Screams erupted.

Guests scattered in a blind panic.

The officiant was so terrified he dove straight under a chair.

Ethan held Clara close, his expression contorted in pain.

Clara looked down at his bleeding abdomen and turned pale with horror, frantically shouting for someone to call the police and an ambulance.

Realizing that two people had charged the stage, she frantically scanned the room for Lulu.

Lulu was being shielded beneath a tall figure, while security guards struggled to restrain the assailant.

When the attacker's hat was pulled back, it revealed Mia—a face they hadn't seen in a long time.

Her face was a mask of madness, and even as she was pinned down, she screamed, "You all deserve to die!"

With a sudden burst of strength, she shoved the guards aside, grabbed a bottle of alcohol from a nearby table, and smashed it directly onto the burning charcoal of the buffet heaters.

BOOM—

The fire flared up instantly.

The guards could no longer focus on the suspect as everyone fled for their lives.

Clara desperately propped up a semi-conscious Ethan, struggling toward the exit.

The fire grew rapidly, and thick smoke began to billow through the hall.

Ethan rasped out, "Go... get out of here. Leave me."

She gritted her teeth and dragged him forward. Just as she moved to reach for Lulu, she saw the tall figure who had shielded the girl swaying as he stood up, covered in blood.

It was Arthur.

Cradling Lulu and ignoring the blood streaming from his head, he looked toward Clara. Without a moment's hesitation, he strode over, hoisted Ethan onto his shoulder with one free hand, and roared at Clara, "Go! Now!"

He carried them both and ran for the exit.

The moment they reached the doorway, a heavy sign crashed down from above, pinning Arthur’s legs to the ground.

Clara dragged Lulu and Ethan to a safe area and immediately dashed back. She pulled at Arthur with everything she had, finally managing to drag him free.

At the limit of her strength, she heard Arthur give a strained smile and murmur, "You... you saved my life again," before he lost consciousness.

Clara, having inhaled too much smoke and exhausted her physical limits, also collapsed.

When she woke up, the air was filled with the din of voices, and the ceiling above was a dull yellow.

A checking nurse explained the situation in accented Mandarin: "You're doing okay, but you have old injuries, so you must rest."

Clara opened her mouth to speak, but her voice was hoarse. She asked with difficulty, "The men brought in with me... how are they?"

The nurse replied, "There were two. Which one do you mean? One was stabbed twice; he was resuscitated and is in the ICU. The other was also stabbed twice and is still being operated on; I'm afraid he might not make it."

Though it felt selfish, Clara prayed the one in surgery wasn't Ethan.

Despite the nurse’s insistence that she stay in bed, she dragged herself to the ICU. Looking through the glass at the face inside, her heart stopped for a beat.

It was Arthur in the ICU. Then where was Ethan?

Clara’s mind went blank as she stumbled toward the operating room.

Ignoring all medical advice, she pushed open the doors and saw a flat line on the heart monitor. Tears surged forth. "Ethan! Wake up! You have to wake up!"

Doctors scrambled to usher her out, but Clara, overcome by physical weakness and emotional shock, fainted again.

Two days later, Clara opened her eyes to the sound of soft breathing.

She turned her head slightly to find Lulu curled up beside her, sleeping quietly. The girl’s face was crumpled, looking deeply unsettled.

Guilt flooded Clara’s heart, wondering how the little one had endured the last few days.

She stroked Lulu’s head. The girl jerked awake, and upon seeing Clara, her tears flowed instantly as she hugged Clara’s neck in silent sobs.

Once Lulu had calmed down, Clara asked, "Where is your Papa?"

She was terrified of the answer.

Lulu looked up and pointed outside. "Behind the glass."

He survived?

Overjoyed but cautious from her previous scare, Clara steadied her breathing and walked out.

Through the glass, she saw Ethan’s pale face, his body connected to various tubes.

The man who had been softly reciting his vows one moment had become this in the next!

After confirming Ethan’s condition, Clara went straight to the police station.

The police informed her that the two assailants had died in the fire. They needed her to identify them to rule out a random attack.

Clara looked at the two photos. One was Mia. The other... was the man from the alley behind the bar.

It seemed they had both harbored deep grudges.

To think that these two pieces of trash nearly cost her her entire future.

Clara asked in a low voice, "Are you sure they both burned to death?"

