October 28th, the second day after Che Xiayun woke up.
In the hospital room, the news anchor’s broadcast voice was somewhat hypnotic. “Recently, Che Xiayun, the actual head of the Che Group, was allegedly attacked by assailants and is now severely injured and hospitalized. The specific circumstances remain unclear.”
Ugh, why was there such an immature and outdated photo of herself?
Che Xiayun felt so embarrassed by the report that she could practically curl her toes. Although her biggest wish had once been to see herself and her research achievements featured on television, actually seeing herself on screen only made her cringe.
The news report on TV continued, but Ma Qingyu’s expression instantly changed.
Almost immediately, her phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, she picked it up and hurried out of the room. “I know, listen to me first. PR needs to issue a statement immediately. Block that news segment across all platforms, especially the parts with Xiayun’s photo. At the very least, blur it out. Have legal send cease-and-desist letters, how dare they leak this after signing confidentiality agreements…”
Overhearing part of her phone conversation, Che Xiayun realized she had been too naive. Being the child of a wealthy family wasn’t as easy as it seemed, especially when her family’s wealth was nationally renowned. She had naturally become a target for media attention, with TV outlets eager to sensationalize her story, practically shoving cameras in her face.
Moreover, with her parents already deceased unexpectedly, if it were revealed that she was severely injured, the group’s stock would undoubtedly plummet, triggering a chain of financial crises.
A few minutes later, Ma Qingyu returned from her call. Che Xiayun, fiddling with the remote to change channels, glanced at her and said, “You should go to the company. Just ask Shi Xiaoya to come keep me company.”
Ma Qingyu looked at her bandaged hand, biting her lip. “She’s already on her way. Be careful, there will likely be many people lurking outside waiting for you recently.”
“Mm,” Che Xiayun nodded slightly. “You be careful too.”
Their conversation lasted only a few seconds before Ma Qingyu’s phone rang again. She hung up, turned off her phone, and looked at Che Xiayun, her gaze lingering on the alpha’s striking features. “Remember to take your medicine on time.”
Che Xiayun rolled her eyes and subconsciously squeezed the bandage on her palm. “I know.”
Then she muttered under her breath, “I’m not a child.”
Hearing her grumble, Ma Qingyu’s tense expression softened slightly, a faint smile touching her lips. “Right, you’re not a child, you’re a big kid.”
Che Xiayun puffed out her cheeks, furrowing her brows in a frown. “Shut up! Just go already. The company might go bankrupt if you wait any longer.”
Ma Qingyu acknowledged her and took two steps toward the door, pausing with her hand on the handle to look back. “As long as I’m here, the company won’t go bankrupt. Take care of yourself.”
With that, she left before Che Xiayun could respond. Hearing the door close, Che Xiayun sighed. One crisis after another.
Ma Mingzhe, was it you? Taking advantage of the situation, playing such a clever game.
But you miscalculated one move.
Since verifying the reality of her dreams earlier, Che Xiayun knew that she rarely dreamed. But when she did, the dreams were most likely real perhaps events from parallel timelines or hints of the future.
Last night’s dream had given her far too many hints.
Who around her was still worthy of her trust? Che Xiayun already had the answer in her heart.
The sound of footsteps outside the room gradually grew more chaotic. Che Xiayun raised her hand to rub her temples. All I want is to laze around in peace, why is it so difficult?
“Knock, knock, knock!” A slow, crisp knocking sound echoed.
Che Xiayun put down the remote and tilted her head slightly toward the door. “Come in.”
Shi Xiaoya pushed the door open and tiptoed inside. She was still in her school uniform, carrying her backpack clearly, she had been called back from school on short notice.
Che Xiayun glanced at her and picked up the glass from the bedside table. “Pour me a glass of water.”
“Mm,” Shi Xiaoya replied softly, taking the glass. “Hot or cold?”
Che Xiayun shifted her gaze back to the TV and answered instinctively, “Lukewarm, thank you.”
Hearing her say “thank you,” Shi Xiaoya instinctively replied, “You’re welcome.”
But she quickly realized something was off and was so startled that her hand holding the glass trembled slightly Che Xiayun had never said “thank you” to her before. This was the first time.
Shi Xiaoya felt a bit unsettled. After filling the glass with water, she immediately brought it back, her head slightly lowered, not daring to meet Che Xiayun’s eyes. “Is there anything else you need me to do?”
Che Xiayun took the water, took a small sip, swallowed slowly, and touched the back of her ear. “Not for now, but later you’ll need to change my bandages.”
Shi Xiaoya clutched the strap of her backpack and took two small steps to the side, her eyes scanning the entire hospital room. “Mm.”
Che Xiayun set down the water glass and pointed to the sofa. “You can go over there to do your homework.”
“Okay.”
Shi Xiaoya nodded and walked toward the sofa. Her long, dark ponytail swayed in the air, it was quite cute, but it felt like something was missing.
Che Xiayun stared at her retreating figure and instinctively compared her to Ma Qingyu. After making the comparison, she found it absurd and momentarily had no idea what she was thinking, it was all so strange.
The morning passed quickly. Che Xiayun found watching TV alone too boring, and Shi Xiaoya was too focused on her homework to chat comfortably. So, she asked Jiang Shuai to come over in the afternoon.
