Volume One: First Scroll
A Little Sweetness
“Lin Yan, do you know how wolves express affection for their own kind?”
When Song Yuhang climbed in through the window, she was almost asleep. The moment she heard the noise, Lin Yan tensed up, her hand reaching for the fruit knife on the bedside table.
Not until a familiar voice sounded did Song Yuhang take the fruit knife from her hand and tuck her wrist back under the covers. “It’s me.”
Only then did Lin Yan relax again, turning on her side to look at her, her eyes slightly closed as she let out a small yawn.
“Why so late?”
“Something held me up.” Song Yuhang smiled, leaning in to hug her.
Lin Yan frowned slightly, nuzzling into her embrace and sniffing.
Seeing her expression, Song Yuhang pulled back a little. “What’s wrong?”
The words had barely left her mouth when Lin Yan grabbed her by the collar and pulled her close again, sniffing her clothes once more.
Song Yuhang: “No way, I showered before I came.”
Lin Yan let go of her, pushing her away. “That’s not my perfume. Where were you fooling around? Confess, and I’ll spare your life.”
The smile on Song Yuhang’s face faded. She scratched her head, looking a bit helpless. “You even noticed that…”
Lin Yan snorted coldly. “I can identify the stench of a corpse with near certainty, let alone your scent.”
Seeing Lin Yan’s expression darken, teetering on the edge of an outburst, Song Yuhang proactively raised her hands in surrender.
“I wasn’t— I didn’t go fooling around! My sister-in-law came over for dinner today, and my niece was there too. I played with them for a while. My sister-in-law drank a bit too much and couldn’t drive, so I took them home. I rushed over as soon as I was done.” Song Yuhang pulled at her own clothes and sniffed. How come she couldn’t smell anything?
“The perfume… I probably got it on me then.”
Lin Yan stared at her face, not missing the slightest change in expression.
Although she wasn’t as experienced in investigation as Song Yuhang, nor an expert in micro-expressions, she could still tell if a person was lying or not.
Song Yuhang sighed quietly to herself. Having a genius forensic scientist girlfriend was just too difficult; nothing escaped her eyes.
Song Yuhang sidled over, half-kneeling by the bed. She leaned in, wrapped her arms around Lin Yan, and cupped her face, bringing their noses almost touching.
“You don’t believe me?”
Lin Yan averted her gaze, her eyes downcast, clearly still angry.
Song Yuhang chuckled, gently lifting Lin Yan’s chin to make her look up. “Are you not confident in yourself, or not confident in me?”
“I…” Lin Yan gritted her teeth. “Anyway, I just won’t allow you to get too close to other women—no, men either.”
Song Yuhang smiled, tucking a few stray strands of hair from Lin Yan’s cheek behind her ear and gently rubbing her face.
“What are you thinking? I’m only close to you. Or are you saying…” Her eyes flickered slightly, her gaze falling on Lin Yan’s lips.
“You think I’m not close enough.”
Lin Yan instinctively covered her lips. Here we go again. Did she want to bully her now that she was as weak as a kitten1?
Song Yuhang burst out laughing with a “pfft,” pinched Lin Yan’s nose, and then became serious. “As for you, I don’t care what you were like before. From now on, you can only be mine.”
Young Miss Lin’s tail could have curled up to the sky2. She snorted and said, “Dream on3! This old lady4 isn’t going to hang herself on just one tree5.”
Song Yuhang gritted her teeth and started tickling her. “You just try it, just try! I’ll get you for this.”
Lin Yan was tickled into fits of laughter, breathless and breaking out in a light sweat, her face flushed red.
Song Yuhang quickly covered her mouth. “Shh, quiet down.”
Lin Yan nodded, her eyes crinkling with amusement. Song Yuhang was still half-lying on top of her, her gaze deepening.
To make changing dressings easier, she had only been wearing a tank top these past few days. The strap on her injured shoulder had slipped down, making the whole top look a bit loose and disheveled.
Song Yuhang subtly swallowed. She thought to herself that she didn’t know why, but when Ji Jingxing had hugged her earlier, her subconscious reaction had been aversion and avoidance. Yet, with Lin Yan, it wasn’t like that. Even if Lin Yan didn’t take the initiative, she herself really wanted to be close to her.
