The man’s voice suddenly cut through the air, like a block of ice thrown into boiling water, instantly silencing the bubbling chaos. The entire hospital room fell so quiet that even the sound of breathing could be heard.
“Ah… our son-in-law is here,” Jiang Dachuan broke the awkward silence first.
His daughter’s words about wanting a divorce had been overheard by her husband. He had no idea what the man was thinking. Judging by his expression, he didn’t seem too pleased.
Jiang Yu tilted her head slightly, peering through the gap between her parents to see the man standing at the door.
He stood tall and straight, dressed in a crisp gray suit. The buttons of his shirt were fastened all the way to the top. Even for a simple trip to the hospital, he wore a neatly knotted tie. He’s proper, dignified, and utterly detached from the mundane world.
His eyes always carried an inexplicable chill, yet his features were refined and scholarly. Even knowing he was not someone to approach lightly, people couldn’t help stealing glances at him.
Just as Jiang Yu looked at him, his gaze swept past Jiang Dachuan and his wife and landed on her.
Her head was bandaged and wrapped in a white net, resembling the delicate, carefully packaged fruits in a grocery store, the kind that needed extra protection to avoid bruising.
The moment their eyes met, the horrific scene of the car crash from her dream seemed to rush toward her. Jiang Yu flinched backward as if stung by the bloody memory.
Forcing herself to calm down, she propped herself up on her elbows, trying to sit up. Song Yun quickly stepped forward to help.
“Mom, cough! I want to eat wontons. Could you and Dad bring me a bowl?” Having slept for too long, her voice was hoarse and weak, barely louder than a mosquito’s hum.
“Alright.”
Song Yun’s heart ached at the sight. She placed a pillow behind Jiang Yu’s back to make her more comfortable. She also understood that her daughter wanted to speak with Qin Yan alone and was finding an excuse to send them away. But still…
She glanced discreetly at her son-in-law. With that icy expression, would the two of them end up fighting? Her daughter had just woken up, and her mind might still be unwell. She couldn’t afford any more stress.
A daughter knows her mother best. Jiang Yu could tell what Song Yun was thinking from her expression and gently patted her hand to reassure her.
As the female lead in a tragic romance novel, her living conditions were harsh. But upon closer thought, Qin Yan was nothing like those sadistic CEOs who enjoyed tormenting others or those lawless tycoons who’d casually remove someone’s kidneys. He was just an ordinary, aloof workaholic.
The only source of tragedy Qin Yan contributed to in the entire book was simply not loving her. Though, admittedly, most of the other tragic elements also stemmed from his lack of affection…
Taking a step back, given his upbringing and manners, he at least wouldn’t lay a hand on a patient with a brain injury.
Jiang Dachuan pulled Song Yun toward the door, shooting Qin Yan a fierce glare as they passed, as if to say, “If you dare lay a finger on my daughter, I’ll fight you to the death.” Song Yun kept looking back even as she reached the doorway, clearly unable to let go of her worries.
“…”
Qin Yan was speechless.
Seriously, why did it seem like he was some kind of villain?! He still hadn’t settled the score with someone who went to great lengths to trick him into coming back!
His gaze followed the direction his nominal in-laws had left. If Jiang Yu weren’t watching him, he’d definitely be wearing a “what the f*ck” expression right now.
The hospital room was empty of anyone else. Secretary Fang, who had been waiting by the door, had thoughtfully closed it for them.
Jiang Yu, supporting her neck with difficulty, turned her head to look at Qin Yan. Standing there, silent, he resembled a pleasing sculpture. His proportions were impeccable, his profile nearly perfect. He seemed born like the bright moon among the clouds, mysterious and unattainably noble.
Suddenly, she felt that the plot point of her falling for him wasn’t so far-fetched after all.
But as she thought of the upcoming events, Jiang Yu, who had nearly lost herself in his beauty, snapped back to reality. Her gaze gradually cleared, yet it couldn’t help but grow tinged with complexity.
Perhaps sensing her stare, Qin Yan finally composed his expression and walked toward the hospital bed, meeting her eyes. “Are you sure you want a divorce? If this is just a game of playing hard to get, forget it. You’ve tried that before, and it didn’t work.”
