79: Chapter 79 I got in on my own merit, why should I leave?

It was 8:10 PM, and Jiang Fan was standing at the door of Shen Nian's apartment.

He entered the passcode and opened the door.

Zhou Yutong was at the entryway changing her shoes; seeing him walk in, she noticeably sped up her movements.

"Um, Brother Fan, you're here, so I'll be heading back now."

"Mm."

Jiang Fan changed into slippers and walked inside.

Zhou Yutong grabbed her bag and dashed to the door. As she pulled it open, she glanced back toward the living room before closing the door and leaving.

Shen Nian emerged from the bedroom, wearing pajamas with her hair loosely gathered behind her head, her face flushed.

Jiang Fan waited until she reached him, then reached out and touched her forehead.

"It's not even hot."

Shen Nian shrank back slightly and rubbed her face with both hands.

"How is it not hot?"

Jiang Fan reached out again and pressed his hand against the side of her neck.

Her body temperature was indeed a bit high, but it was far from a fever.

Jiang Fan walked over to the sofa and sat down.

"Zhou Yutong said you practiced singing all afternoon?"

"Mm."

"Didn't I tell you to rest your voice? Who told you to practice?"

Shen Nian sat down beside Jiang Fan, hugging a throw pillow and curling herself into a ball.

Her fingers picked at a loose thread on the pillow.

"The show records next Thursday," she replied in a muffled voice.

Jiang Fan glanced at her.

He had basically figured out her personality—she wouldn't say anything out loud, but she would shoulder everything to the breaking point inside.

"If you ruin your voice from practicing, you won't need to go next Thursday either."

Jiang Fan went to the kitchen, poured a glass of warm water, and brought it over.

"Drink it."

Shen Nian took it and took a sip.

He paused and added, "Starting tomorrow, you are not allowed to practice."

Shen Nian looked up, wanting to retort.

"This isn't a negotiation."

She closed her mouth.

Her fingers were still picking at that loose thread on the pillow, picking even harder.

— —

9:30 PM.

Jiang Fan told her to go back to the bedroom to lie down while he tidied up the living room.

The porridge Zhou Yutong had bought was cold on the coffee table; he poured it into the kitchen sink and washed the bowl.

He gathered the medicine boxes on the counter to one side, tied up the trash bag, and threw it outside the door.

After finishing, he sat back on the sofa and received a WeChat message on his phone.

It was from Su Yuyan.

["When are you handing in the theme song? The production team urged for it today." It ended with a kissy-face emoji.]

Jiang Fan calculated his schedule.

He had to accompany Shen Nian to Star City the day after tomorrow, so only tomorrow was free.

He typed a reply.

[Jiang Fan: "It's already recorded. Are you free tomorrow?"]

The reply came quickly.

[Su Yuyan: "OK, no problem. The usual spot?"]

[Jiang Fan: "Mm."]

There was a sound from the bedroom.

"Jiang Fan."

"Mm?"

"...Come here for a second."

Jiang Fan got up, walked over, and pushed open the door.

Shen Nian was sitting on the bed with the quilt pulled up to her chest, her hair draped over her shoulders.

"What's wrong?"

She gripped the edge of the quilt with both hands.

"I'm feeling a bit unwell again."

Jiang Fan stopped by the bedside.

"Where are you feeling unwell?"

"...Just a bit unwell."

She wouldn't look at him, her gaze drifting toward the corner of the wall.

Jiang Fan couldn't help it and chuckled.

"You don't have to find a reason every single time."

The corners of Shen Nian's mouth turned down.

She abruptly pulled the quilt over her head, curled up inside, and only a lock of hair remained visible.

"Then get out!"

Her voice was muffled by the quilt.

Jiang Fan stood where he was.

"I came in on my own merits, why should I leave?"

— —

After 11:00 PM.

Shen Nian lay on Jiang Fan's shoulder, panting heavily, the rise and fall of her back only slowing down after a long while.

Her whole body was limp against him; she didn't want to move a single finger.

Jiang Fan raised his hand and touched her forehead.

"Are you still running a fever?"

"...I don't know."

Her voice was thick and slurred, with a nasal tone.

Jiang Fan brushed the hair scattered across her face behind her ear. "I'll take you to the hospital tomorrow morning to get some more medicine."

"No." Shen Nian buried her face against his collarbone and rubbed against it.

Jiang Fan patted her back.

"Go to sleep."

Jiang Fan kept his eyes open, staring at the ceiling.

The person beside him was breathing steadily, occasionally moving slightly before settling down again.

The system panel popped up.

