Just Wanting to Divorce My Love Rival - Chapter 7

The cut on her hand was deep enough to see the bone. Blood dripped onto the floor, vivid and terrifying.

The nurse carefully bandaged Zhong Yingzhi. “Please bear with it; this might hurt a bit.”

It took three stitches. Throughout the entire process of cleaning, stitching, and bandaging, Zhong Yingzhi didn’t so much as flinch. Mu Cheng, standing to the side, was the one wincing in sympathy.

Seeing the needle pierce the skin, Mu Cheng panicked. “Aren’t they giving you anesthesia for the stitches? How much must that hurt?!”

Zhong Yingzhi looked up at her, a small smile appearing as she comforted her, “It doesn’t hurt.”

Mu Cheng was stunned. Zhong Yingzhi was actually smiling at her? She had never seen her smile before; seeing it now was quite a rare sight.

“President Zhong, you need to be careful with the wound for the next few days. Try not to let it touch water,” the nurse instructed.

Zhong Yingzhi nodded. “Where is Lin Zhuo?”

The nurse wrapped the last bit of gauze and looked up, replying respectfully, “Doctor Lin said he would be here right away.”

Zhong Yingzhi waved her hand. “Understood. You may leave.”

The nurse complied, packed up the medical supplies, and quietly retreated, closing the door behind her.

With the nurse gone, only the two of them remained in the room. Mu Cheng and Zhong Yingzhi stood facing each other, staring blankly.

The atmosphere was too quiet. Mu Cheng spoke first, just to break the silence. “Your hand… is it going to be okay?”

Zhong Yingzhi didn’t answer. Instead, she said, “You just woke up and your body hasn’t recovered. Don’t keep standing; go lie down on the bed.”

Mu Cheng waved it off. “It’s fine, I’m okay.”

To prove she was fine, she tried to lift her arms, but the movement tugged at her injuries. She hissed in pain, her body involuntarily buckling toward the floor.

Zhong Yingzhi rushed forward to support her, her voice tinged with a cold anger. “Why are you moving around? I told you to lie down.”

No matter how many years had passed, the way this woman spoke remained the same—sharp and icy.

Mu Cheng stopped trying to be brave and obediently lay back on the bed.

“When Lin Zhuo arrives, I’ll have him check you over again. Until then, don’t run around or move. Just lie still. If you’re tired, sleep some more.” Zhong Yingzhi tucked the blanket around her. Though her voice was cold, her movements were gentle. “I’ll be right here with you. Sleep peacefully.”

Mu Cheng blinked, feeling a bit unaccustomed to being cared for by her.

The room fell into another awkward silence.

Mu Cheng hadn’t forgotten the most important task, but the problem was: how should she ask what had happened to her? How could she ask without it sounding strange?

It seemed that no matter how she phrased it, it would sound odd. But she had to ask.

Whatever. To hell with being “strange.” “Um, I have something I want to ask you.”

Zhong Yingzhi looked at her. “Ask.”

Mu Cheng didn’t ask about the jump directly. She took a detour first. “Why are you the one taking care of me? Where is my grandmother? And why aren’t my parents or my brother here?”

Hearing this, Zhong Yingzhi’s brow furrowed. She stared at her with a look of confusion.

Since Zhong Yingzhi didn’t reply, Mu Cheng grew anxious.

She could be pulled back to her own time at any moment; there was no time for small talk. She decided to just make up a random excuse and be direct.

“My head is a bit messy. Maybe I have amnesia. Yes, that’s it—amnesia,” Mu Cheng said seriously. “Anyway, regardless of why, I just don’t remember. My time is tight, and I don’t have time to explain much. Just hurry up and answer my questions.”

Mu Cheng looked at her expectantly. “Why did I jump? What’s the deal with the depression? What did I go through?”

Zhong Yingzhi’s frown deepened, and her expression gradually turned grave.

“Say something! Don’t just stare at me,” Mu Cheng urged.

Knock, knock, knock. Someone was at the door.

Zhong Yingzhi turned her head. “Come in.”

The person who entered was Lin Zhuo, Mu Cheng’s primary physician.

Lin Zhuo was the same Doctor Lin from the school infirmary. However, compared to nine years ago, his hair was now streaked with white and his face was lined with wrinkles.

Lin Zhuo stepped forward to check Mu Cheng’s vitals.

Mu Cheng waved him off. “Wait, wait a second. I don’t need a check-up right now. If I must have one, let’s do it later. I’m really in a hurry. I might ‘travel back’ the next second. I know I sound crazy right now, but I’m truly desperate. Please, just answer my question: Why did I jump off that building?”

Lin Zhuo frowned and glanced back at Zhong Yingzhi.

Zhong Yingzhi’s face was full of worry. “She has been asking strange questions since she woke up. I suspect she might have an injury to her head.”

Lin Zhuo looked serious as he flipped through the medical charts. “That shouldn’t be. The previous scans all showed no head trauma.”

“Hey,” Mu Cheng spoke up. “My head is fine.”

No one listened to her.

Lin Zhuo closed the chart. “Let’s do a brain CT first to see if we missed anything.”

Zhong Yingzhi nodded.

“Listen,” Mu Cheng tried again. “My head is really fine.”

Zhong Yingzhi looked at her, concern clouding her heart. “I think she’s in a serious state.”

Throughout the entire ordeal, no one paid Mu Cheng any attention. She was eventually wheeled away to get a brain CT for no reason.

