I suggest you investigate; this person doesn't seem to be a first-time reborn individual.

The next morning at seven o'clock, in a single ward at the Second Hospital of Beilu City.

Summer mornings dawn early, and sunlight streams through the blinds, casting streaks of light into the room. The smell of disinfectant in the ward is faint, not as strong as it was the night before.

Lin Ran woke up from his intermittent sleep and opened his eyes groggily.

After the anesthesia wore off, a sharp pain shot through the wound on his left leg, reminding him of what had happened the previous night.

He squinted to adjust to the light and realized that Wang Meiling was not in the ward. He felt a sudden urge to urinate and was about to struggle to sit up.

The ward door was gently pushed open.

First, a pair of clear eyes, tinged with a hint of timidity, peered in and quickly scanned the hospital bed.

Seeing that Lin Ran was still lying in bed, the person who came in tiptoed in with breakfast.

It was Li Futing.

She walked very lightly, almost too cautiously, as if afraid of waking Lin Ran from his sweet dream.

Today she was wearing a light blue dress that had faded a bit from washing. The style was simple, even a little old, and the hem was slightly below her knees.

It was as if they were using the most inconspicuous clothing to erase their presence as much as possible.

After she closed the door, she looked up and met Lin Ran's eyes, which were just opening and still a little sleepy.

"Oh! You...you're awake?"

His voice carried a hint of sudden panic, as well as a subtle hint of surprise.

As soon as she said it, she froze, her fair cheeks turning red.

She wasn't naturally outgoing or lively, and was even a bit socially anxious. This was almost the first time she had ever greeted someone so proactively and warmly, and the unfamiliarity made her feel a little flustered.

Seeing Lin Ran try to get up, she quickly walked to the bedside, wanting to help but not daring to reach out, only nervously whispering:

"You...you need to be careful with your wound."

Lin Ran's gaze fell on her face, and he was momentarily lost in thought.

The morning sunlight shone from the side, softly illuminating half of her face. Unlike yesterday, when her face was covered in rain, her expression was clear and serene.

Her skin was a clean, porcelain white, with almost no visible pores. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, casting a faint fan-shaped shadow beneath her eyes. The lines of her nose were delicate and straight, and her lips were a natural pale pink, slightly pursed at the moment.

What's most captivating about her are her eyes. Her pupils are a lighter color than most people's, like clear amber. At this moment, because of concern and a hint of embarrassment, they shimmer with a shallow watery light, so clean that they seem to reflect the sky outside the window.

Unfortunately, she buried this stunning beauty in the most clumsy way.

She blurred her figure with ill-fitting clothes, reduced her presence with silence, and rejected any probing gaze with her perpetually lowered eyes.

At that moment, only Lin Ran, lying on the bed looking up at her, knew what a breathtaking face this girl, who always liked to keep her head down, possessed.

Li Futing blushed deeply as Lin Ran stared at her, the blush spreading to her ears.

She was momentarily at a loss, unsure where to put her hands holding the breakfast.

Seeing her embarrassment, Lin Ran realized he had lost his composure, coughed awkwardly, and looked away.

"What are you doing here? Didn't you go to work?" Lin Ran broke the awkward silence, seemingly asking casually, "Where's my mom?"

"When my aunt saw me coming, she said she was going home to make soup and she had just left a little while ago."

Li Futing blushed and answered softly, then walked to the bedside and carefully placed the breakfast in front of her.

"I...I asked the art studio for a day off today."

She paused, seemingly hesitant to add anything, but finally answered in a softer voice, "I was thinking... you might need someone's help."

Lin Ran didn't stand on ceremony and slowly sat up with some difficulty, supporting himself with his hands.

Seeing this, Li Futing wanted to go forward to help him, but her fingers twitched and then she hesitated and withdrew them, just looking at him nervously.

Lin Ran stood up and opened the plastic bag. Inside were a steamer of xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), a cup of soy milk, two tea eggs, and a small portion of pickled vegetables. The contents were simple but substantial. The steam and aroma wafted out, making his mouth water.

He was just about to reach for the steamed bun when he suddenly stopped.

A smile played at the corners of his lips, and he exaggeratedly let his hands hang down, feigning weakness. Turning to look at Li Futing, he said with an air of self-righteousness:

"Ouch... My arm is injured too, I can't lift it at all. Li Futing, come feed me!"

"Huh?" Li Futing exclaimed in surprise, her big eyes full of doubt.

"But I just saw you supporting yourself with your hands..." she retorted softly, but without much conviction.

"What did you see?" Lin Ran asked fiercely, his face contorted with rage.

"No...it's nothing."

