Such a strong perfume, as fiery as the woman herself.
But Ji Fan liked this type of woman—reliant on no one, never complaining no matter how hard or tiring, though it always tugged at her heartstrings.
Ji Fan wondered if, in the years they’d been apart, Fu Lianzhi had had other partners or dated anyone.
She really wanted to know.
Lost in thought, a horn blared outside. Fu Lianzhi shot her a resentful look through the car window. Ji Fan draped the suit over herself and hurried to the car.
Ji Fan headed straight for the passenger seat.
Spotting her intent, Fu Lianzhi didn’t even look. “Sit in the back.”
Ji Fan, ever adaptable, muttered softly, “Backseat it is… why so fierce…”
This heavy landing felt uncomfortable anyway.
She had been freezing before getting in, but now Ji Fan felt sweat seeping from her palms.
Bang! Ji Fan’s nose smacked into the front seatback. She sat up, yelping in pain.
After all these years, Fu Lianzhi’s driving was still terrible.
At this hour, she slammed on the brakes on the road. Ji Fan fumed silently and peered through the windshield, hearing Fu Lianzhi tilt her head slightly. “A cat. Buckle your seatbelt.”
Ji Fan hadn’t buckled it, verbally defending Fu Lianzhi instead—there should be more trust between people.
At the next intersection, that trust vanished from Ji Fan’s heart entirely.
She wondered how, on these midnight streets devoid of even ghosts, Fu Lianzhi managed to flip the car?
Even if this woman hated her ex, she wouldn’t go down together now, right?
Ji Fan was still scared and immediately checked on the driver. “Fu Lianzhi! Fu Lianzhi! Are you okay?! Say something! Damn it? Say something!!!”
Fu Lianzhi’s voice was faint as a mosquito. “Not dead… can you lower your voice? Ears hurt…”
“Are you hurt anywhere?” Relieved by the response, Ji Fan pressed on. “Answer me!”
Fu Lianzhi sounded exhausted. “No…”
Fortunately, her phone could still reach the assistant, and the car damage wasn’t severe—they were just pinned inside.
The ambulance and fire truck arrived at the same time.
Lying on the stretcher, Ji Fan glanced sideways, scanning the woman beside her from head to toe. Seeing her eyes tightly shut, she tried to get up to check, but the assistant pressed her back down.
The doctor seemed to read her intent. “Don’t worry, the lady with you just fell asleep.”
Ji Fan was incredulous. “A-Asleep?”
The car had flipped, leaving them both upside down on the road, and this woman had fallen asleep?
Ji Fan rubbed her forehead, shaking her head with a sigh.
She spent the night in the ER, woken by voices. Opening her eyes, she saw Fu Lianzhi standing by the bed, held back by medical staff.
Seeing Ji Fan awake, the nurse asked her to talk sense into the patient. “You’re finally up. Please convince your friend—she insists on going back to work. She’s still under observation; she can’t leave.”
Ji Fan went to get off the bed and noticed her right hand wrapped in bandages, a gauze sling around her neck. Even slight movement hurt.
“Are you trying to die?”
Before Ji Fan could reach her, two traffic cops in uniform entered, flashing badges. They addressed Fu Lianzhi. “Miss Fu, you’re suspected of fatigued driving. Please cooperate with our investigation. Once confirmed, we’ll issue the appropriate traffic penalty.”
That seemed effective. Fu Lianzhi sat back on the bed, her face paling.
Ji Fan perked up her ears from the next bed, listening to their conversation.
A penalty was necessary—maybe it would make Fu Lianzhi value her health more.
After the cops left, Fu Lianzhi called Jing Yan.
Jing Yan was shocked. In just one night, she and Ji Fan had ended up in the hospital.
She had often heard Fu Lianzhi downplay her driving skills, thinking it was modesty, but it turned out to be true.
Jing Yan just comforted her. “You’ve been too tired lately. Rest well for a few days. I’ll pull strings with HR.”
Once Fengcheng learned their investor was hospitalized, they naturally sent someone to check in. The task fell to Dan Wuyan, of course.
Who else? She knew Ji Fan.
She was the most suitable.
Dan Wuyan had gotten the gist of the situation and placed some nutritional supplements between the two beds.
