When a "Sea King" is Bound to a System [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 34.1

“Yan Yan, time to get up and eat.”

Dazed, Yan Jiang heard Qinghan Chu’s call.

She opened her eyes and, upon seeing Qinghan’s beautiful face, her mind cleared considerably.

“Senior, did I sleep for a long time?”

Qinghan immediately embraced her, burying her face in Yan’s neck and muttering, “Yes, you did. If you hadn’t woken up, I would have had to take you to the hospital.”

Yan’s heart tightened. She slowly hugged the person she had yearned for for five years.

“The weather hasn’t been great lately, so I’ve been a little drowsy. It’s nothing serious. If I ever sleep too long next time, just wake me up. Please, don’t ever send me to the hospital, okay?”

Going to the hospital would reveal her secret, and she would lose even the few happy days she had left.

Qinghan lifted her into her arms, saying lovingly, “Alright, alright. Whatever my Yan Yan says, goes. I’ve cooked your favorite dishes. Hurry up and get ready to eat.”

Yan nodded, and as the quilt slid to her shoulder, Qinghan’s eyes focused intently on the marks on her neck. Her voice was low and husky, “Do you want me to help you wash up?”

Yan remembered the wildness of last night, her face flushed, and she pushed Qinghan away.

“I can wash myself. You should leave.”

Qinghan, in high spirits, pecked her on the lips before turning and leaving the room.

Yan sighed, thinking of the long, drawn-out dream.

If the Senior had agreed to her earlier, would they have been able to share more memories?

She moved her legs; they were sore, and her back ached, yet her heart was content. In the past three years, no day had been as joyful as this one.

Entering the bathroom, she looked at the purple-red marks on her body, a slight curve at the corner of her lips. It seemed the Senior, like her, also liked the feeling of them becoming one.

Yet, among these, hidden beneath the love bites, were bruises caused by the dialysis.

Yan’s gaze gradually darkened. She leaned her hands on the sink, staring at her pale, weak face in the mirror, and her vision momentarily blurred.

Once upon a time, she had been a well-known beauty at A University, with countless admirers. Now, looking like this, she would scare people on the street. She no longer bore any resemblance to her former self.

The Senior was getting better and better, while she was becoming uglier. She had planned to disappear forever after the reunion, but she couldn’t resist that tenderness, and the warmth that came from Qinghan’s palm when she reached out to her.

Perhaps Qinghan truly was the bane of her existence.

“Yan Yan, I’ve left the clothes here. You can change into them directly after washing.”

Qinghan’s voice interrupted Yan’s thoughts. She quickly replied, “Okay, got it. Thank you, Senior.”

“Silly girl, why are you being so formal with me? Hurry up and get dressed to eat. I cooked everything to your taste.”

Yan put on her clothes, carefully covering the unsightly marks, and walked to the dining room.

Five dishes were on the table, all without exception heavily oiled and heavily spiced. Even the soup next to them was floating with chili peppers.

Yan’s stomach immediately started to churn just from a single glance.

“I noticed you were only picking the spicy food yesterday, so I figured your taste hasn’t changed over the years. That’s why I made these.”

After saying this, Qinghan leaned close to Yan, “Shouldn’t I get a reward?”

She let her long hair fall onto Yan’s shoulder. Each strand glistened with a healthy sheen, just like her beautiful face and her spirited eyes.

Yan’s heart skipped a beat. She actively wrapped her arms around Qinghan’s neck, “Thank you, Senior. These are all my favorite.”

Qinghan’s eyes became more direct, staring at her lips, “Then you should express your thanks with action. Just saying it isn’t enough.”

Yan didn’t hesitate and kissed her. She thought it would be a brief peck, but Qinghan turned it into a torrential storm.

Like a starving ghost, she plundered the air from Yan’s mouth until her whole body went limp, then Qinghan reluctantly let go.

“Your body is too weak. You need to nourish yourself properly.”

