Chapter 13: The Hospital

[TL Note: From this chapter onward, Luo Yan will be referred to using she/her pronouns, as he is currently inhabiting a female body. This change is made for clarity and consistency with her current identity in the story. This is also for better understanding and audience satisfaction.]

When Luo Yan opened her eyes again, the first thing she saw was a glaring white light—and a sterile white ceiling.

She was lying in a hospital bed with crisp, clean sheets. Her combat suit had been removed and replaced with loose, breathable cotton clothing. A strip of gauze was wrapped around her forehead, slightly obscuring her vision.

“Where… am I?”

As her mind gradually cleared, the memories came rushing back. She remembered fighting alongside the young lady’s blonde bodyguard, going up against Mr. Z. She remembered how he had called in long-range fire support.

Although she had avoided the center of the blast, she’d still been hit by the shockwave—slammed into something hard—and knocked out cold.

So… did they bring me back to their city?

Luo Yan looked around the room.

To her left was an IV stand. On her right, a sleek heart monitor displayed rhythmic lines that pulsed in time with her heartbeat, emitting soft, mechanical beeps.

The sterile environment gave her a strange sense of déjà vu.

It reminded her of her previous life.

From the look of things, she was most likely in a hospital somewhere in the city. The room’s design felt familiar, even nostalgic—but it also carried a sleek, sci-fi edge, like something from a futuristic movie.

Not bad.
Before transmigrating, she’d actually worried about whether she’d be able to adapt if this world was too different from her own.

But now, she could finally breathe easy.

If the hospitals here looked like this, the rest of the world probably wasn’t too alien either.

Just then, the door creaked open and a nurse stepped in.

“Oh—you’re awake? Hold on, I’ll go tell Miss Lu.”

With that, the nurse disappeared.

Luo Yan blinked, momentarily stunned—then quietly sighed in relief.

She could understand everything the nurse said.

From the moment she arrived in this world, she hadn’t encountered any language barrier. Not because of the system’s Level 1 Language Proficiency—it hadn’t really done much. But because everyone she’d met so far spoke the language she was most familiar with: Chinese.

The nurse.
The young lady.
The ponytailed blonde bodyguard.
Even the armed militants… they all spoke Chinese—though with different regional accents.

If that hadn’t been the case, her first big challenge would’ve been figuring out how to communicate.

Why does everyone speak Chinese here?

Her best guess: this might be some kind of parallel world.

Otherwise, what were the odds that she just happened to transmigrate into a place where everything—down to the language—was so familiar?

As for the environmental differences… maybe they were the result of major geological events, or some other catastrophe that had reshaped the world.

Of course, all of that was just speculation for now.

***

Lu Xiaona must have lived nearby, because about fifteen minutes later, she walked in.

She wore a crisp student uniform, paired with a white pleated miniskirt. Youthful, elegant, and pleasant to the eye.

“You’re finally awake!” she said, visibly relieved. “The doctor said your recovery rate is amazing—better than most ability users he’s seen. If you’re already conscious, you’ll probably be discharged soon.”

Luo Yan sat up and gave a small nod.
She was fairly familiar with her body’s condition.

“After I passed out… what happened?”

“Not long after the blast knocked you out, our reinforcements arrived. After confirming you weren’t seriously hurt, they searched the area—but Mr. Z was already gone.”

“I see.”
Luo Yan nodded slightly.

Mr. Z had clearly never intended to die there with her.
If no body had been found, then he’d probably escaped.

At least she’d managed to thwart his plan—for now.
Hopefully, there wouldn’t be any follow-up complications…
Her eyes flicked down to the loose gown she was wearing. A thought popped into her mind.

“What about my stuff?”

“Don’t worry,” Lu Xiaona replied with a smile. “We gathered everything from the scene and packed your belongings. Nothing’s missing.”

Then, as if she remembered something, a strange look of curiosity—maybe even subtle envy—crossed her face.

Her gaze involuntarily drifted toward Luo Yan’s chest, still prominent even under the hospital gown.

Wait… she hid something there?
Lu Xiaona had never imagined that area could actually be used for storage.

Her own… modest development had clearly limited her imagination.

She quickly looked away and gave a couple of awkward coughs.

“Anyway, thank you. If you hadn’t shown up, I might’ve…”
She trailed off.

Saying more would’ve felt too sentimental. She tucked her hands behind her back and changed the subject.

“Oh, by the way! I confirmed with my father—you weren’t someone he arranged to protect me. He said when you’re fully recovered, if you’re willing, he’d like to thank you in person.”

“Your father…”

“Right! I forgot to introduce myself.” She smiled sheepishly. “My name’s Lu Xiaona, and my father is Lù Míng. You’ve probably heard of him—he’s the Deputy Consul of Neo Aonan.”

Neo Aonan… So that’s the name of this city.

