Xi Shi slept for a full eighteen hours in the private ward of the private hospital.
She only woke at six in the evening.
Xi Shi didn't remember that Lin Youhe had personally fed her medicine twice, nor that she had bitten his finger both times, leaving two deep rows of teeth marks on the pad of his index finger.
She remembered even less that Lin Youhe, after being bitten for a good ten-plus seconds the second time, had quietly lowered his eyes and used his fingertips to nudge her tongue.
Perhaps it was because that person's voice had been present in her dreams the whole time—Xi Shi's first reaction upon waking, lying on her side, was to check the things on the bedside table.
It was probably a kind of fixed mindset, in a sense—
A few months ago, when Xi Shi had been hospitalized, she had also dreamed of that angel of hers with his strange and willful temperament. When she woke, she found on the bedside table a sprig of blue snowflake in a glass cup and a kraft paper file folder, identical in style to the one she'd received at seventeen, with no sender's name.
Because of certain events and a mid-term transfer, Xi Shi had never had any contact with the classmates in Chen Lintian's class, and thus had no way of learning about Chen Lintian's current situation.
Over the years, even though she never gave up on any lead and kept searching—during university she had even taken time out more than once to stake out the high school gates trying to follow him—she still never got any news of Chen Lintian. Xi Shi hadn't even caught a glimpse of his shadow.
Xi Shi had called the high school, pretending to be a student who missed Chen Lintian to ask about him.
The school's reply to Xi Shi was—Teacher Chen retired on medical grounds; we don't know about Teacher Chen's current situation either.
Back then, Xi Shi had considered whether to start with the people around Chen Lintian, but she hadn't yet fully resolved the Shen Meiyan matter at the time, and simply couldn't spare the effort.
The file folder she'd received during her last hospitalization contained a stack of materials about Chen Chen and a USB drive.
Very timely.
Xi Shi had just finished dealing with Shen Meiyan, so she followed the screenshots and videos from social media sites on the USB drive to make her plan for moving into Jin Yue Jing Yuan No. 1.
Only this time, the items Xi Shi had hoped to see did not appear on the bedside table beside the hospital bed.
There was only her usual oversized thermos and a stack of receipts pressed under her phone.
Xi Shi had never known that person's name, appearance, or identity—even his personality was something she'd guessed at from the style and manner of their brief encounters.
Though she called him an angel…
In truth, Xi Shi was well aware that there was never a free lunch in this world.
The sudden, reckless intervention;
The keen intuition;
The mysterious goodwill;
The thorough knowledge and the elusive, ghost-like appearances;
The help and support with no apparent reason.
Xi Shi naturally knew that person meant her no harm for now, but at the same time she was warily prepared for the moment when his true intentions would be revealed.
It didn't matter, really—whatever the price of this help was, it didn't matter.
She had never planned on having a good ending anyway.
The reason Xi Shi couldn't wait to receive another file folder was Lin Youhe.
She hoped to get other leads for getting close to Chen Lintian.
Though her impressions of other things from last night's discomfort were faint, Xi Shi could still sense a certain urgency in Lin Youhe. He was too earnest—she couldn't keep being in contact with him.
But… the aura Lin Youhe had vaguely revealed last night seemed different from usual.
It was, well, quite intriguing.
Xi Shi pushed herself up from the mattress.
The ward was comfortably warm and humid, and with sufficient sleep and the effects of nutritional medication, she felt a brief surge of energy and spirit.
So Xi Shi, her curiosity itching, narrowed her eyes slightly and, as she sat up from the bed, savored Lin Youhe's expressions, his figure, his words, and his voice from these past days.
Midway through her savoring, Xi Shi, now fully turned and sitting up, came face to face with Lin Youhe himself in a single glance.
Lin Youhe had apparently gone home to change clothes. He was wearing a crisp, clean white shirt and light-colored dress trousers, sitting in a chair by the window with a book in his hand—open—but his gaze was quietly resting on Xi Shi.
