Peerless Beauty – Chapter 119
by Little PandaExtra Chapter 1
Teasing
“So, you spent the whole day looking at my sketchbook, and when you were half-asleep, remembering the contents of the sketchbook, you entered that world again?”
Lying in the bathtub, Lu Yinxi gently patted the bubbles on the water’s surface, probing into Jian Qing’s recollection of events.
Jian Qing, arms folded, leaned obliquely against the bathroom door, lowered her eyelashes, and stared straight at her, nodding.
Having regained her memory, this ice cube still maintained her taciturn nature, not much different from before.
However, the bewildered look in her eyes had faded, replaced by a more determined and gentle gaze towards Lu Yinxi.
And she became even more of a scoundrel.
Lu Yinxi hugged her own shoulders, her cheeks flushed red from the steam: “Canβ¦ can you please stop staring at me? I won’t get lost again⦔
Since returning from outside, Jian Qing had been following her closely, never letting her out of sight.
Even when she entered the bathroom to bathe, Jian Qing kept watching her, as if afraid she might disappear again.
If they weren’t already considered an old married couple, Lu Yinxi would have been mortified to death.
Leaning against the doorway, Jian Qing slightly averted her gaze but didn’t leave, still guarding her.
She had re-entered that dream world, awakening those emotions of love, hatred, and obsession.
The feeling of desperate searching and breakdown on the last day – she didn’t want to experience that again.
“Were there any changes there?” Lu Yinxi asked softly.
Jian Qing looked back at Lu Yinxi and replied: “Just like in reality, they changed the law, abolishing the regulation that ‘unapproved imported drugs are treated as counterfeit drugs.'”
“That’s good. In the future, oncologists in that world can confidently recommend new drugs to patients. Any other changes?”
“Yes, we ‘died’ in that world.”
“Eh?”
“On the day you and I disappeared, there was an avalanche on a nearby mountain. The people in that world thought we were buried in the snow mountain. Jian Yan built a cenotaph for us.”
Still a joint burial.
Lu Yinxi listened and remained silent for a while before saying, “On the surface, we still ended up with a ‘death’ outcome⦔
The “death” ending hadn’t changed, but it was, in a way, an escape from death.
After a pause, she added, “President Jian, sheβ¦ seems to still have some sisterly feelings for you⦔
Jian Qing shook her head: “She’s putting on a show.”
A doctor wrongly accused “dies,” and Jian Yan, posing as the doctor’s half-sister, appears at the memorial service, pretending to be grief-stricken, mourning her.
Before this, no one in the Jian family was willing to publicly acknowledge her as part of the family.
After the memorial service, the family company’s stock price rose, and Jian Yan’s net worth increased accordingly.
Lu Yinxi rubbed her nose bridge: “Then forget it, let’s not bother with her. We’ve already returned, so let’s not concern ourselves with the people and affairs of that world anymore.”
Jian Qing said: “When I went back this time, I found that the people there couldn’t see me.”
She floated around the streets like a wandering spirit, watching the people there, unable to touch anyone or be seen by anyone.
Lu Yinxi slapped the bubbles: “On the last day, you couldn’t see me either. When you were looking for me, I was following right behind you, never leaving.”
Jian Qing responded with a soft “Mm.”
At that time, it wasn’t until the very last moment that she sensed Lu Yinxi’s presence.
The moment she became aware, that feeling vanished, and in an instant, she disappeared from that world too.
Lu Yinxi continued: “Maybe our connection with that world has come to an end. Regardless, meeting you there was the greatest fortune of my life.”
She spoke with a serious expression, unexpectedly blurting out a confession.
Hearing this, Jian Qing’s face remained unchanged. She walked over to the bathtub, bent down, and kissed Lu Yinxi’s forehead.
Lu Yinxi felt the soft touch on her forehead, her hands climbing to Jian Qing’s shoulders, gripping tightly, then loosening.
She looked at Jian Qing, her eyes clear and pure, scooping up hot water from the bathtub and pouring it over Jian Qing, soaking her clothes.
“Doctor, your clothes are wet, you need to bathe too⦔
Jian Qing looked down at her wet clothes, stood up, and piece by piece, stripped off her garments, stepping into the bathtub.
The bathroom floor and the floor from the bathroom to the bedroom were all wet with water from the bathtub.
