Chapter 166: Chapter 166

After breakfast, Shen Jianian planned to go back to her room to sleep. Cheng Jin purposely glanced at the calendar; it wasn’t Saturday: "Aren’t you going to your piano lessons today?"

Shen Jianian said, "I’m a bit tired, so I asked the teacher for leave."

"Then have a good rest. I won’t clean upstairs for now."

Shen Jianian lay on the bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep because her mind was occupied. Even when she did fall asleep, it was shallow, always in a state of half-dream, half-awake.

She got up at noon, ate something, then went back to sleep.

She woke at around three in the afternoon, picked up her phone, and saw a message from Fu Jichen sent over an hour ago, telling her he was safe.

Shen Jianian replied with "Received," then threw off the covers and got up. She changed out of her loungewear, put on a knit top and jeans, slipped into a pair of white sneakers, and greeted Aunt Cheng, saying she was going out to see a friend.

Cheng Jin remembered the gentleman’s instructions and reminded her, "Don’t forget to call the driver and have him take you."

Shen Jianian smiled, saying she’d just called Xiao Zheng.

After a short wait, Xiao Zheng came over, drove the car out of the basement, and parked under the porch.

Shen Jianian waved to Cheng Jin, went out, got into the car, and told Xiao Zheng she needed to go to the hospital.

They hit a major traffic jam on the way, arriving after more than half an hour.

As she pushed open the car door, Shen Jianian pulled out her phone to call Bai Changxia, confirming she was in the hospital room, then hung up.

Having been before, she found the hospital room easily, knocked lightly on the door.

Bai Changxia came to open it, already in a short-sleeved shirt, her short hair tied in a low ponytail. Her sharp eyes looked a bit haggard from long-term sleep deprivation.

"You’re here?" Bai Changxia smiled with crescent eyes, her lower eyelids squeezing two lines, and stepped aside holding the door handle, letting her in.

Mrs. Bai was just waking up from a nap, looking more spirited than usual. She frowned at the sight of Shen Jianian carrying lots of stuff, with a scolding tone: "Why do you bring so many things again?"

Bai Changxia didn’t hold back with Shen Jianian, taking the fruits and nutritional supplements from her hands, saying, "Don’t listen to my mom, she just said the supplements you brought are tasty, without any weird tastes."

Mrs. Bai held her hands, showing an embarrassed look: "Why do you have to say everything?"

Bai Changxia raised her brows: "Jianian is not an outsider."

Shen Jianian walked to the bedside, nodding in agreement: "Xiaxia is right, please don’t treat me as an outsider."

Bai Changxia went to the bathroom to wash fruits, her voice drifting out, continuing to expose her mother: "She was just talking about you yesterday, wondering why she hasn’t seen you for some days, oh, and she was watching your cello videos on her tablet, caught by me."

Mrs. Bai couldn’t stop her daughter, glaring at her back once she’d finished talking: "What a troublemaker."

Bai Changxia, coming out of the bathroom, saw her mother’s glaring expression and laughed even more joyfully: "Don’t glare at me, I’m just speaking the truth."

Shen Jianian smiled with crescent eyes, feeling rare relaxation.

Bai Changxia brought over a chair for her, handed her a bowl of washed strawberries and cherries, and sat by the hospital bed, her long legs crossed: "How come you have time to visit today? Aren’t you going to Teacher Yan’s place?"

"I took leave from him." Shen Jianian intended to see everyone she wanted to meet before leaving.

The three chatted about daily matters in the hospital room. At around five, the sunset shone through the window, casting a golden light, bringing warmth and beauty.

Shen Jianian stood up to say goodbye, and Mrs. Bai asked her daughter to see her off, suggesting they eat outside.

Bai Changxia got a jacket, put her hands in pockets, and smiled: "No need to tell me, of course, I’ll see her off."

There were many people waiting by the elevator on this floor, so they took the stairs. It was a bit dim, and Shen Jianian walked down slowly, holding the railing.

The surroundings were quiet, suitable for saying something private.

