eurekapd Chapter 143 The tip of the iceberg
Chapter 143 The tip of the iceberg
"what time is it now."
Xie Yan was startled when she heard the sound; her voice was shockingly hoarse, it didn't even sound like her.
"Open your mouth."
The boy took a water glass from the bedside table, held the straw to Xie Yan's lips, and said considerately, "You've been crying all day yesterday, have some water."
"..." Xie Yan didn't want to recall the madness of last night. She closed her eyes, too tired to speak.
She wanted to ask the system what time it was, only to realize that it wasn't online yet.
"Isn't your sister thirsty, or does she need me to feed her?"
The air seemed to freeze for a moment before Xie Yan took a sip of water through the straw and drank half a glass. Her parched throat did feel much better.
The bedroom was pitch black, and you couldn't see anything. It was so quiet that you could only hear breathing.
Although Xie Yan felt sore and weak, she also felt very refreshed. She opened her eyes, seemingly lost in thought.
"Are you hungry? What would you like to eat?"
"..."
Xie Yan didn't say anything; she had no appetite at all.
The person beside her didn't seem to care about her coldness. Instead, he gave her a kiss on the cheek and said, "I'll go cook some wontons. Wait for me a bit."
After saying that, Shen Yan got up and left.
Xie Yan groped her way out of bed in the dark, her back aching so badly it was indescribable.
She got out of bed, turned on the bedroom light, and dragged her limp legs to the bathroom, only to see her reflection in the mirror.
The person in the mirror had slightly disheveled long hair, red and swollen eyes, and an unpleasant complexion. Her neck and chest were covered with mottled hickeys, some deep and some shallow, which contrasted sharply with her originally fair skin and were extremely conspicuous.
Xie Yan looked in the mirror, her brows furrowed slightly, her scrutinizing gaze sweeping over her as if she were seeing herself for the first time.
She does look a bit disheveled now, but she vented her anger quite a bit last night, and Shen Yan is probably covered in bloodstains and teeth marks.
Xie Yan turned on the hot water and took a shower, which made her feel more awake.
She had just finished dressing when the system leisurely logged on.
[Hey, weren't you all fuming and about to hit someone when I logged off yesterday? What happened to you?]
Xie Yan was drying her hair with a towel, her face expressionless. "It's a long story. I think he might really be going to use the same tactics he used on the female lead on me now. Looks like you were right before."
The system sighed, but not with a hint of dejection; instead, it seemed to be gloating. [See? I told you! You're an engineering student, you should know how scientific our data analysis is! So, what do you think now? Do you want to finish this last task and go home?]
The hand holding the towel paused for a moment. "How many points do I have now? Is it enough?"
She had spent all her points trying to reunite with Shen Yan, and the remaining points in her account were all obtained by randomly asking Xie Qingyu to help her earn points.
If she hadn't happened to be transported to the same world as Xie Qingyu, there would have been no way to remedy the situation.
...But then again, if Xie Qingyu hadn't been her backup plan, she probably wouldn't have made such an impulsive and bold decision.
The system immediately checked her remaining points: "[Emmm... the last task rewards 20,000 points, which, combined with your current points, isn't enough. However, you can try to earn more points; you're only a little over 2,000 short, which you can accumulate in an hour.]"
The system is now used to Xie Yan's score-boosting bug and even actively helps to find solutions.
After all, Xie Yan would receive a substantial reward if she successfully completed all the tasks.
Xie Yan hesitated for a moment, then replied without saying whether it was okay or not, only saying "I understand".
My hair was only half-dry when there was a knock on the bathroom door.
Shen Yan's muffled voice came through, "Sister, are you alright? Why did it take so long? Can you hear me?"
There was no sound of water or anything else in the bathroom for a while. Shen Yan was worried that Xie Yan hadn't eaten for too long and might faint from the heat.
The next second, the door was pulled open from the inside.
The girl was wrapped in a dark bath towel, her half-dry hair dangling damply over her glossy shoulders.
On her jade-like skin, the red marks became even more striking and eye-catching after the heat rose, making them extremely noticeable.
Xie Yan looked at him calmly, "What, do you have to tell me what to do when I take a shower?"
Shen Yan paused, then reached for a bathrobe. "I didn't mean that. Don't catch a cold, put this on first."
He draped a bathrobe over Xie Yan, then took her hand and led her to the restaurant in a gentle yet forceful manner.
On the table was a bowl of steaming hot pork wontons and a plate of steamed dumplings, light and delicious, just what Xie Yan usually likes to eat.
The atmosphere between the two was awkward. Xie Yan didn't explode, so Shen Yan pretended everything was normal and obediently sat down next to Xie Yan, smiling as he said, "I made these wontons myself, you should try them."
Xie Yan tightened her grip on the spoon slightly.
Not long ago, during the Chinese New Year, Xie Yan ate dumplings made by Yang Huiyun every day. At that time, Shen Yan said that he could also make dumplings, wontons and steamed buns, and he would make them for her when he got home.
She never expected this bowl of wontons to appear under these circumstances.
Even if it tastes good, it won't taste good anymore.
Xie Yan had no appetite and put her spoon down on the side of her bowl. "Where's my phone?"
