Volume Ten: Those Few Years After She and I Broke Up
Missing You
The late night in a hospital is never short of prayers; the dim corridors are filled with believers awaiting the arrival of a miracle.
Ever since Wen Nuan fell from the city wall, she had injured the back of her head, and her body was covered in scratches, like a broken rag doll.
Reports of this filming accident created a foul wind and a rain of blood1 in the entertainment industry, spreading far and wide. The production crew explained that the accident was caused by severe weather and that no foul play was involved. If the public remained unconvinced, they could request a judicial investigation.
Wen Nuan’s surgery lasted for over ten hours. Everyone was sitting on the waiting chairs in front of the operating room.
The oppressive atmosphere made everyone fall silent. Even though they were full of curiosity and suspicion about the people at the scene, their mouths were sealed by the heavy atmosphere at this moment, not daring to speak.
Yi Jing stood alone by the window. Everyone else kept some distance from her, not daring to approach.
She leaned her back against the cold, white-tiled wall, her fist pressed against her mouth, her teeth constantly biting her knuckles, as if only this faint, sharp pain could keep her rational.
Just before boarding her flight, Secretary Li had suddenly told her that Wen Nuan had fallen from the city wall and was in the hospital’s emergency room. Yi Jing was completely at a loss. She dropped her luggage and rushed straight to the hospital, only to see the tightly shut doors of the operating room.
Di Yi glanced at Yi Jing. Her entire being exuded nervousness, confusion, and fear, like an easily frightened young animal, not at all like the President of Feili who pointed at rivers and mountains2, with great power in her hands.
She picked up a bottle of mineral water, walked over, and said, “Have a drink. Don’t worry, Wen Nuan will be fine.”
Yi Jing turned her body mechanically, her unfocused eyes looking at Di Yi.
Di Yi looked at her pitch-black eyes, which held not a trace of light and were lifeless.
“President Yi, you wouldn’t want Wen Nuan to wake up and see that you’ve fallen ill, would you?”
Yi Jing’s eyes shifted. She took the water from Di Yi but didn’t open it, and thanked her in a low voice.
“Actually, I feel like some things aren’t my place to say, and some matters I shouldn’t get involved in, but…”
Di Yi watched Yi Jing, who had her head lowered, not knowing what she was thinking, as if she were immersed in her own world, trapped.
“…I know a little about you and Wen Nuan. As for your past relationship, I only know one and understand half3, but I can see that you two… still have feelings for each other.”
Yi Jing’s eyelids trembled slightly.
“Moreover, these feelings aren’t shallow. Perhaps they’ve reached… the point of being irreplaceable.”
Yi Jing’s brow furrowed slightly. The mineral water bottle crinkled in her palm.
Di Yi glanced at the water bottle and continued impassively, “Wen Nuan is a person who is devil-may-care4, as if she doesn’t care about anything or anyone. She treats the world with harshness and sarcasm because she’s extremely lacking in security and love.”
Yi Jing tilted her head slightly, looking at Di Yi with a puzzled gaze.
Di Yi rested both hands on the window. Outside, the pine trees were already bare, and in the distance, the sky met the bluish-gray mountaintops, looking hazy and gray.
“I’m not saying this to make excuses for anyone, but to tell you my perspective on Wen Nuan.”
Yi Jing raised an eyebrow.
“My first impression of her was from the overwhelming negative news online. They said she did not know integrity and shame, that she hooked three and hung four5, that she coveted vanity6, that she was sinister and vicious… All sorts of insults that one could not bear to enter the eyes7. I thought that if I were treated like that, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to withstand such suffocating malice and curses.”
Yi Jing’s face was grim, her thin lips pressed into a straight line.
“But she’s different. She never cared about the online abuse, letting them curse her as they pleased. Sometimes, she would even join those brainless netizens in cursing herself, getting even more worked up than they did.”
“It was also from that point that I sensed something seemed off with her psychological state.”
“It seemed like she had some problems, that she was a bit sick.”
