The elevator carried Han Shu straight down. Once outside the building, Lao Hu's car was already waiting. Only then did Han Shu realize that he was still holding the paper cup of water in his hand. As he passed the trash can, he threw the cup into it, took a deep breath, and then another deep breath, before walking toward the car with a normal expression.
Chapter Seventeen: Palm Prints are the Most Variable Feature
The white car with blue lettering belonging to the procuratorate disappeared from sight. Ju Nian stopped, slightly lifted a corner of the curtain, and then let it fall.
Tang Ye curled up in his single sofa. His house, like him, seemed to have suffered a kind of post-disaster chaos. After Teng Yun left, the place was already a mess, and after Han Shu and the others searched it, it truly looked like a storm had passed through.
Now, everything finally returned to calm, though everyone knew this calm was only temporary. But how precious was this moment of respite. Tang Ye heard the slight rustling of the heavy curtains falling from her hands. Suddenly, he didn't know how to face this unusually quiet woman. Gratitude? A sigh? Or perhaps he should offer an explanation, but he simply couldn't find the words. He was caught in a tangled mess; how could he possibly begin?
However, at this moment, Ju Nian had already walked back and forth in the kitchen. She walked towards Tang Ye, effortlessly stepping over the tilted coffee table and the scattered books and papers on the floor, and stopped beside Tang Ye, bending down slightly.
Tang Ye thought she would at least ask, "Why?"
But she simply said, "The porridge is ready, have some."
Just minutes before, she had witnessed the stern-faced prosecutors conducting a ruthless search of her home; just minutes before, she had watched as she awkwardly encountered the person who had been harassing her. In this upheaval and chaos, she had so much to say, so much to do, yet she seemed to be calmly enjoying a carefully prepared bowl of porridge on a peaceful afternoon.
Tang Ye hesitated for a moment, then took the bowl from her with both hands. The porridge had already cooled down.
"Ju Nian, thank you. If it weren't for you, I really wouldn't know..." Tang Ye said softly.
"No, you know that."
Tang Muran looked up at the person standing beside him. Ju Nian was facing away from the window, and he couldn't even see her expression for a moment. Her voice was as gentle and calm as a still lake, as if she were calmly stating a fact that everyone knew all too well.
"Tang Ye, you knew I would come, and perhaps you also knew Teng Yun would come, Han Shu would come... Too many coincidences. Is this the outcome you wanted?"
Tang Ye felt a surge of energy rise in his throat, and he remained silent.
“You’re still considering Mr. Teng’s feelings, and I think I can understand that. But Han Shu’s temper…aren’t you afraid of making things worse?”
“Ju Nian, believe me, things can’t get any worse. Maybe I’ll escape sooner or later, but at least I can buy some more time.”
"Do you need time, or do you need time to manage that money?" Ju Nian couldn't understand why someone like Tang Ye would take such a risk for money that didn't belong to him.
You can despise me, and I often ask myself how I got to where I am today. I used to look down on my colleague Wang Guohua, who jumped to his death, willing to be manipulated for such petty gains. But later I realized that when you're in that position, there are countless things you can't control if there's even the slightest chance. Wang Guohua was doing it for his son's future, but I'm even more despicable than him.
"Has someone found out about you and Teng Yun?"
Tang Ye's hands unconsciously clenched and unclenched on the sofa armrest. Finally, he nodded. "I hate that kind of filthy, shameful thing, but I just can't break free from it. The most naive thing is that I once thought that as long as I had some money, I could run away with him. Actually, I didn't want much... One wrong step leads to another."
"But you've taken all the blame?" Ju Nian said this expected result with a calm that was tinged with sadness.
“I should have known this day would come. But Teng Yun still has a choice.”
"The place you agreed to meet, only he could get there by himself. Do you think that's for his own good?" Ju Nian inexplicably thought of herself, and of the boy who used to be by her side. He had once said, "Ju Nian, you deserve a better life." But he left, and she was all alone. He would never know what kind of life she longed for.
