Chapter 60: Cruel, yet gentle. ...

The third night after the surgery passed, and early in the morning, after an examination, Jiang Nuanyu finally received good news: her intestines had begun to resume peristalsis, and she could gradually try to eat.

The nurse gave her a small glass of diluted apple juice, which looked almost as clear as water, but Jiang Nuanyu found it sweet.

It was a pity there was so little; it was only enough for two sips. She handed the empty glass back to the nurse, still savoring the sweet taste.

In the afternoon, Jiang Nuanyu lay on the bed, resting with her eyes closed.

When she fainted at the magazine office, her head hit the ground, causing a slight concussion. Looking at her phone for too long made her feel dizzy and nauseous. Fortunately, during these two days in the hospital, even during the day, she could occasionally drift off to sleep, making the time pass less unbearably.

As she was dozing off, she faintly heard voices coming from the doorway of the ward. Someone else has come to visit, Jiang Nuanyu thought.

The patient in the next bed was an older woman who, like Jiang Nuanyu, had also undergone an appendectomy. The difference was that, after her surgery, the woman had relatives and friends visiting her every day.

Out of camaraderie as colleagues, Jiang Nuanyu's team members had already come over yesterday afternoon.

Looking pale and haggard after the surgery, Jiang Nuanyu knew she didn't look her best and felt slightly embarrassed as she received everyone's concern and well-wishes. Her colleagues, however, were quite considerate and didn't linger long, leaving behind their best wishes for a speedy recovery before departing.

Besides that, Jiang Nuanyu has no relatives or friends in Paris.

She was dozing off and didn't feel disturbed by the visitors, but she wasn't particularly curious either. She kept her eyes closed, dozing off.

The voices grew closer; it seemed to be a nurse briefly describing the patient's condition.

"...She did not have a high fever after the surgery. Overall, her recovery is going well."

After a brief silence, a male voice rang out: "Can you be discharged in a few days?"

The man's voice was mature yet not naive, steady yet not deep. Jiang Nuanyu's ears caught the sound, and she unconsciously began to listen intently. The tone of his voice felt strangely familiar.

She opened her eyes and saw the nurse's white figure standing with her back to her.

"Based on the current situation, she is expected to be discharged in three to four days," the nurse said. "However, it still depends on the doctor's final assessment of her condition..."

Liang Qi was opposite the nurse. Before she could finish speaking, he noticed Jiang Nuanyu's gaze and turned his head slightly to look at her. Seeing that she had indeed opened her eyes, his attention was completely focused on her.

His eyes showed undisguised concern, but he didn't immediately ask if she was alright.

The nurse turned around and saw that Jiang Nuanyu was awake. She smiled and said, "You're awake? Your friend is here."

Jiang Nuanyu lay there motionless as if she hadn't heard anything, only blinking her eyelids occasionally, without any other reaction.

She just stared blankly at Liang Qi, as if she had never seen him before.

Having gone through illness, surgery, and hospitalization alone, she occasionally felt a surge of loneliness at night, missing home, her parents, and even considering the possibility of them coming to France to stay with her for a few days. But she never thought of Liang Qi.

She never dared to imagine that Liang Qi would appear here, right in front of her.

But why was it Liang Qi who appeared when she was most physically vulnerable and most in need of love and dependence? She found it absurd and ironic.

Even though he was just standing there, without saying a word, the boundary she had rationally drawn between them seemed to vanish in an instant.

The nurse asked her, "How are you feeling? If you don't feel nauseous, you can eat something else."

Jiang Nuanyu still didn't answer. She looked at Liang Qi, then suddenly frowned, closed her eyes, and ignored him.

The nurse was a little confused and looked at Liang Qi. Liang Qi glanced at Jiang Nuanyu again, confirming that her current reaction was not due to physical discomfort, and turned to ask the nurse, "What can she eat now?"

“I can get her some oatmeal,” the nurse said. Perhaps seeing that Jiang Nuanyu didn’t seem to remember, she added, “But she’d better sit for a while before eating; it’s definitely not good for her to eat while lying down.”

Liang Qi nodded: "Thank you."

Jiang Nuanyu closed her eyes and heard the footsteps fading into the distance, guessing that the nurse had gone to get the porridge. She soon sensed that Liang Qi seemed to be approaching her.

She was mentally anticipating what he would say to her and how she would respond, completely unaware that her two hands on the blanket were intertwining their fingers.

She didn't hear Liang Qi's voice. The touch on her hand startled her before she could hear it.

She opened her eyes. Liang Qi's suit was completely out of place in the hospital environment. Under his sleeves, his fingers were long and slender with elegant knuckles, and his soft fingertips were gently caressing her hand.

