THE lights were blinding.

　　As Ding Yi’s consciousness returned, the first thing he saw was a nurse changing his IV drip and the glaring overhead light. Instinctively, he raised his hand to shield his eyes.

　　Was he in a hospital?

　　The nurse didn’t notice his movement, but Su Manhua, who was standing nearby, quickly stepped forward to press his IV-needle hand back down.

　　“Be careful!” she said immediately.

　　Thinking it was an unconscious action in his sleep, Su Manhua turned and informed the nurse, “He’s awake.”

　　The nurse nodded, finished changing the IV, and took Ding Yi’s temperature before leaving to call the doctor.

　　Su Manhua dimmed the bedside light and sat down on a stool next to the bed.

　　“Are you okay? Does your stomach still hurt?” she asked.

　　To be honest, she felt a bit uneasy now that she was alone with Ding Yi.

　　After discovering Ding Yi had passed out, Jhan Syudong called for an ambulance. Ling Yueh was busy with guests at home. She was afraid that Jhan Syudong and Tian Mingjhang couldn’t manage alone, so she asked Su Manhua to accompany them to the hospital. Su Manhua agreed without hesitation.

　　Su Manhua had always had a clear self-awareness. She was decent in many respects, but her EQ was not high.

　　Therefore, she was not very sensitive to social cues and was often a bit slow to react. As a result, her close friends affectionately called her “Slow Su.” (In Chinese, the phrases “slow” and “manman” sound identical)

　　Ding Yi was a man, and with Jhan Syudong and Tian Mingjhang, two other men, accompanying him to the hospital, what was an unmarried woman like her doing tagging along with them?

　　It wasn’t until they were halfway to the hospital that Su Manhua sensed something was off. Thinking it over, she realized Ling Yueh’s little scheme. But by then, it was too late to back out.

　　Seeing Su Manhua by his bedside, Ding Yi’s eyes showed a hint of surprise before he regained his composure.

　　“I’m feeling better. Did I—faint?” asked Ding Yi.

　　He only remembered lying on the tatami in Tian Mingjhang’s study room, fighting off the stomach pain until he lost consciousness.

　　“You must be very busy with work. And you need to take better care of yourself. Stomach bleeding can be fatal,” Su Manhua nodded and said.

　　Ding Yi forced a smile. His stomach pain had been severe recently, and he had suspected something like this. He had planned to go the hospital during the May Day holiday, but he didn’t expect to be brought in like this.

　　His stomach still felt uncomfortable now, but the pain had lessened significantly with the medication taking effect. He didn’t say anything about his job. Instead, he said politely, “Thank you for your concern, Ms. Su. And sorry for the trouble.”

　　Even Su Manhua, with her low EQ, could sense the aloofness beneath Ding Yi’s polite demeanor.

　　This was their third meeting. Reflecting on the previous two, she realized that Ding Yi had always been courteous, his behavior highly sociable yet tinged with a subtle distance.

　　To be honest, from the perspective of a blind date, Su Manhua had no desire to get to know more about Ding Yi. He was overly cautious, rigid in his ways, and exceptionally good-looking—neither someone she could handle nor someone she found appealing.

　　“It’s nothing, really. It’s mostly Mr. Jhan and Mr. Tian doing the heavy lifting; I’m just lending a hand,” she said with a smile, deciding to pretend she hadn’t noticed Ling Yueh’s matchmaking efforts. “By the way, Mr. Jhan went to buy some daily necessities for your hospital stay, and Mr. Tian is handling your admission paperwork with the doctor. If you need anything specific, you can call Mr. Jhan.”

　　Just as she finished speaking, Tian Mingjhang walked in with the attending physician and the nurse who had just left. What followed was a routine series of medical history questions and a brief examination.

　　Seeing that she wasn’t needed, Su Manhua stepped out into the corridor and found a chair to sit on. After a few minutes of boredom, she took out a notebook and pen from her bag and started writing.

　　When she had just finished and put away her notebook, she looked up to see Jhan Syudong coming down the corridor with a large bag in hand, followed by two people with great physical appearance.

　　One was a man in a tailored suit, and the other a woman in a professional-looking dress. Both exuded an aura of elite competence.

　　Wow, what a rare sight—a handsome gentleman and a pretty lady! Su Manhua couldn’t help but take a few more glances.

　　When they reached, Jhan Syudong briefly introduced everyone.

　　“This is Lin Siao, and Liou Yan.”

