Chapter 30: What to Say in a Moment

The press conference scene descended into immediate chaos. Ignoring everything else, the crowd kept their camera flashes trained on Su Nuo, who had collapsed and could not get up.

Some reporters continued to press for answers. "Mr. Duan, is Miss Su suffering from PTSD? She looks very distressed—was she truly abused in the past?"

"So, was she actually just lost? Or is there something else going on that isn't convenient for you to tell us?"

"Mr. Duan, could you let Miss Su say a few words?"

Duan Yubai was completely panicked, instinctively reaching out to help Su Nuo up. But someone else had already swept her up into their arms.

It was Chi Ling.

"The young miss has a pollen allergy."

Leaving only that single sentence behind, he hurried away with Su Nuo.

In truth, Su Nuo had not fully fainted. Having experienced this near-fainting state many times before, her acting was masterful. However, the allergy was real, and so was the oxygen deprivation. She clutched the collar of Chi Ling’s jacket tightly. Chi Ling spoke in a cold, low voice.

"Don't be afraid. We'll be at the hospital in five minutes."

His tone was icy, yet a warmth surged in the depths of Su Nuo’s heart. It felt wonderful—not having to face the cameras, and not having to worry about being scolded.

The journey that should have taken over ten minutes took Chi Ling exactly five. Upon arriving at the hospital, he sprinted all the way, rushing her directly into the emergency room.

After a brief examination and an IV drip, Su Nuo’s complexion began to return to normal. With hospital beds in short supply, she was assigned a spot in the hallway since she would be able to go home once the infusion was finished. The hospital nearest to the conference venue was a public one, and the hallway was packed. Two people were already sitting on her cot, but as soon as they saw her approaching, the older woman quickly made room.

"I’m going to buy a few things. Wait here for me." Chi Ling took off his jacket and draped it over Su Nuo’s shoulders. Because they had left in such a rush, Su Nuo was only wearing the outfit she had chosen for the conference, and she was currently shivering with cold.

Su Nuo looked up and mouthed the words, "Thank you." Chi Ling seemed not to notice; he simply turned away with indifference and left.

The older woman beside her whispered, "Is he your boyfriend? The young man is quite handsome, though he doesn't seem to like smiling."

Su Nuo lowered her head and gave a sheepish laugh. "He's not my boyfriend."

What was her relationship with Chi Ling, really? If one had to label it, they were merely acquaintances, weren't they?

Because Chi Ling was Duan Yubai’s bodyguard, and she was the younger sister who chased after Duan Yubai relentlessly. Thinking of Duan Yubai, Su Nuo took a few deep breaths. The scent of disinfectant mixed with various other strange odors filled her nose, and she instinctively sneezed. A wet tissue was offered to her, but Su Nuo shrunk back, not daring to take it.

The older woman was very perceptive and quickly stood up to give Chi Ling her seat. "Look how thoughtful your boyfriend is—he even brought you a hand warmer and snacks."

Leaving that remark behind, the woman turned and walked away. Su Nuo looked up to see Chi Ling’s cold expression as he wrapped the hand warmer in a towel and handed it to her.

"The medicine is a bit cold. Warm it up."

Su Nuo took the towel and wanted to express her gratitude, but the words "thank you" remained stuck in her throat.

"If you don't want to speak, you don't have to. If you don't want to do something, you don't have to. You can be completely yourself."

Chi Ling was not looking at her; he seemed to be staring at the ward across the hall. Su Nuo wanted to nod, but instinctively, she shook her head instead. She couldn't be completely herself. For the first twenty years of her life, she had been willful and reckless, simply being herself—and what had been the result? The result was that the real Su Nuo had been erased a few months ago. That vibrant, bold Su Nuo was long gone; all that remained now was the obedient Su Nuo.

Just as Duan Yubai had said: she had learned to be well-behaved, and he found that very satisfactory.

Su Nuo felt a bit dejected and didn't know what to say. She could sense Chi Ling’s cold exterior, but she could also feel the kindness he was showing her. As she was lost in a jumble of thoughts, a piece of chocolate suddenly appeared in front of her.

Since returning to the Duan household, Su Nuo had never eaten chocolate. There were all kinds of chocolates in the refrigerator upstairs, all bought by Duan Yubai and his mother in the past. They knew she loved sweets but were concerned about the ingredients, so they had always been careful to buy low-sugar varieties. Seeing the brand she was so familiar with, Su Nuo’s eyes grew red.

She liked that brand of milk candy, but it wasn't as if she couldn't live without it. She knew those candies were hard to find and often had to be brought back by others, as they were handmade and the shop owner only made them occasionally. But she had simply wanted to test her standing in Duan Yubai’s heart. Now she knew: in his heart, she was worth nothing at all. The candy had been bought for Mo Xiaoxue; she had merely been an afterthought. She had actually mistaken such charity for favoritism.

Seeing that she didn't move, Chi Ling tore open the wrapper and fed the chocolate directly to Su Nuo’s lips.

"Eat."

His tone was somewhat stiff. Su Nuo opened her mouth instinctively and ate the chocolate.

Chi Ling frowned slightly. "You!"

Watching her lower her head and chew quickly, he decided to ask no more questions. Any observant person could see that Su Nuo must have been suffering greatly. Otherwise, how could a young miss, even if she had endured hardship, truly become like this? Yet, Duan Yubai chose to look the other way. Or perhaps he had simply blocked out those thoughts, convinced that this was all just one of Su Nuo’s tricks. After all, Su Nuo liked him so much—what was wrong with using a few small tactics to get more of his attention?

"Drink some water." Chi Ling unscrewed the cap and handed the bottle over.

Su Nuo complied and tried to drink it all in one breath. Chi Ling hurriedly snatched the bottle from her hands. The water spilled directly onto the clothes on her chest, leaving a dark, spreading stain.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." Su Nuo kept wiping at her clothes with her sleeve. But her movements suddenly froze—this jacket belonged to Chi Ling, and the outfit underneath belonged to the Duan family. She felt somewhat at a loss.

Chi Ling pulled out a tissue and handed it to her, then carefully began to help her wipe the water off the jacket.

"It’s my fault. You don't need to apologize, young miss. You did nothing wrong; there’s no need to apologize."

Su Nuo’s hand froze mid-wipe. She looked up and met Chi Ling’s complex gaze. It was the first time she had looked at Chi Ling from such a close distance. His amber pupils, illuminated by the lights, appeared even deeper—completely different from Duan Yubai’s pitch-black eyes. Yet, within those eyes, there seemed to be a cold, detached pity. He remained expressionless, but he was truly and genuinely caring for her.

Su Nuo quickly lowered her head. "I'm sorry, I can wipe it myself. I'll do it."

"Don't move."

There was a hint of anger in Chi Ling’s tone. Su Nuo’s hands stopped, and her body trembled slightly.

"Sorry. I... I’m not very good at talking to girls."

Chi Ling’s voice was dry, but his movements were very gentle. He quickly finished cleaning her up before looking at her with a serious expression.

"Have you thought about what you’re going to say later?"