Shen Yan smiled, her sweet smile looking especially beautiful and adorable under the light. "I made these steamed dumplings too, they're so delicious, sister, have one."
Xie Yan looked at him coolly, "Stop laughing, aren't you tired of pretending?"
Upon hearing this, the boy's smile froze.
The smile on his lips faded. "I thought you would like it."
Shen Yan's smile vanished, and his aura turned cold.
For some reason, Xie Yan felt a tightness in her chest, which was quite uncomfortable.
As if her heart had been squeezed, she couldn't help but frown as she watched Shen Yan remove his mask.
He has never liked to smile since he was a child, or rather, he simply disdains to show any expression to anyone.
He only smiled because Xie Yan told him to smile more.
Xie Yan said at the time that he had a cute and handsome smile.
Now they're saying his smile is fake.
Xie Yan is now experiencing a heart attack.
She felt as if she had witnessed the disappearance of that sweet-smiling, obedient boy.
Instead, there was a stranger in front of me with a cold and gloomy expression.
Xie Yan looked away uncomfortably, feeling suffocated.
The boy she liked was fake.
Shen Yan's eyes darkened, and he raised his hand to turn Xie Yan's face towards him, making her look at him directly.
"Why won't you look at me? Didn't you tell me not to laugh? I'm not pretending anymore, but you still don't like it? What do you like anyway?"
His eyes were deep-set and his brows were high. The restaurant's overhead lighting shone down from above, making his dark eyes appear even more profound in the shadows between his brows. There was not a trace of light in them; they were like a bottomless pool of stagnant water, enough to drown anyone.
Being stared at by such eyes only makes one feel as if they are one step closer to the abyss.
Looking at him now, Xie Yan felt as if she had suffered some kind of blow, and her eyes were somewhat dazed.
She didn't answer Shen Yan's question, but suddenly lowered her head and curled up on the stool, one hand gripping the collar of her bathrobe, her brows furrowed and her expression pained.
When a person is sad, their heart can really hurt.
Physiological.
Shen Yan was suddenly stunned when he saw this. Xie Yan looked like she was having a heart attack.
...just like when I was a child.
He panicked immediately, jumping up so hard he knocked over a chair. "Sister, what's wrong? Is your heart hurting?! I'll take you to the hospital, we'll go right now!!"
A huge panic enveloped Shen Yan. He was so frightened that his hands were trembling. An overwhelming sense of unease washed over him, and in an instant, Shen Yan's eyes turned red as he fell into a state of stress.
She can't get into trouble.
She can't get into trouble.
He scooped the person on the stool up in his arms and staggered as he ran toward the hospital.
"Snapped----"
A sharp crack interrupted his movements and his jumbled thoughts.
Xie Yan slapped him so hard that her palm went numb.
The physical reaction to her emotional outburst subsided quickly. She adjusted her breathing and suppressed the throbbing pain in her chest. "Don't go crazy, put me down!"
"no no……"
Shen Yan looked at the person in his arms in fear, his eyes scanning her face. His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would explode. "I'll take you to the hospital for a checkup. You have a heart condition..."
"I'm not sick. I already had a physical exam last time, didn't I?"
Shen Yan then recalled with surprise and doubt the previous medical report, which stated that Xie Yan was perfectly healthy except for her stomach problems.
In his daze, Xie Yan broke free from his arm and rolled onto the ground.
Her legs were weak and she couldn't land steadily, but Shen Yan quickly caught her in his arms.
His heartbeat was so loud that Xie Yan could hear it. Shen Yan panicked and hugged Xie Yan tightly. "I'm sorry, sister, I'm sorry. I did something wrong. Please don't be angry, please don't be angry. It's all my fault. I'll never make you angry again. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, sister, I beg you, I'm so sorry..."
Having been so frightened, Shen Yan was on the verge of collapse. He felt as if he had just walked on the edge of hell, and cold sweat poured down his back.
Xie Yan was forced to look up, and could only see the blindingly bright incandescent light in the living room. Shen Yan apologized to himself, but his arms tightened around Xie Yan more and more.
It felt as if all the oxygen in my lungs was being squeezed out.
She was utterly exhausted, letting Shen Yan hug her like a madman. She felt the light above her head growing brighter and brighter, so bright it made her want to cry.
The sounds around me seemed to be getting farther and farther away.
Xie Yan felt her entire soul was floating, free and warm, exceptionally comfortable.
My eyes closed without me noticing, and my consciousness gradually faded away.
Shen Yan felt the person in his arms slowly falling, limp and powerless. Only then did he realize that Xie Yan's face was pale and she had lost consciousness.
The boy's eyes widened in horror, his pupils contracting sharply: "Sister—!!!"
*****
It's another afternoon.
The snow that had just been cleared away a few days ago covered the road again. This time it was sleet, with heavy raindrops pattering on the ground and car roofs, and snowflakes accumulating.
The weather turned bad, and the sky was gray and hazy.
In the VIP ward of the city's central hospital, a nurse wearing a mask passed by the door and couldn't help but glance at the boy sitting by the bedside.
