Chapter 16: She still chose to believe, over and over again.

Jiang Wenting and Xiao Ru moved quickly.

By the time Beiye came out, the two had almost finished tidying up.
Beiye was a little unhappy after being scolded by Shen Jinglan.
Jiang Wenting glanced back, saying gleefully, “Looks like it still has to be my Lan Jie, huh!”

Beiye: “Get lost!”

Xiao Ru was also secretly laughing nearby.
Beiye walked over quickly and pinched the back of her neck: “You little brat, you did that on purpose, didn’t you!”

Although Xiao Ru looked much more mature than Beiye, in reality, she was only a 24-year-old girl, a full four years younger than Beiye and Jiang Wenting.
Therefore, they would unconsciously treat her like a younger sister.

Especially Beiye, who was used to being suppressed at home by her wife, an older sister who was six years her senior and very controlling.
She always liked to find a sense of superiority as an older sister from the younger ones when she was out.

Xiao Ru was unconvincingly but always gave in to Beiye because she was Jiang Wenting’s good friend.

Beiye kept pinching her neck: “Tell me, were you wrong or not?”

Jiang Wenting rolled her eyes from the side: “Your wife scolded you, why are you bullying my person!”

“I’m sorry, Sister Xingchen, I was wrong!” Xiao Ru apologized honestly, her heart overjoyed because of Jiang Wenting’s words.

Beiye released her grip, glaring at Jiang Wenting with a dirty face: “Give me the hotel room card, I need to shower!”

Jiang Wenting: “It’s in the bag, get it yourself!”

Her rare moments of ungentleness were all reserved for her.

Beiye took the room card and was about to leave, looking at Xiao Ru at the last moment: “You, come with me!”

Xiao Ru was unwilling, but Jiang Wenting went over and pulled her: “Let’s go, baby!”

Xiao Ru was dragged out by force.
A moment later, Beiye poked half her body and a long arm back in: “Jiang Wenting, my milk tea!”

Jiang Wenting didn’t want to waste more words with her, so she picked up the milk tea and handed it over.

Beiye glanced at Yi Lan on the hospital bed, winking at Jiang Wenting: “I specially left this private space for the two of you, make good use of the opportunity, okay!”

Jiang Wenting pulled her down from the doorframe: “Scram, scram, just scram already!”

The ward door slammed shut with a bang.
Jiang Wenting made an empty kick towards the door.
On the hospital bed, Yi Lan turned sideways, watching their childish antics, and instinctively relaxed her brows.
When Jiang Wenting turned back to look at her, she noticed a faint smile still lingering on the other party’s lips.

She was surprised, then spoke in a delighted tone: “Yi Lan, you just smiled, really?”

Yi Lan quickly hid the smile on her face, returning to her usual icy expression.

Jiang Wenting was sure she hadn’t seen wrong, and her inner joy spilled onto her face.
She quickly walked over, took Yi Lan’s hand, and swayed it: “Yi Lan, you just smiled, didn’t you?”

The platinum clover with diamonds gleamed on Yi Lan’s slender wrist.
Jiang Wenting’s peach blossom eyes gazed at her, watching her tenderly, her eyes full of anticipation.

Yi Lan wanted to pull her hand away but instinctively lingered.
She pursed her lips and called her name: “Jiang Wenting, let go.”

Jiang Wenting acted playfully, clasping Yi Lan’s fingertips in her palm and kneading them: “No, I won’t.
I clearly take care of Yi Lan more, and Beiye has only been here for half a day, yet Yi Lan is willing to eat cake with her but not with me.
That’s not fair!”

Upon hearing this, Yi Lan withdrew her hand from the other party’s grip.

“Jiang Wenting,” she called her name again, stating calmly, “There’s no unfairness.”

Once upon a time, she too had wanted to prepare a birthday gift for her with all her heart, but times had changed.
They had gone from lovers to enemies.
She no longer had the opportunity or the standing to prepare such things.

The former Jiang Wenting had died pierced by ten thousand arrows, yet she still couldn’t let go.
Harboring intense resentment, she chased her from the underworld to the netherworld and finally found her, but she had no memories of her previous life.
She could even call anyone else her own, but only Yi Lan, in the other party’s heart, would forever be a weak person needing care.

“Jiang Wenting, there’s no unfairness,” Yi Lan repeated stubbornly.

Jiang Wenting saw her eyes dim and also put away her playful demeanor: “Alright, I won’t tease you anymore, Yi Lan.
I got some crucian carp soup from the snack street, I’ll heat it up for you to drink, okay.”

Her voice was filled with ample patience, even though the other party never responded to her kindness or efforts.

Jiang Wenting went to the restroom to wash her face.
When she came out, Beiye called, and she answered.

Beiye: “Jiang Jiang, I forgot to tell you earlier, the doctor said they’d come over to examine Yi Lan later.
If everything looks good after the check-up, she can switch to a new set of medication tomorrow.”

Jiang Wenting hummed in acknowledgment.
No wonder the ward door was wide open when she and Xiao Ru arrived; they were waiting for the doctor to do the examination.

Beiye continued: “Also, I chatted with Yi Lan this morning and told her some things about your childhood.
I feel like she was very interested.
Whenever the topic was about you, she listened very carefully, and…”

Jiang Wenting was hooked by her words: “And what?”

“And she’s very smart.
I only told her once how to operate some phone apps, and she remembered it,” Beiye deliberately lowered her voice, “Jiang Jiang, I don’t think she’s silly, she’s just quiet, she doesn’t like to talk.”

Jiang Wenting hummed again, instinctively looking up at the person on the hospital bed.
After a few days of interaction, she also felt that Yi Lan was not just quiet, especially when facing her.

