Miss Forensics – Chapter 68.1

Choice

“Beep… Sorry, the number you dialed is temporarily unavailable.”

“Sorry, the number you dialed is temporarily unavailable.”

……

Knowing well that she was still unconscious, Song Yuhang stubbornly and foolishly dialed her number. After a moment, a beep sound came through, leaving her feeling a bit disappointed as she put down the phone. But unexpectedly, someone suddenly answered.

When Song Yuhang saw the icon lighting up on the screen, her eyes brightened, and her voice trembled with a hint of excitement and even choked up slightly: “Hello? Lin…”

“It’s me, Miss Song,” the aged voice of Butler Lin came through the receiver.

“Miss hasn’t awakened yet, and her phone is temporarily with me.”

Butler Lin explained the sequence of events, and Song Yuhang closed her eyes slightly, feeling a bit disappointed. But immediately, she became nervous.

“It’s already been five days, and she hasn’t woken up? How can that be… how can that be? Which hospital is she in now? I want to go see her…”

Butler Lin turned away, avoiding the security guards patrolling back and forth in the corridor.

“Miss, this time…” he sighed deeply and continued, “Miss Song, please don’t make it difficult for me. It’s a direct order from the master. Except for doctors, no one is allowed to visit.”

Even he was only granted an exception to provide personal care due to his long association with Lin Yan.

“I… cough…,” Song Yuhang’s injuries hadn’t fully healed, and she easily coughed when she got agitated.

Hearing her cough on the other end, Butler Lin couldn’t bear it and advised, “Miss Song, please listen to my advice. Take care of yourself first, as long as there’s a green mountain, there will be firewood. Only then can you…”

Song Yuhang covered her lips and coughed a few more times, her face pale. “I understand, but…”

I miss her a lot.

“Butler Lin, you can see her, right? Can you do me a favor and help me? I have a few things I want to tell her.”

Butler Lin turned his head and glanced through the glass screen door. The doctor had just finished the examination and came out. He stepped aside to let him pass. “Alright then, but I can’t stay for long. Please make it quick.”

“Okay, thank you.”

The butler placed the phone by Lin Yan’s pillow.

A rustling sound of fabric.

When everything on the other side had completely quieted down, Song Yuhang spoke, “Lin Yan…”

The first words cautiously called out her name.

Song Yuhang didn’t know if Lin Yan could hear these words, but she just inexplicably wanted to tell her something, to release those feelings of love from her lips. If she kept it bottled up any longer, she would go crazy.

“That day, on the rooftop, you said that you were never the one who was resolutely chosen. Well, I want to say, now you are.”

Lin Yan lay quietly in bed, wearing a ventilator. Her hair, scattered on the pillow, had lost its luster. She was incredibly thin, and under the blanket, there was hardly any noticeable movement.

“With me, from now on, it will always be like this.”

Originally, Song Yuhang had intended to tell her these words after she regained consciousness. But now, for some reason, she couldn’t stop herself from opening up and speaking. She still hoped that if, if there was a glimmer of hope, Lin Yan could hear these words. It would give her immense encouragement and support, helping her wake up and carry on.

“Lin Yan, get better. Don’t forget that you promised me you won’t die. Don’t forget that you promised me that once the case is closed, we’ll go for a drink together…”

“I finally found someone I truly like. I don’t want to lose her so soon.”

“Don’t…” Song Yuhang choked back a sob, “Leave me alone.”

The electrocardiogram monitor beside the bed fluctuated slightly as her heart rate and blood pressure slowly rose.

Lin Yan still kept her eyes closed, but tears rolled down from the corners of her eyes.

Butler Lin picked up the phone. “Miss Song…”

Song Yuhang wiped away the tears from her face. “Alright, thank you, Butler Lin.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble. It’s what I should do, and I also hope that Miss recovers soon.”

Song Yuhang nodded. “Then I won’t disturb you anymore. If there’s any update on Lin Yan’s condition, please inform me promptly.”

“Alright, goodbye.”

As footsteps approached from outside the glass screen door, Butler Lin quickly put away the phone and tucked the blanket for Lin Yan.

Lin Ge, having finished the fingerprint verification, entered the room. Butler Lin’s hand, which was tucking the blanket for Lin Yan, froze for a moment. He bowed respectfully, “Hello, Young Master Lin.”

Lin Ge nodded, looking at the empty hospital room. “Why is it just you here? Where are the doctor and nurse?”

“The doctor just left, and I’m used to taking care of Miss. I came over to check on her.”

“How is Yanyan today?”

“She’s still the same.”

Butler Lin withdrew his hand from the blanket.

Lin Ge pulled a chair from under the bed and sat down. “Alright, you can go out. I’ll stay with Yanyan for a while.”

“Alright.” The butler took two steps back, bowed to him, and then left the room.

“Auntie!” Just as Song Yuhang hung up the phone, a child rushed in like a gust of wind, with Ji Jingxing chasing after her by grabbing onto the back of her collar.

“Hey, hey, don’t pounce on your auntie. She’s injured.”

