Chapter 3: A Moment’s Respite

Hours later, the hospital room was bathed in soft light. A nurse, standing by the window where the night mist swirled, finished her examination of Lu Chen, who had just awakened from emergency treatment.

She adjusted a wire, placing an off-white call bell beside Lu Chen’s pillow. “Press this bell if you need anything at all,” she instructed him. “Don’t try to get out of bed on your own. I’ll return to check on you in half an hour.”

“Alright, thank you.”

Lu Chen nodded absently, his gaze following the nurse as she left the room. Even after she had gone, he continued to stare at the door, hoping to see Xia Shi push it open at any moment.

He had awakened fifteen minutes ago and had been lying in bed ever since. Though his body still throbbed with a dull ache, making free movement impossible, his consciousness had largely returned to clarity.

While most patients reportedly felt anxious and bored due to post-surgery weakness, Lu Chen was entirely oblivious to such feelings.

Whether he was just waking up, undergoing examination, or bidding the nurse farewell, only one person occupied his thoughts.

Xia Shi was back.

She had returned, completely unharmed.

The nurse had mentioned that Xia Shi, in a whirlwind, had carried him across more than a dozen streets to get him to the hospital in time. Now, rumors of her resurrection and her dashing through the city with a man in her arms were spreading like wildfire.

What exactly had she encountered? How had her past year been? Where was she now? Was this truly not a dream?

When would he be able to see her again?

A complex web of thoughts ceaselessly coiled around his heart. A tumultuous mix of impatience and joy surged through him, making Lu Chen feel as if he were still caught in a dream.

He knew his urgency was futile, yet he found himself utterly unable to calm down. He repeatedly replayed Xia Shi’s face and figure in his mind, even finding the light switch by the door inexplicably endearing.

The door creaked open, and a figure stepped inside.

Lu Chen’s eyes lit up, and he focused intently, only to realize that the person entering wasn’t his girlfriend. Instead, it was a familiar woman, both kind and somber, and he couldn’t help but sigh.

This woman was Lin Wan, manager of the Magical Girl Operations Department at Xingguang Group. She was Lu Chen’s direct superior and the agent for local magical girls like Xia Shi, renowned throughout the company for her knack for slacking off.

Lin Wan walked directly to the bedside, pulled out a newspaper tucked under her arm, and lightly tapped his head in a gesture of admonishment.

“Are you truly that unhappy to see me?”

“No, not at all. I’d be honored to serve you and the group every single day.”

“Oh really? Because I’m quite displeased to see you,” she retorted. “Thanks to your two’s reckless behavior, my beach adventure has turned into an office adventure.”

Lu Chen automatically filtered out Lin Wan’s complaints, pinpointing the keyword: ‘your two.’

“You’ve seen Xia Shi, too? Why exactly was she missing for a year? Where is she now—”

Lin Wan lifted her deadpan eyes, pointing the newspaper at the ceiling, effectively cutting off the patient’s questions.

“No more questions, it’s annoying. I’ll only answer those two. Of course I saw Xia Shi, and I briefly questioned her about her disappearance. Nothing complicated; it seems she was simply tossed into an alternate dimension during a battle and returned on her own once the magic sustaining that dimension vanished. As for now? She’s upstairs undergoing examination.”

“Examination?”

“She did vanish for an entire year, after all, and experienced a major battle before her disappearance, so a comprehensive check-up is naturally required. It’ll probably take two or three days back and forth. Until the examination is complete, she won’t be able to move around or see anyone. So, you won’t be able to meet her for now.”

Lu Chen’s expression stiffened.

“…Why can’t she move around? Is she alright?”

“Rest assured, completely. She’s perfectly fine, better even than before she disappeared; it’s just a procedural matter. Isn’t the Security Department always like this? Every time a missing person returns, they have to put on a show with a closed-door examination, just in case.”

Lu Chen breathed a sigh of relief, feeling reassured. It was good that Xia Shi’s body was fine. But did he really have to wait another two or three days to see her?

The thought brought a pang of disappointment to Lu Chen. He took a deep breath to compose himself, then looked up at Lin Wan.

