"When are you going back to D City?" Mu Jingyan asked Ruolin while waiting for the bus at the bus stop.
"I can only leave with peace of mind after my mother's surgery the day after tomorrow," Ruolin said with some worry. All surgeries carry risks, especially complex procedures like heart bypass surgery.
“I happen to be staying here until the 28th. If I go to be with you on the day of your mother’s surgery, you won’t mind, will you?” Looking at Ruolin’s tired face, Mu Jingyan really wanted to share some of her burden.
"..." Ruolin had imagined her mother's state after she was wheeled into the operating room. Would she nervously peer into the operating room, pace back and forth in the corridor to ease her anxiety, or sit on a bench outside the operating room, weeping as she waited for the results?
In fact, she needed a warm chest, she needed strong hands, and she needed the strength to support her body and prevent it from collapsing.
Because deep down she was terrified—terrified of the surgery failing, and even more afraid of losing her loved ones.
"If it's difficult for you, I won't force you..." Seeing that Ruolin didn't reply for a long time, Mu Jingyan had no choice but to compromise. She was still so stubborn, always using outward strength to cover up her inner vulnerability. This really worried him.
“I would be extremely grateful if you could come,” Ruolin said.
Ruolin's words surprised Mu Jingyan.
"Actually, the person who should be thanking you is me. I am honored to be by your side and help you through this difficult time." Mu Jingyan's lips moved, but he swallowed the words back.
Sitting on the bus to the hospital, Ruolin's thoughts drifted far away. She hadn't expected to be able to face Mu Jingyan so calmly, and so familiarly and warmly, like an old friend. She couldn't understand why she had accepted his help. She wondered if she had overstepped her bounds, after all, he had a girlfriend…
A sudden ringtone interrupted Ruolin's reverie. She took her phone out of her bag. Staring at the name on the screen, she hesitated for a moment before pressing the answer button.
Han, you're lucky today. If I hadn't been watching fireworks with my childhood sweetheart and been in a good mood, I wouldn't have paid any attention to you!
"Is your mother feeling better?" Han Haoxuan's voice came from the other end of the phone after the call connected.
"It's alright. Is there anything I can help you with?" Ruolin asked, sounding a little impatient.
"When will you be back?" Han Haoxuan asked with a hint of anticipation in his voice.
"I don't think I need to tell you when I'm going back, do I?" Although she answered his call, Ruolin didn't want to get too involved with him. "Also, didn't I tell you not to contact me anymore? Why do you keep calling me?"
"What you say is your business, what I do is my business," Han Haoxuan said nonchalantly.
"Whatever." Ruolin couldn't do anything about it.
"..." Han Haoxuan was silent for a moment, then smiled and said, "I'll wait for you to come back."
Ruolin truly couldn't understand what Han Haoxuan was thinking. She wasn't his mistress, yet he said things that sent chills down her spine. He knew perfectly well that Xinyu had feelings for him, yet he treated her like this. Xinyu wasn't any less beautiful than her, and her family background was better. Moreover, Xinyu had told her that his mother had met her and was very satisfied with her. Ruolin just couldn't understand why he wouldn't cherish such a good woman in front of him, but instead chose to pursue her. She couldn't comprehend it, so she assumed he was just temporarily confused and would eventually come to his senses.
"I hope you can cherish Xinyu. She is my good friend, and I will not allow you to hurt her," Ruolin said, emphasizing her words slightly.
"I won't hurt anyone; I only cherish those I should cherish," Han Haoxuan said softly.
"..." Ruolin was momentarily stunned, her hand holding the phone trembling slightly. She felt a warm current coming from the other end of the line, as if it were about to erode her and reach her heart. She composed herself, gripped the phone tightly, and said in a slightly trembling voice, soft but clear, "Then... you must cherish Xinyu."
Perhaps Ruolin understood the person Han Haoxuan cherished, but she was determined to thwart his idea. She wanted to tell him, again and again, that Xinyu was his ideal partner. And she, she was just a poor girl burdened with debt.
"I think you know who I should cherish," Han Haoxuan said firmly.
"..." Ruolin didn't understand why Han Haoxuan was always so confident, always thinking that his ideas were right. However, she still had to admit that he was a smart man who could read other people's minds. But, meeting someone like that wasn't good either; she couldn't hide what she was thinking.
"Where are you now? Why is it so noisy?" Han Haoxuan heard the noisy voice coming from the receiver during a break in Ruolin's silence.
"On the bus." Ruolin leaned her head back on the seat with a helpless expression, rubbing her forehead with her hand, looking dejected.
