Chapter 49

Unable to sense the passage of time, after silently counting over a hundred sheep, Fang Nianchen completely gave up on this hypnosis method.

She opened her eyes to pitch blackness all around, only feeling someone beside her. The even breathing was the only sound in the boundless darkness.

Yet the soothing rhythm made her heartbeat grow heavier with each thump.

She was insomnia-stricken.

This was something she’d anticipated before even getting into bed, but she hadn’t expected it to be this unbearable. Her waist still ached faintly, but that absolutely wasn’t the main reason for her insomnia.

Lying flat on her back for so long had made her waist sore. Fang Nianchen held her breath, carefully propping herself up on her elbows to roll over.

This side faced the window, where a sliver of bright moonlight seeped through the not-quite-drawn curtains.

A few years ago, she never could have imagined sharing a bed with Senior Yu, even if it was just crashing for the night, even if all the coincidences were thanks to a jealous little kitten.

But it was enough to make her excited and anxious, as if she’d taken advantage of Yu Wan somehow.

Unable to curb her wild thoughts, she instead blamed the moonlight for being too glaring. Fang Nianchen buried her head deeper into the blanket.

Calm down, calm down. It’s just sleeping, nothing more.

Fang Nianchen brainwashed herself—this was no big deal. Close your eyes, open them, and the night would be over.

Not sure if it was the lack of security facing the window, like she might get knocked on the glass and peeked at any moment, but after burying her head in the blanket for a bit, she rolled back. This time, her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, enough to make out the sleeping Yu Wan.

Light and shadow outlined a perfect profile. Compared to her hyperactive self, she was excessively serene.

Gazing quietly, her restless heart inexplicably calmed.

Fang Nianchen closed her eyes, counting from one to ten, then back down. The jumbled lines in her mind gathered, soon pulling her consciousness into boundless darkness.

She never dreamed, yet tonight she dreamed of many things.

Some had already passed, some had never happened, yet connected to her fantasies—neither purely good nor bad, just a bit strange.

She dreamed of choosing her favorite major in university. Though she never achieved anything groundbreaking in the field, her family no longer nitpicked her studies.

After graduation, she didn’t rebelliously cut all ties with her family. Instead, she obediently stayed in Jiangqing City, had her own little home there, and continued her work rescuing stray cats and dogs.

In the dream, she found a well-paying job, and with her family’s support, life was far less hand-to-mouth than now.

Perhaps too bizarre, she somehow knew clearly: this was a dream.

Unable to wake herself, she could only enjoy the fabricated happiness.

At the dream’s end, she saw Yu Wan’s figure standing at her doorstep welcoming her, lips curved in a gentle smile, calling her “Fang Nianchen.”

The ordinary name sounded beautiful from her mouth, making the one called feel lightheaded. She ran to the door in double time.

The arc of her grin even hurt a little, but her heart was stuffed full of sweet impulses.

Running in the dream felt like carrying a millstone—heavy, steps hard to take.

From a god’s-eye view, knowing it was just a dream, she could be reckless.

Fang Nianchen simply made herself start whining and acting spoiled, demanding Yu Wan come to her.

Yu Wan said, “How are you so spoiled,” with a helpless smile, walking slowly toward her.

The dream ended there, like a TV series finale—the story’s endpoint, with bland end credits rolling in.

Fang Nianchen heard birdsong and glimpsed daylight.

She opened her eyes calmly. It was bright out; thick curtains couldn’t block the jubilant light squeezing in, scattering across the floor.

At some point, Yu Wan’s sleeping position had changed. Her bare face now faced Fang Nianchen, fuzzy at first, then sharpening into clarity up close.

The her in the dream was lovely, but nothing compared to the heart-fluttering proximity upon waking in the morning.

After all, this was real beauty.

Fang Nianchen stared in a daze, completely missing Yu Wan quietly opening her eyes and meeting her gaze with a lazy voice: “Awake?”

“Mm…” Fang Nianchen took a deep breath to calm herself, lips curving. “Morning.”

Yu Wan replied, “Morning.”

Her voice was like honey-drizzled, sweet and sticky-soft.

In that hazy moment, it felt like they’d been together for a long time.

Realizing she couldn’t let the strange feeling spread, Fang Nianchen hurriedly propped herself up to get out of bed. But with one move, the sharp pain in her waist felt like it would snap her in half, draining her strength as she collapsed back onto the bed.

Gritting her teeth, she gasped heavily.

“What’s wrong?” Yu Wan sat up tensely, seeing Fang Nianchen clutching her waist. “Is your waist hurting?”

