Chapter 72
Xia Wansheng, not believing it, tried again, and the familiar pain returned.
He quickly retracted his finger, but the brief moment was excruciating, he had to grit his teeth to suppress a cry.
What was going on?
His groggy mind suddenly became alert.
His ring finger hadn’t even bled, just a simple touch against the rough edge of the paper, and yet the pain was so intense.
It was as if his senses had become heightened, but only triggered by the specific action of touching paper.
He couldn’t find any logical connection.
As he was still pondering, the timer on the thermometer went off. He looked at the reading: 38.2 degrees Celsius.
A slight fever, but it shouldn’t be a problem.
He habitually reached for his medicine cabinet, then realized he hadn’t unpacked it yet after his hasty move.
Forget it, he should recover after some sleep.
Xia Wansheng lay back down on his side, not wanting to talk to anyone.
Perhaps because of the fever, he just wanted to lie down, close his eyes, and think about nothing.
Although the slight tightness in his chest made it difficult to sleep.
But this constant escapism wasn’t so bad.
Such a perfect rainy day, a perfect excuse to stay in bed.
That was his plan.
But he had opened the curtains earlier, and as he turned his head, he saw the thriving plants and blooming flowers on the balcony.
Yu Congyan must have watered them before leaving, the leaves unfurling towards the light.
Xia Wansheng was captivated.
He had been struggling with the decision of whether to get up or stay in bed.
As if delaying it until the last possible moment could absolve him of responsibility, allowing him to remain detached, regardless of the outcome.
But now, his gaze fixed on the vibrant plants on the balcony, a spark of life in the otherwise dreary day.
He knew that either choice was essentially escapism.
And more importantly, it would only prolong his mental and physical exhaustion.
Looking at the plants, a new thought emerged.
Perhaps… he could choose a path he had never considered before, asking for help.
He opened his chat with Yu Congyan, trying to figure out how to explain his current situation.
Being sick came with special privileges, a temporary reprieve from responsibilities, a chance to rely on others, without having to think about the future, life, or survival.
For the first time, he asked himself, was this his true desire?
Did he want Yu Congyan to be here with him?
He typed and deleted, unable to find the right words.
After all, he didn’t have any significant symptoms other than feeling weak, perhaps it was just a simple cold, a single pill and a glass of water would be enough, there was no need to bother Yu Congyan.
His illness wasn’t that important, was it?
Xia Wansheng, after much deliberation, found himself trapped in another dilemma.
He needed a small jolt to clear his mind.
The earlier pain was probably just some strange reaction, it wouldn’t cause any lasting harm.
He reached for his diary on the bedside table.
His intention was clear, pressing his ring finger against the edge of the paper. Although he didn’t apply much pressure, and there wasn’t even a cut, the familiar pain returned.
Probably a fever symptom.
Xia Wansheng dismissed it, but the brief pain did help him make a decision.
Because the sudden jolt made him accidentally press the send button, the carefully crafted message sent before he could even finish editing it.
“？！”
He quickly pressed the power button, turned off the screen, placed the phone face down on the bed, and closed his eyes, not daring to see Yu Congyan’s reply.
It was too late to retract the message now.
A retracted message often conveyed more than a sent one.
He pretended to be resting, but he was actually listening intently for a reply.
Although he was reluctant to admit it, he couldn’t deny the anticipation, he would finally experience the classic “sick and cared for by the CEO, leading to a deepening of their relationship” trope from those novels.
But Yu Congyan, who usually replied instantly, was unusually silent. Xia Wansheng waited, almost falling asleep, but there was no notification sound.
Had he forgotten to turn on notifications?
He sat up, puzzled, and opened the chat, his message still the last one.
He had even used the standard professional messaging etiquette, adding a coffee emoji to soften the tone.
It was a perfect message, but there was no reply.
Xia Wansheng scrolled through their chat history, mostly mundane conversations and expressions of concern, mostly from Yu Congyan, worried about his well-being.
The more he scrolled, the more he felt something was off about their previous interactions.
How had he been able to recommend spicy Sichuan restaurants, knowing Yu Congyan had a sensitive stomach, not even giving him any other options?
And Yu Congyan had actually gone along with it, even choosing the most expensive one.
Although Sichuan restaurants did have non-spicy dishes, Xia Wansheng thought, if he was asked the same question now, he wouldn’t answer so directly.
He would try to understand Yu Congyan’s motives, whether he was just using him as an excuse to go to his preferred restaurant.
Or he would simply let Yu Congyan choose, to ensure a pleasant dining experience.
How had he been so inconsiderate before?
He remembered the therapist’s reason for asking him to write in a diary, the notebook she had insisted he take, he wondered what was so special about it.
He opened the notebook, his finger unconsciously brushing against the paper, the familiar pain no longer surprising him. He flipped to his previous entry.
He had understood the importance of considering his own feelings and started questioning his choices.
But then he realized it was too overwhelming, there were so many things to consider if he wanted to live a good life in this world.
After all, being given a second chance was a blessing, and this world was practically a dream come true.
He didn’t have a choice, it was better to settle down and live a good life here.
