Incurable Pain

IP Chapter 47

Incurable Pain | Chapter 47

Six years had passed, a time gap of one generation… 

Yet, she was still instantly drawn to him.

Bai Xunyin watched as Yu Luoyin pushed the door open. Before he could step inside, he was tackled by a smiling Yu Shitian.

Right before her eyes, the man still had his lean and slender figure, unchanged features, and with a casual smile, he lazily handed a card to Yu Shitian and said, “Go pay the bill.”

Bai Xunyin’s fingers involuntarily tightened around her bag.

She knew she should use her bag to cover her face at this moment, then slip away quietly when no one was paying attention, pretending she had never been here, never seen Yu Luoyin.

But Bai Xunyin couldn’t control her eyes. She still looked at Yu Luoyin.

The boy from before had now become a rather deep and reserved ‘man’. It seemed he noticed the gaze on him, slightly turned his head, and saw Bai Xunyin sitting in the corner.

Their eyes met, and Bai Xunyin involuntarily flinched, but she clearly saw Yu Luoyin… unchanged.

He saw her, but it seemed like he saw a stranger.

This one glance made Bai Xunyin suddenly sober from her inexplicable daze, feeling like a bucket of icy water had been poured over her head, chilling her entire body. She awkwardly lowered her eyes, clutching the handle of her bag on her knee, her knuckles turning white.

Bai Xunyin’s expression was numb, calmly letting the conversation between Yu Shitian and Yu Luoyin enter her ears—

“Brother, thanks. Since your card has no credit limit, do you mind if I use it?”

“What’s with the act? It’s all maxed out.”

“Hehe, whose fault is it for not giving me a birthday present!”

“Do you have something else to do? If not, I…”

“I do, I do!” Yu Shitian interrupted him, then her voice gradually faded as they moved away. 

“Come with me for a moment.”

It seemed she dragged Yu Luoyin away.

Bai Xunyin couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief, seizing the opportunity to stand up and silently leave this place, which was originally lively but now seemed ‘strange and bizarre’ to her.

Since Yu Luoyin had forgotten about her, or simply ignored her, she naturally didn’t need to go up and annoy anyone.

But this dress was fine during the day; at night, it was a bit cold.

A gentle breeze blew over the long emerald green hem of her dress. Bai Xunyin instinctively hugged herself, rubbing her arms to keep warm. She needed to walk along this long, quiet road between the club and the main road to hail a cab.

It turned out that those ‘beautiful and chilling’ scenes from TV dramas only tormented oneself.

It’s said that women dress to please themselves, but for someone who likes you, even if you’re wearing a school uniform, he can’t take his eyes off you.

 If he doesn’t like you anymore… even if you’re dressed to the nines, it’s just a joke.

Bai Xunyin’s mind wandered until the incessant honking behind her brought her back to reality. 

Bai Xunyin subconsciously turned around and was momentarily blinded by the headlights behind her, instinctively raising her hand to shield her eyes.

After a while, the lights went out, and behind the car window was Yu Luoyin’s expressionless face.

Bai Xunyin was stunned, her steps instinctively stopping in place.

Yu Luoyin’s sleek white Bentley quickly pulled up beside her, the window rolled down, and he stared straight ahead, leaving her with only a sleek and sharp profile. 

“Get in.”

“…Thank you.” Bai Xunyin politely declined. 

“I’ll just take a taxi.”

“Oh.” 

Yu Luoyin didn’t force it, and upon hearing her words, he closed the car window again—only the wheels didn’t move, and the car remained parked.

Bai Xunyin felt like she was suffocating every second she spent with him after meeting him. She pursed her lips, turned around, and continued on her way.

But as soon as she moved, Yu Luoyin’s car followed.

A silent, lingering presence.

Bai Xunyin sighed lightly, turning her head to look through the car window at Yu Luoyin, as if asking him with her eyes, “What are you doing?”

Then she saw Yu Luoyin smile—unlike the casual laziness when he handed the card to Yu Shitian just now, his smile now seemed genuinely comforting.

“Come on.” Yu Luoyin rolled down the car window again. 

“It’s a bit of a walk to the main road to hail a cab. I’ll take you there—consider it a favor for an ‘old friend’.”

He emphasized the words ‘old friend’ with a hint of self-mockery, tugging at his lips.

Bai Xunyin didn’t want to get into a protracted tug-of-war with him. She knew Yu Luoyin’s temperament. If she ignored him, he would follow; if she refused him, he would pester her.

This was his consistent nature, so she got into the car.

Once in the car, Yu Luoyin didn’t say anything. Silently driving out of the territory belonging to Pu Guan, he turned the steering wheel with one hand. 

“Where do you live?”

Bai Xunyin remained silent for a moment before politely saying, “Please drop me off at the nearby subway station.”

Listening, Yu Luoyin’s slender fingers tapped the steering wheel with a hint of playfulness.

After six years, Bai Xunyin’s attitude of refusal remained as straightforward, aloof, and firm as ever.

He didn’t insist, instead turning a corner and dropping Bai Xunyin off at the entrance of the subway station.

Watching the girl in the green dress politely thank him and get out of the car, her slender figure gradually moving away and disappearing down the stairs, Yu Luoyin couldn’t help but tighten his fingers around the steering wheel, the knuckles turning a stark white.

Who was she dressing up so beautifully for?

Yu Luoyin’s mind twisted around this question like a maniac, because he knew Bai Xunyin didn’t like wearing dresses, didn’t like wearing makeup… Yet today, she looked like a fairy, in such a ‘devilish’ setting.

What’s even more ridiculous was that Bai Xunyin seemed to have no idea why she came or why she left.

Yu Luoyin didn’t know how long he stared at the subway entrance where Bai Xunyin disappeared, his black eyes bottomless, until the honking of a car behind him urged him to turn away.

