Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Bian Han didn't miss Jiang Jining's tears.

"If you want to cry, go ahead and cry for a bit."

Her heart went out to him. Bian Han dug out a tissue one-handed from her bag and handed it to him.

His emotional spell was brief. The car's slow, steady pace, combined with his illness, soon made him drowsy again.

Suddenly, the car braked sharply!

A horn blared loudly right next to them. Fortunately, the seatbelts kept them firmly in their seats.

"Are you okay?" Bian Han looked at him.

Jiang Jining shook his head gently. Another piercing sound caught his attention. Looking out, he saw an SUV that had lost control and veered into the roadside greenery on the misty, rainy street. Luckily, it looked almost comical, and no one was hurt.

He was about to check on Bian Han...

Only to find she was also shaken.

Bian Han tugged down her mask, grabbed a new bottle of water, cracked it open, and took a few gulps. At some point, her lipstick had smeared a bit, revealing her naturally pale lips. Her slightly furrowed brows also showed her exhaustion.

For a moment, Jiang Jining felt a pang of guilt.

She was still sick too.

He wasn't sure if it was his imagination.

Jiang Jining had a vague feeling of unease.

Ever since he suggested going back to Jingzhou from Nanshi and Bian Han came along, there had been a series of unfortunate incidents along the way.

Especially centered around Bian Han.

For instance, in the business lounge in Nanshi, her phone was almost stolen; it was Fu Yuze who noticed, intervened, and called security. In the train carriage, only the light above Bian Han's head went out for a good half-minute. The train attendant, walking steadily and trying hard to maintain balance, still spilled water on Bian Han's shoes...

And just now, they nearly had a car accident.

"Cough—" Bian Han started coughing again.

"You don't look well at all."

Jiang Jining looked around to see if there were any taxis nearby. "Let's just park nearby, call a designated driver, and take a taxi back."

Bian Han agreed readily: "Alright."

About seven or eight minutes later, the taxi they hailed was driven by a kind-looking female driver. The car was clean and tidy, which was reassuring.

Jiang Jining got into the car.

But Bian Han closed the door right in front of him.

Jiang Jining's sense of unease grew stronger. "Where are you going?"

"Constantly coughing like this isn't a solution." Bian Han pulled up her mask, leaned down with her hands in her pockets, and said, "I'm going to the hospital and will be back later. Be good at home alone, listen to the auntie and take your temperature and medicine."

Jiang Jining felt much more relieved and reminded her, "Drive slowly."

Bian Han smiled and said okay.

The taxi pulled away slowly.

The road widened further, and the traffic grew heavier.

At another fork in the road, Bian Han's car disappeared from the rearview mirror. Jiang Jining gazed in the direction she had left.

"Your sister just said she's going to the hospital?" the female driver suddenly reminded him. "She didn't look too well, and with the rain, the road conditions are complicated. That route isn't very convenient to nearby hospitals."

Right, he was sick too...

If she was going to the hospital, why would Bian Han leave him behind?

Jiang Jining connected this with his earlier unsettling speculation and hurriedly said, "Can you follow her? I can pay you a lot."

The female driver pointed ahead reassuringly. "We can make a U-turn soon."

Jiang Jining's anxiety was evident. The driver, while ensuring safety, increased the speed.

The roads were slippery from the rain today.

Bian Han indeed listened to Jiang Jining's words very well.

She was driving at a very cautious, life-preserving speed, so much so that the driver spotted her car's taillights from afar and followed for about ten minutes.

The car ahead turned onto a new road.

It was a separate, sprawling estate-style villa area. Taxis couldn't enter freely.

Jiang Jining paid the driver, left his entire bag containing documents and his phone with the security guard as collateral, took a photo for registration, borrowed an umbrella, and entered alone.

This area had extensive greenery, making visibility complex.

Jiang Jining stepped over the wet, flat ground, ignoring his continuously feverish body, and walked with the umbrella in the general direction.

Fortunately, he didn't lose track.

He simply followed the main road.

At the first turn, he saw Bian Han's car parked safely in front of a large villa.

Jiang Jining immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

It really was just his overthinking.

Whether Bian Han was meeting friends or attending a gathering, as long as there was no danger, it was fine. He decided to leave quietly.

"Click—"

Bian Han's car door opened.

She stepped out just then, without an umbrella, using one hand to shield her head while answering a phone call.

It all happened in about two seconds! Jiang Jining saw a bright red mountain bike, moving at an astonishing speed. The rider, completely unfazed by the weather and enjoying himself, was charging down a small slope directly towards Bian Han's location.

At that speed, even a slight deviation...