Deputy Consul? That sounds like a vice mayor.

She’d already figured Lu Xiaona was someone important—but she hadn’t expected her to be that high up the ladder.

In that case, her future plans just got a little easier.

After all, while she had made it into the city, she was still a long way from achieving her goals…

Lu Xiaona snuck a glance at Luo Yan, watching her reaction closely.

But she only nodded calmly—no surprise, no flattery.

It felt like throwing a punch into soft cotton.

Then she remembered—this girl was an Awakened-level powerhouse. Probably one of the strongest she’d ever met.

She smiled again, more naturally this time, and leaned in with a curious look.

“I’ve told you about me—what about you? Judging from your accent, are you also from Neo Aonan?”

Neo Aonan… right, I need to be careful how I answer this.

Luo Yan quickly pulled her thoughts together.

Whether or not she could secure a connection with this girl—and complete her rescue mission—depended on how well she handled this conversation.

“I’m not from Neo Aonan,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s… kind of complicated. I came from a faraway place, for some special reasons. Oh, and you can call me Luo Yan.”

The “Yán” she referred to was the character 妍.

“Luo Yan? That’s a really pretty name. Then I’ll call you Big Sister Luo Yan!”

Lu Xiaona beamed, already speaking as if they were close friends.

Though Luo Yan had kept her answer vague, Lu Xiaona didn’t press for more. She understood it wasn’t polite to pry into the affairs of someone she’d just met.
Still, she couldn’t help but wonder where this mysterious big sister had come from.

Actually…
Luo Yan sighed inwardly. I’d be happier if you called me Big Brother Luo Yan…

First, she transmigrated.
Then she got a cheat system.
Now she’d saved the stunning daughter of a deputy mayor.

The setup couldn’t be more textbook.

If this were a novel, the next step would be obvious: win the young lady’s heart, slap a few underdeveloped side characters, and rise to become the center of attention.

Power, status, and beauty—all within reach.

Except…

“The place you mentioned—was it farther than Yaked City?” Lu Xiaona asked.

Yaked City? Where the heck is that?

A small question mark popped into Luo Yan’s mind.

“Probably… a little farther,” she said with a blink.

“Huh?” Lu Xiaona looked surprised.

The farthest she’d ever traveled was to Yaked, an independent city that took two days of nonstop travel to reach. That long journey was full of risks—and the perfect setup for the bandits who attacked her.

If Big Sister Luo Yan hadn’t shown up, she might have been taken hostage.

But why would someone this strong travel alone all the way here?
With her status as an Awakening-level ability user and her outstanding appearance, there seems to be no need to do so, unless something happened and she no longer has a place in her original city. But how could that be…

Lu Xiaona looked at Luo Yan’s beautiful face that could slay men and women, young and old, and suddenly had a stroke of genius.
She vaguely thought of a possibility and immediately felt a sense of pity and righteous indignation.
“Big Sister Luo Yan… you didn’t come here by choice, did you?”

“Hmm?” Luo Yan blinked, caught off guard. “Well, you could say that…”

Something told her Lu Xiaona had veered off onto a very strange train of thought.

“I knew it,” Lu Xiaona sighed. “Even for someone as strong as you, life can still be full of hardships.”

She clasped her hands dramatically. “I get it—I really do. I wouldn’t want to be forced into an arranged marriage either.”

“…Married? Wait, what??”

Luo Yan stared, stunned.

So that’s where her imagination had gone.
She had never even considered something like that.
Actually, there was no way she’d ever consider something like that.

“Yeah,” Lu Xiaona said solemnly. “You fled because you didn’t want to marry someone your family picked, right?”

Luo Yan looked into her big, sincere eyes—full of genuine concern.

“…Exactly. Wow, you’re smart. You figured it out right away.”

“Right?” Lu Xiaona smiled, blushing a little. “It just made sense.”

She then added, “By the way, how are you feeling now, Big Sister?”

Luo Yan stretched slightly.
Aside from some stiffness, she felt fine.

“No major issues.”

Lu Xiaona observed her carefully, then nodded.

“In that case, I’ll go take care of your discharge papers. You probably don’t have a place to stay yet, right? I have a spare house nearby—if you’re okay with it, you can stay there for now.”

“That’d be great. Thank you.”

Luo Yan accepted the offer without hesitation.
She was still unfamiliar with Neo Aonan and hadn’t obtained local identification.
Staying with Lu Xiaona would be ideal.

Even if she hadn’t offered, Luo Yan had planned to ask.

“Awesome!” Lu Xiaona lit up. “Wait here—I’ll have Atlanta handle it right away.”

Luo Yan gave a small nod.
A strange warmth flickered in her chest.
She had been in this world for a while now, but Neo Aonan was the first city she’d truly set foot in.
What kind of world was this?
She didn’t know yet.

But she had a feeling—
Neo Aonan would give her the answer.