After being “tormented” for quite some time, Jian Qing lay in the soft bedding, eyes closed in sleep.
Remembering the bathwater on the floor, Lu Yinxi, worried that Jian Qing might slip if she got up at night, went to the balcony to get a mop and cleaned up the water.
She then went to the kitchen to prepare Jian Qing’s favorite lemon honey water, placing it by the bedside in case she woke up thirsty in the middle of the night.
There couldn’t be a more considerate partner in the world.
Lu Yinxi couldn’t help but praise herself in her heart, smiling as she crawled into the warm blanket, her body pressed against Jian Qing’s. She slowly nuzzled her face against Jian Qing’s, tenderly caressing and kissing her forehead, nose bridge, cheeks, and lips, kissing every inch of skin again and again.
Such a cold and hard person, yet her lips were so soft, like a soft and sweet cotton candy.
In her daily life, she was cold and taciturn, with a frosty face. Many people would instinctively overlook her beautiful features, even afraid to look directly into her eyes.
Only Lu Yinxi knew how captivating she could be when gentle and charming.
With her chest filled with soft love, Lu Yinxi hugged her and slept until dawn.
Another batch of red-headed documents for aid to Africa came down, and the hospital leaders responsible for this work encouraged doctors of attending physician level and above in the group chat to actively apply to participate.
A attending physician from the gastroenterology department, after submitting his application, asked Jian Qing: “Ah Qing, are you going this time?”
Jian Qing said: “No.”
Now that she was no longer without attachments, she didn’t want to risk her life for career advancement.
Those willing to participate were mostly those who hadn’t started a family yet, or those without children, free from responsibilities; or those who had long established families and careers, with grown children and stable family lives, ready to venture out.
After the registration activity ended, the hospital held a departure ceremony for the medical staff going to Africa, with media personnel present to conduct interviews and reports.
Amidst a chorus of praise and accolades, only the family members were lowering their heads, wiping tears, and urging them to be careful and return safely.
Jian Qing watched silently.
She remembered that in that other world, she had once been put on a pedestal by certain media, praised and lauded, but with one misstep, she was pulled down from that pedestal and trampled by thousands.
The outside world always likes to attribute various beautiful descriptors to this profession: sacred and great, selfless dedication, self-sacrifice for othersβ¦
Only gods would work without compensation, disregard life and death, sacrifice themselves for others, and be omnipotent.
Doctors and nurses are not gods; they are flesh and blood, needing to eat, drink, survive, have their own families, and have their own loved ones.
Blindly promoting the greatness, selflessness, and omnipotence of medical staff, putting medical care on a pedestal, actually raises the public’s expectations of medical care.
Medical knowledge is too specialized, and there is a huge information gap between doctors and patients. If given too high expectations for medical care, once a medical action fails to meet people’s expectations, it will trigger more intense doctor-patient conflicts.
What this profession needs is basic respect between people, basic personal safety guarantees, and sound and complete laws and regulations, not reverence, not worship, and certainly not being put on a pedestal.
Jian Qing watched for a while, feeling it was pointless, and left early, returning to the ward to make a round of the patient rooms.
Oncology emphasizes humanistic care. Some highly respected old professors, even after sitting in clinic all day, would come to the ward before the end of their shift to walk around and chat with their patients.
There was a bone tumor patient in the ward, very young, still in elementary school.
Classmates from school would come voluntarily after class to tutor her.
“Today, the Chinese teacher taught us an ancient poem, γLu Mountain Hikingγ by Mei Yaochen. I’ll recite it for you: ‘Suited to wild nature’s pleasure, A thousand peaks, high and lowβ¦'”
Just as they reached the line “Frost falls as bears climb trees, forests empty as deer drink from streams,” Jian Qing happened to walk by the door.
This young patient wasn’t under her care, but it reminded her of Sangsang from that other world.
Jian Qing stood at the door, listening for a moment, then turned and went back to the tea room in the office, opened a drawer, grabbed a handful of candy, and brought it to the young patient.
As the seasons changed, autumn harvests gave way to winter storage.
Back in the real world, Jian Qing and Lu Yinxi spent less time together, unlike before when they had many moments of being together day and night.
