Chapter 26 Violet "But I want to see you."...
The flight time from City A to the Northwest is three and a half hours. Ji Jiazhen's filming location is too remote, in a county under the city. The only direct flight is to the airport in the provincial capital. After getting off the plane, you have to transfer to a high-speed train and then a bus, which takes at least five hours.
Wen Siyu only managed to doze off briefly on the plane that day. On the high-speed train, he was busy contacting local transportation and checking Ji Jiazhen's social media updates. He called her five times, but her phone was switched off, and she didn't reply to his WeChat messages. The trending topic related to her was still her fainting spell; the cause of the fainting and her subsequent condition remained unknown.
He picked up the car at 2 PM and drove straight to the county town without delay.
The snow fell on and off for a day and a night, and it finally stopped today. Cars were coming and going on the road, and the snow melted into water, which then froze into a thin layer of ice due to the low temperature.
Wen Siyu was quite anxious; there had been no news from Ji Jiazhen since last night. The road was icy and slippery, the cars ahead were moving slowly, and there were signs of a traffic jam. The road was too narrow, and there was frequent passing on both sides, so he couldn't overtake and could only stay stuck there.
The constant honking was irritating, so he instinctively reached for the center console, only to find his hand empty. He then realized he wasn't driving his own car and there wasn't a single cigarette inside.
The road was so congested that we only moved forward one kilometer in half an hour. To make matters worse, it started to drizzle, and the red taillights became blurry and fogged up.
Wen Siyu gripped the steering wheel with his right hand, his knuckles white. He looked down at the black screen of his phone, his lips taut. He stared silently for a minute before picking up his phone and making another call.
The cold female voice rang out again: "Sorry, the number you dialed is currently switched off..."
His gesture of hanging up the phone was tinged with emotion; the inertial movement caused the hand holding the phone to slam onto the steering wheel, emitting a piercing horn sound. The phone was thrown back, and he took a couple of sips of water, trying to suppress the frustration in his heart, but his mind remained tense, and his brows furrowed even more tightly.
Around four o'clock, it gradually got dark, and it was still raining. The traffic was completely jammed. I heard that the car in front had hit a cow, and the other cows were circling around it and wouldn't move.
Wen Siyu had his eyes closed, looking tired and pale. His index finger tapped the steering wheel slowly and absently.
The rain pattered softly, and the car was silent. Suddenly, a WeChat notification sound rang out. In the quiet atmosphere, the sense of hearing was amplified. Wen Siyu's fingers froze in mid-air, and he opened his eyes for a moment to look at the phone lying on the passenger seat.
This message was sent via WeChat by Ji Jiazhen.
His body reacted before his brain could process it; his hand reached out almost instinctively. Just as he made contact, a loud bang came from beside him. The sound wasn't far away, but because all the car doors and windows were closed and the space was enclosed, it sounded muffled. He turned his head to look behind him, but by the time he realized what had happened, it was too late.
He felt a huge inertial impact, and the dizziness from the push made him curse. His arm was still in the position of reaching for his phone. The almost tearing pain spread from his elbow to his whole body. The next second, the back of his head slammed hard against the seat. His mind was completely blank. Despite the intense pain, he still held his phone tightly and even tried to overcome the piercing pain and the dizziness in his eyes to look at the screen.
I wanted to see what she replied.
Is she alright?
*
When Ji Jiazhen woke up, she smelled the pungent smell of disinfectant. She moved her head slightly, slowly opened her eyes, and saw nothing but white. Her hands were throbbing and her body was a little stiff from sleeping.
She raised her hand and saw the IV patch on the back of her hand, then heard Chen Li's voice.
"Sis, you're awake. It's time to get up and have something to eat."
Ji Jiazhen looked in the direction of the sound and then saw her surroundings clearly; it was a hospital ward.
Chen Li just came back from outside, carrying food in his hands.
Ji Jiazhen propped herself up and sat up. "What's wrong with me?"
"It's nothing. The doctor said it was due to the change in environment and a bit of a cold, plus a flare-up of low blood sugar. You haven't been resting well these past few days, so you fainted and have been sleeping ever since. Do you feel any discomfort?"
She shook her head, saying that apart from a slight soreness in her shoulders, neck, and legs from sleeping for so long, she had no other discomfort.