The palm covering her hand was dry and warm. She seemed to forget to dodge, or perhaps she never intended to. Her cool skin absorbed the warmth of his palm, and her restless fingers slowly stopped moving.

Liang Qi looked at her half-open eyelids for a while, but didn't ask her to look at him. He just patted the top of her head and said, "I guess you wouldn't refuse a bowl of oatmeal right now, hmm?"

Jiang Nuanyu didn't know how to face him and didn't answer for a moment. Then she realized that she hadn't washed her hair for several days, and she felt even more embarrassed and ashamed. Her chest heaved, but she still didn't say a word.

If Jiang Nuanyu doesn't refuse, it's highly likely that she agrees.

Liang Qi glanced at the mechanism on the headboard: "Shall I raise the headboard for you?"

Jiang Nuanyu remained silent.

"Okay." Liang Qi understood her tacit agreement and went to operate the button.

Whether it was intentional or not, he held her hand throughout the entire process.

The headboard was raised, and Liang Qi placed a pillow behind Jiang Nuanyu's back so that she would have support when sitting. He then went to the window, picked up a chair, and sat down on the edge of the bed.

The nurse returned with a small bowl, set up the table beside the bed, placed the porridge on it, and said with a smile, "Including that glass of apple juice, this is the second meal of the day."

Jiang Nuanyu smiled at her.

The so-called oatmeal porridge was diluted, more like "oatmeal soup." The spoon was also shallow, so she could only sip it little by little.

Although it was unlikely to fill her up, the rich aroma of oats lingered on her lips and teeth, greatly satisfying Jiang Nuanyu's sense of taste and smell.

However, she couldn't fully focus on enjoying the bowl of porridge.

She lowered her head to drink her porridge, but her peripheral vision kept catching sight of Liang Qi. Liang Qi sat on one side of her bed, seemingly not moving at all.

He didn't speak, but Jiang Nuanyu could feel that his gaze was fixed on her, as if watching her eat porridge was something worthy of his focused attention.

He didn't say anything, and she didn't ask. He did his thing, and she drank hers.

When the bowl of porridge was almost empty, Liang Qi finally spoke and asked her, "Does your wound still hurt?"

Just those words felt like a wound had been torn open in Jiang Nuanyu's heart, a bittersweet feeling mixed with warmth. She paused mid-air, her hand still lifting the spoon, without lifting her eyelids, she shook her head and pressed the spoon to her lips.

After a few seconds, Liang Qi said, "It's good that it doesn't hurt."

Jiang Nuanyu felt as if she had been stabbed in the chest again, the aftershocks continuing to tremble.

She didn't understand what made him "good" or "bad."

Like a small animal reaching out its antennae, she desperately tried to perceive and interpret his expressions, tone of voice, and the deeper meaning behind every word. After failing and unable to determine his feelings, she eventually retreated back into her shell.

She silently finished the last mouthful of porridge, put the spoon back in the bowl, and slowly withdrew her hand under the table.

Liang Qi stood up slightly and pulled the chair closer. Jiang Nuanyu subconsciously looked at him, but before she could turn her head, he reached out and used his thumb to wipe away a drop of porridge that remained on her lower lip.

His movements were very natural, but Jiang Nuanyu was flustered by this sudden intimacy. She quickly pursed her lips and raised her hand, intending to wipe herself with her sleeve.

"That's all." There was a faint smile in Liang Qi's voice.

He watched as she lowered her hand in embarrassment, a blush finally appearing on her pale face. He saw it, a smile playing on his lips, but felt no pleasure at having successfully aroused her.

He shifted his gaze elsewhere, looking at the foot of the bed, then at the door of the ward, and catching a glimpse of another bed at the far end. He asked her, "Did you rest well tonight? Would you like to move to a private room?"

Jiang Nuanyu quickly shook her head. Liang Qi said, "You think it's too much trouble?"

Jiang Nuanyu looked up at him, and Liang Qi raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to continue.

Her eyes flickered, and she still tilted her head from side to side. Liang Qi asked again, "Is it because you're afraid of causing trouble? Afraid of bothering me?" He said, "I'm not a troublemaker."

Jiang Nuanyu didn't know how to put it. It wasn't that she disliked the hassle or was afraid of trouble; it was just that staying in a single room would make her feel even more alone.

She lowered her head, remaining silent and refusing to look at him.

Liang Qi understood and nodded, no longer insisting. After a while, he suddenly asked, "Did the doctor instruct us not to talk?"

