Sang Fan saw a psychologist and was prescribed medication. He no longer suffered from insomnia, but his dreams became increasingly chaotic, like a torn piece of paper haphazardly pieced together, causing him splitting headaches every time he woke up.
This was completely ineffective, aside from causing his head to explode with pain, it achieved nothing.
Each time he woke up, Sang Fan even felt the urge to kill.
Adding to this, his coach noticed his poor performance over the past few days and suggested he rest for a few days. Sang Fan had no choice but to agree.
He couldn't accept it. This was his first competition since recovering, and to be taken out like this, he couldn't possibly pretend it didn't bother him.
Returning home, he locked himself in the gym. It wasn't until the punching bag was broken that he regained his composure.
His shirt had long been discarded. On his bronze, sculpted abs, beads of sweat shimmered faintly under the lights.
After smoking a few cigarettes, Sang Fan went to the bathroom for a thorough shower.
It was late, and Sang Fan picked up his phone, ready to go out for a meal.
The night in Kyoto was filled with dazzling lights and vibrant prosperity.
Neon signs were glaring, and the lights were hazy.
Cars flowed endlessly on the roads, like a golden stream in motion.
The red light indicated a stop.
Sang Fan was looking down at his phone. A casual glance up, as if by fate, everything seemed to happen by chance.
On the opposite side of the road stood a familiar, slender figure.
He didn't know why, but at the bustling intersection with traffic lights, he noticed only that figure, as if it overlapped with the bizarre dreams he had, the image becoming clearer and clearer.
Almost instinctively, he took a few steps forward, his movements urgent. Someone beside him stopped him.
"Are you trying to die? The light is still red!"
Sang Fan's chest heaved violently, his mind briefly short-circuited, countless storms and waves crashing against his heart.
His breath hitched for a moment.
In the blink of an eye, traffic surged. The next second, that slender figure vanished like a bubble. The opposite side of the road was empty, as if no one had ever been there.
A sudden sense of panic and unease washed over him. He turned to look around, hearing the sound of his own rapid breathing and the frantic thumping of his heart.
Amidst the crowd of people coming and going, that figure was long gone.
He gasped in pain, his mind a roaring blank.
At that moment, he didn't even know where to go, like a lost child.
***
Tonight, the housekeeper was on leave, so Shen Yue went out to eat. In fact, her family was very strict about her diet, mostly consisting of nutritional meals, which Shen Yue was getting tired of.
With the housekeeper on leave, Shen Yue secretly slipped out to eat. She didn't dare to be too extravagant, so she chose lighter fare.
While waiting for the traffic light, she was drawn to someone buying candied hawthorn. She had eaten something too bland earlier and her mouth had no flavor, so she wanted something sweet.
The sugar coating of the candied hawthorn was sweet, and the hawthorn inside was sour. The sweet and sour taste stimulated her taste buds, which Shen Yue enjoyed.
She thought she was quite clever for sneaking out to eat without anyone noticing.
However, she was soon punished.
She developed a fever in the middle of the night. The villa's servants noticed something was wrong, and she was rushed to the hospital by ambulance.
The fever wasn't very serious, but her heart ached a little. After taking medication, she felt much better. Jiang Bainian rushed over, still wearing slippers, his expression tense, far from the gentle demeanor he usually had.
Shen Yue teased him with a smile, "It's nothing, just a minor ailment."
Jiang Bainian didn't relax upon hearing this. He was afraid, afraid that Shen Yue would suddenly collapse as she had six months ago, without any warning. This made him anxious every day.
After the doctor finished the examination, he sighed and gave her a bottle of glucose. He then carefully instructed Shen Yue, while Jiang Bainian stood by, listening intently, almost taking notes.
After the doctor finished speaking, he gestured to Jiang Bainian, and the two went outside.
Shen Yue felt dizzy and lay on the hospital bed, lost in thought.
When Jiang Bainian returned, his expression had calmed considerably. It was still three or four in the morning, and he had dark circles under his eyes. Shen Yue felt concerned. "You should go back and rest. I'm fine here."
Jiang Bainian couldn't be reassured. "Yueyue, you might think I'm being a bit much, but I really hope you'll tell me when you go out in the future. You don't take care of yourself well, and I'm truly afraid."
Seeing a grown man express fear in front of her, Shen Yue couldn't remain indifferent and could only nod.
It seemed her outing today hadn't gone unnoticed by anyone.
Hospital stays were always boring. Shen Yue spent her days reading; playing on her phone too much would hurt her eyes.
The sun came out, and Shen Yue unconsciously put down the book she was holding. She wanted to bask in the sun.
There weren't many people in the hospital, and the lawn was sparsely populated.
A gentle breeze swept across the lush green grass, releasing the fragrance of fresh grass.
Shen Yue took a deep breath and closed her eyes, facing the sun, her body completely relaxed.
At this moment, she felt like a sparrow soaring in the blue sky, chirping freely.
She savored the scenery.
A gaze was too intense and scorching, like a blazing flame, fixed upon her.
Even if Shen Yue wanted to ignore it, she couldn't.
She turned her head slightly, looking over with confusion.
The sun was bright and dazzling, the grass was a vibrant green, and unknown pink flowers bloomed on withered branches. A man stood beneath the dappled shade of the trees.
He was tall, with excellent proportions. Just standing there casually, his nearly 1.9-meter height exuded an unconscious sense of pressure.
His features were sharp, like a blade. He wore a white t-shirt. His brow bones were high and prominent, his eye sockets deep, and his eyes were rimmed with dark circles, making his otherwise handsome face look particularly daunting.
When Shen Yue looked over, his eyes didn't move. He continued to stare directly at her.
That expression... was strange.
He looked fierce and menacing, but Shen Yue had a bizarre feeling that the man might start crying at any moment.
And that look made Shen Yue wonder if they knew each other.
The young girl's dark hair cascaded softly over her shoulders. She wore a white and blue striped hospital gown. Her skin was fair and luminous, like a piece of soft, white jade, yet it held a pale, unhealthy pallor.
The sunlight was indeed dazzling, but it couldn't obscure the girl's beautiful and delicate features. Her dark lashes fluttered with her movements.
She looked at him with an expression of unfamiliar confusion, pale and translucent as if she were wind that couldn't be held.
Sang Fan suddenly felt a fine pain pulling at his heart, his heart rate exceeding its limit. His entire chest ached from the violent pounding.