Beiye was about to say more, but the doctor arrived.
Jiang Wenting hung up the phone and cooperated with the doctor for the examination.

“She’s recovering well.
Arrange for another comprehensive check-up tomorrow.
If there are no issues, she can be discharged after another week of IV drips,” the doctor said, detailing the patient’s improvement.

Jiang Wenting was also delighted: “Thank you, Doctor Qin, you’ve been very thoughtful!”

Qin Mo put away his stethoscope: “You’re too kind, Teacher Jiang.This is what we’re supposed to do.On the contrary, Teacher Jiang, it’s you who has been working hard staying here these past few days.”

Influenced by Officer Liu, they now habitually called Jiang Wenting “Teacher Jiang.”
Jiang Wenting also adapted more to this address.
To ensure the patient’s better recovery, she again asked the doctor about some precautions.

As Qin Mo was leaving, he unintentionally glanced at the half-eaten cake and birthday candles on the bedside table: “Teacher Jiang, is it someone’s birthday?”

“Oh, it’s my birthday,” Jiang Wenting was reminded, and nervously asked, “My friend brought the cake this morning, that… the patient ate some too, is that okay?”

Qin Mo said, “It’s fine,” then offered his blessings: “Happy birthday, Teacher Jiang!”

Jiang Wenting breathed a sigh of relief: “That’s good.
Thank you, Doctor Qin.
We’ve already eaten the cake, so we won’t share it with you.”

Qin Mo smiled, then reiterated the details of tomorrow’s check-up before leaving the ward.

The next day, Beiye and Xiao Ru came to accompany Jiang Wenting for the patient’s examination.
Yi Lan was pushed in and out on the transport bed.
As the instruments scanned her body, she felt a wave of panic, her gaze instinctively darting towards the door, remembering Jiang Wenting repeatedly comforting her before entering the room.

“Don’t be afraid, okay?
The doctor is just doing a comprehensive check-up of your body, it’ll be over very quickly.
I’ll be waiting outside the whole time with you.”

She didn’t know if the other party would truly stay outside the entire time, nor did she know if a living life being placed on these strange frames was truly safe.
But she still chose to believe, believing again and again…

The examination was time-consuming.
Jiang Wenting wore sunglasses, peering through the small window, constantly scanning inside.
Beiye came over and pulled her away: “Alright, Jiang Jiang, it’s a check-up, not surgery.
Look how anxious you are.
It’s fine!”

Xiao Ru sat on the long bench nearby, scrolling on her phone, occasionally looking up.
Seeing Jiang Wenting wholeheartedly worrying about an outsider, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of bitterness.

Jiang Wenting was pulled to sit on the long bench.
Soon, the examination room door opened from the inside, and the transport bed was pushed out.
She immediately went forward: “Yi Lan!”

The other party’s face was a little pale.
Hearing the familiar voice, her suspended heart settled slightly.
She raised her hand, proactively reaching to hold Jiang Wenting’s hand.

Jiang Wenting reached out both hands simultaneously, enveloping Yi Lan’s fingertips in her palms.
Yi Lan felt the warmth from the other party’s hands, her fingertips curling tightly.
Jiang Wenting sensed her tension and kept reassuring her: “It’s okay, it’s okay, I’m here!”

At this moment, Beiye also leaned in: “Don’t be nervous, Yi Lan.
When you were having your check-up, Jiang Jiang was practically glued to the door, she wouldn’t budge.
She’ll always be watching over you.”

Don’t let her usual playful, childlike demeanor fool you; she was absolutely reliable in crucial moments.

Yi Lan glanced at Jiang Wenting, a spot in her heart warmed.
She was no longer so afraid, but she kept holding her hand.
Jiang Wenting continued to comfort her, while also feeling delighted by the other party’s rare initiative.

The transport bed moved forward slowly.
Jiang Wenting and Beiye accompanied her by her side.
Xiao Ru followed behind with her hands in her pockets.
Soon, they arrived at another examination room.
As they were about to enter, Yi Lan still showed some resistance.
Jiang Wenting pressed the other party’s hand against her own face and rubbed it: “Be good, okay?
Just bear with it a little longer, it’ll be over soon.
When it’s over, we’ll buy cake for lunch, okay?”

Under her gentle and firm gaze, Yi Lan let down her last bit of guard.
She was pushed into the examination room.
The door closed.
Under the orange-yellow light, various instruments swept over her chest.
She felt oppressed, but in her ears were Jiang Wenting’s words from just now.

Just bear with it a little longer, buy cake for lunch…

Beiye had said that a person only had one birthday each year, so birthday cake was especially special.
It represented blessings, celebration, and all beautiful things.
Today was Jiang Wenting’s birthday, yet she willingly stayed here to accompany her through such a dangerous procedure.

Jiang Wenting, Jiang Wenting—

Yi Lan silently repeated the name in her heart.
All her fear and tension were replaced by an inexplicable emotion.
Her heart began to ache.
The detection instrument beeped, scanning an abnormal result.
At this moment, the mechanical voice, which had been absent for a long time, popped out again.

[Host, please relax and cooperate with the doctor for the examination, otherwise you’ll have to stay in the hospital for another week.]

Her thoughts were interrupted.
Her body was enveloped by medical equipment.
That oppressive, suffocating feeling once again weighed on her chest, making it hard to breathe.

The medical staff double-checked the detection result and, feeling uneasy, decided to rescan: “Don’t be nervous, okay?
Take a deep breath, calm down, let’s try again!”

But she still couldn’t bring herself to comply.
Seeing this, the System could only throw out a tempting condition.

[Host, this is the last examination.After you complete it successfully, this System can take you to choose a birthday gift for the mission target, Jiang Wenting.]