Jiang Nuanyu looked up at him in surprise, and after catching a fleeting smile in his eyes, she instantly understood, and her face flushed again.

Indeed, from the beginning until now, it has been Liang Qi who has been speaking. Although it cannot be interpreted as her completely ignoring him, she has indeed not uttered a single word.

Just then, Liang Qi's phone rang in his pocket. He looked at her, took it out, glanced at the screen, and stood up: "I'll take this call."

Liang Qi walked to the window a little further away to answer it. Jiang Nuanyu looked at his straight back and saw the phone in his hand. Her heart suddenly skipped a beat.

She quietly pulled her phone out from under her pillow, checked her call log, and the contents showed that her memory was accurate.

Last night, various factors caused her emotions to become somewhat out of control, but she did not do anything foolish like unconsciously calling Liang Qi again.

Liang Qi hung up the phone and turned back, noticing her small gesture of shoving her phone under the pillow, as if casually mentioning, "I happen to be at a resort in Annecy."

Jiang Nuanyu took a few seconds to process what was happening before she gradually understood.

When her colleagues visited yesterday, Lino mentioned that Jules and her team were leaving for Annecy in the afternoon, which was why they didn't come to the hospital with her.

She glanced at him unintentionally, their eyes met, and she thought to herself that it would be really impolite of her not to say anything.

After thinking it over, she asked, "Are you... going to Annecy on a business trip?"

Having not spoken for so long, her voice was hoarse and somewhat unnatural, her tone soft and gentle. Coupled with her pointless, rhetorical question, Liang Qi was momentarily speechless. After a pause, he good-naturedly hummed in agreement: "Business trip."

He was indeed in Annecy on a business trip.

In fact, Liang Qi had only arrived this morning. Upon arrival, he heard from the manager that a Parisian magazine was shooting at the resort. He casually asked about it, and it turned out to be *Chaleur*.

Not sure if Jiang Nuanyu was there, Liang Qi hesitated for only a few seconds before saying he would "go check on her" along the way. However, he didn't see her there, but he did learn that she was sick.

Jiang Nuanyu was unaware of these things, and simply nodded subconsciously in response, "Oh."

The atmosphere fell silent again. At this moment, the patient in the next bed threw off the covers, got out of bed, and dragged his feet toward the door.

Despite it having nothing to do with the two of them, Jiang Nuanyu and Liang Qi both stared at the person and watched them leave.

With the person gone, the ward became quieter, as there was one less person there.

No one spoke; there was a long silence.

Jiang Nuanyu felt that she should be the one to fill the silence, but even with that pointless remark from earlier, she couldn't come up with a single one.

She couldn't figure out the significance of Liang Qi's appearance at the hospital, nor could she fathom the motives and purposes behind his actions. Her head had been spinning and her mind a mess these past few days, making it impossible for her to sort out what she should say, what she wanted to say, or what she could say given their current relationship.

"You were originally going to Annecy too?" Liang Qi finally spoke first.

Jiang Nuanyu was bewildered and asked without thinking, "Why...why do you ask that?"

Liang Qi said, "Your colleague said they had something to ask you, but you were hospitalized for surgery."

"Oh..." Jiang Nuanyu suddenly realized.

She didn't receive any work calls, probably because her colleagues didn't want to bother her while she was sick.

“I don’t need to go,” she explained. “Well, I was the one who initially suggested the topic, but they might be unsure about some details during the implementation phase.”

Creativity and implementation seem to be inseparable. Although Liang Qi was not very clear about the specific process, he vaguely felt that something was wrong.

He raised an eyebrow and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Hmm?" Jiang Nuanyu didn't expect him to be curious about this, and raised her eyelids. "Topic selection?"

"Hmm," Liang Qi said, "Why aren't you in charge of choosing your topics?"

He leaned back in his chair, his suit jacket unbuttoned, his hands casually folded in front of his abdomen, and tilted his head slightly to look at her.

Jiang Nuanyu felt inexplicably at ease under his focused and calm gaze, as if he could steadily accept and accommodate her emotions and current situation no matter what she said or what she had experienced.

So, she couldn't help but speak her mind once again.

"The implementation of this project... the whole process really tests one's network. I haven't been here long, so I have to start from scratch. What might be a simple email or phone call for someone else could take me several days to coordinate and go through several intermediaries. So, it's less efficient, and therefore..."

Although she tried to downplay it, the lingering sorrow and slight grievances still permeated every word she spoke.

She realized it herself and stopped in time, not finishing the second half of her sentence. She just straightened her shoulders and said in a relaxed manner, "It's nothing, we'll take it slow. Maybe things will get better next year or the year after."

