Song Lian lay on the bed, shouting loudly, determined to make Qiao En tend to him.
She remained motionless, simply refusing to heed his bidding.
"Mr. Song, please bear with it, the doctor said once your injury heals, the pain will go away."
That was a pointless statement.
It had no soothing effect whatsoever.
Yet she said it with utmost sincerity, her eyes wide with shock, concern, and worry.
Song Lian rolled his eyes in frustration, "I can't bear it!"
"What should we do then? Shall I... go and call the doctor over?"
"I don't want a doctor, I want you to kneel and repent!"
Song Lian took the opportunity to set a trap for her, but Qiao En simply wouldn't fall for it.
She quickly left the ward and actually called for the doctor.
"Who the fuck asked you to call him? You dumb piece of shit, you're deliberately trying to piss me off, aren't you?"
When Song Lian saw the person come in, he cursed even more foully.
"Doctor, I'm sorry, he wasn't like this before. Please check him thoroughly, could he have suffered brain damage from the beating?"
Qiao En uttered the last sentence in a very low voice.
"Get lost, don't you fucking touch me."
As the doctor approached, Song Lian kicked out with his foot.
He roared angrily, "Qiao En, you bitch, what did you just say?"
Qiao En pulled the doctor out of the ward in time.
Song Lian continued to roar relentlessly inside the room.
Like a mad dog.
The doctor shook his head, frowning.
Qiao En's eyes reddened, and she said, "Doctor, I'm sorry to trouble you."
The doctor nodded his head.
Soon, Song Lian was wheeled out of the ward.
"Where the hell are you taking me?"
He struggled, but it was useless.
At the examination room door, Qiao En stood waiting for him.
"Mr. Song, let's have a proper check-up, it will be over quickly."
Her expression was sincere, but Song Lian felt there was something off about it.
"Qiao En, if you dare to play dirty with me, I'll fucking end you!"
He hadn't finished speaking when he was pushed into the examination room.
Half an hour later, he came out of the examination room.
The effect of the sedative hadn't worn off.
He lay there sleeping on the gurney, exceptionally quiet.
The diagnosis was unexpected; Song Lian had severe mania, which was now uncontrollable.
The doctor prescribed medication for him, all with sedative effects.
At eight o'clock that evening, Song Lian woke up.
"What did you do to me?" he asked Qiao En, looking at her with dull eyes.
His voice had lost its imperiousness and now carried a sense of weariness.
Qiao En felt he was a stranger.
But this version of Song Lian was safe.
She pulled over a chair and moved it a few inches closer to his bed.
"You're sick here," she said, gesturing to his head. "It's serious."
"But," she added, "the doctor said that as long as you comply with the treatment, there's still a chance for recovery."
"I'm not sick," Song Lian countered weakly.
Olanzapine is an effective medication for treating mania, stabilizing a patient's mood and inducing drowsiness.
After speaking a few sentences, Song Lian's eyelids became unusually heavy.
Before he fell asleep, Qiao En decided to clear the air with him.
"Mr. Song, as the saying goes, 'Better to make friends than enemies.' Since we met by chance, I have no intention of climbing your social ladder, and you don't wish to stoop to my level, let's just forget each other in the vast sea of people."
She took a moment to muster the courage to speak that awkward piece.
"No way!"
Song Lian murmured the three words softly.
Qiao En took a card out of her bag, "This is all my savings, Mr. Song. I've offered you my sincerity, now please do as you see fit."
As she said this, she got up and walked towards the door of the ward.
"Debts are to be settled, grievances to be addressed. Whoever did this to you, if you want revenge, go find him!"
Qiao En was sure he didn't have the guts.
But Song Lian was stubborn; clouded by drowsiness, he muttered, "Find you!"
The volume was too low, and Qiao En didn't hear it.
Tomorrow she was going to leave Rong City, she had no time to entangle with Song Lian any longer.
When she came out of the hospital, the sky was already pitch dark.
Qiao En walked toward the exit with her head down, when Cheng Lu suddenly appeared.
