TIMO - Chapter 82

Chapter 82

A single, light sentence came crashing down.

It made Shi Nan realize one fact with absolute clarity:

Her Fu Zhao was back.

The Fu Zhao who remembered everything between them.

The Fu Zhao she had gained and lost time and again, and had now found once more.

As this realization dawned on Shi Nan, the tears welling in her eyes could no longer be held back. They spilled over, falling one by one.

She cried with heartbreak, desperately wanting to hold her Fu Zhao.

But Fu Zhao was still injured; she couldn't be as reckless as before.

Shi Nan wiped away a tear, clutched Fu Zhao's wrist, and said in a trembling voice, "Can I... can I hug you now?"

Fu Zhao was stunned for a long moment, her gaze fixed on Shi Nan.

The person before her had red-rimmed eyes and was trembling all over. The hand gripping hers was also shaking uncontrollably.

Fu Zhao's heart trembled along with her, a fine, sharp pain spreading through her chest.

Action preceded thought.

She couldn't hold back any longer. Pushing herself up from the bed, she reached out and gently wrapped her arms around Shi Nan.

The tangible breath and the warmth from the embrace brought her a great sense of peace.

Feeling the person in her arms tremble, Fu Zhao gently raised a hand to stroke Shi Nan's slender shoulders. Her voice softened unconsciously as she spoke,

"You can."

"You can hug me," she added, afraid Shi Nan hadn't registered it.

Her voice was soft and gentle, as if afraid of startling the person in her arms.

But Shi Nan still cried.

Almost at the instant she threw herself forward, scalding tears slid down Shi Nan's cheeks and fell onto Fu Zhao's shoulder blade.

One by one, they seared her until she could barely breathe.

Hot breaths sprayed against the side of her neck, interspersed with ragged, gasping sobs.

The whimpers that escaped from her throat reached Fu Zhao's ears, making her heart ache with every tremble.

She held Shi Nan's shoulders, patting her back gently, again and again, in time with her breathing. Her own voice was laced with an uncontrollable choke.

"It's okay. Everything will be okay from now on."

She could only repeat this sentence, trying to calm Shi Nan down.

But the more she said it, the harder Shi Nan cried.

Shi Nan's tears soaked her shoulder and chest, and Fu Zhao's heart felt like it was soaking in lemon juice-sour and swollen with an indescribable bitterness.

In truth, she wanted to cry too.

After everything she had been through, waking up again felt like a lifetime had passed.

But she couldn't cry.

At least not in front of Shi Nan.

Compared to the days of fear and anxiety Shi Nan had endured, she had only been unconscious for a few days. It was nothing.

An unknown amount of time passed.

The crying in her arms subsided. It was as if the deepest emotions had been vented, and after crying, she seemed much more relaxed, no longer a tightly wound string.

A gentle force pushed against her chest.

She was pushed away.

Shi Nan's eyes were still red, and teardrops seemed to cling to her long, dense lashes, sparkling. "I'll go get the doctor to check on you, to see if there are any post-surgery side effects."

"Then I'll go tell Auntie Fu. She just... just went back to rest."

"Okay," Fu Zhao replied, but her eyes remained fixed on Shi Nan, her hand still holding hers tightly. "Mother, did she... blame you?"

"No." Shi Nan lowered her gaze to meet Fu Zhao's. "She didn't say anything, only that we'll wait for you to wake up before making a decision about annulling the engagement."

"So that's how it is." Fu Zhao nodded gently, relieved now that she understood the situation.

It was much better than she had imagined.

The "plot after Fu Zhao's death in the book" that she had anticipated hadn't happened yet.

There was still time for everything.

Everything was just right.

They had rectified all their regrets.

She had originally thought she was the only one reborn, given a chance to fix everything. She never expected that Shi Nan had also been reborn with her, time and time again. Nothing they had experienced together had been forgotten.

What a fortunate thing.

And this time, after being reborn, she had returned to the very moment after being stabbed.

She hadn't died instantly like the first time.

Instead, it felt like a minor injury, leaving her a bit dazed upon waking.

