Chapter 12: She is different from others

The fish soup in the insulated bag wasn’t very cold, but Jiang Wenting still heated it up with the portable soup heater she had brought from the hotel before serving it to Yi Lan.

The milky white crucian carp soup was smooth and soft, its delicious aroma filling the room.

Jiang Wenting fed her spoonful by spoonful, but Yi Lan just mechanically opened her mouth and swallowed, as if the taste of the fish soup didn’t pass through her taste buds.

After a few bites, Jiang Wenting stopped, wiped the soup stains from the corner of her mouth with a tissue, and asked with a smile, “How is it? Is it good? I specially got it from the shop on the snack street that I always go to. They have a lot of delicious food, but you’re still on an IV drip, so it’s not suitable to eat heavy flavors. When you’re feeling better, I’ll take you to the shop to eat, okay?”

She was always very patient when taking care of patients.

Even when she was feeling down, she would adjust her state to the best, so as not to affect others.

But the more she was like this, the more something tugged at Yi Lan’s heart.

Seeing her somber face, Jiang Wenting put away the tissue, stretched out her long arm, and gently rubbed her head with her palm in a comforting gesture.

“You have to get well soon, you know?”

The corners of her lips were slightly raised in a smile, and her eyes were gentler than water.

Yi Lan pursed her lips.

She remembered that when she was seriously injured on the battlefield before, Jiang Wenting had also taken care of her like this.

She wasn’t at ease letting the soldiers cook the pigeons they had hunted from the mountains.

She insisted on cooking them herself, bustling around for several hours, getting her face and body covered in soot.

Then, holding a small bowl of delicious pigeon soup, she would kneel before her bed, blow on each spoonful to cool it, lick the temperature with the tip of her tongue, and deliver it to her mouth.

She would ask with a smiling, curved-eyed gaze, “Jiejie, is the pigeon soup good?”

If she said “it’s good,” the person would tilt her chin up and wink at her.

“A-Ting made it, of course it’s good!”

She had a look of asking for praise, the mole at the corner of her eye charming and vivid, like an electric current passing through her heart.

In that instant, it was as if all the pain in her body had disappeared.

The other person would then put down the spoon and press her palm against her cheek.

“Jiejie, you have to get well soon, you know?”

The memories of the past overlapped with the present scene.

This was the only time since Yi Lan came to this world that she had found a trace of Jiang Wenting in the person before her.

“Here, have another bite?” The spoon Jiang Wenting handed over interrupted her thoughts.

Yi Lan came back to her senses.

The person before her was still gentle in her actions, but from that gentleness, she could see a forcedly restrained weariness.

Her thoughts were probably no longer on feeding her soup!

She gently pushed away the spoon and turned to lie on her side.

Jiang Wenting put away the soup bowl and tucked her in.

“If you don’t want to drink it, then don’t. Rest for a while. If you want to eat something later, just tell me, okay?”

Yi Lan ignored her and closed her eyes to sleep.

Jiang Wenting tidied up the room by herself.

After a while, she picked up her phone to check her messages.

The sky outside had already turned completely dark and gloomy, looking like it was about to rain at any moment.

She didn’t know if Xiao Ru had returned to the hotel.

She knew that this person could be tactless when angry, but she didn’t expect her to hold a grudge for so long this time.

Jiang Wenting was worried and made another voice call to her.

After a few rings, the voice call was hung up.

She called her phone, and after one ring, the number was blocked.

Jiang Wenting was a little speechless.

She turned and dialed Beiye Xingchen.

The other person answered quickly, still smiling as sweetly and sincerely as ever.

“Jiang Jiang, are you at the hospital? Why are you taking the initiative to report your safety to me tonight? Do you want to show me your loyal fan?”

“Beiye,” Jiang Wenting interrupted her curiosity.

“Can you help me call Xiao Ru and see if she picks up? If she does, can you ask her where she is now? Don’t say I asked.”

The other person said “ah” and asked, “What’s going on, Jiang Jiang? Isn’t she at the hospital helping you take care of the patient? What? Did you guys have a fight?”

Jiang Wenting sighed softly.

“There was a small incident midway. She’s angry with me. She didn’t even eat the pig’s feet and chicken feet I brought back. She ran away from home. She’s not answering my calls or messages.”

Hearing her tired tone, Beiye didn’t ask any more questions and just said, “Alright, I’ll call her and ask. I’ll let you know later, Jiang Jiang!”

After she finished speaking, she temporarily ended the video call.

Jiang Wenting stood by the window, rubbing her sore temples with her fingertips, her gaze stretching into the dark night.

It seemed to be really raining outside.

The raindrops hit the window, tinged with a blurry brightness by the lights.

A short while later, Beiye’s video call came back.

“Jiang Jiang, Xiao Ru said she’s in a bad mood and went back to the hotel to sleep. It’s nothing serious, don’t worry!”

Hearing this, Jiang Wenting’s tense emotions relaxed a little.

She licked her dry lips and said, “That’s good. I see it’s raining outside. It’s good that she’s back at the hotel.”

Then she asked, “Is Sister Lan home? Have you guys eaten?”

Beiye switched the video to Shen Jinglan in the kitchen, dressed in professional attire, and said with a smile, “Look, our family’s great chef is pan-frying a steak for me!”

Shen Jinglan, wearing an apron over her white shirt, turned her head slightly, her expression stern and cold.

Beiye walked closer with her phone.

“Wifey, Jiang Jiang is on a video call. Say hi to her!”

She picked up the spatula, nodded at the camera, and gave a faint “mm,” which counted as a greeting.

