At around 9:00 pm, the protagonist Xiao Chen opened his eyes. He found two additional silver needles in his hand, stuck in his ribs.
"Now, my rib hasn't fully healed yet, but thanks to my Guigu Shenzhen needle treatment, the pain has significantly eased. I should be able to move without much trouble."
"If I don't leave now, when will I?" he thought to himself.
With determination, he lifted the quilt, put on his coat and slippers, skillfully avoiding the doctors and nurses, and limped out of the hospital.
Ten minutes later, the nurse came by for her rounds only to find the patient missing.
Meanwhile, Lin Beifan and Song Yuqing were enjoying dinner at a luxurious restaurant. Despite the occasional interference from Liu Rumei, their relationship was flourishing, often leading to dinners together. Holding hands was now commonplace, and they were beginning to embrace and exchange kisses openly.
However, Lin Beifan remained unfazed, thoroughly enjoying the bliss of love. After all, he was confident that his affection would eventually win over his wife.
Just then, Lin Beifan's phone rang.
"Excuse me, I need to take this call," he said courteously.
"Certainly," replied his dining companion.
Lin Beifan excused himself to the bathroom to answer the phone.
"I'm Lin Beifan, how can I assist you?" he answered.
An anxious voice came from the other end, "Mr. Lin, hello, I'm a nurse from a certain hospital. During my rounds just now, I discovered that Mr. Xiao Chen is missing. I'm calling to inform you."
"Xiao Chen is missing? Where did he go?" Lin Beifan exclaimed in surprise.
"We're not sure. We suspect he left on his own, as his clothes and shoes are also missing. However, considering his severe injuries, it's odd that he would be able to leave. We're currently reviewing the surveillance footage. We'll keep you updated if we find any further information," the nurse explained.
"Understood, thank you," Lin Beifan acknowledged before ending the call.
With both parties hanging up the phone, Lin Beifan couldn't help but smile. He knew without a doubt that Xiao Chen had slipped away. He had no desire to be confined to a hospital bed and controlled by anyone, protagonist or not. Besides, with the protagonist being a genius doctor, healing himself wouldn't be a challenge.
"It's wish time again," Lin Beifan mused silently. "I wish to be..."
At that moment, he glanced over at Song Yuqing, noticing her recent weight loss. With a determined thought, he continued his wish, "I wish to be swept off my feet by a 115-pound beauty!"
"Ding! Wish granted!" came the response.
Lin Beifan chuckled, "Xiao Chen, you should just stay put in the hospital and not cause any trouble for me!"
With confident strides, he made his way towards Song Yuqing. However, just then, a tall and stunning woman emerged from the bathroom.
She hurriedly lowered her head and rushed forward, inadvertently stepping into a puddle of water. Losing her balance, she stumbled towards Lin Beifan.
"Whoa! Watch out!" he exclaimed.
Sensing the movement behind him, Lin Beifan turned around, only to find himself colliding with the woman.
"Oops! Are you okay?" he asked, feeling a warm and fragrant body against him as they both fell with a simultaneous "ouch."
As Lin Beifan opened his eyes, he realized who he had fallen with. "It's you!" he exclaimed.
The woman in front of him was none other than Chu Ruoxue, the second golden flower of the Magic Sea and the second heroine, also known as the beautiful president of the Belvedere Group. Her beauty and intelligence were on par with Song Yuqing's, if not superior.
However, unlike Song Yuqing's gentle and generous demeanor, Chu Ruoxue had a touch of arrogance and a streak of unruliness and wilfulness. With a background and power that matched Lin Beifan's, she had every reason to be confident.
In the original storyline, she was the official female supporting character to the God of War, Ye Xingchen. But with Lin Beifan's appearance, everything had taken a different turn.
Upon recognizing Lin Beifan, Chu Ruoxue expressed her surprise, "Lin Beifan, what are you doing here? How come you're here?"
In the upper echelons of the Magic Sea, everyone knew each other or at least knew of each other, even if they weren't intimately acquainted.
"I should be asking you the same thing!" Lin Beifan exclaimed, feeling a bit dumbfounded. "Could you perhaps get off me first?"
Chu Ruoxue's face flushed crimson in an instant; she had never been in such close proximity to a man before. And to think it was Lin Beifan, the notorious playboy of Mohai City, only intensified her feelings of embarrassment.
But as she gazed upon Lin Beifan's strikingly handsome face, she couldn't help but feel that maybe this encounter wasn't such a loss after all.
Shaking off her scattered thoughts, Chu Ruoxue quickly composed herself and scrambled to her feet. Her cheeks still tinged with red, she shot Lin Beifan a glare, gritting her teeth as she issued a stern warning, "Not a word about this to anyone! Or else, you'll regret it!"
"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me," Lin Beifan reassured her with a smirk.
"Hmph!" With a huff, Chu Ruoxue stormed off in a fit of annoyance. However, after taking just a couple of steps, she turned back abruptly. "Wait!" she called out.
Lin Beifan replied, "What else did you want to discuss?"
"I've heard that you've settled in at Lin's Investment Company and things are going well there?" Chu Ruoxue inquired.
"It's not exactly thriving, but I'd say it's going okay," Lin Beifan replied modestly. Compared to the career he had built from the ground up in his previous life, the current state of his company could only be considered a modest beginning.
"I have a business proposition I'd like to discuss with you. I'll drop by your company tomorrow. We'll talk then," Chu Ruoxue stated before turning to leave without another word.
Lin Beifan clicked his tongue and shook his head in mild amusement. "Some things never change," he muttered to himself, noting Chu Ruoxue's characteristic straightforwardness before turning his attention back to his dinner companion.