Chapter 59 It's Over—I've Lost My Innocence

Not hearing Lin You’s response, Xia Yan couldn’t help herself; she looked up at him. But when their eyes met, both were stunned, neither speaking for quite some time.

“In that case, I’ll trouble you.”

In the end, Lin You didn’t insist further. After all, awkwardness was preferable to wetting the bed…

Xia Yan held the saline bottle in her hand, supporting him, turning her face away… Yet the sound of running water in her ear made her blush so deeply she felt she might bleed.

It went on for quite a while, and Xia Yan couldn’t help but mutter, “Why is it taking so long…”

For the first time, she understood what it meant to feel every second drag on like a year… No, more precisely, every second lasted a year—it was absolute torment.

At last, the room grew quiet. Lin You let out a muffled groan and stumbled; Xia Yan, startled, quickly turned and caught him. But as she turned…

He was dumbfounded, exposed.

She was stunned—what had she just seen? But the scream that reached her throat never made it out.

After a flurry of chaos, neither dared to look at the other again. Xia Yan helped Lin You back onto the bed, then spoke, “I’ll go find Dr. Zhu and ask if you can eat now.”

She hastily found an excuse and left the ward. It was a long while before she recovered her composure. Although the previous night, sharing a bed, she’d felt that “danger,” it had been through clothes. This time was different—the direct shock was hers alone.

Lowering her head, Xia Yan raised her hands, gesturing, and shook her head as if to drive the image from her mind, but no matter how hard she tried, it remained vivid: “It’s over. I’m no longer innocent…”

Unconsciously, she found herself at Zhu Peng’s office. She knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

“Dr. Zhu, are you busy?”

Xia Yan opened the door. Inside, there was another doctor; the two were discussing something.

“It’s fine, come in. Dr. Zhao, let’s proceed as you suggested.”

“Alright, I’ll be going then, Chief.”

The other doctor responded, got up, and left the office, smiling and nodding at Xia Yan as he passed.

Zhu Peng tidied up some documents before speaking. “Lin You has woken up, I suppose?”

“He’s been awake for a bit. I wanted to ask you what he can eat now.”

“He’s weak, having just woken up. Let him have some nutrient fluids for now. As for food, I’ll see how he’s doing after today. You can get some fruit, make some juice for Lin You. He’s truly lucky to be alive. If my sister hadn’t called ahead and explained the situation, Lin You would’ve been in real danger.”

Zhu Peng knew well his sister’s feelings for Lin You. Initially, he approved of Lin You, but after Lin You brought the three children over, he had reservations. He didn’t want his sister to marry and become a stepmother to three kids.

Xia Yan understood Zhu Peng’s implication. “It’s thanks to her this time.”

“As long as you know,” Zhu Peng’s tone wasn’t friendly. “I’m well aware of her feelings for Lin You. As her brother, I want her to be happy. I know about you and Lin You. Since you’re getting married, I hope Lin You will stay out of her life as much as possible.”

“I’m speaking to you as a brother and hope you understand.”

Xia Yan nodded. “Dr. Zhu, rest assured—Lin You is very proper in matters of relationships.”

“That’s good.”

Xia Yan asked a few more questions about what to watch for, then got up to leave.

When she returned to the ward, Lin You was asleep again.

Xia Yan went over and sat on the stool by the bed. Soon, her own stomach grumbled—she realized that since midnight last night, she hadn’t eaten a thing.

Fortunately, the hospital had a cafeteria. She took some money from her suitcase, bought two whole grain buns, and ate them with hot water, though she hadn’t expected them to be so coarse—it took ages to swallow.

When Lin You woke up, it was already evening. He saw Xia Yan asleep, leaning by the bed. The dim light bathed her profile; her delicate nose twitched now and then. She was beautiful.

He raised his hand gently, brushed his own hair, then lightly moved the stray strands on her forehead, reluctantly withdrawing his hand.

When Xia Yan woke and looked up, she saw Lin You staring at her. She rubbed her eyes. “When did you wake up? Are you hungry? Dr. Zhu said you can’t eat yet; we’ll see tomorrow.”

“I’m not hungry yet,” Lin You shook his head.

“Do you need the bathroom again?” Seeing his expression turn slightly awkward, Xia Yan remembered something.

Recalling the events of the day, Xia Yan’s face and neck flushed red once more.

Hearing her words, Lin You also thought of what happened earlier, his face showing embarrassment; he shook his head again, a little unnaturally.

For a moment, neither knew what to say.

Finally, Xia Yan made an effort to find a topic: “You don’t have to worry about the house—I arranged everything before I came.”

Lin You nodded, murmured an acknowledgment, and the room fell quiet again.

Xia Yan felt that talking like this only made things more awkward, so she ignored Lin You and instead picked up an orange, peeled it, dropped the segments into an enamel mug, and pressed them hard to make juice. “Dr. Zhu said if you’re really hungry, you can have some juice.”

That night, perhaps due to the medication, Lin You slept early. Xia Yan, having napped in the afternoon, couldn’t sleep. Her mind kept replaying many things.

It wasn’t until dawn that she managed to doze off.

When she awoke, she saw Lin You sitting up, looking much better.

“How are you sitting up? Lie down,” she said.

“I’m fine, almost recovered.”

Xia Yan ignored his protest. She didn’t know where her strength came from, but she forced him back onto the bed. “Dr. Zhu said you need about three weeks to fully recover. It’s only the second day, don’t overdo it.”

“Three weeks?” Lin You hadn’t expected it to take so long.

“Three weeks is conservative. You’re lucky to have survived.”

At some point, Zhu Peng had appeared at the door, speaking calmly.

“Dr. Zhu, you’re here.” Xia Yan stood and greeted him.

Zhu Peng nodded, went over, and checked Lin You’s wound. “The swelling is gone, but it’s best not to get out of bed yet. After three weeks, you can be discharged, but don’t rush back to the army. Rest for another two weeks at least.”