A Bud Begins to Sprout

She felt exhausted.

A domineering son who caused trouble all day, and a useless "husband" she couldn't rely on at all...

Before she knew it, she had arrived at the hospital.

The hospital was already bustling with people in the early morning.

Birth, illness, old age, and death all converged there.

Yet the breakfast stalls outside were filled with the warmth of everyday life...

A young mother held her child's hand.

She led him into the hospital.

"Dad, after his surgery, he's the bravest person in the world. Don't you think so?"

"Yeah! Dad is the best!"

The child nodded emphatically, a bouquet of flowers for his father in his hands.

Clearly, they were a mother and child visiting the father after his surgery.

Illness was frightening, yet Ye Mingyan could only feel warmth from the two of them.

If she had seen such a heartwarming scene on an ordinary day, she wouldn't have given it a second glance.

But now, it felt as if a hammer had struck her heart, squeezing out a trace of sorrow.

Maybe if she had been given the chance to choose again back then...

Maybe she would be a happy woman now, too.

Chapter 52: A Bud Begins to Sprout

In the hospital room.

Lin Che slowly woke from his sleep. It felt as if something was weighing on his chest; the blanket over him bulged up in a large lump.

Lin Che lifted the blanket.

The first thing he saw was the delicate sleeping face of a young woman.

Her twin ponytails had grown a little messy overnight. Beneath the strands of hair were the soft lines of a youthful face. Luo Xue's eyes were closed, her long lashes like butterfly wings, fluttering faintly with each breath.

Asleep, Luo Xue was like an affectionate big dog, curled up against Lin Che's chest.

She was petite and light as a feather. Her youthful figure didn't feel heavy at all, and her cool, smooth skin made him want to hold her close.

Only then did Lin Che remember.

The previous night, Luo Xue had hypnotized him and made him play piano on her barren wasteland.

But before he could finish a single song, Luo Xue had been the one to roll her eyes and pass out...

Seeing that expression on her usually haughty, youthful face had been quite a shock!

Even now, remembering it made Lin Che's heart beat a little faster!

Lin Che couldn't help gently stroking Luo Xue's cheek with his thumb.

Her skin was soft and smooth, youthful and delicate.

When his finger brushed past her lips, Luo Xue seemed to sense something in her sleep. She smacked her lips, then stuck out her pink tongue and lightly licked it.

A warm, damp sensation touched his finger.

Lin Che's thoughts wavered, and he couldn't help slipping his whole finger into Luo Xue's mouth.

Still asleep, Luo Xue probably thought she was sucking on a piece of candy.

But no matter how long she licked, it showed no sign of melting.

Luo Xue murmured in her sleep, and her lashes twitched.

The next moment, her peaceful sleeping face was like a still pond struck by a pebble; ripples spread across it at once!

Luo Xue's eyes flew open. Her clear, bright pupils were filled with panic!

Why am I here?

Then the events of the previous night came rushing back to her!

She remembered: the day before, Lin Che had found her weakness and worn down her resistance, and she had ended up falling asleep against his chest!

More importantly...

She had forgotten to hypnotize Lin Che and erase his memories yesterday!

Which meant...

Lin Che remembered everything that had happened!

"Ptooey!"

Luo Xue spat out Lin Che's finger. Had he not washed his hands yesterday?

"Lin Che! This was a misunderstanding. Don't read too much into it!"

Luo Xue scrambled to her feet.

The blanket slid down along the graceful curve of her back.

White...

Her youthful, delicate skin seemed to glow beneath the sunlight.

She was petite and full of youthful energy.

Lin Che's eyes widened. He wished he could etch the sight before him into his memory.

"Don't look!"

Luo Xue grabbed a small piece of clothing and tossed it over Lin Che's face.

"Hurry! Hurry!"

Luo Xue hastily rummaged through the scattered school uniform and found her phone!

Her delicate arms trembled, and her fingers shook as they slid across the screen.

Her hands were shaking so badly that she kept tapping the wrong things.

It took her ages to bring up the hypnosis image.

After hypnotizing Lin Che again, Luo Xue finally breathed a sigh of relief and immediately erased his memories.

Only then did she relax and get dressed in front of Lin Che.

After getting dressed, Luo Xue went to school.

A nurse changed Lin Che's bandages for fresh ones.

Lin Che had no intention of going home.

He lay quietly in his hospital bed.

Waiting for a visitor to arrive.

It wasn't long.

A knock came at the door.

"Is this Lin Che's room?"

Though Ye Mingyan had deliberately tried to make her voice sound gentler, her years in a position of authority still lent it an imposing edge.

"Come in..."

Lin Che had assumed Song Mu's mother would be a domineering-looking middle-aged woman.

But when the door opened, the woman who walked in was wearing a stepmother-style dress!

She had deliberately applied soft makeup to make her cool, striking features look gentler, like ice and snow beginning to melt. A hint of warmth showed through the remaining chill.

The soft dress clung to her figure. If her aura was winter, her figure was like blazing summer, so fiery it made one's palms sweat.

The long dress outlined her full, upright curves, her slender waist, and her shapely hips, forming a charming silhouette.

Ye Mingyan had a striking S-shaped figure.

Her legs seemed longer than Lin Che's life, and a small stretch of pale, flawless skin showed beneath her dress.

Ye Mingyan walked forward, her high heels clicking crisply against the floor.

Without waiting for Lin Che to invite her, she sat down beside his bed.

Ye Mingyan could feel the heated gaze resting on her.

No one had ever stared at her so openly.

For some reason, she didn't feel irritated. Her heart simply fluttered, and her fingers fidgeted with the little braid beside her ear.

She had come to apologize, but Ye Mingyan rarely apologized.

For a moment, she didn't know what to do.

"Auntie, did you come because of Song Mu?"

Lin Che's voice was calm.

Ye Mingyan was taken aback.

She had thought Lin Che would be so intimidated by her that he wouldn't know what to do, or that he would greedily demand an outrageous sum.

But neither happened.

There was no discernible emotion in Lin Che's voice. It was like a cup of lukewarm water, always just right.

"Mm. The news about Song Mu has been trending, and it's been very bad for the company."

Ye Mingyan nodded. She tried to make her tone sound less overbearing, but it still came out cold.

"If you can get the topic taken off the trending list, or post a clarification, I can give you five hundred thousand... No, one million in compensation..."

"Besides, if you want, I can reserve a position for you at the company. You can join as soon as you graduate from college. You know how difficult the job market is right now. Finding work isn't easy..."

"And your classmate, Luo Xue, right? I'll offer her the same compensation."

"..."

Ye Mingyan really wasn't good at apologizing.

She was good at business negotiations.

Both sides would lay out their terms, then continue negotiating over the details.

Ye Mingyan finished listing the compensation she could offer.

Then she looked at Lin Che.

She waited for him to state his terms.

But Lin Che just peeled an orange.

Once he had peeled it, he split it in half and offered one piece to Ye Mingyan.

"Hmm?"

Ye Mingyan murmured in surprise, but still accepted the orange from Lin Che.

"Auntie, have some fruit..."

Lin Che tried to look like a polite young man and smiled at Ye Mingyan.

Ye Mingyan's heart gave a sharp tug.

The boy hadn't treated her like a company president at all. He had only treated her like a classmate's mother...

She met Lin Che's gaze.

There was no fear, greed, or flattery in his eyes...

His expression was unlike any she had ever seen!

Ye Mingyan peeled off a segment of orange and put it in her mouth.

Unlike the specially selected fruit she usually ate, an ordinary orange tasted like an ordinary orange.