Luo Xiuwen interrupted Hong Baizhang with a look of disdain. "What are you talking about games for? It's time to leave; there are too many people crowded in here. The air in this room is stale, and how can the patient possibly rest?"
With eight or nine people standing around the hospital room, chatting incessantly, it was impossible for Jian Yiling to find any peace. Luo Xiuwen took charge, her first target being Hong Baizhang, whom she ushered out of the room.
"Alright, alright," the old matriarch of the Jian family chimed in. "We can discuss all this later. Little Guai is still sick." She turned to Jian Yunao, who was lingering at the doorway, and added, "She's your own sister. Just like breaking a bone still connects to the sinew; think about the positive aspects of this situation. Don't get bogged down by negative thoughts."
Although the elder did not explicitly state it, those familiar with the situation understood her meaning well. Jian Yunao had already let negative thoughts about Jian Yiling cloud his judgment once; he couldn't afford to do so again. The matriarch hoped he would learn to trust his sister and set aside any lingering doubts.
Jian Shuxiang bent down to gently address Jian Yiling, who lay in the hospital bed. "Little Ling, your father and brother are going back now. They'll come to see you again after work this evening. Just focus on getting better; your brother has already called the school to ask for leave for you, so there's no need to worry."
"Okay," Jian Yiling replied softly.
Her response struck Jian Shuxiang like a sudden pang. Although she was being dutiful, he felt an inexplicable distance between them, as if an invisible barrier had formed. After lingering for a moment, he finally left the hospital room alongside his eldest son.
As the others began to file out, Jian Yumin turned to the family's butler. "Could you please bring me a change of clothes when you return to the old residence?" He realized he hadn't changed his outfit yet. To be on the safe side, Jian Yiling would need to stay in the hospital overnight, and he planned to stay with her. Given that he had no scheduled events in the next couple of days, it made sense to prioritize his sister over the rehearsals he had originally planned with his bandmates.
When Jian Yumin spoke, Luo Xiuwen suddenly squinted, her instincts piqued by the familiar timbre of his voice. It was magnetic, the kind of voice she had only heard once before! She turned to see who was behind her.
A disheveled man with tousled hair, clad in pajamas and slippers, entered her line of sight. He appeared somewhat unkempt, but—
"You… you look so much like Xie Minyu!" Luo Xiuwen exclaimed, her voice rising in surprise as she stared intently at Jian Yumin.
Xie Minyu was Jian Yumin's stage name. When he entered the entertainment industry, He Yan had strongly opposed it, prompting him to use a pseudonym to distance himself from the Jian family. The surname Xie belonged to the matriarch.
The more Luo Xiuwen looked at him, the more she could see the resemblance. Even Cheng Yi, who wasn't a fan of the boy band Jupiter, recognized him due to the numerous merchandise items cluttering Luo Xiuwen's desk.
Jian Yumin met Luo Xiuwen's gaze and noted her astonishment but remained unfazed. "Yes, that's me. Is there a problem?"
He was acutely aware that his current appearance was a stark contrast to his polished image on-screen, but he didn't care much. What did it matter?
After all, if he lost a fan, so be it. Fans were fickle, and there was no way to stop them from leaving. He certainly wasn't about to pander to anyone or coddle their expectations.