One more thing happened later that night.
To keep Jiang Xiao from leaving, Cheng Yuan deliberately hurt his hand again, leaving a deep, deep wound on his palm, blood trickling out.
The nurse came several times to clean it, but he refused, saying that if Jiang Xiao left, he wouldn't want the hand anymore.
The old man was there too, his face turning green with anger. He wanted to hit him, raised his cane for a long time, then slowly lowered it, only saying, "Xiao Yatou, do it for Grandpa's sake and help A Yuan."
The old man himself had spoken, so Jiang Xiao couldn't refuse. She had to stay.
Everyone else left, leaving only the two of them in the ward. Cheng Yuan coaxed Jiang Xiao gently, asking to hold her while sleeping.
Jiang Xiao refused, pushing him away, sending cups crashing to the floor, tea splashing everywhere.
She said, "Cheng Yuan, don't push your luck."
Cheng Yuan was emboldened, knowing she wouldn't really do anything to him, so he went even further, his eyes red as he said, "Xiao Xiao, I haven't slept in so long. Can't I just sleep for one night?"
Cheng Yuan really hadn't slept in a long time. In the five years since Jiang Xiao left, his sleep had been poor. In severe cases, he couldn't sleep at all through the night.
He'd seen doctors, taken medicine. Some said it was a psychological problem, some said it was physical. But no matter what, he still couldn't sleep. Only with Jiang Xiao could he sleep peacefully.
Cheng Yuan leaned against Jiang Xiao with a weary expression, his voice listless. "Just tonight, please."
Jiang Xiao remembered what the old man had said before leaving. She pursed her lips and nodded in agreement. "I can hold you, but no touching."
Cheng Yuan raised his hand to swear. "I'll just hold you and sleep. I won't touch you at all."
Jiang Xiao tentatively believed him and lay down with him on the hospital bed. The bed was a bit small, so they had to press tightly together.
Jiang Xiao remembered years ago, when she was sick and hospitalized, she called Cheng Yuan, but a woman answered, saying he was busy. When she called a second time, his phone was already turned off. The next day, news broke of Cheng Yuan's scandal with a female model. So that night, he was with another woman.
Bad memories surged up. Jiang Xiao looked at Cheng Yuan with anger in her eyes. Cheng Yuan had learned to read her expressions; one look and he knew what she was thinking. He brushed his lips against hers and whispered.
"Everything in the past was my fault. I was wrong."
"I swear, I'll never be like that again."
Jiang Xiao didn't believe him. Just looking at him annoyed her. She closed her eyes. "Alright, let's sleep."
She had been busy with work and hadn't slept well either. Sleepiness overcame her, and she soon fell asleep.
She had a long dream, all about the years she spent with Cheng Yuan.
Rainy nights, waiting alone outside for half the night, but he never came.
Anniversaries, staring alone at candles as they flickered.
New Year's Eve, while others gathered with family, she was always alone.
Others had happy married lives; hers was a mess.
Cheng Yuan was extremely cruel to her. He scolded her with cold words, said she shouldn't have appeared, told her to get lost. In the dream, he even kissed another woman in front of her.
That scene was too real. When she woke up, she couldn't tell which was dream and which was reality. Maybe it was all fake.
Jiang Xiao slipped away quietly, not waking Cheng Yuan. For the next half month, she didn't see him even once.
Cheng Yuan, on the other hand, came to the studio every day. Sometimes Xiao Zhou even wondered who was the boss; President Cheng came far too often.
*
Shen Yue only later found out that Song Xuan had a fiancée. For that, she came to apologize with a rod on her back, coaxing Jiang Xiao for a long time.
"Xiao Xiao, I'm sorry. I really didn't know Song Xuan had a fiancée. If I had, I wouldn't have introduced you."
"I was blind. I'll never do anything so stupid again."
"Xiao Xiao, don't be mad. Forgive me, okay?"
Jiang Xiao wasn't angry. She smiled faintly. "It's in the past."
A few days later, Shen Yue said, "Xiao Xiao, I've found out. Song Xuan and his fiancée have broken off the engagement. If you like him, go for it boldly."
Jiang Xiao was reading a document and answered distractedly. "Maybe... we'll see... I don't really want to talk about this right now."
"You can't avoid it," Shen Yue said. "Cheng Yuan has been showing up every day lately. I'm afraid you won't be able to hold out much longer."
It wasn't an exaggeration; it was true. Cheng Yuan had basically made the studio his second Cheng Group headquarters, even holding meetings there.
"Look at how smug Cheng Yuan is. I can't stand it," Shen Yue complained.
Cheng Yuan had been quite smug lately, mainly because Jiang Xiao no longer kicked him out or shut the door in his face. She even set aside an office for him to work in, so he could see her every day, which naturally improved his mood.
"I've told you before, I'm not doing this willingly; it's because of Grandpa," Jiang Xiao put down her pen. "Grandpa begged me for a long time. I can't refuse an elder's request."
"I understand, I understand," Shen Yue said. "You're doing it for Grandpa Cheng's sake, but Cheng Yuan doesn't see it that way. Anyway, I don't care—you can't stay single forever. You must find someone."
Jiang Xiao was busy with work, while Shen Yue was busy setting her up with men. Soon, she found several suitable candidates. Meeting them one by one was troublesome, so she arranged to meet them all on the same day.
This weekend was free, so Shen Yue booked a restaurant in advance, telling Jiang Xiao to be there by 7 p.m. sharp.
But the weather didn't cooperate. It started raining in the evening, making the roads slippery, so Jiang Xiao arrived over ten minutes late.
Before she could even sit down, she was shocked by the scene before her. She raised an eyebrow. "You..."
One, two, three... six men said in unison, "Hello, Miss Jiang. We're all here to date you."
Others date one-on-one; she was dating one-on-six. Before Jiang Xiao's butt could even warm the seat, she stood up again. "Wait, I need to use the restroom."