heavy

The subway was crowded. Yun Jin huddled near the door, her eyes fixed on the advertising billboards flashing by outside the window. Every time the subway arrived at a station and the doors opened, a new flow of people would surge in, causing her to subconsciously tense up.

Finally, she arrived at the station and was almost pushed off the train by the crowd. She quickly walked out of the subway station and felt a little better when she breathed in the outdoor air.

This was Yun Jin's first time visiting the city hospital. Standing in front of the massive main hospital building, she saw a bustling crowd of people hurrying by.

Yun Jin has rarely been to the hospital since she was a child.

Firstly, she rarely gets sick; the cat demon's constitution makes her much stronger than ordinary people.

Secondly, and most importantly, it wouldn't be good if something were discovered. After all, she's a cat demon, and she might be exposed under those sophisticated instruments.

I absolutely avoid going to hospitals if I can avoid it.

She took a deep breath, suppressed her unease, and followed the signs into the inpatient building.

Because the place was so big, she had to ask several volunteers wearing red vests. Each time she asked, she had to muster up a lot of courage before she finally found the ward where the hospital director was.

Standing at the door of the ward, Yun Jin tidied up the fruit basket and snack box she was carrying, took a deep breath, and then gently knocked on the door.

"Come in."

As Yun Jin pushed open the door, the first thing she saw was the kind smile of the dean.

The hospital director's white hair was neatly combed, meticulously arranged, and even when wearing a hospital gown, she maintained the same cleanliness and dignity as before.

She sat on the hospital bed, leaning against the pillows, with some fruit and flowers that had been brought by visitors earlier on the bedside table.

"Yunjin, come here quickly!" The headmistress waved to her with a smile, "Oh dear, you've lost some weight!"

Grandma's gaze was as sharp and concerned as ever. As she spoke, she quickly got up, wanting to take the things Yun Jin was carrying.

"Grandma Dean, don't move, I'll put it down."

Yun Jin quickly stepped forward and placed the fruit basket and pastry box she had brought in an empty space in the cabinet.

Then, she immediately looked at the hospital director's legs with concern, "Can you walk now? What did the doctor say?"

"Of course, it's almost healed," the headmistress waved her hand, her tone relaxed.

Without a word, the headmistress grabbed Yun Jin's hand, pulled her to sit on a chair by the bed, and carefully looked her up and down. "But you, look at those dark circles under your eyes, and your complexion isn't good either. Have you been having a hard time lately?"

Yun Jin felt a lump in her throat when she heard the question, but she quickly lowered her head, rubbed her eyes to hide her embarrassment, and forced a smile.

"No, Grandma Dean, I'm just... I've been having trouble sleeping lately. My work isn't strenuous, so don't worry," Yun Jin casually changed the subject. "You're the one who should be worried; why didn't you tell us you fell?"

The headmistress sighed, "You're getting old, it's normal to bump and bruise yourself, it'll be almost healed."

"Yun Jin, why hasn't your account been updated in so long?" The dean's tone suddenly changed, catching Yun Jin off guard.

"Huh? That..." Yun Jin almost jumped up from her chair.

She never expected her grandmother to bring this up! She subconsciously lowered her head, her voice a little weak: "I was just doing it for fun... Later, I got busy with work, and... I couldn't make videos anymore."

The headmistress looked at her obviously guilty expression and said, "Oh, silly child, do you think I can't tell?"

Grandma Dean held Yun Jin's hand, her eyes piercing: "Child, tell Grandma honestly, has something happened recently?"

Her tone was heavy: "I've been feeling uneasy, like something's not right, so I had to call you here. We need to have a serious talk."

"It's nothing, Grandma Dean, it's really nothing..." Yun Jin pulled her hand away.

"Well... well, I later realized that if I kept making videos of cats, what if... what if more people found out? That would be really bad, quite dangerous. So... I stopped making videos."

An awkward silence fell over the ward.

The hospital director looked out the window and saw some patients strolling in the small garden downstairs, a peaceful scene.

“Yun Jin, I’m not here to blame you. It’s your freedom to think whatever you want,” the headmistress’s voice was calm yet powerful.

"However, you must think this through. Lying is a dangerous thing, and you still need to face your true self."

The headmistress saw further than Yun Jin had imagined, and her defenses softened at that moment.

“I’m aware of this problem and I’ve been worried about it,” Yun Jin said, looking at the dean. “I know my own nature very well. I’m attracted to dangerous things and then get caught up in them, constantly trying to escape.”

Hearing her candid words, the headmistress smiled with relief and kindness.

“Yun Jin, my child, your understanding is the first step in solving the problem. Hearing you say this, I can finally feel half relieved.”

The sunlight moved slowly, slanting from one end of the ward to the other. As dusk approached, visiting hours were almost over.

Yun Jin stood up, and although she was reluctant to leave, she still smiled and said goodbye to the dean.

The hospital director repeatedly told her to be careful on the road, to eat and sleep well, and not to worry about herself. Yun Jin agreed to everything before leaving the ward and gently closing the door behind her.

