Chapter 188 What are you afraid of?

Loran walked to the chair by the bed and sat down, taking out disinfectant spray and a treatment gun from the medicine box.

Then, with a flick of his wrist, his research suit opened.

Next up is the shirt underneath.

“I’m a patient too,” he replied.

Ning Shuyin shrank further under the covers: "If it's a physical exam, didn't we already do it before..."

Her ears turned slightly red as she thought about how he whispered those morbid words when he was close to her.

"I'm just using this sterile environment to treat my wounds." As he finished speaking, Loran's body, covered in bruises, was exposed to the air.

On his left shoulder was a gruesome scar, a cut that had been followed by deep scratches.

It was inside the elevator; he forced himself on her and left those marks. The area around the wound is now red and swollen.

Loran remained expressionless as he picked up the disinfectant spray and sprayed it onto the wound.

The stinging pain made him frown.

Then, the green light from the healing gun covered the area and began to regenerate the skin and flesh tissue.

In the ward, the two people's breathing sounds were particularly clear.

“I’m sorry, I misunderstood you before,” Loran suddenly said.

"What?" Ning Shuyin was stunned and didn't react.

The proud and sharp-tongued Loran actually apologized? This was beyond her expectations.

"That incident in Gulei's dressing room last time." Loran's gaze was fixed on his wound.

"When Xiaolan delivered your medicine, she interacted with your household robot. The logic module has serious defects; it's even more idiotic than Xiaolan herself." He gave an extremely harsh assessment.

A soft sound suddenly came from the entrance of the ward.

Xiao Lan was just about to fly over to deliver clean clothes.

Its display screen instantly showed two wide noodles (╥_╥).

But after Loran's indifferent glance, it could only blink twice, looking aggrieved, and put the clothes down.

Ning Shuyin's originally tense nerves were relaxed for a moment by Xiao Lan's little episode.

"You finally believe that the package was sent to the wrong address," she said helplessly.

"I can't help it, I wasn't very rational when it came to things related to you in the past. For example, after returning from the K99 ruins, I recklessly took the temporary contract and went to find you, which is not something I should have done."

She avoided his gaze and said softly, "I understand."

"Ning Shuyin." He leaned closer to look at her. The distance between them became extremely close again.

"You've changed."

Ning Shuyin was taken aback: "?"

“You’ve been a little different since you got out of the elevator.” Loran’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You’ve become… a little timid.”

Ning Shuyin's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Lorraine noticed this subtle change even more keenly than she had.

"It's not cowardice in the face of danger. The weaknesses of the Dark Sphere are not 100% certain, but you still rush in regardless, gambling with your life."

Loran reached out a finger and gently picked up a strand of hair that was clinging to her cheek, slowly tucking it behind her ear.

In this way, her entire face was completely exposed to his view.

"Your caution is directed at us."

Even without naming names, Ning Shuyin knew who he was referring to.

"Right now, you're a bit like a hermit crab that's lost its shell. You give the impression of cautiously reaching out with your claws."

Ning Shuyin was held by his hands on either side of her, confined in a small space.

Loran pressed closer, "What are you afraid of? Are you afraid of me? Or are you afraid of us?"

“I’m not afraid of anything.” Ning Shuyin’s eyelashes trembled.

She couldn't explain. Should she tell him that she feared they would realize, once they came to their senses, that their past affections were all a daze, an impulse, a lie?

The two remained locked in a stalemate.

After a long pause, Lorraine read rejection in her silence.

It seemed his severe mysophobia had finally kicked in—he glanced down at his open shirt, which was covered in dirt and bloodstains.

"If you don't want to talk about it, then forget it." He grabbed the clean clothes Xiaolan brought him and strode into the shower room attached to the ward.

——

That day, after changing her clothes, Luo Lan left the ward without pressing her for anything further, leaving Xiao Lan to do as she pleased.

Ning Shuyin was finally able to rest.

When she woke up, she chose neither to stay at the Royal Hospital nor to return to the Cloud Apartment.

Although Zhou Zhiheng asked her to stay, he did not stipulate that she had to stay every day.

She didn't want to face this tycoon's son for the time being. She was afraid that she might inadvertently incur hundreds of millions in debt. She didn't even summon the Night Phantom flying vehicle, but instead rented an ordinary public hovercar.

The car was parked in front of a small alley in a residential area.

Chenguang Apartment.

This is where she first began her journey through the book. It's cramped, old, and poorly soundproofed.

After verifying the biometric information, I entered the room, which was empty.

When I moved to the Cloud Apartment, almost everything was gone. Only a single bed covered with a cloth and a set of folding table and chairs remained.

An unprecedented silence.

When she lived here before, the system would chatter away in her ear quite often.

Suddenly, the computer vibrated.

It was her preset automatic communication request that was connected.

Ning Shuyin jumped out of bed with a start. As soon as the holographic projection popped up, Su Qianqian's voice came through: "Shuyin! Are you alright? I just saw on the news that the Alliance was attacked."

"I'm fine. Qianqian, what's going on between you and Olma? I haven't been able to get in touch with you." Ning Shuyin softened her voice.

Su Qianqian looked utterly dejected: "My mom blocked my communicator while she was on vacation and forced me into a marriage with a stranger. I just got my internet back on."

Where is Professor Gu Lei?

“He’s already on his way here,” Su Qianqian sniffed. “He said that no matter what happens, he will take me with him.”

Ning Shuyin felt somewhat relieved.

Given Gu Lei's "Observer" abilities, taking Su Qianqian away shouldn't be difficult.

However, the main storyline of arranged marriages within large families is often accompanied by numerous dramatic and obstructive obstacles.

“I’ll come over here too, I should be able to help,” Ning Shuyin said decisively. “Send me the coordinates.”

After hanging up the call, Ning Shuyin quickly tidied her small backpack and prepared to leave.

The area downstairs was quiet.

The long-awaited quiet made her feel somewhat uneasy.

Less than five minutes later, a bright yellow shared taxi pulled up in front of her.

The leather on the seats of this older model of rental aircraft is badly worn.

"Go to a remote public airport," Ning Shuyin calmly told the ship's AI-powered driver.

[Command received, depart immediately. Friendly reminder: The chartered ship can only deliver to the perimeter of the helipad and cannot enter the VIP area.]

An hour later, the chartered ship stopped on the outskirts of the remote spaceport on Planet A.

From a distance, the Opera House is very conspicuous, like a large mobile castle.

Ning Shuyin walked alone towards the spaceship's docking point.

"boss!"

The cabin door was opened from a distance, and a girl came out to greet them from the gangway.

It was Yelena, one of the girls Ning Shuyin had saved at the "Shadow Opera House".

Now, she is a qualified assistant to Ning Shuyin.

"My God! Boss, what's going on...?"