Chapter 56

After arriving at the hospital, Ye Chengxing headed straight to the room number her manager had given her for Li Jia.

The manager, who had been waiting anxiously by the door, looked relieved when she saw Ye Chengxing approaching. She stepped forward a couple of paces. “Miss Ye, you’ve finally arrived.”

“Hello,” Ye Chengxing replied politely, too hurried to say more. She pressed on quickly, “How is Li Jia doing right now? Can I go in and see her?”

“Of course, of course. She’s been waiting for you,” the manager said as she opened the door to the room. “As for her condition, you can see for yourself. It’s not easy for me to put into words…”

Hearing this, Ye Chengxing’s heart leaped into her throat.

Was Li Jia’s condition really bad? Were her injuries severe?

With worry churning in her chest, Ye Chengxing pushed open the door to the room.

Thankfully, the sight that greeted her wasn’t Li Jia lying unconscious with her eyes closed. The Omega on the hospital bed was dressed in a gown, looking frail as she leaned against the pillows. She must have heard the noise at the door, because she lifted her gaze.

The moment Ye Chengxing saw how weak Li Jia looked, she hurried to the bedside, her eyes reddening with heartache at the corners.

She wanted to hug Li Jia, but she wasn’t sure where her injuries were and didn’t dare risk touching a wound. Her fingertips rose and then fell again. Before she could even speak, Li Jia wrapped her arms around her first.

“Sister, you’re finally here.”

Li Jia’s voice only made the ache in Ye Chengxing’s heart grow sharper. These past few days had been so hectic that she and Li Jia had barely managed any time together. She’d been planning to take a relaxing trip once things calmed down for both of them, but then this accident had happened tonight.

Ye Chengxing tentatively brushed the Omega’s hair. Her voice was laced with even deeper concern. “It’s okay now, I’m right here. But Xiao Li, can you tell me where you’re hurt? I asked your manager earlier, but she wasn’t very specific.”

Especially since the manager’s reaction before she entered the room had made it seem like Li Jia’s injuries were serious. Ye Chengxing worried that Li Jia might be hiding the extent of it to spare her anxiety, forcing herself to tough it out and potentially aggravating the wounds.

At this, Li Jia pulled back the covers, revealing the treated wound on her calf. Having made her point, she hugged Ye Chengxing even tighter. The Omega’s voice turned especially pitiful. “Sister, hug me too. It’s just my leg that’s hurt. It won’t get in the way. I can still be hugged by you.”

Ye Chengxing paused for breath, hesitating at the words “just my leg.”

For a split second, she felt like she couldn’t keep up with Li Jia’s train of thought.

Shouldn’t avoiding the wound take priority…?

Still, her heartache won out. Hearing Li Jia say that, she returned the embrace.

Breathing in the familiar, comforting scent from the Alpha’s body, Li Jia felt a thrill of excitement that left her trembling slightly.

…I love this so much. If only I could hold on just a little longer.

Looking down at the Omega buried in her arms, clutching her so tightly, Ye Chengxing’s heart ached even more. Though Li Jia didn’t seem too badly affected, this stalker incident must have frightened her. Her body was shaking—she must feel so insecure.

Ye Chengxing murmured a few more soothing words before gently instructing her. “Xiao Li, listen to Sister now. Lie down flat and don’t move anymore. Once you’re healed, you can hug me as long as you want, okay?”

At her words, the Omega seemed truly comforted, responding sweetly in agreement.

Having a leg injury made things inconvenient, especially since Ye Chengxing had noticed Li Jia paying little mind to her wound earlier. Worried that too much movement might tear it open, she helped Li Jia lie down properly. With patience, she asked, “Is this position comfortable anywhere? If not, we can adjust it.”

Li Jia nodded, her tone a bit shy. “Then, Sister, can you hug me and shift a little to the right?”

Ye Chengxing glanced up, catching the bashful look on her face. She couldn’t help chuckling teasingly. “You weren’t shy when you asked for a hug earlier. What’s this now?”

After helping Li Jia settle, Ye Chengxing stood and glanced around the room. She noticed there wasn’t even a cup of water by the bed, so she went to fetch a glass of warm water. She set it on the bedside table and sat down on the edge of the bed. “By the way, let me arrange some bodyguards for you.”

The more Ye Chengxing thought about it, the more urgent it felt. She couldn’t let this slide.

Otherwise, incidents like tonight could happen again—being stalked and attacked by a crazed fan was far too dangerous.

Hearing this, Li Jia blinked. “It’s fine, Sister. You don’t need to arrange any extra ones. The company already provides bodyguards, and tonight was just a fluke. That person was tailing me and got spotted, so he lashed out in embarrassment. The bodyguards subdued him right away and had him taken away. He’ll be detained for a while.”

Ye Chengxing didn’t push since Li Jia insisted, but she still mulled it over inwardly. Thinking of the person who’d stalked and attacked her made her frown deepen. The more she dwelled on it, the more disgusted she felt. “Detention is too lenient for him.”

With that, she ruffled Li Jia’s hair gently. Her voice warmed. “Get some good rest tonight. I’ll stay right by your side. Don’t think about it anymore—just sleep it off.”

As she spoke, Ye Chengxing adjusted the covers for Li Jia, making sure they were snug without pressing on the wound or causing discomfort.

Once the blankets were settled, she started to pull her hand back. But just as she lifted it, Li Jia caught hold of it.

