Amid the dense crowd, Kiyan ran like a man possessed and finally grabbed hold of Huan Jing.
Kiyan (panting heavily):
"Huan Jing! Stop! You can't just leave without saying anything!"
Huan Jing halted, but her back remained turned toward him. Slowly, she twisted her neck and looked at him over her shoulder. Rage and deep, festering pain were clearly reflected in her eyes.
Huan Jing:
"What is left to talk about now, Kiyan? I considered Aanya my best friend… but she hid something this big from me? She has been Zhen Yan's wife for two whole months! I know exactly how she must have spent those two months, yet she didn't say a single word to me!"
Kiyan stepped forward, trying to hold her hands, but Huan Jing stepped back sharply.
Huan Jing:
"And you? You used me on Zhen's instructions just to fulfill your objective? All of you together turned me into a puppet!"
Kiyan's heart sank.
Driven by emotion, he tried to pull Huan Jing into an embrace. For a brief moment, Huan Jing froze. The stiffness in her body eased, as if she only wanted to hear Kiyan's heartbeat once…
But the very next second, she shoved him away with all her strength.
Mei Wei's Intervention
Before Kiyan could say anything again, Mei Wei arrived like a predator. A sly, venomous smile curved her lips.
Mei Wei:
"Let her go, Kiyan. Someone who doesn't trust you isn't worth stopping."
She stepped between them, clearing Huan Jing's path while blocking Kiyan. She gestured toward Huan Jing, urging her to leave.
Huan Jing took one last look at Kiyan—and at Aanya approaching from a distance.
Huan Jing (coldly):
"It's already too late."
She picked up her bag and hurried toward the boarding gate. Kiyan shouted after her, but Mei Wei gripped his arm tightly, preventing him from moving forward.
Aanya Reaches Her
Aanya came running and finally caught up to Huan Jing, grabbing her hand. Her breathing was ragged, and the cold had made her throat hoarse.
The airport was in complete chaos.
"Passengers of Flight CZ301, please proceed to Boarding Gate 12."
The announcement echoed through the terminal. The rattling of suitcase wheels and the endless crowd surrounded them, but for Aanya, everything had come to a standstill.
Aanya (trembling):
"Huan Jing! Stop… please listen to me. I admit I hid the truth, but try to understand my helplessness. I didn't want to lose you. I was afraid that if you found out I was the wife of the man you hate, you'd walk away from me."
Tears welled up in Huan Jing's eyes. Aanya held her tightly, as if refusing to let her go.
Aanya:
"What I endured for those two months… only I know. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to burden you with my pain. Please, don't break our years of friendship over this misunderstanding."
Outside the Gate: Zhen and Kiyan
Outside, Kiyan was completely frantic, trying to rush inside, but Zhen grabbed his shoulder and stopped him. Zhen's face was calm, but his grip was iron-tight.
Zhen:
"Kiyan, stop. Let them talk. This is about their friendship. If we interfere, it will only make things worse. They need to face each other—only then can everything be cleared."
Helplessly, Kiyan stared through the glass gate, where Aanya and Huan Jing stood face to face. Zhen stood silently beside him, his gaze fixed on Aanya—watching how much courage she was summoning to save her friend.
Zhen Confronts Mei Wei
When Zhen saw Mei Wei still trying to provoke Kiyan and worsen the situation, he finally lost control. He grabbed Mei Wei's wrist sharply and dragged her aside.
Zhen (roaring):
"How dare you come here and create chaos? Mei Wei, I understand every one of your schemes. Leave quietly right now, or the consequences will be severe!"
Mei Wei's face flushed with rage and hatred. She twisted her wrist free and turned toward Kiyan.
Mei Wei:
"Don't try to threaten me, Zhen! And Kiyan, listen carefully—if you try to stop Huan Jing, I'll expose the truth you and Zhen are hiding. You only used her!"
Zhen tried to interrupt, but Mei Wei's venomous smile enraged him further. She looked like a wounded lioness, ready to destroy everything.
Inside: Aanya's Desperation
Inside the terminal, Aanya was in a miserable state. She stood before Huan Jing with folded hands, tears flowing uncontrollably.
Aanya:
"Huan Jing, please… I'm begging you. Don't go. I'll be completely alone. Are our years of friendship really smaller than this one truth?"
Huan Jing removed Aanya's hands from her arms. Her eyes were stone-cold.
Huan Jing (heavy voice):
"Aanya, this isn't about the truth being small. It's about trust. You kept me in deception. You let me listen to stories of the house you yourself lived in. It feels like I was never your friend—just a spectator in your life."
Aanya's face was red from crying. She began sneezing again, but her health didn't matter to her.