Liang Qi didn't reply immediately. After looking at her quietly for a moment, he said, "It might not be the case in other places. But if it's Val Blanch, or other resorts in Yun Jing, I know you better than your colleagues."

Jiang Nuanyu blinked. Even though Liang Qi had said all that, she was still unsure whether he was implying that he could provide assistance in this regard.

Liang Qi glanced at her for a few seconds, then said, "If you don't have an email, you can call." He paused, then casually added, "Even in the middle of the night is fine."

When Jiang Nuanyu was thinking about how to respond to him in a roundabout and polite way, she blushed completely when she heard the words "midnight," and she couldn't bring herself to say anything polite.

Why is he so vengeful...?

She whispered, "That time, it really was an accidental call."

Liang Qi seemed quite surprised that she brought this up. After a moment's thought, he said, "What I mean is, when I'm in China, there's a time difference."

Jiang Nuanyu: "..."

She glanced at him, knowing full well he was doing it on purpose, even without evidence. She raised an eyebrow, looking somewhat displeased.

Liang Qi looked at her and couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.

He only touched upon the matter of providing the resort venue, not elaborating further. He wanted to help her, but didn't want to do it in a one-sided way, appearing condescending or like he was giving her charity.

These difficulties and obstacles won't defeat her, but given her strong-willed and meticulous personality, if he were to solve her problem so easily, she would never mention work to him again.

He changed the subject and asked her, "How do you usually eat?"

Jiang Nuanyu was taken aback: "...Me?" For some reason, she felt guilty and hesitated before answering, "Uh, the restaurant."

"Every meal?" Liang Qi clearly didn't fully believe her, and asked again, "Do you eat a proper meal once a day on average?"

Jiang Nuanyu was caught off guard, but not wanting Liang Qi to see through her chaotic diet, she began to evade the question: "Eating, eating, eating... Of course, when I'm busy, I sometimes make do with fast food."

Her overly serious expression and subconscious attempts to explain and add details proved that there was some exaggeration in what she said. Liang Qi listened without saying anything.

Jiang Nuanyu quickly changed the subject, mentioning a light meal delivery place near her company. Liang Qi followed up with a question, and she answered it. This back-and-forth exchange opened up a floodgate of conversation for Jiang Nuanyu.

Liang Qi spent quite a while with her, chatting with her, and most of the topics were related to her. He listened to her talk and also spoke to her occasionally.

When Liang Qi spoke, no matter what he was saying, Jiang Nuanyu felt that with Liang Qi present, everything in this foreign hospital seemed to have a different hue. The sunlight streaming in from the window behind him also seemed warmer than usual.

The boundary she used to restrain herself from getting closer to him had long since vanished.

“…My boss is incredibly capable; she has to work and take care of three children at the same time. She’s also extremely competent, able to handle the production of several projects simultaneously.” Jiang Nuanyu’s eyes were full of admiration.

“I even saw her baby when I went with her to the filming location before. The baby was so cute.” As she said this, her eyes softened again.

"When he laughs, he drools, and it gets everywhere. Then he tries to pounce on me, and I quickly wipe it off with a tissue. He tries to dodge, so I have to chase after him to wipe it off, because he will run back and rub himself on me again."

Liang Qi smiled, as if teasingly saying, "You still have to look after the kids, don't you?"

Jiang Nuanyu pursed her lips and smiled at her: "Occasionally, yes. The filming set is ever-changing, anything can happen. I don't supervise the filming, I just go and experience the scene, I do a little bit of everything."

Liang Qi smiled and nodded. She didn't speak for a moment, and he glanced at his watch.

When Jiang Nuanyu saw his action, her previously joyful heart plummeted to rock bottom.

She pretended not to see it and turned her face to the other side.

Her jaw was clenched, and a strand of hair fell to the side of her face. From Liang Qi's angle, all he could see was the tip of her pretty nose and her eyelashes that blinked occasionally.

After a long while, Liang Qi stood up, glanced at her stubborn profile, and said, "I have to go."

Jiang Nuanyu wanted to say something like "um," "okay," "goodbye," or "thank you for coming to see me," but her mind couldn't control her speech, and she couldn't even nod.

She suddenly felt a little resentful towards him, resenting him for coming and then leaving.

“I’m not going back to China for now,” Liang Qi said. “I’m going to Italy tomorrow, but I have to go back to Annecy today.”

Jiang Nuanyu's gaze fell slightly, and she slowly froze. From Liang Qi's words, he learned about her surgery and hospitalization while Zhu Er and the others were filming. However, Zhu Er's team had set off yesterday afternoon and wouldn't arrive until the evening. It was impossible to start work immediately that night; the earliest they could do so was early this morning.