On days when Lu Yinxi wasn’t by her side, Jian Qing focused on research and teaching. Her academic title in the teaching system was promoted from lecturer to associate professor, qualifying her to supervise master’s students. Starting from the second year, she could recruit graduate students.
Lu Yinxi pursued a career in film, steadily working as an actress, making movies, and becoming increasingly low-key.
Reducing her exposure was also a way to protect herself and Jian Qing.
Celebrities need high exposure to maintain their popularity, but actors need to cultivate themselves, hide behind their roles, and let the characters speak for them.
After reducing her exposure, Lu Yinxi started receiving more award nominations, which was considered progress in her career.
Upon learning of Jian Qing’s promotion to associate professor, she brought home two bottles of champagne to celebrate their progress.
She would often bring scripts home and have Jian Qing read lines with her.
She always picked the cheesiest lines for Jian Qing to read.
Jian Qing would always frown, reciting those confessional lines without the slightest inflection in her voice.
Lu Yinxi listened with great satisfaction.
She liked hearing sweet words, but Jian Qing wasn’t fond of saying such things voluntarily.
So she could only borrow from the script, taking the opportunity to hear her say “love you,” “miss you,” and other mushy phrases several times.
Lu Yinxi recently took on a new script, playing a charming and alluring woman, a character that didn’t match her appearance and personality. She could only work harder on her gaze and body language.
She brought the script home and, after showering, wrapped in a short robe, swayed back and forth in front of Jian Qing.
Jian Qing leaned on the balcony, drying her hair while flipping through a magazine. As she flipped, her eyes couldn’t take in a single word, only seeing Lu Yinxi’s long, fair legs.
She asked the person in front of her: “Walking back and forth, are you having a bout of ADHD?”
Lu Yinxi answered seriously: “Of course not. I’m trying to figure out how to play a charming and alluring woman. My teacher said to be alluring, you first need to learn how to seduce someone, so I’m here to seduce you. I’ll make up a role for youβ¦ umβ¦ I’m a female spy, and you play a female officer who doesn’t take the bait. Teacher Jian, you must resist temptation, okay? Should I go print you a copy of γThe Communist Manifestoγ for you to read a few times, to temper your willpower?”
Jian Qing lowered her head, resuming her magazine reading: “No need, child’s play.”
Thinking her seduction was child’s play?
Lu Yinxi immediately bristled: “Hmph, who was it that grabbed me and wouldn’t let me leaveβ”
“I remember, it was you who insisted on coming home with me,” Jian Qing lightly interrupted, “charming and alluring littleβ¦ classmate?”
This form of address seemed like mockery, yet also like a reminder not to break characterβ¦
Lu Yinxi was conflicted for two seconds, feeling that this ice cube was indeed mocking her. She walked over and stomped on Jian Qing’s feet several times.
She wasn’t wearing shoes, her feet bare, so the stomping didn’t hurt.
Jian Qing paid no mind, calmly continuing to flip through the magazine, letting her stomp.
Seeing no reaction, Lu Yinxi huffed and walked away.
Only then did Jian Qing look up, watching her back, the corners of her lips curling slightly, before lowering her head to continue reading the magazine.
Not alluring, but cute.
When she came out again, Lu Yinxi was wearing only one of Jian Qing’s long shirts, with nothing underneath, carrying a plate of grapes.
Jian Qing glanced over, her gaze scanning from top to bottom, her eyes changing slightly.
Lu Yinxi brought the grapes in front of Jian Qing: “I want to eat grapes. Peel them for me.”
“Weren’t you supposed to be seducing me? How come I’m the one serving you?” Despite her complaints, Jian Qing still went to wash her hands and peeled grapes for Lu Yinxi.
The purple grapes were round and translucent, juicy when peeled.
Jian Qing brought a peeled grape to Lu Yinxi’s lips. Just as Lu Yinxi was about to bite, Jian Qing withdrew her hand and put it in her own mouth.
“The next one is for you.”
Teasing with a smile.
“Childish!” Lu Yinxi mocked her.
She peeled another one and brought it to Lu Yinxi’s lips.
This time, Lu Yinxi successfully bit into the grape, and in the process, darted out her tongue to lick Jian Qing’s finger, cleaning off the grape juice from her fingertip.
Jian Qing’s ears turned red, and she remained silent.
0 Comments