Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=2188414
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Those hands quietly rested on the doorknob, poised to turn it open.
Yan Tinghuan's hand emerged from the blanket, fingers touching the ring-shaped object on her hand. With a slight movement, the transparent protrusion in the middle popped out again, resembling the sharpest fangs of a snake, with the liquid inside swaying gently.
However, the hands outside the door suddenly stopped, then lifted away after a moment. They hovered above the doorknob for a moment before retreating, slipping into the coat pocket.
It seemed they had no intention of entering after all.
This process was actually quite short. The person had originally intended to open the door, but then suddenly changed their mind. There could be many reasons for a change of heart, but very few would cause someone to alter their plans at two o'clock in the morning to visit a patient. After all, coming to the hospital at this hour, if indeed for a visit, indicated a deep concern for the patient's condition, likely indicating an intimate relationship. In such a close relationship, it's unlikely for someone to change their mind so suddenly. If it were to avoid disturbing the patient's rest, it's also unlikely. If one cared so much for the patient, they would want to personally assess their condition, even if it meant just standing by the bedside to take a quick look. Many patients are informed afterward about visitors, but they are usually unaware during their rest.
Since the above scenarios are unlikely, perhaps the visitor had second thoughts, feeling that for some unavoidable reason, it was inconvenient to enter and could only gaze from afar through the observation window.
Alternatively, perhaps the person was not there to visit at all.
If the purpose was not for a visit, then all the preceding circumstances would make sense.
If it wasn't for a visit, and they still planned to enter the ward at two in the morning, what did this person want to do? Nobody knew. Suddenly changing their mind not to enter was also unpredictable. For instance, it's possible that this person was extremely cautious, keenly sensing that something might be wrong in the ward, and decided to retreat.
In the room, Yan Tinghuan was almost holding her breath at this moment, listening intently. She knew someone was standing outside the door, but there was no sign of them wanting to come in, not even a sound.
The person outside glanced at the observation window. Looking through the window, they could only vaguely see the outline of the hospital bed. Xi Mo lay on the bed, deeply asleep.
The person lingered briefly outside the door before turning to leave. Still following the same corridor, their footsteps gradually faded away, until they finally pushed open the door at the end of the corridor and disappeared.
Yan Tinghuan gently shifted her body, pressing her ear against the wall. After listening for a long time, probably confirming that the person outside had completely left, she retreated and sat on the folding bed. Faint cold light leaked through the small observation window onto the floor of the ward. Her position on the folding bed was dim, and her expression wasn't very clear. However, her whole figure seemed heavy, exuding an air of resolute solemnity.
Finally, she put away the ring and lay back down.
The next morning.
Yan Tinghuan opened her eyes to see Xi Mo standing beside the folding bed, staring at her.
"What's wrong?" Yan Tinghuan noticed Xi Mo's strange expression and exclaimed, "Suddenly standing here like that, are you trying to scare me?"
But Xi Mo pointed at Yan Tinghuan's eyes.
Quick-witted, Yan Tinghuan immediately understood what might be going on. She hurriedly reached for her phone, opened the camera's selfie mode, and took a look. Instantly, her expression turned sour. Due to a severe lack of sleep, her eyes had dark circles, and both were somewhat swollen. The once glamorous Yan Tinghuan now looked nothing more than a shadow of her former self.
Annoyed, Yan Tinghuan tossed her phone aside, unwilling to look at her current appearance.
"Did you not sleep much last night?" Xi Mo asked her.
Yan Tinghuan began to make excuses, "Yeah. Maybe I'm just not used to sleeping in the hospital. I couldn't sleep well all night."
Xi Mo sighed, "I told you to book a hotel nearby earlier. You insisted on squeezing onto this folding bed, unable to stretch your legs properly."
Yan Tinghuan continued with her excuses: “Ruanruan, I'm afraid you'll be scared sleeping alone in the hospital, so I have to accompany you.”