Tang Ye said, "Ju Nian, do you understand? Teng Yun and I can never reach the place we want to go. Even without these things, it still wouldn't be possible. I was too foolish to say we would go together. I forgot that I am a very worldly and cowardly person. When I encounter setbacks, I want to give up. I'm already tired."
Suddenly, Ju Nian asked, "Didn't you ever think about telling the truth, as Han Shu said, so that all the truth would come out and those who are truly greedy would receive the punishment they deserve?"
Tang Ye chuckled softly, "It's no use, Ju Nian. Do you know what it feels like to try to stop a chariot with your bare hands? Even Han Shu will eventually realize that it's all in vain."
Ju Nian remained silent. All the self-righteous resilience of the common people is actually vulnerable in the face of the strong. Moreover, what is more, waiting silently in the dark to see the joke is the truly powerful destiny.
After a long while, she heard Tang Ye say, "I'm sorry."
Ju Nian sighed, "The porridge is completely cold, are you sure you don't want to drink it?"
Tang Ye silently drank the bowl of cold porridge. Suddenly, he put down the bowl and grabbed Ju Nian's hand beside him, as if grasping at the last straw before drowning. Even his voice carried a hint of hope that he himself was uncertain about.
He said, "Ju Nian, if—and I mean if—I can get through this ordeal, then we'll be together. Not for anyone else, but just for ourselves to live a good life. I will take care of you for the rest of my life and give you and Fei Ming a home."
Ju Nian paused for a moment, then blushed and dodged away.
Tang Ye slowly released her hand, as if waking from a vivid dream. He gave a bitter smile, somewhat self-deprecating: "Actually, you could have agreed to it, just to comfort me, because the chances of me escaping it are really too small."
Ju Nian grabbed his hand again before it slipped away, turned it over, and squatted down to look at his palm.
The Mount of Venus was covered in a web of lines, and the heart line was broken—a palm reading she knew all too well. She held her breath and examined the rest of her hand more closely. Tang Ye's hand had thin, prominent veins. His fate line started at the Mount of Luna and ended below, composed of many small lines with branches along the way. The books said that people with this palm reading experienced many ups and downs in life, their fates extremely unpredictable. Fortunately, although the life line was quite winding, it was still relatively clear and deep. She vaguely remembered what this meant.
Ju Nian closed his hand. "I'm a superstitious person, and the lines on your palm tell me that you will definitely turn bad luck into good."
"Really?" Tang Ye himself couldn't believe it.
Ju Nian said, "Of course I will, because I'm waiting for your 'what if'."
The transfer notice came down quickly, and this was Fei Ming's last chance, as his health was deteriorating. Ju Nian didn't dare to delay for a moment, completed the necessary procedures, and transferred Fei Ming to the First People's Hospital that same day.
The transfer process went very smoothly. On the first day Fei Ming was admitted to the First People's Hospital, the hospital's expert team conducted a consultation and a comprehensive examination of her condition. Knowing that Fei Ming would not be discharged anytime soon and that there was a long-term battle to be fought in the hospital, Ju Nian prepared a lot of things, and Ping Feng also came to help.
As Han Shu stepped out of the elevator, he saw two women, covered in sweat, carrying a large box up the stairs on one side.
"Do you know that elevators have been a part of human civilization for a full 150 years?" Han Shu asked, still holding the "homework" he had brought out of the yard to take home, completely puzzled.
Pingfeng had never dealt with him before. She glanced at him but remained silent.
Ju Nian, her face flushed with exhaustion, explained, "There were many patients in wheelchairs in the elevator that came up. Since it's only the third floor, I thought it best not to squeeze in with the others."
After she finished speaking, she and Pingfeng focused intently on heading towards their target ward.
Han Shu was furious. He followed them for a couple of steps, but couldn't take it anymore, so he reminded them, "Hey, could you please pretend that there's a man here?"
