Chapter 59: Can You Be My Girlfriend? Part 2

As she took a step, something jabbed her foot. She looked down—another Origami Crane.

She bent to pick it up and unfolded it: another 13.

Jing Yan glanced around. From the bed to the room door, they were lined up identically. She picked them up one by one, following the trail of paper cranes out to the beach.

The sea wind still blew cold, punctuated by the occasional ship horn.

The wind tousled Jing Yan’s light hair. Her steps halted at the source of the cranes: a slender back ahead.

Dan Wuyan sat quietly there, gazing at the boundless blue sea.

She wore only a thin light gray wool cardigan, her hands busy with something. Jing Yan called from behind.

“Dan Wuyan.”

Hearing her voice, the figure turned, her ears instantly flushing red.

Dan Wuyan shifted, trying to block something, but Jing Yan shoved her aside. “What’s this you don’t want me to see? Now I really want to look.”

The tall Dan Wuyan was easily pushed aside—though really, she just wanted her to see, going with the flow.

In a sand pit lay countless folded Origami Cranes, seemingly inscribed. Jing Yan crouched and picked one up: still a uniform 13.

Jing Yan frowned in displeasure, finally snapping. “What does thirteen mean? Is it some anniversary with another woman? Dan Wuyan.”

She couldn’t control herself; her jealousy now was utterly unreasonable.

Dan Wuyan gently pulled her into her arms and whispered softly, “Jing Yan, can you… please be my girlfriend?”

Thirteen years… She’d crushed on Jing Yan for a full thirteen years.

Only now did she have the chance, the right, to voice the words in her heart.

The 13 on the Origami Cranes symbolized the thirteen years they’d never crossed paths.

Jing Yan’s pupils shrank. Stunned in the biting wind, she let Dan Wuyan hold her, unwilling to let go for a long time.

But the one most unwilling to let go was herself—back then, and now.

Jing Yan’s palm rested on the other’s thin back, her chin against her ear. The slow wind carried her voice into Dan Wuyan’s ear.

She cupped the face before her, nodded, mist gathering in her eyes.

Her affection finally saw the light of day.

They embraced and kissed in the wind.

_

“By the way… you two really can’t see us?” Ji Fan, with one hand still wrapped in bandages and slung around her neck, waved her hand beside them with a look of utter despair.

Hearing the voice, the two finally pulled apart from their embrace. They looked at Ji Fan squatting on the beach, with Fu Lianzhi standing not far away, leaning on crutches.

The old, weak, sick, and disabled had come looking.

Fu Lianzhi flashed Jing Yan a brilliant smile. She had suspected something was off between these two back at the company—turns out her sixth sense was spot on.

She felt relieved in her heart. Jing Yan, that woman, had actually been won over by Dan Wuyan. Fu Lianzhi finally understood the saying “one thing subdues another.”

Fu Lianzhi’s gaze shifted downward and saw Ji Fan acting like a third wheel, making the others a bit embarrassed. She hobbled over on her crutches and grabbed the person by the collar, dragging her away.

She only had herself to blame for her inconvenient legs right now. Otherwise, she could have stopped this person earlier, instead of now disdainfully grabbing the back of her hospital gown collar.

Ji Fan laughed. “Dan Wuyan! Damn, you actually have some tricks up your sleeve! I, Ji Fan, underestimated you!” Even as she was dragged away, she kept yapping nonstop.

Jing Yan’s face turned red, but Dan Wuyan’s was even redder.

While the others’ attention was still on Ji Fan, Dan Wuyan’s hand quietly slipped into Jing Yan’s palm, hooked tightly, and finally intertwined their fingers.

Fu Lianzhi dragged the person under the eaves. “Ji Fan, why do you always have to make your presence known in front of others?”

Ji Fan tried to step closer but was pushed back by Fu Lianzhi’s raised crutch. “Stop! Just talk, stand right there!”

“Fine, fine, I’ll stand here and talk.” Ji Fan raised one hand and took a few steps back.

Ji Fan felt wronged. “I wasn’t trying to make my presence known in front of anyone—I—” Then she muttered softly, “I actually wanted to be by your side, but you don’t like that either…”

Under the distant eaves, the two seemed to be talking but looked more like they were bickering.

Worried that these two might hurt Jing Yan, Dan Wuyan gripped her hand tighter and prepared to take a detour back to their room.

They had just turned around when there was a thud—Fu Lianzhi fell into Ji Fan’s arms, crutches and all.

“Ah…” Ji Fan grimaced, “My hand… my hand…”

Fu Lianzhi panicked and tried to get up, propping herself on the crutch to pull her, but her foot injury wasn’t fully healed, and she had no strength to provide extra support.

Hearing the commotion, Dan Wuyan and Jing Yan ran over together. They saw Ji Fan lying flat on the ground, with Fu Lianzhi lacking the strength to pull her up.

The white bandages on her hand were still oozing blood. Fu Lianzhi’s foot didn’t look good either.