Xia Wansheng was good at adapting, he had no attachments, he could thrive anywhere.
His phone notification sounded. He quickly grabbed it, only to find it was just a promotional message.
Yu Congyan’s chat was still silent, his message the last one.
No new replies.
Xia Wansheng’s mood dampened slightly, his finger unconsciously tracing the edge of the paper.
He had read about a ridiculous dating philosophy, claiming the key to making someone care about you was to reply late.
He hadn’t understood it then, why deliberately ignore someone you liked, knowing they were both suffering.
But now, experiencing the anxiety himself, he understood.
During that period of waiting, all sorts of thoughts would flood his mind.
And the eventual reply would trigger another wave of emotions, the cycle repeating until the next response.
During that time, all he could think about was you.
Yu Congyan was in the meeting room, discussing the new proposal with his team.
This approach was unprecedented in the industry, but after careful analysis, they had concluded it was highly feasible.
Everyone applauded sincerely, if this plan could be implemented, it could significantly reduce costs and give them a competitive edge in the market.
The discussion was passionate and engaging, the break time approaching lunchtime.
“CEO Yu, should we contact the team now and discuss the next steps?” Assistant Zhong asked routinely.
Intense, continuous overtime was demanding, a suitable team and high efficiency were crucial. Many were involved in this project, but only a few were in the core team, coordinating their schedules was important.
“Remind them they can’t quit halfway.” Yu Congyan instructed.
After leaving the meeting room, he didn’t review the discussion as usual, instead opening his phone, wanting to send a message to Xia Wansheng.
Talking about the weather now seemed too abrupt.
He looked out the window, dark clouds gathering, the sky even gloomier than when he left this morning. It wasn’t raining yet, but the heavy clouds seemed to be pressing down.
Just as he looked down at his phone, he saw a new message from Xia Wansheng.
“！！！”
The gloomy sky in his heart instantly brightened by 50%.
He opened the chat, but upon seeing the message, his relaxed expression turned to concern.
Xia Wansheng was sick?!
He knew him too well. Normally, if it was just a minor cold or stomachache, Xia Wansheng would endure it until he noticed.
Xia Wansheng actually telling him about his condition now, although a good sign, also made him worry.
Was it so serious that he had to ask for his help?
Yu Congyan couldn’t wait any longer. He immediately decided to tell Assistant Zhong he had to leave, postponing all afternoon meetings or handling them remotely later.
But then he remembered his own words, no one could quit halfway.
They were in the middle of discussing this proposal, he couldn’t disrupt their progress for personal matters.
He was facing a difficult dilemma.
He always prioritized work when there were no other considerations.
But everything had changed since he missed Xia Wansheng’s birthday.
He had thought he made the right decision then, but hearing Xia Wansheng say he knew he would choose work, he couldn’t deny the pang of regret.
He hadn’t realized it then, but it was regret.
No one blamed him, everyone understood work was his priority.
After all, everything he had was earned through hard work, and his demanding work schedule had become his lifestyle, his most rewarding pursuit.
But now, he hesitated.
Looking at the message, he knew which side the scales in his heart had tipped towards.
Yu Congyan calmly typed his reply, “I’ll be right back.”
This time, he made a different choice.
“I apologize, everyone, I have to leave for personal reasons, please proceed without me, I’ll review the meeting minutes before midnight.”
His announcement in the meeting room was met with an unexpected reaction.
He had expected his team to just politely acknowledge his absence, after all, he was disrupting their schedule, some complaints would be normal.
But after their initial surprise, they were mostly understanding, their eyes even holding a hint of excitement he couldn’t decipher.
A few bolder ones even nudged each other, as if having discovered a new continent.
Yu Congyan instructed Assistant Zhong and prepared to leave, leaving the stunned team members to gather and discuss.
“Great, it seems the chances of CEO Yu dying young have decreased slightly,” You Li said with a sigh of relief, “I even searched online before, what would happen to the employees if the CEO died from overwork?!”
There were no relevant answers, everyone thought she had gotten the roles reversed.
“This is unprecedented. Although he’s still planning to review the minutes later, the old CEO Yu would have continued the meeting even if the sky was falling.” Another colleague agreed.
They suddenly felt their CEO had become more relatable, perhaps they could even joke with him someday.
Yu Congyan glanced at his phone in the parking garage, seeing Xia Wansheng hadn’t replied, his call also went unanswered.
He felt a sudden surge of anxiety.
Although he knew Xia Wansheng didn’t remember the system and wouldn’t do anything drastic, he still couldn’t shake the worry.
The countless times he had encountered Xia Wansheng in emergencies were deeply ingrained in his memory.
It had become a conditioned reflex. Whenever he lost contact with him, he would instinctively worry: Was he in danger again?
And now, a downpour started, obstructing his vision, coupled with rush hour traffic, the expressway was completely jammed.
Yu Congyan stared at his unanswered messages, the rain relentlessly beating against the car window, the noise grating on his nerves.
He was trapped on this isolated island, just like before.
The difference was, this time, he had a clear destination, and someone waiting for him.
The light turned green.
The cars in front of him slowly started moving. Yu Congyan accelerated, eager to see him.
