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墨書 Inktalez
I had a nightmare.
In the dream, I was dragged into a pitch-black alley by two drunken men.
I struggled desperately, biting one of them hard enough to tear off his ear.
He clutched his bleeding ear, furious and humiliated.
Then, he pulled out a sharp dagger and plunged it deep into my stomach...
"Help!!!"
I screamed as I jolted awake, drenched in cold sweat.
Before me was a blinding white light.
A sharp scent of disinfectant filled my nostrils.
Where am I... the hospital?
"Anan?! You're finally awake... how do you feel?"
I heard Xinchuan's voice.
Turning my head, I saw him anxiously standing by my bedside, his face etched with exhaustion.
As I looked at him, the chaotic memories in my mind began to piece themselves together.
I recalled what happened last night on that old street outside the KTV, where memories and dreams intertwined chaotically...
“!!!”
I suddenly looked down, lifting the blanket to check my abdomen.
Fortunately, there were no wounds on my stomach.
Only an old scar from a previous appendicitis surgery remained.
So, the nightmare was false.
I did encounter some thugs, but Xinchuan arrived just in time to save me.
I hadn’t bitten off anyone's ear, nor had I been stabbed...
“Anan? Are you okay?”
Xinchuan's voice pulled me back from my chaotic thoughts.
I steadied myself and replied, “I... I'm fine.”
As soon as I spoke, I realized my voice was dry and hoarse, my throat burning uncomfortably.
I was about to ask Xinchuan for a glass of water. Before I could say anything, a cup was already placed in front of me.
"Have a sip of water first."
Xinchuan looked at me with concern, his eyes filled with compassion.
I took the cup.
It was still warm, but not too hot to hold.
Perhaps those who have survived a disaster are more easily swayed by their emotions.
I suddenly felt a sting in my eyes, and they quickly filled with tears.
But I fought back the tears, determined not to cry in front of Xinchuan.
Looking at the cup in my hands, I felt parched, yet hesitated.
At this point, I could no longer drink the water he offered without worry.
And this man before me had been the person I trusted most in this world just a short while ago.
How ironic.
My hesitation did not go unnoticed by Xinchuan, who let out a heavy sigh.
He said nothing, took the cup back, drank a large gulp himself, and then handed it back to me—
"Drink up, it's not hot."
"…"
It felt as if an invisible wall had risen between Xinchuan and me.
After what happened last night, this should have been the moment I needed him the most.
But at this very moment…
Looking at him sitting on the edge of the bed, all I felt was fear.
I gathered my thoughts, and those chaotic emotions returned to my mind.
The moment I saw Xinchuan's face, I couldn't help but remember those letters in the storage room.
Those letters addressed to "Darling."
I didn't dare to directly confront Xinchuan about what those letters were all about.
I was afraid that if he knew I had discovered his secret, he would silence me for good.
That thought seemed absurd and ridiculous.
Yet, it was truly how I felt.
In my eyes, Xinchuan is now a murderer hiding a multitude of secrets.
I am still young.
I don’t want to become the next "darling" he writes to in confession.
I returned the empty cup to Xinchuan.
When I looked up at him, there was a hint of wariness in my eyes.
With Xinchuan's keen perception, he could easily sense my unease.
He furrowed his brow in concern and gently reassured me, "Anan, don't be afraid. It's all in the past. Those two have already been caught by the police; no one will harm you again. Rest assured, I will always be here with you."
"…"
It seemed that Xinchuan mistook my guarded demeanor as a lingering effect from last night’s incident.
I could tell he was trying hard to put me at ease. As he spoke, he carefully tucked the blanket around me.
But what I was truly afraid of wasn’t some thug…
It was him!
The moment he leaned closer to me, I had already screamed "help" in my mind hundreds of times.
Unfortunately, no one could hear.
I felt my entire body tense up with anxiety, my fists tightly clenched under the blanket, gripping the sheets.
Fortunately, Xinchuan was just tucking me in and didn’t make any unnecessary movements.
The moment he stood up to leave, my back was completely drenched in cold sweat.
Seeing Xinchuan sit back down without any intention of leaving made me furrow my brows involuntarily.
I glanced at the clock on the wall and cautiously asked him, "Aren't you going to work today?"
"You’ve had such a serious incident; how can I go to work?" Xinchuan frowned, his expression serious. "I’ve taken a few days off to take care of you. Just focus on resting."
"…"
From what Xinchuan said, it seemed he not only planned to stay today but would likely be by my side for several days.
And he expected me to feel at ease???
I really didn’t know what he found so reassuring!
At that moment, I felt utterly helpless, as if the heavens were unresponsive and the earth was indifferent.
I silently prayed for a kind soul to come and rescue me.
Perhaps my heart's voice had an effect.
The next moment, someone knocked on the door...
"What do you want?"
Xinchuan stood up to open the door. Upon seeing the person outside, his tone was quite unfriendly.
He was usually polite to everyone and never acted so rashly.
Curious, I leaned out to see who could make him lose his composure like this.
Sure enough, I spotted Chen Feiyang standing at the door, blocked by him.
Chen Feiyang spoke first, apologizing, "I take responsibility for what happened yesterday. How is Jiang An? I just wanted to check on her; I mean no harm."
"She's resting. You should leave," Xinchuan declared, not even bothering to ask me and unilaterally issuing an eviction order.
Seeing this, I quickly shouted, "Since he's here, let him come in and sit for a while!"
Clearly, I was ruthlessly undermining Xinchuan's authority.
He frowned and glanced back at me, his eyes filled with displeasure.
But I had no choice.
I really couldn't bear to be alone with him.
Seeing that I had spoken, Chen Feiyang unceremoniously pushed past Xinchuan and walked straight in through the door.
He brought some fruit. After placing the items aside, he pulled out a chair and sat down next to me.
"Jiang An, I'm really sorry. I received a call from a client while I was in the car yesterday. I truly didn't expect that in just that short amount of time, something like that would happen..."
"Are you done?"
Chen Feiyang had only said a couple of sentences when Xinchuan interrupted him with a dark expression.
I knew that Xinchuan didn't want Chen Feiyang to bring up those unpleasant matters in front of me again.
But his attitude towards Chen Feiyang was simply too harsh.
I glanced at him in surprise, feeling that he seemed to harbor a strong animosity towards Chen Feiyang.
Could it be because of the last time when I got drunk and Chen Feiyang took me home?
After being cut off by Xinchuan, Chen Feiyang could only awkwardly swallow the words he hadn't finished saying.
He sighed and changed his tone, "In any case, I'm just glad you're okay. You should take good care of yourself these days. Once you're discharged from the hospital, I'll treat you to a meal as an apology."
"No need for a meal." Xinchuan interrupted Chen Feiyang again, "I hope Mr. Chen can keep his distance from my wife in the future!"
“Xinchuan! Is this really necessary?!”
Watching Xinchuan treat Chen Feiyang so rudely for the second time, I couldn't hold back my frustration any longer.
After all, Chen Feiyang is my good friend's brother, and he had helped me before.
Xinchuan's petty behavior now made me feel a bit embarrassed.
Seeing my anger, Xinchuan opened his mouth as if he wanted to explain something, but in the end, he hesitated and fell silent.
An awkward atmosphere suddenly enveloped the hospital room.
It made everyone uncomfortable.
Noticing this, Chen Feiyang stood up to break the tension. “I’m sorry to interrupt you both. I think I should leave now.”
“Hey, you…”
Seeing Chen Feiyang about to leave, I hurriedly tried to call him back.
But I felt that anything I said would be inappropriate.
So I had to give up.
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