The mineral water bottle, being squeezed, made a dull sound, as if it were speaking of the inner hesitation and unease of certain people.
“She treats everything, every emotion, and everyone with casual disregard. She both longs to possess things and feels she is unworthy of possessing them.”
“Both her parents are dead. She lacked familial affection from a young age, and in her entire upbringing, she never had a close friend with whom to share her innermost thoughts.”
“She has never truly taken any relationship seriously. Even after being with so many men, even after being with you, she believed she was unworthy of a love that would not change even until death, because she knew that a rotten person like her only deserved to be toyed with by this heartless and cruel world. So, for the sake of revenge and self-gratification, she also toys with the world.”
“In her perception, only money and power can give her some sense of security.”
Di Yi sighed. “To put it simply, she has lost the ability to love and be loved.”
Yi Jing’s chest felt as if it were stuffed with a ball of cotton, stuffy and tight.
“She constantly seeks trust from others to prove her own worth. Every plea, every hope, every test of hers is like her saying, ‘Please… save me.'”
Her eyes stung, and tears silently crashed upon Yi Jing’s heart.
“My understanding of her isn’t very deep; most of my views are just speculation. She would never tell us about her past, but I think… she must be different with you.”
“Perhaps only you can open her heart, which has been sealed in dust for so long.”
“She is already sick into the vital region8, and you are the only medicine she’s missing.”
The red light of the operating room went out. A nurse came out, pushing a hospital bed hung with IV bags.
Yi Jing quickly ran over, looking at the still-unconscious Wen Nuan, whose face was as white as a sheet of paper, as if she would shatter at a single touch.
Her head was wrapped in layer after layer of gauze, and the bloodstains seeping through made Yi Jing’s heart feel as if it had been viciously squeezed.
“Doctor, how is she?” Di Yi asked first. “How are my friend’s injuries?”
The doctor nodded and smiled. “The surgery was very successful. The patient can go directly to the VIP ward to rest and recuperate.”
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, their hearts at ease.
Yi Jing followed the hospital bed to the VIP ward. Seeing that Wen Nuan’s surgery was successful, Secretary Li spoke with Yi Jing for a moment and then returned to Jingcheng9 first.
The director and the production crew staff conferred with Zhou Hao, expressed their apologies and guilt, and were then seen off by him.
At this point, only Zhou Hao, Di Yi, and Yi Jing, who was sitting by the hospital bed watching Wen Nuan, were left in the hospital.
Zhou Hao glanced at Yi Jing and pulled Di Yi out of the ward. “It’s already past midnight. I’m going to buy something to eat. After not eating for over ten hours, I’m about to faint from hunger.”
Di Yi nodded. “Okay, Zhou-ge10, I’ll go with you.”
“That works,” Zhou Hao said, looking at his phone. “In another half hour, An Siya and Cong Hui will be here. I bet those two haven’t eaten either, so we might as well all eat together.”
“Okay.”
Zhou Hao glanced at Yi Jing again through the crack in the door, hesitated for a moment, and then asked tentatively, “President Yi and Wen Nuan are…?”
Di Yi said lightly, “I heard they were university classmates.”
Zhou Hao said with understanding, “So that’s how it is. I never would have thought Wen Nuan and President Yi were university classmates. Tsk tsk, fate is truly a wondrous thing.”
“But, I still feel like their relationship isn’t as simple as just classmates, you know?” He stroked his chin, pondering for a moment. “That limited edition Feili gown Wen Nuan wore back then, was it from President Yi?”
Di Yi kept her mouth shut and didn’t answer.
As long as she didn’t speak, it wouldn’t be her deliberately leaking a secret.
Seeing that Di Yi wasn’t talking, Zhou Hao didn’t press the issue. “Alright, let’s go get food first. I’m really starving to death.”
During Wen Nuan’s surgery, everyone’s nerves were stretched taut, and they didn’t feel hungry at all. Now, hearing that Wen Nuan was safe and sound, hunger instantly invaded him.
Di Yi followed him. “Okay.”