The rider also saw the obstacle on the road—a living person. Unable to wipe the rain from his goggles in time, his forward momentum was unstoppable—

"Hey, miss!"

Bian Han had already grown accustomed to the streak of bad luck these past few days.

She'd been on high alert in every situation, though she never knew what might come next. Yet her body reacted faster than her mind, and she took a half-step back.

Before she could even see what was happening, she was yanked by a hand, slamming her against the car door. She let out a pained cry, clutching her elbow. Before she could recover, another disaster struck—a fierce gust and a deafening crash roared right beside her ear.

"Bang—!"

The car door she hadn't managed to close was smashed and twisted right before her eyes.

Bian Han stared, dumbfounded.

This...

Holy crap! Trying to kill her!?

Which blind, idiotic brat...

Furious, she glared at the mountain bike that had been thrown several meters away, but her eyes first landed on Jiang Jining, who had tumbled to the ground... his palms and face scraped and now drenched in the rain.

"A Ning!?"

Bian Han’s heart nearly stopped.

Braving the pouring rain, she rushed over and crouched down. Seeing Jiang Jining covered in scrapes and still feverish, she quickly grabbed the nearby umbrella and tilted it over him. Her heart ached so much she didn’t know where to touch him, her voice choked with emotion as she urged, "Get up quickly—"

Jiang Jining shook his head.

Pale-faced, he steadied his tone, afraid of frightening her: "I must have hurt my leg."

"Did it hit you?"

Bian Han couldn’t bear to imagine the force of the impact.

She immediately checked Jiang Jining’s injuries, first covering his eyes. "Don’t look—there’s blood."

Not wanting to add to her distress, Jiang Jining swallowed the many questions he had. They faded away amidst the pain. He straightened the umbrella to shelter both of them, quietly listening as she called for an ambulance.

Just then—

There was still someone alive not far away.

A tall, young-faced boy rolled over and managed to get up on his own. His helmet and knee pads were still intact, and he looked like he wanted to approach but didn’t dare. "Hey... what are you doing parked on the side of the road? There’s usually no one around this house."

Bian Han couldn’t spare the attention to argue with him.

She quickly snapped two photos of the reckless kid and the scene, contacted someone to follow up, and after confirming Jiang Jining only had pain in one leg, carefully helped him up and into the back seat to take shelter from the rain.

About twenty minutes later.

Jiang Jining experienced his first-ever ambulance ride.

The nurse treated his scrapes, and the doctor, based on experience, said, "It’s not just a simple strain—there’s a high chance of a fracture. Once we get to orthopedics, we’ll need to check for any injuries to the hip or pelvis as well."

After a series of hospital examinations, Jiang Jining was found to have not only external injuries and a fracture but also a raging fever.

Bian Han remained deeply worried. She only went to the outpatient clinic to treat the contusion on her elbow after the nurse came to change the IV bag and she saw Jiang Jining had fallen asleep. Returning to the private room, her phone rang.

She glanced at the caller and swiped to answer.

"What’s up?"

"Where are you guys?" Bian Jiacheng’s voice came through, bringing news: "Mom said you went out of town to pick up Ningning?"

Bian Han had known he’d be back soon but didn’t expect him so quickly. "Perfect timing. Get over here to the hospital to lend a hand."

Bian Jiacheng: "What happened?"

Bian Han quickly summarized the key points. His tone grew serious on the other end: "Wait for me, I’ll be right there."

Bian Han finally had a reliable helper.

Thankfully, this helper was currently free all day and available at a moment’s notice.

Bian Jiacheng arrived swiftly. After more than a month apart, he looked completely refreshed. Gone was the previous playboy style; instead, he wore clean, high-quality tea-colored sportswear that genuinely made him look like a college student.

Bian Han finally found him pleasing to the eye.

"Shh—"

She gestured toward the hospital bed.

Bian Jiacheng hurried over, took a look, and let out a soft, quiet "tsk." When he reached Bian Han’s side, he noticed she hadn’t escaped injury either.

"How did you both get hurt like this?"

"Let’s talk outside."

Bian Han pulled him out of the room.

Bian Jiacheng was concerned about both of them and needed to understand the situation. The first thing he heard after stepping out was—

"You came back just in time. I’ve got a lead on Ningning coming home."

Bian Jiacheng abruptly turned his attention back to her. "Really?"

Did she meet a miracle worker??

Bian Han noticed he’d left the door slightly ajar and closed it fully before saying, "I asked a friend to introduce me to a master. He drew a talisman for me. I tried it and saw some events from Ningning’s life. I also subtly asked him about it, and it all matched up."

