Chapter 024　 She decided: It was time to be brave.

  *

  At 7 PM, Liang Wenya came to relieve Lao Zhang. After he left, she took out a change of clothes and the Japanese books from her bag, then asked with a half-smile, "What's the deal with that Li Chengshi doll in your study?"

  Damn, how did I forget about that? Su Xian gave an awkward laugh, but quickly found an excuse: "What's so strange about that? I haven't even thrown away the gifts Zhao Nanfeng gave me."

  "Don't quibble. Zhao Nanfeng's gifts were all quite expensive. Since you're somewhat materialistic, it's normal not to throw them away. But that doll was only one or two hundred Yuan. What special reason do you have for keeping it? You, my dear, like Xiao Li, but you're afraid of getting hurt in the end. So, the moment he got serious, you panicked and used the method of intentionally driving him away as self-protection."

  "My, you're so clever. I didn't even know I thought that way, yet you can see right into my heart."

  "That's called: The spectator sees more clearly than the player. Besides, Zhao Nanfeng doesn't represent all men. Are you willing to live your whole life in his shadow? Isn't that pathetic?"

  "It's so safe; how can it be pathetic?"

  Liang Wenya looked at her and sighed helplessly.

  *

  A simple fold-out bed with a tri-fold mattress was placed against the wall of the private room. It could be folded down for sleeping, but the seams where it folded didn't connect well, making it very uncomfortable to sleep on. Liang Wenya's back hurt so much in the latter half of the night that she couldn't lie down anymore. She sat up, saw some empty space on the side of the hospital bed, and carried her blanket over, lying down sideways at the foot of Su Xian's bed to sleep.

  *

  The next morning, the nurse came in for rounds, saw Liang Wenya sleeping on the hospital bed, and Su Xian lying on the fold-out bed. She immediately woke Liang Wenya up and said, "Ma'am, you should be more considerate of your child! What kind of mother are you?"

  Though a bit guilty, Liang Wenya retorted, "I'm telling you, young nurse, your eyesight is poor. I'm 47 and she's 34. How did you figure I'm her mother?"

  Su Xian laughed uncontrollably until the pain in her injury started to flare up.

  The nurse looked back and forth, then laughed and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, Auntie. Then you are...?"

  "I'm her boss."

  "Then you truly are a wonderful person! I've never seen a boss like you!"

  *

  After finishing the process of injections, medication, and wound dressing, Liang Wenya went outside the hospital to an agency and hired a day caretaker to assist Su Xian with tasks like pouring water and getting meals. Su Xian felt the helper was completely unnecessary and that having a stranger in the room made her uncomfortable, but she knew refusing was futile. This was the only way everyone else could feel at ease.

  At 10 AM, she called Project Manager Lao Yang to confirm various matters, followed by a video conference with Xu Shu-yi to delegate work. By the time she finished, it was 12:30 PM, not much different from a normal workday.

  The patient meal was nutritious and healthy, but like the food she cooked herself, it was somewhat flavorless.

  That evening, Wang Jing came to accompany her, bringing a comfortable, elastic mattress pad.

  **

  Four days later, the swelling had completely disappeared, and the wound began to scab over. After an examination, the doctor told Su Xian she could be discharged. They had used dissolvable stitches that didn't need removal; she just needed to go to a nearby community hospital for one or two more dressing changes. She was also prescribed some anti-inflammatory drugs, painkillers, and a large jar of scar-prevention ointment.

  Wang Jing stayed with her at home for another four days, after which Su Xian's arm could mostly move normally, so she let Wang Jing return. However, fearing she might not be able to grip the steering wheel firmly, she temporarily took taxis to and from work for a few days.

  The scabs from the facial abrasions had peeled off, leaving only faint marks that were expected to disappear completely in a few days. However, the scar on her left shoulder might take a year or two to fully fade.

  **

  After attending the regular meeting at the construction site, Su Xian returned to the spot where she was hit. The billboard had been completely dismantled, as if nothing had happened. Suddenly, she realized that she had been very close to dying there.

  The injury suddenly began to ache.

  If she had really died, what would her regret have been?

