Cheng Yan felt that Doctor Jiang’s words carried a hidden meaning, especially with the look President Jun had just given her, as if specifically singling her out.
She smiled innocently, watching Doctor Jiang finish the examination and pack up her things.
“It’s getting late. Why don’t you stay here for the night?” Jun Jianqing said.
Doctor Jiang smiled and refused. “Thank you for your kindness, President Jun. But I’m rather particular about my bed—I don’t sleep well in unfamiliar places. I think I’ll head back.”
Jun Jianqing nodded. “Alright.”
Cheng Yan pushed Jun Jianqing out, with Doctor Jiang following behind them.
Pushing Jun Jianqing to the bedroom, Cheng Yan said, “President Jun, you rest first. I’ll go get my bag from downstairs.”
“Okay.”
Cheng Yan hurried down the stairs, catching up with Doctor Jiang.
“Doctor Jiang, wait a moment, I need to take a few minutes of your time.”
Jiang Shuyi stopped, a smile on her lips. “Is there something, Miss Cheng?”
Cheng Yan nodded. “I wanted to ask, roughly when did you become President Jun’s family doctor?”
Jiang Shuyi: “Five years ago.”
That was quite a while ago. Cheng Yan asked, “Then, has President Jun’s health always been somewhat poor? Does she get sick often?”
Jiang Shuyi shook her head slightly, smiling as she declined to answer. “That, I cannot tell you. Miss Cheng, I am President Jun’s family doctor. I believe I cannot divulge information about President Jun’s condition to you without going through her.”
Cheng Yan was a little disappointed, but quickly nodded in understanding. “Doctor Jiang is right.”
Jiang Shuyi could sense the relationship between these two was likely unusual, so she said gently, “If Miss Cheng wishes to know about President Jun’s condition, why not ask her directly?”
Cheng Yan smiled, as if taking her words to heart.
“Then I won’t keep Doctor Jiang any longer. Please be careful on your way back. Bye-bye.”
Jiang Shuyi: “Bye-bye.”
After seeing Doctor Jiang off, Cheng Yan stood at the entrance of the villa, staring blankly at the night scenery outside for a short while. Then she turned, went back inside, grabbed her bag, and headed upstairs.
She carried her bag up and returned to the bedroom to find Jun Jianqing already in bed.
“Got your bag?”
Cheng Yan: “Yes.”
Jun Jianqing made a sound of acknowledgement, her gaze briefly touching the canvas bag Cheng Yan rarely brought upstairs. She watched as Cheng Yan put the bag down and poured a glass of warm water, placing it by her bedside.
“President Jun, you rest first. I’m going to take a shower.” Cheng Yan picked up her pajamas.
Once she was cleaned up and came out of the bathroom, just as she was about to lift the covers and slide into bed as usual, she suddenly heard Jun Jianqing, who hadn’t been asleep, speak, “Tonight… don’t sleep here.”
Cheng Yan’s hand, already lifting the blanket, stopped mid-air. “What’s wrong?”
Jun Jianqing’s voice was faint, laced with an almost imperceptible probing. “I’m sick. I might infect you. Haven’t you been very busy with your studies lately? So, go sleep somewhere else.”
Cheng Yan wanted to say her constitution was quite good. Growing up, even when serious viral epidemics were rampant, she’d rarely been infected, let alone in this situation.
But as she looked down at the half of the bed she occupied, remembering the undercurrent of dependence in Jun Jianqing’s words “the bed is too big,” she suddenly lost all desire to speak.
“Alright.” Cheng Yan got off the bed, put on her slippers, and stood obediently by the bedside. “Thank you for your concern, President Jun.”
“Please rest early tonight, President Jun. If you feel any discomfort, you can call for me or Aunt Wu anytime.”
Her expression was full of care, her words thoughtful and considerate.
But Jun Jianqing watched her figure leave without looking back and abruptly clenched the edge of the blanket.
—
Waking up, Cheng Yan stared at the unfamiliar ceiling, unable to react at first.
It took her a moment to remember that she and Jun Jianqing had slept in separate rooms last night. She wondered if last night counted as one of the three days?
When she went downstairs for breakfast and saw Aunt Wu, Cheng Yan asked, “Has President Jun gotten up?”
Aunt Wu: “President Jun left for the company about ten minutes ago.”
Cheng Yan had just picked up a slice of bread, about to put it in her mouth. Hearing this, she couldn’t help but frown.
She’s sick, and she still went to the company so early? Doesn’t she take care of her body at all?
