TIMO - Chapter 4
Chapter 4
"My surname is Shi."
The woman straightened up, her gaze trembling slightly. "Since you're awake, I don't need to worry about the medical fees. I'll be going now. You should get more rest."
"Miss Shi!"
Fu Zhao didn't have time to ponder what this "Miss Shi's" full name was. She subconsciously stood up from the bed, and fearing the woman would leave too quickly, she grabbed Miss Shi's wrist. "I think, as the passerby who just saved... you from the sea, I must wait for your family... or friends to arrive before I can let you leave."
"This is also my responsibility as the Little Island Master of Nanke Island," she added, looking at Miss Shi with a frank gaze.
Miss Shi froze for a second, then lowered her eyelashes to look at the hand Fu Zhao was using to hold her wrist. Blood began to backflow into the IV tube inserted there. She sighed softly, pulled Fu Zhao's hand down, and placed it by the bedside. After a moment, she said in a low voice, "My family can't come right now...."
"As for my friend, she's in a very, very distant place right now and can't come to get me for the time being."
Now it was Fu Zhao's turn to be stunned. She felt a cool, soft, and light touch on her hand, which then felt scorching hot the moment it was released. She silently curled her fingers, her lips moving twice, only managing to squeeze out a few words. "My condolences."
"It's alright." Miss Shi stared at the hand with the IV needle for a while before raising her eyes to meet Fu Zhao's. As if talking to herself, yet also as if explaining, she said, "It's been a long time. She's doing very well now."
So it was a misunderstanding...
"I'm sorry, it seems I misunderstood."
Fu Zhao breathed a sigh of relief, but then she looked at Miss Shi's faintly indifferent expression, as if nothing interested her. She pondered for a moment, her expression conflicted. "Then at the very least... I need to be sure you no longer have any thoughts of taking your own life before I can let you go."
"Little Island Master..."
"You're really so responsible-"
Miss Shi spoke softly, the end of her words drawn out lazily, her voice as light as a whisper. The next second, she smiled again. The pupils in her beautiful eyes shone with a ring of light, like clear water in a glass bottle reflecting the sunlight, sparkling and shimmering.
"'Little Island Master,' rest assured. You saved my life, so I won't discard it so easily."
She deliberately emphasized the title "Little Island Master" with a heavy tone.
Miss Shi paused, her red lips pressing together lightly. She gazed quietly at Fu Zhao for a moment before continuing, "At the very least, I have to be worthy of you."
Caught off guard by the stare from those beautiful eyes.
Fu Zhao pulled her gaze back as if she'd been burned. The words of admonishment she had yet to say were caught in her throat. She coughed lightly and rephrased her words. "A famous person once said, 'Since the sun itself has spots, it's impossible for things in the human world to be flawless.'*1"
"Although I don't know what kind of regret, sorrow, or flaw made you think of giving up on life and the world, it's just as the saying goes-not everything is perfect. More often than not, we have to learn to accept this imperfection. So, I hope, Miss Shi, that you can sincerely and calmly face regret, sorrow, and all other bad things, and cherish all the days and nights you've lived through."
"And not just to be worthy of me," she emphasized this sentence, her tone gentle. "I just... did what anyone with normal values would do. That's all."
Miss Shi stared straight at Fu Zhao for a long time, listening quietly to her words. She repeated what Fu Zhao had just said as if to herself, a ripple spreading from the corners of her lips. "I understand. Thank you, 'Little Island Master.'"
"Mm."
Fu Zhao replied, feeling a little awkward. Perhaps she was overthinking it, but she always felt that when this Miss Shi called her Little Island Master, her tone carried a hint of mischief. She shifted her gaze away, looking at the sky outside the window that had already turned completely dark, only then realizing how late it was.
"I'll be going then. Little Island Master, please rest well."
Hearing this, Fu Zhao's gaze fell back on Miss Shi, who was once again heading for the door.
Miss Shi looked very thin, and very beautiful. The back of her neck was completely covered by her thick, fluffy long hair, so Fu Zhao couldn't tell which of the ABO types she was. It had been less than a month since she transmigrated, and she couldn't smell pheromones. Except for some particularly tall Alphas and particularly petite Omegas, she still couldn't distinguish between the ABO genders.
"Miss Shi..."
She once again stopped the person who was about to open the door and leave. The question she wanted to ask was a bit difficult to voice, but after hesitating, when the person turned back to look at her with considerable patience, she finally spoke. "Excuse me, are you a Beta?"
This was a relatively safe way to ask.
"I'm sorry, because my understanding of ABO genders is currently somewhat impaired, I need to be told or for there to be special circumstances... to be able to identify them." She explained very clearly, afraid that Miss Shi would think she was sexually harassing her. "This hospital has my examination report. I can provide it if you need it."
Miss Shi was stunned for a moment, staring at Fu Zhao with a burning gaze, a hint of confusion in her eyes. "The Little Island Master of Nanke Island can't distinguish between ABO genders."
"Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it. I'm just a little surprised."
"I don't need the Little Island Master's proof. I'm an Omega," Miss Shi answered Fu Zhao's question concisely. She then waited in place for a moment, as if she knew Fu Zhao had more to say.
Fu Zhao pressed her lips together and spoke directly. "There's a fugitive from off-island who attempted a forced marking. He evaded the security checks and fled to our island. He hasn't been caught yet."
"So, if it's not an imposition, I can escort you back."
Miss Shi crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow as she looked at Fu Zhao with interest. "Is the Little Island Master so responsible that she personally escorts every Omega on the island back home?"
Miss Shi's suspicion was completely reasonable.
Fu Zhao herself felt that since transmigrating, her affection for Nanke Island had been growing day by day, as if she had truly become the Little Island Master from the book-but clearly, that Little Island Master had abandoned the island without hesitation for the female lead, Shi Nan.
Perhaps this was all due to the original Little Island Master's unfulfilled regrets.
Perhaps she was able to transmigrate here, fortunate enough to have everything she had now, precisely to fulfill the Little Island Master's regrets.
Perhaps it was so that if, one day, the real Little Island Master returned, she could return everything to her without any guilt. Although she had no idea when the real Little Island Master would come back.
Fu Zhao paused, her voice softening considerably. "I may not have that much time or energy, but if I see something, I can't just ignore it. Maybe it's my responsibility as the Little Island Master, or maybe it's just me, being rather meddlesome."
"I see, so that's how it is." Miss Shi nodded and then let out a soft laugh, the smile in her eyes so rich it seemed to overflow. "I understand, Little Island Master."
"But the Little Island Master can rest assured, I have the ability to protect myself. Whether it's an Alpha or a Beta, I can beat them."
As Miss Shi spoke, she even shook her fist. Her gaze trembled slightly, a soft, moist light shimmering within it, creating ripples. "Alright, is there anything else, Little Island Master?"
"...No."
Fu Zhao sighed softly. Since the other party had already refused, she couldn't possibly insist on escorting her back. That wasn't in her nature, and it would be a bit strange.
It was just a chance encounter, after all.
Miss Shi said nothing more, just nodded and walked out of the hospital room, even thoughtfully closing the door for Fu Zhao.
After she left.
Fu Zhao used the hospital's landline to call the Security Department:
"This is Fu Zhao."
Tonight was the opening ceremony of Nanke Island's Mid-year Celebration. The crowds would be large and complex, and it was very likely the fugitive would take the opportunity to come out. The island's patrols needed to be strengthened.
After finishing the call, she looked out the window at the dark night huddled outside. A gloomy, inky blackness had enveloped everything. A few stars emitted a faint light, dotting the bright edge of the horizon.
It should get lively soon. After the opening ceremony was the fireworks display. Thousands of fireworks would be set off along the shore of the West Archipelago.
Perhaps Miss Shi would also see this fireworks display from some corner of the island.
Perhaps after seeing the fireworks, Miss Shi's mood would improve a little.
This thought suddenly occurred to Fu Zhao, but she shook her head, shaking the idea away. They were just strangers who had met by chance. Not everyone was willing to accept a stranger's repeated nagging.
Even with her status as the Little Island Master, she should have some sense of propriety. Since Miss Shi had already promised to cherish her life, she shouldn't worry needlessly. Besides, if Miss Shi still had suicidal thoughts, she wouldn't have waited in her hospital room for her to wake up.
The thing she should be doing right now was managing the one IV bag she had left, changing her clothes quickly to go retrieve her car and belongings from the beach, continuing her unfinished ride around the island highway, and properly watching tonight's fireworks display.
Fu Zhao glanced at the clothing bag still sitting quietly nearby. She took out the T-shirt and long pants inside. The white cotton T-shirt was soft to the touch. When she unfolded it, she saw a few simple letters on it.
It was identical to the one Miss Shi was wearing.
They must have been bought together, just incidentally.
Once the IV drip was finished, a nurse came in to remove the needle for Fu Zhao.
Fu Zhao looked at the hospital gown she was wearing, then at the T-shirt laid neatly on the bed. She was silent for a moment, then took a deep breath, took the clothes into the room's cubicle, and changed. But after coming out, she felt uncomfortable all over.
One reason was the identical T-shirt.
The second was that when she went out to sign for the fees, the nurse looked at her strangely and said,
"Miss Shi already paid the medical fees. She said she didn't want to owe the Little Island Master any more."
"Oh, and she asked me to pass on a message."
"She said she's not one of your islanders, so the Little Island Master doesn't need to be responsible for her."
Author's Notes
Not an islander, because she's the fiancée~~
One more thing: Regarding how the 'pseudo-transmigration' is pseudo, since it involves future plot points, I won't be explaining this setting in detail for now. (I won't say more, zipping my spoiler-filled little mouth. I won't be answering questions about this in the comments from now on!!)
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