When Mrs. Zhang arrived, she found Hailey Tang sitting up in bed, her gaze blank, lost in thought.
"Miss, what happened?" Mrs. Zhang rushed to her side, her voice trembling with worry. "Why are you hurt like this?"
Hailey smiled faintly, as if to ease her concern. "It's nothing serious. I just… ran into some trouble."
She gave a brief account of the incident. Even with her light tone, the details were enough to make Mrs. Zhang's face pale with fear.
"Oh my goodness! You must never go out alone at night again," Mrs. Zhang scolded, her voice motherly and tight with emotion. "It's too dangerous."
"I won't. I promise," Hailey replied softly, nodding.
Mrs. Zhang hesitated for a moment before asking, "Did they catch the attacker?"
"I'm not sure," Hailey murmured. "I don't think so."
Just then, Jo Ning arrived in a rush, out of breath.
"Hailey! Are you alright? Is it serious?" Jo Ning cried, running to her bedside, eyes filled with panic.
She couldn't be blamed for arriving so late—she hadn't been able to sleep all night, and when she finally dozed off at dawn, she'd overslept.
"I'm okay," Hailey reassured her with a soft smile. "Just a minor injury. What about you? Were you hurt?"
Jo Ning blinked, caught off guard. Of all the people involved, Hailey was the only one who'd asked if she was alright. Her nose stung with emotion.
"I'm fine," she said, her voice catching. "But Hailey, if something had happened to you, I'd never forgive myself. You got hurt saving me—"
"Jo Ning, we're both safe. That's what matters most," Hailey interrupted gently, not allowing guilt to take root. "Don't dwell on it."
Jo Ning nodded, smiling through the wet sheen in her eyes. "You're right. That's the most important thing."
The two women exchanged a glance and a smile before the conversation turned to other topics.
Eventually, Hailey brought up the divorce.
"Jo Ning, Ethan and I will be officially divorced soon. But don't worry, I'll still ask him about your documentary project. I don't think he'll say no—especially since you're Xiyang's sister."
"What? Miss, you're getting a divorce?!" Mrs. Zhang gasped before Jo Ning could even react.
Jo Ning's eyes widened as she turned to Hailey. "Wait—Hailey, are you serious?"
Hailey nodded. "Yes. The divorce papers are already signed."
Mrs. Zhang looked like she'd just been struck by lightning. "But… why? How could this happen so suddenly? You love the young master so much…"
Hailey could only offer a soft explanation. "There's no love left between us. It's better this way—for both of us."
Mrs. Zhang was still in disbelief. She had always thought Hailey would love Ethan Yu to the grave. After all, hadn't she clung to him so desperately before?
She couldn't understand it. Ethan hadn't cheated or abandoned Hailey—why was she giving up now?
But no one knew what Hailey had truly endured.
Jo Ning, too, fell silent, but her face was filled with worry.
"Hailey… I've been thinking," Jo Ning said hesitantly, "I'll drop the documentary. I don't want to make things harder for you. I can find another subject—it doesn't have to be this one."
Hailey shook her head with a smile. "You love this project, right? Then go for it. Don't worry about me. I'll just ask him—if he says no, I won't push."
"But even asking might be difficult," Jo Ning said carefully. "You're getting divorced…"
Hailey laughed. "So? Just because we're no longer married doesn't mean we can't speak like civil human beings."
Jo Ning sighed. "Just promise me you won't do anything that puts you in an awkward position."
"I promise," Hailey said without hesitation.
After a long visit, Jo Ning finally left the hospital. Once she was gone, Hailey hesitated a moment before picking up her phone and dialing Ethan's number.