The officer nodded, adding with regret, "I'm sorry your wedding ended like this."

She shook her head, said nothing more, and returned to the hospital.

Leo’s small figure sat stiffly outside a ward. Seeing her return, he stood up immediately. "Ma... Auntie Clara, are you going to see my Dad?"

By all rights, since Arthur had saved Lulu, Clara—as Lulu's mother—should visit him.

But she didn't want to.

Mia and Arthur were inextricably linked; if it weren't for Arthur, things never would have escalated to this point.

Lulu understood her mother's heart. She turned to Leo and said, "The uncle saved me. I should thank him. I'll go with you."

Leo still looked at Clara expectantly. She looked away and said, "Go with Lulu. She can represent me."

With that said, Leo had no choice but to leave with Lulu.

A week later, Ethan was moved to a general ward. On the day he finally opened his eyes, Clara rushed to his side and wept at his bedside.

Ethan lifted a weak hand and gently stroked her head, his voice raspy. "Why the tears? Making it back alive is the greatest blessing of all."

He remained in the hospital for a month.

During that month, Clara cared for him with meticulous devotion.

In another ward just a short distance away, Arthur lay alone, with only Leo occasionally helping him with clumsy hands.

Arthur would sometimes see Clara passing by hurriedly with supplies, or helping Ethan walk slowly during his recovery.

Only now did he truly experience the feeling Clara must have had back then—clinging to life only to be left alone in a hospital.

He deserved this.

Until one day, Clara passed his door again and looked genuinely surprised. "Are you staying in this room?"

Arthur froze, and after a long moment, he let out a self-deprecating laugh.

He had once thought her absence was a deliberate punishment; he hadn't realized that she simply hadn't thought of him at all.

He nodded. "Yes."

But when Clara eventually stopped by to drop off some water for him, there was only an empty bed.

As for where he went, she didn't look into it further.

On the day of Ethan’s discharge, Clara and Lulu celebrated with streamers and a sense of ceremony.

The three of them left the hospital happily, their joy giving a bit of hope to the patients who remained.

Only after they were gone did Leo push Arthur’s wheelchair out, watching their happy, harmonious silhouettes from behind.

A guide came over to help, but Arthur shook his head. He finalized his discharge and left in silence.

Time flew, and soon the first snow fell.

Ethan had finally recovered completely, and the three of them had moved on from the shadow of the fire.

The family of three went out together to enjoy the excitement and romance of the first snow.

Ethan seemed slightly distracted, his hand nervously rubbing something in his pocket.

The ring that was never given during the wedding remained a thorn in his heart. He had prepared a surprise for today, unsure of how Clara would react.

They walked to a quiet spot, and Ethan stopped under a bright streetlamp.

Clara turned back curiously. "What is it?"

Seeing him holding his abdomen, she thought his wound was hurting again. "Does it hurt?"

Ethan withdrew his hand, revealing an open box. Inside, a ring sparkled.

"Will you be my wife?"

Clara stared at him in shock. By the time she came to her senses, her face was covered in tears.

She covered her mouth to compose herself and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, I will."

She held out her hand.

Ethan solemnly placed the ring on her middle finger. He then kissed the base of her missing ring finger and smiled. "Let my kiss take the place of the ring there."

Clara was beyond words, sobbing with joy.

Lulu wiped Clara's tears with one hand and fished out another man's ring with the other, stuffing it into Clara's palm. "Now it's your turn to give Papa his ring!"

With blurry eyes and trembling hands, it took several tries before Clara could steadily slide the ring onto his finger.

Ethan let out a long sigh of relief and pulled her into a hug. "I thought you were testing me."

They embraced under the streetlamp, their rings shining brightly.

Lulu used her phone to capture this precious, warm moment.

In the shadows where the lamplight couldn't reach, Leo pushed Arthur’s wheelchair. The two of them watched the romance in silence, their eyes red.

When Leo saw Ethan kiss Clara’s scarred hand, he finally couldn't help but sob quietly. "I shouldn't have said those things to Mama... I'm the worst kid in the world..."

Arthur placed a large hand on Leo’s head and said hoarsely, "Dad is the worst adult in the world, too."

But fortunately, just like in the stories, the villains received their permanent punishment, and the good people found a happiness that would last forever.

[THE END]