Why was she so lucky?

Lucky enough to start over again and again, until she returned to the origin point, rectified the greatest regret, and created her most perfect ending.

More importantly, Shi Nan was the same.

Waking up once more, she felt more relief than anything else.

Relief that this time, they had already passed the most dangerous moment.

It seemed that from now on, all that was left was to slowly do the things she wanted to do.

A gentle squeeze on her palm, a soft touch, pulled Fu Zhao out of her thoughts.

"What's wrong?" Fu Zhao came back to her senses, her gaze falling on Shi Nan's face as she asked softly.

Shi Nan pressed her lips together, staring down at her for a while. Her eyelashes trembled slightly, and her tone was a little awkward. "About annulling the engagement... what are your thoughts?"

Fu Zhao tilted her head, her eyes blinking in confusion. "You still want to annul our engagement-"

"Of course not."

Before she could finish, Shi Nan quickly denied it, cutting her off with a slightly reproachful look. "What I mean is, if we're not annulling it, you should make it clear to Island Master Fu when she arrives. I've already made things clear with my mother."

"You need to resolve this matter as soon as possible and explain it to our parents."

Fu Zhao was stunned for a few seconds, not expecting this to be what Shi Nan was most concerned about. When she realized, the corners of her lips lifted into a smile. "Okay."

"I'll tell Mother when she gets here."

"Mm."

Shi Nan hummed softly in agreement but didn't move, just watching her quietly.

Fu Zhao didn't let go either. Their fingers were intertwined, pressed tightly together without a single gap.

Their gazes were locked.

It seemed neither wanted to be the first to look away.

"Why won't you let me go?" A smile finally touched Shi Nan's lips, a slight curve forming. "I still need to call the doctor and tell your mother you're awake."

Fu Zhao stared at Shi Nan, her eyes curving into a smile. "You can do both of those things by my side. The doctor will come if you press the button, and you can call Mother to let her know."

"There's no need to let you go."

Shi Nan's brows rose slightly, her tone becoming much lighter. "Are we never going to be apart for the rest of our lives?"

It was a question to which they both knew the answer.

But at this moment, Fu Zhao set aside all practical factors and spoke from the heart. "Mm, we won't be apart."

Her palm was squeezed gently, as if to soothe her.

"Silly~~"

The soft, gentle call reached her ears again.

Shi Nan's eyes curved into a smile, warm and affectionate. "Who ever heard of two people never being apart for a lifetime? It's not like we're conjoined twins."

But despite her words, Shi Nan didn't let go of her hand. Instead, she tightened her grip and walked to the bedside to press the call button.

Her gaze remained fixed on her, never wavering.

Fu Zhao watched Shi Nan with the same warmth, her fingertips gently caressing hers.

More than saying or doing anything,

Right now, she just wanted to look at Shi Nan, to not let her leave her sight for a single second.

More than hugs and kisses,

She had always felt that quietly looking at each other like this was a more enchanting and romantic thing to do with Shi Nan.

Amidst the blooming flowers of Nanke Island's early summer.

At the Flower Throwing Ceremony, where the wind machine made petals dance.

In the clamorous, heat-laden wind by the sea, at the Open-air Cinema they had visited countless times.

During the band's performance at the Mid-year Celebration, when Shi Nan walked towards her, step by step, to the joyful and passionate rhythm.

On the swing chair, when strands of Shi Nan's hair brushed against her face.

In that winter of swirling snowflakes, when Shi Nan suddenly appeared before her.

...

These scenes continuously surfaced in her mind.

It was romance, it was enchantment.

It was her Shi Nan.

And it was the open secret she hid in her gaze, time and time again.

Until the medical staff filed in, breaking the gazes that had been clinging to each other.

The scene was somewhat similar to a memory.

After her differentiation in her memory, she had also been surrounded by a circle of people in white coats, packed so tightly there was no way through.

At that time...

It seemed there was also someone keeping watch by her bed.

It wasn't Shi Nan, because Shi Nan hadn't woken up yet.