Yan’s face flushed again. She knew what Qinghan meant. Last night in bed, when she cried and said she couldn’t take any more, Qinghan had said the same thing.

Qinghan looked at her crimson cheeks and laughed unrestrainedly, pulling her to sit down.

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop teasing you. I never realized you were so easily shy. You used to follow me around like a piece of clingy taffy that I couldn’t shake off.”

Yan’s smile froze on her face. She lowered her head and pretended to be lighthearted, “Yeah. You must have found me especially annoying back then.”

After all, Qinghan didn’t like her then, so she must have felt troubled.

Qinghan noticed the change in her mood and quickly explained, “No, I never found you annoying. I was just amazed by your patience. If it were me, I would have given up the first time someone rejected me.”

But thankfully, Yan didn’t give up, or they would have missed each other.

Yan picked up a piece of spicy chicken and put it in her mouth, feeling the stimulating burn on her taste buds. Fine sweat quickly beaded on her nose.

She still couldn’t do it. She couldn’t even pretend.

The dishes Qinghan made were much spicier than the ones at the restaurant. These were the dishes the Yan of three years ago loved most. But now, every chew felt like torture.

“Is it too spicy?” Qinghan poured her a cup of water and carefully wiped the sweat from her forehead with a tissue.

Yan’s lips were already numb from the spice. She managed a smile and said, “It’s fine. I can eat it.”

If you made it, even if it were poison, I would eat it.

Qinghan turned her face to look at herself and said deliberately, “If you can’t eat it, then don’t. I’ll make you something lighter. Yan Yan, since we’ve decided to be together, I don’t want you to just blindly try to please me, afraid to say anything. If you don’t like something, you must refuse. Do you understand?”

Yan endured the cramping pain in her stomach and forced a smile. “I understand, but I really do like it. How could I not finish a meal made by you, Senior, with your own hands?”

What used to be a fantasy had now become reality. That was already enough to make her happy. To ask for anything more would be her fault.

Qinghan didn’t say anything more, but she was worried, so she didn’t go to work and stayed home to accompany Yan.

After the meal, the two of them curled up together in the room to watch a movie. Yan was skinny, all bones. Her 175cm frame, curled up in Qinghan’s arms, felt like a small, tiny bundle. Qinghan’s heart ached, and countless times she wanted to ask her what had happened during the past three years, but she didn’t dare, afraid of breaking the current peace.

Yan didn’t notice Qinghan’s inner turmoil. While enduring the pain in her body, she played with Qinghan’s long hair to distract herself.

“Do you like my hair?” Qinghan suddenly asked.

Yan looked back at her, her eyes shining with an unusual light, “I like it. I like everything about you, Senior.”

“I grew it especially for you. I kept hoping that when my hair grew as long as yours, you would come back.”

Yan buried her face in Qinghan’s embrace, fighting back tears.

She had once said that Qinghan would look beautiful with long hair, and Qinghan remembered.

Doesn’t that count as two hearts beating as one?

For the next week, Qinghan accompanied Yan. They watched movies, had a candlelit dinner at a romantically-themed restaurant, walked across A University’s famous Lovers’ Bridge, and even hung a padlock with both their names on it.

Yan received flowers from Qinghan every day: eleven, ninety-nine, one hundred and eleven, nine hundred and ninety-nine roses. The bouquet delivered daily was always bigger than the one before.

Yan arranged the roses in the living room by the floor-to-ceiling window, from largest to smallest. When Qinghan was working, she would sit amongst the flowers, basking in the sun.

Fortunately, the weather was nice these past few days, and she could get sunlight every day.

Her phone rang. Seeing the word “Brother” on the caller ID, Yan swiped to answer.

Since the second day she moved into Qinghan’s place, the doctor and Yao Jiang’s calls had been non-stop, but she had rejected all of them.

She could imagine what they would say—nothing but get good treatment, there’s always hope.

She had been hearing these words for three years and was tired of them.

“Yan Yan, where are you?” Yao’s voice was filled with anxiety. Yan could picture the look on his face even over the phone.