Lin Yan watched as she slowly leaned down and, through the gauze, brushed her lips against the wound as lightly as a dragonfly skimming water. Lin Yan’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Song—”
Song Yuhang pressed her hand firmly over Lin Yan’s lips. Hot breath washed over her. Lin Yan was forced to tilt her head back, her hands gripping the bedsheet.
It seemed that for a long time, Song Yuhang had always liked staring at the nape of her neck. Eventually, it progressed to liking to pinch her cervical vertebrae. And now, it was…
“Lin Yan, do you know how wolves express affection for their own kind?”
Lin Yan turned her head slightly, intending to catch her breath, but Song Yuhang seized the opportunity. “You motherf#cker, get…”
The rest of her words were completely smothered by Song Yuhang’s actions.
“When hunting, wolves like to bite through their prey’s neck. Expressing affection is no exception, only it’s much gentler. Like this, nuzzling necks.”
Lin Yan closed her eyes, swallowing hard. The hand resting on Song Yuhang’s shoulder in resistance gradually lost its strength and was grasped firmly.
Lin Yan was completely enveloped by the sunny scent of her.
Song Yuhang sounded a little impatient. “Lin Yan, I want to…”
She also knew it wasn’t the right time, that she shouldn’t torment her like this. But it was the first time her young body had been dominated by such a strong impulse, and the little reason she had left told her she should ask for Lin Yan’s opinion.
Lin Yan blushed to the roots of her ears, gritting her teeth. “What do you think?”
“I think you should let me have a little taste of sweetness.”
There was a rustle of fabric as someone threw back the covers.
Lin Yan’s small sound of protest was negligible.
Song Yuhang pinned her hands to the pillow. Just as she was about to make a move, a voice came from outside the door.
“Is the Young Miss asleep?”
The butler on night duty replied respectfully, “She just fell asleep not long ago.”
Lin Ge walked in. “It’s alright, I’ll go check on her.”
Song Yuhang scrambled up, grabbing her clothes and looking around for a place to hide, but the huge hospital room didn’t even have a wardrobe.
Lin Yan also quickly sat up, straightened her clothes, smoothed her hair, and pointed out the window, signaling for her to get lost.
The scene looked utterly bizarre no matter how you looked at it.
Song Yuhang wanted to laugh but still followed her instructions, leaping out with her clothes and hanging onto the outdoor air conditioning unit, gently closing the window behind her.
Lin Ge pushed the door open and entered.
Lin Yan was engrossed in a fashion magazine, casually flipping a page without looking up.
“Well, well, what brings the busy man to see me today?”
Lin Ge put down the things he was carrying, pulled over a chair, and sat by the bed. “I just finished up with work and came over.”
He was still wearing a suit with a white coat over it, clearly having come straight from the hospital after work.
A faint smile touched Lin Yan’s lips. “What did you bring?”
Lin Ge rummaged through the paper bag he’d brought and laid things out one by one. “Some small cakes my mom baked. She insisted I bring them to you. I told her you can’t eat them anyway, honestly.”
He shook his head, a little exasperated. “There’s also a shoulder and neck massager, in case your neck gets sore from lying down for too long. This is a cream our hospital developed. It’s quite moisturizing for dry skin in autumn and winter. Many patients in our hospital use it.”
Lin Yan put down the magazine and picked up the cream. “Oh, this feels pretty good. I’ll try it another day.”
As soon as she put down the magazine, Lin Ge’s gaze fixed on her neck. Lin Yan noticed and touched it.
“What’s wrong?”
Lin Ge looked left and right, then reached out as if to pull back the blanket for a closer look. “What’s wrong with your neck?”
Lin Yan suddenly understood, her face flushing slightly. She quickly pulled the blanket up, inwardly cursing through gritted teeth: Damn it, Song Yuhang! If you’re going to bite, fine, but did you have to f#cking leave marks on this old lady!
“N-nothing… I scratched it myself… Hehe…”
Even Lin Yan herself found her smile incredibly, extremely, particularly awkward.
Peeking in from outside the window, Song Yuhang couldn’t help but curve her lips into a smile, though inwardly she was thinking: Why isn’t he leaving yet?
Scratching the walls6.
Lin Ge saw her face was particularly red and thought she wasn’t feeling well, so he placed his hand on her forehead.