As Chen Li poured her water, she said, "You almost scared me to death. You fell to the side before you could even stand up after getting out of the car. I was holding something and didn't have time to catch you. Luckily, Teacher Qin was there and caught you."
Ji Jiazhen asked her, "What time is it? How long have I been asleep?"
"It's four o'clock. I've been sleeping since I fainted on set last night. I was still half asleep this morning and asked me for water. Don't you remember?"
She had absolutely no recollection of it.
Chen Li handed her the water. She took a sip, then reached around the pillow a couple of times, but couldn't find what she wanted. She didn't see it on the table either.
Where's my phone?
Chen Licai suddenly remembered this and took out her phone from her bag, her voice filled with regret, "It was out of battery and shut down. I was thinking of charging it for you before I left, but I forgot about it as soon as I turned around."
She said it was okay, took the power bank, charged her phone, and waited quietly for it to boot up.
"By the way, sis, um... President Duan called me after seeing the trending topic, but I guess he couldn't get through to you."
What did he say?
Chen Li placed the wontons he bought on the table next to her and opened the box for her. "He didn't say anything, just asked me how you were and told you to call him back when you woke up."
Ji Jiazhen reacted indifferently, because she had no intention of replying to him at all.
After the phone was turned on, a bunch of calls and messages popped up, with Wen Siyu receiving twenty of them.
She didn't plan to return his call, only replying with two words on WeChat: "It's okay."
Zhuang Yan left her a message telling her to rest well and not to worry about the filming schedule, as he would discuss it with Wei Yikai.
With his words in mind, Ji Jiazhen was able to leave the hospital without any rush.
*
At nine o'clock in the evening, there was a knock on the door. Ji Jiazhen thought it was Chen Li coming to see her, but she didn't expect to see Qin He's face when she opened the door.
He must have just come back from the film set, still wearing his makeup. His foundation was two shades darker than his skin, and his tone of voice when he spoke to her carried an inexplicable air of sophistication.
"Jiazhen, how was your rest? You look better than when you first arrived here."
Ji Jiazhen pulled his coat tighter. "Good evening, Teacher Qin. I rested quite well, but I'm sorry for delaying the filming."
"Nobody wants unexpected situations, so there's no need to apologize. Your health is the most important thing."
She replied in a very formal tone: "Thank you for your concern, Teacher Qin."
Suddenly, Qin He reached out his hand towards her head. Ji Jiazhen instinctively tilted her head to the side, her brows furrowing instantly. But he didn't stop. She felt a gentle touch on the top of her head, which quickly disappeared.
Qin He held his hand out in front of her eyes, with a small feather between his fingers. It must have been down that had leaked out of his down jacket and gotten into her hair at some point.
Ji Jiazhen pursed her lips. "Teacher Qin, just let me know, I can do it myself."
Qin He remained unperturbed, his smile unchanged. "My assistant is going to the city tomorrow to bring me some things. If you need anything, just let me know, and he'll bring it back with you."
Ji Jiazhen took a small step back without making a sound. "Thank you for taking such good care of me, Teacher Qin. I don't need anything. The weather hasn't been very good these past two days. When I came back from the hospital, the driver said the roads were icy and a bit slippery. If your assistant is driving tomorrow, please be careful on the road."
"Yes, I heard that there was a rear-end collision involving more than ten cars on the road to the city this afternoon. I will remind him."
Ji Jiazhen placed her hand on the doorknob, clearly indicating that she wanted to leave. Qin He was a smart person and could tell that she didn't want to continue the conversation.
"Then I won't disturb your rest any longer. See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow, Teacher Qin."
With a click, the door closed, and Ji Jiazhen put her hands in her bathrobe pockets and chuckled.
Some people are better off just watching on TV; getting to know them in person might not be as pleasant.
Qin He's intentions were too obvious. At first, she thought he was taking care of her as a junior, but after what happened tonight, she realized that he was treating her as a woman.
The person was still standing at the door when the phone on the bed rang again. Ji Jiazhen walked over, saw the three words "Duan Qiyin", stood there for a while, and then bent down to answer the call.
She thought he was coming to ask how she was feeling, but he wasn't. Duan Qiyin's first words were: "Is Wen Siyu with you?"
