Chapter 83: Broader Than The Sky, Deeper Than The Sea, And Higher Than Mount Everest
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Ruan Yesheng observed Xi Mo’s expression and tried to see something from her face, but Xi Mo seemed to notice. She didn’t just turn her face to the side—she buried her entire face into the pillow.
Ruan Yesheng couldn’t figure it out, so she gave up.
But somehow, her heart started pounding wildly again. This throbbing was completely different from the previous pain in her chest. It carried a certain indescribable hope, like a light and lively drumbeat, tapping on her heart.
She wanted to ask Xi Mo who this wish was related to, but when the words reached her lips, she couldn’t get them out. There was a vague guess in her heart, yet she worried she was overthinking it again.
Her thoughts surged, but she quieted down, lying on her back on the hospital bed and continuing to stare at the ceiling.
After a long while—so long that Ruan Yesheng felt a bit dazed—she heard Xi Mo ask her, “Are you sleeping?”
“No.” Ruan Yesheng turned over to look at Xi Mo. “I’m thinking about something. What about you, are you going to sleep?”
“No, I’m thinking about something too,” Xi Mo said. “We talked about it before—during that hotel fire, after we both lost consciousness, there should’ve at least been a third person present. This person is the key. We were unconscious back then, so this person must know much more about the situation than we do. If our bodies really are starting to show some side effects now, we need to speed up and find this person before things get worse.”
“I really want to find them too.” Ruan Yesheng sighed. “But we know nothing about this person. We don’t even know where to start.”
“If this person just happened to pass by and saved us out of kindness, then we basically have no hope of finding them. Because saving us would’ve been a chance occurrence for them, they wouldn’t pay attention to us again. They might have even left the city by now. That’s the toughest scenario.”
Xi Mo’s tone shifted as she continued, “But, if the person saved us with some purpose in mind, thinking we have value, it would actually make things easier. Since there’s a motive, they might want to know how we’re doing and need to monitor us. It’s very likely they’d show up around us or might have already appeared.”
“We’re only analyzing the person who saved us,” Ruan Yesheng frowned, a chilling unease welling up inside her. “What about the mastermind? Is it possible that what happened to us was man-made, apart from supernatural causes? If it was deliberate, then this person would be the root cause of everything. As the instigator, they must’ve been somewhere at the scene of the fire. If they know we’re still alive, they might be keeping an eye on us too.”
Xi Mo’s tone turned cold. “That’s also possible. Typically, after committing a crime, the perpetrator has a high chance of returning to the scene. If there are survivors or eyewitnesses, the chances of them stalking the survivors or witnesses would be even higher. Although this isn’t a murder case, the nature is similar. Someone once did something that put us in our current situation. They might be interested in the progression of our situation and could appear around us to observe.”
Ruan Yesheng nodded. “Then from now on, let’s only stay in areas covered by surveillance cameras. Don’t go to any blind spots. Also, have Lu Qingming find a way to get the studio’s surveillance footage. Maybe we can spot something unusual.”
“Feasible,” Xi Mo agreed.
After talking for a while, Lu Qingming came in again and gave Ruan Yesheng a few reminders.
Although Lu Qingming wore suits every day and looked like a typical elite and spoke very little, Ruan Yesheng always felt he was like a nagging old mom. Maybe this was Old Mom Lu’s unique way of showing concern.
“This time, you being admitted to the hospital can’t be hidden. Quite a few entertainment reporters have already taken pictures,” Lu Qingming said. “Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.”
“I know.” Ruan Yesheng responded casually.
She was well aware of Lu Qingming’s methods.
Within a few hours, the headlines about Xi Mo being admitted to the hospital would come out. Lu Qingming would also release a reasonable explanation. But what kind of explanation it was didn’t matter much to most people. What mattered was that this would generate a whole new wave of hype. Fans would flood Xi Mo’s company’s homepage, haters would continue to run wild, and the self-media outlets that relied on this would start a new round of traffic carnival.
This world over-consumes the lives of celebrities. People hold magnifying glasses, peering in closely, not letting go of even a speck of dust. Because even a speck of dust could be idle gossip, something for people to chat about over meals or a bite of melon in their spare time.
People are too idle, so much so that they have a natural craze for watching the drama unfold.
But for those involved, they had no choice but to silently accept this. It was a path they had to walk—getting used to it was all they could do. Ruan Yesheng understood this, and so did Xi Mo.
After Lu Qingming left, Feng Tangtang came back carrying a big bag of fruits and two large bouquets of fresh flowers.
Her hands were not free, so she could only hold the two bouquets in her arms while clutching the fruit bag in her hand. She walked into the ward unsteadily, her face completely blocked by the flowers.