“What’s wrong? Are you uncomfortable?”
Lin Yan flinched back a little. “No… just hot, I guess.”
“It is a bit warm.” The air conditioning in the room was on high, and Lin Ge had felt a bit stuffy as soon as he came in. He looked around, couldn’t find the remote, and got up, intending to open the window for some fresh air.
Lin Yan instantly sat bolt upright in bed and exclaimed, “Don’t—!”
Lin Ge’s hand was already on the window frame. Her shout made him jump. “What’s wrong?”
Lin Yan breathed a sigh of relief and slowly sat back down. “Don’t, don’t open it. It’s a bit cold again now.”
“…”
Are you sure you’re okay, being cold one moment and hot the next?
Lin Ge walked back, picked up the stethoscope the doctor had left on the bedside table during morning rounds, put it around his neck, and held her down. “Don’t move, let me listen.”
“Hey—no need.” Lin Yan, wearing only a tank top, instinctively wanted to shy away, but she saw his serious expression, his open and honest face, and the concern for her in his eyes.
Lin Yan’s heart warmed. Never mind.
“You’re a dentist, you know internal medicine too?”
“What’s wrong with being a dentist? Don’t you forensic examiners also have to study basic medicine? Besides, your brother here has a double degree—”
Lin Yan scoffed. “There you go again. Give you an inch and you take a mile7.”
Lin Ge smiled and put away the stethoscope. “Alright, no major problems. Go to bed early. I’ll bring some scar removal medicine in a few days.”
Lin Yan nodded, wishing he would leave quickly. “Please, just go. I’m really fine. Don’t keep running over here. Your horde of young female admirers will hate me to death.”
Lin Ge lowered her bed, removed one pillow, and tucked in the corners of her blanket. His expression under the dim yellow light remained somewhat gentle.
From childhood to adulthood, Lin Ge’s kindness towards her had truly never changed much.
“What admirers? Younger sisters, older sisters, none of them are as important as you.”
Lin Yan got goosebumps. “Go, go, go! Scram!”
Lin Ge chuckled, dimmed the bedside lamp for her, and gently closed the door as he left.
Footsteps echoed in the hallway.
The butler bowed. “Young Master, I’ll see you out.”
Only then did Song Yuhang push open the window and climb back in. Looking at the table full of things Lin Ge had brought, and their recent interaction, she pouted her lips, a little jealous.
“If he weren’t your brother, I’d really be jealous.”
Lin Yan shifted further into the bed, making space for her to sit on the edge, and rolled her eyes. “And you say I’m the jealous one. You look like you’ve been soaking in a vinegar vat and never came out. He’s my brother, we’ve known each other since we wore split pants8. What are you thinking?”
Song Yuhang shrugged, not thinking too deeply about it. Her relationship with her own brother wasn’t like that. She and Song Yichen had fought since they were little. Song Yichen felt she stole their parents’ affection, and she felt Song Yichen took resources that should have been hers—he always got the best food and toys first.
Because of this, they often got into big fights, and the house was frequently in an uproar9.
But thankfully, because of this, her childhood wasn’t dull or boring, unlike Lin Yan, who had been fostered in someone else’s home since she was young. It was understandable that Lin Yan would have a deeper bond with Lin Ge.
Thinking this, Song Yuhang felt a bit more tenderness for her and leaned down slightly.
Lin Yan quickly covered her mouth. “I’m still a patient.”
Song Yuhang pulled her hand away. “I know—”
Lin Yan covered it again. “You know sh#t.”
Song Yuhang chuckled, moving her hand away. “Am I that kind of person?”
Lin Yan nodded. “You are.”
“Alright, if that’s what you think, then I am. I don’t mind, really.”
As she spoke, she held down Lin Yan’s hand and leaned down again.
Lin Yan turned her face away and squeezed her eyes shut, but an unexpected kiss landed on her forehead.
Song Yuhang reluctantly straightened up. “Alright, you should sleep now.”
Lin Yan dawdled, watching her put on her jacket. Just as Song Yuhang was about to leave, Lin Yan hooked a finger around the corner of her coat.
“Um… stay.”
Song Yuhang paused, a smile appearing on her lips as she looked at Lin Yan thoughtfully.