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  She stood in the cold wind, thinking seriously for a long time. She finally realized it was the "pathetic" Liang Wenya had mentioned, and the "phobia of love" Wang Jing had talked about. After Zhao Nanfeng broke up with her, she learned to cleverly package her fear of "losing at love" into a trendy female persona—non-marriage, no dating, focusing on career—appearing smart and free-spirited. But the truth was, she was timid and weak, afraid to invest emotionally, and terrified of loving someone only to be left with nothing.

  She decided: It was time to be brave.

  **

  The last day she was stationed at the site was a Saturday, and she finished work before 8 AM. Su Xian brought a suitcase to pack all the office supplies she needed, planning to return to Anliang’s office after the May Day holiday.

  From a distance, she saw a tall, slender figure standing by her car, looking down at his phone. This gave her a slight start, so she pressed her car key.

  The car suddenly beeped and started, startling the person. His phone slipped, and he quickly lunged to catch and save it.

  "Hey, you!" He turned to look at Su Xian, intending to demand an explanation.

  "Li Chengshi!" Su Xian cried out in surprise, dragging her suitcase toward him. "What are you doing here?"

  "I thought who it was trying to scare me!" he muttered unhappily.

  "Are you playing a dress-up game?" She scrutinized his new look.

  He used to wear a white T-shirt, jeans, and had sweet, compliant curly hair—like a little puppy. Now, his hair was much shorter, slicked back to expose his forehead, giving him a more aloof and aggressive edge. His clothes had also changed to a simple shirt and dress pants.

  No wonder she didn't recognize his silhouette.

  "Seen enough?"

  "Ok. So, are you waiting for me?"

  "Why else would I be standing next to your car? Is it because I dislike the Maserati across the lane?"

  Su Xian looked across at the white Maserati. "That's the car of the owner of Chaoran Trade upstairs. It's probably about to be foreclosed. If you like... Fine, never mind that. Why didn't you go to the office to find me? You could have called or texted."

  "I didn't want to disturb your work, and I didn't want to be seen by people from the company and cause misunderstandings again."

  "Then hurry up and get in the car. Let's go. The car next to us is Lao Yang's; he could show up any minute."

  *

  The car drove out of the underground parking lot and onto the main road.

  "What's with all the secrecy?" As she asked this, Su Xian noticed a shameful sense of wait in hope in herself. She immediately recalled him saying, "I don't want to cause misunderstandings again," and quickly suppressed her excitement.

  "On Youlu Island, I got your shawl dirty. I figured even if I washed it, you would still mind. So, I saved up some money and bought a different model from the same brand when I was in Sapporo. I planned to give it to you on the way back, but we parted on bad terms, so I kept it until last month, when your accident happened. I was scared to death in that moment. I only calmed down after Engineer Zhang posted in the group chat that your injury wasn't serious and we shouldn't worry. I ran to the restroom and cried. I was so incredibly frightened. So, the next day, I took a leave of absence and went to the hospital with the shawl. But you were in a video conference with Sister Xu. I didn't want to disturb you, and I was afraid General Manager Liang or the others would suddenly arrive, so I secretly looked at you a few times and left. Because as long as you were okay, giving you the shawl could wait."

  "I'm sorry I worried you." So he had come then. That made her quite happy.

  He took an Hermès shopping bag out of his satchel.

  "You really could have just given the old one back. Why buy something so expensive? That must have cost you two months' salary, right?"

  "Don't look down on the poor."

  "I'm not. Don't be angry."

  "...I'm sorry. I don't know why, but whenever I talk to you, I get easily agitated. You really are a very good person."

  He had given her the 'nice person' card. As expected, he didn't come back to reconcile. "It's okay. My way of speaking is often quite annoying. Since this is from the bottom of your heart, I'll accept it. Thank you."

  Li Chengshi took out another cardboard box. "This is the original one. Engineer Zhang told me that you bought this shawl to reward yourself after your first independent project was completed, so it has important significance for you. I cleaned it carefully. Please take it back. Even if you don't use it, you can simply keep it as a souvenir."

  Su Xian accepted the items, her mood complex. His returning the shawl was a kind gesture, yet it also felt a bit unfeeling, as if he had come to cut ties with her.

  **