Running away from the Love-Brain

Sunny Coconut

After a long night in the hospital, the car first arrived at Chi Buyu's residence. As Chi Buyu got out of the car, she yawned repeatedly, turning back to her home three times. The first thing Cui Xijin did when she got home was to take a shower.

Chen Wenran tried to offer her help, but after being politely declined, she pondered for a while, scratching her head and finally attempted to persuade her.

"Why don't you skip the shower? What if you accidentally slip in the bathroom and have to go back to the hospital?"

In response to this concern, Cui Xijin merely maneuvered her wheelchair, slowly spinning around the room while deftly tidying up her clothes, and ordered Chen Wenran to stay outside her boundary. She leisurely uttered two words, "No way."

Chen Wenran was at a loss for words and stood outside, coldly snorting, "Stubborn!"

Cui Xijin couldn't be bothered to argue and sent her away before taking a shower.

It was already the sixth day of the New Year, and the holiday was nearly over. The construction company rarely observed public holidays. Chen Wenran had taken a half-day off to come over, and she indeed had a meeting in the afternoon. Not wanting to continue bantering with her, she only advised before leaving,

"I beg you, if there's anything you can't handle, don't hesitate to call me. Ran Yan and I can come over immediately, and if all else fails, there's still Shui Shui. By the way, how will you have dinner tonight? Are you still going to the studio in the next few days? If you are, how will you get there? I advise you not to go; take this chance to give yourself a sick leave..."

She rattled on with a pile of questions. Cui Xijin didn't answer any, dismissively replying, "I know," and sent her off to the meeting.

For a patient with a back injury, showering independently was indeed a challenge. But for Cui Xijin, allowing another person to participate in her bathing process, or choosing not to shower on a night like this, when she was enveloped in damp rainwater, disinfectant, sweat, and various unfamiliar scents... she would rather endure the pain.

She prided herself on her ability to withstand pain, but the entire showering process was not smooth. She could only lean against the wall to barely stand, quickly rinsing her hair and taking a shower, changing her clothes, and putting a patch on her back.

When she came out, she was in so much pain that her posture was distorted, her face pale. She carefully sat back in her wheelchair, gasping for breath, her hair barely dried, and she simply didn't have the energy to blow dry it.

The second thing she needed to do was charge her phone and find Chen Wenran and Chi Buyu on WeChat, asking them to send her the medical bills. Neither replied immediately, and she furrowed her brows, suddenly unsure what the third task could be.

According to her schedule, she should have been at the studio finishing her work at this time.

She was strict about categorizing everything, including her work and living spaces. So even though she was a freelancer, she wouldn't mix work with life; instead, she rented an independent studio a whole street away from her home to isolate herself from the possibility of inadvertently succumbing to universal human laziness.

At the same time, she had stipulated that her working hours for any project would be from nine in the morning to noon, and one in the afternoon to six in the evening. Other matters would have to be set aside during those hours.

As a result, she was often criticized—Chen Wenran would say she was always missing when she worked, as if she had disappeared.

But evidently, her current back condition did not allow her to sit for long. The doctor also recommended she stay in bed to rest.