me her phone number."

Although puzzled, Cai Shifen took out her phone and searched for it.

"Okay, let me find it."

A moment later, she handed the phone to Zhang Yahui.

"This is the number."

Zhang Yahui entered it into her own phone.

Her expression remained calm, yet her eyes were filled with determination.

Then she dialed Qiu Xiuduans number.

"Aunt Xiuduan? This is Yahui."

An anxious voice came from the other end of the line.

Zhang Yahui quickly reassured her.

"Shinan has already regained consciousness and is out of danger. Please dont worry too much. Shifen and I will take good care of him."

She paused before continuing.

"Auntie, theres one more thing Id like to ask of you."

"Please send me, by express delivery to Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, the diary on Shinans study desk, along with the family photograph of Shinan and Shi Meilin tucked inside the diary."

After hanging up, Cai Shifen could not help asking,

"Yahui... my brother and Sister Meilins family photograph?"

She frowned.

"When did they ever have a family photograph?"

Zhang Yahui put away her phone and revealed a mysterious smile.

"Youll see it in a day or two."

Night blanketed the hospital.

No one knew that the photograph on its way would uncover another truth that had been hidden by time itself.

98. Fates Choice

Night fell, yet the streets of Taipei still glittered with dazzling lights.

Neon signs reflected upon the rain-damp asphalt.

Pedestrians moved back and forth through the streets, while the sounds of traffic and laughter intertwined into the citys unique nocturnal rhythm.

Yet Zhang Yahui, seated alone in the corner of a café, had no heart to admire the bustling night outside.

She placed a dark-colored backpack beside her.

Inside it lay a diary that would change the destinies of three people—

Cai Shinans diary.

Holding a coffee cup in one hand, she gazed out the window.

Yet her thoughts drifted back to the family photograph from the future.

In that photograph, Shi Meilin stood together with two children, their figures faintly discernible.

Did it represent the happiness that awaited in the future?

Or was it the image of a tragedy destined to disappear?

Just then, the soft chime at the café entrance rang.

Zhang Yahui looked up.

A woman pushed open the door and walked in.

She wore no heavy makeup—only her natural face.

Dressed in a simple yet elegant long dress, she still radiated confidence and quiet charm.

Zhang Yahui recognized her at once.

Shi Meilin.

The woman Cai Shinan loved deeply and was willing to protect with his very life.

She immediately stood up and waved.

"Miss Shi, over here."

Following the sound of her voice, Shi Meilin walked over and sat down across from her.

The two women exchanged a brief glance.

One represented Cai Shinans present.

The other represented the future of his life.

Hidden within both pairs of eyes were emotions too complicated to put into words.

A waitress approached politely.

"What would you like to order?"

Zhang Yahui opened the menu.

"A vegetable salad."

Shi Meilin considered it for a moment.

"A mixed fruit juice."

Chapter 99. A Letter That Changed Destiny, A Lifetime Reunited in Love

In an ordinary ward at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, the night quietly filtered through the gap in the curtains. Only the steady beeping of the medical instruments remained, keeping Cai Shinan company through the long days of rehabilitation.

The ward door opened softly.

Shi Meilin stood at the doorway, pulling a suitcase behind her. Gone was the polished, professional appearance she wore at work. She was dressed simply and modestly, her face marked with the weariness of a long journey. Yet the concern in her eyes could not be concealed.

"Sister Meilin, Brother, Sister Meilin has come to see you."

Cai Shifen, who had been tidying things beside the hospital bed, smiled with quiet relief when she saw Shi Meilin arrive.

She knew that these two people had endured too many misunderstandings and missed chances. At last, they finally had the opportunity to say everything that had been left unsaid.

With thoughtful discretion, she stood up and picked up her handbag.

"Brother, Ill step outside for a while. Take your time talking."

After speaking, she nodded to them both, gently closed the ward door behind her, and left the quiet room to the two of them.

Silence settled over the ward.

Only Cai Shinan and Shi Meilin remained.

Shi Meilin walked to the bedside and took several items from her handbag: a weathered diary, the once-blurred family photograph, along with the medical diagnosis and the letter that Zhang Yahui had left behind.

She gently placed them into Cai Shinans hands.

"Shinan... Yahui entrusted all of these to me."

Cai Shinan lowered his head and unfolded the letter.

The familiar handwriting came into view.

Every sentence echoed in his ears like Zhang Yahuis gentle voice.

He read on slowly, and his eyes gradually filled with tears.

The woman who had quietly watched over him all this time had known that she might lose her health—even her future—yet she had still chosen to fulfill the happiness of him and Shi Meilin.

The hand holding the letter trembled slightly.

"Yahui..."

"Why is it that youre always thinking of everyone else, yet never of yourself?"

Shi Meilin stood quietly beside him.

Seeing the tears in his eyes, a wave of sorrow rose within her as well.

Only then did she truly understand that Zhang Yahuis love for Cai Shinan had never been about possession.

It had been a profound and selfless act of protection.

Cai Shinan raised his head and looked at Shi Meilin.

"Meilin..."

His voice caught with emotion.

"When we have our son and daughter in the future, I hope theyll call Yahui their godmother."