Liang Qi arrived in the afternoon. Annecy is 600 kilometers from Paris, and he traveled halfway across France in a single day, just to see her at the hospital.

She kept confirming this fact with herself, her heart filled with overflowing surprise and love, swelling little by little, while being squeezed by the reluctance of his impending departure. At the same time, she felt a pang of sadness, and for a brief moment, she even felt the happiness he gave her.

He always subtly revealed his care and affection for her, giving her hope of his love when she was at her most desperate, making her impulsive and wanting to get close to him at all costs.

"Liang Qi—"

As Liang Qi walked past the foot of the bed, Jiang Nuanyu called out to him.

Liang Qi stopped and turned to look at her. Jiang Nuanyu didn't understand why she was being called, and stammered, "I...I'll take you."

Liang Qi looked at her for two seconds and smiled silently: "No need, you stay here."

"I'm fine." Jiang Nuanyu propped herself up on the bed with both hands, trying to sit up straight. "The doctor also told me to get up and walk around when I have the energy. I just happen to be... going for a walk."

She spoke earnestly and seriously, but her eyes darted back and forth nervously. Without waiting for Liang Qi's reply or refusal, she threw off the covers and stretched out her legs to get out of bed.

Worried that she might aggravate her wound, Liang Qi quickly took a step back. Just as he reached out his hand, she had already put on her slippers and stood up, supporting herself on the bed.

She stood there, looking at him with uncertain eyes, as if afraid he wouldn't agree.

Liang Qi closed his eyes briefly and nodded: "Okay."

Jiang Nuanyu breathed a sigh of relief and followed after him with her head down.

Once outside, the two didn't head towards any exit, or rather, they didn't intentionally choose one. It wasn't, as Jiang Nuanyu had said, that they were simply seeing him off.

She walked slowly, and Liang Qi walked slowly beside her. She remained silent, and he didn't say anything either.

I've already said enough in the ward. Saying anything more now won't change the fact that we're about to part ways.

Having passed by Jiang Nuanyu's ward for what felt like the umpteenth time, Liang Qi finally stopped at the doorway.

Jiang Nuanyu took one more step than him and then stopped. She clutched the trousers of her hospital gown, not turning around, and just stood there stiffly.

Liang Qi glanced down at her, walked to her side, and took her hand. She neither refused nor complied, still clenching her fist.

Liang Qi turned her hand around, his fingers slowly probing into her clenched fist, making her palm open so that it faced his, and then he held her hand.

He gently rubbed his thumb against her thin, dry knuckles on the back of her hand and said, "Take good care of yourself."

A sudden surge of sourness welled up in Jiang Nuanyu's nose. She awkwardly turned her face away and bit her lip to control her breathing.

She didn't know if this counted as holding hands, and she didn't even dare to hold his hand back, but she opened every inch of her senses to feel and crave the warmth of his palm.

Nurses and other patients passed by in the corridor, all glancing at the two of them curiously.

Liang Qi glanced at both sides of the corridor, squeezed her hand, released it and placed it back beside her lap, saying, "You've already delivered the person, go in."

Jiang Nuanyu gritted her teeth and remained silent. Despite having no grounds to argue, she still resented him.

He gives her hope, then tells her with reality that it's just hope. His tenderness only exists in the present moment; it can occur simultaneously with his detachment. If that's the case, what's the difference between him and cruelty?

Jiang Nuanyu clenched her fists again and pushed open the door to enter the ward.

She didn't say a word, and didn't even look back at Liang Qi until the door closed.

*

After dropping Jiang Nuanyu off, Liang Qi went to the elevator lobby. The elevator, which had been relatively empty just moments before, was now taking a long time to arrive. After waiting for a while, he decided to take the stairs in the emergency exit on the other side.

As he passed Jiang Nuanyu's ward again, he contacted the driver while glancing inside through the glass.

She sat with her back to the door on one side of the hospital bed. Upon closer inspection, he noticed how terribly thin she was; through the glass, her frail frame appeared even more slender, hanging precariously in her hospital gown.

The call connected, and Liang Qi was about to speak when he saw Jiang Nuanyu raise her hand, seemingly wiping her face. Two seconds later, she wiped it again.

"Mr. Liang?"

Hearing a voice through the receiver, Liang Qi snapped out of his reverie. After giving his instructions and hanging up, he turned his gaze back to the departing figure.

She cried. Why was she sad? He thought, it was because of him.

But she wouldn't even let him see her cry.