CHAPTER 22 (PART 2)

Shi Li would smile, wrap her arms around his neck, and press a kiss to his cheek. Then, in a low voice, she would whisper sweet words to him, coaxing him until his gaze softened, and he would, in turn, pull her into an embrace.

Those happy days had finally come to an end when Shen Jingyan stabbed someone with a knife—just because that person had made a few obscene gestures at Shi Li.

The price he paid wasn’t too high. He only had to serve three years in prison.

Just three years. Once he was out, they could be together again.

“Wait for me,” Shen Jingyan had told her.

Then, Shi Li woke up.

She stared at the ceiling for a long time. As her consciousness slowly returned, she realized she had once again returned to the world of the novel. And at this very moment, she was sleeping in the room next to the male supporting character she had once betrayed.

Shi Li placed a hand over her heart. The emotions from the dream—the excitement, the pain—had completely disappeared. She still remembered every moment she had spent with Shen Jingyan, but the aching sorrow that once accompanied those memories was gone.

“…For the first time, I’m realizing that the system’s emotion-recovery function is pretty disgusting,” Shi Li muttered.

Just as she spoke, a line of text appeared in her mind—

Emotion recovery is implemented for the mental well-being of the tasker. If emotions are allowed to accumulate unchecked, the tasker may experience emotional overload, leading to a breakdown and eventual entrapment in a cycle of despair…

“You talk too much,” Shi Li impatiently cut it off, throwing aside the blanket as she got up to wash up. The text in her mind vanished instantly.

Thanks to that dream, Shi Li was in a foul mood all morning. It wasn’t until a voice came from outside the door—

“Shi Li, are you awake?”

She quickly finished rinsing her mouth and ran to open the door, poking her head out. “I’m awake. What’s wrong?”

“Your clothes arrived,” Shen Jingyan handed her a shopping bag. His gaze was the same as it was yesterday, as if whether she was clean or dirty didn’t make any difference to him. “I picked them out myself. I’m not sure if they’ll fit, so try them on.”

“Thank you.” Shi Li took the bag from him and, seeing that he had nothing else to say, closed the door.

She took out the clothes and tried them on, finding them a better fit than the ones she had worn before.

This body was at least twenty pounds thinner than her real one. Even if she had gone shopping herself, she might not have found something that fit this well.

After changing, she tidied herself up and stepped outside. Shen Jingyan was waiting for her not far away. When he saw her outfit, he nodded slightly. “Looks good.”

“Thanks for buying them for me,” Shi Li said, a little embarrassed. “But I might not be able to pay you back right away.”

Shen Jingyan chuckled. “It’s not a big deal. You have a medical check-up this morning. Some tests require bloodwork, so you can’t eat for now. Hold on a bit longer—once it’s done, I’ll take you to get something good to eat.”

“Alright.” Shi Li nodded, and the two of them left together.

They returned to the same biotechnology company as yesterday. After getting out of the car, they took a different elevator this time.

“This one goes directly to my lab. The check-up will be done there,” Shen Jingyan explained in a calm voice.

Shi Li nodded and followed him inside. Shen Jingyan swiped a keycard, and the elevator began ascending to the top floor.

Watching the numbers on the display rise rapidly, Shi Li felt a little anxious. Sensing her unease, Shen Jingyan lightly patted her back.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be here. Aside from a few tests handled by the assistants, I can do most of it myself,” he reassured her in a low voice.

Hearing that, Shi Li relaxed. Even though she had complicated ties with this male supporting character, in this entirely unfamiliar novel world, she instinctively trusted him more than anyone else.

With a soft ding, the elevator doors opened.

A laboratory filled with sophisticated equipment unfolded before her. Several researchers in white coats were already inside. The moment they saw Shen Jingyan, they instinctively stood up.

One of them started to greet him, but halfway through, as if suddenly realizing something, they abruptly fell silent.

Shi Li glanced at him in confusion, finding his behavior somewhat odd. The man gave an awkward smile before quickly returning to his work.

Shen Jingyan lowered his voice and explained, “He wants to join my project now so he can have his name credited later, but I refused. That’s why it’s a bit awkward.”

Shi Li understood immediately and couldn’t help but remark, “I didn’t expect a company so focused on academic research to have this kind of situation too.”

“As long as there are people, these things will always exist. You just have to get used to it.” Shen Jingyan smiled.

Shi Li nodded and followed him into a room filled with medical equipment. Inside, a pretty young woman was already waiting.

Seeing the two of them enter, she immediately stood up. “Dr. Shen, hello.”

“Draw her blood,” Shen Jingyan said, glancing at her indifferently.

