Chapter 43: Chapter 43 - 43 Do you have a cigarette

Chapter 43: Do you have a cigarette? Chapter 43: Do you have a cigarette? He Xing’s bloodshot eyes flashed in front of Fu Han, her fingers gripping tightly but then quickly releasing: “Thanks anyway, no matter what.”

…

Outside the ward, in the corridor.

He Xing took two quick steps towards Ji Liangchuan, then suddenly stopped and turned his head awkwardly: “How is she doing now?”

Ji Liangchuan smiled: “She’s doing well, it’s just…” He hesitated briefly before speaking again: “I think she has a big misunderstanding about you. Is there something between you two that hasn’t been cleared up?”

A long silence followed, so prolonged that Ji Liangchuan knew He Xing would not respond.

He Xing fumbled in his pocket, finding nothing. He turned to Ji Liangchuan: “Do you have a cigarette?”

The two men sat on opposite ends of a bench, each holding a cigarette between their fingers. The subtle scent of tobacco wafted through the air, and the white ash flicked between them fell like snowflakes from the sky.

As the cigarette neared its end, He Xing took a deep drag, and through the swirling smoke, his face appeared indistinct, his eyes shining brighter than before.

He snuffed out his cigarette: “Liangchuan, you go back. I’m fine here.”

“Okay.” Ji Liangchuan also extinguished his cigarette. As he passed by He Xing, he raised his hand as if to pat him on the shoulder but ultimately let his hand drop.

In the empty hallway of the hospital, Ji Liangchuan and He Xing walked away from each other, their distance growing further and further apart, their paths diverging.

When He Xing was alone in the corridor, his hands buried in his hair, the scene from the movie theater’s bathroom replayed in his mind for the umpteenth time.

He Xing’s presence at the movie theater was no coincidence. He had gone to look for Fu Han in 2501 early that morning and had been turned away at the door.

The news of Fu Han at the movie theater was relayed to He Xing by Li Tao after some investigation. To avoid being accused of stalking by Fu Han, he unexpectedly invited Ji Liangchuan to the movies.

But once they reached the theater, they didn’t see Fu Han.

To this day, He Xing couldn’t explain the intense anxiety he felt at that moment, as if he wouldn’t see Fu Han ever again if he didn’t find her immediately.

Even after waking up, Fu Han’s attitude towards him hadn’t changed; it was still as cold and distant as before.

If it were the past, He Xing might have been angry, but now he felt only grateful to have survived a crisis. As long as she was still there, it was enough.

Only, He Xing and Ji Liangchuan were so worried about Fu Han at the time that they missed the best opportunity to chase the woman in black, allowing her to escape.

While lost in thought, his phone rang. It was a call from Li Tao: “Boss He, I asked the mall for the surveillance footage, and they said their cameras were broken at the time and couldn’t provide it.”

“Got it.”

“Boss He, should we pressure the mall?” Li Tao asked anxiously: “This must be an excuse from the mall; they couldn’t possibly have no surveillance.”

“Okay,” said He Xing thoughtfully, then added: “Investigate this privately, and report directly to me with any findings. Also, don’t mention this to anyone.”

…

After the news of Fu Han’s hospitalization spread, Su Cheng and Nan Qing came to visit her at the earliest opportunity.

Su Cheng was the first to arrive, his demeanor as if the sky had fallen. He had not cried, but his behavior was hardly different from immense distress.

Nan Qing arrived just under five minutes later than Su Cheng, similarly announcing her arrival by calling out before even entering.

However, on seeing Su Cheng, her expression changed several times, eventually nodding as a way of greeting.

Fu Han had already found dealing with Su Cheng overwhelming, and seeing Nan Qing was like seeing a savior. Whenever Nan Qing was there, Fu Han would get more peace and quiet.

But today, she sensed something had changed between Nan Qing and Su Cheng; minutes had passed without a word being exchanged between them.

Su Cheng’s behavior was even more evident. With Nan Qing’s arrival, he stayed glued by Fu Han’s side, pouring tea, bringing water, cutting fruit, and even attempting to feed her, which Fu Han firmly resisted.

After clarifying the extent of Fu Han’s injuries, Nan Qing suggested leaving first: “Fu Han, I’ll go pack some necessities for your stay and bring them to you later.”

This left only Su Cheng and Fu Han in the ward. Su Cheng, with a troubled face, put down the half-peeled apple: “Fu Han, has Nan Qing… said anything to you?”

Fu Han, with innocent eyes, asked: “Was she supposed to say something to me? We’ve both been busy lately and hardly talk.”

“So it is,” Su Cheng said, relieved, and with a cough to clear his throat, he quickly glossed over: “I mean, it’s rare to see Nan Qing this busy. She used to quit numerous bosses for the sake of her freedom.”

“Being your own boss is different,” Fu Han replied, herself unable to help but smile.

Nan Qing was indeed interesting. She had been painting since childhood, not only as a hobby but also as a talent, and now she was a somewhat renowned painter.

But she was a painter with personality (laziness), unwilling to suffer for her art or to paint at all hours. She painted solely based on her mood.

Perhaps it was this carefree clarity that led people to describe her work as—paintings untouched by worldly matters, the purest art in the world.

Su Cheng watched Fu Han intently, the smiling Fu Han radiating a magnetic pull that drew everyone’s gaze.

“Hey, mind your gaze,” He Xing’s voice came like a bucket of cold water pouring down.

Su Cheng went beet red, especially when Fu Han turned at the sound, her eyes sweeping across Su Cheng.

Listening to Fu Han’s calm voice: “Young Master He, think about yourself before criticizing others.”

“What about me?” He Xing asked while pouring hot water into a cup: “It’s totally above board for me to look at my fiancee. Who dares to object?”

Fu Han rolled her eyes in exasperation, having already accepted He Xing’s change. Three years ago, he would never have publicly acknowledged her as his fiancee; now, the term had become his mantra.

“Take your medicine.” He Xing handed Fu Han two black pills, checking the water temperature: “It’s not hot, just right.”

Fu Han had a strong suspicion that He Xing was doing it on purpose, but she didn’t have any proof. As a patient, she shouldn’t be too troublesome, so she turned the cup to avoid the spot He Xing had just drunk from and swallowed the bitter pills with a frown.

“Open your mouth.” Again, He Xing uttered two simple words.

With a pained expression, Fu Han opened her mouth, and a soft candy landed on her tongue, immediately diluting the bitter taste of the medicine.

She’d disliked taking medicine since childhood; every dose felt like punishment. Every time she needed to take medicine, He Xing prepared soft candy for her in advance. She hadn’t expected he would still remember that habit.