Just Wanting to Divorce My Love Rival - Chapter 6

Doctor Lin checked the IV bag; there was a little less than half a bottle left. He said, “Your body is mostly fine now. After finishing this drip, you should slowly recover. But your constitution is too weak. It won’t do for someone so young to be in this state. You should exercise more often—go for a run at the track when you’re free.”

Mu Cheng also felt she needed to work out. She nodded. “I will.”

Doctor Lin’s eyebrow twitched imperceptibly. “I remember Yingzhi has a habit of morning jogs. You could go with her. Having a partner makes it easier to stick with it.”

“Forget it,” Mu Cheng refused instinctively.

Doctor Lin smiled and didn’t push. He pointed to the congee on the table. “The congee is getting cold. Keep eating; I’m going to get back to work.”

Mu Cheng gave an affirmative hum, picked up the bowl, and took a slow sip. It was a bit light but tasted quite fresh. It warmed her stomach as it went down, and after a few mouthfuls, she saw the bottom of the bowl.

Looking at the empty bowl, Mu Cheng felt something was off. Zhong Yingzhi didn’t seem like the kind of heartwarming roommate who would send congee.

This congee isn’t poisoned, is it?

After a while, she didn’t feel any discomfort. It seemed the congee was safe, and Mu Cheng let out a breath of relief.

A minor cold had dragged on for nearly a month before finally clearing up. Once she was fully recovered, Mu Cheng followed Doctor Lin’s advice and started going out for morning exercise, hoping to boost her immunity.

To make time for the jog, she specifically set an alarm before going to sleep.

Early in the morning, the alarm rang. Mu Cheng rolled around on the bed several times before crawling out with her eyes half-closed, completely unwilling.

While washing up, her eyes remained shut the entire time, and she swayed as she walked.

Zhong Yingzhi watched her soul-wandering state and stepped aside slightly, terrified that Mu Cheng would crash into her.

After splashing her face with water, Mu Cheng’s drowsiness cleared halfway.

Just as Doctor Lin said, Zhong Yingzhi went for a jog at the same time every morning.

Zhong Yingzhi had already changed her clothes. Her waist-length hair was tied high in a ponytail, and she wore a clean white T-shirt paired with casual pants. The loose fit was perfect for exercise, making her look exceptionally tall and striking.

Mu Cheng, also dressed in sportswear, glanced at her and then down at herself. Zhong Yingzhi looked good in anything, while she looked like a dork in whatever she wore.

Zhong Yingzhi bent over to tie her shoelaces. Mu Cheng watched her, hesitated for a moment, and stammered, “I’m going for a jog too. Together?”

Zhong Yingzhi’s expression remained cold. It was unclear if she even heard her. She tied her laces, stood up, and without a word, walked out of the dorm.

Mu Cheng watched her leave and tutted. “Does she look like someone who wants to be friends? Doctor Lin must be lying to me.”

If we don’t run together, we don’t run together, Mu Cheng thought with a huff. She took her time combing her hair in the mirror, trying to tie her favorite bun. It went crooked, so she tried again.

Since she had plenty of time, she dawdled for a while before finally leaving the dorm.

The moment she stepped out, she nearly collided with someone. She stumbled back several steps before seeing who it was.

It was Zhong Yingzhi.

Zhong Yingzhi was leaning against the wall with a dark expression. She glanced at her watch. “Half an hour. Thirty whole minutes. Do you have no sense of time?”

Mu Cheng was stunned. “You didn’t say anything,” she realized belatedly. “I thought you were refusing to run with me, so… yeah, I guess that happened.”

Zhong Yingzhi gave a cold huff and started walking.

Mu Cheng jogged to catch up. “Don’t go so fast! I can’t keep up!”

Zhong Yingzhi ignored her with a cold face, but her pace slowed down imperceptibly.

When someone who basically never exercises suddenly works out, it’s no surprise they wake up the next day with a sore back and legs so stiff they tremble while walking.

When the alarm rang, Mu Cheng whined and turned it off, burying her head to keep sleeping. She clearly had no intention of getting up.

Zhong Yingzhi finished getting ready to head out. Seeing that the person on the bed was still asleep, a look of displeasure crossed her face.

Whether it was accidental or intentional, Zhong Yingzhi bumped into a stool. It hit the floor with a loud thud.

Mu Cheng, who was sleeping sweetly, bolted upright. She blinked her eyes dizzily, looking utterly lost.

Zhong Yingzhi picked up the stool. This time, she didn’t wait and went to the track alone.

While running, Zhong Yingzhi kept glancing toward the entrance of the track, her brow furrowed tightly.

It wasn’t until a familiar figure appeared at the entrance that her frown finally relaxed, and her stride became noticeably lighter.

Mu Cheng was lazily doing stretching exercises, her whole body aching. She spotted Zhong Yingzhi jogging on the main path—her movements were graceful and composed, her long ponytail swinging side-to-side like a beautiful painting.

Mu Cheng raised her hand and waved at her.

Zhong Yingzhi didn’t even look. She ran past with a blank expression, as if she didn’t know her at all.

Mu Cheng’s waving hand froze in mid-air. She awkwardly transitioned into rubbing her nose to look natural. “What a rude girl.”

