After dinner, Song JinXing was going to take Zhong's father and Zhong You to the airport.
Zhong Ruanxing sat up in bed and waved to him with a smile on her face: “Bye bye, I’ll treat you to dinner when I finish filming and come back to Beijing!”
Song JinXing looked at her deeply without saying a word, then turned around and left.
Ran Ting was a little nervous from the way Song JinXing looked at Zhong Ruanxing. After the ward door closed, she asked in a low voice: “Ruanxing, Mr. Song seems a little unhappy. Why did you rush him away?”
The smile on Zhong Ruanxing’s face also faded away, and she lay back down a little sadly: “He already has his own life and work. Taking care of me for so many days is already very kind and righteous of him.”
With their secret swap reversed, Song JinXing was once again an unreachable spokesperson. People from two different worlds were never meant to intersect in the first place. Now that things were back to normal, there was even less reason for them to be entangled.
She always had a good sense of propriety and would never overstep her bounds in a place that didn’t belong to her.
Ran Ting listened to her say “kind and righteous” and was a little dumbfounded. Her words made it sound as if the two of them were about to sever all ties. She hesitated: “That can’t be right. Mr. Song treated you so well, even if... even if you don't end up together, you could still be friends, right?”
Zhong Ruanxing was silent.
The secret of their swap could never be told to outsiders, so she had no way to explain that all his kindness was forced because of the involuntary swap.
And as for being friends...
There was rarely ever pure friendship between men and women. It was just friendship used as a pretext to satisfy unfulfilled desires.
She had to admit that she did have some stirrings of romance for Song JinXing. This realization astonished even herself.
When did she start having feelings for him? He had been in her body all along! Did she fall for Song JinXing when he was in her body? In other words, she actually had feelings for herself???
In any case, she had feelings for Song JinXing. Because of these feelings, she could not casually be friends with him.
How could someone with emotional detachment disorder, someone who didn’t even love herself or her family, go and love a stranger?
If she told him "I like you", he would probably just frown in confusion and ask what it meant to like someone.
Zhong Ruanxing didn’t want to see that kind of expression, and she couldn’t accept him choosing to be with her just because of the unique secret between them, after knowing her feelings.
Yes, that was Song JinXing - someone so calm and composed that he could tell her “If we can never swap back, I would choose to marry you.” He could arrange his marriage and optimal lifestyle without any personal feelings.
She didn’t dare expect such a person to reciprocate her feelings, and she couldn’t accept him reciprocating for any reason other than liking her back.
So it was better if he never found out.
She should just treat this fantastical adventure as if it had ended, and she was never the princess but her own knight all along.
Ran Ting waited for a long time, and only heard her artist utter three deep words: “You don’t understand.”
What do you mean I don’t understand! You’re not explaining so how could I understand!
Ran Ting was furious but helpless. Ever since Zhong Ruanxing woke up, she felt something was a little different about her artist. It seemed she really did damage her brain from the fall!
At this stage, Zhong Ruanxing could only eat light food and fruit. Ran Ting mashed up some fruit for her before being called back by the company for a phone conference.
Zhong Ruanxing said, "It's not convenient to sleep here either. After your meeting, don't come back. Just sleep at the hotel. I don't need someone to accompany me at night anymore."
The single patient room only had one foldaway bed, which was indeed inconvenient to sleep on. Ran Ting wanted to insist on staying, but after Zhong Ruanxing urged her several times, she agreed and specifically told the nurse on duty before hurrying away.
Night fell outside the window. Zhong Ruanxing lay in bed playing on her phone for a while, chatting with the friends who had been texting her to ask about her condition these days. Then she got ready to sleep.
She wanted to use the bathroom before sleeping, so she pressed the call bell.
Soon, footsteps approached and the ward door was pushed open as someone walked in.
Zhong Ruanxing propped herself up on her elbows and sat up in bed, head lowered as she pulled back the quilt: “Nurse, I want to use the bathroom, can you help me...”
As she spoke, she lifted her head and saw Song JinXing standing next to her. His broad, warm hand grasped her arm and helped her up from the bed steadily yet gently.
Zhong Ruanxing froze, staring at him without blinking.
Song JinXing asked, "Didn't you need to use the bathroom?"
Her traitorous heart started racing again. The corners of her lips twitched slightly as she softly asked, "Why did you come back?"
Song JinXing tilted his head slightly. "Did I say I was leaving?"
"Didn't you..." Zhong Ruanxing said a few words then stopped. He did seem to not have said anything; it was her who kept talking.
Seeing her lower her eyelashes, Song JinXing sighed softly and murmured, "I can work here too."
Zhong Ruanxing couldn't describe what she was feeling. It was also her first time liking someone - it really was as bittersweet as described in novels. She was afraid of him finding out her feelings, yet also afraid of him not knowing.
When she didn't speak, Song JinXing could only remain silent for the time being too.
After a while, it was still him who spoke first: "Do you still need the bathroom?"
Zhong Ruanxing reacted: "Yes! Yes!" She was a little embarrassed. "I can go by myself."
Song JinXing ignored her and helped her get up and walk to the bathroom door. Zhong Ruanxing anxiously grabbed the door handle: "I can get in myself!"
Song JinXing couldn't help laughing. He let go of her hand: "Okay, go in yourself."
Zhong Ruanxing breathed a sigh of relief and went in. Just as she was about to close the door, she stuck half her head out again, a little shyly said: "Don't stand by the door."
She would be embarrassed if he could hear her too!
Song JinXing looked at her deeply.
Zhong Ruanxing shrank back her neck: "What?"
Then she saw him smile leisurely: "Between us, are you still shy about such things? Earlier you..."
Zhong Ruanxing: "Okay, okay, I know! Stand wherever you want, go ahead!"
She slammed the door shut, rather irritated.
Song JinXing rubbed his nose, laughing silently. In the end, he still walked back to the bedside. Only when he heard the door open did he go over to support her again.
After getting into bed, she pulled the quilt up to cover half her face: "I'm going to sleep now."
Song JinXing murmured in acknowledgment: "I asked the nurse for a foldaway bed, it should be sent in soon."
Zhong Ruanxing pulled the quilt back down again and turned to look at him. "Go back to the hotel and sleep."
Just as she finished speaking, the nurse came in with the foldaway bed.
He spread it open next to the bed, draped his suit jacket over the chair, and turned to ask her: "Should I turn off the lights?"
Ahhhh! Did he not hear me at all!
Zhong Ruanxing glared at him angrily.
Song JinXing sighed and called her name: "Zhong Ruanxing." He said, "Be good."
In that instant, the blush behind her ears spread swiftly to her cheeks like a gust-fed flame. Zhong Ruanxing was afraid he would see her flaming red face, so she hastily said: "Turn off the lights!"
With a click, the ward darkened, concealing the hidden feelings.