The buttons at his collar and cuffs were fastened meticulously, every single one done up, not a single one wasted.
His entire being radiated a kind of tranquil calm—a refined, genteel air of restraint.
At six in the evening in a northern winter, the sky showed a deep, still sapphire blue.
The streetlights outside the window must have just come on not long ago—scattered points of light, warm and cozy.
In the prolonged gaze between her and Lin Youhe, Xi Shi slowly blinked once.
Last night had been an emergency, and there hadn't been much room for conversation or awkwardness.
Actually, this kind of relationship of theirs—one that hadn't been consummated due to a disagreement during an ambiguous period—didn't seem very convenient for being alone together like this. Even Xi Shi herself had some questions she hadn't yet figured out.
Lin Youhe set down his book. "How are you feeling?"
Xi Shi answered simply: "Much better, thank you."
Lin Youhe continued: "The hospital has already prepared your daily medication. Would Miss Xi prefer to rest here at the hospital, or go home?"
In his choice of address, Xi Shi detected that Lin Youhe wanted to gracefully gloss over that period of ambiguity.
She lowered her eyes, expressionless. "Going home."
Lin Youhe went to find the doctor to handle the discharge procedures. While the doctor was giving instructions, Xi Shi sat on the edge of the bed, letting the words go in one ear and out the other, completely treating them as background noise.
The doctor said Xi Shi was malnourished, deficient in certain nutrients, with both low blood sugar and low blood pressure—her usual lifestyle habits probably weren't great.
She was also told to go to bed early and wake up early, eat meals on time, exercise regularly, get some sun, and so on.
The doctor had said similar things the last time she was discharged, and Xi Shi had nodded along with a smile on her face but complete indifference inside. This time was no different.
Lin Youhe, however, listened to the doctor very attentively, and even asked about the follow-up appointment time after finishing.
Xi Shi glanced at Lin Youhe but said nothing.
When she'd come to the hospital, Xi Shi had only been wearing a nightgown and Lin Youhe's long down jacket, and that was still what she wore upon discharge. She didn't make a fuss about it—she simply said thanks and slipped the down jacket on with practiced ease.
Lin Youhe seemed to have returned to the state they were in when they first met. He courteously opened the car door for Xi Shi, and after she got in, he turned his head to ask, "Miss Xi, is there anything you need to purchase along the way, or shall we head straight back?"
Xi Shi replied flatly, "No, let's go back. Thank you for your concern, Mr. Lin."
Lin Youhe apparently didn't like other sounds while driving—no radio, no music.
The car was too quiet. Xi Shi casually picked up her oversized thermos and took a sip through the straw.
What the hell?!
Xi Shi turned her head in shock, staring at Lin Youhe.
Lin Youhe seemed to sense the laser-like gaze beside him and smiled. "The doctor said this is good for your health."
She wanted to spit it out but had nowhere to do so. Xi Shi could only swallow it with a blank expression and ask, "May I ask what this is?"
Lin Youhe said, "Blood pressure–raising tea."
Xi Shi shoved the thermos back into the cup holder in the center console. It took her a while before she managed to squeeze out a question in a normal tone: "Mr. Lin, do you get off work this early on a workday?"
Lin Youhe was concise: "I took leave. No need to worry."
Xi Shi fell silent again.
Seeking revenge was a difficult thing. Xi Shi knew she shouldn't hesitate any longer.
Opportunities waited for no one.
The year's end was approaching. Given Lin Youhe's current attitude, as long as she was willing to play along and keep up the contact, she would definitely have a chance to carry out her plan.
Besides, her target was actually quite to her liking…
The vibration of her phone interrupted Xi Shi's not-quite-clear train of thought.
Lin Youhe pulled out his phone. He didn't mind Xi Shi being beside him, and openly answered the call through the car's Bluetooth.