Lin Yan turned her face away, muttering, “Forget it, you should just go, lest…”
Before she could finish, the blanket was thrown open, and Song Yuhang burrowed in.
“Sleep, sleep. By the way, no one will come by tonight, right?”
Lin Yan shifted to the side to make room for her, still not looking at her, her ears a little red. “No, the butler is watching outside the door.”
“That’s good.” A voice tinged with a smile sounded beside her ear.
Before Lin Yan could react, the blanket was pulled over her head, and her world plunged into darkness.
“Wh-what are you doing?”
“A little sweetness. You were the one who invited me to stay, after all.”
Early the next morning, before dawn, Song Yuhang got up, content. They had fooled around quite late last night. Although they hadn’t done that, she had still taken plenty of advantage.
Song Yuhang rubbed her nose, carefully slid off the bed, and leaned over the edge, gazing at Lin Yan’s sleeping face. There were many new marks on her neck. She felt a little embarrassed, her face warming slightly, as she tucked the blanket tightly around her.
How could she be… so insatiable, like a greenhorn kid? She was clearly middle-aged.
Song Yuhang smiled helplessly, placed a kiss on her forehead, picked up her clothes, and left.
Probably because it was her, and only her.
Days flowed by. Song Yuhang still came every day, occasionally staying overnight, holding Lin Yan as they slept.
Whenever this happened, Lin Yan would feel that sleeping wasn’t such a difficult thing for her after all.
Having her nearby always made her feel exceptionally at ease.
Lin Youyuan hadn’t come to harass her again either. Everything was calm on the surface, but it felt as if an unseen storm was gathering in the shadows.
When she felt a bit better and the weather was nice, Butler Lin would push her out for a walk. These were her few opportunities to connect with the outside world.
There were a few new faces among the bodyguards in the hospital. Lin Yan memorized each one and, with her photographic memory, counted the CCTV cameras in the hallways and the number of turns and corners to reach the hospital entrance.
From only being able to eat liquid food at the beginning, she gradually progressed to soft, mushy foods. The wound on her shoulder slowly scabbed over and healed.
Winter arrived late in the south. When the last withered yellow leaf fell from the tree outside the window, the Frost Descent10 finally arrived.
Lin Yan removed the gauze and examined the black mechanical baton in her palm, which glinted with a cold metallic sheen.
She gripped it tightly, feeling a long-lost strength, and slightly closed her eyes.
The butler watched her, hesitating to speak. “Miss, must you really have a complete falling out with the Master?”
Lin Yan gave a smile that didn’t reach her eyes and took a satin cloth from a brocade box, wiping the mechanical baton until it was pristine.
“Rather than having ties that can’t be severed even if bones are broken11, it’s better to just fight to the bitter end12.”
Compromise had never been part of her personality.
Butler Lin had never seen her so attentive to anything. She wiped the mechanical baton clean, carefully put it away, and placed it by her pillow.
“But…”
Lin Yan looked up at him. “Whose side are you really on?”
Her bluntness scared the butler half to death. He nodded hastily. “Naturally, on your side, Miss.”
“Then that settles it. Have you taken care of everything I asked you to do?”
The butler repeatedly affirmed, “Rest assured, Miss.”
A smile touched Lin Yan’s lips as she leaned back on the bed. “You can rest assured too. The money I give you won’t be less than what that old fogey13 Lin Youyuan gives you.”
The storm arrived a little faster than expected.
Just as Lin Youyuan was busy with the group’s year-end affairs.
His secretary rushed in and whispered in his ear, “President Lin, bad news. Our export shipment has been stopped by customs.”
Lin Youyuan’s pupils contracted. That shipment was the one negotiated with the foreign enterprise delegation last time. Whether they could survive the economic winter depended on the profits from this shipment.
“Didn’t we already smooth things over with them?”
“Customs inspection. They insist that one batch failed the quality check and won’t stamp it for clearance.”
Veins throbbed on Lin Youyuan’s forehead. “Damn it! Who knows what their inspection standards are? They change every day! Go negotiate again.”
“Yes, I’ll go right away.” The secretary hurried out to arrange a dinner meeting.
He thought for a moment, lifted the lid of his teacup, and took a sip. He felt there was an indescribable subtlety and strangeness to this matter, so he called the secretary back.