It was the 9th of the month again. Mu Cheng lay on her bed, staring fixedly at the date on her phone calendar with a heavy heart.

Master Zhukong’s words echoed in her ears: It is not a dream; that is you nine years from now. Your fate carries a curse… this might be your chance to change it…

Whether these words were true or false would likely be confirmed this time.

With a heavy heart, Mu Cheng closed her eyes.

Part of her hoped it was real because of the anticipation of having the special ability to see the future, but another part hoped it wasn’t, because her future self seemed to be having a very bad time.

Mu Cheng anxiously opened one eye, then the other.

It had indeed changed. Her surroundings were no longer the dorm, but the hospital room with the soft yellow chandelier.

The 9th of every month, herself lying on a hospital bed, Zhukong’s words—all of it connected. It declared the truth: she had truly traveled nine years into the future.

There was no one else in the room. It was so quiet she could only hear the intermittent beep-beep of the medical equipment. Her body didn’t hurt as much as before. It made sense; several months had passed, and even with injuries all over, she should have recovered somewhat.

Mu Cheng tried to move her body. It was difficult; every movement tugged at her wounds, causing sweat to break out on her forehead from the pain.

She struggled to sit up, gasping for breath. She scanned the layout of the room: a circular ceiling, white as the primary color, a sofa, and a solid wood table—simple yet elegant. The white curtains were drawn, leaving the room dimly lit.

A mirror hung on the left wall. Mu Cheng stumbled toward it.

She studied herself in the mirror. She was wearing loose hospital pajamas; her lips were cracked, her face was deathly pale, and she was skin and bones. This sickly appearance held almost no trace of her former self.

If there was one thing that proved this body was hers, it was the bite mark on her ear.

That mark hadn’t faded after nine years, showing just how hard Zhong Yingzhi had bitten her back then.

Mu Cheng touched her ear, looked at herself in the mirror, and pinched her face which had thinned into a pointed chin. “The baby fat is gone. I’m a bit thin, but it actually looks okay… I just look a bit bloodless.”

When she spoke, her voice was hoarse.

Mu Cheng pondered. Compared to changes in appearance, the urgent priority was to find a way to clear things up. The most important question was: why did she jump off the building?

Something truly terrible must have happened in the past nine years to cause such a drastic change in her personality. This was crucial; she had to find out.

As she was weighing the pros and cons, she suddenly let out two dry coughs. Her throat felt parched and uncomfortable.

Mu Cheng looked at the water pitcher on the table and walked over, intending to pour a glass.

But her body was too weak; she couldn’t even hold a pitcher steady. Just as she lifted the glass pitcher, her hand gave out. With a shatter, the pitcher smashed on the floor.

Water poured out, and glass shards scattered everywhere—a total mess.

Feeling frustrated, Mu Cheng painfully crouched down, wanting to pick up the shards.

Just then, the door to the room suddenly pushed open.

Hearing the sound, Mu Cheng’s hand stopped. She looked up to see a slender, tall figure standing at the doorway.

Zhong Yingzhi’s waist-length hair was now shorter, just past her shoulders. Her sharp-featured face had shed its youthful innocence for a more capable, mature look.

One person stood at the door looking down, the other crouched on the floor looking up. They locked eyes.

Zhong Yingzhi’s gaze landed on the sharp shard in Mu Cheng’s hand. Terror flashed in her eyes, and she rushed forward.

She snatched the shard Mu Cheng had just picked up. She grabbed it so fast that the glass sliced into her palm, and bright red blood dripped down from the shard.

Zhong Yingzhi didn’t seem to feel the pain. Frantically, she began sweeping away all the shards on the floor with her bare hands. One could imagine the state her hands would be in from doing that.

But she didn’t seem to care about getting cut; she was only desperate to take those shards away so that Mu Cheng couldn’t have them.

Mu Cheng stared at her blood-drenched hands, her eyes wide. “What are you doing?! Your hands are cut and bleeding!”

Mu Cheng tried to stop her, but Zhong Yingzhi misunderstood, thinking she was trying to snatch the shards back.

She dodged away, her grip on the shards tightening.

Blood continued to flow.

Mu Cheng grew frantic. “You’re crazy! Doesn’t it hurt, holding that glass?!”

Zhong Yingzhi stared at her, her eyes bloodshot. She shouted angrily, “You’re the one who’s crazy! You just woke up and you already want to use these shards to slit your wrists? I’m telling you, I won’t allow it! Every time you try to die, I will save you. I mean what I say!”

Mu Cheng froze. Realizing what was happening, she quickly stood up and took a step back. “You misunderstood! I just wanted to drink water and couldn’t hold the pitcher. I’m not trying to take the shards, and I have no intention of slitting my wrists. Your hand is bleeding a lot, let go quickly!”

Zhong Yingzhi’s eyes were full of suspicion. It wasn’t until Mu Cheng retreated to a safe enough distance that she slowly released her grip on the glass.

Zhong Yingzhi’s panic, fear, and “facing a great enemy” state were all visible to Mu Cheng.

Seeing her like this, Mu Cheng felt a surge of bitterness in her chest, and her heart gave a sudden, sharp ache.