“I understand. Thank you for your trouble. Once I’m discharged, I’ll definitely treat you to a meal, with her.”

Lin Wan frowned in disgust, as if she had accidentally taken a sip of Pepsi.

“Don’t make me sick. I have no interest in watching you two get all mushy. Anyway, that’s that. Get well soon and come back to be our workhorse. I still need to go upstairs to monitor Xia Shi’s examination and write a report, so I’m leaving now. Want me to pass a message on to her for you?”

Lu Chen hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. He had so much he wanted to say to Xia Shi, but none of it felt right to entrust to someone else.

“No, thank you for your trouble.”

“Alright. Here’s this newspaper for you; it might help pass the time while you recover.”

Lin Wan casually tossed the newspaper onto the bedside table and swiftly exited the ward. Silence once again enveloped the room.

After Lin Wan’s visit, Lu Chen’s mood had calmed considerably, and a sense of reality began to settle in.

He picked up the newspaper, intending to skim a few pages to pass the time and perhaps learn a thing or two about reporting.

However, before he could even finish the first line, a faint, sweet scent of fruit mingled with the smell of ink from the newspaper, subtly drifting to his side.

Lu Chen looked up from the pages, his gaze falling upon Xia Shi, who was quietly sitting by the bedside. Her delicate profile appeared remarkably serene in the soft glow of the lights.

Lu Chen stared blankly at Xia Shi. Xia Shi, in turn, looked back at him, her beautiful, gem-like pupils carefully examining the wounds on his body.

“Do your wounds still hurt?”

“…They did a few minutes ago, but not anymore.”

Xia Shi’s luminous lips curved into a relieved smile. From her feet, she picked up a small paper bag and placed it on the bedside table.

“The cafeteria on the fourth floor is distributing free pears and apples to inpatients, saying they’re good for recovery. I grabbed one of each, just in case. Which one would you like?”

As Xia Shi spoke about the fruit, Lu Chen finally snapped out of his stunned state.

He casually tossed the newspaper aside. “A pear,” he said. “Sister Lin told me you were undergoing examinations and couldn’t just come out…?”

Xia Shi nodded, her gaze shifting slightly, as if she felt a touch of guilt.

As she took a pear and a peeler from the paper bag, she spoke to Lu Chen. “Yes, that’s right. So please don’t tell her, and don’t speak loudly either. There was a small issue with the equipment, so the examination was paused for fifteen minutes. I seized the opportunity to slip out.”

“…I see.”

“Mm.”

Xia Shi raised the peeler, skillfully stripping away the pear’s greenish skin. The peel descended in a continuous, even ribbon, and the sound of the blade against the fruit was both rough and pleasant.

Lu Chen observed his girlfriend’s expression, feeling his myriad thoughts vanish instantly, leaving his mind utterly blank.

Just moments ago, he had felt an overwhelming desire to tell her so much: how many monsters Morning Star had defeated, how much merchandise had been released, what changes had occurred in Linzhou City. He wanted to share all his joys and sorrows, believing it was the only way to make up for the year of accumulated longing.

Yet, the moment he saw her, he instantly felt all those words were unnecessary.

As long as she was here, everything would be alright.

The last strip of peel fell from the fruit, coiling like a small green snake on the bedside table.

Xia Shi handed the peeled pear to Lu Chen. He took the fruit, bit into it, and a gush of sweet juice immediately filled his mouth.

The young woman watched Lu Chen intently, while he, in turn, stole glances at her from the corner of his eye, his mood growing increasingly calm.

Suddenly, he noticed Xia Shi’s expression freeze, as surprise and fear dawned upon her fair face.

After a moment of stunned silence, Lu Chen realized she had noticed the scar on his wrist.

He hastily pulled down his sleeve, but the action was clearly too late; a misty veil had already clouded Xia Shi’s pupils.

Lu Chen stammered anxiously, “You, you shouldn’t overthink this. It was just an accident…”

The young woman pressed her lips together, softly interrupting him. “Don’t hide it. Let me see clearly.”