"Damn it! Don’t mess with that stuff!"

Bian Jiacheng’s first reaction wasn’t joy but alarm, his brows furrowing sharply. "Your parents are the ones who believe in that nonsense the most. You’ve really lost it—"

"I didn’t believe it before," Bian Han told him earnestly. "But after Ningning appeared, I accepted the reality pretty quickly."

"The master also said it was inauspicious," she added, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall, laying everything out. "After using it, I fell ill. These past few days, all sorts of misfortunes have been piling up—several traffic incidents alone. I was planning to stay at your villa in the suburbs for a few days to ward off bad luck, afraid something negative might cling to Ningning. I never expected he’d worry about me getting into trouble in the rain and follow me."

"You—"

Bian Jiacheng was utterly exasperated with her.

He was about to say something when he quickly pulled Bian Han aside.

"Crash!"

A medical cart carrying replacement bottles and needles toppled over, shattering right where Bian Han had been standing moments before. Not far away, a patient’s family member was arguing with a nurse, glaring angrily: "Can’t you show a little more respect to elderly patients? Rolling your eyes and looking disgusted—how did you even get your license? Get out and send someone else!"

Bian Jiacheng shielded Bian Han and pulled her further away. The latter, however, remained quite composed. "Believe it now?"

Bian Jiacheng: "..."

Yeah, right!

"It was just an accident. You're reading too much into it. Go home and burn that talisman as soon as you get back."

Bian Han said, "Each talisman is for a single use. It takes about a month for the effects to subside. I haven't gotten a second one yet."

"No more of those!" Although Bian Jiacheng didn't believe in such things, he couldn't explain why Bian Han had actually seen things from Jiang Jining's house. "There will be other ways... Alright, you two should stay with me for a while. My luck's strong, my fate's solid."

Bian Han: "..."

Her little brother was surprisingly heartwarming.

But she still refused, reasoning, "Ningning just came home. It's not a good idea to be moving him around. If you're really worried, you're welcome to stay with us."

Anyway.

Bian Han did want to tap into his luck.

Back when their parents got it into their heads, they had also invited a master to have his bazi calculated. It was deemed a top-tier emperor's fate—a life with hardly any hardship, so blessed that his good fortune could even rub off on those around him and his future partner.

The Bian family threw money at temple donations year after year, and everyone took it as a hopeful sign.

"Alright, I'll come over then." Bian Jiacheng agreed without hesitation.

But speaking of which—

"Did Ningning go on a long trip all by himself?"

Bian Jiacheng felt the logic didn't add up. As they walked back to the ward, he voiced his doubt, "How could you let him go by himself?"

Bian Han: "Someone treated him like a precious treasure and took care of him."

"Who?" Bian Jiacheng immediately thought of someone again. "Fu Yuze? My buddy's a real stand-up guy, taking such good care of him."

Bian Han was blunt: "Much more responsible than you."

It was true that Bian Jiacheng had imposed on his good friend, and he didn't try to defend himself, only adding, "I really had no choice. Ningning didn't want to go abroad with me. Besides, you couldn't bear to let him go either..."

"Mention Fu Yuze less often lately."

Bian Han reminded him before entering the ward: "Ning Zai just went through a breakup and got injured. Don't say anything thoughtless in front of him."

?

Bian Jiacheng felt like he was hearing a fairy tale, utterly confused. "Breakup? What kind of breakup are you talking about?"

Bian Han glanced at him.

Was he for real, or was he just pretending?

...

Jiang Jining slept through the entire afternoon.

He was diagnosed with a fractured left calf and multiple abrasions all over his body. His leg was in a cast, and his cheekbones, wrists, and forearms were covered with white dressing patches.

Dark hair, fair skin, with strikingly beautiful features.

Like a delicate porcelain doll meticulously repaired.

Bian Han fed him herself.

Jiang Jining was very compliant, doing whatever he was told without causing much trouble.

Bian Jiacheng's appearance and fussing over him only held his attention for a few minutes. Most of the time, he was enduring the pain. During quiet moments, he occasionally gazed out the window at the pitch-black sky.

Jiang Jining still disliked unfamiliar public spaces—doctors and nurses could come and go as they pleased, discuss his injuries, and lift his sleeves to change his dressings.

So he requested to be discharged.

Early the next morning.

After Bian Han consulted the doctor and completed the discharge procedures, she returned to the ward to find Bian Jiacheng bent over, trying to convince him to be carried into a wheelchair. The latter refused, so Bian Jiacheng pretended to be stern: "Stubborn again. Your leg's like this and you're still being stubborn."

