Chapter 39
In the hospital room, Qi Baizi lay flat on the bed, her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. Standing beside her, Gu Yuetong couldn’t help but tremble all over. She waved a hand above her, but Qi Baizi’s expression remained the same, unresponsive.
Realizing what was happening, Qi Baizi broke out in a cold sweat. Her hair, which had grown past her shoulders, was spread casually on the pillow, but a few strands were now stuck to her temples. She awkwardly raised the hand that wasn’t connected to an IV, trying to brush them away, but inadvertently touched a cold hand.
“Pres-President Gu…” Qi Baizi called out tentatively. Startled, she tried to pull her hand back, only to have it caught in mid-air by another.
Gu Yuetong’s voice reached her ears. “It’s me.”
Though her voice trembled at the end, it was filled with a comforting restraint.
“Don’t be afraid. I’ll go get the doctor…”
Before she could finish, Gu Yuetong felt Qi Baizi’s palm tighten, gripping her hand firmly.
“Don’t go yet.” Qi Baizi took a deep breath. The solid feeling of the hand in hers calmed her down considerably.
She shook her head and blinked hard a few times. Her originally gray vision gradually recovered a little. The outline of the hospital room slowly appeared before her. Although it wasn’t perfectly clear, it was much better than the complete darkness she had seen upon waking, which brought her a sense of relief.
Relying on her senses, she turned her head to look at Gu Yuetong. They were very close, and within those beautiful eyes was a pool of barely perceptible tears. Qi Baizi comforted her, “I can see now.”
Gu Yuetong was not reassured. Her features remained tense, her expression filled with worry. “Really?”
When their eyes met, Qi Baizi’s pupils were still slightly unfocused. As an art student, Gu Yuetong knew what a person’s eyes should look like under normal circumstances. Qi Baizi’s words seemed suspiciously like an attempt to put her at ease.
But whether she was at ease was a small matter. The real issue was whether Han Zhiyu’s vengeful blow had caused more serious injuries to Qi Baizi.
Gu Yuetong was glad she could still maintain her composure. Gu Hezhu’s years of inhumane upbringing had trained her emotions into a tool, appearing only when she wanted them to. It was just that the incident had happened so suddenly, and she had lost control for a moment.
Wiping away the tears welling in her eyes with her sleeve, Gu Yuetong cleared her throat and said sternly, “I’m going to get the doctor. Don’t try to be strong.”
With that, she pulled her hand free and resolutely walked out of the room.
Qi Baizi stared in the direction of the closing door, somewhat lost in thought. A few minutes later, the sound of the doctor and Gu Yuetong talking approached. The doctor was explaining the possible reasons for Qi Baizi’s temporary blindness.
As the voices drew nearer, their shadows appeared before her. Qi Baizi remained still, lying flat on the bed. But when the doctor touched her eyelids, she instinctively and nervously grabbed Gu Yuetong’s hand, which was hanging by the bedside.
Gu Yuetong didn’t pull away, her fingers intertwining with hers.
The doctor shone a light on her upper and lower eyelids, then gently pressed around her eyes. “You can sense the light, right? Does it hurt?”
“It doesn’t hurt.”
“What about here?” The doctor pressed near the swollen and red area of the wound on her forehead.
“…A little.”
“Mm.” The doctor withdrew his hand and, pushing up his glasses, said to Gu Yuetong, “The preliminary consideration is that it’s caused by the swelling around the wound. It might be a subcutaneous hematoma pressing on some of the optic nerves.”
“The scans look fine, and there’s no pain around the eye. It might also be related to the concussion, but that’s less likely,” the doctor said. “Let’s observe for three days. You can also apply a cold compress around the eye. Normally, as the hematoma subsides, her vision should gradually recover. If there are still problems, we can do more tests.”
Gu Yuetong nodded in agreement but was still worried. “Should we consult an ophthalmologist?”
“You can, but the fact that she recovered some vision in a short amount of time suggests it’s not related to the retina.”
After the doctor left, Gu Yuetong, still worried, was considering whether to call in an eye specialist. Qi Baizi, sensing her anxiety through the blur, turned slightly, took Gu Yuetong’s hand, and gently placed it over her own eyes.
“It’s very cool. It’ll help warm them up.”
Gu Yuetong was a little surprised by this gesture. A brief moment of shyness was followed by a greater sense of acceptance. She didn’t make a fuss, allowing her hand to be sandwiched between Qi Baizi’s eyes and palm.
Yes, it was indeed very warm.
After a long while, Gu Yuetong spoke. “I’m sorry, Little Bai. I still ended up dragging you into this.”
Before the press conference, she had been suspicious of Qi Baizi’s clumsy excuse. But her instant replies, coupled with Auntie Qin’s assurance, made her think she was overthinking it. It wasn’t until the moment Qi Baizi rushed into the conference hall that she finally understood what had happened.
Qi Baizi had been afraid that she would be too timid and that it would affect the investigation and her plans, so she had deliberately conspired with Auntie Qin to keep it a secret from her.
“I did it willingly, President Gu. And please don’t blame Auntie Qin…” Qi Baizi fell silent for a moment, then suddenly said, “Actually, I was the one who didn’t think it through.”
“I always thought she had called me over just to monitor me, to prevent me from passing on information or snooping around for you. I never expected her to use me to pressure you at the press conference.”
“Although I managed to break free from the bodyguards, if I hadn’t run into Xu Li, who was looking for Sister Zhou Qin to complain… I’m afraid you really would have been dismissed from your post.”
Qi Baizi’s voice was muffled, and it was clear she felt very guilty. But in Gu Yuetong’s eyes, she had already done very well.