The sleepiness in her eyes vanished instantly, replaced by full-blown worry.

Fang Nianchen was in too much pain to catch her breath. Pressing down with one hand couldn’t stop the stabbing from spreading through her body. She now knew viscerally what a slipped disc felt like—and this hurt worse.

“Let me see.” Yu Wan removed her hand, grabbed the hem of her clothes without argument, and lifted it.

“Don’t…” Fang Nianchen couldn’t tell if it was shyness or not wanting her to see the injury as she waved her hand.

But this time, Yu Wan didn’t indulge her. She lifted the clothes to check, her brows furrowing instantly.

Slightly swollen on the lower right side. A large bruise, surrounded by scary red—clearly a fresh wound.

“You got hurt last night?”

Having been seen bare, lying was pointless now. In too much pain to speak, Fang Nianchen nodded.

” Hospital now.” Yu Wan rolled out of bed to grab her phone, then hurriedly rummaged in the closet for clothes.

Completely forgetting Fang Nianchen was still slumped on the bed recovering, she tossed brand-new underwear and bra onto it.

Fang Nianchen squinted with one eye, her face flushing red. She simply flopped face-down, burying into the pillow to play dead.

“Can you get up?” Seeing her pained state, Yu Wan came to her ear, squatting down to ask softly.

Fang Nianchen’s head buried in the pillow nodded muffledly with a “Mm.”

“Then I’ll change. You get ready too—we’re heading out soon.” Yu Wan stood quickly, gathering the scattered clothes on the bed and heading to the bathroom.

Once the sounds faded, Fang Nianchen lifted her head, expression dazed.

What had she just seen?!

And this back pain was so untimely. No morning lingering—just plunged into tense vibes.

Easing up, she slowly pushed off the mattress. Moving extra lightly and slowly avoided aggravating the injury.

Feeling a bit better, Fang Nianchen started changing, ultra-careful, agonizingly slow.

After washing up, they headed out. After locking the door, Yu Wan extended an arm: “If you can’t walk, hold onto me.”

“I can walk.” Fang Nianchen forced a smile. “I’m not that fragile.”

“Still laughing. Why didn’t you say anything last night?” Perhaps from anxiety, Yu Wan’s tone was stern, formal, like she was about to switch into President Yu mode and start scolding.

It was just that I didn’t want you to worry…

Fang Nianchen’s mouth twitched downward, feeling aggrieved.

Last night, just seeing her own injuries had made her blame herself so much. If she knew about the back issue too, it’d be even harder to control her emotions.

It had taken so much to calm her down.

“Sorry…” She could come up with a ton of excuses, but Fang Nianchen apologized with utter guilt.

Yu Wan had been faintly angry—annoyed she didn’t care for herself, resenting her for hiding the injury.

But hearing that apology doused any fire.

She ached for her, didn’t want her enduring pain—especially not suffering on her account.

Yu Wan’s expression softened: “I’m not blaming you.”

“Doctor first. We’ll talk about the rest later.”

Hospitals never lacked patients year-round, but weekends saw office drones piling in, numbers multiplying, shoulder-to-shoulder crowds.

Yu Wan had her sit in a chair and wait while she bustled through the hall, queuing for registration, messaging now and then to check if she felt worse.

Messages popped up one after another. Sitting on the cold chair in the oppressive, fearful hospital, Fang Nianchen’s heart still felt warm and melty.

So this is what being cared for feels like…

Yu Wan’s care wasn’t like what friends gave—it was held high, enshrined in her heart. Unique, enough to secretly savor this experience for ages.

If any hotter, the undercurrent warmth would turn to lava, scorching her chest raw.

She had always held high standards for people, but Yu Wan had reached the finish line long ago. As for what title to bestow upon her to express her joy and gratitude, she had no idea.

Registering alone had taken nearly twenty minutes. Yu Wan came over to her with the slip. “Head to the third floor first and get an X-ray. If there’s no bone damage, then go to general surgery to see a specialist.”

Yu Wan had always been reliable in her mind, so Fang Nianchen didn’t need to think too much—she just followed her instructions.

After the X-ray, the orthopedic doctor examined it and said there were no issues with the bones. They directly packaged up the films and sent them over to general surgery, while reminding her that it was probably just a soft tissue contusion. As for why it hurt so much, it varied from person to person.

Fang Nianchen had hated coming to the hospital before, precisely because she’d once been injured and run into a crabby old man whose technique was rough and who lectured her like he was her dad.

Luckily, this general surgery specialist was an elderly professor who looked kind and benevolent.

