Chapter 30

Outside the window, the bright moon had unknowingly vanished behind the clouds. Its hazy glow was swallowed by the mist as the first autumn rain quietly arrived. Unlike a torrential downpour, this rain fell in fine, silken threads like silver needles. Yet, it was precisely this continuous, unrelenting drizzle that tugged at one’s heartstrings the most.

Inside the room, on the single bed near the bathroom, Tang Feiwan, exhausted, had quickly fallen asleep only to dream of Lin Ye. In her dream, Lin Ye pushed her away, rejected her, said she had been hurt before. Tang Feiwan cried bitterly in her sleep…

Suddenly, a sharp cry yanked her out of her dream.

Lin Ye…

Tang Feiwan’s eyes flew open. She turned her head and, under the dim glow from the bathroom door, saw Lin Ye curled up on the edge of the bed, trembling slightly as if trying to suppress her sobs.

She had never seen Lin Ye like this neither before their breakup nor after Lin Ye returned to the country.

A sharp pain twisted in Tang Feiwan’s chest. Without thinking, she flung off the covers, didn’t even bother grabbing her glasses, and climbed out of bed. She didn’t put on slippers, moving barefoot toward the adjacent bed. Crawling onto Lin Ye’s bed from behind would have been too abrupt, so she chose to walk around the foot of the bed instead.

Because of her nearsightedness, she misjudged the distance and bumped her shin twice against the bed frame. But she didn’t care. Feeling her way in the darkness, she finally reached Lin Ye’s side.

She crouched down in front of Lin Ye and saw that the woman’s breathing was labored. Her teeth were clenched against her tightly balled-up fist, desperately trying to contain her emotions.

“Lin Ye.” Tang Feiwan’s voice caught in her throat as she softly called her name.

The person on the bed gave no response, only burying her head lower. Tang Feiwan could barely see her face.

“What’s wrong?” Tang Feiwan asked carefully, inching closer. Her voice was gentle. “If you’re in pain, you don’t have to hold it in.”

At last, Lin Ye reacted. She turned her back to Tang Feiwan, clutching the blanket on her left side, and let out a muffled sob.

The trembling cries scorched Tang Feiwan’s heart. She wiped away the tears that had unknowingly spilled from her own eyes, her voice hoarse.

“You don’t have to hold it in. If you want to cry, just cry.”

At that moment, Tang Feiwan wanted nothing more than to wrap Lin Ye in her arms without hesitation. But she didn’t dare. She couldn’t. She had no right.

Perhaps this was her punishment to watch helplessly as the person she loved wept beside her, yet be powerless to do anything.

Lin Ye’s sobs grew more gut-wrenching, as if releasing years of pent-up anguish. Tang Feiwan clenched the bedsheet beneath her fingers, her heart aching unbearably.

She bit her lip, struggling to restrain herself. But in the end, she couldn’t hold back. Moving carefully, she climbed onto the bed and, from behind, gently pulled Lin Ye into her embrace.

The woman in her arms stiffened for two seconds before her entire body went rigid. She struggled, her voice trembling.

“Let… let go.”

“Lin Ye.”

Tang Feiwan was slightly stronger than Lin Ye, so she gently pulled her into an embrace and turned her around so that she was facing her. A face-to-face hug always provided the most security. Releasing her arms from around Lin Ye, she softly explained, “Just think of me as a friend. Friends can accompany each other too; they can lend a shoulder to cry on.”

Lin Ye’s tears soaked through Tang Feiwan’s clothes in an instant. Feeling the dampness on her shoulder, Tang Feiwan’s heart felt like it was sinking into a muddy river.

But within just five minutes, the sobbing gradually subsided. Lin Ye pulled away from Tang Feiwan, shifting back half a step. Her voice was cold as ice, carrying no warmth despite the words of gratitude.

“Thank you. You should go back.”

Without her glasses, Tang Feiwan was practically blind. The dim lighting made it impossible to see Lin Ye’s expression, but she could hear that her breathing was still uneven.

Yet, she had no reason to stay any longer. Pressing her lips together, she said, “I’ll get you a glass of water.”

Crying for so long could lead to dehydration, and it was important to replenish fluids.

“No need.” Lin Ye’s voice was still hoarse from crying. After saying that, she turned her back to Tang Feiwan.