Li Futing's voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz. Looking at his "weak" appearance, she pursed her lips and finally obediently sat down on the chair by the bed.

She opened the lunchbox, picked up disposable chopsticks, and somewhat awkwardly picked up a small steamed bun.

Her hands were steady, but her fingertips trembled slightly.

She carefully held the steamed bun to Lin Ran's lips, her gaze lowered, her long eyelashes trembling like butterfly wings, not daring to meet Lin Ran's eyes.

Lin Ran took a bite with satisfaction, chewing, but his gaze never left her profile. The sunlight outlined the soft lines of her cheeks and illuminated the fine downy hairs on her face.

She patiently fed him bite by bite until he finished his breakfast.

When she focused on feeding, her habitual tension and timidity seemed to fade, replaced by a quiet, careful, and slightly clumsy seriousness.

Lin Ran spat out a small piece of eggshell, rubbed his red nose, wiped the soy milk that had somehow spilled on the bed with a tissue, and leaned back comfortably.

The ward was quiet, save for the soft rustling of plastic bags. Watching Li Futing clean up the mess, he suddenly said in a nonchalant tone:

"Hey, Li Futing, you should stop working at your art studio for now."

"Huh?" Li Futing stopped what she was doing, turned to look at Lin Ran with some confusion, and couldn't quite keep up with his jumping thoughts.

Lin Ran found a more comfortable position and leaned back again:

"I think you're doing a pretty good job taking care of things. Come and be my caregiver for a few days."

Li Futing's amber eyes widened, her face clearly saying, "Are you kidding me?"

"I...I almost stuck a straw up your nose just now..."

She couldn't help but mutter to herself, her ears turning red as she thought of her clumsiness.

"I'm naturally inclined to drink water through my nose."

Lin Ran waved his hand dismissively, ignoring the details: "Starting today, your salary... will be double what you get for running the art studio!"

The thought of double pay made Li Futing's heart skip a beat.

The salary from her part-time job at the art studio was very important to her, but the way her teacher, Mr. Wang, looked at her always seemed somewhat aggressive, making her feel very uncomfortable.

And the person in front of me...

Recalling the desperate scene from last night, the image freezes on a figure wielding a baseball bat, cleaving through the rain.

He gave her a slightly rough sense of security, and even this domineering suggestion at this moment strangely made her feel at ease.

She pouted, muttering almost inaudibly as she picked up the trash.

"What did you say?" Lin Ran's ears were very sharp.

"N-nothing!"

Upon hearing this, Li Futing quickly shook her head, like a startled fawn, and hurriedly changed the subject:

"I mean... what exactly do caregivers do?"

"Mainly just keep an eye on me, run errands for me, help me go out for some fresh air and stuff like that, how about that?"

It sounds easy, and most importantly, it can get her away from those uncomfortable stares for a while.

She thought for a moment and said, "Okay."

He then shook his head again, clutching the hem of his clothes, but his voice remained firm.

"But the wages... don't double, just the market rate for caregivers."

Lin Ran raised an eyebrow.

"You got hurt because of me..."

She met his gaze, her ears burning, but her logic remained remarkably clear:

"It's my duty to take care of you, and being paid... is already a great privilege."

Lin Ran saw the pure stubbornness in her eyes, remained silent for two seconds, and then smiled.

"OK."

"Now... is there anything I can do?" Li Futing's eyes curved into a smile, and she quickly got into work mode.

Lin Ran stroked his chin, looking thoughtful.

Then he raised his head and, in the most natural tone, clearly uttered a sentence that instantly petrified Li Futing:

"I need to pee!"

"ah--?"

Li Futing's face flushed crimson, and she nearly dropped the cup she had just picked up. She stammered, her words incoherent:

"This...this kind of thing...how could I...?"

Seeing her so embarrassed she was practically fuming, not knowing what to do with her hands and feet, Lin Ran finally couldn't help but roll her eyes at her:

"What are you thinking about? Go to the nurses' station and ask if they have any crutches. I'll use them myself."

Li Futing then realized she had been tricked again. Not knowing whether to be ashamed or angry, she quickly said "Oh" and almost ran away as she turned and hurried out of the ward.

As Lin Ran watched her departing figure, the smile on his lips slowly widened, finally transforming into a genuine, gentle smile.

He found that Li Futing at this age was incredibly adorable.

It'll be mine sooner or later, so what's wrong with using it in advance?

The air is filled with the fragrance of orchids and cassia, and the riverbank is adorned with fragrant orchids and irises.

Li Futing, whose name means orchid, was Lin Ran's fiancée who died when he was 30 years old.