Upon hearing this, the two people walking ahead had no choice but to put down what they were carrying and stop.
Ju Nian wiped her forehead with her hand; it was covered in sweat even in the dead of winter, but she still politely said, "No need."
Han Shu said, "I don't want to argue with a woman from ancient times like you."
Ju Nian hesitated for a moment. "In ancient times, there were no women, only algae and sponges."
Han Shu stared at her intently for a few seconds, then resolutely pushed her aside and shoved the file bag in his hand at her without a second thought. "I can't be bothered to talk to you, just take it."
The brown paper document bag was positioned right at Ju Nian's chest. Even though there were several layers of clothing between them, Ju Nian was still caught off guard and felt embarrassed. Her hand hesitated for a moment, and she could only hold onto one corner of the document bag. The opening facing down was not sealed properly, and several pages spilled out. She quickly squatted down to pick them up.
Han Shu clicked his tongue. "If I look at you a few more times, I really will degenerate into algae and sponges just like you."
"Then... if I'm in the Permian period, you're in the Sinian period."
"What's the meaning?"
Ju Nian looked up, gestured with her hand to indicate a great distance, and whispered, "Algae and sponges can be separated by hundreds of millions of years."
As they spoke, most of the scattered papers had been collected, except for one page that Pingfeng, who hadn't gotten involved at all, picked up. It had a group photo of several people pasted on it, and strangely, Pingfeng looked at it very carefully.
Han Shu coughed, and Ping Feng, as if waking from a dream, handed the photo back to Ju Nian.
"Is there a problem?" Han Shu asked politely.
"The person in the photo is..."
"You know someone in the photo?" Han Shu asked, feigning surprise. He had a keen eye; although he had never met Ping Feng before, he could guess her background. He was polite in front of Ju Nian, but whether he wanted to admit it or not, people were still divided into different classes, and the person in the photo and the person looking at the photo were definitely not on the same level.
Pingfeng smiled charmingly, her exquisitely painted red lips curving upwards: "How would I know? I was just asking."
Han Shu didn't press further. He instructed Ju Nian, "Make sure you take good care of my things." He then bent down to lift the cardboard box.
He hadn't expected it to be so heavy. He was careless when he first applied the weight and almost couldn't lift it. He swayed for a moment before regaining his balance and muttered, "Did you bring all the rocks from the Sinian Period?"
After finally arriving at Fei Ming's new ward, the group went inside, where a nurse was administering an IV drip to Fei Ming. After a period of hospitalization, the backs of Fei Ming's hands were covered with needle marks, leaving virtually no place to insert an IV. The nurse worked for a long time before finally managing to insert the needle through the inside of her left wrist.
The inside of the wrist is one of the most delicate parts of the skin on the entire body. Ju Nian could imagine how painful it would be to have such a thick needle inserted into it. When the needle went in, she turned her head away, unable to bear watching. Every muscle and joint in her body was tense. Fei Ming, however, didn't utter a sound. She lay on the bed, watching the nurse's movements as if someone else's hand was being manipulated. Her gaze inadvertently fell on Han Shu, and a smile finally bloomed on her pale face. Pain is something you can get used to.
After the nurse left, Han Shu sat down next to Fei Ming and said, "When I was little, I was terrified of injections. I'm not nearly as strong as Fei Ming. Good boy, just bear with it for a little longer. When you get better, I'll take you to lots of fun places."
Fei Ming said, "Uncle Han Shu, you look thinner, just like my aunt."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a slight movement from Ju Nian's side. Han Shu turned around and saw that Ju Nian was already tidying up her things with her back to them.
Han Shu continued to coax Fei Ming, "That's because Uncle Han Shu and Aunt Han Shu are worried about Fei Ming. When you get better, we'll get fat too."
He puffed out his cheeks, trying to cheer Fei Ming up.
Fei Ming closed her eyes, her breathing rapid and shallow. Just when everyone thought she had fallen asleep, she murmured, "Auntie, Uncle Han Shu, do you really like me?"