Dan Wuyan hurriedly helped Ji Fan up. The blood kept seeping out more and more, and in the end, she had no choice but to call an ambulance for the two.

Everyone had assumed they were discharged with the doctor’s permission, but it turned out it was Ji Fan’s idea. She had left a note by the bedside and sneaked out with Fu Lianzhi.

The doctor stood displeased by the bed, flipping through their medical records with a less-than-friendly tone. “You two! Sneaking out before your injuries were fully healed—we almost called the police. Bed 26, Ji Fan, your wound has reopened and needs restitching.”

Fu Lianzhi’s expression remained calm, thinking it hadn’t reached her, but the doctor immediately named her.

“Bed 25, Fu Lianzhi, your wound is infected. In short, both of you need to stay in the hospital for continued observation.”

Ji Fan immediately bounced up from the bed. “What the hell?” So her plans with Fu Lianzhi were ruined? Did that mean they had to spend their entire New Year’s holiday in the hospital?

The doctor closed the records and gave her a look. “This is a hospital—watch your language.”

Ji Fan nodded and bowed. “Sorry… Doctor, I wasn’t cursing at you. It was just a filler word… a filler word.”

She felt like a mute eating bitter herbs—unable to speak of her suffering. She couldn’t blame Fu Lianzhi for this; after all, she couldn’t bear to.

If she had to blame someone… Ji Fan scanned the room and locked eyes on the white-haired woman standing there. She beckoned her over, signaling to step aside for a word.

Dan Wuyan complied and sat by the bed, leaning in to listen.

“Looks like… the plan’s changed. I might not be able to leave the hospital for a while. Sigh… But at least I’m stuck here with Fu Lianzhi.” Ji Fan suddenly grew serious.

She continued, “My parents know I’m back in the country. And… and my sister, she definitely knows too. If anyone comes looking for you, you have to say I never came to see you! Absolutely!”

Dan Wuyan didn’t know the complexities of Ji Fan’s family, but seeing her expression, it didn’t seem like a joke, so she nodded.

To cheer them up, Dan Wuyan bought some board games from outside—Ludo, GoBang, poker cards, and other boredom-busters.

That afternoon, Ji Fan wouldn’t let Dan Wuyan and Jing Yan leave. As an investor, she “threatened” Fengcheng’s employees to stay and play with her.

The loser had to wear sticky notes on their face.

The winner customized the content of the notes.

Ji Fan grinned until her eyes narrowed into slits. If she’d known being an investor was this useful, she would have exploited it sooner instead of letting Fu Lianzhi boss her around every day.

Even if she was unwilling deep down, it didn’t matter.

It was a special VIP ward with all amenities, including a perfect small round table for games.

Ji Fan chose Fight the Landlord. Everyone had been busy with work, and playing this game felt like something from the last century.

At least Dan Wuyan thought so.

On top of the traditional rules, Ji Fan added a “call a friend” mechanic: The landlord had to randomly name a suit before flipping the three bottom cards, and at the end, they settled who was their ally.

Losers all got sticky notes.

The first round ended in minutes, and Dan Wuyan won.

She won the second and third rounds too.

Ji Fan checked her hand and joked, “You didn’t cheat, did you, CEO Dan?”

It was weird—how could she keep winning?

Ji Fan shook the three notes on her head.

—Naggy.

—Full of hot air.

—Short fingers.

Fu Lianzhi looked like she wanted to laugh but held it back. Ji Fan caught it. “What? You lost too and you’re happy about it, CEO Fu?”

Jing Yan had been throwing the game, but Ji Fan noticed.

As punishment, she had to wear notes from Fu Lianzhi and Ji Fan.

—Comes with built-in AC.

—Doesn’t practice what she preaches.

Exposed, Jing Yan stopped throwing and played her hand strictly.

This round, Dan Wuyan was the landlord and called Fu Lianzhi as her ally, but they lost.

Ji Fan unceremoniously wrote “fake big sis” on a note and slapped it hard onto Fu Lianzhi’s forehead.

Dan Wuyan and Jing Yan exchanged glances but stayed silent. From the moment Ji Fan stuck on the note, the two had gone quiet. Fu Lianzhi sensed something off and reached up to peel it off, but Ji Fan stopped her. “Hey! A bet’s a bet! How can Fengcheng’s big director welch like that?”

Fu Lianzhi was pushed into the spotlight and helplessly withdrew her hand.

In the ward, the group played happily.

Inside the Ji Group Building.

Snowflakes swirled against the glass windows before falling from the sight of the person by the window.

“Have you found Xiao Fan?” a woman decked out in jewelry asked.

The person turned around. “Yeah, Mom, don’t worry. I heard Xiao Fan’s back in the country.”

“Please rest assured, I’ll definitely persuade her to come back.”

The woman still regretted that past decision and said worriedly, “You must help me bring your sister back—at least let her see me once, okay?”

“Yeah, I will. It’s late; you should go rest…”

“……”