The Omega rubbed Ye Chengxing’s hand softly against her cheek, her lips curving into a smile. “Having Sister here with me feels so nice.”

Her tone was tender and lingering.

The spot on Ye Chengxing’s skin where Li Jia had rubbed felt strangely tingly, almost numb.

Blushing faintly, she withdrew her hand and patted the covers. “Go to sleep now. If there’s anything you want to do or need, just call for me. I’m right here and not going anywhere.”

…

This incident had clearly taken an emotional toll on Li Jia. Sitting by the bed, Ye Chengxing watched as the girl finally drifted off under her soothing care. She reached out tenderly, hooking a stray lock of hair from the girl’s lips back behind her ear.

Just then, the screen of her phone on the side table lit up.

The bright white glow stood out starkly in the darkened room.

Ye Chengxing glanced at the screen, relieved she’d silenced everything before entering the room. Otherwise, it would have woken Li Jia.

Seeing it was a call from the Ye Family, she rejected it outright. But the caller persisted relentlessly, ringing again and again.

Frowning, Ye Chengxing picked up the phone and tiptoed into the bathroom.

The private bathroom in the room was well-insulated, but she still worried about noise leaking out. She turned on the light and closed the door meticulously before checking the screen again.

The last call from the Ye Family had been days ago. Was this one still about dragging her and Li Jia over?

Ye Chengxing answered.

The moment the call connected, a desperate plea erupted from the other end, thick with terror. “Chengxing, please beg her for us! If it’s you asking, she’ll definitely listen. We know we were wrong. We’ll return all your inheritance—no more scheming, no more pushing you into a marriage. Just plead with her for us. As long as you speak up…”

The speaker was clearly gripped by utter fear, their voice frantic and disjointed. Ye Chengxing was caught off guard for a moment.

What was going on?

They’d even blurted out the scheme about her inheritance. And that line—”just plead with her for us; if it’s you asking, it’ll work”—what did that mean?

Ye Chengxing hesitated, then started, “You…”

Before she could finish, the bathroom door behind her— which she’d securely closed—burst open with a heavy thud.

Still holding the phone, Ye Chengxing instinctively turned toward the sound.

The room outside was pitch black, lights off. From the lit bathroom, she could only make out shadows. Only this space glowed.

The Omega, in her hospital gown, leaned against the doorframe, her expression shrouded in darkness and hard to discern.

Li Jia stepped inside. The instant the light hit her face, it lit up with a brilliant smile. “Found you. So this is where you were, Sister.”

As she spoke, she walked over to Ye Chengxing’s side, her gaze falling on the phone in her hand. “Sister, who are you talking to on the phone?”

The voice on the other end had clearly heard her. It trembled violently. “Chengxing, Chengxing, it’s…”

The line devolved into chaotic noise that stabbed at Ye Chengxing’s eardrums. She simply hung up.

Turning to Li Jia, her expression grew serious. She didn’t use the usual endearment. “Li Jia.”

The more she thought, the sterner her face became. Scooping the Omega into her arms, she couldn’t resist giving her backside a light swat—not hard, but it made a faintly embarrassing sound. “Your leg isn’t healed yet. Why are you up and running around? No slippers either. Do I have to watch you every second for you to take care of yourself?”

Li Jia blinked innocently and murmured softly, “I won’t do it next time.”

She nuzzled subtly against Ye Chengxing’s hair. “I actually came because I heard noises from the bathroom. It sounded messy, and then I realized you weren’t by my side. I thought something might have happened.”

Ye Chengxing’s words caught in her throat at the explanation. She ruffled Li Jia’s hair and carried her back to bed. “No need to worry. I’m fine. Someone just called with some weird nonsense.”

She tucked the covers around Li Jia again. Lifting her eyes, she found Li Jia staring at her intently, unblinking. “Was that Sister’s family? I think I heard something about an arranged marriage…”

Ye Chengxing hadn’t expected her to overhear. She nodded, then shook her head. “I’m not really sure what’s going on either. Their voices were too chaotic; I barely caught two sentences.”

She was certain something had gone wrong at the Ye Family, but the sudden call was odd. Not just the confusing words—the tone dripped with fear. She’d long suspected they were up to no good, but she hadn’t made a move yet.

And this repeated plea for her to beg “her”—that if she spoke up, it would work. Who was this “her”? From the way they spoke, Ye Chengxing should know this person.

She ran through the people close to her.

She didn’t have many connections, and they were all straightforward. None of them had the power to terrify the Ye Family like this.

Could it be someone the original body owner knew?

……Or maybe check and handle it tomorrow.

After thinking this, Ye Chengxing saw that Li Jia was still looking at her. The contemplative look in her eyes faded, and she smiled. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Li Jia ask again, “So, sister, you didn’t even know who the marriage alliance partner was? You’ve never met them?”

Omega’s tone carried pure curiosity.

Ye Chengxing, hearing her ask this, also found the matter very inexplicable: “How could I have possibly met her? I didn’t even know I had a marriage alliance partner. They’ve really overreached.”

Seeing the clear disgust and aversion on her face, Li Jia’s lips curved up slightly: “I’m relieved that sister says so, otherwise I was really worried…”

Ye Chengxing looked at Li Jia.

Li Jia was clearly still injured herself, yet every word—explicit or implicit—was filled with worry for her. Thinking of this, Ye Chengxing’s tone softened even further: “I’m fine, Xiao Li. Don’t worry about me. Get some proper rest first.”