As a spy planted by his side, how could she possibly divorce and run away without accomplishing anything?
He didn’t believe it.
Playing hard to get?
Jiang Yu wondered if she had damaged her brain in the fall, as her thoughts felt sluggish and disjointed.
When had she ever played hard to get?
The system popped up with a friendly reminder: 【You did. You once searched for “Ten Techniques to Keep a Man Hooked” and chose the “Playing Hard to Get” strategy.】
Jiang Yu: …
Oh, right. That did happen.
Shortly after their marriage, she had often been the one chasing after him, trying every excuse. She even used his mother’s name to coax him back home, but to little effect.
Then she learned (or rather, mislearned) the tactic of playing hard to get, deciding to stop contacting him in hopes of grabbing his attention.
And then!
She went from having a husband who rarely came home to one who disappeared for months without a word, as if she were widowed. Seeing Qin Yan now felt like her dead husband had suddenly risen from the grave.
Great. Just great.
Jiang Yu flashed Qin Yan a fake smile. “Div—”
She had barely uttered the first syllable when a sharp pain shot through the back of her head. The system’s voice chimed in again, at the worst possible moment: 【No divorce! No divorce! Leaving him will only make you die faster!】
Jiang Yu: ??? Why? If I divorce him now and cut ties, I won’t have to share a car with him in the future. Wouldn’t that avoid the tragic ending? Staying alive is what matters most!
System: 【Think bigger! In this story, you’re the Mariana Trench of luck1Extremely Deep (Bad) Luck, while he’s the Mount Everest of fortune2Extremely high level of fortune. Aside from the extra luck points you earn from system tasks, the total luck in this world is fixed. According to the law of conservation of energy, luck doesn’t disappear. It just transfers. Qin Yan is your portable luck charger. If you leave him now, with your own luck so low, you could die at any moment from some random, inexplicable cause!】
Jiang Yu: So you’re saying… absorbing his luck can prolong my life? Can I transfer his luck to myself? And will he inherit my role as the unlucky one?
System: 【Until you make up the luck deficit by completing system tasks, you can stay by his side to “borrow” some luck and avoid extreme misfortune. But this luck doesn’t truly belong to you. It will gradually dissipate over time and with your actions, eventually returning to the world’s true luck-bearer, Qin Yan.】
System: 【It might affect him a little, but only temporarily.】
Jiang Yu: …
Damn. And here she’d briefly reveled in the thought.
At the same time, she completely regained her composure.
Now was indeed not a good time for a divorce.
Before, she had been controlled by the plot, living like a carefree fool. But now, she had come to her senses. The Qin family hadn’t chosen her to marry into their household out of charity or to help the struggling Jiang family. And the current Jiang family couldn’t offer the Qin family any assistance.
What they were after was likely the entire Jiang Group of the Jiang family.
Until that 50 million was repaid, there was no way she and the Qin family could part on good terms.
She remained silent for a long time, her expression shifting through countless changes. Qin Yan stood by the table, leaning back against the edge with one hand. His curled fingers tapped rhythmically as he watched her with a sharp, penetrating gaze, as if trying to see right through her.
Just then, Jiang Yu heard the mission prompt: 【Beginner Mission 1: Please make physical contact with the mission target, Qin Yan.】
Jiang Yu: ? That was rather sudden.
But it was fine. Luck was something that could be absorbed. The more, the better.
After all, the mission didn’t specify the degree of physical contact, right?
“President Qin, could you please help me get some water?” Jiang Yu looked up, meeting his probing gaze. Her voice was still as faint as a mosquito’s hum, but a slight smile curled at the corner of her lips, making her look like a resilient little white flower standing strong in a storm.
Qin Yan’s scrutiny deepened.
Although they had no substantial marital relationship, from the day they registered their marriage, during their few meetings, Jiang Yu had always affectionately called him “husband”. She had never used a formal title like “President Qin”.
Her actions were becoming more and more baffling.
Nevertheless, he poured her a glass of water and handed it to her.