In the end, the battered Jiang Jining gave in.

Bian Jiacheng, with his tall frame and solid build, easily lifted and placed him into the wheelchair. By comparison, Jiang Jining appeared even more fragile and delicate, like a little chick.

Before his bottom even touched the seat.

Jiang Jining reached straight for the wheelchair armrests with both hands, rejecting further contact, and said, "I'll do it myself."

Bian Jiacheng, used to this, protected his sides, ready to catch him if he toppled over again. "Take it slow."

Jiang Jining felt much more comfortable managing on his own.

Bian Han watched with amusement. She walked to the bedside, opened the drawer, retrieved two powered-off electronic devices, and put them back in her bag. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jiang Jining also avert his gaze, remaining quiet and silent throughout.

Bian Jiacheng took over pushing the wheelchair, turning it around. "Let's go, let's go, time to go home."

The driver was already waiting downstairs. The entire journey back was free of any messy accidents. The misty rain gradually stopped, the sun rose brightly, and they even hit three consecutive intersections where the traffic lights turned green just in time.

Bian Han: "..."

She glanced at Bian Jiacheng in the front seat, leisurely playing on his phone, his profile cast in light and shadow, strikingly handsome. His legs were so long they had nowhere to go, so he sprawled them casually in the aisle. His phone was on Do Not Disturb, yet the screens of various social apps were dotted with red notification badges.

A real social butterfly.

But this guy really seemed to have some luck on his side.

Jiang Jining was distracted, but he also noticed the car quickly arriving at their doorstep. He turned his head and saw that Bian Han, after receiving IV treatment at the hospital, looked much better in terms of complexion and energy. A weight lifted from his heart.

"We're here?"

Bian Jiacheng pushed himself up and retracted his legs.

Through the front windshield, he saw a familiar car approaching, stopping not too far away. The driver's side door opened immediately.

Having regained some strength, Jiang Jining was about to try walking on his own, though he seemed a bit clumsy.

"What are you doing here?"

Bian Jiacheng's words reached his ears.

The arms Jiang Jining was using to support himself were grasped by someone. His legs were gently secured, and his body fell into an all-too-familiar, broad embrace. Instinctively, he wrapped his bandaged arms around the newcomer and quickly lifted his eyes...

All that was visible was a tense jawline.

Fu Yuze helped him out of the car, his expression unusually grave. His gaze swept inch by inch over the exposed wound dressings, from Jiang Jining's cheeks down to his toes. His eyes held a brewing storm as he tightened his hold and said to the two behind him, "I'll take him to his room first."

The housekeeper held the door open, waiting. Seeing the cast on Jiang Jining's leg as he passed by, she asked with concern, "Is this serious…"

Jiang Jining shook his head gently.

The driver helped place the wheelchair properly in the entryway. Bian Han also got out of the car and was discussing dietary needs and precautions for the coming days with the housekeeper. Bian Jiacheng, brushing off the way he'd been ignored, rushed over to show his loyalty to his sister: "I didn't call him here!"

Bian Han gave him a faint glance.

"Really, I didn't." Bian Jiacheng swept his hair back in frustration. "I didn't even have time to tell him I was back. Why on earth would I call him here just to watch him show off his affection—wait, why does Ningning let him carry him around so obediently?"

This preferential treatment!

Seeing his ruffled state, Bian Han reluctantly believed him and reminded him again, "They are officially together, after all."

"…"

Bian Jiacheng truly had nothing to say to that.

Perhaps deep down, he felt the whole situation was illogical and refused to accept it. "I'm going to see what's going on."

Bian Han didn't stop him at all.

There were a lot of people at home today.

The housekeeper had already moved the kittens into the glass room ahead of time.

Not seeing anyone in the living room, Bian Jiacheng headed straight for Jiang Jining's room, stopping at the doorway—

"Don't move." Fu Yuze was crouched by the bedside, holding Jiang Jining's leg. He checked the uninjured and movable parts, carefully put on his socks, folding them above the ankles, and then tucked the blanket around him. "Even after the cast comes off, you'll likely need a brace. It won't be like you imagine, running and jumping around. Don't secretly practice walking on your own in private, or the bone won't heal properly."

Jiang Jining nodded quietly.

Fu Yuze took his hand and pressed a kiss to his cheek, feeling Jiang Jining's eyelashes tremble. "You got hurt saving someone. Why do you look like you did something wrong?"

Jiang Jining, drawn by the closeness, looked up at him.

Fu Yuze saw his gaze quickly drop again and automatically interpreted it as distress. "Do you want to move in with me?"

He had been away from him for less than a day.

