71 Initiative
◎ "Be good, break up with him."◎
The lighting in the ward is soft.
Jiang Suiyun lay on the edge of the bed and fell asleep exhausted.
He Linchuan quietly looked at her sleeping profile. The screen of the mobile phone next to her lit up from time to time, and messages kept popping up on it. His eyes were dark and unclear. He turned the volume of the phone to the minimum and threw it on the bedside table on the other side.
He gently brushed the hair of the person in front of him with his fingers, leaned forward slightly, and gave Jiang Suiyun a restrained kiss on the forehead.
Jiang Suiyun was a light sleeper and felt a warm and wet touch.
Her eyelashes trembled involuntarily and she opened her eyes drowsily.
Their eyes met.
She just happened to bump into the man's eyes that were so close to her and so deep that she couldn't see the bottom of them. The hot and burning gaze wrapped around her like a vine the moment she opened her eyes.
Jiang Suiyun's heart skipped a beat. She subconsciously stepped back, but the man grabbed her wrist.
He Linchuan's eyes darkened.
"Did I wake you up?" His voice was low and hoarse from the injury, but extremely gentle.
“No…no.”
Jiang Suiyun looked away uncomfortably. She stood up straight, and the distance between them widened. In fact, she could feel that there were many differences between He Linchuan after he woke up this time.
In addition to the previous paranoia and control in those eyes, there were too many undisguised emotions, too passionate. Compared with the relationship between the two of them in the past that was mostly maintained by money, this made her feel a little overwhelmed.
"Ahem...would you like some fruit?"
Jiang Suiyun found a lame topic, trying to break the ambiguous and unsettling atmosphere.
He Linchuan didn't miss the evasive look in her eyes. He just stared at her until her ears felt slightly hot. Then he slowly looked away and replied, "No need."
He paused and said, "I feel a bit stuffy after lying down for so long. Push me out to get some fresh air."
I have indeed been staying indoors all this time, and today is a good day to go out for a walk.
Jiang Suiyun agreed without hesitation.
She and the nurse carefully helped the person into the wheelchair.
In fact, she is quite good at taking care of patients, especially those with mobility problems.
Almost every aspect can be taken into consideration.
When she went out, she felt in her pocket: "Wait, I didn't take my phone."
He Linchuan lowered his eyes: "No need, I'll be back after just a turn, it won't take long."
That's true.
Jiang Suiyun glanced at the bedside and didn't see her cell phone. She didn't know where she had lost it. Didn't she remember putting it here?
But it was here anyway, so I didn't dwell on it too much: "Let's go."
She pushed the wheelchair through the corridor.
Come to the outer rest area.
There are basically some elderly people here, and a few children.
The afternoon sun shines through the glass windows of the hospital corridor, casting mottled shadows.
This kind of atmosphere makes people relax inexplicably.
There was a vending machine at the corner of the corridor. Jiang Suiyun saw a little boy pulling at his mother's clothes and making a fuss to buy the colorful candy jars in the vending machine.
It was very noisy.
"Mom...I want to eat that candy...wow..."
The young mother was annoyed by the noise, but in the end she couldn't resist her child and scanned the code to buy a small can.
The little boy's face brightened immediately after getting the thing, and he couldn't wait to peel one and put it in his mouth.
However, the next second, he spat out the candy with a "poof" sound: "Wow... It tastes so bad..."
Jiang Suiyun paused slightly, his eyes fell on the familiar can of candy with fancy packaging, and he was slightly stunned.
An unpleasant memory suddenly came to her mind.
The movement of pushing the wheelchair slowed down subconsciously.
Jiang Suiyun thought, this candy is really unpalatable.
After eating it once, she still remembers it.
At that time, my mother was seriously ill and hospitalized, and the high medical expenses were like a mountain pressing down on her, making it hard for her to breathe.
She had to work several part-time jobs every day, plus take care of her mother, and she fell ill due to the non-stop work.
She was alone in the hospital receiving an IV drip with a high fever. The moment the needle pierced her blood vessel, the physiological fear was hard to overcome. At the same time, a huge sense of grievance suddenly gripped her. She had been afraid of injections since she was a child. Every time she got an injection, her mother would hug her and comfort her.
But at that time, she was the only one sitting on the cold chair, watching the medicine drop by drop, and her tears burst out without warning, and she couldn't stop them no matter what she did.
She was afraid of being seen by others, so she forced herself to finish the injection and hid in the stairwell of the emergency passage. In the deserted corner, she couldn't hold back her tears. She didn't know how long she cried. Her throat was hoarse and her eyes were swollen and painful.
Thinking that eating something sweet would make her feel better, she wiped away her tears, searched her pockets for a few coins, and somehow went to the vending machine downstairs. Then, she unfortunately bought the can of candy that looked the best but was expensive and tasted bad.
She peeled several and stuffed them into her mouth, trying to use the sweetness to suppress the bitterness in her throat and the sourness in her heart.
