73: Chapter 73 Another Treatment

6:00 AM.

Shen Nian woke up.

She was curled up in Jiang Fan's arms, her face pressed against his chest, and one of her hands was resting on his side, though she didn't know when that had happened.

His chin was resting on the top of her head, his breathing steady; he hadn't woken up yet.

The events of last night replayed in her mind, frame by frame.

Shen Nian froze.

She wanted to pull away, but was afraid that moving too much would wake him.

She maintained her position, not daring to even breathe loudly.

After about a minute, she slowly pulled her hand back from his side.

Just as she moved it two centimeters away, Jiang Fan's arm tightened, unconsciously pulling her back in.

Shen Nian stopped breathing entirely.

After waiting another dozen seconds and confirming he hadn't woken up, she slowly, bit by bit, slipped out of his arms.

She turned over, lay on her back, and stared blankly at the ceiling for a good while.

She swallowed subconsciously.

"Hm?"

It didn't hurt anymore.

To be precise, there was still a tiny bit of pain, but compared to the feeling of swallowing razor blades yesterday, it was a completely different story.

The burning, stinging sensation in her throat had faded by seventy or eighty percent.

Shen Nian tried to clear her throat.

There was no tearing sensation when her vocal cords vibrated.

She had been in so much pain last night that she couldn't even say a complete sentence, and now she was better after just one night's sleep?

Shen Nian turned her head.

Jiang Fan had turned over at some point and was now facing away from her.

The quilt only covered him up to his waist, and one arm was resting near the pillow.

Her gaze lingered on his back for two seconds.

Then she quickly looked away.

Shen Nian pushed back the quilt and stepped barefoot onto the floor.

Her legs felt a bit weak when she stood up—not the kind of weakness from a fever.

She walked quickly to the sink.

She was stunned by her reflection in the mirror.

The dark circles under her eyes that had been there for years had faded significantly; she didn't look like someone who had been sick for three days.

Shen Nian stared at her face in the mirror and opened her mouth.

"Ah—"

The sound came out of her throat.

It was a little hoarse from waking up, but the tone was clear, without any cracking.

Shen Nian covered her mouth with her hand, her fingers trembling slightly.

She turned her head and glanced toward the bedroom.

What he said was true.

Those words that sounded ridiculously absurd were all true.

She stood in front of the sink, her mind in a complete muddle.

Returning to the bedroom doorway, Shen Nian stopped.

Jiang Fan had turned over, facing her side, his eyes already open.

Their eyes met.

Shen Nian instinctively pulled at the collar of her pajamas.

"How is your throat?" Jiang Fan's voice carried the laziness of someone who had just woken up.

Shen Nian stood at the doorway, not moving.

"It's mostly better."

After saying those four words, her eyes darted everywhere, just not toward the bed.

Jiang Fan propped himself up and leaned against the headboard.

"Sing a couple of lines and let me hear."

Shen Nian pursed her lips.

"Walking and stopping along this journey, following the traces of a youth's drifting."

This was a line from "the wind rises."

The moment the sound came out, Shen Nian herself was stunned.

It was clear and smooth.

Jiang Fan listened and nodded.

"Faster than I expected."

Shen Nian walked to the bedside and sat down on the chair from last night.

There was the distance of a nightstand between them.

She kept her head down, her fingers clutching the hem of her pajamas, twisting it over and over.

It was quiet for about a dozen seconds.

"But it's not completely healed yet," Shen Nian said in a very low voice. "I probably still can't hit the high notes."

"Hm."

It was quiet again.

Shen Nian bit her lower lip, leaving a white mark.

"How about..."

She stopped after saying two words.

Jiang Fan looked at her.

"How about what?"

Shen Nian looked up, her blush spreading from her neck all the way to her collarbone.

"How about another treatment."

After saying this, she turned her face to the other side, her hands tightly gripping the hem of her pajamas.

Jiang Fan didn't make a sound.

Shen Nian waited for three seconds, but didn't get a response.

She twisted her fingers even tighter; the hem of her pajamas was almost wrinkled from her twisting.

"I am... doing this for my throat. There are only a few days left until the recording, and if by then—"

"Shen Nian."

"Hm?"

"You don't need to make up excuses."

Shen Nian stood up abruptly, the chair legs scraping against the floor with a harsh sound.

"Who's making up excuses! I'm just worried my throat won't be completely better! Don't think nonsense!"

Jiang Fan watched her bristling, and couldn't help but laugh.

This girl, who hadn't really spoken to anyone in a year, was a bit amusing when she got flustered.

Shen Nian glared at him.

"What are you laughing at!"

"Nothing." Jiang Fan stopped laughing and pushed back the quilt to get out of bed.

Shen Nian's gaze uncontrollably swept downward.

"Ah!! Put some clothes on first!"