Xi Mo: "…"
Wasn't your reason yesterday that booking a hotel costs money?!
And where did I show fear anyway?!
“Why is the folding bed placed here? And leaning against the wall, don't you feel it's oppressive when sleeping?” Xi Mo continued to ask, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, and her gaze intentionally or unintentionally scanning Yan Tinghuan's face, as if observing her expression.
Yan Tinghuan continued to fabricate: "I grind my teeth at night, I was afraid of disturbing you, so I sleep farther away, and leaning against the wall is the farthest from you."
"Is that so?" Xi Mo's eyes swept over her again.
Her eyes were clear and sharp at this moment as if to dispel doubts and find something.
Yan Tinghuan sensed that she might have discovered something, so she tried to probe, knowing that she couldn't fool her easily, so she didn't make up any more excuses, just said, "Yes."
"I didn't hear you grinding your teeth though," Xi Mo said slowly. "I think I heard you talking in your sleep."
Yan Tinghuan's face changed suddenly: "..."
With a dry laugh, Yan Tinghuan glanced at her as usual: "Did you hear what I said?"
Xi Mo shook her head: "You were far away, it was vague, I only knew you said a few things, but couldn't make them out."
She stopped there, her tone much gentler, just saying, "Talking in one's sleep is probably a sign of restless sleep. Since you didn't sleep well last night, rest more today. I'm much better now, I can be discharged in the morning."
Yan Tinghuan nodded.
Xi Mo glanced at her, then walked away to the bathroom to freshen up.
Yan Tinghuan sat on the folding bed with a heavy expression for a while, then took out her phone and edited a text message: ‘Someone came to the door in the early hours of the morning, but unfortunately didn't come in in the end. The thing was ready, but I couldn't catch them.’
The phone quickly received a new message. Ruan Yesheng's reply came almost instantly: 'Did you get any clues? How did she sleep last night? Is she feeling uncomfortable?'
Yan Tinghuan smiled as she typed rapidly on her phone. 'You replied quickly enough. Did you wake up at dawn, eagerly waiting for my intelligence?'
'Get to the point,' Ruan Yesheng replied.
Yan Tinghuan responded, 'There are no clues. The person was too sharp; they may have sensed something was wrong in the room and left immediately. I was worried about causing trouble, so I didn't pursue them. Plus, even if I wanted to, I wouldn't have been able to catch up.'
Shortly after, another message arrived from Ruan Yesheng: 'Did you realize I asked you three questions just now? I'll be busy preparing soon, so please reply all at once. Don't beat around the bush.'
Yan Tinghuan chuckled at this, imagining Ruan Yesheng's expression at that moment, which must have been quite rare. However, since Ruan Yesheng insisted, Yan Tinghuan replied honestly: 'She slept well and didn't feel uncomfortable anywhere. She woke up earlier than me today and seems to be in good condition. She'll be discharged soon. But she's too smart. If I want to keep anything from her, it'll be increasingly difficult.'
'Of course, she's always been very clever. So, you need to be even more careful not to let her figure anything out. I don't want her to be involved,' Ruan Yesheng warned.
Yan Tinghuan teased her, 'Look at how smug you are.'
‘I'm going to get ready, explain more when I come back. Remember to tell her not to worry about the crew; I've explained the situation to Director Lin, and he'll arrange for her to take a break.’
‘Don't worry.’
Yan Tinghuan finished texting with Ruan Yesheng, cleared all the messages, and then got up to tidy up.
In the morning, the doctor checked Xi Mo's condition and said there were no problems. He prescribed some medicine and said she could go home. Yan Tinghuan helped her with the discharge procedures and drove Xi Mo back to the hotel where the crew was staying.
Taking advantage of Lin Qitang giving her a few days off, Xi Mo rested well for a while.