And Jiang Jining was already injured like this.

Fu Yuze remembered Bian Han telling him last night that Jiang Jining had gone to bed early, which was why he hadn't replied to messages or calls. He still couldn't blame anyone. "You can come back on weekends. I'd feel more at ease if you were by my side during the week."

"Old Fu—"

A voice abruptly cut Fu Yuze off.

It was no wonder Bian Jiacheng couldn't stand watching any longer. After all this time, Jiang Jining hadn't uttered a single response in the room. "Are you two pretending I don't exist?"

Fu Yuze stood up. "I genuinely didn't notice."

"I need to talk to you." Bian Jiacheng didn't want to fight over who had the last word right then. Turning, he said, "I'll wait for you in the car."

Jiang Jining knew perfectly well that Bian Jiacheng had guessed about his relationship with Fu Yuze and wanted to get to the bottom of it.

In the car…

They probably wouldn't end up fighting.

"…Are you going?"

Jiang Jining spoke softly.

"Finally willing to talk to me." Fu Yuze deliberately squeezed his hand. "And the first thing you say is to send me away?"

The words stung Jiang Jining, a pang in his chest, and he slowly withdrew his hand.

Fortunately, Bian Han entered, breaking the stalemate: "Time for your medicine, Guai Guai. Where did Bian Jiacheng go? He vanished all of a sudden."

"I'll go see."

Fu Yuze made way for Bian Han.

Only at moments like this could Jiang Jining take a deep, longing look at his retreating back as he left.

*Plop—*

Goodness, such a large teardrop. Bian Han took a tissue and wiped it for him, saying, "Fu Yuze really shouldn't appear in front of you anymore, Ningning. If you really can't bring yourself to say it, leave it to me?"

Jiang Jining downed the bitter medicine in the cup in one gulp, his voice slightly hoarse but firm: "I'll say it myself."

Outside in the courtyard.

Following the directions, Fu Yuze drove into the garage, temporarily occupying one of Bian Han's parking spots. He had just parked and unlocked the doors when the passenger side was pulled open and someone slid in.

*Bang—*

Fu Yuze looked at him. "It's a soft-close door."

"A little slam won't hurt it." Bian Jiacheng frowned, habitually pulling out his cigarette case and Dupont lighter, giving the latter a spin. He had just opened the case when he caught a warning look and tossed both into the storage compartment. "Don't look at me like I'm dirtying your car, alright?"

Fu Yuze: "Go ahead and scold me if you want."

Bian Jiacheng's reaction, however, was unexpected. He just leaned back without a word, looking out the window.

"I'm not in a hurry." Fu Yuze adopted a perfectly proper posture of awaiting judgment and even put his phone down. "Take your time to phrase it."

"Fu Yuze." Bian Jiacheng began, then said, "If I had known from the start that you would fall for Jiang Jining, I would have forced him to go abroad back then, never giving you any chance to get close to him."

So polite?

Fu Yuze's eyes were full of "go on."

Bian Jiacheng also realized the ambiguity and frowned even tighter. "Since hearing you and Ningning are together, if I said I haven't been genuinely angry with you from beginning to end, would you believe me?"

Fu Yuze: "You might also just be out of options."

Bian Jiacheng almost laughed in exasperation:

"I'm being fucking serious with you!"

Fu Yuze adjusted his cuffs twice, adopting an attitude befitting a serious topic. "Why wouldn't you be angry?"

Hearing this, Bian Jiacheng grew agitated again and reached for a cigarette. He lit one right in front of Fu Yuze, took a drag into his lungs, and rested his long, cigarette-holding fingers on the window frame. "Have you taken Ningning to meet your family?"

Fu Yuze: "No, not yet."

Bian Jiacheng immediately looked at him: "Seriously? You haven't met them?" That makes things much easier!

"I've met my brother, sister-in-law, and Xing Zai a few times." Fu Yuze added: "I've talked things through with my parents. They're urging me to bring him home for a meal."

Bian Jiacheng: "..."

How is that any different from having met them already??

He was nearly at a loss for words, asking in a heavy yet envious tone: "Do Uncle Fu and Auntie accept Ningning?"

"They've seen photos." Simultaneously, Fu Yuze reached for his wallet from the side compartment and pulled out a laminated photo—it was the cable car picture from when they went to the mountain to get their fortunes told. "Sister-in-law landed a big deal thanks to Ningning and was reporting the good news to my brother when my mom overheard. As soon as I landed in Jingzhou, she made me go home. After my dad and she saw the photo, they cooled off."

Bian Jiacheng: "..."

Why don't I, an only child, get this kind of treatment?

