Chapter 23: Opening Up

Chapter 23: Opening Up

Shen Xian ladled soup into a small bowl for Zhang Chi, "It's still warm, give it a try."

Zhang Chi happily took the bowl and spoon, taking a large gulp in one go.

"Ahh!"

The spoon entered his mouth, followed promptly by a startled cry. He then proceeded to gasp for air with his mouth wide open.

"It's scorching hot! Ahh... ahh...!"

Shen Xian couldn't help but chuckle at him as she passed him a tissue.

"I just cooked it and brought it over, I didn't expect this thermal flask to keep it so hot."

This was Shen Xian's first time using this thermal flask. She looked down at it and noticed a familiar emblem.

This was an item she had received during her time in the team, and she had carefully kept it all along.

The one she had received was a dazzling yellow, absolutely stunning.

Bai Zhan, who usually adored vibrant colors, insisted on swapping his gray-blue one with hers despite her objections. Shen Xian reluctantly agreed to the exchange.

Zhang Chi's brows were knitted dramatically, indicating that the burn was indeed severe.

"Are you alright?"

Shen Xian asked softly, taking the bowl and stirring its contents to cool it down before handing it back to him.

"I'm fine. It's been ages since I've had home-cooked food. The aroma was just too tempting to resist..." Zhang Chi chuckled to cover up his embarrassment.

Considering this was only their third encounter, they weren't particularly close. He still felt a bit awkward.

"It should be better now," Shen Xian said, returning the bowl to Zhang Chi. Noticing his difficulty in sitting, she fetched a pillow to support his back.

"Mm, delicious. I didn't expect you to be such a great cook!"

"I followed my grandma's recipe; her soups are truly amazing. I also know an auntie from the south who's an expert in cooking and making soup."

Hearing praise for her culinary skills always lifted one's spirits, and Shen Xian found herself chatting more animatedly.

Unintentionally mentioning Aunt Bai, however, brought a sudden sinking feeling in her heart.

When thoughts raced faster than words, one often revealed things they'd rather keep hidden.

Zhang Chi savored his soup contentedly. "If only I could try your grandma's and that auntie's cooking someday. Living with Gu Chen this fellow, I don't know when I'll have a home-cooked meal again."

Lost in his soup, Zhang Chi failed to notice the shift in Shen Xian's mood.

"Doesn't Gu Chen's family cook?"

Shen Xian didn't give it much thought before responding casually.

Zhang Chi paused in his sipping, his expression changing swiftly. He gave a perfunctory "Mm" in response.

Seeing that Zhang Chi was almost done, Shen Xian took the bowl and filled it up again. "If you enjoy it, I'll make more and bring it over when I have time."

Zhang Chi beamed. "That would be quite embarrassing."

Despite his words, he didn't slow down his eating pace at all.

After finishing the two bowls of soup, Zhang Chi let out a contented burp. Happiness radiated from his sunny, handsome face.

"I feel better knowing that I could do something for you," Shen Xian said as she put away the bowls and secured the lid on the thermos. Her long black hair fell, obscuring most of her face, leaving her expression unreadable.

Her tone, however, was melancholic, tugging at one's heartstrings.

"My injury was due to my lack of composure. I panicked at the sight of the bomb and knocked over the shelves. In the end, you saved me; otherwise, I wouldn't have just injured my leg."

Unable to grasp Shen Xian's sorrowful sentiment, Zhang Chi tried to reassure her. "If I had half your calmness, I wouldn't have hurt myself in the first place. Hahaha, but perhaps it's for the best – I can use this as an opportunity for a well-deserved break."

Shen Xian's movements in placing the lid on the thermos were so deliberate that Zhang Chi wondered if he had said something wrong, prompting him to divert the conversation with a lighthearted joke.

He reached out to pat his leg encased in plaster, chuckling jovially. "Guess how many steel pins are in there?"

Shen Xian turned back, gazing at Zhang Chi's smiling face, ultimately unable to confront the gravity of his question.

Unbeknownst to her, her eyes had reddened, with faint, shimmering tears welling up in the corners.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have joked about something like that," Zhang Chi reined in his boisterous laughter, sitting up straight and looking apologetically at Shen Xian.

"It's not your fault, it's my own issue."

Shen Xian's voice was low and somber, tinged with the tension she was feeling.

She felt drained, a sensation that had become all too familiar in recent years.

She leaned weakly against the chair, gazing at Zhang Chi's injured leg, her lips twitching as she struggled to speak. "Once, someone very important to me...died right in front of me, and I couldn't do anything."

It couldn't be done because it had already been done wrong...

Zhang Chi had never seen Shen Xian like this before. In their previous encounters, she was always composed, aloof, and serene. Now, she seemed like shattered glass, fracturing piece by piece.

Fine strands of hair clung to her forehead and eyelashes. Her lips were pale and weak, as if they could crumble at any moment...

"I'm sorry."

Zhang Chi was extremely anxious. He suddenly apologized without knowing why, but he just felt that he was in the wrong.

Under the thick white plaster, a leg with steel pins holding it together lay. The young bones were slowly fusing, reuniting, and growing...

If only the life that had been lost could be connected like this, gradually regathering and rejuvenating, imbued with the vitality it should have had, how wonderful that would be!

In the hospital room, the autumn sunlight wasn't intense. It filtered through the window, casting a cool, sparse glow without much warmth.

The wind seeping through the window cracks disturbed the still air inside. The white sheer curtains danced in response, creating delicate ripples that quickly subsided.

The tranquility was disrupted by a knock on the door. It was the nurse coming to administer Zhang Chi's intravenous drip.

"Then take care and rest. I'll come visit you again when I have time."

Shen Xian composed herself, her gaze returning to its usual detachment, cool and distant as ever, as she looked at Zhang Chi.

"Alright, thank you for the rib soup."

Zhang Chi's face lit up with a bright smile. Both of them tacitly swept the previous momentary disturbance under the rug, not mentioning it, nor inquiring, nor offering comfort.

"Mm-hmm."

Shen Xian acknowledged him, picked up the thermal flask, and bid farewell to the nurse before leaving.

The wind seemed to pick up, so Shen Xian buttoned up her windbreaker fully and put on her mask before hailing a cab at the hospital entrance.

A black Land Rover glided past her slowly, but Shen Xian, preoccupied with scanning the traffic for an available taxi, didn't notice it.

Shen Xian was particularly susceptible to the cold; even though it was only autumn, she was already shivering from the chill.

After finally flagging down a free taxi, she couldn't help but sneeze the moment she got in, her nose reddened, and her eyes felt sore and swollen.

When giving the driver her destination, her voice was tinged with sobs, though she didn't realize that tears were now streaming down her face.

"Miss, don't be too upset. Life and death are fated, and wealth is in heaven's hands. For those of us who are healthy, all we can do is take care and maintain a positive mindset."

The driver, seemingly accustomed to witnessing emotional breakdowns from people leaving the hospital, tossed a pack of tissues from the front seat to Shen Xian in the back.

"Ahh?"

Confused, Shen Xian wondered what the driver was talking about. The tissues in her hand left her even more perplexed.

Through the rearview mirror, the driver noticed Shen Xian's puzzled gaze and gestured at his own face.

Only then did Shen Xian lift her hand to touch her face, feeling the dampness on her cheeks. She chuckled lightly, dismissing it as, "Hehe, just the wind."

Without using the tissues to wipe her face, she leaned back in her seat, nestling deeply into its embrace, seeking more support or perhaps warmth.

She turned her head to look out the car window at the falling leaves. Her gaze drifted off into the distance, gradually becoming distant and unfocused...