Chapter 5

The fragrance of the flowers continued spreading through the ward. Zhao Minghui looked at Mu Shengsheng, then at Xia Hanying, and finally sensed that something was wrong. “President Mu, Miss Xia, you two can finish packing. I’ll go check on the driver and come back up once you’re ready.”

“There’s no need to pack much.” Without even looking, Mu Shengsheng knew what remained. She handed him the two bags beside her. “Brother Minghui, take these downstairs first.”

“What about the rest?” Zhao Minghui asked.

“There isn’t much left,” Mu Shengsheng said. “I can carry everything else down myself.” She had originally expected them to remain in the hospital for several days, which was why she had asked Auntie Chen to prepare so many things. Now, all they needed was a bag for the clothes.

“All right,” Zhao Minghui agreed. “President Mu, Miss Xia, I’ll head out first.”

Not long after he left, Mu Shengsheng held a bag out to Xia Hanying. “Clothes,” she explained, then asked with a smile, “Don’t tell me you were planning to leave the hospital wearing what you have on now?”

“Whose are they?” Xia Hanying asked without moving.

“Auntie brought them from home,” Mu Shengsheng replied. Seeing what seemed like reluctance on her face, she immediately added, “Don’t worry. These aren’t clothes I’ve worn before. They’re all new. Given your…” Mu Shengsheng estimated her height and weight in comparison to her own. “They should fit you.”

Xia Hanying gave her a strange look. There were already clothes in her size at the Mu residence, and Mu Shengsheng had been the one to have them purchased. Although Xia Hanying had never worn any of them, she had heard Auntie Chen mention them once or twice.

“Which set are you going to wear?” Mu Shengsheng asked. “I had Auntie Chen prepare two or three.”

“And don’t even think about refusing,” Mu Shengsheng added before Xia Hanying could speak.

“What if I do?” Xia Hanying asked in return.

Mu Shengsheng was left speechless. When she had read the novel, why hadn’t she noticed how fond Xia Hanying was of refusing people? It seemed the original Mu Shengsheng had been quite skilled in this regard. No matter what happened, she could always make Xia Hanying comply. Should Mu Shengsheng follow her example?

“Well, your father…” Mu Shengsheng stopped midway. She was not deliberately trying to sound mysterious; she had simply forgotten what the scumbag top had done to Xia Hanying’s father! Whatever it was, it had amounted to a threat.

Her father? Xia Hanying sneered inwardly. Barely more than ten hours had passed since Mu Shengsheng had last used that man to threaten her, yet here she was doing it again. Apparently, she never grew tired of it.

Don’t look at me like that! Xia Hanying’s stare made Mu Shengsheng’s nerves jump. To avoid losing momentum, she could only put on an act, glancing at the ceiling, then to the left, and then to the right. She soon heard a noise and lowered her head to discover that Xia Hanying had already taken out the two boxes.

“Auntie Chen said one should be a dress and the other a matching outfit.”

“Why don’t I help?” Mu Shengsheng hurried two steps forward and opened both boxes. The moment she did, her mouth moved even faster than her hands. “I think this dress would suit you very well.”

The result was obvious. Without the slightest hesitation, Xia Hanying picked up the other outfit and turned toward the restroom. Mu Shengsheng reached out and stopped her. Xia Hanying halted and looked down at the place where their bodies were touching.

“The doctor recommended that you rest quietly for a while longer.” Mu Shengsheng swiftly ran to the window, drew the curtains, rushed outside, and closed the door in one smooth sequence. She did not forget to call from the other side, “I’ll wait outside.”

Sigh. Standing outside the room, Mu Shengsheng felt somewhat melancholy. How was she supposed to threaten Xia Hanying into accepting her help when they left later? Was her image in Xia Hanying’s eyes becoming even more precarious?

Perhaps she should find an opportunity to lay everything out clearly: I’ve decided to repent and turn over a new leaf. Everything I did to you ends now. Once I’ve compensated you, we’ll go our separate ways—you take the broad road while I cross my narrow bridge.

“Doctor Zheng.” Before she could work anything out, she encountered Zheng Yiru.

“This…” Zheng Yiru did not finish speaking, but her meaning ​stolen content​was obvious. How had Mu Shengsheng ended up sitting on a chair outside?

“She’s changing her clothes,” Mu Shengsheng explained. The next moment, Zheng Yiru said with some sympathy, “I see!”

Mu Shengsheng was rendered speechless. Was Doctor Zheng thinking that she had it rather miserably as a girlfriend? She even had to leave the room while her girlfriend changed. In truth, things could get much worse for her!

“Would you like to sit in my office for a while?” Doctor Zheng asked, looking at the firmly closed door.

“There’s no need to trouble you, Doctor Zheng,” Mu Shengsheng declined. “She’ll be finished soon.”

