Chapter 24: The Standoff

“Yi Lan, Yi Lan, what’s wrong with you?”

The noisy sounds gradually faded.
In her blurred vision, there was an incredibly familiar face.
Jiang Wenting lowered her head, looking at her, her eyes full of anxiety.

Tears welled in Yi Lan’s eyes and streamed down the sides of her face.

Jiang Wenting raised her fingertips to wipe away her tears, her voice gentle and doting: “What’s wrong, baby?
You were fine just now, why are you suddenly crying?”

Yi Lan recalled the scene in the confined space where she knelt, pleading with them.
None of those fragmented souls were willing to forgive them.
They clamored and demanded that she seek revenge on Jiang Wenting.
Each one cried that they had died horribly, died unjustly, their weeping voices drowning her entire soul…

Tears rolled even more fiercely from Yi Lan’s eyes.
She parted her lips, but not a single word could escape her dry throat.

Jiang Wenting leaned over, wrapping Yi Lan in her long arms, cradling her, comforting her gently: “It’s okay, it’s okay, Yi Lan, don’t be afraid, I’m here.”

The soul, long tormented in darkness, was now filled with softness.
Yi Lan could no longer control her emotions.
A whimper escaped her throat, and tears soaked the fabric on Jiang Wenting’s chest.

Yi Lan’s hand, hanging by her side, dug into Jiang Wenting’s waist.
Her fingertips, through the thin clothing, dug deep into Jiang Wenting’s skin, feeling as if she were exerting deadly force.
She bit her teeth and repeated: “Jiang Wenting, you must not leave, you must not leave…”

Jiang Wenting endured the pain and gently patted her body: “I won’t leave, I won’t leave.
I’m right here, with Yi Lan.”

Seeing obvious bloodstains permeate the fabric through the indentations of her fingertips, Xiao Ru could no longer bear it.
She wanted to go over and separate them but was restrained by Beiye’s wrist.
Beiye signaled with her eyes.
Xiao Ru’s almond eyes bulged with anger: “Sister Xingchen, Jiang Wenting is going to be choked to death by that lunatic.”

Beiye still refused to let her go, coaxing her in a soft tone: “She won’t.
Jiang Jiang is tough, she can handle it.
Let’s go discuss the next arrangements with Jinglan.”

Xiao Ru was still struggling, but she was dragged out of the ward by force.

Jiang Wenting and Yi Lan were left in the room.
Yi Lan’s fingers relaxed, but tears continued to well in her eyes.
The strange voice’s latest words also appeared in her mind.
She couldn’t just let this go.
She had to stay here.
She had to personally ask Jiang Wenting for an explanation.

So, the action of pinching Jiang Wenting’s waist turned into a gentle embrace.
Yi Lan rubbed her tear-stained face against Jiang Wenting’s chest, her hoarse throat repeating: “Jiang Wenting, don’t go filming, don’t abandon me.”

Jiang Wenting’s heart was numbed by that single sentence.
She had been so careful with Beiye earlier, yet the other party still heard.
She was afraid of being abandoned, too upset to control her emotions.
Someone usually so rigid was now curled up here, pitifully begging others, begging them not to abandon her.

Years ago, she had also begged people like this, but in the end, she was still resolutely abandoned…

“I won’t,” Jiang Wenting forced back the soreness in her eyes and gently patted her shoulder, “I won’t, Yi Lan.
In the coming days, I’ll work very, very hard to earn money, and then take you to see a better doctor.”

Congenital heart disease wasn’t an incurable illness.
With medicine so advanced now, if a small place couldn’t cure it, she would take her to a big city.
If it couldn’t be cured domestically, she would go abroad.
It would always be curable.

She thought to herself, then stated firmly: “I won’t abandon you.
I won’t let you face all of this alone.
Believe me, Yi Lan, believe me, okay?”

Although her words were insufficient, the emotions of the person in her arms were finally soothed.

Meanwhile, the System added another year to Jiang Wenting’s lifespan the moment she said she wouldn’t abandon Yi Lan.
At this moment, Yi Lan, whose emotions had calmed down, suddenly felt her body lighten considerably.

She released her arms wrapped around Jiang Wenting’s waist and, without much effort, sat up from her embrace.

Jiang Wenting saw her move and also released her embrace: “What’s wrong, Yi Lan?”

Yi Lan said nothing.
After withdrawing from Jiang Wenting’s embrace, she leaned against the hospital bed pillow and picked up the phone from the bedside table, beginning to scroll.

These days, she had observed that most people in this world relied on it to exchange information.
If she was to survive by Jiang Wenting’s side, she had to adapt to her life, and not cause trouble and annoyance repeatedly as before.

Jiang Wenting saw Yi Lan do a complete 360-degree turn.
Curious, she leaned closer and glanced at the screen: “What are you looking at?”

Yi Lan covered the search content on the screen with half her hand, staring coldly at her.

Jiang Wenting smiled: “I won’t look, I won’t look, okay?”

She averted her gaze.
Only then did the other party slowly move away the hand covering the screen.
In the search bar were clumsy words she had typed in traditional Chinese characters.

—How to make an amnesiac spy recall past events?

The search results were unsatisfactory; everyone’s answers were completely off-topic.
Some even mentioned remedies for Alzheimer’s disease.

She read carefully.
There were instructions from doctors that close individuals could intervene, narrating or recreating situations to stimulate neural pathways.
These methods included, but were not limited to, hugging, kissing, and “Do” etc.