He spoke faster than usual, and his tone sounded somewhat anxious, which puzzled Ji Jiazhen.
"Not here."
Duan Qiyin could say something even more absurd: "I asked seriously."
She almost hung up on him. "Are you crazy? I was just answering seriously. I'm filming in the Northwest. How could he possibly be here with me?"
Duan Qiyin paused for two seconds and said, "I found out that he took a flight to the Northwest at six o'clock this morning. Wasn't he going to see you?"
Ji Jiazhen lowered her arms, sat on the bed, and asked him, "What do you mean?"
"I can't get in touch with him."
She suddenly remembered the WeChat message she sent to Wen Siyu at four o'clock. From then until now, five hours had passed, and he had indeed not responded.
This is so quiet, something's not right.
The flight landed at 9:00 AM, and considering the travel time, I should have arrived here by 4:00 PM. It's impossible not to contact her.
As she pondered, her gaze casually drifted across the room's furnishings, from the television to the sofa, and then to the doorway.
She remembered what Qin He had just said: This afternoon, more than ten cars were involved in a rear-end collision on the road to the city.
Whether you're going to the city or coming here from the city, there's only one road.
Ji Jiazhen frowned. Just as Duan Qiyin on the other end of the phone was about to speak, she gave him two words: "Hang up."
The next call in the call log is Wen Siyu's missed call. She dialed it, and the call went through; the line wasn't busy, and the phone wasn't off.
Either he didn't hear it, or he didn't want to answer, or he couldn't answer.
Ji Jiazhen leaned more towards the latter two, but she couldn't figure out which one it was, so she hung up the phone and sent Wen Siyu a WeChat message.
—"If you don't answer today, don't answer any more in the future."
After sending the WeChat message, she didn't rush to make a second call. Instead, she put her phone on the bed and waited quietly. If he didn't want to answer, he would definitely call her back after seeing the message. If he couldn't answer, then calling her repeatedly wouldn't help.
She had one leg bent on the bed, her elbow resting on her thigh, and she just stared at her phone screen, counting down the seconds in her head.
The screen lit up after a count of four minutes and fifty-three seconds.
Wen Siyu called.
She answered the call without the slightest hesitation.
Where are you?
Wen Siyu's voice sounded no different from usual, but he did lie, "At home."
Ji Jiazhen said, "Okay, let's video chat after the call ends."
Wen Siyu didn't say anything, and she didn't actually hang up the phone either; they remained in this stalemate.
She laid it out in advance: "Wen Siyu, I hate being lied to the most. Think it over carefully and decide whether you want to tell the truth."
There seemed to be a sigh on the other end, a gesture of resignation. "How did they know I was coming?"
He didn't answer her question directly, but that was a tacit admission that he had come to the Northwest.
Of course, Ji Jiazhen couldn't tell him how she knew, so she lied to him: "Your phone has a search function."
Wen Siyu believed her and then asked her why she fainted and if she was still feeling unwell. She answered all of these questions, and then the conversation circled back to the very first question.
"Where are you?"
He still wouldn't say.
She asked him in a different way: "Were you in the car that was rear-ended this afternoon?"
Wen Siyu probably didn't expect her to know about the car accident on the highway that afternoon, and was speechless for a moment. But his silence at this moment was a tacit admission. Ji Jiazhen asked further, "You're in the hospital, aren't you?"
"...Just came out of the hospital."
He added, "Don't come looking for me."
Ji Jiazhen's reply was quite unexpected. She didn't refute his claim that she was coming to find him, nor did she ask if he was injured. Instead, she suddenly asked, "You didn't get disfigured in the accident, did you?"
Wen Siyu was taken aback by her question, and after a long while he said, "No disfigurement, and perfectly healthy."
"Okay, come find me."
It's too cold outside, so she doesn't want to go out.
He refused to listen and told her to rest early; he just didn't want to see her.
Ji Jiazhen noticed his evasive mood and was indeed annoyed by his subtle avoidance of the topic. She asked him with a temper, "You didn't come here for me? From the plane to the high-speed rail to driving, you even got rear-ended on the way. You've wasted time and energy. Now that I've asked you to come see me, what are you being so stubborn about?"
She was determined to get to the bottom of things, insisting that he give her a satisfactory reason. Wen Siyu, at his wit's end, decided to go all out and confront her directly, his voice now tinged with emotion.