“Brother, I’m with Qinghan Chu. I don’t want to go back for treatment anymore. Just let me enjoy the days I have left, okay?”

Yao was silent. A long time passed without him saying a word. Yan didn’t speak either, nor did she hang up, waiting for her brother’s consent.

In all the years she had been sick, her brother had sacrificed so much for her. Even if she was giving up a life that had little chance of surviving, she ought to get his permission.

“Yan Yan, if you treat it well, you can maintain it for many years! I’ll come pick you up, okay?”

Yan softly curled her lips, showing a sarcastic smile. “Brother, do you even believe that yourself?”

No matter the treatment, she probably wouldn’t make it to next spring.

Her brother’s self-deception was even more skilled than her own.

“Yan Yan, you have to come back! There will definitely be a way! There will definitely be a way! Even if I lose everything, your father and I will find you the best doctor. We can go to Country M, Country D, to the most advanced countries for treating this illness. Please don’t give up so easily!”

Yan listened to his suppressed, painful voice. Her smile gradually turned into silent weeping. Tears flowed down her pale cheeks, dropping onto the roses in her arms.

“Brother, the outcome is fixed no matter where we go. Please stop worrying about me. You should spend time thinking about your own life-long affairs. Can I see you bring a beautiful, gentle sister-in-law home during the New Year?”

Yao fell silent again. He truly couldn’t imagine life without his sister.

They had only had each other since childhood. Their father was very busy with work and could be counted on his fingers the number of times they saw him in a year. During that time, it was this little girl who stayed with him. They had weathered the darkest moments together.

Now that everything was finally looking up, and he had the means to give her a better life, fate was playing such a cruel trick.

“Yan Yan, don’t worry about the money. My salary plus Dad’s is more than enough to cover your medical expenses. You just focus on the treatment.”

He didn’t want to give up, even if there was only a shred of hope.

Yan hugged the roses in her arms tightly. A few stems, whose thorns weren’t completely trimmed, poked into her skin. It didn’t hurt much, but it made her feel incredibly clear-headed.

She was a selfish person and loved everything in this world: the sunlight, the flowers and grass, the morning dew, and the person she couldn’t let go of. If she really had a chance to live, she wouldn’t try to save money for Yao and her father. But there was absolutely no such possibility. She was destined to die. No amount of money invested could change the result.

“Brother, I’m not trying to save money for you and Dad. I just don’t want to suffer any more torture. Do you know how painful it is to have dialysis three times a week and non-stop IV drips and medicine? My hair is almost gone, my sense of taste and smell are deteriorating, but I can still tell how awful the hospital food is. If you truly care about me, just let me stay with Qinghan Chu. You know how much I love her.”

This was her only wish, one that could be considered her last.

Yao hung up the phone abruptly. A minute later, Yan received a transfer from him—one hundred thousand yuan—enough to do many things.

The sun gradually set. Without the sunlight, Yan looked listless. The roses in her arms also began to show signs of wilting, their petals no longer vibrant.

Qinghan was on a call in the study. After a while, her voice grew louder, as if she were arguing with someone.

“Why do you absolutely need me to come back for this one project? Is the company out of people?!”

“Even if the company shuts down tomorrow, it has nothing to do with me! Don’t try to persuade me with that!”

“I don’t have time. Stop bothering me!”

A few seconds later, the study door opened. Qinghan walked out, her expression normal, as if she hadn’t just been arguing with anyone.

“What’s wrong? Is working from home not allowed? Did your boss rush you?”

Qinghan sat down on the floor next to Yan, not caring about her expensive trousers.

“It’s fine. I’ve told him to find someone else. I promised to stay home with you. The King of Heaven himself couldn’t change that.”

Yan smiled and leaned on her shoulder, not advising her to go to work.

The company could have her for decades, but she only had this one month.

It snowed in the evening, and the temperature dropped. Unfortunately, this city was neither fully south nor fully north; situated in the middle, it had no central heating. Even with the air conditioning on, Yan still felt cold.