Only Wen Nuan and Yi Jing were left in the hospital room, two half-dead people leaning on each other.
Yi Jing held Wen Nuan’s hand. It was a bit cold. Afraid that Wen Nuan was cold, she pressed her hand to her cheek.
“How could you… be so careless?” Yi Jing complained in a low voice.
“That city wall is so high. When you fell… did it hurt?”
She had seen the video of the accident. Wen Nuan’s thin body swaying in the wind and rain, falling to the ground amidst people’s terrified screams.
Watching the video, Yi Jing felt it as if it were happening to her. It was as if she were at the scene, watching with her own eyes as Wen Nuan fell from the city wall before her, the fresh blood becoming the last, indelible color in her vision.
She gently rubbed Wen Nuan’s palm, her fingertip touched the blood on her gauze and trembled.
Yi Jing had always thought that someone like Wen Nuan had no heart and no lungs11, cold-blooded and ruthless, but when she touched Wen Nuan’s blood, it was scalding hot…
“Wen Nuan, do you know what I’m thinking right now?”
“I’m thinking… if I had locked you by my side from the very beginning, would you… not have gotten hurt?”
“It’s my fault for being too cowardly back then. I was afraid you would hate me, afraid you would be in pain, so I let you go.”
“But now, I regret it so much. I regret… not trying to fight for it one more time, not trying to believe in you one more time?”
“Which room?” Cong Hui was so anxious she started running.
An Siya chased after her. “Slow down. It’s room 506. Yes, that one up ahead.”
Cong Hui quickened her pace, violently pushed open the door to room 506, and called out worriedly, “Wen Nuan—?”
“Hm? Who are you?” Cong Hui didn’t recognize Yi Jing. Seeing a stranger suddenly appear by Wen Nuan’s side, she immediately became vigilant.
An Siya caught up from behind, saw Yi Jing, paused, and asked tentatively, “President Yi of the Feili Group?”
Cong Hui said in astonishment, “Feili Group? President Yi?”
Yi Jing didn’t stand up, still holding Wen Nuan’s hand. Hearing An Siya’s words, she nodded. “You must be Wen Nuan’s teammates?”
“Yes, we heard Wen Nuan was injured while filming, so we came to see her.” An Siya glanced imperceptibly at their clasped hands. “Is President Yi here to show concern for the life and safety of an employee under Linguan Entertainment?”
Cong Hui knew that Linguan Entertainment was backed by the Feili Group, and that the creation of Linguan Entertainment was single-handedly orchestrated by Yi Jing.
Hearing An Siya’s words, Cong Hui asked her with a look of astonishment, “Really? President Yi manages ten thousand affairs a day12, yet she still has time to care about the life and safety of us low-level employees? Is the president of the Feili Group so approachable?”
“…..”
An Siya could naturally sense the strange atmosphere between Wen Nuan and Yi Jing. She just hadn’t expected that this Cong Hui fellow would actually believe her official-sounding statement.
Yi Jing raised her eyes. “Not exactly. I came specifically to take care of Wen Nuan.”
Cong Hui asked, puzzled, “President Yi knows Wen Nuan?”
“Knows her?”
“Are you friends?” Cong Hui guessed.
Yi Jing paused. “I suppose so.”
An Siya narrowed her eyes. She walked to the bedside and looked at the pale-faced Wen Nuan. “How was the surgery?”
“The doctor said it went very well. All she needs now is to rest and recuperate.” Di Yi walked in, carrying food. “Did you two just get here?”
Cong Hui nodded. “Yeah, we just arrived. Are you guys…?”
Zhou Hao put the things on the table. “Wen Nuan was in surgery for over ten hours, and we’ve been waiting with her for over ten hours. None of us have eaten. You two just got here, why don’t you eat with us?”
Knowing that Wen Nuan was safe and sound, Cong Hui also felt relieved.
She rubbed her stomach and moved closer. “Okay. An Siya, come eat.”
An Siya glanced at Yi Jing, who was still gazing at Wen Nuan, and asked, “President Yi, would you like to eat with us?”