He was dressed all in black, his expression very solemn.
Qiao En was startled.
"What are you doing here?"
"Director Zhou wants to see you."
Cheng Lu said coldly.
He was a man of few words, and after speaking, he turned and walked away.
Qiao En's heart sank, but she didn't think much of it and quickly followed Cheng Lu's steps.
After making two turns at the intersections, Qiao En saw the Maybach parked under the shade of the trees.
The windows were tightly closed, giving off an imposing aura.
Cheng Lu gestured invitingly, "Director Zhou is in the car, don't keep him waiting."
Qiao En nodded slightly.
She took steps towards the Maybach, and with each step, her heartbeat quickened a bit.
"Director Zhou."
Qiao En stood still outside the car door; she did not get in.
"Get in the car."
The cold voice of Zhou Jin'an came through.
"No, thanks." Qiao En refused.
The temperature seemed to plummet instantly from inside the car to outside.
Separated by a car door, Qiao En could imagine just how intense Zhou Jin'an's anger was.
"Thank you, Director Zhou, for coming to the rescue today."
She had already thanked Cheng Lu for the daytime incident, but since Cheng Lu was acting on Zhou Jin'an's orders to teach Song Lian a lesson, it was necessary for her to express her gratitude in person.
Zhou Jin'an didn't respond.
It was something she had expected.
Qiao En breathed a slight sigh of relief and then said, "I came to say goodbye, I am leaving tomorrow."
"Where to?"
"America."
"For how long?"
Zhou Jin'an inquired.
Qiao En felt at a loss inside.
Mrs. Zhou wanted her to leave, fearing she'd become a stumbling block between Zhou Jin'an and An Kexin.
If she couldn't comply with Mrs. Zhou's wishes, she probably wouldn't have a place to stand.
"Quite a while, I guess."
Qiao En gave a noncommittal answer.
Silence spread between them.
Qiao En felt a bit choked up, but she managed a slight smile to cover it up.
"Director Zhou, forget about me."
"Can you forget?" The always silent Zhou Jin'an suddenly asked back.
Qiao En pretended to be nonchalant, "Why not?"
How could she not? As long as she worked hard enough, she certainly could.
"Goodbye, Director Zhou!"
As Qiao En spoke, she turned to leave.
However, just as she took a step, the car door behind her opened, and Zhou Jin'an reached out with an ape-like arm and forcibly pulled Qiao En inside.
Caught off guard, she fell directly into his arms.
The car door closed again.
The space in the Maybach was compact, and Zhou Jin'an, with his long arms and legs, was already cramped, now with an additional Qiao En, the confined feeling was even more pronounced.
"Director Zhou—"
The two were too close, and she was shrunken in his embrace.
Qiao En struggled to get out of Zhou Jin'an's arms, but he did not loosen his grip, holding her even tighter.
"Must you go?"
He towered over her, his commanding face obscured in the shadows of the light.
"I must go!"
Qiao En's declaration resounded firmly.
She was but a pawn, with no control over her own destiny.
Zhou Jin'an's eyes were as deep as the sea; his brow furrowed, he stared at Qiao En with an assertive intensity.
He had given her chance after chance.
She had refused them, time after time.
He reached out, gripping her chin, his knuckles turning white from the force.
"I'm giving you one last chance, answer me properly!"
Qiao En looked up at Zhou Jin'an, towards the light.
Ripples stirred in her heart, but her face remained indifferent.
"Director Zhou, I really must go."
She repeated the words he didn't want to hear.
She had touched upon his raw nerve over and over again.
Fury blazed in Zhou Jin'an's eyes, Qiao En's obstinacy infuriated him.
"Director Zhou, you said before, we take what we need from each other, no debts owed, have you forgotten?"
Bringing up the past, Qiao En added fuel to Zhou Jin'an's rising anger.
His face grew even more somber, like the darkened wilderness that threatened to swallow her.
Once more, Qiao En struggled, trying to break free from his shackles.
Suddenly, Zhou Jin'an leaned in, catching her lips with his in an unexpected kiss.