When Spring Burns - Chapter 30

After finishing the recording, Sheng Tingmian immediately uploaded the song and diligently managed her account, sincerely replying to her fans’ comments.

However, she couldn’t devote too much attention to this, as her main focus still had to be on perfecting her opera singing. So, she only replied to a few of the top comments.

【Orange Tangerine】: She’s here, the bathroom songstress!

Sheng Tingmian: Haha

【Unfamous User】: You seem to be in a good mood today! When will you have a performance at the theater? My grandmother saw you singing Kunqu opera online, and she said she really wants to hear you perform live. She adores you.

Seeing this comment warmed Sheng Tingmian’s heart: Thank your grandmother for her affection. This depends on the theater’s schedule, but if there are any arrangements, I’ll let everyone know.

After replying to the comments, Sheng Tingmian put away her phone and stepped outside, another happy and fulfilling day.

That evening, after finishing a call with her aunt, Sheng Tingmian noticed that her sister had gone to bed early. She had to tiptoe as she lifted the blanket and lay down on the other side, careful not to disturb her sister.

“Do you have free time recently?”

Suddenly, He Jianxue’s voice came from behind. Sheng Tingmian was taken aback. “What’s wrong, sis?”

“In a couple of days, I’m going to Ji Siyi’s place to continue treatment for my leg. She asked me to check if you have time to come along. She said she’ll give you a full-body checkup.”

Treatment for her leg?!

Sheng Tingmian immediately sat up and turned toward the shadowy figure beside her. “Sis, didn’t your leg heal already?”

“There are aftereffects.”

Sheng Tingmian grew even more unsettled. “What aftereffects? Didn’t you say you were fully recovered before?”

He Jianxue turned to look at her. Even in the dim light, her silhouette was elegantly beautiful, and though her features were unclear, one could sense the softness of her hair and its delicate fragrance.

“It wasn’t a complete recovery. When I’m older, I might end up in a wheelchair again.”

“Then… what can we do?” Hearing that her sister might have to use a wheelchair again in her old age, Sheng Tingmian felt an overwhelming ache in her chest.

How could there still be aftereffects? Her sister had never mentioned this before.

Sheng Tingmian sat frozen in the middle of the bed. Seeing that her sister remained silent, she grew anxious and worried. She bent over to reach for her phone under the pillow, intending to call her aunt and ask if there were any more reliable doctors available.

Just as she picked up her phone and the screen’s light illuminated her face, she heard He Jianxue say, “Ji Siyi has already arranged a treatment plan for me. You don’t need to worry.”

Sheng Tingmian moved the phone away and realized that her sister had sat up at some point and was now facing her. “Really? Is she confident she can cure you?”

He Jianxue replied calmly, “She said there’s a 90% chance of success.”

Sheng Tingmian didn’t know much about medicine, but a 90% chance sounded quite promising to her. Moreover, if her sister had chosen Ji Siyi, it likely meant this was the best available option.

“…Then it seems Sister Siyi is quite kind.”

Not only was she treating her sister’s leg, but she was also offering her a full-body checkup. Sheng Tingmian set her phone down. “Then I’ll go with you when the time comes.”

Hearing the term “Sister Siyi,” He Jianxue’s brow furrowed slightly. “If I really end up in a wheelchair when I’m older, what will you do?”

Sheng Tingmian was suddenly reminded of the times when He Jianxue had used a wheelchair before, how limited her activities had been. Her expression fell. “Then… I’ll take care of you for the rest of your life.”

“Really?”

Sheng Tingmian nodded. “Of course it’s true. I’m your sister, isn’t it only natural for me to take care of you?”

After the words fell, the room fell into silence. He Jianxue stared at her younger sister for a long time, the phrase “I’ll take care of my sister for the rest of her life” echoing in her ears. Her sister was so sincere it was almost foolish.

He Jianxue reached out and ruffled her soft hair. “Let’s sleep.”

…

On the day of the treatment, Sheng Tingmian accompanied her sister. The entire morning was spent there, as she was scheduled for a full-body checkup.

By the time she finished all the procedures, her sister had already completed the first phase of the treatment and was back in a wheelchair, her face pale.

Sheng Tingmian looked worried. “Sister, are you okay?”

Ji Siyi, dressed in a white coat, stood before her. “Tingmian, your sister is fine. It’s just that the first phase of the treatment is quite painful. She’ll need to rest in a wheelchair for a few days and avoid putting weight on her legs.”

Sheng Tingmian glanced at He Jianxue. “Will she be able to stand again after she recovers?”

Seeing Sheng Tingmian’s face, Ji Siyi’s mood lifted, and her voice softened. “Of course. Your sister probably won’t be able to work for the next few days. Let’s arrange for her to stay in the hospital. I’ll be with her the whole time.”

Sheng Tingmian felt relieved. “Thank you, Siyi. I’ll treat you to a meal another day.”

Ji Siyi smiled. “Sure.”

He Jianxue, sitting in the wheelchair, watched the two of them quietly, her lips pressed tightly together.

Just then, a nurse knocked on the door of the VIP room, carrying the examination report and CT scans. She handed them to Ji Siyi. “Dr. Ji, these are Miss Sheng’s full-body checkup results.”

“Okay.”

Ji Siyi took them and led Sheng Tingmian past He Jianxue to the sofa, where they sat down to carefully analyze the results.