Do?

Yi Lan didn’t quite understand what “Do” meant.
Following the general idea, the first few pages were basic translations.
She scrolled down with her fingertip.
When she reached the last few pages, there were…

She carefully read the text and accompanying illustrations of various positions.
Before long, her cheeks began to burn…

Shen Jinglan was an incredibly efficient person.
After Beiye updated her on Jiang Wenting’s decision to film in the Northwest, she immediately went to communicate with Zhou Jing.

The latter was satisfied with all aspects of Jiang Wenting’s conditions, but since they hadn’t officially collaborated before, even with Shen Jinglan’s recommendation, Zhou Jing cautiously suggested a meeting first.
Thus, Shen Jinglan arranged a four-person meeting for that afternoon.

The meeting location was Yuncheng, a seven to eight-hour drive away.
Jiang Wenting woke up before dawn.
Yi Lan was still sleeping in the hospital bed.
To avoid waking her, Jiang Wenting quietly slipped into the bathroom to brush her teeth, wash her face, and get ready.
When she came out, something touched her neck.

She lowered her gaze.
What met her eyes was a gun.

Jiang Wenting froze for a moment, then reacted.

Their eyes met.
Yi Lan’s grip on the long gun tightened, her cold phoenix eyes fixed directly on her.

Jiang Wenting couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

The other party’s face grew even colder, pushing the toy gun further back.

Jiang Wenting’s back pressed against the frosted glass door of the restroom, a slight coolness spreading across her body.
She blinked, her peach blossom eyes, outlined with eyeliner, appearing slightly innocent, the mole at the corner of her eye adding a touch of liveliness and charm.

Yi Lan felt a heat from her gaze, but her grip on the gun didn’t loosen.

Jiang Wenting remembered the first time they met, when the other party held a long spear to her.
She had been terrified then, but now, looking at the person in front of her, she only found her cute.

“Baby,” she reached out, trying to take the water gun from Yi Lan’s hand, her voice doting, “Put the gun down, can we talk nicely, okay?”

Yi Lan’s eyes held a stubbornness, refusing to let go.

“Be good!” Jiang Wenting said, while actively moving away the arm that held the gun.
Just as she was about to rub Yi Lan’s head, Yi Lan suddenly raised her arm again, and the toy water gun rested heavily on Jiang Wenting’s neck.

Jiang Wenting was amused by her.
Her touched-up eye corner curved slightly, forming a beautiful arc.
Her voice was sweet and helpless: “Yi Lan, baby, then tell me, how will you let me go?”

The other party didn’t speak, and the gun remained in place.
Jiang Wenting patiently met her gaze, her eyes constantly filled with a faint, captivating smile.

After a long moment, Yi Lan finally couldn’t resist.
She spoke coldly: “Jiang Wenting, you are not allowed to leave!”

Jiang Wenting chuckled, then explained: “I’m not leaving.
I’m just going to have a meal with Lan Jie and them, chat about work things, and I’ll be back tonight.”

Yi Lan’s grip on the gun loosened slightly, but she didn’t put it away quickly.
She awkwardly squeezed out four words: “Not allowed to go!”

Jiang Wenting laughed even more casually.
She took the gun from the other party’s hand, reached out to rub her head, and said in a playful tone: “If I don’t go, how will I earn money to support you, baby!”

This time, Yi Lan didn’t stubbornly raise the gun again, but her gaze remained cold.

Jiang Wenting took her hand, pulling her towards the hospital bed: “It’s still early, Yi Lan, how about another nap?”

Yi Lan stood still.
She still felt that Jiang Wenting was deceiving her, saying she wouldn’t leave but secretly planning to escape while she slept.
This woman was like a fox, adept at using her appearance to mislead people.
She had been deceived by her so many times; this time, she would not fall for it again no matter what!

Jiang Wenting seemed to have guessed the other party’s thoughts, smiling and teasing: “What?
Afraid I’ll sneak away and not come back while Yi Lan is asleep?”

After speaking, she turned around and, with her other hand, pinched Yi Lan’s cheek: “Don’t be so tense!”

Yi Lan shook her face away.
Tense?
She wasn’t tense at all.
It was just going back to bed to sleep.
She would sleep.
Was she the only one who could pretend?

So, Yi Lan, led by Jiang Wenting, returned to the hospital bed.
She gently closed her eyes, feigning sleep, but her ears remained alert to Jiang Wenting’s movements.

It was still early.
Jiang Wenting opened the food delivery app, browsing nearby breakfast places with high ratings.
Soon, Xiao Ru also woke up.
She rubbed her sleepy eyes and looked at Jiang Wenting: “Up so early?”

Jiang Wenting put a finger to her lips, making a shushing gesture, then glanced at Beiye, indicating that the other party was still asleep.

Xiao Ru instinctively lowered her voice, rubbed her eyes, and tiptoed to the restroom.

To avoid conflict between her and Yi Lan, Jiang Wenting planned to bring Xiao Ru, her driver, with her to meet Zhou Jing this time.
Xiao Ru was naturally a hundred percent willing, especially seeing Jiang Wenting get up so early to get ready for the filming.
She felt even more gratified.

In a few minutes, she was ready and came out.
The two exchanged glances.
Jiang Wenting went to the bedside table to grab her bag, ready to leave.
Unexpectedly, the person on the hospital bed suddenly sat up like a zombie, her long arms outstretched, resting on Jiang Wenting’s neck.

Their eyes met again.

Jiang Wenting: …