“No.”
“Then, I am…”
“Just happened to pick you up on the way.”
“…”
“So you don’t need to treat me like a saviour, and don’t pester me for gratitude,” Nie Ran said.
“Thank you, I never intended to,” Ning Xin replied sarcastically.
He smirked and focused on the wound.
While he seemed disinterested in her chest, Ning Xin had never been so exposed in front of the opposite sex since she could remember. Despite the pain making it difficult to breathe, she still wanted to cover her chest with her hands.
Nie Ran didn’t avert his gaze, “If I were you, I’d definitely stay in the water all day.”
Ning Xin was full of question marks, “Why?”
“Maybe you could soak yourself bigger.”
“…”
She clenched her fists, contemplating giving him a good punch when he turned around to grab something.
However, the next moment, Nie Ran put away the medicine bottle and gauze, then took out a small box from the bedside cabinet.
The more Ning Xin looked at it, the more familiar it seemed. It was as if she had used it before, and when she remembered, she gasped.
It was a sewing kit!
Nie Ran took out a fine needle curved like a fish hook and began to disinfect it methodically, waving it in front of her.
“Your wound is too large, it must be stitched,” Nie Ran insisted.
She turned her face away and cried out, “No stitching, absolutely not!”
She wasn’t as tough as him, strong as an ox. Without anaesthesia, she would die from the stitching.
Ning Xin used all her strength to refuse, but Nie Ran said in a stern tone, “Do you know what will happen if you don’t stitch it?”
She didn’t want to listen.
“Your skin will start to decay, pus will flow out from the flesh, muscles will peel off from the bones layer by layer, the wound will ulcerate and spread. First, it’ll be a patch on your shoulder, then half of your body, and eventually, you won’t be able to move at all, just watch yourself slowly rotting alive. Do you really want that?”
The imagery painted by him almost made her sick.
But…
Ning Xin painfully bit her lip, “I really can’t bear it.”
Nie Ran rubbed his fist.
“I can help knock you out.”
“…”
“How about it?”
She looked at his fist, almost as big as her face, and made up her mind, closing her eyes and saying, “Go ahead.”
Being knocked out was better than dying in pain.
Half a minute passed, but the expected punch didn’t come.
Just as she was about to impatiently open her eyes, two thin pieces fell on her lips, gently covering them.
What is this…
Ning Xin opened her eyes a little and saw Nie Ran’s eyelashes close by, realizing what he was doing, and she felt dumbfounded.
Her mind was fuzzy, the pain in her body becoming less clear, as if she had lost most of her senses, leaving only one to breathe.
After some time, someone tapped her face.
“Wake up, it’s stitched.”
She looked over belatedly, seeing what looked like a large centipede on her shoulder, with stitches densely packed.
The pain surged up at this moment, and Ning Xin cried out in agony.
Nie Ran packed up his things and said to her, “I’m leaving. If there’s anything… figure it out yourself.”
“Leaving?”
Is he going to leave the asylum again?
Ning Xin immediately shut her mouth, gripping his sleeve tightly.
He turned back with a sigh, “What is it?”
“Can you make me something to eat? I’m starving, on the verge of starving, please.”
The pleading look in the woman’s beautiful almond eyes, despite just coming back from the brink of death, still so lively and vibrant, was nothing like the walking dead outside.
Nie Ran pushed her hand away, and Ning Xin thought she was rejected and was about to continue pleading, but then she heard him say, “I’m not good at cooking.”
She hurriedly said, “It’s okay, I’ll eat whatever you make, I’m not picky.”
He nodded and left the room.
Because the process went too smoothly, Ning Xin lay on the bed for a few minutes before realizing that she actually had the chance to eat something cooked by Nie Ran.
Is this a blessing in disguise?
Soon enough, she understood that it was clearly a double-edged sword.
“Is this… your cooking?” She looked at the dark lump in the bowl, her mouth twitching.
Nie Ran avoided her gaze but spoke confidently, “I told you I’m not good at it.”
“Brother, isn’t this just wasting food?”
“If you don’t want to eat, then forget it.”
Nie Ran pretended to take the bowl away, but Ning Xin, hungry to the point of her front sticking to her back, quickly stopped him.
“Wait, let me taste it first.”
She tried to reach for the bowl and chopsticks, but her injured arm couldn’t move at all, and she couldn’t hold both the bowl and chopsticks with just one hand.
Seeing this, Nie Ran kindly fed her. He stirred the contents in the bowl with the chopsticks, picked up a big chunk, and stuffed it into her mouth.
Ning Xin almost choked to death from his rough actions, but after catching her breath, she slowly ate and found the taste not as bad as she expected.
He probably made fried rice with pickled vegetables and added a bit too much seasoning, hence the poor appearance.
He was a prince, possibly even going to become an emperor.
To think she was eating fried rice made by the emperor himself, tut-tut.
Ning Xin raised her eyes and said, “Thanks.”
