Inheriting a Farm Made Me an Internet Sensation - Chapter 19

Tan Xiao recalled the images in her mind: Lin Muhan eating snacks like a little squirrel; Lin Muhan working earnestly with an overbearing aura; Lin Muhan looking as helpless as a child who couldn’t find the way home when she was lost; and Lin Muhan’s smile, which was more dazzling than the morning star in the sky.

Well, when Lin Muhan wasn’t being violent, she was actually quite cute.

Did she like Lin Muhan? She couldn’t come up with an answer for the time being.

Her reactions were all captured by Lin Muhan, whose gaze was too obvious as she dodged her eyes. Bitterness slowly spread through Lin Muhan’s heart, and even her mouth felt a distinct astringency.

Withdrawing her hand, Lin Muhan lowered her eyelids to conceal the disappointment in her eyes. She sneered, “What? Surely you don’t think I’ve become so desperate that I would actually be interested in you?”

Is it not love?

Tan Xiao, who should have felt a sense of relief, felt a heaviness in her chest instead, as if something were pressing down on it.

She forced a faint smile: “I wouldn’t dare to have such delusions about you.”

“At least you have some self-awareness,” Lin Muhan hummed softly. She turned and went back into her room, the glistening light in her foxlike eyes seemingly on the verge of falling.

Tan Xiao, you really are something. Usually, others are rushing to chase me, yet the one time I finally take the initiative, you treat me like this.

Hah, what ‘wouldn’t dare’.

It’s clearly just that she doesn’t like me.

Not wanting Tan Xiao to see her abnormality, she closed the door quickly after entering and leaned her back against it. Her eyes were moist, and her nose felt painfully stung with sorrow.

No, it can’t end like this.

She was determined to make Tan Xiao say she liked her willingly; she wanted Tan Xiao to love her so much it hurt.

Thinking this, she was filled with fighting spirit once again.

She didn’t believe for a second that she couldn’t handle someone like Tan Xiao.

In the room opposite.

After Tan Xiao returned to her room, she habitually pulled out the chair in front of the computer desk to sit down, but she had no heart for data statistics. Lin Muhan’s stubborn and lonely back kept appearing before her eyes, and Lin Muhan’s sneer echoed in her ears.

Why did she feel that Lin Muhan was mocking herself?

She shook her head and warned herself: Stop thinking about these useless things; focusing on the experiments is what matters.

Only after emphasizing this to herself several times did her attention return to a concentrated state, and she began to meticulously input the data.

When Tan Xiao woke up the next day, the very first moment she opened her door after washing up, she saw the door opposite still closed. She froze for a second before heading downstairs.

After finishing the work in the greenhouse, the helpers and students had begun to return to the small courtyard one after another. Some were resting in the living room on the first floor, while others sat in the dining room playing on their phones.

For some reason, the students’ eyes kept glancing toward her.

Seeing her looking bewildered, Sun Le stood up and came to her side: “Sister Xiao Xiao, come with me.”

Tan Xiao followed Sun Le to the area where miscellaneous items were stored and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Sun Le took out her phone and opened Weibo. Without even needing to search, she could see hashtags containing the name “Tan Xiao.”

Seeing this, Tan Xiao understood instantly. Well, here she was, sitting at home, while trouble dropped out of the sky onto her lap.

“The Sister Xiao Xiao I know is nothing like what they are saying,” Sun Le said indignantly.

Tan Xiao waved her hand: “The mouths belong to others; they can say whatever they want. It has nothing to do with me.” Having said that, she took a step, wanting to go upstairs and lie down for a while.

“Sister Xiao Xiao, you are my idol!” Sun Le shouted loudly at her back.

These words immediately attracted the attention of many people. Chen Cuihua, who had just hung up a phone call, didn’t quite understand the situation, but that didn’t stop her from chiming in: “She’s my idol too. When it comes to farming, you are definitely the best.” As she spoke, she gave a thumbs-up.

The surrounding helpers also raised their fingers one after another, having long been convinced of Tan Xiao’s skills.