Shen Jianian quietly pondered, then turned her head to look at Bai Changxia’s blurred face in the dim light, recalling the emails she sent after her last disappearance. This time, she planned to give her a heads-up to prevent worry but didn’t fully explain to avoid future trouble: "Xiaxia, I’ll be busy soon and might lose contact temporarily. Just rest assured. I’ll be fine."

Bai Changxia’s raised foot hesitated, landing on the next step: "Busy with what?"

Shen Jianian’s nails dug into the wooden railing as she forced a smile: "It’s a secret for now."

Bai Changxia squinted suspiciously at her, finding her a bit odd today. She pondered for a while and tried to guess: "Could it be you’ve signed a confidentiality agreement for a new performance?"

The first episode of "Shining Starlight" hadn’t aired yet, but Shen Jianian’s fame had spread. Some commercial performances might have approached her.

Shen Jianian smiled and said nothing.

Bai Changxia saw her reaction and thought she guessed correctly, but because of the agreement, Shen couldn’t admit it.

The two exited the stairway, and the light became bright.

Bai Changxia looked at Shen Jianian; the sunset glow cast on her face, turning the tiny hairs on her skin into pale gold, then looked at the sky with the sun resembling a salted egg yolk, red in the center, with an orange-yellow halo.

Shen Jianian slightly raised her neck, feeling the warmth of the sunset glow, and suddenly turned to Bai Changxia: "Do you have anything else to do next?"

"The hospital has caretakers, so going back later is fine. Do you have something planned?"

"I need your help with something."

"No need for formality with me, just say it." Bai Changxia took her hands out of her pockets, held her arm, and led her outside the hospital.

Shen Jianian played coy, pointing at a restaurant across the street: "Let’s eat first, then talk. My treat."

"In that case, I’ll order a feast." Bai Changxia joked.

They crossed the street, entered a decently decorated restaurant, and ordered four dishes and one soup.

Bai Changxia poured each of them a cup of barley tea, holding the cup in both hands. The rising steam obscured her face, her gaze past Shen Jianian’s shoulder towards the street outside the window, recalling some school days. She shared with Shen Jianian: "Do you remember the street behind our school had a place with great chicken? We used to go every week and run into guys hitting on you, which I’d chase away."

Recalling those times, Shen Jianian’s face showed a warm smile, reminiscing those carefree days, her tone inevitably nostalgic: "How could I forget? Once, some hoodlums from another school started getting handsy before they even spoke, and you nearly had a fight."

Bai Changxia pinched her arm through her clothes: "Muscles weren’t trained for nothing."

Shen Jianian laughed even more joyously, her eyes curving into crescent shapes.

The waiter served their dishes, and they chatted while eating. When finished, it was getting dark, and the street lights outside began lighting up one by one.

Bai Changxia proactively asked Shen Jianian what she wanted her help with in the hospital.

"Doesn’t your family have a jade carving workshop?" Shen Jianian said, "Can I use it to carve something?"

Fu Jichen had given her his cherished item, and she wanted to carve one for him by hand.

Bai Changxia made an "OK" gesture with both hands before her face, indicating no problem at all. As she pushed the glass door open to the outside, she laughed and said: "While eating, I was wondering what big task you’d have me help with, turns out it’s this, a piece of cake. You want to use it now or tomorrow during the day?"

Shen Jianian considered, it was best to finish it quickly: "Now."

Bai Changxia didn’t hesitate, stood at the roadside, took out her phone, called the workshop master, confirmed someone was there, and decided to take Shen Jianian over.

They took Xiao Zheng’s driven car. In the car, Bai Changxia couldn’t suppress her curiosity and asked Shen Jianian: "What made you think of carving something?"

As soon as she finished asking, she suddenly thought of something, glanced at Shen Jianian’s wrist adorned with a black rope and an exquisite jade carving, which she’d seen in the hospital, feeling it was familiar. Now she recognized it as Fu Jichen’s piece she noticed back when they visited Tanfu Temple.

"Is it a gift?" Bai Changxia raised her brow, her tone slightly emphasized.

This, Shen Jianian didn’t deny, giving a gentle smile: "Yes, for him."

The "him" was self-explanatory.

Bai Changxia saw the smile on her lips and became firmly convinced that Shen Jianian was deeply in love with Boss Fu.