Encountering Yu Luoyin stirred up ripples in her heart at first, but after forcing herself to adapt, it was just ‘so-so.’ Anyone could meet anyone; there was no need to think too much about herself or the other person.

Especially after all these years, everyone should have started new lives.

Thinking about what Yu Shitian told her earlier, that her brother was going to get engaged, Bai Xunyin couldn’t help but smile.

The smile was somewhat hollow, but she genuinely congratulated Yu Luoyin and felt happy for him.

She was happy that he hadn’t been scarred by the deception of the girl from back then, that he could still start a new life, still believe in love.

Over these years, it seemed like only she couldn’t get past those hurdles.

A phone call from Yu Shitian broke the silence she had curled up in the corner. 

The girl’s tender voice asked urgently, “Sister, why did you leave?”

“Sorry, Shitian, I have something to attend to,” Bai Xunyin said softly. 

“Next time, let me treat you to dinner alone, okay?”

“Oh, that’s too bad,” Yu Shitian sighed, somewhat regretful. 

“I wanted to introduce someone to you.”

As for who that person was, it was naturally self-evident.

People are really strange creatures. It’s as if after the age of twenty-three, dopamine secretion, hormonal impulses, they must have someone to ‘accompany’ them. Over these years, her friends had worried about her, openly and secretly, always wanting to introduce someone to her…

But today, Bai Xunyin suddenly felt that she had no reason to refuse anymore.

Everyone should move forward; what reason did she have to dwell in the past?

“…Alright.” So, for the first time ever, Bai Xunyin agreed to Yu Shitian’s request. 

“Arrange the time.”

She should give it a try.

“Wow! Really?” 

Yu Shitian was extremely surprised and hurriedly said, “Then let’s do it this weekend. I’ll send you the location later!”

“Alright… Shitian, wait a moment.” Bai Xunyin’s slender fingers unconsciously tightened around her phone, her voice carrying a hint of imperceptible bitterness. 

“Did that brother of yours who’s getting engaged come to your birthday party today?”

For some unknown reason, for some purpose, she foolishly wanted to confirm it once.

And on the other end of the phone, Yu Shitian’s voice was crisp as she gave her the answer, “Oh, my brother? Yes, he came! Didn’t you see him?”

…

After a long silence, Bai Xunyin smiled.

She should have known long ago that this was the best ending between her and Yu Luoyin.

Perhaps because wearing a dress in March was too early, and after walking for a while at night, Bai Xunyin, half asleep and half awake, felt extremely thirsty.

She coughed lightly a couple of times, startling Ah Mo beside her. When he reached out and felt her burning forehead, Bai Xunyin realized that she had a fever.

So, in a daze, she was fed two pills by Ah Mo and then fell back into a drowsy sleep.

It was a dreamless night, but her head, including her temples, throbbed fiercely.

In the morning, as the workaholic Ah Mo left to go to work, he reminded Bai Xunyin to take her medicine. Then, afraid of being late and getting fined, he hurried away.

Bai Xunyin rarely slept until after nine o’clock, but she woke up feeling like her head was about to split.

It seemed like the fever-reducing and anti-inflammatory medicines weren’t working very well.

She moistened her dry lips with a sip of water, propped up her weak body, and got out of bed to change clothes. Catching a cold and fever was a waste of time. There was no need to drag it out; she needed to resolve it quickly.

Bai Xunyin returned to her usual appearance, wearing a thick white sweater, jeans, and tying her long hair into a loose bun after a simple wash. She didn’t even bother with sunscreen. Relying on her natural beauty, she was embracing a completely natural look.

Taking a taxi to the nearest hospital, Bai Xunyin covered half of her small face with a mask.

Hospitals were always crowded no matter the time, and weekdays were no exception. She waited in line to register, then sat outside the examination room, waiting. It took almost an hour of hassle before it was her turn.

The icy liquid flowed into her veins through the sharp needle. Bai Xunyin sat on the public bench in the hospital lobby, her slender back against the chair, her gaze vacant and staring at the vivid veins on the back of her hand.

The nurse gave her dexamethasone, which had a drowsy effect. Coupled with the fact that she had hardly slept last night, even though there was a constant stream of noisy voices around her, Bai Xunyin found it difficult to keep her eyes open.

The noisy surroundings, the hard seats, and the needle still stuck in her hand…

Normally, any one of these elements would have made it impossible for Bai Xunyin to fall asleep. But when she was extremely tired, she drifted off to sleep in a daze.

It was evident that someone who usually claimed to love quiet and hated light and couldn’t sleep with any noise… 

Ultimately, she just wasn’t tired enough. She was just too exhausted.

After who knows how long, she felt a swaying sensation around her shoulders and waist, as if someone was holding her. Bai Xunyin drowsily opened her eyes and saw the glaringly bright light on the ceiling.

To her surprise, she found herself waking up on a bed, one that resembled a temporary rest room or possibly an office in the hospital.

The room, about a dozen square meters, contained only a bed, a chair, a table, and a cabinet. A white coat hung on the wall, and everything was clean and spotless.

Bai Xunyin looked down at her hand with only one needle mark, full of doubts. How did she go from the public bench to the bed in the hospital office?

Just as she was puzzled, the office door creaked open slowly, as if the person entering was afraid of waking her up. 

A man in a white coat walked in quietly—only to meet the astonished gaze of the girl sitting on the bed.

For a moment, the scene seemed frozen, with no one speaking.

Perhaps because of her illness, Bai Xunyin rarely felt sluggish. She watched as Yu Luoyin, wearing a long white coat, pushed the door open and entered. His eyebrows and eyes stood out against his fair skin, giving her a momentary illusion of time rewinding.

It was as if they were still young, in the peak of summer during high school.