Yi Jing was just about to refuse.
Di Yi set out the chopsticks, looked over, and said lightly, “President Yi, come have something to eat. The doctor said Wen Nuan won’t wake up until tomorrow. You need to eat to have the strength to watch over her.”
Yi Jing froze, let go of Wen Nuan’s hand, and walked over. “Okay.”
Di Yi placed a box of rice and a bowl of soup in front of Yi Jing. “These few dishes are on the sweeter side. President Yi, you can have these.”
Yi Jing looked at the seaweed and egg drop soup and the few sweeter dishes. “This is…?”
She didn’t know Di Yi well. How would she know her tastes?
Di Yi pointed to the person on the hospital bed. “She told me.”
Wen Nuan told you?
A trace of surprise flashed in Yi Jing’s eyes. “She’s mentioned… me to you?”
“Mhm,” Di Yi said, taking a sip of soup, feeling the warmth in her stomach. “Many times.”
“What? Wen Nuan told you about President Yi?” Cong Hui asked, chewing on her chopsticks. “How come we didn’t know?”
An Siya also looked over with a puzzled expression.
Without batting an eye, Di Yi said, “She just mentioned it casually a few times. Said President Yi was her university classmate, that they were very close back in school, but lost touch after graduation.”
At first, Di Yi had also been fooled by Wen Nuan, thinking that President Yi had really lent Wen Nuan the limited edition Feili Group gown because of their classmate relationship.
It wasn’t until that dinner party that Di Yi learned Wen Nuan and President Yi’s relationship was more than just classmates.
Thinking about it now, it made sense. No matter how good a classmate relationship was, it wouldn’t be enough to easily borrow a limited edition haute couture gown.
Yi Jing lowered her gaze, looking at the bowl of seaweed and egg drop soup.
“Ah, so President Yi and Wen Nuan are classmates!” Cong Hui suddenly had a great realization13. “No wonder President Yi came specifically to visit Wen Nuan.”
An Siya gave Di Yi a thoughtful look, only to see Di Yi give her a dry smile.
An Siya: “…..”
As expected, something was fishy.
Zhou Hao also felt that Di Yi’s words were unreliable. Seeing An Siya and Di Yi exchange glances, he instantly understood.
He glanced at Cong Hui, who was still eating foolishly, and sighed to himself: There really is a dim-witted one in the band. These few people really complement each other, I guess.
For Yi Jing, food could not go down her throat14. She only took a few bites of rice and finished the bowl of warm seaweed and egg drop soup, then went back to sitting by Wen Nuan’s bed, watching her without blinking.
The VIP ward was very large, big enough for the few of them to sleep in.
An Siya and Cong Hui squeezed together on the sofa, Di Yi sat on another single armchair, and Zhou Hao made do for the night on a waiting chair in the corridor.
The early winter sun was still glaring. Wen Nuan slowly opened her eyes and saw Yi Jing, who had fallen asleep slumped over by her hand.
Wen Nuan knew that as long as she opened her eyes, she would see her.
Her fingertips traced over her tightly furrowed brow. Her nose stung, and tears fell silently, dampening the pillowcase.
Yi Jing felt someone touching her, so gently, so carefully.
She opened her eyes and met a pair of bright black eyes, which shimmered with a deep vicissitude and grief.
Wen Nuan’s fingertips landed lightly, tucking a strand of hair at her temple. Hidden within her gentle gaze was a heart-stopping, bone-deep longing15 and a profound love.
Yi Jing saw her chapped lips moving. She got up and leaned closer.
“Xiao Jing?”
She spoke very slowly, as if using all the strength in her body.
Yi Jing held back the ache in her heart and answered softly, “I’m here.”
“I… missed you so much.”
Wen Nuan wanted to say I love you, wanted to say I like you, wanted to say she wanted to stay by her side forever and never be separated again.
Such a profound love had flowed through hundreds of worlds, ultimately transforming into a single phrase: “I missed you.”
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