Qinghan held her, warming her with her body heat.

“Should I turn up the air conditioner temperature even higher?”

Yan shook her head and wrapped her arms around Qinghan’s waist. “It’s fine like this. I’m not cold anymore.”

Her coldness radiated from inside her body outward. Even if she were placed in a furnace, the chill would not dissipate.

“Senior, do you remember the first time I confessed to you?”

“I remember. I thought you were joking, and since it was that day, I didn’t believe it was true at all.”

Yan laughed and bit her neck playfully, “That day was my mother’s death anniversary, so I was a bit volatile. But what you said back then was also very hurtful, so we’re even.”

Qinghan’s eyes darkened. She hugged Yan even tighter.

They were not even. Compared to all the things she had said over time, what Yan did was truly nothing. It was just the first time a girl had kissed her, which was why she had panicked so much.

…

Yan skipped class again, on the morning of April Fool’s Day.

She leaned against the school’s peach tree, smoking a cigarette. She watched that familiar figure walk toward her and had no intention of extinguishing it.

Qinghan disliked the smell of smoke, so Yan hadn’t touched a cigarette for a long time, but today she felt irritable, so she lit one up.

“Why aren’t you going to class? I remember you have a class on Thursday mornings.”

Yan exhaled a puff of smoke, a wicked smile playing on her lips, “How does the Senior know I have class today? Were you secretly watching me?”

Qinghan’s face remained impassive, “I arranged your class schedule, so I remember.”

“Then the Senior has an excellent memory. To remember so many class schedules.”

Qinghan seemed reluctant to waste time talking to her and reached out to take the cigarette from Yan’s mouth.

Yan cleverly dodged her, looking at the pure and refined face before her, and suddenly wanted to pull her down from the clouds.

Everyone is mortal, tainted by the dust of the world. There’s no reason for her to remain like a fairy high above, untouched by a speck of dust.

“Senior, have you ever smoked?”

Qinghan frowned, “No, I hate the smell of smoke.”

Yan smiled, her face showing a careless expression, “It’s alright, just try it.”

She lowered her head and kissed Qinghan. When Qinghan opened her mouth in surprise, Yan took the opportunity to slip in.

Qinghan’s eyes were wide open. She didn’t seem to have expected Yan to be so bold and for a moment forgot to push her away.

Yan pressed her advantage, wrapping her arms around Qinghan’s waist and deepening the kiss.

The restlessness in her heart slowly subsided. After calming down, she started to worry if Qinghan would be angry.

But she couldn’t stop. Qinghan’s lips were too soft, and she tasted wonderful. Her reason told her to stop, but her body ignored it.

After feeling a hand on her chest, Qinghan pushed Yan away. Her face was like frost, and her eyes were filled with coldness.

Yan retreated two steps, blocked by the old peach tree. The protruding branches dug painfully into her back.

“Yan Jiang, you…”

Qinghan wanted to scold her but couldn’t find the right words. She was so angry that her face flushed red, and she clenched her hands tightly, her nails digging into her flesh.

How dare she? How dare she!

Yan didn’t dare to move forward. She feigned nonchalance and laughed, “I just wanted the Senior to feel it. Maybe you’ll like this feeling.”

Qinghan turned around, trembling with anger.

For the past six months, she had been hearing from others how charming and flirtatious the Industrial Management Department’s campus belle was. Before, she thought they were just a bunch of kids fooled by appearances, but now she understood that they were the ones seeing the truth beneath the surface.

Even she was almost fooled by her.

But isn’t she supposed to be a Player who spreads her attention around?

She had heard a girl whom Yan had rejected say that she couldn’t handle a ‘cad’ like Yan, and that she should be left to someone capable.

“Senior, don’t be angry. I was wrong.”

Yan rushed to catch up, grabbing Qinghan’s arm.

Qinghan forcefully shook off her hand and said angrily, “What, you want me to be another fish in your sea?!”