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墨書 Inktalez
"I'm sorry, Director, I—"
Before she could finish her sentence, a commotion erupted outside the set.
Lu Chen entered, dressed in a tailored deep blue striped suit paired with a matching wide-striped tie, striding in with long legs and followed by several assistants.
Su Yao's gaze was immediately drawn to him, but when she realized he was alone, the flicker of anticipation that had just appeared at the corners of her mouth vanished in an instant.
Director Li spotted Lu Chen and quickly put on a smiling face as he approached, "Manager Lu, what brings you here today?"
"Just came to check on the filming progress," Lu Chen replied politely while casually scanning Su Yao with his eyes.
He walked toward her unhurriedly.
Su Yao stood still, pretending to be engrossed in her script, but couldn't help but speak up as Lu Chen drew near: "Manager Lu, is President Lin not coming today?" She asked nonchalantly, as if it were just a casual remark.
Lu Chen looked at her meaningfully, "Jiang Rou has a high fever; Lin Yue is taking care of her."
Those words pierced Su Yao's heart like a needle.
"Oh, I hope Miss Jiang recovers soon," Su Yao said calmly, her face betraying no emotion.
Lu Chen did not walk away immediately; instead, he lowered his voice, "But Lin Yue is very concerned about this project and appreciates you."
He observed her reaction closely. "If she knew you were in such poor condition today..." Lu Chen intentionally left his sentence unfinished.
Su Yao seemed to be jolted awake and smiled, "Thank you for the reminder, Manager Lu. I'll make sure to adjust my state."
Satisfied, Lu Chen patted her shoulder and walked over to talk with the crew.
"Again!" Director Li called out as he settled back into his seat, not holding out much hope.
This time, Su Yao took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
When she opened them again, it was as if she had transformed into another person. The expression of despair mixed with stubbornness on her face conveyed an inner turmoil that felt raw and real; it was as if her heart was being torn apart yet she was holding herself together against the pain.
Her gaze was no longer wandering but focused and profound; her lines flowed with emotion rather than sounding dry; her movements were no longer hesitant but fluid like water.
The atmosphere on set shifted dramatically; even the lighting technician couldn't help but peek over to see what miraculous change had occurred.
Assistant Xiao Lin stood nearby, quietly clapping with surprise written all over his face, unable to believe this was the same Su Yao who had been so distracted just moments ago.
"Cut! Perfect!" Director Li exclaimed excitedly. "That's the feeling! Su Yao, you've truly found the soul of your character!"
The crew let out a sigh of relief, and Lu Chen nodded at Su Yao with admiration in his eyes.
During the break, Su Yao sat alone and took out her phone. She opened the chat window with Lin Yue.
She typed a few words but deleted them again. Then she typed again and deleted them once more.
She feared that her concern might seem excessive; she worried that Lin Yue might think she was being too proactive and was even more afraid of disturbing Lin Yue while she was caring for Jiang Rou.
"Don't know what to say?" Lu Chen's voice suddenly came from behind.
"Manager Lu." Su Yao hurriedly locked her screen and stood up awkwardly.
"Don't be nervous." Lu Chen waved his hand, "I was just about to call Lin Yue. Do you have any message for her?"
Su Yao bit her lip and shook her head, "No, thank you."
Lu Chen smiled and walked aside to dial the number.
"How is Xiao Rou doing?" he asked gently.
"She just took her medicine and fell asleep," Lin Yue's voice came through, laced with fatigue. "Her fever is still a bit high, but much better than before."
"That's good to hear." Lu Chen let out a long sigh of relief.
Lin Yue fell silent for a few seconds before finally asking, "Is everything going smoothly on set?"
"Very smoothly." Lu Chen suppressed a laugh, "The progress is okay, and Su Yao is okay."
Lin Yue on the other end of the line clearly relaxed, her voice becoming lighter, "That's great. Thanks, Brother Chen."
"It's nothing. Just take good care of Xiao Rou." Lu Chen hung up the phone and turned to see Su Yao standing not far away.
Su Yao walked over, "Is... is she okay?" she finally couldn't help but ask.
"She's fine; she cares about you," Lu Chen said meaningfully before bidding farewell to Su Yao.
Su Yao watched Lu Chen's retreating figure and smiled faintly.
At Jiang Rou's home.
After hanging up the phone, Lin Yue looked at Jiang Rou sleeping peacefully.
She knew she should focus entirely on taking care of the girl with a high fever in front of her, yet her thoughts kept drifting back to the set, back to Su Yao.
This feeling of being torn between two places left her both exhausted and guilty.
Jiang Rou turned in her sleep, murmuring, "Lin Yue... don't go..."