It wasn't Fu Wanqing, because Fu Wanqing was still dealing with other island affairs.

And it wasn't Jiang Wenqing and Ye Er, who were still high school students who needed to attend classes.

Then who could it have been?

Fu Zhao was in a daze. She shook her head but still couldn't remember who that person was.

Until a voice in her ear interrupted her efforts to recall.

"The wounds are all healing well. We'll observe the healing process for another week. If there's no inflammation or other symptoms, you should be able to be discharged next week."

The pleasant female Beta doctor in front of her delivered this conclusion.

Fu Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and met the eyes of Shi Nan, who was standing on the periphery.

Shi Nan was clearly much more relaxed as well. "What about other side effects? Can they be checked for now, or how should we prevent them?"

The doctor shook her head. "The wounds aren't deep. After suturing, there should be basically no side effects."

"If you're really worried, Miss Shi can take Miss Fu for some tests later..." The doctor paused here, adjusted her glasses, and spoke with a meaningful tone, "...a comprehensive examination."

That one sentence instantly made Shi Nan's heart leap into her throat. She immediately shot back, "What do you mean?"

"Is there a problem somewhere?"

"Or is there something that hasn't been properly checked?"

Shi Nan's rapid-fire questions cut the doctor off.

Fu Zhao wasn't as worried as Shi Nan. She scratched Shi Nan's palm reassuringly and shifted her gaze to the doctor, speaking softly, "Is this about the delayed differentiation?"

"Miss Fu, you know?"

Now it was the doctor's turn to be surprised. Confusion colored her eyes. "I thought you weren't aware of your delayed differentiation, so I was planning to have you get checked to determine the exact time and result of your differentiation."

After saying this, she looked at Shi Nan and spoke gently, "Miss Shi, please don't worry. I just observed some conditions in Miss Fu that only appear in cases of delayed differentiation, so I suggested you get it checked to be prepared in advance."

"Conditions of delayed differentiation?" Shi Nan asked.

The doctor nodded. "Because I personally research a subset of the population with delayed differentiation, I've found that even those who can't be detected by pre-differentiation tests will exhibit certain symptoms exclusive to this group."

"For example, being able to smell pheromones before differentiation, or producing a kind of incomplete pheromone of their own."

"But because the pheromone isn't produced by the gland, but rather seems to emanate from the whole body, it can't serve a soothing function for the time being. It won't have a negative effect on either the same or opposite sex."

"These are symptoms that occur before delayed differentiation."

"Of course, these are only partial research conclusions." The doctor adjusted her glasses. "As for the specific situation and when the differentiation will occur, you can go get a check-up first."

After giving a few more instructions, the doctor left the room.

After finishing her call to Fu Wanqing, Shi Nan's gaze shifted to Fu Zhao, who was still staring blankly out the window, lost in thought. Shi Nan thought for a moment, then asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"Huh?"

Fu Zhao snapped back to reality, her eyes blinking in confusion. Meeting Shi Nan's gaze, she smiled. "I just feel like everything is a dream."

"After experiencing so much and then returning to the starting point, it's a little hard to get used to."

"But thankfully, I have you with me."

Shi Nan looked at her, ripples stirring in her eyes. "Is it because you're a Beta again?"

"Because you were an Alpha for three years, you're not used to being a Beta anymore?"

"Or are you going to avoid me again because you're a Beta?"

"Hmm?"

Fu Zhao was stunned for a moment. Looking at Shi Nan's frank and open gaze, a smile spread across her lips. "Of course not."

"If I still haven't figured this out after starting over so many times, I'd be a real disappointment."

Shi Nan nodded, her gaze falling on the clean nape of Fu Zhao's neck. She huffed through her nose. "Good that you know."

"Then what is it you're not used to?"

Shi Nan moved closer, staring straight at her, her expression making it clear she wouldn't give up until she got an honest answer.

"Many things," Fu Zhao answered concisely.

"I'm not used to the fact that no one else knows about our relationship, and I haven't figured out how to explain it to Mother later."

She lowered her lashes, her voice softening. "I feel like I've forgotten something. It feels like what I experienced before was more than just what's in my memory."