Bian Jiacheng disdainfully snatched the 'get-out-of-jail-free card.' Seeing the two nestled intimately together, he realized he had never seen Jiang Jining with such a beautiful smile before. His heart softened. After a few seconds of envy and jealousy, he frowned again: "Are you serious?"

Without needing to ask for specifics, Fu Yuze answered: "Mm."

It suddenly clicked for Bian Jiacheng why, ever since returning and seeing Jiang Jining, he had become more withdrawn and gloomy than before. The reason wasn't simply his illness or the pain from the fracture.

Jiang Jining was filled with deep self-blame.

Fu Yuze had enough sense to see that Bian Jiacheng was having a genuine heart-to-heart with him, so he responded with sincerity: "But Ningning doesn't seem very willing to define my relationship with him."

It's not hopeless yet.

For the first time, Bian Jiacheng took on the role of a quiet listener.

"I'm not sure if this intuition is right." Fu Yuze quickly recalled their previous interactions. "Whenever it involves taking a deeper step, whether physically or in terms of our relationship, he's quite resistant. It's as if he's very afraid of having more ties with me."

"Of course he is."

Bian Jiacheng said without a shred of shame: "A teenager agreed to date you; there are things he can't consider that far ahead. Don't act like Ningning is yours forever. How is that any different from my parents pressuring me to get married?"

Fu Yuze wasn't ashamed to admit: "I never said I *didn't* want to."

"Have some shame."

Bian Jiacheng grumbled, but it was just grumbling.

Yet, he ultimately admitted that at this moment, he was biased toward his longtime close friend and accidentally blurted out: "Don't be so stubborn, okay—do you know Jiang Jining might vanish at any time?"

The moment the words left his mouth.

The previously harmonious atmosphere turned deathly silent.

Not long after, Fu Yuze casually raised his hand and locked the car doors, his gaze fixed on him: "What do you want to tell me?"

Bian Jiacheng: "..."

Damn, this guy seems possessed.

*

*

Bian Han had a strange feeling—

There shouldn't be only one lucky charm in the house.

She was in the hospital getting an IV drip in the early hours, drowsy yet unable to sleep. Within half an hour of returning home, her coughing stopped, her head no longer felt heavy, and the suffocating, oppressive feeling that had weighed her down for days vanished as if dispersed by some mysterious force.

Bian Jiacheng? Or Fu Yuze?

It had to be Jiang Jining. Bian Han, unsurprisingly, awarded the title of 'Little Lucky Star' to the most beautiful baby. Under his guidance, she packed things one by one into cardboard boxes and handed them to the housekeeper. "Be careful, it's quite heavy."

The auntie asked: "Put it in the living room?"

Bian Han glanced at Jiang Jining. He said to put it in the study, then added softly: "I want to sleep for a while."

"It's almost lunchti..."

The auntie was cut off halfway by Bian Han.

After the housekeeper left, she stayed by Jiang Jining's side a while longer as he silently shed tears in his sleep. She drew the curtains and went to the living room, only to find the auntie, who should have been preparing ingredients in the kitchen, cleaning in the cat room instead.

Then who's in the kitchen...

Bian Han walked over and indeed saw Fu Yuze. She saw him pausing between cooking tasks to clean the stove and disinfect the utensils to his own meticulous standards. She asked: "Why not let the auntie do it? Ningning is asleep; he won't be eating lunch with us."

"It's fine."

Fu Yuze slowly took off his gloves. "Jiacheng hasn't been back in the country for a long time either. Consider this my welcome dinner for him. I've already temporarily canceled work for the day; I have time to accompany A Ning."

"Where's Bian Jiacheng?"

Bian Han asked, and a voice sounded behind her: "Looking for me?"

She didn't know why she always felt the atmosphere was a bit strange, but couldn't pinpoint it. "What's that smell on you?"

"I aired it all out before coming back." Bian Jiacheng put away his faint smile. Seeing Fu Yuze in the kitchen again, he felt a pang of sympathy: "You really look like you have a hard life, you know that? Aren't you going to ask my sister?"

Bian Han had a feeling.

Bian Jiacheng: "I've already told him."

How much did you tell!

Bian Han almost slapped him.

Bian Jiacheng faced her anger and said: "You only told me Ningning was going to emigrate; I don't know anything else. Fu Yuze insists on pretending he knows nothing and waiting for Ningning to speak up himself. Help me talk some sense into him—"

Bian Han's anger gradually subsided. The slap in her hand went from hard to soft. Looking at the one in the kitchen, she felt it was even more tragic. She said to Bian Jiacheng: "Go sleep in your own room for a while."