　　“Su Manhua.”

　　After exchanging nods, Jhan Sudong led the two into the ward.

　　Su Manhua returned to her seat. A moment later, the doctor and nurse came out of the room, one after the other. Su Manhua stood up and discreetly whispered a few words to the nurse, then handed her a note. The nurse took the note, gave her a knowing smile, and walked away.

　　Tian Mingjhang exited the ward just in time to catch Su Manhua’s secretive actions, and he couldn’t help but tease her, “Don’t tell me you slipped a few 100 yuan bills to the nurse.”

　　“Why would you think I will empty my wallet for someone I’m not even related to?” Su Manhua laughed and said.

　　“You sure looked secretive to me!” Tian Mingjhang gave her a meaningful look and said.

　　He wasn’t usually one to joke around with people, but Su Manhua was an exception.

　　Su Manhua and Ling Yueh were best friends, as close as sisters. Whenever Su Manhua was back in Linghai, they were rarely apart. After Ling Yueh had her child and started going out less, Su Manhua often visited her, and Tian’s families no longer saw her as an outsider.

　　“What I did is all perfectly aboveboard. My dad texted me saying he wasn’t feeling well and asked me to bring some medicine back. The name of the medicine is too complicated, so I wrote it down and asked the nurse to check with the doctor if it could be prescribed here,” Su Manhua explained with an innocent smile.

　　“Really? Well, I’ll wait here for you while you go ask the doctor,” Tian Mingjhang said, half-jokingly.

　　To his surprise, Su Manhua replied, “Sure,” and then walked towards the doctor’s office down the hall. She returned shortly, saying, “The doctor said they need to see the patient in person to prescribe the medication, so I’ll have to buy it at the pharmacy.”

　　“Alright, let’s go then,” Tian Mingjhang said. He had no interest in prying into her personal affairs. He was eager to get home. With so many guests at his place, Ling Yue had her hands full with the kids and entertaining everyone. He figured it was best to return as soon as possible to help out.

　　“Can we leave now?” asked Su Manhua.

　　“Jhan mentioned he’s off for the May Day holiday, so he can take care of boss,” Tian Mingjhang nodded and replied.

　　As they walked towards the elevator, Tian Mingjhang casually remarked, “I overheard in the ward that the two who just arrived used to be the boss’s business partners. I heard their company has gone public now. What a pity for him!”

　　“Yes, it’s quite a pity,” Su Manhua agreed innocently, and didn’t know that she was being probed. Her tone was somewhat perfunctory, wondering why Tian Mingjhang was suddenly gossiping.

　　“That pretty lady, Liou Yan, seems quite attentive to the boss,” he said, observed, and watched Su Manhua’s reaction closely.

　　“What a perfect match, both talented and good-looking!” said Su Manhua. Her expression was completely nonchalant, as if she were just listening to a story.

　　Absolutely, it seems there’s nothing between his boss and Su Manhua. Tian Mingjhang thought to himself.

　　· · · · · · · ·

　　In the ward, Lin Siao and Jhan Syudong sat on the companion bed, chatting idly with Ding Yi. Liou Yan, meanwhile, was serving the congee that Jhan Syudong had bought from outside.

　　Once it was ready, she brought the bowl over to Ding Yi’s bedside, making a move to feed him. Ding Yi gently pushed the bowl away with his free hand, the one not hooked up to the IV.

　　“I’m not hungry. Just put it aside and take a break,” he said, with no expression on his face.

　　Jhan Syudong and Lin Siao exchanged a quick, knowing glance.

　　“Why do you always act like this?” Liu Yan finally snapped.

　　Earlier today, she and Lin Siao happened to be on a business trip to Linghai. After their dinner meeting, they wanted to catch up with Ding Yi. When he didn’t answer the phone, she called Jhan Syudong and learned that Ding Yi was in the hospital.

　　She was angry at Ding Yi for not taking care of himself. Ever since she entered the ward, her face had been cold. His recent gesture only added fuel to the fire, igniting her anger.

　　Ding Yi remained unresponsive. His face was emotionless, and his calm, indifferent gaze revealed nothing.

　　Liou Yan felt a pang from his distant demeanor. She couldn’t pinpoint when it started, but apart from work-related topics, they hardly had any other conversations. Now, Ding Yi wouldn’t even give her a genuine smile.

　　“Could you please take better care of yourself and stop acting like you don’t care about anything?” she asked, and her chest tightened with frustration. Sometimes, she felt she was truly being foolish.

