Su Qinghan was unsure if this feeling she had for Jiang Muyun would eventually be reduced to nothing more than a moral obligation to repay a debt of gratitude.
The faint sound of footsteps came from the end of the corridor—the night watchman making his rounds.
Su Qinghan immediately straightened up, locked her phone screen, and stuffed it back into her pocket.
She hugged the folder in her arms, took a deep breath, and walked toward the elevator in her high heels.
The footsteps echoed in the empty corridor, resolute yet carrying an indescribable loneliness.
The smell of disinfectant in the hospital lobby was as strong as ever, a bit pungent, mixed with the hurried atmosphere of people coming and going.
It was the first time Yan Yu had someone accompanying her during a follow-up visit.
Bai Yan’er pushed the wheelchair.
Her movements weren’t particularly smooth, but every step was steady, carefully avoiding uneven floor joints and the occasional hurried passerby.
Throughout the entire process—registering, taking a number, waiting for the call—Yan Yu could clearly feel that concerned gaze behind her, almost never leaving her every subtle movement.
That care was too heavy.
Instead, it made Yan Yu, who was used to facing these things alone, feel a restless urge to escape.
“Number 12, Yan Yu, please go to exam room 3.”
The mechanical female voice announced.
Bai Yan’er immediately pushed her toward the exam room.
Inside, Dr. Guo was already waiting—a kind-faced, gray-haired middle-aged man with thin-rimmed glasses.
The original host Yan Yu had been seeing a Chinese medicine doctor.
To maintain the character setting, the current Yan Yu didn’t change that.
Seeing Yan Yu, he smiled.
“Little Yan is here. And this is?”
“She’s my sister,” Yan Yu said softly.
“Hello, Dr. Guo.”
Bai Yan’er greeted politely, then stepped back, but her gaze still clung to Yan Yu.
Dr. Guo nodded and signaled Yan Yu to place her wrist on the pulse pillow.
While taking her pulse, he asked routine questions.
“How have you been feeling lately? Any changes in the pain and numbness in your lower back and legs? How about your sleep at night? And your appetite?”
Yan Yu answered each one, her tone calm.
Dr. Guo listened, his fingers on her wrist.
His brow furrowed slightly, then slowly relaxed.
A clear surprise gradually appeared in his eyes.
He took her pulse longer than usual.
After withdrawing his hand, he motioned for Yan Yu to try standing up and take a few steps holding the exam bed.
Yan Yu did as told, using both hands on the wheelchair armrests to slowly stand.
Her legs still felt the familiar soreness and weakness, but just standing still like this… it no longer seemed to require all her strength to fight the heavy frailty.
Dr. Guo carefully observed her posture and the subtle muscle reactions in her legs.
The surprise on his face grew stronger.
“Really… I didn’t expect this.”
He pushed up his glasses, watching Yan Yu sit back down.
His tone carried an incredulous emotion.
“Little Yan, your pulse is much more stable and stronger than last time.
Although recovery is still a long process, based on how you stood just now, it seems there has been some improvement.”
He paused, looking at Yan Yu with relief in his eyes.
“I’m not sure of the exact reason.
Maybe your persistence in rehabilitation has helped, or maybe the body’s self-repair ability has shown positive change… If this trend continues, it could really be called a medical miracle.”
On the surface, Yan Yu remained calm, only nodding politely.
“Thank you, Dr. Guo. I’ll continue to focus on recovery.”
But in her heart, like a stone thrown into a lake, ripples of joy quietly spread.
‘The system’s rewards are really working.
Her body was truly, visibly, bit by bit, getting better.’
This discovery gave her a more solid hope than any comforting words.
After leaving the exam room, they went to the pharmacy to get the new Chinese medicine.
Throughout the process, Bai Yan’er was unusually silent, just sticking close, occasionally lending a hand when Yan Yu needed it.
Not until they pushed Yan Yu out of the hospital building did the cool evening breeze brush her face.
Only then did she finally speak, her voice tinged with frustration.
“Sister…”
“Hm? What is it, Yan’er?”
Yan Yu turned her head, having already sensed that something was off with her.
Bai Yan’er stopped, walked around to the front of the wheelchair, and crouched down, looking up at Yan Yu.
The setting sun’s afterglow cast a soft golden edge on her delicate profile, but her eyes, usually clear and smiling, were now filled with a thick, undiluted heartache.
“I just think… you being all alone, it really pains me.”
She reached out and gently took Yan Yu’s hand resting on her knee.
Her fingertips were cool.
“Sister, how about… you don’t go back to that rental apartment.
Come live with me.
I’ll take care of you, every single day.
Okay?”
Yan Yu was taken aback, then slowly shook her head, her voice gentle but firm.
“No need, Yan’er.”
“But…”
“Yan’er, listen.
Right now, you’re the young lady of the Bai family, and I’m just an ordinary person.
If you bring me back to the Bai family, it will cause a lot of unnecessary gossip and trouble.”
“I don’t care about that gossip!”
Bai Yan’er interrupted her, slightly agitated, squeezing Yan Yu’s hand tighter.
“I only care about whether you can live better and more comfortably!”
“But I do care, Yan’er.”
Yan Yu sighed softly, placing her other hand over Bai Yan’er’s.
“Thank you for thinking of me and doing so much.
But you know my situation… my legs aren’t convenient.
I need help with many things.
I don’t want to be a burden to anyone, especially not to you.”
“You’ve never been a burden, Sister!”
Bai Yan’er retorted urgently, her eyes reddening.
Yan Yu just looked at her, saying nothing more.
Her gaze was gentle but held an unshakable refusal.
Bai Yan’er met her eyes for a moment.
Eventually, she slowly released her hand, lowered her head, and fell silent.
But her tightly pressed lips and the low aura radiating from her showed she was not convinced, only temporarily suppressing that unwilling persistence.
Yan Yu’s heart also softened with guilt, but she knew some boundaries had to be drawn.
She was about to say something more to ease the tension and completely dissuade Bai Yan’er.
Just then—
A sore, heavy sensation, accompanied by a vague dragging feeling in her lower abdomen, spread without warning from deep within her belly.
Yan Yu’s body froze.
‘Wait… this feeling is…’
Before she could think further, Bai Yan’er, who was crouched in front of her, happened to have her line of sight fall on the hem of Yan Yu’s light-colored long skirt.
The next second, Bai Yan’er’s gaze fixed.
“Sister…” she raised a finger, pointing to a spot on Yan Yu’s skirt.
“Here, on your skirt… it looks like… it’s a little wet?”
Yan Yu’s mind went blank with a loud buzz, instantly turning into a complete void.
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