Bian Jiacheng was the one who stayed overnight at the hospital.

Managing two people alone, running up and down the infusion ward, was quite exhausting.

"Not letting me listen?"

Bian Jiacheng felt this matter was more important than sleep.

Bian Han: "Drive me to the publishing house after lunch."

Bian Jiacheng didn't dare let her go out alone. He glanced at his chef brother, told his sister to speak gently, and left anyway.

...

Afternoon nightmare.

Jiang Jining woke with his hairline damp with sweat, his heart uneasy.

He called out, but the person who appeared was neither the housekeeper nor Bian Han or Bian Jiacheng. Before him, only one person’s face remained. He stared vacantly, in a daze.

Fu Yuze sat him up. “Did you sleep well?”

Jiang Jining almost thought he was still dreaming. His eyes grew slightly red as he just stared at him.

Fu Yuze wiped the sweat from his cheeks and neck, tucking a small, thin towel into the back collar of his clothes to soak up sweat, then lifted the blanket and scooped him up. “Let’s eat something first, then change the dressing.”

In this manner, he was carried to the wheelchair, taken to the dining room, where he ate his meal in silence. As the wound dressings on his skin were peeled off one by one to let the wounds breathe, disinfected, and anti-scar ointment was applied, he remained silent throughout.

“Tell me if it hurts.”

Fu Yuze also seemed not to mind at all.

Every gentle breath brushed against Jiang Jining’s wounds. Taking his hand, he lowered it. “All done.”

“Where’s the housekeeper?” Jiang Jining asked him.

Fu Yuze tidied up the medical kit, put it back in place, and pushed him to the floor-to-ceiling window balcony to bask in the sun. “Bian Han asked everyone to leave. I also think you have something to say to me.”

Jiang Jining had long been mentally prepared. He slowly gripped the wheels of the wheelchair, trying to move it with his hands. Fu Yuze stopped him, rubbing his palm, already red from the friction. “Where are you going?”

Jiang Jining asked him to push himself to the study.

On the large, long table—

There was a square, raw wooden box.

Jiang Jining placed his pale hands on it and, a few seconds later, pushed it toward Fu Yuze’s side.

Fu Yuze did not open it.

Jiang Jining saw him quietly meeting his gaze.

Under the table, his hands resting on his legs clenched into fists, tightening and loosening. Finally, he was the one to open the lid.

What caught his eye was a laminated photo, beneath it a pink fortune slip, and below that, neatly arranged wooden boxes of various sizes.

Since none of this could be taken with him,

Jiang Jining had never considered any other outcome.

“…I’m giving these back to you.” He tried to steady his voice as he spoke to Fu Yuze. “I’ve already agreed to immigrate overseas with my relatives. A-Han will also come stay with me for a while. Jingzhou is no longer my home, and it will be difficult for me to return in the future.”

“But your hometown, clan, and foundation are all here.”

“The fortune slip I sought… let’s assume it’s true. But now that I have nothing, I cannot be a good match for anyone. I am unable and unwilling to overcome such hardships, and you need not change for me.”

“Ningning.”

Fu Yuze patiently guided him, “Look at me and say you don’t like me.”

Jiang Jining secretly dug his nails into his palm. After meeting his gaze, he said, “My decision to leave is more important than you.”

“Okay.” Fu Yuze’s dark eyes were full of tolerance. “I won’t make you stay. Even if you ask me, I’ll allow you to always prioritize your own thoughts over mine.”

“…Not okay.”

Jiang Jining’s eyes reddened in an instant. “I just want to separate.”

Fu Yuze was stopped by his tears. He raised his hand to wipe them away and said helplessly, “Isn’t this a bit unfair to me?”

Jiang Jining had reached the point of self-abandonment, solely to achieve his goal. “Ever since I decided to leave, seeing you makes me sad. Your presence makes me unhappy, like a heavy burden pressing on my heart that won’t let go. I can hardly breathe…”

Fu Yuze finally fell silent.

He covered Jiang Jining’s hand, then gently pried it open to help him relax, unwilling to see him in such pain. “I won’t let you interact with my family again. It’ll just be us. I’ll often fly over to accompany you, purely out of my own…”

“No!”

This was the first time Jiang Jining had been so agitated.

He grabbed the wheelchair with both hands and turned it outward, then hurriedly took the jade hairpin from his hair and stuffed it into Fu Yuze’s hand. “Let’s not see each other again in the future.”

Fu Yuze stepped forward to steer the wheelchair for him.

“…Don’t.”

Jiang Jining raised his hand and pushed him away with effort.