Tang Feiwan didn’t argue. In silence, she climbed off the bed.

She walked over to the TV stand, took out a paper cup, and filled it with bottled water. Worried that Lin Ye might spill while drinking, she poured out a small portion. Then, she placed the cup on the bedside table near the window and returned to her own bed.

“The cup is on your left. Goodnight.”

Tang Feiwan bid Lin Ye goodnight, though she knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep again.

Lying awake, staring at the ceiling, waves of pain surged in her chest.

She wanted to know what had happened? Why was Lin Ye like this? Who could she ask to find out the whole story?

Lu Yuqing.

A name surfaced in her mind.

Tang Feiwan grabbed her phone in a hurry, scrolling through her contacts until she finally found Lu Yuqing’s WeChat.

Just as she was about to type, she noticed the time displayed at the top of the screen 2:48 AM.

What shift was Lu Yuqing working today? Would sending a message disturb her?

Tang Feiwan hesitated for a while, but in the end, rationality lost. She hit send.

“Yuqing, I’m in Chucheng with Lin Ye. She’s not doing well. Sorry to bother you, but do you know why?”

She knew Lin Ye and Lu Yuqing were close so close that they shared everything. That was why Lu Yuqing was the first person she thought of.

After sending the message, she stared at the screen, reluctant to look away.

She waited like this until after 5 AM, when exhaustion finally overtook her, and she drifted off.

As dawn broke, soft golden sunlight seeped through the window, quietly filling the room.

Clothes lay scattered on the floor, some piled up at the bedside. On the nightstand, three or four opened pink boxes sat in disarray.

On the bed, Lu Yuqing lay sprawled out, exposing her smooth shoulder. The reddish marks on the back of her neck stood out starkly against her fair skin.

The phone alarm rang repeatedly. She furrowed her brows, lifting a slender finger to press the power button, silencing the sound instantly.

Beside her, Jiang Mu’s eyelashes fluttered, a sign of waking up.

“What time is it?”

“Officer Jiang, it’s only 8:13 AM. It’s Saturday. We’re both off today.”

Lu Yuqing’s voice was husky, still laced with traces of last night’s lingering passion.

“Oh?”

Jiang Mu’s lips curled into a smirk.

The next second, she leaned in, teasing, “Dr. Lu, morning exercise?”

“Again? Aren’t you tired?” Lu Yuqing turned to the side, avoiding the hand reaching for her waist.

Jiang Mu pulled the hair tie from her wrist, lifted her arms, and gathered her long hair into a ponytail, shaking her head.

“Not tired. Last night, you went twice, I went twice that’s only four times.”

“Who even keeps count?” Lu Yuqing was speechless.

She picked up her phone.

“Wait a sec, let me check if there’s anything I need to handle.”

If all went well, she’d be promoted to Associate Chief Physician next year. That was why, since August, her department had assigned her a resident trainee one with a million questions every day.

Lu Yuqing scrolled through her messages, responding one by one, joking with colleagues.

But as she continued, her smile suddenly disappeared.

Jiang Mu noticed the change in her expression and immediately asked, “What’s wrong?”

Lu Yuqing gritted her teeth.

“The scumbag messaged me.”

“Scumbag?”

Jiang Mu usually didn’t bother prying into Lu Yuqing’s personal life, but gossip was a different story.

She leaned in closer, wrapping her arms around Lu Yuqing’s waist from behind.

“A male scumbag or a female scumbag? A scummy man or a scummy woman?”

“Are you reciting a tongue twister?” Lu Yuqing deliberately shielded her screen, keeping Jiang Mu from seeing the content.

“Not convenient to disclose. You’ll find out yourself someday.”

“Find out myself? Do I know this person?”

Actually, Jiang Mu had already caught a glimpse of the chat she had seen Tang Feiwan’s profile picture.

If Lu Yuqing hadn’t said anything, she wouldn’t have even thought about her distant relative.

“I don’t know.”

Lu Yuqing grabbed Jiang Mu’s shirt from the bedside, draped it over herself, and got out of bed.

“I’m going outside to make a call.”

She walked out of the bedroom, closed the door behind her, and dialed Tang Feiwan’s number.

After two rings, the call was declined.