Yu Wan was accompanying her, still wearing Fang Nianchen’s favorite smog-blue jacket today.

Because she was worried, her expression was serious at times, with one hand resting on Fang Nianchen’s shoulder—who knew who she was actually comforting.

The doctor lifted her clothes for a look, then pressed around the area. The pain was so intense that Fang Nianchen nearly ground her molars to dust.

Yu Wan was the first to speak up. “If you press like that, won’t it hurt her even more?”

The doctor chuckled. “I’m not pressing randomly. I need to check if she needs acupuncture. Some patients heal faster that way after an injury. But in her case, there’s no need. I’ll prescribe some medicine—go home, rest well for a few days, and she’ll be fine.”

After explaining, the doctor asked Fang Nianchen, “You’re still in school, right?”

“No, I’m working.”

“Ah…” The doctor wasn’t too surprised. “Then take the next couple of days off. Stay home and lie low, eat some nourishing food, get plenty of rest, and you’ll heal faster.”

Then he turned to Yu Wan. “Make sure to watch her closely—more rest, and a light diet.”

He had suddenly delegated all these tasks to her, clearly treating her like family. Yu Wan didn’t bother explaining and simply nodded. “Got it.”

Midway through, Yu Wan’s phone rang, and she stepped out to take the call.

Without that hand on her shoulder, Fang Nianchen felt a twinge of unease.

“Young lady.” The doctor peered at her through the gap above his glasses. “No strenuous exercise, of any kind.”

“Oh…”

“Remember—no exercise at all. Not even the kind you’re thinking of.” The doctor reminded her again with utmost seriousness.

Fang Nianchen got it in a second.

Who was even thinking about that!

She wanted to defend herself vehemently, but the doctor clearly meant no harm. Besides, she didn’t actually have any such needs.

After mulling it over for ages, she held her tongue.

“Was that your sister just now? Your back injury must’ve been going on for a while—why didn’t you bring yourself in sooner?” The doctor was advanced in years, and there weren’t many patients today, so he chatted a bit more with Fang Nianchen.

Afraid it sounded like she was blaming Yu Wan, Fang Nianchen explained reluctantly, “She’s my boss.”

“Oh… Well, your boss is pretty good. Brought you to the hospital and didn’t even pull a long face when she heard you needed to take leave.” The doctor nodded in approval as he praised her, like someone who’d seen plenty of exploitation and was heartened by the rare good example.

“Really uncommon. Coming in bright and early to get you checked out. If you two weren’t both young ladies, I’d definitely think she likes you.”

“It’s not like that…” Fang Nianchen hoped it was, but it wasn’t. She got tangled up in her own thoughts for a moment before managing to explain, “We’re just ordinary friends.”

At least one of them thought so—which was why their friendship hadn’t ended even five years later.

“I was just saying. Don’t take it to heart.” The doctor took off his glasses, scribbled the medicine names on the prescription slip, glanced up to see that Yu Wan had returned at some point, and handed it over. “Head home and rest up early.”

Yu Wan nodded as she took it, then inexplicably gave her an extra look. “Thank you.”

Fang Nianchen followed Yu Wan to the pharmacy to pick up the meds.

On the way to the parking lot, Yu Wan asked about the doctor’s instructions from when she’d stepped out. “Did he say anything else to watch out for?”

“Just the usual.” Fang Nianchen ticked them off on her fingers. “Light diet, no strenuous exercise, and… best to take two days off work.”

Not going to work was actually the most fatal part. She’d only just transferred departments—taking leave right away would delay work progress, not to mention what the planning department might think of her.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t face negative opinions; it was that once bad rumors spread, she’d face endless criticism. She hated people gossiping about her behind her back, good or bad.

After hearing her out, Yu Wan pressed, “Anything else?”

Anything else?

Did the doctor’s wild gossip about them count? Definitely not.

“Also…” The words reached the tip of Fang Nianchen’s tongue, then she swallowed them back down. “Nope.”

“He said that if I weren’t a girl, I’d definitely like you.” Yu Wan spoke calmly. “I heard.”

“Ah…” Fang Nianchen’s mouth fell open as she embarrassedly turned her face away.

It was true—neither of them was straight.

She was just extremely hung up on the fact that Yu Wan had once said “she had someone she liked,” and she’d never found the right chance to confess her own feelings.

The matter had been inexplicably brushed aside.

Out of habit by now, whenever it came up for whatever reason, she subconsciously dodged it.

Fang Nianchen forced a nonchalant laugh. “She probably just thinks we’re close…”

Seeing her smile, Yu Wan curved her lips as well. “Then what if it really were like that? What would you do?”