“Tingmian, this is your examination report. Let me explain it to you in detail. Blood count, blood sugar, lipids, carcinoembryonic antigen… all of these are normal.”

Sheng Tingmian sat gracefully at one end of the sofa, listening attentively.

An assistant stood beside He Jianxue, noticing her weak condition, and asked with concern, “Chairman He, would you like to rest on the bed?”

He Jianxue kept her eyes fixed on the two by the coffee table. “No need.”

Ji Siyi pulled out a sheet of paper. “Tingmian, this is your ECG report. It’s kind of cute.”

The curves were so beautiful and healthy.

Sheng Tingmian asked, “Siyi, is there something wrong with me?”

Ji Siyi replied, “Not at all. It’s a normal heart rate.”

Sheng Tingmian glanced at her, and Ji Siyi immediately regained her seriousness and continued explaining.

The final conclusion was that there were no health issues. Sheng Tingmian breathed a sigh of relief.

Since she had to go to the theater in the afternoon, she had to leave. She reminded her sister to rest well and, before leaving, asked Ji Siyi to take good care of her.

“Don’t worry, Tingmian. I’ll definitely take good care of your sister. Let me walk you out, it’s your first time here, so you might not be familiar with the hospital layout.”

Ji Siyi offered to escort her out, and Sheng Tingmian had no choice but to agree. The two of them left the room.

For the next two days, He Jianxue stayed in the hospital. Her legs had recovered somewhat, and her sister came to visit her every day.

But each time she visited, she would inevitably run into Ji Siyi. What should have been warm moments between the sisters always turned into a trio.

Even though Ji Siyi only exchanged a few words with Sheng Tingmian each time, He Jianxue still felt a discomfort in her chest.

When she thought it was the term “sister” in “Sister Siyi” that made her sisterly status no longer unique, her assistant suddenly told her that Ji Siyi might be pursuing her younger sister.

“Pursuing Mianmian?” He Jianxue frowned.

The assistant then explained, “It seems Dr. Ji has had girlfriends before.”

He Jianxue fell silent for a moment, narrowing her eyes. “How do you know?”

The assistant replied, “This morning, I overheard the nurses mention that Dr. Ji has an ex-girlfriend she broke up with a few years ago.”

“So, she’s a lesbian?” He Jianxue pursed her red lips, digesting this information and the fact that she might be pursuing her younger sister.

He Jianxue had almost never encountered this community in her life and knew very little about it. But if her female friend was pursuing her younger sister, she instinctively couldn’t accept it.

“Call Ji Siyi over. I need to talk to her.”

…

Upon receiving the message, Ji Siyi thought something was wrong with He Jianxue and hurried over. “A’Xue, what’s the matter?”

“Ji Siyi, are you pursuing my sister?”

Ji Siyi didn’t expect to be confronted so soon. Seeing He Jianxue’s unreadable expression, she couldn’t guess her thoughts and simply admitted, “Yes, I am pursuing your sister.”

He Jianxue warned her, “Ji Siyi, I respect your sexual orientation, but Mianmian is not a lesbian. I hope you won’t lead her astray.”

Ji Siyi put her pen in her pocket. “He Jianxue, you’re wrong about that. Mianmian has never been in a relationship before. How do you know she doesn’t like women?”

He Jianxue retorted, “And how do you know she likes women? She only sees you as a sister.”

Seeing how strongly He Jianxue opposed her pursuit of her sister, Ji Siyi was speechless for a moment. She had thought He Jianxue would support her.

What’s wrong with deepening family ties?

“He Jianxue, has she ever told you she plans to marry a man in the future?”

At the mention of marriage, He Jianxue was momentarily lost in thought, images of He Xiu’s arranged marriage flashing through her mind.

A white wedding dress draped over her, walking toward a man who would abuse her.

Seeing she didn’t refute, Ji Siyi continued, “Have you ever considered that women might know better how to cherish someone than men do?”

He Jianxue stared at her for a long time, unable to say a word. Ji Siyi could tell she was rethinking her stance, her words had struck a chord.

“Since you’re fine, I’ll get back to work now.”

Before leaving, Ji Siyi added, “A’Xue, I hope you’ll support me.”

Alone in the hospital room, He Jianxue closed her eyes deeply, reconsidering the possibility.

If someone had told her before that women know better how to cherish someone than men, she might have dismissed it as a matter of perspective and simply laughed it off.

But after He Xiu’s death, she wavered. She had to admit that women could be at a significant disadvantage in certain situations.

Throughout history, she had never heard of a woman sexually abusing a man, but her own He Xiu had died from sexual abuse, it happened right beside her, to someone she held dear.

If Sheng Tingmian were to marry in the future, could something like this happen to her too?

He Jianxue instinctively wished she would never marry, but reason told her that Mianmian was an independent individual. As her sister, she should respect whatever life choices she made.

But if she had to go through another tragedy like He Xiu’s, she couldn’t bear it. She couldn’t stand by and watch Mianmian step into an unhappy marriage.

Just the thought of her possibly suffering in silence at her husband’s home without speaking up made He Jianxue realize she couldn’t accept it at all.

“Homosexuality…” she murmured softly, lowering her gaze as Ji Siyi’s words, “Women know better than men how to cherish someone”, resurfaced in her mind.

Would marrying a woman really be better?

Could it guarantee that Mianmian would be treated well?

He Jianxue rubbed her temples. Mianmian was only nineteen, should she really be considering such matters so soon?