“What do you want?” Lu Yuqing texted.

“Yuqing, we have training at nine. We’re having breakfast at the restaurant next to the venue.”

The skills competition was in the afternoon, but the morning session was CPR training from the American Heart Association.

Lu Yuqing asked, “Where’s Lin Ye?”

“At the table across from me. Hold on, I’ll call you from the restroom.”

Lu Yuqing waited patiently.

Two minutes later, Tang Feiwan’s name popped up on the screen. She answered immediately, skipping any pleasantries.

“What do you mean Lin Ye isn’t doing well?”

“We shared a room last night, slept in separate beds.”

Lu Yuqing’s irritation flared.

“No shit. What, were you planning on sleeping together? Get to the point.”

“She woke up in the middle of the night from a nightmare. She wasn’t in a good state.”

“Did she cry?”

“Yeah… Yuqing, do you know why?”

Lu Yuqing sneered.

“I do. But why should I tell you? Why don’t you ask Lin Ye yourself? Are you too scared?”

“I…”

Lu Yuqing pressed on, her words laced with sharpness.

“Or did she refuse to tell you?”

She had been waiting for a chance to rip into Tang Feiwan for ages.

Lin Ye had always stopped her before, saying it wasn’t necessary.

But now?

Now, she finally had her opportunity.

Tang Feiwan’s voice was heavy.

“Yeah. She won’t tell me.”

“Of course not. Why should she? Who the hell are you to her?”

On the other end of the phone, due to having rested for less than two hours, Tang Feiwan was not in good spirits. Holding her phone, she swallowed back a lump in her throat and said, “Sister Yuqing, no matter what happens, I hope Lin Ye can come out of the darkness.”

“What does it have to do with you whether she comes out of it or not? Huh? Tang Feiwan, where were you when she needed you the most? What were you doing?”

“I…”

“I don’t want to say too much. She should be the one to tell you about it. If she doesn’t, I won’t say a word.”

“Alright, I’ll find out myself. Thank you.” Tang Feiwan expressed her gratitude multiple times. Only after the call was disconnected did she put away her phone. She stepped out of the bathroom stall and stood in front of the sink, turning on the faucet. The water gushed out. She scooped up the cold water and washed her face, stopping only when she was sure there were no visible traces of tears. After quickly touching up her makeup, she walked out to find that her colleagues were already preparing to leave.

A colleague showed concern for her. “Xiao Tang, you didn’t even touch your bowl of noodles. Do you want to pack some steamed dumplings to eat on the way?”

Tang Feiwan curled her lips into a smile and replied, “No, thank you. I’m not hungry.”

The morning training session lasted from 9 a.m. until nearly noon. For the first time, Tang Feiwan put work aside and didn’t absorb a single bit of the training content. Her mind was filled with the image of Lin Ye curled up in a corner, sobbing uncontrollably the night before.

At noon, her colleagues planned to grab lunch at a nearby restaurant, but she declined. She said she hadn’t been sleeping well recently and didn’t want it to affect the afternoon competition, so she intended to book a short-stay room at a nearby hotel to rest.

A colleague reminded her, “Alright, we’re meeting at 2. Don’t oversleep.”

“I won’t, don’t worry.” Tang Feiwan quickly walked out of the training building and hailed a taxi by the roadside. She got in and said, “Driver, please take me to Anxin Road, Anxin Community.”

She still remembered that the first time she came to Chucheng, Lin Ye had pointed out the way to her right across from Anxin Community.

It was midday, and the driver sped up, planning to grab lunch at a nearby eatery after dropping her off. As a result, the taxi reached the main entrance of Anxin Community in just fifteen minutes.

“Thank you.” Tang Feiwan paid the fare and got out of the car. She looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings, scanning the bustling crowd for any sign of familiarity. Suddenly, her gaze stopped on a signboard across the street Sanjiangyuan Noodle House.

As soon as the pedestrian light turned green, she hurried across.

Tang Feiwan had seen photos of Lin Ye’s mother before. She entered the noodle shop and sat at a table, quietly observing for two minutes. Suppressing the vague suspicion she didn’t want to face, she walked up to the auntie at the entrance who was inviting customers in and asked, “Auntie, hello. May I ask who the owner of this place is?”