But the candy tasted terrible - the essence was so sweet that it was cloying, and then there was an indescribable industrial sour taste that was sticky and stuck in the throat.
Nauseous and uncomfortable.
The comfort I was expecting did not come, and instead I was so disgusted by the unpalatable taste that I wanted to cry even more.
She shed tears while chewing hard as if in anger, and cursed the unscrupulous merchants in her heart that she would never have seasoning packets when eating instant noodles in the future!
But because he felt sorry for the money, he couldn't bear to spit it out, so he had to swallow it.
Just as she was crying and eating with a grimace, the door of the stairwell was gently pushed open.
A tall, strange man in an expensive suit stood at the door. His eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses were cold and sharp, and he was looking at her indifferently.
I don’t know how long I watched it.
He looked like he was visiting a patient or handling official business at the hospital, and looked out of place in the dim stairwell.
Jiang Suiyun froze instantly, tears still on his face, his mouth full of candy, his cheeks puffed up, looking both embarrassed and funny.
Being seen by a stranger at her most vulnerable and embarrassing side, she felt so embarrassed and ashamed that she wanted to find a hole to crawl into.
The air froze for a few seconds.
Logically, she should have pretended nothing happened and left quickly, or found another place to cry.
But her mind suddenly skipped a beat, and she didn't know what was wrong with her. Maybe it was because she was too embarrassed, or maybe it was because she needed some connection from the outside world at that moment, no matter how insignificant it was.
He actually reached out and handed over the can of disgusting candy in his hand. With a strong nasal voice, he asked: "...Do you... want to eat it?"
She regretted it after asking.
This man looked either wealthy or noble, so how could he possibly eat such cheap and unpalatable candy? And his eyes were so cold, he must have thought she was strange.
Sure enough, the man just looked at her without moving.
Jiang Suiyun felt a little scared by that look.
She even doubted whether she knew him, but it was obvious that she had never seen such a person in her memory.
Jiang Suiyun wanted to withdraw his hand awkwardly, muttering to himself: How rude, peeking at others crying and then ignoring them.
However, just as she was about to retract her hand, the bony hand reached out and took a brightly wrapped candy from her palm.
"Thanks."
His voice was low and pleasant, but without any emotion, like cold jade, and then he put the candy into his suit pocket.
That was her first meeting with He Linchuan.
Weird, unfamiliar, awkward, and mixed with the greasy sweetness of candy and the saltiness of tears.
She could never have imagined at the time that He Linchuan would soon advance a huge amount of medical expenses for her mother, and then... such a twisted and entangled relationship would develop between them.
…
The memories came to an abrupt end. Thinking about it now, He Linchuan was actually quite pretentious at that time.
He Linchuan in the wheelchair obviously also remembered the past. He turned his head slightly and his eyes fell on the can of identical candy in the vending machine, his eyes difficult to discern.
"You were crying so hard."
Jiang Suiyun felt a little embarrassed when he was mentioned like that. After all, he didn't look good with his tears and snot. Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly said, "Do you want to eat?"
Jiang Suiyun was stunned for a moment and shook his head subconsciously: "It's too sweet, not tasty."
He Linchuan didn't say anything, but took out his mobile phone, scanned the code on the vending machine, and bought the whole box.
He picked the one with the brightest color, peeled off the candy wrapper, and put it in his mouth.
Jiang Suiyun looked at his calm profile and could almost imagine the choking taste of the low-quality flavors and sweeteners exploding on his tongue.
She subconsciously frowned, as if she had tasted that disgusting sweetness again.
However, He Linchuan savored it for a moment, his Adam's apple moved slightly, and he turned his head to look at her, and said in a calm but affirmative tone: "It's delicious."
Jiang Suiyun: “……?”
Delicious? Could it be that the manufacturer finally changed the recipe after a change of heart?
He Linchuan seemed to see through her doubts, and took out another one from the bag and handed it to her, saying in a low voice: "Try it." His movements were natural, but with a strong attitude that could not be refused.
The colorful candy wrappers were almost touching her lips, and the air was filled with the familiar, cheap, sweet scent of essence.
Jiang Suiyun was stunned. Her heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason, staring at his fingers and the candy so close. The surrounding sounds seemed to fade away in an instant, leaving only his overly focused gaze and the abrupt color on his fingertips.
The moment you take a sip, the familiar, bitterly sweet, and head-numbingly fragrant aroma fills your mouth again!
vomit!
She suspected that the man's sense of taste was damaged.
"It's obviously still very unpalatable..." Jiang Suiyun couldn't help but mutter, his delicate eyebrows twisted together.
He Linchuan looked at her expression of disgust but not being able to express it, and a very faint smile flashed across his eyes, so fast that it was impossible to catch it.
His voice slowed down, with a rare, almost gentle ambiguity.
"Nothing has changed." He paused, then turned his head to look at her, his eyes focused and deep. "It tastes exactly the same as it did back then."
The taste of that time...