“Then please have a seat here, Miss Mu.” Zheng Yiru nodded. “I’ll return to work.”

In truth, Mu Shengsheng had overestimated Xia Hanying. After Mu Shengsheng had stared at her phone for ten minutes, a voice finally came from inside. “You can come in.”

The matching outfit looked quite good too. That was Mu Shengsheng’s first thought upon entering. Looking at Xia Hanying’s loose hair, she asked, “Would you like to tie it up?”

“Of course, you look good like this too,” Mu Shengsheng added with a smile. Xia Hanying’s hair fell just past her shoulders, while her bangs were growing a little long and almost covered her eyes.

Xia Hanying still had nothing to say to her, so Mu Shengsheng could only continue putting on a one-woman show. “Let’s go home first.”

Home? Xia Hanying contemplated that unfamiliar word. It referred to the Mu residence. “I’m going to school,” she emphasized again.

She knew it. Without hesitation, Mu Shengsheng said, “You can go once you’ve recovered.”

“There’s nothing seriously wrong with me,” Xia Hanying said. “If you’re worried, we can go to [read the original at bailiantales.com]the apartment near the university.” It made no difference to her where she stayed.

The apartment near the university. It took Mu Shengsheng a great deal of effort to dig through the pile of inherited memories and recall what she meant. It was the apartment near the university Xia Hanying attended.

That brought to mind another of the scumbag top’s evil deeds. After forcing Xia Hanying to sign the contract, she had gone a step further and forced her to move out of the dormitory. The scumbag top had bought an apartment near Qingcheng University, where Xia Hanying studied. She never gave Xia Hanying a single cent for living expenses, yet made Xia Hanying—who had to work while attending university—cook for her.

Of course, it was not because the scumbag top was miserly. Xia Hanying had refused to accept a single cent. Silly girl! Mu Shengsheng thought. Why refuse all the money and insist on suffering? Since she had signed the contract, surely the other party had obligations toward her too?

“We’re still returning to the Mu residence,” Mu Shengsheng said. “It’s the May Day holiday right now. Don’t your classes resume the day after tomorrow?”

“I’m going to school tomorrow,” Xia Hanying said.

“I’ll request leave from your academic advisor,” Mu Shengsheng replied. “Medical leave.”

“In what capacity are you going to request medical leave for me?” Xia Hanying asked mockingly.

“I…” Mu Shengsheng was tongue-tied. She had been able to say it to Doctor Zheng, but she found it difficult to say in front of Xia Hanying herself.

“Well…” Mu Shengsheng dragged over a chair and sat down. “Xia Hanying, I think we need to talk.”

“It was my fault that you were hospitalized this time, but your body is your own. There’s no need to jeopardize your health just to spite me, is there?”

“Besides…” At the mention of that contract, Mu Shengsheng found it difficult to continue. “Regardless of what happened before or what will happen afterward, we still have three months remaining on our contract. For now, I sincerely want to treat you as my girlfriend.”

“It’s a kept arrangement,” Xia Hanying stated bluntly. She had personally written that contract, yet stolen content now she was putting on such a sanctimonious act. She truly had one trick after another. “I’m not.”

Not what? Not her girlfriend? Mu Shengsheng repeated, “I said I would treat you like a girlfriend. The emphasis is on ‘treat’!” She wanted to shout. Why was being a decent person so difficult?!

Still, she restrained herself. Looking at Xia Hanying’s frail appearance, she could not bring herself to shout and was even afraid of frightening her.

“What I mean is…” Mu Shengsheng tried to keep her tone as calm as possible. “You aren’t physically well enough to go there right now. If you truly want to go, I’ll take you tomorrow.” Was that acceptable now?

“Whatever you want.” Xia Hanying seemed to have given up resisting. She no longer argued about the contract or insisted on returning to the apartment near the university.

The matter could be considered settled. Mu Shengsheng began packing the remaining items, but when she inadvertently noticed Xia Hanying’s desolate figure, she felt guilty again. Little did she know, Xia Hanying was imagining a completely different scenario.

“Come in.” When someone knocked on the door, Mu Shengsheng assumed it was a nurse and paid no attention. Then she heard someone call, “President Mu,” accompanied by an overpowering cloud of perfume.

Mu Shengsheng turned around and nearly blacked out at the sight. Her first reaction was to look at Xia Hanying. The latter watched the two of them without betraying any emotion, as though she were merely an outsider.

“President Mu, I heard Miss Xia was ill.” The woman’s exaggerated voice drifted through the ward. “How is she now? Is she feeling any better?”

She might feel better if you hadn’t come, Mu Shengsheng thought. The woman before her was Yu Ruibing, the one who had joined the scumbag top in angering Xia Hanying until she coughed up blood in the novel.

Apart from Doctor Zheng’s office, she had not gone anywhere over the past two days. So how had she still managed to encounter this troublesome woman?