"Taking a bus to see the night view at night?" Han Haoxuan said jokingly, "It's really romantic to be with some handsome guy."
“It’s not just one handsome guy, it’s a whole group.” Ruolin looked around at the people around her. Actually, none of them were handsome, but she still said it, as if she was deliberately trying to compete with Han Haoxuan.
"Am I as handsome as you?" Han Haoxuan smiled.
"..." Ruolin was speechless and didn't want to continue talking to him, so she said, "Could you please stop saying such boring things in the future?"
"You've been taking care of your mother these past few days, haven't you? Take care of yourself and don't overwork yourself." Han Haoxuan ignored Ruolin's words, changed the subject, and his tone became gentle.
"Thank you." Ruolin didn't want to argue with him anymore; perhaps a simple polite remark was the best response.
When Ruolin arrived at the hospital, her younger sister and their neighbor, Aunt Sun, were both there.
Aunt Sun noticed that Ruolin didn't look well, probably because she wasn't getting enough sleep, so she told Ruolin and her younger sister Ruowen to go back and rest, saying that she could take care of things here.
Ruolin initially insisted on staying there, but after a while at the hospital, she couldn't hold on any longer and fell asleep by the bedside.
Aunt Sun said that it would be easy to catch a cold that way and insisted that she go back. She couldn't persuade her otherwise, so she had no choice but to go home with her sister.
After returning home, Ruolin took a quick shower and went to bed to rest.
The summer night was still a bit muggy. A warm breeze blew in from the window, making her feel hot and restless. She tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
She couldn't understand why she was so sleepy at the hospital, but not at all when she got home. Perhaps she had passed her peak sleepiness threshold, perhaps it was because home was more stuffy than the hospital, or perhaps some worry was starting to bother her again.
Ruolin couldn't understand why Han Haoxuan wouldn't give up on her despite her treatment of him, and why he kept pestering her.
Actually, sometimes, late at night, she would unconsciously think of Han Haoxuan. He usually had a refined and elegant demeanor, but sometimes he liked to joke around and act mischievously. However, overall, he was a fairly composed man…
STOP! Ruolin told herself to stop thinking about it.
All she hopes now is that Han Haoxuan will treat Xinyu well and that they will become a happy couple.
However, she didn't know that love cannot be forced, and whether or not you can be together is not up to one person, but rather depends on the wishes of both people.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Report pornographic and reactionary information
Report score manipulation
On the day Zhou Li had surgery, Mu Jingyan arrived at the hospital early.
Seeing Ruolin's haggard expression, Mu Jingyan felt heartbroken. He gently patted her shoulder and comforted her, "Don't worry, it's nothing. The doctor who performed the surgery is a cardiologist. Your aunt will be fine."
He spoke so gently and slowly that Ruolin felt as if she had received a reassurance and was no longer so nervous.
The corridor outside the operating room was eerily quiet, so quiet it felt suffocating.
Ruolin's palms were already sweaty. She leaned against the bench, her brow furrowed, her face showing unease.
Suddenly, a long, warm hand reached out and grasped her somewhat bewildered hand. She heard Mu Jingyan's voice: "I'm here with you, don't be afraid. Everything will be alright."
Ruolin didn't flinch, but simply leaned weakly against Mu Jingyan's shoulder. She was tired, really tired.
Even though the hospital was filled with the strong smell of Lysol, Ruolin could still smell a faint minty scent on Mu Jingyan, like the smell of shower gel.
The man she had secretly loved for so long seemed to have matured, yet he also seemed unchanged. At certain moments, he would inevitably remind her of the past when she was moved by him.
The wait was extremely long, feeling like an eternity.
Finally, the operating room door opened, and the surgeon came out. As soon as he took off his mask, Ruolin rushed up and asked, "Doctor, how is my mother?"
"Very good, everything went smoothly."
A huge weight was lifted from Ruolin's heart. However, after hearing the doctor's words, she couldn't hear anything else. Her vision went black, and she collapsed to the ground.
When Ruolin woke up, she found herself lying on a hospital bed, surrounded by white. What was going on? Her mother should be lying in the bed, so why was it her?
Ruolin was about to get up when someone held her down.
"You're still on an IV drip, don't move around," Mu Jingyan said gently, stopping Ruolin from sitting up.
"How is my mother doing now?" Ruolin asked anxiously.
"She's fine. Ruowen and Aunt Sun are taking care of her, so you don't need to worry. Focus on getting better first."
"What's wrong with me?" Ruolin looked at the IV tube in confusion.
"You suddenly fainted just now. The doctor said it was due to lack of sleep, too much stress, and overwork. You'll be fine after some IV fluids and a good rest."