The young woman quickly agreed and politely gestured for Shi Li to sit down before beginning the procedure. She seemed extremely nervous—especially after Shen Jingyan walked over—so much so that her fingers trembled, making Shi Li uneasy. As the needle was about to pierce her skin, she tried to ease the tension. “Don’t be nervous. My skin is thick, so even if you poke me a few extra times, I’ll be fine.”

Just as she finished speaking, the needle slipped off course. Shi Li’s expression changed as she saw a small drop of blood well up on her arm. Meanwhile, the young woman looked utterly terrified, her face turning pale.

“I’ll do it,” Shen Jingyan suddenly said.

The woman’s fingers trembled as she hurriedly handed the syringe to him before rushing out with tears brimming in her eyes.

Once she was gone, Shi Li cautiously glanced at Shen Jingyan. “She seems really scared of you.”

“I’m strict with my subordinates,” he replied while smoothly inserting the needle into Shi Li’s vein. She barely had time to react before he had already drawn the blood and pressed a cotton swab to the puncture site. Setting the sample aside, he looked at her calmly. “After all, these are drug trials that will eventually be used on people. There’s no room for error.”

“I see…” Shi Li nodded, though she couldn’t help but wonder—if he was always this strict, why did the assistant seem so completely unprepared for it?

As she was lost in thought, Shen Jingyan handed the sample to someone outside the room, then closed the door and returned to her. “Let’s measure your height and weight.”

“Oh, okay.” Shi Li quickly stood up, followed him to the measuring device, and began taking off her shoes.

“Wait a moment,” Shen Jingyan stopped her.

Shi Li paused. “What’s wrong?”

“The measurement won’t be accurate like this,” he said with a composed expression. “Take off your clothes before stepping on.”

Shi Li: “…Take them off?”

Seeing her hesitation, Shen Jingyan suddenly realized something. “Don’t worry, I don’t mean anything inappropriate. I already told you yesterday—while we’re working, our relationship is purely professional. For the accuracy of the experiment, certain procedures are necessary… If you’re really uncomfortable, I can call the assistant back in. How about that?”

“No, no need. I trust you.” Shi Li hurriedly waved it off, thinking, You’ll still be here watching either way, so what’s the point of bringing in another person?

With some hesitation, she unbuttoned her shirt, stealing glances at Shen Jingyan. However, he remained completely focused on writing in his notebook, as if he didn’t care whether she was undressed or not.

His calm demeanor gradually eased Shi Li’s own discomfort, making her feel less awkward about taking off her clothes. Before long, she had removed her T-shirt and pants, leaving only her undergarments.

Shen Jingyan glanced at her. “Those too.”

“…Are you sure?” Shi Li was speechless.

Shen Jingyan frowned slightly. “What’s wrong?”

Shi Li: “…”

The way he asked so matter-of-factly left her with no room to argue. After all, right now, she was nothing more than a test subject. To researchers like him, she probably wasn’t any different from the preserved human tissues on the shelves.

Taking a deep breath, she removed the last two pieces of fabric, crossing her arms tightly over her chest before stepping onto the scale.

Oddly enough, even though she was practically skin and bones, her figure still retained a noticeable shape, creating an odd contrast. Shen Jingyan observed her in silence, his gaze completely neutral. When she stood in place, he reminded her flatly, “Stand up straight and put your arms down.”

Shi Li bit her lip, clenched her teeth, and followed his instructions, fully exposing herself to him.

Shen Jingyan’s gaze swept over her from head to toe with a clinical detachment. Though she felt embarrassed, it was strangely bearable.

…Perhaps because his gaze was so pure. He looked at her the way one might observe their own possession—devoid of any emotion or desire, making it impossible for her to overthink things.

After a few tense seconds, the machine beeped twice. Shen Jingyan offered her a small reassuring smile as he recorded the data. “You can step down now. Height: 168 cm, weight: 42 kg. Severely underweight. You’ll need to regain some weight before we can proceed with the experiment.”

Shi Li only caught part of what he said before hurriedly stepping off the scale, fumbling to put her clothes back on. But just as she was fastening her undergarments, Shen Jingyan reminded her, “Next, we need to measure your body proportions. Don’t get dressed just yet.”

Shi Li froze. “Measure what?”

“Oh, just the detailed body measurements. It’s similar to the usual bust, waist, and hip measurements, but more comprehensive. We need data on your thighs, arms, neck, and so on,” Shen Jingyan explained before giving her another once-over. “Bear with it. This data is necessary.”

Shi Li: “…Alright.”

Hearing her agreement, Shen Jingyan set down his notebook, adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, and slipped on a pair of white medical gloves. Then, picking up a soft measuring tape, he looked at her and said, “Take them off.”