"Yes, I came for you. I heard you wanted to come before you fainted. I wanted to ask you every day if I could come see you, but I didn't because I had no right or position to come see you. You always treat me like a joke and don't want to be associated with me in public. If I asked you, you would definitely say don't come. If I went without asking, you would definitely be angry. I can imagine how you would answer if people asked about our relationship. You would definitely say you don't know me, the kind of person who wouldn't even give me the title of 'friends with benefits'. Sometimes I feel like we're having a secret relationship, and then I find it funny. A secret relationship still has the word 'relationship' in it. It's just that my relationship with you is purely one-sided."
Ji Jiazhen had something to say, but realizing that he hadn't finished speaking, she swallowed her words.
"When I saw the trending topic about you fainting, I immediately bought the earliest flight. I called you but you didn't answer, and I texted you but you didn't reply. I was afraid something might have happened to you, so I didn't dare to waste a second on the road. I almost floored the gas pedal, but the traffic jam completely drove me crazy. I even considered abandoning the car and walking, thinking it might be faster. The second I was rear-ended, I received your WeChat reply. I felt like I was about to die, but I was still thinking about whether you were okay. And what did you reply?"
She replied with two words: "It's nothing."
"All those phone calls and WeChat messages I've sent aren't worth you even asking me what's wrong with you?!"
He was clearly angry and upset, and he started arguing with her about this and that.
Ji Jiazhen cleared her throat and asked him in a calm tone, "Are you finished? If you're done, it's my turn."
Wen Siyu was quite stubborn, and deliberately retorted, saying, "You go ahead."
"Did you tell me any of your thoughts? Do you know how much you've thought about? Why should I respond when you've remained silent? Did you only find out today that I'm using you for entertainment? Didn't you accept this situation of having no relationship or commitment in the first place? I said I was fine because I really was fine. How was I supposed to know you came to the Northwest? How was I supposed to know that it was such a coincidence that you got rear-ended when I sent you a WeChat message? It's my freedom to reply to you however I want. If I can tell you I'm fine, would I really tell you to get lost?"
She finished speaking in one breath, her tone changing from the previous calmness, her attitude exactly the same as Wen Siyu's. After catching her breath, she continued.
"After I found out all this, did I call you first? Did I care about you and ask where you were? I asked you to come find me, but you didn't want to. Go ask around and find out how many men I've coaxed like this. If you can find another one like me, I'll make sure he takes your surname!"
After shouting her last sentence, she took a deep breath to calm herself down and said to the person on the other end of the phone, "That's all, we're even."
Wen Siyu said, "Okay, we're even."
Then the topic took a complete 180-degree turn. Ji Jiazhen asked him where he was staying that night, asking the question casually, as if the two of them hadn't been arguing and confronting each other just moments before.
"hotel."
"This is the only hotel I'm staying at. The film crew is full, there are no rooms available."
Wen Siyu sensed that she was trying to get rid of him in her words and felt that continuing the conversation would lead to a second argument, so he replied irritably, "I'll sleep in the car and leave tomorrow, okay?"
Ji Jiazhen said no, "I can still sleep in my bed, are you coming or not?"
It was the first time she had said something like that, and it was indeed tempting, but he was stubborn and couldn't say it with a firm conviction.
"Was that 'we're even' line something a dog would say?"
Wen Siyu replied: "We're even, but now it's a matter of dignity. I love you, and I'm willing to be your dog, but I can't keep going without any bottom line. I also have the dignity of a man."
"..."
Silence fell instantly. Ji Jiazhen didn't reply and remained silent for a long time. You could almost hear the crackling of static coming from the receiver. Just when Wen Siyu was about to wonder if Ji Jiazhen had hung up on him, she spoke.
She said, "But I want to see you."
The voice was soft and the words were brief, but Wen Siyu felt as if it were a tender love confession, full of sincerity.
He knew she was using words to deceive him, knew it was one of her tactics, knew she was putting on her most skillful act of deep affection to force him to give in, but he couldn't refuse.
She knew he couldn't refuse.
So, twenty minutes later, Wen Siyu arrived at Ji Jiazhen's room.
-----------------------
Author's Note: A man's dignity~
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