Aanya:
"No, Huan! That's not—"
Huan Jing looked at her. Aanya's nose was red from the cold, and she was trembling badly.
Aanya:
"I was scared! I could lose to that man… but I didn't have the courage to lose you."
The final boarding call echoed.
Huan Jing took a deep breath.
Huan Jing:
"Enough, Aanya. It's too late now. My plane is about to leave."
She turned and walked toward the gate. Aanya was sitting on the ground on her knees, her body trembling uncontrollably.
"Huan Jing, please… don't go," her voice was getting drowned out in the noise.
Huan Jing's steps faltered, but her self-respect stopped her from turning back. As she moved toward the final line of the boarding gate, she did not realize that a dark shadow was following her through the crowd. Mei Wei's hired criminal was hiding a solid weapon like a heavy brass "paperweight" in his hand. His intention was to injure her with an attack and create chaos.
The Fatal Attack and Aanya's Sacrifice
The attacker quickened his pace. Just as he raised his hand from behind to strike Huan Jing's head, Aanya's eyes fell on him.
"Huan Jing! Move!" Aanya's scream echoed throughout the entire terminal.
Aanya ran with all her strength. She forcefully pushed Huan Jing out of the way. The attacker, who had already committed to the strike, lost his balance. To remove Aanya from his path, he shoved her with full force toward a nearby concrete pillar and struck with the weapon in his hand.
Aanya raised her hands to protect herself, but the shove was so powerful that her head slammed directly into the sharp edge of the pillar.
"Dhapaak!"
A terrifying sound rang out. Aanya's body fell lifelessly to the ground. The white muffler that Zhen had made her wear—just moments ago a symbol of purity—was now soaking up deep red blood. Blood flowed from her temple and spread across the floor.
Police Action and Chaos
The attacker tried to flee.
"Catch him! He's running!" screams erupted in the crowd.
CISF and police forces deployed at the airport sprang into action immediately. A momentary silence fell over the airport, which instantly turned into screams and chaos.
"Attacker! Catch him!" someone shouted.
The attacker tried to run toward the escalator, cutting through the crowd. He shoved a female passenger and attempted to break through the security cordon. But at that very moment, the CISF and airport police stationed at the terminal moved swiftly.
"Stop! Don't move!" a police officer shouted a warning.
When the attacker tried to hide, a vigilant constable ran from behind and slammed him to the ground. Twisting his wrist, the weapon was thrown aside and handcuffs were snapped onto him. The crowd began to surround them, but the police immediately formed a security ring.
A Breaking Huan Jing
Huan Jing was in shock. She saw Aanya lying on the ground, her eyes slowly closing as she struggled to breathe. She ran to Aanya and placed her head in her lap.
"Aanya! Aanya, open your eyes!" Huan Jing's hands were soaked in Aanya's warm blood.
"Forgive me… what have I done! Guards! Call an ambulance! Someone help!"
With trembling hands, Aanya clutched Huan Jing's jacket. Her lips moved,
"Don't… don't go… being alone is scary…"
Huan Jing burst into loud sobs. She dropped her bag and passport right there.
"I'm not going anywhere, Aanya. Never. Just keep your eyes open!"
On the cold marble floor of the airport terminal, Aanya lay motionless. The noise, screams, and the sound of hurried footsteps were slowly fading into a distant blur in her ears. Thick, dark-red blood flowing from her temple had completely soaked the white muffler that Zain had wrapped around her neck only moments earlier—with such possessiveness and concern.
Darkness was closing in before Aanya's eyes, yet within her slipping consciousness, one final image surfaced. She remembered that moment in the villa, when Zhen had knelt on the floor near her feet, tying the laces of her shoes. She remembered his stern yet deeply worried voice—
"You will not take this muffler off. Do you understand?"
A faint, painful smile flickered across Aanya's lips. With trembling hands, she clutched the blood-soaked muffler tightly around her neck. It was no longer just a piece of wool; it had become the embodiment of Zhen's unspoken love and protection—feelings he may never have found the words to express.
Softly, her heart called out, "Zhen…"
And then her eyes closed.
Huan Jing's scream tore through the silence.
"Aanya! No!"
With shaking hands, Huan Jing grabbed the ends of the muffler around Aanya's neck and pressed them firmly against the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. Her own clothes and hands were stained red with Aanya's blood.
"Aanya, look at me! I'm not going anywhere! An ambulance—someone call an ambulance!" she screamed like a madwoman.
Chaos erupted all around. People were frantically dialing emergency numbers on their phones.
"Hello! Please reach Airport Terminal 1 immediately! A girl here has been critically injured!" 1