She did not leave the hospital immediately, but stood in the lobby, which had become much quieter.

She savored her conversation with the dean, feeling the trust and care she had received, like a pebble thrown into a still lake, creating ripples all around.

Yun Jin realized that she was not alone.

She has Yun Chen, and also the Dean's Grandma.

She still has... her mother. Although her mother is no longer by her side, she loves herself.

Thinking of this, Yun Jin took a deep breath, inhaling the cool evening air into her lungs. She straightened her back and looked out the window into the distance.

"Waaaaah."

Yun Jin turned her head and saw two girls sitting on chairs in the corner of the hall, both wearing masks, so she couldn't see their faces clearly.

One of them was bowing his head, his shoulders trembling slightly, and he was sobbing softly.

"It's okay, it'll get better. You're still young," another girl whispered, trying to comfort her.

Yun Jin was slightly taken aback.

That comforting voice... sounds familiar? It's that girl on the bus earlier! Her name is Qin An.

How did I run into her here? Is she also here to visit a patient?

Just then, the crying girl said desperately, "It's not going to get better. My left ear will never get better. The doctor has already made a diagnosis..."

Her voice was broken and choked with sobs, filled with despair, "The doctor said my right ear will eventually fail too, I... I've had enough..."

“Sigh, don’t cry, Qin Yi,” Qin An’s voice softened. “We can try another hospital, or see a traditional Chinese medicine doctor to get some treatment. There will always be a way…”

Upon hearing the name "Qin Yi," Yun Jin abruptly stopped in her tracks, completely halting her steps.

How could it be her?!

Wasn't she perfectly fine before?

Yun Jin turned around and silently sat down in a seat not far behind them, pretending to look at her phone, but actually pricked up her ears.

For some reason, Yun Jin had a bad feeling.

"It's all because of that high fever I had when I was a child. Nobody cared about me at the orphanage. Even after I was taken home, they didn't pay much attention to me. It took them a long time to get me to the hospital, and that's how I ended up like this..."

Qin An didn't say anything, he just patted her back gently.

Yun Jin felt a little guilty; she also bore some responsibility for the high fever.

"It's all Yun Jin's fault. She wanted to do some magic tricks for me. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have gotten a fever," Qin Yi said resentfully.

Yun Jin subconsciously swallowed, feeling a tightness in her throat.

Bad news: Qin Yi still remembers.

Good news: She doesn't remember the details.

"That's not accurate. There's no necessary connection between being frightened and having a high fever," Qin An said.

“However, there is no necessary medical connection between being frightened and having a high fever. It is very likely that you were already infected with the virus at that time…” Qin An tried to reason with her and calm her anger.

"Don't you dare make sarcastic remarks from the sidelines, Qin An!" Qin Yi suddenly raised her head. "We're not even blood sisters! You've been wanting to get rid of me for a long time, haven't you? You're just hoping I'll suffer, aren't you?"

Qin An seemed to be stung by these words. He remained silent for a moment before speaking again in a cold voice: "One thing at a time. I'm just stating the facts, not targeting anyone."

This argument clearly could not continue.

Then, Qin Yi stood up angrily, grabbed her bag, and walked away quickly without looking back, her figure soon disappearing into the hall.

Qin An sat alone in the same spot. After a while, she also stood up and left.

Yun Jin felt that as Qin Yi got up to leave, a resentful gaze was fixed on her.

What's done is done. Let's have a good talk with Qin Yi when we have the chance. Yun Jin left with a heavy heart.

Night had fallen, and the streetlights in the old neighborhood were flickering due to poor contact, casting swaying shadows on the uneven ground.

The words of hatred from Qin Yi and the kind admonitions from the dean kept echoing in her mind; the two voices intertwined, making her uneasy.

Finally reaching the familiar stairwell, she lowered her head and took out her keys.

However, as soon as she stepped onto the last few steps, Yun Jin looked up and suddenly saw a blurry black figure standing in front of her rented house!

Yun Jin was startled, her adrenaline surged instantly, and she almost immediately turned and left.

Just then, a familiar yet slightly mocking voice rang out and called out to her.

"Hey, little cat demon, what's with the panic? Isn't this your home? Why are you running away when you get to the door?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Qiqi easily stepped over several steps and blocked Yun Jin's path.

He crossed his arms and looked at her with a leisurely air, a seemingly irritating and amused smile on his face.

Yun Jin took a deep breath to calm herself down, looked at him warily, and scanned the surroundings to make sure he was alone. "How did you find this place?"

Qiqi tilted her head and said casually, "Aura. You forgot? Aren't we all monsters? You don't even know that?"

A cat and a dog stood silently facing each other under the dim, flickering hallway lights, creating an eerie atmosphere.

In the end, Yun Jin was the one who gave up first.

She knew that since Qi Qi had found this place, hiding or running away was pointless, and besides, he didn't seem to be showing any obvious hostility for the time being.

Finally, Yun Jin took a deep breath, resignedly took out the key, walked to the door, and said irritably, "...Come in."

"Thank you very much, Miss Yun." Qi Qi followed behind Yun Jin in a sarcastic tone.