Shi Meilin was momentarily stunned.

Then her eyes reddened, while a gentle smile slowly appeared on her lips.

She reached out with both hands and softly clasped his.

"All right."

She nodded, her voice gentle yet unwavering.

"I promise you."

"Yahui has sacrificed so much for us."

"She isnt only your friend."

"She is the benefactor of our whole family."

Cai Shinan lowered his gaze to their hands clasped together.

His heart overflowed with emotions too deep for words.

Outside the window, the night stretched into silence.

Inside the ward, two people who had once lost each other within the labyrinth of fate finally held on to their future once again.

He knew that life never offered truly perfect choices.

But at this moment, he believed—

all the pain, the missed chances, and the long years of waiting had existed so they could finally learn to cherish the happiness before them.

Scene 100. The Reflection of Happiness

At night, the sea breeze of Little Liuqiu gently swept through the courtyard of the Cai family’s homestay.

From afar came the sound of waves crashing against the shore.

Inside the homestay, the lights were warm and soft.

There was less of the noise and bustle of the city, and more of the peaceful feeling of home.

In Cai Shinan’s room, the computer screen on the desk emitted a faint blue glow.

He sat before the desk, carefully revising the homestay’s website content.

He organized and uploaded the room descriptions, sightseeing itineraries, and whale-watching activities one by one.

The man he was now had grown accustomed to rebuilding his life through another way.

Beside the desk quietly rested a prosthetic lower leg.

It represented the scars left by accident and loss.

Yet now, it had become a mark reminding him to cherish life.

Cai Shinan stopped what he was doing and looked at the photographs on the screen.

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

At that moment, the paper door was gently pulled open.

Shi Meilin entered the room carrying a plate of freshly cut fruit and placed it on the desk.

She looked at Shinan sitting before the computer, her eyes filled with tenderness.

The next moment, she walked behind him, stretched out her arms, and gently embraced his shoulders.

A familiar warmth came from behind.

Cai Shinan was slightly startled, then revealed a smile.

Leaning against his shoulder, Shi Meilin softly said,

"Shinan, I have already resigned from my job in Taipei."

She paused for a moment, as if she were finally expressing a decision she had considered for a long time.

"I am ready... to marry you."

Cai Shinan turned around and looked at her.

The woman before him had once been a powerful figure in the workplace, a woman determined to pursue her own value.

Yet now, for the future of the two of them, she was willing to put aside everything familiar and come to this island.

His eyes were filled with emotion.

He did not answer immediately.

He only held the hand she had placed on his shoulder.

Then, he turned back toward the computer and opened the email inbox.

"Meilin, look at this."

Shi Meilin curiously moved closer to the screen.

Displayed on it was an email from the year 2010.

The sender was none other than the future Cai Shinan.

Two photographs were attached to the email.

In the first photograph, Shi Meilin sat inside the cockpit of a sightseeing yacht.

Holding the steering wheel with both hands, she faced the sea breeze and looked toward the vast ocean with a radiant expression.

She was no longer merely a career-driven woman chasing success in the city.

She had become a female sea captain steering the direction of her own life.

In the second photograph, Cai Shinan stood inside the cabin.

Holding a microphone, he enthusiastically introduced the ocean journey to a boat full of tourists.

In the photograph, both of them were wearing faces filled with happiness.

Looking at the photographs, Shi Meilin could not help laughing.

"So the future me really does learn how to operate a boat."

She turned toward Shinan, her eyes carrying a hint of playfulness.

"All right. After we get married, I will go get the license."

She patted Shinans shoulder.

"The boat will be my responsibility from now on."

Cai Shinan looked at her confident expression and could not help laughing.

"Looks like the homestay will belong to me in the future, and the captain will be you."

"Exactly."

Shi Meilin raised her eyebrows.

"We will divide the work."

The two looked at each other and laughed.

Cai Shinan then opened the first rescue email from the future.

The photograph on the screen appeared again.

However, this time, something was different—

Shi Meilin, who had originally appeared semi-transparent in the photograph, along with the future twin children, now had images that had become completely clear.

The cracks in destiny had finally been repaired.

Shi Meilin quietly looked at the photograph.

Her eyes gradually became moist.

She reached out and gently touched the images of herself and the children on the screen.

A smile of happiness appeared at the corner of her lips.

"Shinan..."

She turned around and gently kissed his cheek.

"I have seen this photograph before."

Her voice was gentle and sincere.

"Thank you."

"Thank you for making such a great sacrifice and contribution for our family."

Cai Shinan looked at her, and a deep sense of emotion rose within his heart.

He reached out, wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her closer.

"Meilin."

His voice was deep and tender.

"You are the same."

"You gave up your career in Taipei, left behind the life you were familiar with, and came here to stay with me."

He gazed at her.

"Thank you for everything you have done for our future."

Shi Meilin rested in his arms and closed her eyes, feeling this happiness that had arrived late, yet was precious beyond words.

Outside the window, the waves continued to gently strike the shore.

And they finally understood—

The greatest miracle in life was not traveling through time to change destiny.

It was that, after countless missed opportunities, they could still find each other again.