The fragmented words pierced Lin Yue's heart with each syllable.
"I can't live without you..."
Tears streamed from the corners of Jiang Rou's eyes, trailing down her burning cheeks and leaving dark stains on the pillow.
Lin Yue's heart tightened as she quickly grabbed a tissue from the bedside and gently wiped away Jiang Rou's tears. "I'm here, Xiao Rou."
Her fingers brushed through Jiang Rou's damp hair as she whispered comforting words, "I'm not going anywhere."
Jiang Rou seemed to hear her voice; her brow relaxed slightly, but tears continued to flow as if she were enduring unbearable pain in her dreams.
Just then, Lin Yue's phone vibrated.
She instinctively glanced at it—it was Su Yao.
In that instant, Lin Yue felt a strong urge to answer the call.
The heart raced violently, fingers hovering over the screen, ready to swipe with just a gentle motion. But Jiang Rou suddenly grasped the hem of her shirt tightly, her tear-filled eyes glancing at the phone screen before looking up at Lin Yue with a sense of grievance.
Lin Yue stared at the phone until the vibrations finally ceased. She set it down and gently wiped away the tears on Jiang Rou's face, her tone soft. "I'm sorry, did I wake you? Would you like some breakfast, or do you want to sleep a little longer?"
"Lin Yue," Jiang Rou weakly spoke, struggling to sit up. "I know you have feelings for Su Yao; I can see it."
"But Lin Yue," she coughed a few times, "after all these years of our relationship, am I not worth as much as a newly acquainted celebrity?"
"Xiao Rou!" Lin Yue frowned, wanting to stop her from continuing.
"We've been through so much together!" Jiang Rou seemed not to hear her, speaking more and more aggrieved and animated. "Who was there for you during your first bout of depression?"
"It was me!" she nearly cried out. "When you tried to take your own life, who pulled you back from the brink of death? It was me!"
Lin Yue fell silent; everything Jiang Rou said was true, and she couldn't refute it.
"Xiao Rou," Lin Yue finally spoke, taking Jiang Rou's hand. "I have never doubted our feelings for each other, but..."
Jiang Rou struggled to pull her hand away, tears streaming down her face. She didn't sob but looked at Lin Yue silently, her gaze like an invisible knife piercing Lin Yue's heart.
"Lin Yue," her voice was surprisingly calm, "are you really going to leave me?"
Lin Yue reached out to wipe away Jiang Rou's tears, feeling a deep ache in her heart. "Stop thinking like that; you need to rest now."
"Okay." Jiang Rou suddenly became calm. "You can go."
She tried to push Lin Yue away with all her strength but collapsed onto the bed in an instant, fainting.
"Xiao Rou!" Lin Yue panicked as she touched her feverish forehead and face.
Lin Yue quickly dialed Doctor Zhang's private number.
Doctor Zhang was the head of their shared private medical team and had been responsible for their health for many years.
"Doctor Zhang, Jiang Rou has a high fever and has fainted!" Lin Yue's voice was filled with panic.
"Don't worry; I'll be there right away. Call an ambulance to go to the Lin family hospital," Doctor Zhang instructed calmly.
The ambulance arrived with a siren blaring just as Doctor Zhang reached Jiang Rou's home. After a quick examination, Doctor Zhang confirmed that it was a fainting spell caused by a high fever and immediately rushed with the ambulance to the hospital.
On the way, Lin Yue held Jiang Rou's hand tightly, filled with guilt and heartache.
The ambulance drove directly into the entrance of the Lin family's private hospital, where several nurses were already waiting.
The Lin family's private hospital was the most upscale medical institution in the city, its decor comparable to that of a five-star hotel, equipped with top-notch medical facilities and staff.
Jiang Rou was wheeled into the emergency room while Lin Yue stood in the corridor like a lost soul.
She dialed Lu Chen's number: "Brother Chen, Xiao Rou's condition has worsened; she's in the hospital now."
"I'll be there right away." Without another word, Lu Chen hung up and rushed from the filming set to the hospital.
Su Yao watched as Lu Chen hurriedly left, sensing that something was amiss. She recalled that Lin Yue had not answered her calls earlier and, after much hesitation, decided to send Lin Yue a message on WeChat.
The top-floor lounge of the hospital was lavishly decorated, equipped with comfortable sofas, a high-end coffee machine, and imported snacks. Lin Yue sat on a leather sofa wearing only a black silk nightgown, her bare feet in Loro Piana slippers. Her eyes were red and puffy, her face drawn with fatigue. Even in such a state, she maintained the elegant demeanor of a young lady from a prestigious family.