“Forget it. Make arrangements. I’ll personally invite our old friends to dinner tonight.”
During the dinner, the conversation was lively and cheerful.
Even in his wheelchair, Lin Youyuan stretched out his arm to clink glasses with everyone. They all drank until their faces were flushed.
After three rounds of drinks, they finally got to the main topic.
“Director Liu, about that shipment at customs…”
The other party waved his hand dismissively. “Alas, don’t mention it, don’t mention it. I wanted to let it pass for you, but the Public Security Bureau is latched on tight. They’ve got a new second-in-command, very tough. A few consumers got sick stomachs from eating some health supplement, and they’re investigating it now. This matter is no longer under customs jurisdiction…”
Lin Youyuan maintained a cheerful demeanor on the surface, but secretly, he gripped his wine glass so tightly in his palm that it left red marks.
What a Song Yuhang.
Impressive, tough, and courageous!
He released the wine glass and placed it on the table. “Everyone, eat and drink to your heart’s content today. It’s all on Old Lin’s tab. I have some company business, so I must excuse myself.”
“Hey—Old Lin, that’s not very cool of you.”
Someone protested. Lin Youyuan turned his head to his secretary and said, “You stay and accompany the bosses. Make sure they have a good time.”
“Okay, President Lin, don’t worry.”
The secretary ordered a few more bottles of expensive alcohol and filled their glasses one by one.
Only then did Lin Youyuan leave, accompanied by his bodyguards.
Several police cars, lights flashing, screeched to a halt at the hospital entrance.
The car doors opened, and several criminal police officers jumped out. The lead officer took off his sunglasses, walked straight to the entrance, and showed his badge to the security guard.
“Police! Step aside! We’re here under orders to investigate a medical malpractice case.”
Several bodyguards stepped forward, their hands moving towards their backs. The police officers immediately became alert, and a few young, strong officers pushed the bodyguards aside.
“What are you doing, what are you doing? Trying to assault a police officer? This is our Deputy Captain!”
The bodyguards exchanged a look, stepped back to the side, let the police pass, and simultaneously picked up the communicators on their chests.
“Go check the Young Miss’s room. Is she still there?”
Song Yuhang, her face covered, held the communicator to the bodyguard’s mouth. Lin Yan sat beside them, the mechanical baton in her hand pointed at his throat. The bodyguard was tied up securely.
He stammered, “Still… still here.”
After the call ended, Song Yuhang threw the communicator on the floor and pulled Lin Yan up.
“Let’s go.”
Lin Yan followed her through various twists and turns. “Do you know the way?”
Song Yuhang peeked out into the hallway. “I do. I’ve cased the joint.”
With that, she half-supported, half-embraced Lin Yan and moved forward.
A smile appeared on Lin Yan’s lips. “How long have you been planning this?”
“Not long, about a month. I have your dad to thank for giving me the opportunity.”
Just as she finished speaking and was about to pull Lin Yan around a corner, they ran into two bodyguards in black.
Song Yuhang pushed Lin Yan behind her. Just as she was about to make a move, the men in black suddenly slumped and fell limply to the ground.
Duan Cheng peeked out from behind the men in black, grinned at them, and showed the electric baton in his hand.
“Gotta say, this thing works pretty well.”
Lin Yan breathed a sigh of relief. Song Yuhang took her hand, put an arm around her shoulder, and continued forward, giving her a reassuring look.
Duan Cheng led the way. “Old Zheng and Fang Xin are outside…”
Before he could finish, the rest of his words caught in his throat. He swallowed hard, looking as if he were facing a formidable enemy.
Lin Youyuan, surrounded by three or five bodyguards, appeared in the hallway. Song Yuhang looked back; their escape route was also blocked.
The group was trapped in an isolated encirclement.
Lin Yan tightened her grip on the mechanical baton. With a snap, it extended from its sheath. Just as she was about to step forward, Song Yuhang pulled her back.
“I’ll handle this.”
Lin Yan became agitated, lowering her voice. “Just you and Duan Cheng alone—”
Song Yuhang looked back at her, her grip on Lin Yan’s hand not loosening. She even patted it gently in reassurance. “We’d have to face this hurdle sooner or later, wouldn’t we?”
LP: Re-translated on May 29, 2025
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