Suddenly, she had no appetite for breakfast. “Did President Jun have breakfast?”
Aunt Wu: “President Jun had some congee.”
Cheng Yan pressed her lips together, quickly finished the slice of bread in her hand, gulped down the soy milk beside her, and ran up the stairs. She opened the master bedroom door and went in.
The familiar bed was missing its familiar person. The half she usually slept on looked perfectly smooth. It was clear how well-behaved President Jun’s sleeping posture was when she was alone.
Grabbing her bag to leave, when Cheng Yan arrived at the garage, a servant was already waiting there. Seeing her approach, the servant stepped forward with a car key.
“Miss Cheng, this is your car key.”
The logo on the car key was a familiar one—one of the brands she’d browsed and saved in her favorites.
Before, when Cheng Yan planned to buy a car, she’d already selected several cost-effective brands within her budget, intending to pick one from them soon after.
But she’d been busy with other things until Jun Jianqing said she’d reward her with one, putting that plan on hold.
She pressed the button, and a certain brand-new car in the garage instantly lit up.
Cheng Yan moved closer for a better look. It was indeed a car from that brand.
The selling price was probably between three hundred thousand and four hundred thousand yuan.
For a moment, she felt an indescribable sensation in her heart.
She still remembered Jun Jianqing’s skepticism when she heard the price range Cheng Yan had in mind. Back then, Cheng Yan was almost certain that President Jun wouldn’t actually prepare something according to her wishes.
Why had she thought that way?
Sitting in the car, hands on the steering wheel, Cheng Yan thought: probably because of her interactions with Chen Shuhua, which had led her to form that judgment.
In her limited life experience, among her interpersonal relationships, the wealthiest person had been Chen Shuhua. She was gentle, considerate, and she liked her.
But Chen Shuhua wouldn’t truly listen to what she said.
If she had stated she needed a commuter car under half a million, under the same circumstances, Chen Shuhua might have given her a car exceeding that price by far, maybe even several times over.
But Cheng Yan didn’t need that. She had even explicitly stated what she truly needed.
So later, she had projected that ingrained bias onto Jun Jianqing.
That was wrong.
These were two completely different people.
Cheng Yan took a deep breath and gripped the steering wheel tightly.
When she had feelings for Chen Shuhua, she had hoped the other party would understand the true meaning behind her unspoken words.
But now, when what she truly wanted actually arrived in some moments, Cheng Yan couldn’t articulate the feeling inside her.
Her fingertips turned white. She banished the chaotic thoughts from her mind, steadied herself, and drove off.
Morning classes for the first major period ended. Cheng Yan and Jiang Luoying walked to the next classroom together.
“You were late this morning. That seems like the first time you’ve ever been late?” Jiang Luoying said, finding it novel.
“Mm.” Cheng Yan nodded and asked, “I remember you once mentioned a relative who owns a studio related to jewelry design and crafting?”
Jiang Luoying: “Yeah, what about it? Are you buying jewelry?”
Cheng Yan said, “Something like that. Could you pass me their contact information?”
Jiang Luoying agreed readily. “Sure. I’ll send you my aunt’s contact info later. You can discuss the specifics with her.”
“Okay, thank you.”
“No problem.”
At noon, when classes were over, Cheng Yan took a moment during lunch to send a message to Jun Jianqing.
[President Jun, how is your health today?]
No response. The other party was probably busy. She put her phone away, placed her empty tray at the return station, and went back to the dorm for a short nap.
Waking up and checking her phone, WeChat still had no reply.
Expressionlessly, Cheng Yan slipped her phone into her pocket and carried her books to class.
After her busy afternoon ended, the WeChat message she’d sent today still sat there alone in the chat window. The person on the other end hadn’t appeared from beginning to end.
She frowned slightly, unable to figure out what kind of reaction this was from Jun Jianqing.
There were no classes scheduled at school tonight. Cheng Yan pushed her planned self-study to the next day, grabbed her car keys, and returned to the villa.
“Miss Cheng, have you had dinner?”
“Yes.” Cheng Yan asked, “Is President Jun back?”
The servant said, “No.”
“Alright.” Cheng Yan nodded. Looking a bit tired, she carried her bag and threw herself onto the sofa.
She took out her phone and sent another message to Jun Jianqing.
[President Jun, working overtime tonight?]
Ten minutes later, her phone buzzed with a reply.
Jun Jianqing: [Mm.]
Cheng Yan stared at this reply for a full minute.
After a long moment, she curled her lips slightly into a faintly mocking smile.
Cheng Yan: [OK.]