“Thank you.”
Jiang Yu reached out to take the cup, her fingertips intentionally or unintentionally brushing against Qin Yan’s.
Her fingers were cold, causing Qin Yan’s movements to pause involuntarily. His gaze fell on her hand.
It was pale and slender, with every joint exquisitely delicate. It is beautiful enough to be a hand model.
On the ring finger of that hand was a simple, unadorned diamond ring.
He had a matching men’s ring, but he had long since tossed it aside, not knowing where it ended up. It had been prepared for him by Secretary Fang on the day they registered their marriage.
He hadn’t expected her to still be wearing hers.
Jiang Yu’s hand also paused for a moment.
But she was just confirming the mission’s completion.
Jiang Yu: Fingertips touching still counts as physical contact, right?
System: 【…】
A second later, Jiang Yu received the mission completion prompt. She secretly gave herself a mental victory sign, then immediately snatched the water glass from Qin Yan’s hand and gulped down several large mouthfuls.
Burp.
She was alive again.
Qin Yan looked at his now-empty hand, still suspended in mid-air.
Then he glanced at Jiang Yu, who had just downed an entire glass of water without a care for her image.
Was this the spy his dear mother had spent 50 million to plant by his side?
Before he could figure it out, the empty water glass was shoved back into his hand. Having replenished her fluids, Jiang Yu felt much more comfortable. She cleared her throat, her lively, expressive eyes looking directly up at Qin Yan as she began her performance: “While I was unconscious, I had a nightmare. I dreamed…”
At this point, the worry in her eyes as she looked at Qin Yan was unmistakable. Then she lowered her gaze, pursed her lips, and put on an expression of difficulty and grievance, looking utterly pitiable.
Qin Yan looked down at her intently, a faint, ambiguous smile on his lips. “It seems the nightmare was about me?”
Jiang Yu haltingly recounted the half-truth version of the car accident scene she had witnessed earlier, dramatically exaggerating how gruesome the crash had been and how terrified she had felt.
In the end, she maintained a deeply shaken expression, cautiously raising her teary, red-rimmed eyes and wiping away a few tears. “It doesn’t matter if I was torn apart beyond recognition. I just couldn’t bear the thought of you… But dreams are the opposite of reality, and thanks to me, you’ll live a long, healthy life! Just treat the divorce talk as nonsense. It doesn’t count.”
“Not divorcing anymore?” Qin Yan didn’t need her to say it. He already thought she was talking nonsense. He straightened up, smoothed his suit, and replied calmly.
Jiang Yu put on an obedient smile. “No divorce.”
Qin Yan glanced down at her with a dismissive look and nodded. “Then focus on treating your head. I’ll be leaving now.”
With that, he turned and even brushed off his suit as if shaking off bad luck.
“President Qin.” Just as Qin Yan pulled open the hospital room door, Jiang Yu’s voice called out again. “About the contract your secretary sent me earlier, I’ll sign it and bring it to you once it’s done.”
He paused, thinking for a moment before recalling the post-marriage agreement and financial compensation contract he had asked Secretary Fang to draft right after they registered their marriage. She had refused to sign it until now, likely because someone had promised her better terms.
Somehow, she had changed her mind again.
“Alright.”
He acknowledged briefly before leaving.
—
“President Qin, Dr. Ji is at the hospital. Would you like to meet with her?” Secretary Fang walked alongside Qin Yan, noticing his inscrutable expression. Perhaps another unpleasant encounter with Miss Jiang in the ward? But as a secretary, he still felt obliged to remind him of certain social courtesies. “Miss Jiang is, after all, your wife in name. Dr. Ji helped save her when the accident happened. It’s only proper that we express our gratitude.”
“Notify the senior executives of Qin Group for a meeting in half an hour.” Qin Yan glanced at his wristwatch and casually instructed Secretary Fang, “As for Ji Nian, prepare a gift on my behalf and send it over.”
Moonlit: Ooooh~ I smell misunderstanding at that last paragraph.
If you enjoy my works and would like to support me, you can buy me a coffee on Ko-fi. Thank you for your support.
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152