[Deep Compatibility ×2, reward: 1000 Lifespan Value points]

[Current Lifespan Value: 24,300 points]

[Remaining Lifespan: 42 days 13 hours]

Jiang Fan glanced at the data and closed the panel.

He turned his head and reached out to pull Shen Nian closer into his embrace.

Shen Nian mumbled something in her sleep, rubbed her head against his chest, and found a comfortable position.

— —

Jiang Fan woke up at 7:00 AM; Shen Nian was still asleep.

He got out of bed lightly, went to the kitchen to cook porridge, and cut half a pear left over from last night into it.

Shen Nian came out at 8:00 AM, bleary-eyed; she was stunned when she saw the breakfast on the table.

"What time did you get up?"

"Not early. Finish eating and go back to rest; you're not allowed to go to the Recording Studio today."

Shen Nian picked up the porridge bowl and took a sip.

She put the bowl down.

"Are you busy today?"

"I have some things to deal with."

Shen Nian said "Oh," lowered her head, and continued eating the porridge, stirring it several times with her spoon.

Jiang Fan glanced at her.

"I'll accompany you to Star City tomorrow. Remember to pack your luggage today."

Shen Nian stopped eating the porridge for a moment.

"Mm."

— —

At 4:00 PM, Jiang Fan finished handling the matters at hand at the Studio.

Li Cheng came in to report the final confirmation of the Star City itinerary—the hotel, airport pickup, and makeup team were all in place.

Zhou Yutong's old-fashioned phone had also been activated; she had protested for forty minutes before finally resigning herself to her fate.

At 5:20 PM, Jiang Fan took the USB drive from the drawer, put it in his pocket, and left.

It was still that private restaurant without a sign, on the second floor.

Su Yuyan had arrived before him.

Her attire today was more restrained: a white silk shirt tucked into high-waisted trousers, with a pearl stud in her ear.

But the menu was not restrained.

Jiang Fan sat down and glanced at the dishes on the table.

Steamed abalone with vermicelli, teppanyaki bull penis, sea cucumber millet porridge, stir-fried shrimp with yellow chives, and another dish he hadn't seen before—it was pitch black and sprinkled with goji berries.

"What is this?"

"Antler velvet stewed with squab," Su Yuyan said, lifting her wine glass and raising her eyelids slightly. "It's a new dish today."

"Su Yuyan!!"

"Mm?"

"You're treating me like a medicinal ingredient."

Su Yuyan chuckled and placed a piece of bull penis into his bowl.

"The teppanyaki bull penis here is a signature dish; every diner orders it. Don't always have a dirty mind."

Jiang Fan looked down at the thing in his bowl.

"Which diner comes here and must order this?"

"Me."

Su Yuyan poured Jiang Fan a glass of plum wine.

"Eat. Less talking."

Jiang Fan picked up his chopsticks.

Fine, he'd treat it as a health supplement.

They finished eating at 8:40 PM.

It was still that private suite by the Bund.

Su Yuyan kicked off her high heels and walked over barefoot.

Jiang Fan took the USB drive from his pocket and placed it on the coffee table.

"The demo is recorded. Do you want to listen to it first?"

Su Yuyan took the USB drive and twirled it in her hand twice.

"When have I ever worried about your work?"

She tossed the USB drive into her handbag.

"Not listening for now."

"Are you sure you don't want to listen?"

Su Yuyan walked over to the wine cabinet and opened a bottle of red wine.

She turned around with two glasses of wine, walked up to Jiang Fan, and handed him one.

"There's something more important to do now."

Jiang Fan took the wine glass.

"What is it?"

Su Yuyan took a sip of wine, her tongue slowly brushing against her lower lip.

She extended a finger and tapped Jiang Fan's chest.

"Guess."

Jiang Fan held the wine glass without moving.

Su Yuyan reached out and tugged at the top button of his shirt.

"Three hundred million, you still haven't paid it back in full."

"Diva Su, I have to catch a flight tomorrow."

"Then you'll have to hurry up tonight."

She smiled, took the wine glass from his hand, and set it on the coffee table.

In the next second, she was already sitting on his lap.

— —

That dinner of bull penis, antler velvet, and sea cucumber had ultimately been of some use.

Su Yuyan later lay on the pillow, her hair spread across the bed, her voice raspy from shouting.

"Jiang Fan... next time, let's not go to that private restaurant..."

"Didn't Diva Su say we needed to hurry? Debts can't be delayed; I'll pay you back one more time."

Su Yuyan turned her head from the pillow and glared at him with the last bit of her strength.

A bit of undried sweat still hung on her tear mole, glittering under the light.

"You wait..."

She didn't finish the second half of her sentence before Jiang Fan pulled her back.

"I—"