October 4th.
Shenxiao Temple, a guest room.
When Jiang Chi woke up, the first thing he saw was a familiar, spirited face he knew all too well. At this moment, her gaze was fixed intently on him, her eyes brimming with surprise and excitement.
“Holy crap! You’re finally awake!”
“Do you have any idea?! Chi, baby, you almost scared me to death!!”
“Three days and three nights! For three whole days and nights, I almost thought you’d kicked the bucket!!”
“You scared me so much. I didn’t know you were allergic to konjac, and I definitely didn’t think there was actually real konjac in those spicy konjac snacks!”
A string of excited and relieved words fired off like a machine gun. Ji Yuenian was so worked up that she even grabbed Jiang Chi and shook him a few times, leaving him unable to react for a moment.
By the time he regained his senses, he quickly understood the whole situation from her frantic rambling.
There really was konjac in the snacks at the temple, and he happened to have a konjac allergy. He had fainted after eating them that night and had been unconscious until now.
Rubbing his temples with a slight headache, he looked at her and asked, “How long was I out?”
“Three days and three nights.” Ji Yuenian crossed her arms and tilted her chin up, her eyes full of pride and sass, like a little peacock that had just won a battle. “Three whole days. Even after the anti-allergy meds, you still slept for three days. I stayed by your side for three days and three nights. If the doctor hadn’t repeatedly guaranteed you were fine, I would have dragged you to the city hospital myself.”
“You slept for three days; how was it? Was it comfortable?”
“If you’re well-rested, get up already. I need to catch up on some sleep.”
As she spoke, Ji Yuenian let out a lazy yawn and plopped onto the bed. Jiang Chi noticed the faint dark circles under her eyes and the dim, silent sky outside the window. He instinctively glanced at the wall clock: it was past three in the morning.
“Either you get up, or move over and make some room for me.” Ignoring Jiang Chi’s slight movements, Ji Yuenian muttered to herself and impatiently crawled onto the bed.
The guest room featured a standard double bed, spacious enough to fit a family of three if they squeezed, so it naturally had room for both Ji Yuenian and Jiang Chi. Before Jiang Chi could even move, a fragrant, soft body slid into his arms, bringing with it a faint scent of mint.
“Scoot over a bit, leave me some space.”
“I’m dying of exhaustion.”
“National Day is only a few days long, and I spent three of them on you. Sigh, my National Day holiday…”
“Say no more, say no more. If I don’t sleep now, I’m going to drop dead.” After muttering a few more complaints, the voice beside him grew quieter and quieter until only steady, long breaths remained. She had clearly fallen into a deep sleep.
By the moonlight that filtered in like water, Jiang Chi reached out to grab his phone from the nightstand. He checked the time: 3:14.
He looked around. Through the half-drawn curtains under the moonlight, he saw the empty glucose IV bag hanging by the nightstand, several opened packets of instant coffee on the table, and a cup of cold instant coffee.
His gaze fell back on the elegant woman lying beside him. Her arched brows were slightly furrowed, her long eyelashes cast shadows like fans, and her lips were rosy against skin as white as jade. He looked at her rounded, heart-shaped face and those dark circles under her eyes.
Had she been taking care of him all these days?
Three days and three nights.
The words spoken by “Ji Qingchan” in his previous dream inexplicably surfaced in Jiang Chi’s mind.
Was the person he liked really “Ji Qingchan”?
The one he liked was the “person” who had reached out to help him and accompanied him through that period when he was at his most helpless, most longing, and most expectant.
It wasn’t that he met her during the best of times; it was that meeting her when he needed her most turned that period into the best of times.
From then on, he could never forget her.
His deep blue eyes shifted slightly as he looked at the person beside him. Jiang Chi slowly reached out his hand, wanting to touch her face, but as if remembering something, his hand froze in mid-air.
After a pause, he took the blanket and tucked Ji Yuenian in properly, especially over her midsection.
Having done all this, Jiang Chi stared silently at the ceiling, a complex expression flashing in his eyes.
“Ji Qingchan” was Ji Yuenian. “Ji Qingchan” was Ji Yuenian. Liking “Ji Qingchan” meant liking Ji Yuenian, so… was he supposed to like Ji Yuenian?
To like this little liar who had deceived him and played with his feelings.
The next day.
The news of Jiang Chi waking up spread quickly. Early in the morning, the old traditional doctor in the temple came to check on him. After a round of observation, listening, and questioning, the old doctor left with the advice to “nourish yourself well these next few days” before turning to leave.
Yao Shiming and Hu Li also rushed over. One was a classmate, and the other was the host of the place; it was Hu Li who had used his connections to find that old doctor.
The four of them gathered, but they had only been chatting for a few minutes when Yao Shiming was suddenly dragged away by Lin Xuanlei, who had burst through the door claiming they needed to train. Hu Li followed them out.
“Come on, eat a chicken leg. You need the nutrients.”
A chicken leg was dropped into Jiang Chi’s bowl, followed immediately by half a bowl of chicken soup. Jiang Chi stared silently at the chicken leg in his bowl, while Ji Yuenian, sitting beside him, had the breakfast trio of millet porridge, fried dough sticks, and pickled vegetables.
Early that morning, Ji Yuenian had ordered a whole hen via delivery. It had to be said that the delivery industry was truly advanced nowadays; as long as you paid enough, the delivery drivers would brave any weather to bring it straight to the temple gates.
“What? You don’t like chicken?”
Seeing Jiang Chi staring at the chicken leg without moving, Ji Yuenian assumed he didn’t like it and was about to order another set of breakfast.
However, Jiang Chi slowly raised his head. His eyes, as calm as a sea of stars, looked straight at Ji Yuenian as he spoke.
“Ji Yuenian, can I like you?”
Hearing this, the hand holding the chopsticks froze. Ji Yuenian snapped her head up to look at him, only to see Jiang Chi shake his head with a light laugh. “Just kidding. Just lightening the mood.”
“Don’t mind me.”
“Shit! You scared the hell out of me!”
“I really thought you were actually gay.”
Ji Yuenian spoke while rubbing her chest in lingering fear. She then picked up a fried dough stick and began munching on it, saying as she ate: “But I’m giving you a warning in advance. I don’t care if you like Ji Qingchan, but if you ever dare to fall for me, you better get as far away from me as possible.”
“I have absolutely no intention of dating a man after a gender-swap. As for our relationship, I think being friends with benefits who know where to stop is perfectly fine.”
“There’s an old saying: love requires a response, but sex only requires endurance. I can’t give anyone a response, and I can’t love a man. Any thoughts you shouldn’t have, kill them early.”
As she spoke, Ji Yuenian thought of those dreams—no, those “futures” she had observed through the dreams. Not a single one had a happy ending.
Since they were destined to have no good “future,” it was better for her and Jiang Chi to each go their own way. That would be best for everyone.