These words are like a feather gently scratching the tip of my heart, carrying with them a hidden ambiguity and a trance-like feeling of going back in time.
Jiang Suiyun's ears felt slightly hot uncontrollably.
He actually ate the candy she handed him? He even remembered the taste? He even thought it was... delicious?
This is ridiculous.
But looking at his extremely serious eyes, a strange feeling, like a tiny electric current, suddenly ran through my limbs and bones.
The cloyingly sweet candy seemed to melt on the tip of the tongue, transforming into a more complex and indescribable taste, sliding down the throat and making one feel flustered.
...Jiang Suiyun suddenly recalled many things from the past. During those days when she was isolated and helpless, He Linchuan did shine in like a light. Although it was a cold light, it did not hinder her. He had once illuminated her life.
Even though the methods he used later were a bit excessive, the kindness he showed her was genuine.
She raised her eyes and met the man's bottomless eyes, which clearly reflected her slightly dazed look at the moment.
He Linchuan looked at her solemnly, as if discussing today's weather, and said calmly: "Jiang Suiyun, come back to me."
A rather sudden sentence.
But it's not abrupt.
Jiang Suiyun's fingers paused almost imperceptibly and he did not respond immediately.
"Xiao Chi is impulsive, young, and playful. There are too many temptations around him, so he can't give you the stability you seek. He might be able to accompany you to try something new and exciting." He commented objectively like a brother, but every word was cold and pointed. "But how long can the interest between you two last? He can only give you some superficial excitement and excitement."
The corners of He Linchuan's lips curled up slightly, as if he was mentioning some insignificant child's trick.
There was no obvious disparagement in his words, but every word quietly separated He Chifeng from the category of "reliable" and "long-term", positioning him as a naive, unstable and irresponsible choice.
"Everything I can give you is far more than what he can give you. Your time should not be wasted dealing with his moods and immature troubles."
He Linchuan raised his eyes, with an almost bewitching force: "My dear, you are not suitable for him, break up with him, okay?"
His words sounded rational, tolerant, and even full of respect for her.
However, when he said the words "break up with him", the possessiveness and paranoia that flashed deep in his eyes could not be completely concealed, like a poisonous snake spitting out its tongue, fleeting.
But for Jiang Suiyun, it was like a basin of cold water poured over her head, and she subconsciously frowned.
She was too familiar with this look, which represented unquestionable control and plunder. It formed a strong sense of disconnection with his gentle words at the moment, making her instinctively feel uncomfortable and alert.
However, the next moment, the man turned his head slightly, as if she had just had an illusion. His tone became more respectful and yielding: "Of course, this is just my hope. The final choice is always in your hands. I respect any decision you make."
"My previous methods...maybe they were too harsh and put pressure on you, but I know that if someone wants to leave, no matter what means you use, you can't keep them."
He smiled bitterly, his smile filled with loneliness and self-mockery: "So... I won't do that again."
Jiang Suiyun was stunned, a little bit unbelieving that these words would come out of He Linchuan's mouth.
But it is indeed the case before our eyes.
It's really... unbelievable.
He Linchuan's voice was low and clear: "Give me another chance, okay?"
The soft sunlight fell on his body, casting an unreal halo around him. This attitude of "honesty" and "letting go", coupled with his fragility due to his serious injuries, was extremely impactful.
Jiang Suiyun looked at the expectant eyes of the person in front of him, moved his lips, but could not give an answer immediately.
His cold and dignified appearance, yet also his fragility due to injury, compared to his previous strong control, does make it easier for people to let down their guard.
She almost believed that he had really changed and was really thinking about her.
Especially when he mentioned "respecting any decision you make" and humbled himself, a mixture of guilt, sympathy and a hint of trance quietly spread in her heart.
"I... I'm a little confused right now... Let's talk about these things later. The most important thing is that you take good care of your injuries." She tried to bring the topic back to his injuries, like an instinctive delay and self-protection.
However, her slight panic and evasion became the clearest answer in He Linchuan's eyes.
His eyes flickered slightly, and the suspicion that had long existed in his heart was confirmed - the relationship was fake.
Given Jiang Suiyun's personality, if she really had established a relationship with He Chifeng, even if she felt soft-hearted and hesitant towards him because of a favor, she would never avoid denying it.
She might reject him, but not in such a guilty and short-tempered way.
It seems that his stupid brother is really just performing a one-man show.
A very faint, almost imperceptible sneer flashed through He Linchuan's heart.
But he didn't show any sign of it on his face. Instead, he nodded obediently, his tone becoming more gentle and tolerant, even with a hint of just the right understanding.
"I'm impatient. You need time now, I understand." He stopped pressing and instead offered a way out, acting incredibly reasonable. "You don't have to give me an answer right now. I'll wait, no matter how long it takes."
He said this in a very generous manner, as if he had handed all the initiative to her.
【Author’s words】
There is no update tonight because the author has to take an exam tomorrow [burst into tears], love you guys [heart] (I will make up for the missing chapter later)
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