The next day, Su Wan woke in an extremely awkward position.
She found herself somehow slumped onto the bed, her head resting on the edge of Leng Yecheng's pillow, her hand still firmly held in his warm palm. The man seemed still asleep, breathing evenly, his sharp features softened somewhat in the morning light.
Su Wan jerked her hand back as if electrocuted, practically jumping off the bed, her cheeks uncontrollably warm. She shot a quick glance at the seemingly still-sleeping Leng Yecheng and slipped into the bathroom like a thief to wash up, trying to cool down the inexplicable restlessness in her heart with cold water.
When she came out, tidy and composed, Leng Yecheng was awake, leaning against the headboard, holding the corporate briefs Zhong Shu had delivered early in the morning. He was frowning slightly, as if遇到 (encountering) a棘手 (thorny) problem. Hearing her, he looked up, his gaze lingering on her still slightly red ears for a moment. The corner of his mouth seemed to twitch upward, too fast to be sure.
"Awake?" he said flatly, as if nothing had happened last night.
"Mm," Su Wan responded softly,努力维持镇定 (struggling to maintain composure). She walked over and naturally felt his forehead. "Temperature's normal. How do you feel today?"
"Alright." Leng Yecheng put down the briefs, his gaze turning sharp again. "Any progress on the herbs?"
Before Su Wan could answer, a slightly noisy commotion came from outside the bedroom door, accompanied by a warm, deliberately raised female voice:
"Is Yecheng awake? I've been so worried, I barely slept last night! Got up early specifically to stew some bird's nest for him, to nourish his body properly!"
It was the stepmother, Lin Yarong!
Su Wan and Leng Yecheng exchanged a glance, both seeing alertness in the other's eyes.
Before anyone inside could respond, the bedroom door was pushed open directly. Lin Yarong, dressed in an expensive Chanel suit, makeup impeccable, walked in holding an exquisite stew pot, smiling brightly. Two meek servants followed behind her.
As soon as she entered, her eyes swept the room like searchlights, passing over the still-pale Leng Yecheng on the bed before finally landing on Su Wan standing beside it. Her smile became even more "affectionate."
"Oh, Qianqian, you're here too? You've worked so hard, taking care of Yecheng day and night. Look, your little face has gotten thinner." She walked straight to the bedside, placed the stew pot on the nightstand, as if she were the mistress here.
"Aunt Lin," Leng Yecheng greeted faintly, his tone distant.
"Mother," Su Wan had to follow suit, but her body subconsciously took half a step forward, subtly blocking the space between Leng Yecheng and Lin Yarong.
Lin Yarong acted oblivious to their冷淡 (coldness). She opened the lid of the stew pot herself; a sickly sweet aroma filled the air. She picked up a spoon to feed Leng Yecheng. "Come, come, Yecheng, drink it while it's hot. Auntie specially stewed this with golden swiftlet nest, most nourishing..."
"Wait a moment," Su Wan suddenly spoke up, gently reaching out to block the stew pot.
Lin Yarong's movement halted. The smile on her face stiffened before blooming even brighter, though a flash of displeasure showed in her eyes. "What's wrong, Qianqian? Worried about Auntie's cooking skills, or... afraid I'll poison your husband?" she said, half-joking, half-serious, her words barbed.
Su Wan put on a panicked expression, quickly waving her hands. "Mother, please don't misunderstand, how could I think that? It's just... Yecheng's physical condition is very special right now. The doctor再三嘱咐 (repeatedly instructed) that his diet must be extremely careful, no random tonics. Especially bird's nest—it's warm-natured. But he has excessive虚火 (deficiency fire) internally right now, his body is too weak to接受补药 (accept tonics). Taking them recklessly might actually worsen his condition."
She spoke reasonably and logically, her tone timid yet insistent, perfectly playing the part of a young wife worried about her husband's illness and strictly following doctor's orders.
Leng Yecheng cooperated by coughing twice, his voice weak. "Yes, Aunt Lin, I have no appetite now. Everything makes me nauseous. The doctor insists on light medicinal meals for now. I appreciate your thoughtfulness."
Lin Yarong's hand holding the spoon hung in mid-air. The smile on her face finally began to crack. She looked at the "sickly weak" Leng Yecheng, then at the "timid" yet determined Su Wan. Coldness grew in her eyes.
