Chapter 104 Come and Hug Me
By the time Song Ni was carried to the hospital, she was in too much pain to speak. The sound of the rain outside agitated her, and the continued silence from Tan Zheng on her phone inexplicably made her irritable.
Chang Zi noticed Song Ni's action of looking at her phone and paused. "Waiting for your husband's call?" she asked. She had heard from Chi Xia that Song Ni had used a sob story to get Tan Zheng's attention earlier that evening.
Song Ni, lying on the bed, put her phone aside upon hearing this. "Do you think he might be on his way?"
"Perhaps. If he's on a plane, he can't contact you." Song Ni's mood brightened a little.
"When will he arrive?" Chang Zi checked the time. "It's a little over an hour's flight from Xingcheng. This area is a bit remote, so it'll take another hour and a half from the airport. He should be here in about two hours."
Two hours... it felt like a long time. Perhaps even Song Ni herself didn't realize that she had always endured pain alone before. Even when she broke her leg in high school, she had powered through the agony. Now, with Tan Zheng, she found herself wishing he was by her side. She wasn't being fussy; she was no stranger to this kind of pain. In fact, she hadn't even intended to tell Tan Zheng or Song Jing at first. However, upon learning that Tan Zheng already knew, a subtle anticipation had bloomed. She loved seeing the concern in Tan Zheng's eyes when he looked at her. At those moments, his gaze was solely on her, his emotions ignited by her. His body was so warm; she longed to be held in his embrace.
The doctor examined her. It was a lumbar ligament strain, not severe. A few days of rest should suffice, though it would be best to rest longer if she intended to continue acting in fight scenes.
Song Ni lay in bed, bored. She asked Chi Xia to buy some supper. Chang Zi had already received a call from Lu Fang, and it was as Song Ni had said. Lu Fang intended to replace the actress. He didn't need to investigate whether Yang Lan had acted intentionally; if Song Ni believed it was intentional, then it was. Yang Lan had to go. Another new actress from Lu Corporation had performed very well during the audition for the second female lead, but Yang Lan had been chosen based on a comprehensive assessment of her qualifications, acting skills, and popularity.
Replacing an actress on short notice was troublesome, especially considering Yang Lan's fans. However, Lu Fang had already arranged for a script to be released, stating that Yang Lan had to withdraw due to an injury sustained during filming, to avoid delaying the crew's progress. It was obvious to anyone paying attention that this was a fabrication, and Yang Lan's fans would not easily accept it. But Lu Fang was indifferent to such matters; he would ensure Yang Lan "voluntarily" stepped aside and made a statement.
With Chang Zi now heading to negotiate with Yang Lan, Song Ni was alone in the hospital room. Song Ni played a game. Her body ached, and her mind was restless, leading to poor performance. Her teammate was also short-tempered and started making passive-aggressive remarks. The eldest daughter of the Song family could not tolerate such treatment.
"Don't you have eyes? If the doctor can't treat you, I can dig them out."
"You're always calling 'Mom.' Why not say it on Mother's Day?"
"Did your confidence come from the womb? I suggest your mother give birth to you again."
"You can't even match my casual play, so what are you babbling about? You have a mouth but nowhere to use it?"
"Should I donate some money for you to get a proper nine-year compulsory education?"
"If your brain is broken, don't come out here to embarrass yourself."
"Haven't brushed your teeth in over a decade? Your breath is so foul it's reaching me."
"Still can't afford food? Making do with a meal in the restroom?"
The more Song Ni argued, the more agitated she became. The game ended in a loss. She had found opportunities to turn the tide, but she simply didn't want such a person to win. She glanced at the time; there was still an hour and a half left. Why was it so hard to endure?
Song Ni sighed and cursed, "Damn Tan Zheng." How could this one man affect her so much? Initially, she was merely curious about Tan Zheng. She was still curious, but unknowingly...
As Song Ni was lost in thought, the hospital room door opened. "Xia Xia, you bought it back so quickly?"
There was no response from behind her, nor did she smell any supper. Song Ni turned around and saw the man she had just been thinking about standing at the doorway.
Song Ni: !!!!!!!!
She instinctively grabbed her phone to check the time. It was indeed only 9:30, and Tan Zheng was still expected to arrive in another hour and a half.
"I was wondering why I kept sneezing all the way here. Turns out you were talking badly about me behind my back," the man's lazy voice echoed. Only then did Song Ni truly grasp that Tan Zheng had actually come.
"Why are you here?" Tan Zheng closed the door and walked over.
"Aren't you waiting for me to come?" He had noticed her checking her phone the moment she saw him, clearly anticipating his arrival.
Song Ni wrinkled her nose. "Who's waiting for you?" But despite her words, a smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
Tan Zheng stepped forward and lifted the quilt, reaching to pull up Song Ni's clothes. Song Ni suddenly grabbed his hand. "Why are you lifting my clothes right away?"
Tan Zheng's eyes were fixed on Song Ni. Her face was still pale, and her lips lacked color. Three hours ago, she was feigning distress and using sob stories to elicit his sympathy. Now that she was genuinely injured, she wouldn't even let him see.
"Let me see, hmm?" Tan Zheng's voice softened, his eyes filled with helplessness and concern. Song Ni couldn't bear his gaze and withdrew her hand. She softly asked, "How did you get here?" Even if he had gotten the news from Lu Fang right after she got injured, it would have taken at least three hours to get here. Only half of that time had passed.
Tan Zheng looked at Song Ni's waist, his expression darkening. It looked even more alarming than in the photos. Perhaps the strain had worsened the situation, as the bruises on her slender waist were deeper. The visual impact was far greater than on her phone. Tan Zheng hesitated to touch it.
"There's a little girl who, taking advantage of my absence, used a sob story to make me dote on her. Of course, I had to come and teach her a lesson." Song Ni blinked. Was it what she thought?
"You came right after the call?" Tan Zheng casually pulled over a chair and sat by the bed, asking, "Does it hurt?"
Of course, it hurt. But Song Ni couldn't bring herself to say it. He was here, and she had gotten the look she wanted. But why couldn't she say it now? She couldn't bear to see him so worried. Song Ni reached out and held Tan Zheng's hand. "It doesn't hurt much. I hurt less now that you're here."
Tan Zheng raised his eyelids. "Am I a painkiller now?" He joked, but his eyes held no mirth. He wished Song Ni would cry out in pain in front of him, like she did earlier, instead of enduring it alone now. This stubborn girl was too endearing.
Song Ni rolled her eyes. "I'm trying to be romantic. How can you be so unromantic?"
Tan Zheng squeezed her hand, letting out a long sigh. "If it hurts, tell me. Now that I'm here, you can be as pampered as you like."
"Really?" Song Ni didn't quite believe Tan Zheng's indulgent words.
"Can it be fake?"
"Then hug me." His body was cold from the rush, and his eyes were filled with exhaustion. She wanted to hug him.
Sob sob sob, my Ni Ni is too good!
(End of this chapter)