Nie Ran’s cheeks slightly reddened, he turned his face away and fed her a second spoonful.
The bowl of fried rice was quickly finished, and Ning Xin asked him to get another bowl and bring some water.
After finishing everything, she managed to fill her stomach and regain some strength.
Seeing that she didn’t need much more care, Nie Ran suggested leaving again.
While eating, she had been thinking about what to say, and now she grabbed his hand, making him sit on the edge of the bed.
Nie Ran wanted to push her away but was afraid of hurting her, so he frowned and asked, “What else do you want?”
“Since you were willing to save me from such a faraway place, it shows that you’re kind-hearted. We’re dependent on each other in this place, so I won’t deceive you anymore. I’ll tell you everything I know and ask for your help, okay?”
She had tried to escape on her own and realized it was impossible. Now, the only way was to follow the old lady’s request and cure Nie Ran’s illness.
Before, she didn’t want to reveal her information, fearing it could be used against her. She just wanted to complete the mission and leave. Now, understanding the difficulty of the mission, hiding information was pointless. It was better to be honest and work together to achieve the goal.
Nie Ran surely wanted to leave too, right? He had no reason to refuse.
Ning Xin thought so, but her heart tightened slightly.
Nie Ran raised his right eyebrow.
“What help?”
“Help me leave this place and return to my original world.”
“Do you think if I had a way, I would still be here?”
“Don’t worry, I have a way.”
Ning Xin made him sit closer, almost whispering in his ear, telling him about her agreement with the old lady.
Nie Ran listened and frowned deeply.
“Are you joking?”
“I’m not joking! Don’t you think it’s a win-win situation? It can help cure your illness and send me back home.”
“Mine…”
He seemed very sensitive about the word “illness,” deliberately ignoring it and asking, “Do you know how to cure it?”
“Well, currently it’s unclear. But as long as we are united and willing to try any method, there is definitely hope, don’t you think?”
Nie Ran remained silent, his face clearly expressing “I don’t believe you.”
Ning Xin took a deep breath and continued to persuade him.
“Don’t you want to leave here and return to your original world? Having such an illness is also very uncomfortable, right? We should try regardless of the method.”
Nie Ran suddenly asked, “What is your original world like?”
Seeing his interest, she gained confidence and smiled slightly.
“It’s wonderful there, let me tell you slowly.”
To be honest, as an orphan who had never experienced much of the beauty of the world, Ning Xin was not someone who loved the world. But now, in order to convince Nie Ran, she was willing to find pleasure in her memories.
“There are skyscrapers everywhere, and the streets are filled with cars. You can sit at home and watch what’s happening on the other side of the earth on television, buy products from thousands of miles away, and contact friends you haven’t seen for years with your phone. If you want to eat something, just take out your phone, order the food you want, and it will be delivered to you within an hour. If you don’t want to go out, you can still socialize online. Just create an account and you can communicate with people from all over the world.”
Nie Ran scoffed, “And what does all of that matter?”
“What would you like to hear then?”
He thought for a moment and asked, “What are the rulers like in your place?”
“The rulers?” Ning Xin rubbed her chin, “I’m not sure about other countries, but in my country, there are no rulers as such.”
“How is that possible?”
“It’s true.”
“Who manages the affairs of the state?”
“Of course, there is a designated person, but they are not rulers, they simply fulfil their duties and take on the role of managing.”
Nie Ran chuckled, “That’s just a hypocritical statement. Who selects him? Who will he pass the position to in the future?”
“Of course, they are selected by the people. We have a well-established civil service system. To enter this system, one must start from the grassroots level, pass through layers of assessments, numerous selections, a process that lasts for decades. At least until they are fifty or sixty years old, and their abilities are recognized by the majority of people, can they take office. When their term ends, or if they are unable to continue due to health reasons, the system will select someone equally outstanding and qualified to succeed them.”
Nie Ran’s expression became complicated, as if he was trying to understand something incomprehensible. He murmured, “That’s impossible.”
“I’m not lying to you,” Ning Xin said.
“Then what role do you play in that world?”
This question stumped her.
To directly say she was just an ordinary person? That seemed embarrassing, and she might even be looked down upon.
After thinking for a while, she found a suitable answer.
“I’m a unique character.”
Everyone is indeed unique, and no two people in the world are exactly the same. She wasn’t lying.
Nie Ran seemed half-believing, half-doubtful. She shook his arm lightly.
“Are you agreeing or not? I’ve answered everything I can, and I haven’t lied to you.”
He ruthlessly withdrew his hand.
“No.”
“Why?”
Ning Xin’s face instantly fell.
Nie Ran leaned closer to her face, mocking.
“Help you complete your mission, and then you leave, leaving me alone here? Dream on.”
… This despicable and vile person!
Ning Xin was almost exploding with anger, but he spoke again in a soft tone.
“Unless…”
Unless what? She stared nervously at his lips, not wanting to miss a single word.
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