He wasn't wearing a coat in the freezing cold, just a thin sweater. He hadn't slept for a day and a night, just quietly watching the person sleeping on the bed.
The nurse couldn't help but go in, glanced at the IV drip on the patient in bed, and then at Shen Yan, whose face was also frighteningly pale, and advised him.
"Young man, she fainted due to low blood sugar and lack of oxygen. She'll be fine after taking the medicine. You don't look well either, do you want to go and rest?"
Shen Yan seemed to have lost most of his soul. He ignored the nurse's words, gently cupped Xie Yan's cold hands with both hands, and never took his eyes off Xie Yan's face for a moment.
Seeing this, the nurse had no choice but to give up and, upon returning to the nurses' station, couldn't help but complain to her colleagues.
"The handsome young man accompanying bed number 2 is like he's possessed. With his exaggerated behavior, you'd think his girlfriend has some kind of terminal illness."
Another nurse chuckled, "Maybe we just don't understand the bittersweetness of love, but they're both so good-looking. No wonder they're a couple, it's such a superficial world."
"Who says it isn't?"
……
Xie Yan regained consciousness in the evening.
She felt like she had slept the best she had ever had, a very relaxing and comfortable sleep, without any worries.
She kept her eyes closed, knowing from the system that she was in the hospital, but she really didn't want to see Shen Yan's unfamiliar appearance, so she didn't open her eyes.
After all that turmoil, Xie Yan decided that no matter what, she should first prepare a backup plan.
So she knocked on Xie Qingyu's phone, trying to get him to come out so she could boost her score, but her voice went unanswered.
Seeing this, the system said, "[He is currently outside the service range, too far away, so he can't hear you.]"
[Hmm? He went on a business trip? He didn't even tell me he was leaving.]
The system paused for a moment, then told the truth, and observed three seconds of silence for Xie Qingyu: "He went to see Zhou Panpan at the comic convention and won't be back for the next few days."
[…You bastard.]
That unreliable guy went out to play right when she needed him.
They really need to be taught a lesson.
This means that Xie Yan can only contact him by phone.
But she still didn't know where Shen Yan had hidden her phone.
Xie Yan had been lying in bed for two days straight, and her body was almost falling apart. As soon as she opened her eyes, she met Shen Yan's gaze.
In less than a day and a night, Shen Yan's eyes were already bloodshot, with dense red veins covering the whites of his eyes, which was extremely frightening.
Seeing that Xie Yan had woken up, Shen Yan excitedly got up and came over. He almost knelt down next to the hospital bed, looking at Xie Yan with a mixture of fear and joy in his eyes.
"Sister, you're awake. Are you feeling unwell anywhere? Does your head hurt? Does your heart hurt? Are you hungry? Is there anything else that's bothering you?"
Shen Yan seemed to have turned back into that obedient and well-behaved boy, his eyes filled with nothing but her.
Xie Yan looked at him quietly, her expression complex, her eyes filled with conflicting emotions that were hard to decipher.
She has a strong personality and often takes the lead in intimate relationships. Shen Yan's attempts to forcefully control her only backfire.
She responds better to gentle persuasion than force.
The person beside the bed was kneeling on the ground, looking up at her with earnest concern and tears in their eyes, looking pitiful.
Xie Yan usually feels most sorry for him when he looks like this. Whenever Shen Yan shows this expression, she always comforts him or kisses him.
The ward was quiet. Xie Yan lowered her eyelids, reached out and touched Shen Yan's cheek.
"I'm hungry, I want to eat something."
The young man seemed surprised by Xie Yan's gentle reaction after waking up. He paused for a moment, then raised his hand to cover the back of Xie Yan's hand, and smiled, "Okay, I'll order takeout."
"No, thank you. I don't want to eat here."
After the IV drip finished, Xie Yan was fully recovered.
Except for feeling a little weak, I'm completely fine now.
Shen Yan drove Xie Yan home. Xie Yan kept her eyes closed and rested in the car seat the whole way, without saying a word.
The system asked her, "Why did you go back again? Aren't you going to run away?"
Xie Yan calmly replied, "I'm too lazy to run anymore. There's not much time left anyway, and I don't want to bother."
System: [What do you mean? Are you planning to follow the storyline?]
I haven't decided yet.
Xie Yan gently opened her eyes and looked at the person driving beside her.
Now nineteen years old, Shen Yan is in a stage of growth and transformation. He stares intently at the road ahead, his face cold and stern when he is not smiling, and he exudes a complex temperament between a boy and a young man.
He won't stay a boy forever; he's always growing.
In this unexpected moment, Xie Yan seemed to be able to glimpse a small part of the original villain, Shen Yan.
Xie Yan has been thinking a lot these past few days: if she had stopped Shen Yinshuang from jumping ten years ago, would Shen Yan have really been able to become Shen Yan?
"Shen Yan."
Xie Yan suddenly spoke up, "Smile."
The person in the driver's seat immediately smiled, his gloomy demeanor vanishing. He said brightly, "What's wrong, sister? Are you hungry? We'll be home soon."
"okay."
Seeing his obedient and well-behaved appearance, Xie Yan clenched her fists, took a deep breath, turned her head away, and refused to look at him anymore.