Ju Nian didn't turn around, and her tone was a little strange, "Is that even a question? Silly child."
But Fei Ming kept asking, relentlessly: "Then why do you like me?"
"Because you are the cutest little girl, how could we not like you?" Han Shu said with a smile.
Where is Auntie?
Ju Nian turned around and tried to force a smile: "Because you are the person your aunt is closest to."
Fei Ming nodded, but Ju Nian and Han Shu both noticed a hint of disappointment in the girl's face, which was emaciated from illness, though Fei Ming said nothing more. They had no doubt about their deep affection for the girl; they would gladly pluck the stars from the sky to make her happy and cure her illness. But they also didn't know what kind of answer this child was seeking.
Fei Ming fell into a deep sleep, and the time she spent in her coma grew longer and longer. Many times, her sleep became so long that her hands and feet turned icy cold, which made Ju Nian, who was watching over her, have the most terrifying thoughts. Ju Nian, who had been so worried before, began to desperately long for a surgery. There had to be a surgery to keep Fei Ming, even if the surgery would leave regrets, at least her child would be by her side, and she would have nothing left to lose.
Han Shu looked at Ju Nian, who sat beside Fei Ming for a long time, like a clay sculpture, as if her vitality was also waning little by little along with Fei Ming. He wanted to comfort Ju Nian with words, but she was a person with a clear mind, too easily seeing through his well-intentioned lies. However, if he tried to hug her, she would back away.
"How was the porridge that day?" he suddenly asked.
"Um?"
I thought you would leave with me.
"He's sick. Han Shu, actually I'm quite grateful to you for what happened that day."
"Tch." Han Shu chuckled awkwardly. Ping Feng went out to fetch water, leaving only them and the unconscious Fei Ming in the private ward. Finally, he asked anxiously, "If... I were my patient, would you cook me a bowl of porridge?"
"Why do you have to get involved even when I'm sick?" Ju Nian couldn't understand the young master's thinking.
Han Shu was sullen. He wasn't being foolish; he'd genuinely had such thoughts. Sometimes he found himself jealous of Wu Yu's disability, because because of Wu Yu's illness, Ju Nian always cherished him and could never let him go. Fei Ming received Ju Nian's meticulous care, and he had nothing to say about it. Yet even Tang Ye, though sickly, had won her pity. His mistake was being too healthy; from childhood to adulthood, his worst illness had been nothing more than a severe cold. He remembered clearly how pitifully Ju Nian pleaded for Tang Ye that day, though he repeatedly told himself it was just pity—but when had he ever received pity himself?
"After we leave, you and Tang Ye will continue drinking porridge?" What a clumsy attempt to test the waters.
Ju Nian glanced at him. "Yes, I read his palm."
"Then let me see it too." Han Shu suddenly got excited and begged her to open his hands.
“Aren’t you a thorough materialist?” Ju Nian naturally suspected his motives.
Han Shu still stretched out his hand expectantly. It was a young man's hand, clean and fair, with long, slender fingers, without any ugly calluses. The red marks from carrying heavy objects were still imprinted on it. Ju Nian also knew that, which was not visible at the moment, there were also wounds on the back of the hand from being hit with chopsticks.
"Just let me take a look, even just a casual glance is fine."
Ju Nian couldn't resist taking a look and, unsurprisingly, found his palm lines beautiful. Han Shu's success line originated from his fate line, extending straight and long, indicating that achievements, wealth, and prestige were not too difficult for him to obtain. The "Ten Ning" pattern appeared below his ring finger, signifying the support of benefactors and a life of success. The clear fate line, accompanied by secondary lines, indicated smooth sailing in all endeavors, with occasional minor setbacks being insignificant. The wisdom line crossed his palm, suggesting intelligence but also excessive arrogance.
"Your palm lines are very good; they basically match your current situation quite well," Ju Nian said perfunctorily.