Jiang Yanzhi kept one hand steady on the steering wheel, glancing sideways at her."Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"
Since she was a child, this was probably the sentence Tang Wanwan had heard the most. She shook her head."No."
Jiang Yanzhi smiled faintly."Then… would you like some water?"
He nodded toward the built-in car fridge."There's room-temperature mineral water inside."
She was, in fact, a little thirsty.
Taking out a bottle, she remembered her manners and asked politely,"Do you want one?"
Just then, the traffic light ahead turned red. Jiang Yanzhi braked smoothly and held out his hand."Yes."
She passed him a bottle.
He twisted the cap open and handed it back to her, then opened a fresh one for himself.
The movement was so natural that when she didn't drink, he turned his head slightly toward her."Why aren't you drinking?"
"…." Tang Wanwan, holding the opened bottle, pulled down her mask and took a small sip.
She had never been alone with any man other than Shen Xianyu before. And she couldn't help wondering—was this man being overly considerate?
Was he like this with everyone, or was it simply because she was under Shen Xianyu's care that he was paying extra attention?
That made sense. Anyone Shen Xianyu trusted enough to pick her up had to be someone he trusted completely.
—This was Shen Xianyu's sworn brother.
If the information from her dream was real, she would have to… with his sworn brother…
But Shen Xianyu himself would also fall for someone else.
The two of them—one would fall for the female lead, the other would toy with the male lead's feelings.
Ridiculous.
Her thoughts were a tangled mess, and her expression must have reflected it.
Jiang Yanzhi had already glanced at her several times without drawing attention to it. Now he said,"If you're feeling unwell, don't push yourself. Remember to take your medicine."
The reminder startled Tang Wanwan.
Her hand instinctively went to her chest.
She suddenly realized—there was none of the usual breathless tightness there.
Even after several hours on a plane and the landing just moments ago, she felt no discomfort at all.
Her body felt light, her mind clear, none of the lingering fatigue she had carried for years.
Normally, just a three-hour flight would leave her utterly drained—and even walking a little more than usual would have her panting for breath, weak all over.
But now…
This change… had happened after she met Jiang Yanzhi.
It was as if she had taken a legendary "Perfect Health Tonic," replenishing the vital life force she'd been missing since birth.
Could the dream's plot really be true?
—Was Jiang Yanzhi her "Perfect Health Tonic"?
The thought made her shiver involuntarily.
"What's wrong?" Jiang Yanzhi asked, startled.
He pulled the car over to the side and turned toward her."Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
Even as he spoke, he was already reaching for the medicine in her bag.
Tang Wanwan lowered her gaze, pressing a hand to her heart, focusing on the rhythm.
Her heartbeat was faster than usual, stirred by emotion—but there was no discomfort at all.
By then, Jiang Yanzhi had taken out a porcelain bottle of medicine from her bag. It wasn't hospital-issued, and there was no instruction label.
He frowned slightly."How many do you take at a time?"
As he spoke, he leaned toward her in the passenger seat, trying to check her complexion.
He might not have meant anything by it, but the sudden proximity of an adult man still gave her a faint sense of pressure. She instinctively leaned back a little."I'm not unwell. I don't need the medicine."
It was a clear defensive gesture.
Jiang Yanzhi paused, realizing he might have been too forward, and said softly,"Sorry."
Straightening up, he handed the bottle back to her."Are you sure you don't need it? …If something happens to you, I won't be able to answer to Xianyu."
The last part sounded like an explanation for his persistence.
"I don't need it," Tang Wanwan replied, shaking her head. "I know my own body. I won't push myself."
She took the medicine back and tucked it into her bag. After a moment, she added,"I was just surprised, that's all—not uncomfortable."
Surprised by what…?
She couldn't help glancing at the "Perfect Health Tonic" in front of her—only to meet his gaze head-on.
Their eyes locked. Tang Wanwan's grip on her backpack tightened.
For the first time, she hesitated.
He looked good—refined, clean, and handsome.
Maybe she should…
No, no, no.
The thought was rejected as soon as it appeared.
Nothing had been confirmed yet. She couldn't waver so easily.
Besides, Jiang Yanzhi was Shen Xianyu's sworn brother. If she did this, what position would that leave Shen Xianyu in?
…But the clarity in her mind, the lightness in her body—it felt too real.
If the dream's warning was true…
If the cure to her frailty was sitting right here in front of her… was she really going to refuse?
After all, in the dream, Shen Xianyu would betray her feelings anyway.
She would lose him.
But if she could gain a healthy body in exchange…
Maybe that wasn't such a bad trade.
Even the sharpest mind like Jiang Yanzhi's could never guess what was running through the girl's head at this moment.
He studied her face for a while, and, seeing that her complexion looked fine, eased up slightly."If you're alright, I'll keep driving."
"Go ahead," she murmured.
She turned to look out the window, her thoughts a whirlwind.
Liking Shen Xianyu was something she had decided long ago.
They had met as children—a young boy from the capital, arrogant yet untamed, who seemed to have met his match when he met her. From then on, he stuck close, taking meticulous care of her.
In all the years since, he had been the one traveling to Z City—from when she was eight until she turned eighteen. They had grown up together as childhood sweethearts.
Now, for the first time, she had taken the initiative to come to the capital.
Only to be faced with such a choice.
She had been frail since birth, carrying illness from the womb.
Joy, anger, sorrow, and excitement—all had to be kept in check, like she was a fragile porcelain doll.
Her parents had assembled a private medical team to develop a special medicine for her, but it had never been a cure.
With medicine always close at hand, she had longed—desperately—to live like a normal person.
To experience every emotion in life without restraint.
She liked Shen Xianyu, yes—but she had never imagined that one day, her feelings for him might conflict with her own health.
Nor had she imagined that Shen Xianyu might fall for someone else.
Jiang Yanzhi guided the car smoothly, glancing at the girl beside him now and then.
Her brows were slightly drawn, as if wrestling with a difficult decision. Her long lashes cast soft shadows in the evening light, and she was stunningly beautiful.
For some reason, Jiang Yanzhi suddenly understood why she guarded herself so closely.
The girl his sworn brother had treasured for so many years was the kind of person even the sunlight would be reluctant to leave.
(End of Chapter)