When Jiang Shuai arrived, she didn’t forget to bring a bouquet of flowers and some fruit. “How’s your injury?”
Che Xiayun touched the bandage on her neck. “It’s fine. Didn’t Ma Qingyu tell you?”
Jiang Shuai shook her head. “No, she only told me roughly how you got hurt.”
As she spoke, she pulled up a chair next to the bed and continued with a teasing expression, “Wow, you were playing the hero saving the beauty, huh? You’ve really outdone yourself. I’m so moved.”
Che Xiayun laughed and scolded, “Oh, shut up. What hero saving the beauty? How could I just stand by and do nothing? You’d have done the same.”
Jiang Shuai nodded. “That’s true. So, where are you hurt? Does it hurt?”
Che Xiayun glanced at Shi Xiaoya, who was arranging flowers nearby, and raised her hands slightly. “Of course it hurts, but these are just minor injuries on my hands.”
Then she touched her left jaw. “There’s a slightly deeper cut here. It needed stitches. I don’t know if it’ll leave a scar. I’m the type who scars easily, if a scar from years ago wasn’t treated properly, it still hasn’t faded.”
The general glanced at her a few times. “That’s a minor issue. I’ll grab some special scar-removal ointment from my uncle later it works wonders. I used it when I accidentally broke my arm last time, and now there’s barely any scar left.”
Che Xiayun teased, “Sure, bring me some later. If I end up with a scar, my looks will be ruined.”
“Alright, I’ll bring it next time I come.”
The general glanced at her hand and blinked, hinting, “Aren’t you worried about the scars on your hand?”
“My hand?” Che Xiayun raised her hand to inspect it. She was about to say it didn’t matter but suddenly remembered the unique traits of female alphas in this world and quickly corrected herself, “Of course my hand matters too, but the wounds aren’t deep, so they probably won’t scar.”
The general straightened her expression. “Make sure to apply the ointment to your hand as well. Don’t take it lightly. It’d be a shame if scars formed, right?”
Seeing her serious demeanor, Che Xiayun had no choice but to nod. “Right. As if I wouldn’t know that myself.”
The general smiled. “Good, as long as you’re aware. No other injuries, right? I heard some rumors this morning about you being seriously hurt, and it gave me quite a scare.”
Che Xiayun’s smile faded slightly. She lowered her gaze and didn’t respond. Though she didn’t mind the matter herself, she knew the general would react strongly if she found out.
Seeing her silence, the general’s heart sank. Oh no, could she really be seriously injured? But she looks fine on the surface.
Shi Xiaoya opened her mouth but couldn’t find the right words, so she stood silently nearby. When she had applied medicine to Che Xiayun at noon, she’d seen the wounds on her body. The injured area was indeed critical, and she wasn’t sure if it would affect physiological functions something she didn’t dare ask about.
Che Xiayun remained silent for a moment, giving the general time to brace herself, then spoke calmly, “My gland was injured too. It’s a penetrating wound.”
Upon hearing this, the general froze for a moment, staring at her in disbelief. “Are you sure?”
Che Xiayun took a deep breath. “Yes, I’m sure.”
Holding onto a last sliver of hope, the general cautiously asked, “It’s going to be okay, right? It can still recover, can’t it?”
“Maybe,” Che Xiayun exhaled slowly. “But the chances are very low less than one in ten thousand.”
The general clasped her hands in front of her, lowered her head, and pinched her knuckles, carefully weighing her words. For a moment, she couldn’t find the right thing to say and didn’t dare joke around as she usually would, unsure how to respond.
Che Xiayun took in her subtle movements and expression. “I’m fine. Since my parents passed away, I’ve built up a lot of resilience. This isn’t enough to break me. You can speak freely.”
The general looked up and met her clear, deer-like eyes, which still sparkled with vitality and showed no trace of despondency or self-pity.
This reassured the general greatly. “It’s best if you can see it that way. But if anything in life bothers you, you can always talk to me. Don’t keep it bottled up.”
Che Xiayun glanced out the window. “Yeah, maybe there’s truth to the saying, ‘A loss may turn out to be a gain.'”
“Of course. Loss and gain often go hand in hand.”
The general forced a smile and comforted her, “We’re still young, having just differentiated not long ago. Our bodies are still developing, so the chances of recovery are definitely much higher.”
Che Xiayun also smiled slightly, “I hope so, but it’s fine even if it doesn’t recover. Being a beta isn’t so bad.”
Jiang Shuai quickly retorted, “What kind of nonsense is that? Just focus on your treatment. Who knows, maybe you’ll undergo a second gender differentiation and shoot straight up to 3S level, right?”
Che Xiayun’s smile faded, “Well, that would be the best-case scenario, of course.”
But she was well aware that the probability of a second gender differentiation was even lower than the chance of her gland recovering.
That afternoon, Jiang Shuai continued chatting with her about their usual topics, but many words were left unspoken. Che Xiayun could clearly sense that Jiang Shuai was carefully tiptoeing around her fragile emotions, trying to cheer her up with jokes and anecdotes. Yet, this kind of conversation was the opposite of what Che Xiayun truly wanted.