Everyone’s affirmation and praise made Tan Xiao feel a bit embarrassed. She felt her face and ears heating up, and she hurried upstairs. It took quite a while for that sense of shyness to fade.

The farm was busy during sowing, but it was even busier during harvest; everyone was so busy their feet hardly touched the ground.

Once Tan Xiao finished her duties in the greenhouse, she would also go to the fields to help with the picking.

Physical exhaustion often allows the mind to go blank involuntarily.

This day, while Tan Xiao was organizing data, her phone rang.

She didn’t put down her notebook or pen; she just glanced at the phone on the shelf. Seeing it was a call from Lin Muhan, she finally freed up a hand to answer.

“Am… I… going… to die?”

The voice on the phone was extremely hoarse and carried a heavy nasal tone.

Tan Xiao threw her notebook aside haphazardly, grabbed her phone, and rushed out of the greenhouse, asking, “Where are you right now?”

“In… in the room.”

Tan Xiao gripped her phone tightly and returned to the courtyard at top speed. Without stopping for a second, she went up to the second floor and, without thinking, turned the doorknob directly.

The door wasn’t deadbolted; it opened with a gentle turn.

At this moment, she didn’t notice that detail. Upon entering the room, her brow furrowed tightly when she saw Lin Muhan lying on the bed, her face pale and bloodless.

“Tan Xiao, I… I feel so terrible,” Lin Muhan spoke with difficulty, her throat feeling as if it were filled with thorns, both painful and itchy.

Tan Xiao came to the bedside and leaned over to press the back of her hand against Lin Muhan’s forehead. She could clearly feel that Lin Muhan’s forehead was burning.

She pulled back the quilt covering Lin Muhan and helped her up: “You have a severe fever. I’m taking you to the hospital.”

Hearing they were going to the hospital, Lin Muhan struggled weakly: “No… not going… to the hospital.”

Tan Xiao firmly grabbed one of Lin Muhan’s hands and placed it over her own shoulder, comforting her: “If we don’t go to the hospital, what if Lawyer Lin’s brilliant and clever head gets burned out by the fever?”

These words had some effect; at least Lin Muhan stopped struggling and making a fuss.

Seeing this, Tan Xiao breathed a small sigh of relief. She grabbed the car keys from the nightstand and carried Lin Muhan on her back to the car.

She paused to catch her breath for a moment, then hurriedly leaned over to fasten the seatbelt for Lin Muhan before circling the car, sitting in the driver’s seat, and starting the engine.

Forty minutes later, the two arrived at the hospital.

Tan Xiao opened the rear door, unbuckled the seatbelt for the flush-faced Lin Muhan, and once again hoisted her onto her back. Bypassing the outpatient clinic, she headed straight for the inpatient department.

The sight of a slender girl carrying another girl of roughly the same height on her back attracted the attention of many people.

Sweat had long since soaked Tan Xiao’s clothes. Beads of sweat slid down her face and into her eyes, making it impossible for her to open them normally.

She didn’t let go of her grip on Lin Muhan’s hips; she knew that once she let go, the delirious Lin Muhan would slide down quickly, and she wasn’t sure if she’d have the strength to pick her up again. Consequently, she didn’t rest, relying on constant blinking and shaking her head to relieve the discomfort in her eyes.

A nurse in the lobby of the inpatient department saw her and hurried over.

Seeing Lin Muhan’s flushed face and feeling the intense heat coming off her body, the nurse turned and called out before Tan Xiao could even speak: “Dr. Wang, this patient has a very high fever. Please handle this as an emergency.”

Turning back, the nurse said to Tan Xiao, “I see you’re about to collapse too. Why don’t you put the patient down first?”

Put her down and help her over? Would Lin Muhan be able to make it?

Tan Xiao gritted her teeth and said, “Just tell me the room; I’ll carry her there.”

Seeing her persistence, the nurse didn’t try to persuade her further and led the way in front of Tan Xiao.