Seeing Fu Lianzhi’s poor complexion, Dan Wuyan said, “President Fu, the higher-ups want you to rest well. You’ve been given three days off.”
Ji Fan couldn’t sit still any longer. She asked excitedly, “Only three days?” Pointing at Chen Qingwen, she cursed, “What the hell is Fengcheng doing? What can they accomplish in three days? Chen Qingwen is no good! No! None of the management at Fengcheng are any good!”
Dan Wuyan blinked and glanced at her hand. “You…”
Ji Fan thought she was upset about her cursing even Jing Yan, so she quickly explained, “I didn’t curse her.”
Fu Lianzhi gave her a blank look, then rolled over onto her side, feeling restless. She pulled the blanket over her head.
Dan Wuyan dragged her stool over and sat down next to Ji Fan, talking to her in a low voice. “Did you tell her?”
Ji Fan drooped her head. “She’s completely impervious… But I didn’t dare bring it up with her.”
“Right, did you tell Jing Yan?”
Dan Wuyan indicated that she hadn’t.
Ji Fan said, “Then what the hell are you talking about! Jing Yan hasn’t even confirmed, do you think she’ll come?”
“It was really too late last night, so I didn’t mention it.”
After racking their brains, the two still couldn’t come up with any good plan.
The New Year was drawing closer, and Ji Fan had never imagined she’d run into this kind of trouble.
She hadn’t checked Deep Color for several days either.
Although staying in the hospital felt pretty uncomfortable, at least Fu Lianzhi was there with her.
This was also the first time she’d truly seen this woman rest.
Ji Fan had her assistant notify Fengcheng that documents and progress related to the Deep Color investment didn’t need to be rushed. Maybe this could lighten the load for the employees below.
Of course, this excuse worked just fine, since the higher-ups at Fengcheng already knew she was hospitalized.
She would review their work after resuming normal operations from before the New Year until after.
Time arrived at the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month.
Even though it was the New Year, the city felt cold and empty, with many small vendors closing up shop to head home for the holidays.
Two days earlier, Dan Wuyan had formally invited Jing Yan, who could only confirm her schedule that day.
After all, tomorrow was New Year’s Eve.
Gazing at the neighboring building where no lights had come on yet, Dan Wuyan stood on the balcony, constantly checking her WeChat messages, afraid to miss anything.
It was the New Year, so Jing Yan really should go home to be with her parents. Even if she refused, that would be perfectly normal.
Dan Wuyan wanted to keep Jing Yan around during the regular holiday after New Year’s Eve, to build a relationship beyond just friends with benefits.
Her anxious wait paid off—Jing Yan had no plans afterward.
Standing on the terrace, Dan Wuyan gripped her phone tightly after receiving the reply. With the evening breeze at her back, the stray hairs by her temples fluttered in the wind, and a faint smile crept onto her lips.
After receiving Dan Wuyan’s notification, Ji Fan turned off her phone screen. She cleared her throat by the bedside. The woman in the next bed didn’t react, so she coughed a few more times.
Fu Lianzhi still didn’t look at her. “If there’s phlegm in your throat, go find the doctor—might as well while you’re still in the hospital.”
Ji Fan’s right hand was slung across her chest as she impatiently shuffled over in her slippers. “Who do I have to thank for this? Fu Lianzhi, have a little conscience, okay?”
Fu Lianzhi plugged her ears, too lazy to listen to her ramble.
Ji Fan pulled her hand away. “Whatever, you have to take responsibility for me.”
Fu Lianzhi asked, “How much do you want? I don’t have much money to compensate you with.”
Who would believe a big director like her had no money?
Ji Fan got serious. “I don’t want your money. You can at least provide some emotional support, right?”
Fu Lianzhi didn’t understand. “What do you want?” If it weren’t for her, Ji Fan really wouldn’t be lying in the hospital right now, and might not even be able to enjoy the New Year properly.
One with an injured ankle, one with an injured hand.
One limping, one missing an arm.
Ji Fan’s eyes sparkled with irrepressible joy, but she feigned a troubled and conflicted expression. “Hmm… Accompany me for a few days to play. That’s not too much to ask, right? Your company is on holiday anyway, so you shouldn’t have plans.”
She had hit the nail on the head—Fu Lianzhi truly had no plans, and she didn’t want to go back to her hometown either.
Fu Lianzhi agreed.