Doing his utmost to ignore everything in his peripheral vision, he returned to his room and closed the door in front of Fu Yuze, who had followed him.

The moment the lock clicked,

Jiang Jining covered his eyes with both hands. Tears poured out, and muffled sobs escaped. Realizing that crying was the best way to vent his emotions, he could no longer hold back, letting tears fall one after another…

Outside the door,

Fu Yuze approached the narrow gap beneath the door, from which faint cries could be heard.

Until his legs grew numb and the crying inside the room gradually weakened, he leaned against the wall for support, sent a message to Bian Han, and, passing the nearest cat tree, stroked the kitten that had come over on its own. “It’s you again.”

It was the one that accompanied Jiang Jining while he read.

The one that listened when he confessed to Jiang Jining.

And it even knew how to comfort people.

“Spend more time with him these days.”

“Meow—”

“Thank you.”

“Meow…”

*

The days of recovery always passed slowly.

Rising with the sunrise and resting at sunset, following the body’s natural instincts.

Fu Yuze knew that his presence was a burden to Jiang Jining, more effective than any breakup words.

Jiang Jining’s life lost some of its vibrancy, gaining instead a sense of calm and routine.

Only occasionally were there small interruptions.

One day, the dishes at home suddenly became incredibly varied.

Jiang Jining ate, completely unaware, and froze mid-chew after the first bite. When he looked up, both Bian Han and Bian Jiacheng pretended nothing had happened, especially the latter, who just grabbed his chopsticks and dug right in.

From then on, Jiang Jining would check the groceries the nanny bought every day to make sure she was the one who had bought them.

The extra meals kept coming, no matter what.

Most of them wound up in Bian Jiacheng’s belly.

After a while, he gained five pounds and couldn't take it anymore, so he started going to the gym every day.

With his injury keeping him indoors, Jiang Jining no longer used any electronic devices. If you wanted to reach him, you had to go through the nanny. He spent his days in the book room, and his only activity was holding the kitten while rolling around in his new smart wheelchair.

You didn't have to push this one by hand.

After three or four days, he was already pretty good with it.

One evening, as Jiang Jining was maneuvering his wheelchair toward Bian Han’s study, he overheard her talking to Bian Jiacheng, who was lounging on the sofa.

The two had been spending a lot of time together lately.

It wasn't that Bian Jiacheng was overstaying his welcome.

It seemed Bian Han really needed him, but after a while, she’d grow impatient, like now: “How can you be so loud on the phone? Get lost, don’t stay here—”

“I really have something to do…”

“Fu Yuze said he won’t be holding a birthday party this year.”

Jiang Jining’s hand, which had been stroking the cat, slowed down.

Bian Han said, “When is it? Help me bring a gift when you go.”

“I’m also struggling with this,” Bian Jiacheng said carelessly. “I’m thinking of what to give him to ease his breakup blues. He’ll definitely have to make an appearance when I throw my birthday party, so maybe I just won’t hold one either and not invite him.”

Bian Han threw a file at him: “Are you even human?”

“But Ningning doesn’t even know his birthday is on Monday, and next month he’ll be celebrating mine,” Bian Jiacheng added. “Let’s not make him sad.”

Monday…

Fu Yuze’s birthday was coming up.

So it was so close to the day they broke up.

Jiang Jining’s heart, which had finally found some peace, was seized by a claustrophobic sense of suffocation. He didn’t listen any longer and returned to his room.

“Meow—”

The kitten also darted off his lap.

The next day.

After finishing his book, Jiang Jining asked Bian Han if she knew any skilled woodworking craftsmen, as he wanted a pen holder.

“Just buy an expensive one,” Bian Han said, pinching his cheeks and examining them. “This scar removal cream works really well. You can’t even tell there were abrasions on your face before. So soft and smooth.”

“I also want to go out for a walk.”

Jiang Jining insisted on finding a craftsman who could teach him to make it by hand. “It’s too stifling staying at home all day.”

“Alright.”

Bian Han immediately started calling around to find someone.

After visiting a few places, she entrusted Bian Jiacheng with the task of taking Jiang Jining out for the woodworking sessions.

Carving wood turned out to be quite boring.

Bian Jiacheng yawned several times, stirring the oil wax in the tray that the little master would later use to brush the wood. When his eyes grew tired, he’d watch Jiang Jining for a while.

Not bad.

Quite pleasing.

Jiang Jining earnestly discussed with the craftsman and quickly became engrossed in it. For three consecutive days, rain or shine, he went to the workshop. Finally, on Sunday evening, he found Bian Jiacheng and handed him a black carrying case. “Take this with you tomorrow.”