She had just gently placed Lin Muhan on the hospital bed when Dr. Wang arrived. Looking at the temperature on the infrared thermometer, the doctor scolded: “Coming to the hospital only after the fever has become this serious—you certainly are thick-skinned.”

Tan Xiao opened her mouth, but in the end, she didn’t say a single word.

Dr. Wang was right; if she had discovered Lin Muhan’s fever earlier, Lin Muhan wouldn’t have to suffer like this.

With her head in a daze, Lin Muhan’s voice was hoarse: “Don’t… don’t blame her.”

Dr. Wang shook her head: “I only said one thing to her, and already you’re protecting her.” After saying that, she turned her gaze to Tan Xiao. Seeing her drenched in sweat and panting heavily, she added, “I’ll administer the medicine first. Remember to go and complete the paperwork later.”

“Thank… thank you,” Tan Xiao said gratefully.

Once the doctor and nurse left, only Lin Muhan and Tan Xiao remained in the room.

Lying on the bed, Lin Muhan turned to look at Tan Xiao, her pupils shrinking slightly.

Tan Xiao, who was usually clean and tidy, was now gasping for air with her mouth wide open. Stray hairs were matted to her face with sweat, and she was still wearing the smock she only wore in the greenhouse. She looked as disheveled as could be.

Feeling a bit better, Tan Xiao started to stand up, only to have her arm grabbed by Lin Muhan.

“Rest… a bit… longer.”

That hoarse voice made Tan Xiao’s brow furrow instantly: “Just lie there and don’t speak. I’m going to find some warm water for you first.”

Feeling Tan Xiao’s care and concern, in that moment, Lin Muhan felt that her body wasn’t hurting quite as much.

She released Tan Xiao’s arm: “Then… hurry… back.”

“Okay.” Tan Xiao had just taken a step when the nurse from before walked in carrying the medicine.

The hand that had just been released by Lin Muhan was grabbed by her again.

Moving her gaze slightly, Tan Xiao saw Lin Muhan shrinking her body back. Only then did she realize that Lin Muhan seemed to be afraid of needles.

“Come, give me your hand,” the nurse said to Lin Muhan after getting ready.

Lin Muhan quickly hid her hand, turning her head away to avoid looking at the nurse.

“In your condition, you must have an IV drip,” the nurse advised.

Lin Muhan turned a deaf ear, pressing her lips tight, refusing to bring her hand out no matter what was said.

Seeing this, the nurse could only look at Tan Xiao.

I really owe you one.

Tan Xiao felt extremely helpless. She took two steps back and leaned over, gently patting Lin Muhan’s back while using a provocative tone similar to before: “I remember Lawyer Lin saying she wanted to become a gold-medal lawyer. How can a gold-medal lawyer not have a clever brain? Or does Lawyer Lin want to become a ‘stupid beauty’ in the future?”

Lin Muhan lifted her head: “You’re… the… stupid… one.”

Looking at Lin Muhan’s reddened eyes, Tan Xiao’s heart softened, and she switched to coaxing: “Don’t be afraid, I’m right here. It’ll just be a tiny prick, okay?”

Her voice was very soft, like a feather brushing against the tip of Lin Muhan’s heart.

With the encouragement of Tan Xiao’s gaze, Lin Muhan slowly brought her hand out from under the quilt. Her other hand, however, wrapped around Tan Xiao’s waist, pressing her head tightly against Tan Xiao’s side.

“I’m dirty,” Tan Xiao said helplessly.

Lin Muhan shook her head. Smelling the faint scent of sweat on Tan Xiao, she felt a sense of peace she had never experienced before.

“Your veins are quite thin; they’re hard to find,” the nurse said while inserting the needle into the back of Lin Muhan’s hand. “It’s good to be young—even coming to the hospital, you don’t forget to show off your love like this.”

The nurse set Lin Muhan’s hand down: “Alright, I won’t stay here and be an eyesore for you couple. When the medicine is almost finished, just press that bell.”

The word “couple” was like a pebble dropped into water, creating ripples in the hearts of both Tan Xiao and Lin Muhan.