“Why did you buy flowers?” Ruan Yesheng asked.
Feng Tangtang set down the fruit and took a moment to catch her breath. Still holding the flowers, she spoke excitedly, “I didn’t buy them; they were sent by fans. They arrived at the nurse’s station. The nurse called me over when I came back and asked me to bring them in.”
As she spoke, she placed one bouquet on Ruan Yesheng’s bedside table and the other beside Xi Mo, smiling brightly at Xi Mo. “Ruanruan, these are from the fans for you. Take a look.”
Xi Mo sat up and looked at Feng Tangtang.
Ruan Yesheng felt a bit surprised. Although she had countless fans surrounding her a long time ago, that era had long since passed. During these quiet days, the term “fan” had gradually drifted away from her. She had not received flowers from fans in many years. She thought she had almost been forgotten.
Feng Tangtang looked more excited than anyone else, her feet bouncing on the floor. “I thought they were all for Sister Xi, but the nurse said the person who sent the flowers left a message. One bouquet is for Sister Xi and the other is for you.”
Xi Mo examined the bouquet and glanced over at Ruan Yesheng.
Receiving flowers simultaneously from someone for both of them was not a good sign for her. They were in an urgent situation, like a tightly stretched string, uncertain of what the next change might bring. If their suspicions were correct and someone was observing them, that person could take simultaneous action against them, like sending flowers at the same time.
Ruan Yesheng's expression was also complicated. After the earlier discussion with Xi Mo, she was now enveloped in a tense atmosphere, not daring to relax for a moment.
Xi Mo was very cautious. She said to Feng Tangtang, “Can you help me get two pairs of medical gloves from the nurse?”
This translation is originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Feng Tangtang was puzzled but still went to get them.
Xi Mo asked her to give one pair of gloves to Ruan Yesheng. She put on a pair of medical gloves herself, pushed aside the still-dripping flower petals, and took out a card hidden inside.
The card had a line of almost round and chubby handwriting: “Didn’t expect this, right? — From your dear friend.”
Xi Mo: “…”
Although she didn’t know who sent it, looking at the silly, round letters made her feel she might have misunderstood. This did not seem like a danger. If this was dangerous, then it was far too trivial.
On the other side, Ruan Yesheng also wore gloves. She took a look at another card, which had a familiar font that made her feel silly: “Wishing you a speedy recovery — From your dear fan.”
Ruan Yesheng: “…”
“Tangtang,” Ruan Yesheng removed her gloves and relaxed. She said, “Please find two vases and put these flowers in them.”
“Okay, Sister Xi,” Feng Tangtang immediately went to get them.
Ruan Yesheng then asked Xi Mo to bring her card over. After reading the card that Xi Mo received, she felt clarity in her heart. The previous tension disappeared, replaced by a complex mix of amusement and helplessness.
Before long, Ruan Yesheng’s phone vibrated, showing a message from Shen Qingbie: “Ruanruan, did you get it? Did you get it?”
“I got it.” Ruan Yesheng replied by typing.
“Did it scare you?” Shen Qingbie always replied immediately.
Ruan Yesheng: “Scared me to death.”
“How could that be? I specially prepared a surprise for you. Was it unexpected?” Shen Qingbie said, “I knew you guys were in the hospital and wanted to visit, but A'Yu wouldn’t let me, saying it was a very sensitive time. She told me not to show my face at the hospital, afraid the media would catch wind of it and write nonsense. I thought she was right. There was no way, so I prepared two bouquets and had A'Yu find someone to deliver them to you. Don’t underestimate these flowers; they represent my concern and sympathy for you. They have depth and significance—”
“That's enough, that's enough.” Ruan Yesheng interjected, “Thank you for your friendship, which is broader than the sky, deeper than the sea, and higher than Mount Everest.”
“Of course.” Shen Qingbie became proud, “Who made me your dear friend? By the way, when I sent flowers to Xi Mo, I was so excited. Do you think there’s any chance she guessed it was me? I specifically used a pun. Everyone calls me Qingqing, so I wrote on her card, ‘From your dear* fan.’ Do you think Xi Mo could know that fan is me? Because I am Qingqing! I’m so nervous. What should I do if she finds out?”
*qinqin
Ruan Yesheng: “…”
“What time is it now?” Ruan Yesheng typed in.
Shen Qingbie: “It’s three in the afternoon.”
Ruan Yesheng replied, “It’s only the afternoon. Don’t dream yet.”
Author's Note:
Feeling touched by such deep friendship and the passion of fans, I ask you, are you moved?
Don’t dare to move, don’t dare to move【.
