Chapter 42 – Ruan Tian
“Why didn’t you try to stop him?” Hua Mian suddenly asked.
“My reason is the same as yours, madam,” Yu Jin sighed.
“With such poor security, the guards just a makeshift group, how could a laboratory like this exist for so many years and commit so many evils on this land?”
Hearing Hua Mian’s question, Yu Jin stepped forward and crouched, motioning for her to lean onto his back.
“Perhaps they just lacked a bit of courage,” he said.
Hua Mian fell silent.
“Who was that beastman who blocked you earlier?” Yu Jin abruptly changed the topic.
“I don’t know,” she replied.
“Has he seen you before?” Yu Jin continued.
“Yes.”
“What do you think of him?” Yu Jin’s expression was serious, as if he were asking an academic question.
“Nothing much,” Hua Mian replied, clearly disliking Gong Zheng.
Yu Jin nodded in satisfaction and closed his mouth.
Then, Hua Mian told him about her promise to sponsor Jiu Ning.
“Alright, I’ll take care of it,” he said.
Hua Mian knew Yu Jin was always reliable. She wrapped her arms around his neck, leaned her head against him, and slowly lost consciousness.
Yu Jin noticed her hand suddenly go limp and hurriedly set her down to check.
She had already fainted.
“Mian Mian? Mian Mian?”
His hands trembled as he checked her condition. As at home, there were no wounds, but her bodily functions seemed to weaken continuously.
This was the strange illness Hua Mian suffered from, which could flare up unpredictably.
Yu Jin had brought several recovery potions on this trip, but their luggage had likely been lost.
He urgently needed a restorative remedy.
…
When Hua Mian woke up, three days had passed.
“Madam, you’re awake!”
Yu Jin held her in his arms. The stubble on his chin brushed against her forehead, making her frown.
“You… cough cough cough cough…”
Her coughing interrupted Yu Jin’s moment of relief.
He gently patted her back, but blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
Yu Jin’s expression froze. Trembling, he wiped at the blood with his fingers, but it wouldn’t come off completely.
Hua Mian coughed again, covering her mouth with the thin handkerchief Yu Jin offered, which quickly soaked through with blood.
With shaking hands, Yu Jin brought a restorative potion to her lips.
“Drink… Madam, just drink and it will be fine.”
Hua Mian closed her eyes weakly. Her throat burned painfully.
She had already felt unwell while saving Yu Jin, but she thought she could endure it. Now, it was as if suppressed pain had suddenly erupted.
The pain wasn’t sharp, more like a heavy, drowsy haze.
Even Yu Jin’s voice sounded muffled, as if heard through a layer of film.
Seeing her eyes closed, Yu Jin’s fingers trembled as he fed her the potion. She could still swallow, but her body was limp and looked very unwell.
Thump thump thump.
After taking a deep breath and observing her condition, Yu Jin confirmed she was still breathing and coldly opened the door.
“What’s going on?”
Ruan Tian looked at the indifferent beastman before her and smiled brightly. “I made some porridge. Do you want some?”
Yu Jin glanced down at the porridge, which looked decent, and after a moment, accepted it.
“Thank you,” he said.
“No need to be so formal. You can call me Ruan Tian, or my nickname, Tian Tian,” she said.
Yu Jin, having no patience for this seemingly scheming female, replied, “Anything else?”
Ruan Tian’s smile stiffened. She hadn’t expected Yu Jin to be so indifferent, nothing like the gentle, refined man she remembered.
Her gaze fell on the slight curve of the bed.
Immediately, she thought of a new topic. “She still hasn’t woken up?”
Yu Jin’s expression didn’t change, but inside, he became alert. “No, I’ll go take care of my madam first.”
Ruan Tian had no choice but to take a step back as the door closed before her.
She snorted lightly.
In her previous life, he had been gentle and helpful even with her, so he must have liked her!
Now, he was probably just wary of that malicious female, Hua Mian, and didn’t want any entanglement.
After all, she had dressed so exquisitely, and Yu Jin surely noticed.
Feeling confident, Ruan Tian left, thinking, This life, I’ll find the best beastman for myself!
Thinking of how Nangong Zheng had pushed her to her death without hesitation in her past life, her heart filled with hatred.
This life, I’ll be the female he can never have, making him live with regret and longing forever!
Hua Mian, meanwhile, unaware that Ruan Tian now lived in the original female lead’s house, remained trapped in a dream and couldn’t pull herself away.
“It’s pink…”
“This is top-grade calming serum!”
“So pretty, what a pity.”
“What’s there to pity? Yesterday, when you took the money, you didn’t say anything.”
“How much should we take?”
“Take it all.”
“Take it all? Will it even survive?”
The voice was muffled, almost distorted.
Hua Mian saw a white light flash before her eyes and felt nothing else. When the unclear conversation stopped, she felt excruciating pain, centered in her heart.
It hurt so much, as if something in her body was slowly disappearing. Fear and despair made tears roll down her temples.
Help…
Save me…
It hurts…
Hurts…
“Where does it hurt? Madam? Madam?”
The membrane over Hua Mian’s ears gradually disappeared, and she could finally hear the voice clearly.
“Where does it hurt?”
“My… heart…” Hua Mian’s voice was hoarse.
“Heart? Your heart?”
Hua Mian opened her eyes, struggling against Yu Jin pushing her clothes back up.
“Madam…” Yu Jin’s eyes were bloodshot, his stubbled chin rough and worn, looking tired and ugly.
“Don’t…” Hua Mian weakly protested.
“Where exactly does it hurt?”
“My dream… I need water,” Hua Mian managed to say, each word coming with a heavy breath, sweat on her forehead.
“Alright.” Yu Jin understood and fed her half a cup of warm water.
She drank too quickly and coughed. Yu Jin pressed a handkerchief to her lips, which was soon soaked with blood.
Looking at the vivid red, he regretted not studying medicine at university. If he had, he wouldn’t feel so powerless.
Years later, when Yu Jin won the highest honor in medicine, his acceptance speech was understated: I just want my madam to live a healthy life.
Many thought he was showing off, but only he knew it was the truth.
After drinking the water, Hua Mian felt a stabbing pain in her heart and a hollow emptiness, recalling the strange dream.
Was it really a dream?
She had no answer. With Yu Jin’s help, she drank another restorative potion and finally felt slightly better.
“Madam, do you want to eat something?”
Hua Mian had no appetite but managed a few sips of porridge. Yu Jin finished the rest.
“Where… am I?” she asked, looking around the small room, puzzled.
“It’s a female’s home,” Yu Jin replied honestly.
“A female?” Hua Mian was surprised.
“Yes. After you fainted, I took you to the residential area, and a female was willing to help us,” Yu Jin cautiously explained.
A female?
Hua Mian found it strange that a female would help a beastman she didn’t even know, carrying a fainted wife.
“Why?”
“She seems to know me, but I don’t know her,” Yu Jin replied cautiously.
“Hmm? What’s her name?”
“Something… Tian?” Yu Jin sounded uncertain.