"This time... I've troubled you so much." Ruolin looked up at Mu Jingyan's face and said gratefully.
"You're too kind! We've known each other for so many years!"
"About the surgery fee..." Ruolin wanted to say that it might take a long time to pay off the surgery fee.
"I'm not in a hurry, you can pay it back slowly. A large part of that money was left to me by my parents for my wedding, and I haven't thought about getting married yet. So just pay it back to me before I get married." Mu Jingyan quickly interrupted Ruolin.
"This... how can I accept this? Isn't this delaying your marriage? And taking away the money you were saving for your wedding..." Ruolin was conflicted.
"I'm still young, and I'm not in a rush to get married. Besides... even if I wanted to get married, I wouldn't be able to find a suitable partner anytime soon!"
Huh? He doesn't have a girlfriend now? Then who was that girl he was holding hands with at the party last year? Did they break up? Or did she misunderstand him, and that girl wasn't his girlfriend at all?
However, whether he had a girlfriend or not shouldn't be her concern. She just didn't want to delay his marriage; if he couldn't get married because of his lack of money, then it would be her fault.
I don't want to think about it anymore. I'll just work harder to earn money and pay him back after I recover.
Zhou Li's surgery was a success, and her health gradually improved, with her complexion becoming rosy again.
Ruolin can finally leave here with peace of mind and return to City D.
The magazine editor-in-chief called twice, ostensibly to inquire about Ruolin's mother, but actually to ask when she could return to work. It's understandable; after all, she'd been on leave for two weeks, which had indeed caused her to miss a lot of work—she hadn't even written a single word of Han Haoxuan's interview transcript. Having finally been promoted from process editor to columnist for the brand section, she should have worked even harder to live up to the editor-in-chief's trust.
Coincidentally, the day she returned was also the day Mu Jingyan returned to D City. The two could keep each other company.
In fact, Mu Jingyan had already finished his business and could have left earlier, but he was worried about Ruolin's health on the way, so he asked his unit for a few more days off and planned to leave with Ruolin.
He had originally intended to buy two plane tickets, but knowing Ruolin's personality, he decided against it. If he were to cover her travel expenses, she would definitely refuse; but if she were to pay for them herself, given her current situation, it would seem a bit extravagant.
So he consulted Ruolin and bought two train tickets with adjacent seats.
As evening fell, Ruolin and Mu Jingyan boarded a train bound for D City.
As darkness fell outside the car window, Ruolin's drowsiness began to creep in.
She was exhausted during this period, staying by her mother's side for several nights. Her mother urged her to go back, but she was afraid that her mother might not be able to find anyone to help her at night, so she refused to go back and stayed by her mother's side. Although she was tired, she felt that it was worth doing anything for her mother.
She drew the curtains and gently rested her head against them. With her eyes half-closed, she drifted off to sleep, looking like a well-behaved child.
She didn't know how much time had passed when Ruolin woke up from the cold; the air conditioning in the carriage was too strong.
She opened her eyes slightly and found that she was leaning on Mu Jingyan's shoulder!
She didn't know if he was asleep; he just leaned motionless against his seat. She was hesitant to move, afraid of waking him—how embarrassing that would be. Although she had lingered on his broad shoulders for a moment when her mother had surgery, the situation was different then.
Her right arm gently pressed against his left arm; she could feel the warmth of his arm, unlike her own, which was icy cold. She had never been so close to him before, and her heart began to race. She could smell the faint, refreshing scent of mint emanating from him.
She could imagine that their posture, leaning against each other like that, must have been quite intimate, like that of a couple. Thinking of this, her face involuntarily flushed. Thankfully, the only light in the car now was a small lamp by the window, making it somewhat dim.
The car's air conditioning was constantly blowing out, and Ruolin couldn't help but shiver. This action startled her, and she thought she might wake Mu Jingyan, but thankfully she didn't.
She held her breath, slowly moving her head away from his shoulder with utmost gentleness, then gradually removing her arm, finally leaving that warm place. She let out a long sigh of relief, calming her racing heart.
Then, she slightly raised her eyes and looked at Mu Jingyan beside her. He was sleeping peacefully. Ruolin's tense heart slowly relaxed.
She looked at him closely: his eyebrows and eyes were clear and bright, his skin was as smooth as jade, his eyelashes were black, his nose was straight and his lips were thin. His face was illuminated by the dim light, making it look a little unreal. He was so handsome, like a beautiful ink painting.
She had never looked at him so closely before. Perhaps only when he was asleep did she dare to look at him so openly.