　　The phone in her bag rang loudly, but Liou Yan ignored it, lost in her emotions, letting the phone ring until it stopped. After a brief pause, Lin Siao’s phone started ringing. He answered it and walked out of the room.

　　Jhan Syudong pulled Liou Yan aside and handed her a glass of water.

　　“Hey, you haven’t had a chance to drink anything since you got here. Drink some water?” he asked softly.

　　The situation between Ding Yi and Liou Yan seemed hopeless. If it continued like this, only Liou Yan would end up feeling hurt. Jhan Syudong tried to ease the tension.

　　“You two have known each other for so many years. Is this really necessary? Liou Yan cares about you. She’s right; no matter how busy you are, you can’t neglect your health. Now you’ve ended up in the hospital, and it’s your own body that suffers,” Jhan Syudong said to Ding Yi.

　　“I see,” Ding Yi finally responded.

　　Hearing this, Liou Yan’s expression softened a bit.

　　Jhan Syudong continued, “The three of us have been friends since high school. It’s a rare bond to still be close after all these years. You two shouldn’t be at each other’s throats every time you meet.”

　　The door creaked open, and Lin Siao returned, bringing someone else with him.

　　Jhan Syudong turned to see who it was, then looked back at Ding Yi and Liou Yan. Now this is what I call fate! He thought to himself.

　　“Mong Ze?” asked Ding Yi. He was also surprised.

　　“Ding Yi, I never thought I’d see the day! After all these years, seeing you weak and lying in a hospital bed—my life is complete!” Mong Ze said and burst into hearty laughter.

　　Ding Yi had the urge to pull out the IV needle in his hand but restrained himself. After all, he was no longer the impulsive young man he once was.

　　“I guess this is what they call getting tripped up in the gutter,” he said.

　　“Just joking! But I think we haven’t seen each other since we graduated high school, right? Oh, and there’s Jhan Syudong too,” said Mong Ze. And he sat down by Ding Yi’s bed.

　　“And Liou Yan,” Jhan Syudong said and was grinning broadly. These three were the main players; he was just a bystander at best.

　　Speaking of the friendship between Mong Ze and Ding Yi, it was one of those that started with a fight. The reason for their clash was Liou Yan.

　　Liou Yan was beautiful, and was titled “Queen” of the campus ever since high school, while Mong Ze was a notorious figure from a vocational school near their high school.

　　One day after school, Mong Ze happened to see Liou Yan alone and cornered her, teasing her with inappropriate remarks. Liou Yan, who had always been pampered by teachers and parents, was utterly humiliated and burst into tears. Ding Yi happened to pass by, and without a second thought, he started a fight with Mong Ze and his gang.

　　Both sides fought fiercely, and neither came out unscathed. Ding Yi ended up with a stab wound to his chest, while Mong Ze got jabbed in the abdomen with a stick by Ding Yi.

　　Both of them were taken to the hospital together and ended up in the same ward. As they spent more time there, they got to know each other better, eventually becoming friends.

　　“We met at a dinner earlier. Liou Yan left her wallet on the table, so I brought it to her. When I heard Mr. Lin mention Ding Yi, I decided to drop by and see my old friend,” Mong Ze chuckled and said.

　　“Give me my wallet and you can leave,” said Liou Yan. She was not pleased.

　　“Is that how you treat your clients?” Mong Ze asked, raised an eyebrow.

　　After some more noisy bickering, Lin Siao, Liou Yan, and Mong Ze finally left. Jhan Syudong looked at Ding Yi disapprovingly.

　　“Don’t you think you are being too harsh on Liou Yan?” he asked.

　　Ever since Ding Yi helped Liou Yan, she had been devoted to him, following him through both academics and career. Even when Ding Yi dated someone in college, Liou Yan never gave up on him.

　　But after learning about his background, Ding Yi broke up with his girlfriend and put up a wall between himself and Liou Yan, seemingly determined to avoid love and marriage for the rest of his life.

　　“I don’t think so,” Ding Yi replied.

　　He didn’t think he was wrong. Since it was impossible, he had to completely cut off Liou Yan’s hopes. He couldn’t give her any illusions.

　　“Maybe you could be a bit nicer to her,” Jhan Syudong suggested.

　　“I will,” Ding Yi said. “but not now. Once Liou Yan finds her right person, our relationship will return to normal.”