A group of experts and doctors gathered to study the CT results. Their conclusion: the head was perfectly normal, with no lesions or injuries. They eventually chalked it up to “traumatic amnesia.”

Mu Cheng watched their performance and rolled her eyes in silence.

Zhong Yingzhi poured a glass of warm water and handed it to her.

Mu Cheng took it and gulped down two large mouthfuls. “Now that the scans are done—whether it’s traumatic amnesia or my brain is just broken—it doesn’t matter. Can you answer my questions now?”

Zhong Yingzhi: “It wasn’t anything worth remembering. It’s better that you’ve forgotten.”

I still can’t get anything out of her. Mu Cheng held her forehead and looked at the ceiling in frustration.

Zhong Yingzhi smiled slightly, looking somewhat relieved. “You used to be so lifeless. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you this flustered and impatient.”

Mu Cheng looked her straight in the eye, placed her hands on Zhong Yingzhi’s shoulders, and spoke with total sincerity. “I’ll tell you the truth. I am actually the Mu Cheng from nine years ago. I suddenly gained the ability to travel through time. I must know the reason I jumped so that when I go back, I’ll be prepared and can prevent this tragedy from happening. Do you understand?”

Zhong Yingzhi looked down and gave a soft laugh.

Mu Cheng kept her patience. “I know it sounds absurd. I thought it was absurd at first, too. But it’s happening, and it’s real.”

“Your imagination is quite rich. It’s cute.” Zhong Yingzhi reached out and pinched Mu Cheng’s cheek, her eyes full of deep affection.

Startled by the pinch, Mu Cheng froze.

She took a step back, clutching her cheek. “Why did you pinch me? And why are you looking at me with that sentimental gaze? It’s kind of terrifying.”

Zhong Yingzhi took a step closer. “It seems you’ve even forgotten who I am.”

As she approached, Mu Cheng backed away. ” I haven’t forgotten! Your name is Zhong Yingzhi. I know you; you’re my college roommate.”

“Roommate?” Zhong Yingzhi pinned her into a corner, her gaze unreadable. “Just a roommate?”

The distance was too close. Mu Cheng felt a sudden wave of panic. She shielded her chest with her hands and stammered uncertainly, “Isn’t… isn’t that right?”

Zhong Yingzhi gave a cold laugh, then lowered her head and leaned in. The faint scent of mint enveloped Mu Cheng’s nose.

Closer and closer. So close she could see the fine peach fuzz on the woman’s face.

Mu Cheng swallowed, her eyes wide as saucers. She wanted to retreat, but there was a wall behind her.

At the critical moment, the scene shifted. Mu Cheng was back in her dorm.

She sat up, clutching her racing heart. “That scared the life out of me! What was she doing getting that close? Was she going to kiss me?”

“No way, no way.” Mu Cheng shook her head like a rattle. “Impossible.”

At some point, Xiao Xiaoli had sneaked over and was crouching by her bed, watching her with a sleazy, grinning face. “Who was going to kiss you?”

Mu Cheng rolled her eyes. “Where are your thoughts going? I wasn’t having a wet dream.”

Mu Cheng ignored her and began to think seriously about whether she had gained any useful information from this trip.

The answer was: no.

She only traveled once a month, and the duration was floating and inconsistent. Sometimes it was just a few minutes, other times several hours. This time had been nearly three hours.

Although she had stayed for quite a while, it was a pity she had been too reckless and impulsive. As a result, she hadn’t gained any useful intel. But it wasn’t too bad—there was always the 9th of next month. She would take it slow.

While Mu Cheng was lost in her thoughts, Xiao Xiaoli continued to babble excitedly beside her.

“I didn’t say anything, but you confessed yourself! Fine, no need to hide it.” Xiao Xiaoli backed away while pointing both fingers at her, winking lewdly. “We’re all adults. I understand you.”

Mu Cheng made a move to hit her. “Are you done? Your head is full of yellow trash. Understand what? I think you’re looking for a beating.”

The two of them chased each other around the dorm, creating quite a ruckus.

During the chase, Mu Cheng’s foot slipped and she tumbled backward. Just as she closed her eyes, preparing to have a close encounter with the floor, Zhong Yingzhi happened to walk in from outside.

At that distance, if Zhong Yingzhi had simply reached out a hand, Mu Cheng wouldn’t have fallen.

But…

Zhong Yingzhi took a step back and avoided her.

With a thud, Mu Cheng landed face-first on the floor, one of her slippers flying off.

Zhong Yingzhi glanced at the person on the floor, lifted her foot, and stepped right over her.

Mu Cheng: “…”

Mu Cheng rubbed her sore knees and glared at Zhong Yingzhi, who was taking off her coat. “It’s one thing not to catch me, but did you have to step over me? The path is so wide!”

Zhong Yingzhi looked back at her in confusion. “Are you talking to me?”

Mu Cheng scrambled up and gave her a “smile.”

“I didn’t complain about you blocking my path, yet you’re the one finding fault with me?” Zhong Yingzhi narrowed her eyes, sounding quite serious.

“My apologies. I fell too widely and got in your way. I am truly, truly sorry,” Mu Cheng said sarcastically.

Zhong Yingzhi: “An insincere apology is worse than just staying quiet.”

Mu Cheng’s lip twitched. She was speechless. Where did she hear that she was actually apologizing?