Jiang Fan walked over and stood in front of her.

"Are you sure?"

Shen Nian covered her eyes with both hands.

Her ten fingers were pressed tightly together, leaving not a single gap.

"Sure," she said in a small voice.

Jiang Fan reached out and pried her fingers, which were covering her eyes, open one by one.

—

7:20 AM.

Shen Nian lay limply on the pillow, her ears red enough to drip blood, her originally pale skin flushed with a layer of pink.

Jiang Fan sat on the edge of the bed, poured a glass of water, and handed it to her.

Shen Nian reached out a hand to take it, took a sip, rinsed her mouth, and spat it into the trash can.

"Your high notes just now seemed okay."

Shen Nian glared at him.

"If you're not sure, want to do it again?"

"No more!" Shen Nian pulled the quilt over her head, her muffled voice coming from inside. "That's enough."

Jiang Fan didn't tease her anymore.

He got up and went to the kitchen, poured a bowl of the pear water that had been heated last night, and brought it back.

Shen Nian revealed half her face from under the quilt.

"Feed me."

Her voice was almost as small as a mosquito's buzzing.

Jiang Fan sat by the bed holding the bowl.

Shen Nian took two sips.

The warm pear water slid down her throat, and she narrowed her eyes in comfort.

"Knock, knock, knock."

There was a knock at the door.

"Sister Nian? Open the door for me."

Zhou Yutong's voice came from outside the door.

Shen Nian sprang up from the quilt, almost knocking over the bowl in Jiang Fan's hand.

The two of them exchanged a look.

Shen Nian subconsciously wrapped the quilt tighter around herself.

Outside the door, Zhou Yutong pressed the keypad lock twice.

No response.

"Hm? Why won't it open?" She pressed it again.

"Sister Nian? Is the door broken?"

Shen Nian looked at Jiang Fan.

Jiang Fan's expression was very natural.

"I took the batteries out last night."

Shen Nian chuckled and turned her face to the other side.

"Hurry and go open the door, don't let her think wild thoughts out there."

"Put your clothes on first."

Jiang Fan grabbed the two AA batteries from the shoe cabinet and crouched down to put them into the keypad lock.

Outside, Zhou Yutong was still knocking.

"Sister Nian? Are you okay? Should I call property management to pry the lock open?"

"Don't." Jiang Fan hurriedly installed the batteries and opened the door.

Zhou Yutong was holding her hand up, preparing for the seventeenth knock.

"Morning, Brother Fan. Why wouldn't the door open?"

"It ran out of power."

Jiang Fan stepped aside to let her in.

When Zhou Yutong was changing her shoes, her head was down, but her eyes were restless, and she swept the entire living room in a flash.

The thin blanket on the sofa was folded neatly.

It didn't look like anyone had slept there.

She carried the breakfast into the kitchen, and as she passed the bedroom doorway, she glanced inside.

Shen Nian was sitting on the bed, dressed in her pajamas, her hair tied in a ponytail.

Her complexion was much better.

Especially rosy.

"Sister Nian, you look so good today!" Zhou Yutong put the breakfast on the kitchen counter and ran over. "Did your fever break?"

"It broke." Shen Nian touched her face; her voice was much clearer than yesterday.

Zhou Yutong's eyes lit up.

"Sister Nian, your throat! You can speak?"

"It's much better."

Zhou Yutong stood there with her mouth open for two seconds, then jumped up.

"My god! You were so hoarse you couldn't speak yesterday, and today you're better? What kind of recovery speed is this?"

Shen Nian picked up the pear water on the nightstand, took a sip, and stopped looking at her.

"Maybe the pear water worked."

"Pear water is that powerful? Brother Fan, what kind of pears did you stew?" Zhou Yutong poked her head out to look.

Jiang Fan was eating breakfast outside and didn't answer her question.

"Keep an eye on her today, make sure she takes her medicine, and don't be in a rush to practice singing even if her throat has improved."

"Got it!"

Jiang Fan finished his breakfast and put on his coat; before leaving, he glanced at Shen Nian at the doorway.

Shen Nian was eating porridge; sensing his gaze, she paused.

The two of them made eye contact across half the living room.

Shen Nian lowered her head, the tips of her ears turning red again.

The door closed.

Zhou Yutong waited for the sound of footsteps to disappear at the end of the hallway.

She crouched by the bed, her hands cupping her chin, looking up at her.

"Sister Nian, let me ask you something."

"What?"

"Did Brother Fan take the batteries out of the keypad lock last night?"

Shen Nian stopped eating her porridge.

"That's why I couldn't open the door this morning." Zhou Yutong counted on her fingers. "If the keypad lock has no power, it won't open; if the door won't open, I can't come in; if I can't come in, no one will disturb..."

"Zhou Yutong—"