The person on the other end was probably one of Lin Youhe's school administrators. The gist of the conversation was that they hoped Lin Youhe could represent the school in some project.
The school seemed to think highly of Lin Youhe, promising him certain promotion opportunities after the project concluded.
The administrator asked, "I heard Teacher Lin took leave today—are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
"No."
Xi Shi watched Lin Youhe lie without batting an eye, his tone perfectly warm and gentle.
He said, "A family member is ill. Thank you for your concern, Dean."
"Don't mention it."
The administrator chuckled. "Then we'll leave this social psychology screening project to Teacher Lin."
Xi Shi turned to look at the scenery outside the car window.
A respectable job with room for promotion, healthy relationships, a warm and harmonious family, an ordinary but normal life…
This was how ordinary people should live, wasn't it?
Lin Youhe should find someone as ordinary as himself to pursue the kind of stable, steadily developing relationship he dreamed of.
Back at the residential complex, Xi Shi and Lin Youhe walked side by side into the elevator. When it reached their floor, she said, "Mr. Lin, come with me for a moment."
Xi Shi entered the passcode to open her apartment door, stepped into the entryway, and turned around.
She unzipped the down jacket she was wearing, took it off, and handed the long coat to Lin Youhe with a smile. "Last night, I'm grateful for Mr. Lin's help and care. Just send me the medical expenses via WeChat, and I'll transfer the money to you later. Thank you. I'll treat you to a meal sometime when I get the chance."
Having said that, Xi Shi didn't look at Lin Youhe again. She knew he would leave gracefully.
She dragged her feet toward the bedroom, wearily lifting her long hair and undoing the clasp of her nightgown at the back of her neck as she walked.
The soft, flowing nightgown fell to the floor by the bathroom door. Xi Shi stepped over it, walked into the bathroom, and didn't close the door.
The hot water couldn't dispel the restlessness in her heart.
Xi Shi had torn down the spider's web with her own hands, and her mind was in chaos. She still felt irritable after her shower, so she casually threw on a backless house dress and walked out of the bedroom.
What made Xi Shi even more agitated was this:
The floor clothes rack that had been knocked over last night had already been tidied up, with her coat and bag hanging neatly on it—and she actually spotted Lin Youhe's figure by the kitchen doorway.
She took a deep breath, suppressing some emotion on the verge of erupting in her chest. "Why haven't you left yet…"
Hearing her voice, Lin Youhe turned around, revealing a glass pot on the counter, its steam rising in gentle wisps.
He resumed his teacher's demeanor, pointing at the medicine boxes on the counter and explaining patiently, "You only have cold bottled water at home. Drinking cold water in this weather isn't good for you, so I warmed it up. The doctor said this medicine should be taken after meals, otherwise it might…"
Xi Shi cut Lin Youhe off: "I believe I've told you about those neighbors who fabricated stories about why my mother divorced and disappeared?"
Lin Youhe paused, nodding gently.
Xi Shi flashed a malicious smile: "Back then, I thought, why don't they just go die?"
Lin Youhe simply nodded with a soft gaze: "It's only natural to think that way—it's your psychological defense mechanism protecting you."
Xi Shi hadn't expected such a response. She froze for a moment, then suddenly rushed over and shoved Lin Youhe against the wall.
Perhaps because the memory of what that eccentric, willful angel had done back then was too vivid, she even resorted to the same method that person had used—grabbing Lin Youhe's wrist to restrain any possible resistance.
Lin Youhe was truly very easy to push around.
Without Xi Shi needing to exert much force, he quietly let himself be pressed against the wall by her grip on his waist and abdomen.
Xi Shi, completely unaware of the damp, faint fragrance radiating from her own body, viciously grabbed Lin Youhe's collar, forcing him to bend his back and lower his head.
Her lips moved to his ear, and she asked word by word: "Teacher Lin. Do you know that I have ulterior motives toward you? Do you know that I'm not a good person at all?"