If Gu Yuetong had known earlier that she had been taken away by Gu Hezhu, she really wouldn’t have had the courage to release the evidence at the press conference. At the very least, she would have had to consider Qi Baizi’s safety.
“I just regret that I ultimately dragged you into this. You should have been like Li Yi and other ordinary graduates, working and living a simple, peaceful life.”
Gu Yuetong still carried the scent of calming aromatherapy. As she drew closer, Qi Baizi felt her mind and body relax.
She tapped Gu Yuetong’s hand and said, “I just remembered, Li Yi asked me to give you a message.”
“She said she agrees to what you proposed last Friday.”
Gu Yuetong showed no particular reaction, just a faint “Mm.”
Qi Baizi asked, “Are you not happy?”
“It was expected.” Gu Yuetong’s expression was calm. “She wasn’t happy in that position and was bound to leave sooner or later. Following me is much more comfortable than going through the cycle at another company.”
Qi Baizi remained silent.
Gu Yuetong continued, “I know that in others’ eyes, I’m a difficult boss to serve. But with you as an example, she should have changed her mind long ago, especially after our last meal together. You proved with your actions that I’m actually easy to get along with, right?”
After she finished speaking, the room was quiet for a while. Qi Baizi opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again.
Gu Yuetong gently brushed her thumb over her eyebrow, signaling her to speak her mind.
Qi Baizi hesitated for a moment before finally asking what was on her mind. “Will you treat her… the same way you treat me?”
“In what way do you mean?”
“In every way.” Qi Baizi looked at her through the sliver of light between Gu Yuetong’s fingers.
Hearing this, Gu Yuetong said, “No.”
“The benefits will be the same, but in other aspects, no.”
What other aspects? Qi Baizi’s heart burned like a fire. The palm of her hand, covering Gu Yuetong’s fingertips, grew slightly hot.
She had already come this far. Should she ask more directly?
Gu Yuetong couldn’t see the crimson flush of her earlobes under her hair, nor could she read the emotions in her eyes. She just assumed she was dizzy from the concussion and didn’t want to talk anymore, so she didn’t start a new topic.
The two of them remained in that position for a few minutes. Just as Gu Yuetong thought Qi Baizi had fallen asleep, she suddenly spoke.
“President Gu, what… what do you think of me?”
“What?”
“I mean…” Qi Baizi took Gu Yuetong’s hand from her face but still didn’t let go, their ten fingers tightly clasped.
Qi Baizi rubbed the pads of her fingers over Gu Yuetong’s neatly trimmed, short nails and said cautiously, “I wanted to ask… do you have any… other feelings for me, the kind that go beyond a boss-subordinate relationship?”
Gu Yuetong’s eyes instantly became dark and unreadable, her expression turning serious.
She tightened her grip on Qi Baizi’s fingers and said sternly, “Do you know what you’re saying?”
“It’s because I know that it’s so hard to say… I know that if you reject me, I’ll most likely end up like Han Zhiyu, or even worse. But I still want to say it. I like you… Do you like me?” After stammering through her confession, Qi Baizi quickly bit her lower lip. Though she hadn’t given up hope, she seemed to already know the answer.
But in the next second, Gu Yuetong kissed her. A light, soft kiss landed precisely on her cheek, right next to the corner of her mouth.
Before Qi Baizi could react to what had happened, Gu Yuetong had already pulled her fingers free, pinned her hand to the bed, and then pressed half of her body down on top of her.
The distance between them suddenly closed. Their faces were touching, and they could even clearly feel each other’s breath. Qi Baizi was utterly terrified. “President Gu, I…”
Gu Yuetong cut her off, her voice still cold as she asked, “Is this the kind of like you mean?”
“…Yes, but it’s more than that.” Qi Baizi was extremely conflicted, but she had already come this far, and there was no need to retreat. Taking advantage of her poor eyesight, she decided to treat Gu Yuetong like a carrot, a potato, or a head of cabbage. After all, she couldn’t see how ugly her expression was, so what was there to be afraid of!
“I like you! The kind of like where I want to be with you and take care of you!”
The sudden increase in volume didn’t startle Gu Yuetong, but it did make her own heart race, her ears ring, and her breath catch. It took her several seconds to recover. As the ringing in her ears subsided, she heard Gu Yuetong ask, “Why do you like me?”
They were still in the same position, with half of her body pressing down on her shoulder, their upper bodies almost touching. Gu Yuetong was considerate enough not to put her full weight on her, otherwise the hand with the IV would have definitely started to backflow.
Qi Baizi admired her own ability to get distracted at a time like this. After composing herself, she said, “I don’t know.”
“The second before I entered the conference hall, when I heard you were about to be dismissed, the first thing I thought was, if you lost everything, at least you’d still have me.”
“I’ll always be by your side…” Until you don’t need me.
Qi Baizi kept the second half of the sentence hidden in her heart.
But Gu Yuetong caught the loophole in her words. “So you’re saying, you weren’t completely confident when you rushed in? Do you have any idea what would have happened to you if Gu Hezhu had controlled the situation?”
The warm breath fanned across her cheek and neck. Qi Baizi bit her lip and, after a moment of silence, let out a heavy “Mm.”
“I know. But I still had to try, for you… and for myself.”
The room fell silent again. Qi Baizi didn’t dare to breathe. Gu Yuetong was still pressing down on her, but the hand holding her down had relaxed considerably.
A few seconds later, Gu Yuetong spoke. “Ask me again. I’ll give you an answer you won’t be entirely satisfied with.”