She put down the spoon, her tone cooling. "Oh? Is that so? Which doctor said that? Our Leng family has its own medical team, top experts. I haven't heard of such a taboo. Qianqian, this doctor of yours, it wouldn't be some country doctor your Su family knows, would it? That won't do. If Yecheng's treatment is delayed, no one can bear the responsibility."
This was outright质疑 (doubt) and贬低 (belittling).
Su Wan sneered inwardly, but on the surface, she appeared even more panicked, her eyes even reddening as if badly bullied. "Mother... I... I just want what's best for Yecheng... I..." She seemed too flustered to speak, looking at Leng Yecheng for help.
Leng Yecheng spoke up timely, his voice weak but carrying undeniable authority. "Aunt Lin, I know my own body. Qianqian is taking good care of me. Her medicinal meals are very effective. For now, I only trust her. The medical team isn't needed."
He directly stated his position, fully supporting Su Wan.
Lin Yarong's face彻底沉了下来 (completely darkened). She stared at Leng Yecheng for a few seconds, shot a fierce glare at Su Wan, then suddenly laughed again, though the laugh was cold. "Fine, fine. Since you trust Qianqian so much, Yecheng, Auntie won't interfere. However..."
She changed tack, her gaze turning "concerned" again. "Yecheng, do you know how much work has piled up at the集团 (group) during your long coma? Your father is frantic overseas. Several major projects have stalled. Your younger brother has been working tirelessly to handle this mess for you these past few days, he's even lost weight. Now that you're awake, shouldn't you至少 (at least) look into things? You can't just hide in this room forever, letting a new bride serve you, ignoring everything?"
Her words seemed concerned about the集团 (group), but actually accused Leng Yecheng of沉迷温柔乡 (indulging in comfort), being irresponsible, while promoting her own son's contributions. Her intentions were malicious.
Ice instantly formed in Leng Yecheng's eyes.
But Su Wan spoke first, her voice still soft and weak, but her words like subtle knives. "Mother, you're right,集团 (group) matters are indeed important. But can anything be more important than Yecheng's health? The doctor said his injury affected his foundation. He must have absolute rest. Mental exertion is strictly forbidden. If something happened because he worried about work, that would truly be failing Father and the集团's (group's) trust."
She gently took Leng Yecheng's hand, her eyes full of concern and dependence. "Husband, don't think about anything now, just focus on recovering, okay? The集团 (group) has Father and Younger Brother Xuan watching over it, it'll be fine. Once you're completely better, won't you be able to handle any amount of work?"
With a few sentences, she not only deflected Lin Yarong's moral blackmail but also gently pushed the "irresponsible" label back, emphasizing that recovering was the biggest responsibility now. She also reiterated the severity of Leng Yecheng's injury, blocking any future excuses Lin Yarong might have.
Leng Yecheng watched her "heartfelt" performance and cooperatively held her hand, his tone gentle. "Alright, I'll listen to you."
Their perfectly coordinated act was seamless.
Lin Yarong stood by, watching the "loving couple," her smile再也维持不住 (could no longer be maintained), turning livid. Her carefully prepared bird's nest and arguments had been perfectly blocked, soft and hard, leaving her frustrated.
"Fine! You're just great!" she gritted out through clenched teeth, turned sharply, her high heels clicking loudly on the floor as she stormed out. The two servants quickly followed with bowed heads.
The bedroom door slammed shut.
The room instantly fell quiet.
Su Wan immediately let go of Leng Yecheng's hand. The weak, helpless expression vanished from her face, replaced by cool composure. She walked to the door, confirmed they were really gone, then turned to look at Leng Yecheng, frowning slightly. "She won't let this go."
Leng Yecheng watched her quick change of expression, a faint flicker of amusement in his eyes, quickly replaced by cold severity. "Just a jumping clown. I have arrangements for the集团 (group)."
He looked at Su Wan, his gaze deep. "You did very well just now."
This praise was more sincere than any before.
Su Wan gave him a faint glance. "I was just protecting my 'investment.' If you fall, who do I make my deal with?"
She still kept her words distant, but Leng Yecheng, looking at her calm analysis, felt that strange feeling grow stronger.
This woman was like a treasure trove. The more you dug, the more surprises she offered.
Meanwhile, Lin Yarong, fuming as she left Dijing Manor, got into her car and immediately made a phone call, her face terrifyingly dark.
"That little bitch can't stay! Find a way to deal with her, quickly! Make it clean!"