‘Qi Lailing Qin silently noted this judgment in her mind, but let no superfluous expression cross her face.’
She exited the room, took two simple steps back, turned around, and walked away with a calm, unhurried gait.
The air in the corridor was a few degrees cooler than in the medicinal bath room…
Qi Lailing Qin stood in the hallway for two seconds, took a deep breath, then walked toward the adjacent room.
She knocked on the door.
The same rhythm she had used when knocking on Rinna’s door just moments ago…
The room’s interior was exactly as Rinna had guessed.
Fei was leaning sideways against the shoji wall, her ear pressed against the Japanese paper.
She had held this position for the entire duration of the medicinal bath…
From the moment Doctor Qi Lai had closed Rinna’s door, her attention, like a magnetic needle, had been completely drawn to the other side of the shoji, trying to penetrate this paper wall to detect even the slightest sign of Rinna’s discomfort.
But the quality of this washi paper was far better than she had imagined. Its soundproofing was astonishingly perfect.
The things she could hear were extremely limited…
Only the occasional sound of water, so faint she could barely identify it—probably Rinna adjusting her position in the tub. Once or twice, an extremely faint noise; she had been by Rinna’s side for so long that she could barely recognize it.
Plus a few fragmented pieces of conversation. She could distinguish Doctor Qi Lai’s steady, composed voice and Rinna’s soft, gentle tone alternating, but she could not make out a single word through that paper wall.
This left her feelings suspended in midair, anxiety mixed with a helpless resignation she had to suppress…
She wanted to rush over and check, but each time she forced herself to press her knees back down onto the tatami.
The bright daylight falling on her shoulders from the window did nothing to dispel the worry in her eyes.
When the knock suddenly came at her own door, Fei sprang up from beside the wall almost instantly.
Her bare feet landed on the tatami with hardly a sound.
She paused for a moment at the door, took a deep breath, firmly pushed down the anxious unease she had felt while leaning against the wall, and then slid the door open.
Standing outside was Doctor Qi Lai.
“Miss Kurose.”
Doctor Qi Lai’s voice maintained its usual rhythm.
“Miss Shirase is waiting for you in the next room.”
Fei’s eyelashes fluttered slightly.
Doctor Qi Lai did not wait for her response and continued her report, her words orderly and clear, leaving just enough pause between sentences for the listener to absorb them without feeling rushed.
“Little Rinna has just finished her medicinal bath.”
“After the bath, the skin is sensitive. When drying her body, use a pressing motion, do not rub back and forth.”
“The water temperature has gradually decreased. Next, you need to apply a warm towel to her lower abdomen and back, replacing it every few seconds.”
“After the bath, she can drink a little warm water—not too much, about half a small cup—just enough to keep her slightly hydrated.”
“If she feels tired afterward, let her lie down. The blanket only needs to cover her waist; do not tuck it in tightly.”
“There may be some residual heat in the afternoon and her palms may sweat. That is normal.”
Fei listened quietly.
Every single word was absorbed.
While processing this part of Doctor Qi Lai’s speech data, her auditory system automatically converted it into precise instructions she could refer back to in the future.
When it came to caring for Rinna’s body, she would not allow herself to make even the slightest mistake.
Once Doctor Qi Lai finished the last word, Fei nodded calmly.
“Mm. Thank you.”
Doctor Qi Lai softly said, “You’re welcome,” then turned and walked toward the corridor.
Fei watched Doctor Qi Lai walk a short distance away, then immediately turned and headed for the next room.
Her gait was distinctly Fei’s…
Meanwhile, Qi Lailing Qin walked along the corridor.
As she rounded the corner, the hem of her white coat was caught by a draft and lifted slightly, then slowly fell back down…
She passed through the half-open giant shoji of the Main Reception Hall, crossed the front courtyard path paved with bluestone slabs, stepped out of the Kurose family’s dark-colored nagaya gate, and reached the designated parking spot outside the residence.
Only one car remained there.
Her Volvo XC90.
She opened the door, folded the white coat she had already taken off, and placed it on the passenger seat.
The interior was still.
She leaned back into the seat, her back sinking into the soft curve of the dark leather, and pulled her phone out of her jeans pocket.
The screen lit up. The lock screen was a photo of the two of them together.
A picture of her and Suzune.
Suzune was hanging onto her like a koala, arms wrapped around her neck from behind, one leg hooked around her waist, her face wearing a slightly silly but genuinely bright smile.
Qi Lailing Qin gently placed her thumb on her sister’s forehead in the photo. She stayed there for a long while, not swiping, not unlocking, just quietly looking.
‘Suzune, this is all your big sister can do for you.’
She knew that her sister could never surpass Miss Kurose.
As a doctor…
As Rinna’s future exclusive personal physician…
She had seen the special bond between these two girls earlier than anyone else.
The degree of devotion Miss Kurose had for little Rinna went far beyond giving her heart.
It was already treating the other person as an indispensable center of her own life.
Suzune’s feelings of “so cool, so admirable” were destined to remain a soft, inevitably regretful longing.
But as an older sister…
When it came to protecting her own, just like Kurose Fei did for Shirase Rinna…
She too would stand behind Suzune and support her.
So, without hindering or disturbing the deepening bond between Miss Kurose and little Rinna, she would give Suzune a few small opportunities.
Like today, softly conveying Suzune’s request of “wanting to be friends” beside the bath tub.
As for the rest, it was up to Suzune to make her own luck.
Qi Lailing Qin let out a breath, pulling herself back to reality from thoughts that were still a little wistful but mostly tender.
She placed her phone on the wireless charger next to the center console and fastened her seatbelt.
The Volvo XC90’s Drive-E engine vibrated softly.
The car slowly pulled away from the Kurose Residence.
Finally, it disappeared at the end of the lush, tree-lined road…