Jiang Wenting smiled and teased, “Sister Lan is still so cool and reserved. Even when she’s cooking, she has the aura of an ice queen CEO.”

Jiang Wenting and Beiye were the same age, and Shen Jinglan was 6 years older than them.

She debuted earlier than Jiang Wenting, and the two became friends because of a drama.

Beiye was not in the entertainment industry and only got to know Shen Jinglan through Jiang Wenting.

Shen Jinglan was beautiful, and Beiye fell in love with her at first sight.

She pursued her relentlessly for two years, and they finally got together.

They got married abroad, and after their marriage, Shen Jinglan spoiled her to the heavens.

At this moment, Beiye snorted lightly and walked out of the kitchen with her phone.

“If you say she’s cool and reserved, then you’re dead wrong, Jiang Jiang.”

Jiang Wenting smiled knowingly.

They chatted for a few more minutes before Beiye asked her, “Jiang Jiang, are you in a better mood?”

In fact, after Beiye finished the video call with Xiao Ru and saw her red eyes, she had already guessed that there must have been a big conflict between her and Jiang Wenting.

But she didn’t mention it again, nor did she tell Jiang Wenting that Xiao Ru had been crying.

She just used Shen Jinglan to make a few random jokes to cheer her up and distract her.

As a friend, no one understood Jiang Wenting’s hidden nature better than her.

She had grown up in that kind of environment, and she was considerate of everyone, but she was never considerate of herself.

“I’m fine, Beiye. I’m just a little tired after a day of filming.”

As expected, Jiang Wenting ultimately concealed everything with a smile.

Beiye saw through it but didn’t expose it.

“That’s good. Jinglan has already bought me a ticket to Yacheng. I’ll come find you the day after tomorrow. I’ll bring you a cake and a birthday present!”

Jiang Wenting showed a curious expression and asked, “What birthday present did you buy me?”

The other person acted mysterious.

“It won’t be a surprise if I tell you. You’ll know when I get there, Jiang Jiang.”

Jiang Wenting said “alright.”

The other side smiled sweetly and secretly lowered her voice.

“Jiang Jiang, let me have a look.”

Jiang Wenting asked, “Look at what?”

She mouthed, “Fan.”

Jiang Wenting smiled, turned the phone camera to the back, and panned it to the hospital bed.

Yi Lan was lying on her side, the white sheet covering her body, only her neck and above were exposed.

Her features had a natural heroic air, and her face was a little pale from being sick.

At this moment, her eyes were slightly closed, a bit like a sleeping little phoenix, well-behaved and quiet.

Beiye showed a surprised expression.

Jiang Wenting turned the camera back to the front, made a shushing gesture, and whispered, “She’s asleep. A whole day of IV drips is very tiring.”

“Wooden, very beautiful!” the other side also commented in a very low voice.

Jiang Wenting was amused by her choice of words.

“Wooden, very beautiful. What kind of beautiful is that?”

Beiye said, “It means she’s not very talkative, a bit reserved, but she’s very good-looking. Don’t you think her features are stunning?”

Jiang Wenting admitted this and asked again, “She’s already asleep. How can you tell she’s not very talkative?”

The other side raised an eyebrow and smiled, her tone a little proud.

“Is she very lively then?”

Then she added, “I’m a very good judge of character, Jiang Jiang. She’s just a little quiet, but she’s also inexplicably compatible with you.”

Jiang Wenting was drawn in by her casual words and couldn’t help but refute, “What do you mean she’s inexplicably compatible with me? I just saw that she was pitifully alone and helped her out.”

Beiye smiled, “Jiang Jiang, you’re so busy with work. Would you take in a stranger?”

Jiang Wenting: …

The two argued in almost inaudible voices.

After a while, Shen Jinglan’s steak was ready, and Beiye was called to eat.

After this bit of commotion with her, Jiang Wenting’s fatigue lessened a bit, and she gradually regained her appetite.

She tiptoed over to the side of the shelf, rummaged through the things she had brought back, ate a few cooled buns with some hot water, and then went to the bedside.

Yi Lan was already fast asleep.

Jiang Wenting sat by her bed, her hands propping up her chin, her eyes scanning her face, inch by inch.

—Wooden, very beautiful!

Beiye’s description was really apt.

She did look a little wooden, but not in a dull way.

She was a bit reserved, yet very well-behaved.

She wouldn’t explain herself even when she was wronged.

She was clearly just not used to going to the toilet in her room, but when Xiao Ru scolded her, she didn’t refute.

She was afraid of troubling others, so she often endured her discomfort.

Jiang Wenting reached out, wanting to smooth her furrowed brows, but she was afraid of waking her and didn’t dare to move.

She could only trace them from a distance.

Beautiful, she was truly beautiful.

But being too beautiful could easily attract the envy of the heavens.

Thinking of her lifespan of less than two years, Jiang Wenting wished she could be less perfect…

Beiye’s words squeezed into her mind again.

—Jiang Jiang, you’re so busy with work. Would you take in a stranger?

That’s right!

Just a stranger, why was she so nervous, so reluctant to let go?

Was it really an overflow of sympathy?

But she was clearly not that kind of person!

For so many years, no one knew better than herself what she wanted.

If it weren’t for taking care of her, after the Flower Goddess’s drama ended, she would probably have taken on many more advertisements, opening scenes, and the like!

But she still took her in, and even argued with those close to her for her sake.

Why?

No matter how much Jiang Wenting thought about it, she couldn’t figure it out.

After a long day, her body and mind had reached their limit.

In the end, she couldn’t hold on any longer and fell asleep, slumped over her bedside…