Originally, she was always dedicated to her work, and acting was particularly important to her. If she caused delays in the shooting schedule because of herself, she would inevitably feel guilty. However, now she was using Ruan Yesheng's body, so she was probably worried that something like a fever would affect Ruan Yesheng's health. So, she temporarily set aside those concerns and focused on taking a break. To help Ruan Yesheng's body recover as soon as possible, she even did some rehabilitation exercises that she could tolerate.
After returning from the crew every day, Ruan Yesheng would go to her place to check on her. They would talk for a while. Sometimes, if there were no night scenes, they could finish early in the evening, and Ruan Yesheng would rush back immediately after filming to have dinner with Xi Mo.
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=2188414
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
When her sick leave was over, Xi Mo returned to the set. Ruan Yesheng had previously told her about the person outside the hotel and even showed her the paper with writing on it when they went back. Xi Mo knew that someone might have infiltrated the crew, so she was more cautious during the shooting. However, Gu Qisong had been investigating the complete list of crew members obtained by Lu Qingming these days, but he hadn't found any clues for the time being.
During the break, Xi Mo sat on a folding chair, quietly reading the script in her hand. However, her gaze would occasionally lift from the script, scanning the surroundings. The prop preparers, set designers, lighting technicians, and camera operators were all so busy, shuttling back and forth on set, whispering to each other, being directed to make preparations, or redoing tasks if mistakes were made. In the past, she might not have paid much attention, so everything she saw on set was calm. But now, it was a mix of shadows and mingling voices, which seemed noisy to her.
"Here," Ruan Yesheng said, handing her a drink. The days on set had passed one by one, and the scorching heat of summer was long gone, but it was still hot during the day. Enjoying a drink during breaks brought some comfort. Xi Mo took it. Ruan Yesheng had a bag in her hand, containing several drinks. She placed the bag on the table and sat next to Xi Mo, sipping her own drink slowly.
"Whose are all these drinks for?" Xi Mo casually asked.
"Tangtang bought them. When she went out, she saw Ding Pei and Yan Mu next to us, she thought they were still here, so she brought some for them too," Ruan Yesheng explained.
"If she keeps this up, Ding Pei and Yan Mu won't need assistants anymore; she'll take care of everything herself," Xi Mo remarked.
Ruan Yesheng chuckled, "Tangtang is so kind-hearted."
"Where is she?"
"She's talking to Gu Qisong over there and brought him a drink."
Shortly after, Ding Pei approached them again. After spending these days together, Ding Pei and Yan Mu became close to them, often spending breaks together, chatting and eating. Ding Pei's manager was also polite, always buying snacks and drinks in bulk, sometimes even bringing exquisite afternoon tea. It was natural for the manager to consider their own artists when buying these things, wanting to foster good relationships and secure resources in the future. Especially with Xi Mo's revered status in the industry, many people wanted to get close to her, so when Ding Pei's manager noticed Ding Pei getting close to Xi Mo and her friends, he became even more attentive.
However, this is understandable. Besides, Ding Pei is very obedient and proactive, so naturally, the relationship becomes even more harmonious over time.
Ruan Yesheng handed the drink to Ding Pei, who gratefully accepted it, saying, "Thank you, Sister Xi."
He sipped through the straw, drinking while appearing a bit nervous, occasionally looking around.
"What's wrong?" Ruan Yesheng noticed something odd about him today.
Ding Pei looked somewhat hesitant, "Today, the media came, and I... I'm afraid of being photographed."
"What are you afraid of?" Ruan Yesheng said, "We are actors, we're supposed to be exposed to the media. You're upright now, why fear being photographed by them?"
"No, Sister Xi." Ding Pei took a sip of his drink, took out his phone, and showed Ruan Yesheng a Weibo post: "Look at this."
Ruan Yesheng glanced over and furrowed her brows.
Xi Mo remained composed, motionless, only glancing over from the corner of her eye.
"Do you want to see, Sister Ruanruan?" Ding Pei asked.
"Let me have a look too," Xi Mo replied.
