Chapter 12
Xu Jinnan had been acting on impulse since arriving in this world. The Xu family’s power and influence allowed her to disregard others’ opinions. Even Lu Yun, who knew the original Xu Jinnan well, couldn’t control her.
Shen Shu was different.
Xu Jinnan genuinely wanted what was best for her.
The inheritance story was a fabrication to allay Shen Shu’s suspicions.
But in Shen Shu’s eyes, she was still the same abusive person. Deep down, she couldn’t change so quickly. Xu Jinnan hadn’t considered this deeply enough.
Shen Shu had given her a new approach.
A rather audacious one…
“You really believe I have multiple personalities?”
Shen Shu’s look seemed to say, Coming from you, any mental illness is plausible.
Xu Jinnan wouldn’t press the issue. If Shen Shu was willing to believe it, and she was willing to play along, it was a win-win situation.
This charade was starting to feel like Russian nesting dolls, one persona after another. Especially with the differentiation. Shen Shu was sharp; if they were going to keep it a secret, they needed to be careful.
A light breeze rustled the curtains, and a hospital gown landed beside her. Xu Jinnan glanced at it. “You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to.”
Shen Shu’s reply was succinct: “My mother bribed the nurses.”
If she left, Wei Wuqing would know immediately.
It wasn’t surprising that Wei Wuqing would resort to such tactics, just repulsive. And yet, Shen Shu still clung to some hope for her family.
“You can go. I’ll handle it,” Xu Jinnan said.
Shen Shu paused, then walked over to the accompanying bed as if she hadn’t heard, placing her toiletries on the side table.
Seeing this, Xu Jinnan remained silent. Shen Shu carried a heavy burden. Even having read part of the novel, Xu Jinnan couldn’t fully comprehend her thoughts and feelings.
Her life seemed to be perpetually shrouded in darkness.
A wave of empathy and protectiveness washed over Xu Jinnan.
After confirming with Professor Qin multiple times that Shen Shu’s presence wouldn’t trigger another episode, Xu Jinnan finally relaxed. She hated that feeling of losing control.
…
A sea-green curtain separated the two beds. To reach the bathroom, one had to pass by the accompanying bed.
Xu Jinnan heard the rustling of sheets as she got out of bed with her change of clothes, walking unconsciously towards the curtain. Before she could see Shen Shu clearly, a figure bumped into her.
The air was filled with a sweet scent.
A warmth spread through her chest.
Shen Shu stiffened. She reacted quickly, raising her arms defensively to avoid contact with Xu Jinnan. The moment her hands brushed against Xu Jinnan’s skin, she pulled back instantly.
Xu Jinnan coughed. “I’m going to take a shower.” She walked past Shen Shu as if nothing had happened.
“You…”
“Hmm?” Xu Jinnan looked back.
Shen Shu glanced at her bandaged hand. “Should you be getting it wet?”
“I just need to rinse off the sweat,” Xu Jinnan said. “I’ll be careful.”
Shen Shu didn’t reply.
She wasn’t concerned about Xu Jinnan; she just didn’t want to deal with the hassle if she got a fever from getting her wound wet.
The hot shower quickly filled the bathroom with steam. With her left arm injured, Xu Jinnan carefully washed herself one-handed.
She tilted her head back, letting the water run down her smooth skin, her heartbeat gradually slowing down.
She recalled the way Shen Shu’s earlobes had flushed as she pulled away.
On a whim, Xu Jinnan touched the spot where Shen Shu’s hands had brushed against her.
The sensation was gone.
Was it because she was now an Alpha, making her more susceptible to these urges?
Xu Jinnan turned down the water temperature.
The only sound in the spacious ward was the rustling of paper.
Xu Jinnan, feeling drowsy, heard her phone buzzing. She knew who it was without looking.
Ever since she’d deleted Yin Xue’s contact information, Yin Xue had been using different numbers to reach her, borrowing phones from Song Ronghui and Chen Bo.
After Xu Jinnan blocked them all, she started using unknown numbers.
A few seconds after Xu Jinnan hung up, a text message arrived.
[Xu Jinnan, you can’t do this to me.]
[What do you see in her? You said you hated Omegas. How can you like her?]
[Nannan, are you really leaving me?]
[Nannan… I was wrong. I won’t bother you anymore. Where are you? Can I come find you?]
After reading the messages, Xu Jinnan replied curtly, telling her not to contact her again. She needed to make a clean break, not give Yin Xue any false hope.
After blocking the number, Xu Jinnan glanced towards the curtain. The main lights were off, but she could see the silhouette of Shen Shu sitting by the dim lamp, occasionally turning a page.
It had been almost half an hour.
“What are you reading?” Xu Jinnan asked.
After a long pause, Shen Shu’s cool voice replied, “A contract.”
“Get some rest. Good night,” Xu Jinnan said.
There was no response. Xu Jinnan lay down, closing her eyes. The rhythmic sound of Shen Shu’s fingers against the paper filled the silence.
A few minutes later, Xu Jinnan opened her eyes.
The rustling had stopped. Had she finished reading?
“Will that person come back?” Shen Shu asked suddenly, her voice like water, a ripple of emotion barely discernible beneath the surface.
Xu Jinnan’s heart clenched.
“No,” she replied firmly, the word echoing in the spacious room.
“She won’t come back. I promise,” Xu Jinnan repeated.
She saw the shadow on the curtain shift, then the room plunged into darkness as Shen Shu turned off the lamp.
…
In the middle of the night, Xu Jinnan woke up in pain when she moved her injured hand. Unable to fall back asleep, she got out of bed. The curtains weren’t fully drawn, and moonlight spilled into the room, casting long shadows. After using the bathroom, Xu Jinnan paused by Shen Shu’s bed.
Shen Shu was a light sleeper and rarely slept well in unfamiliar surroundings, especially with another person in the room.
Especially Xu Jinnan.
She was practically awake.
The scent of Xu Jinnan’s pheromones, clean and bright like a cloudless sky, filled her senses. Then, a cool hand reached out and touched hers.
Shen Shu resisted the urge to pull away with all her might. Despite the seemingly innocent gesture, she still didn’t trust Xu Jinnan. But she decided to take a chance.
The hand, presumably freshly washed, was soft and cool.
The next second, the coolness vanished, replaced by a gentle warmth as Xu Jinnan wrapped her fingers around Shen Shu’s wrist. The fabric of their sleeves separated their skin.
A blanket covered their hands, shielding them from the cool air.
Then Shen Shu felt the blanket being lifted from her chest, settling gently on her collarbone.
The moment Xu Jinnan left, Shen Shu opened her eyes.
She had checked Xu Jinnan’s medical records and confirmed she was an Omega. If she had truly changed, cooperation wasn’t out of the question.
Back in her bed, Xu Jinnan quickly drifted off to sleep. She dreamed of someone lying on top of her, their warm breath on her neck. She assumed it was just another one of her fantasies, until – she smelled alcohol…
Shen Shu didn’t drink.
Xu Jinnan jolted awake, pushing the person off her!
But they reacted quickly, falling onto her, their voice slurred with alcohol. “Nannan, don’t push me away.”
Yin Xue?!
The bedside lamp flickered on.
The curtain separating the beds parted, revealing Shen Shu’s alert face. “It’s a bit noisy. Carry on. I’ll be outside.”
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