A nurse had thoughtfully draped a cashmere blanket over her, but she seemed oblivious to it, mechanically tapping her fingers against the armrest of the sofa, her lips pale with anxiety. The minute hand ticked away, and Lin Yue's phone vibrated in her pocket. She took it out to check; it was a message from Su Yao: "Lin Yue, are you okay? I heard Miss Jiang is ill; I hope she gets better soon."
Lin Yue stared at the message for a long time before finally putting her phone back into her pocket without replying. In the lounge, she slumped on the sofa, her eyes still red and her face weary.
"Lin Yue." Lu Chen called softly as he walked into the lounge. Lin Yue looked up, tears streaming down her face: "Brother Chen, it's all my fault; I didn't take good care of her."
Lu Chen sat beside her and gently wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "It's not your fault; she'll be fine."
Lin Yue shook her head, tears continuing to fall. "I don't know what to do, Brother Chen. Am I terrible?"
Lu Chen understood but remained silent, simply patting her back and allowing her to lean on his shoulder.
Finally, the door to the emergency room opened, and the director stepped out. He was the most renowned internist in the city and had rushed back to the hospital to oversee the rescue upon learning that it was a member of the Lin family.
"Miss Lin, Mr. Lu, Miss Jiang is out of danger," the director said gently.
Lin Yue felt a wave of relief wash over her, but the director added that Jiang Rou was now extremely weak and recommended that she be hospitalized for observation for a few days.
Jiang Rou was wheeled out and transferred to a VIP ward on the top floor. The facilities and decor in the ward rivaled those of a luxury hotel suite—spacious and bright with an en-suite bathroom, complete with a sofa, television, and vanity.
Jiang Rou lay quietly in bed, still pale, an IV drip attached to her wrist. Lin Yue carefully sat by the bedside and gently held Jiang Rou's hand, afraid to wake her.
Lu Chen stood by the bed watching this scene unfold and softly said, "Lin Yue, why don't you go home and get some rest? I'll stay with her."
Lin Yue shook her head. "I'm not leaving."
"Then I'll stay with you," Lu Chen said as he pulled up a chair to sit down.
"Brother Chen, we can't have all three of us away from the company," Lin Yue replied. "You should go back; if anything comes up, I'll call you."
Lu Chen hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded. "Alright then; make sure you eat something and lie down on the sofa for a bit."
Lin Yue agreed but kept her gaze fixed on Jiang Rou.
Lin Yue gently caressed Jiang Rou's cheek, the touch and warmth, along with the rhythm of her breathing, felt so familiar. Jiang Rou's high fever persisted until the early morning of the next day before showing signs of improvement.
As she opened her eyes and looked around, she realized she was in a hospital. Then she saw Lin Yue, who had been holding her hand, sleeping by the bedside. A satisfied smile appeared on Jiang Rou's face. She reached out to touch Lin Yue's soft hair, and Lin Yue slowly lifted her head, seeing that Jiang Rou was awake, and excitedly sat up.
"Xiao Rou, you're awake? How do you feel? Are you still uncomfortable?" Lin Yue's voice was slightly hurried with concern.
"I feel so tired, my body is weak, and I'm a bit hungry," Jiang Rou said weakly, but her eyes were filled with joy.
Lin Yue pressed the call button to have a nurse bring breakfast to the room. Before long, a neatly dressed nurse wheeled in a food cart. The cart was adorned with exquisite bowls of millet porridge, milk, a fruit platter, sandwiches, and noodle soup, each served in beautiful porcelain dishes.
"What would you like to eat, Miss Jiang?" the nurse asked respectfully.
"What do you want? Millet porridge, milk, or noodle soup? If you don't want any of these, we can change it," Lin Yue asked, her eyes full of concern.
Jiang Rou pointed to the millet porridge, and Lin Yue took the bowl from the nurse. She gently blew on it before bringing it to Jiang Rou's lips.
"Lin Yue," Jiang Rou said weakly, "thank you."
Lin Yue wiped away a drop of porridge from the corner of her mouth with a napkin and smiled. "Don't say silly things; taking care of you is what I should do."
Jiang Rou lowered her head, tears dripping onto the blanket. "Lin Yue, I'm sorry. I know I lost my temper at you last night."
"Xiao Rou..." Lin Yue quickly set down the bowl and wiped Jiang Rou's tears away.
With a pleading tone, Jiang Rou said, "Promise me that no matter what happens, you won't leave me."
Lin Yue gazed into Jiang Rou's reddened eyes and recalled the more than twenty years they had spent together—the laughter, tears, reliance, and companionship; the shared secrets and promises; the understanding that only they could grasp.
Finally, she gently nodded. "I promise you."
Only then did Jiang Rou feel relieved; she leaned forward into Lin Yue's embrace, displaying an expression of peace.
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