"Don't overthink it."

Shi Nan leaned over, her eyes affectionate and gentle, and ruffled her hair with a light touch.

"If you can't remember, then don't try. At least we experienced those things together. That's enough."

She paused after saying this, her lashes drooping as her voice grew much softer, almost inaudible. "The things you can't remember, I'll remember them for you."

"What things?" Fu Zhao asked blankly. "Did I really forget something?"

Shi Nan's lowered lashes trembled. After a long moment, she looked up, a beautiful curve on her lips as she tousled the fluffy top of her hair. "No, I just wanted to put you at ease. Don't think about so many confusing things right after waking up."

"If you're not used to Jiang Wenqing and Ye Er not being around..." Shi Nan pinched her cheek, a gentle curve on her lips. "At worst, we can go find them before we get married. I think with the status of Island Master, we should be able to invite the top student in Pheromone Research from RT University, and the youngest resident intern reporter for the Omega Rescue Center..."

"...to sing a celebratory song at our wedding."

Fu Zhao was stunned for a few seconds. Hearing the word "wedding," a flush of heat quickly rose to her cheeks, but she immediately suppressed it, trying her best to maintain a calm expression. Her voice trembled slightly as she asked,

"Did they still... become who they wanted to be?"

Shi Nan gazed at her steadily, her eyes shimmering as they curved into a gentle smile. "Yes. Even without the band, the meals, and the drives by the sea, even though we're not that close to them, I checked after I came back. I found that they both still managed to do what they wanted to do."

Fu Zhao's clenched fingers relaxed. She looked up as if waking from a dream, her voice softening again. "That's good."

"That's good," she repeated, as if muttering to herself, and let out a breath.

That was the best news she could have hoped for.

After the last reset, her relationship with Jiang Wenqing and Ye Er, with whom she hadn't been particularly close, had transformed from that of an island master and her residents to that of close friends despite their age gap.

Those shared memories of their youth still seemed to shine brightly.

They had formed a one-of-a-kind band on Nanke Island: the keyboardist was the Island Master, the drummer was the Little Island Master, the lead singer was the heir to the Shi Corporation, and the guitarist and bassist were two high school students.

It was a band that would be impossible to assemble again.

They had watched the sea together, driven a sports car along the coast, gone to the seaside fireworks festival, and discussed their dreams. They had soaked in hot springs together and watched the unmissable sunrise from a mountaintop.

They had agreed that at Fu Zhao and Shi Nan's wedding, Jiang Wenqing and Ye Er would be the ones to sing the celebratory song.

This was one of her and Shi Nan's most precious memories.

Even though the current Jiang Wenqing and Ye Er didn't remember, as long as they were still here, they had the chance to create new memories.

For instance, by starting to get to know the current Jiang Wenqing and Ye Er.

But, in a daze, as she recalled those past scenes, they always felt a little blurry.

It seemed that in those shining scenes... something was still missing.

It left her with a sense of emptiness whenever she thought about it.

"What are you thinking about?" Shi Nan's voice drifted over, sounding somewhat nonchalant.

Fu Zhao snapped back to her senses and subconsciously looked up at Shi Nan, only to find that Shi Nan had, at some point, moved closer. She was staring straight at her, her gaze seemingly clinging to her.

"Nothing..."

Fu Zhao's throat moved unconsciously, her breath growing hotter. "What's wrong?"

"I just suddenly thought of something else..."

Shi Nan's tone was light and lazy. Her warm, soft fingertips came to rest on her neck, slowly tracing circles on the nape.

Fu Zhao trembled. Her fingers, which had just relaxed, clenched tight again. The voice that came out was tinged with dryness. "What is it?"

Shi Nan chuckled softly, her lashes fluttering. The warm pads of her fingers gently caressed the soft flesh at the back of her neck.

"What I mean is, if your discomfort is about not being used to being a Beta again..."

She blinked, her eyes burning, her voice trailing off lazily, a faint curve playing on her lips.

"Do you need me to bite you again?"

Previous Table of Contents Next