Mother Song followed behind, carrying a lunchbox.

“Here, it’s the corn and pork rib soup¹ you like. Lately, your sister has been cooking it herself, and even I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy it.”

Song Yuhang smiled and held Xiao Wei in her arms, one hand embracing her, and kissed the soft and tender cheek of the child.

“Thank you, Mom. Thank you, sis. You’ve worked hard. Xiao Wei, have you missed your auntie recently?”

“I did…” the child answered with a long, drawn-out voice.

“Auntie is not here, no one to play soccer with me, no one to jump rope with me, no one to go to the playground with me…” the child counted on her fingers, making everyone in the room laugh.

Ji Jingxing pulled the child closer and tapped her nose with her fingertip. “You little rascal, you sure hold grudges.”

Xiao Wei smiled sheepishly, her hair tied into two lively and adorable pigtails. She wriggled out of her mother’s embrace and rolled over to Song Yuhang’s side, grabbing her hand and blowing air onto the cast on her arm.

“Auntie, does it hurt? Xiao Wei will blow on it, whoosh-whoosh…”

Watching the child puffing her cheeks and blowing with all her might, Song Yuhang’s heart softened, and she gently stroked the child’s head.

“I’m sorry, Xiao Wei. These past few days have been too busy. When Auntie has some free time, I promise you that during Christmas, Auntie will take you to the playground to play.”

“Mom, please have a seat.” Ji Jingxing said as she took the lunchbox from Mother Song’s hand and placed it on the table. She opened the lid, took out the chopsticks that had been scalded with hot water, and carefully scooped spoonfuls into a bowl before handing it to her.

“Oh, come on. It’s around the time of final exams before and after Christmas. Don’t let her get distracted again. Besides, we understand that you’re busy. Xiao Wei speaks her mind without reservation, so don’t take it to heart.”

After hearing the first half, Xiao Wei let out a miserable cry and fell into her grandmother’s arms. “Grandma, Grandma, you have to talk to Mom. I don’t want to attend so many cram schools…”

Mother Song’s heart melted, unable to attend to so much. “Alright, alright. During winter break, come to Grandma’s place to play. I promise Mom won’t assign you any homework.”

Now it was Ji Jingxing’s turn to be unhappy. “Mom…”

While the grandmother and granddaughter makes a fuss, the soup had already cooled down. Song Yuhang intended to reach out and take it, but Ji Jingxing squatted down and brought the spoon to her lips.

“Drink it while it’s still hot.”

Song Yuhang was taken aback and instinctively turned her head to avoid it. “It’s okay… I’ll do it myself, myself.”

Ji Jingxing frowned slightly, showing a hint of dissatisfaction. She had made a special effort to dress up before coming today, with finely drawn eyebrows and even lip gloss applied, making her appear much younger than her actual age.

She was dressed stylishly as well, wearing a trendy autumn dress paired with low heels. It added a touch of charm to her maturity. Not celebrating any festivals or visiting relatives, she had just come to the hospital to visit a patient, but it seemed…

Moreover, from Song Yuhang’s perspective, she looked radiant and beautiful.

She averted her gaze, inexplicably reminded of the scene in the file room when Lin Yan fed her dinner that night.

Lin Yan never showed such a submissive and pitiful expression, except on certain special occasions.

Ji Jingxing looked at her turning away, not responding, feeling somewhat despondent. “Yuhang, do you…”

She paused for a moment. “Do you despise me?”

Mother Song’s gaze shifted towards them. “Your sister specially stewed it for you all morning…”

Song Yuhang shook her head. “No, I don’t. Thank you, sister-in-law.”

She called her sister-in-law instead of sister.

A difference of a single word created a vast distance between them.

Ji Jingxing felt as if struck by lightning, but Song Yuhang swiftly supported her with her left hand, simultaneously taking the bowl from her hand and drinking it all in one go. She wiped the corners of her lips with the back of her hand.

“It’s delicious, but I think it’s better not to do this in the future. It’s too troublesome, and the hospital cafeteria food is already tasty enough.”

Ji Jingxing’s lips trembled, but in the end, she didn’t say anything. She turned around and began tidying up the dishes and utensils.

Song Yuhang’s gaze fell upon her, seemingly pondering something. Xiao Wei tugged at her hand, calling out to her, “Auntie, Auntie, can we play Chinese checkers²?”

Song Yuhang snapped back to reality and ruffled her head. “Okay, but you promise me that Auntie will play with you for one hour, and then you’ll obediently go home with Mom to do your homework, alright?”

Xiao Wei nodded vigorously. “Cross my heart and hope to die, I won’t change my mind for a hundred years.”

Song Yuhang’s smile softened as she held onto her fingertips. “Whoever changes their mind is a little dog.”

LP: What?! Ji Jingxing don’t even… Song Yuhang already has someone else in mind!

On another note, I’m currently trying a new Adsense feature which fine-tunes how many “auto ads” are being displayed. I set it at the lowest settings which 5, but if the ads are a bother, please let me know and I’ll disable the feature~