Life countdown begins, ice queen bursts into security room

Chapter 147 My throat really hurts

On Thursday, in the recording studio, Shen Nian sang the complete version of "Left Finger Pointing to the Moon" once again.

The three-octave range, from the lowest to the highest note, is performed seamlessly.

Jiang Fan sat behind the mixing console and pressed the intercom button.

"That's fine."

Shen Nian stood in front of the microphone, her chest heaving for a while before calming down.

She took off her headphones and walked out of the recording studio, beads of sweat on her nose.

"How is it?"

"Better than yesterday." Jiang Fan turned off the equipment.

That's an understatement.

From her first audition to singing the entire song in one go today, Shen Nian's progress has been remarkable.

"Your flight is at 2 PM tomorrow. Go back and pack your things, and get some sleep."

Shen Nian hummed in agreement, screwed the lid on her thermos, picked up her bag, and walked out.

They stopped at the door.

Are you free tonight?

Jiang Fan was tidying up the sheet music on the table when he paused for a moment.

"Come to my place for dinner." Shen Nian said, and without waiting for his reply, she opened the door and left.

Jiang Fan was busy until 7:30 p.m.

I went over the schedule for the final day with Li Cheng again.

By the time I finished dealing with the tasks at hand, it was already completely dark.

He took a taxi to Shen Nian's apartment building and pressed the elevator button to go upstairs.

I entered six digits into the combination lock, and with a beep, the door opened.

I glanced up as I changed my shoes—

Shen Nian was standing in the living room, wearing a pink lace nightgown.

It's a halter top with a lace trim around the neckline, and the hem tightly covers the thighs. Two thin straps are tied in a knot at the shoulders.

She usually wears white T-shirts or sweatshirts at home, and this is the first time Jiang Fan has ever seen her wear something like this.

Jiang Fan lowered his head and continued changing his shoes without saying a word.

An open suitcase sat on the floor, containing several changes of clothes, and a transparent makeup bag was placed next to it.

"Have you packed your things?"

"That's about it."

Have you eaten?

"It's waiting for you to do it."

Jiang Fan got up and went into the kitchen, where he quickly stir-fried two dishes and cooked a pot of porridge.

Shen Nian leaned against the kitchen door frame and watched him cook.

With both hands behind his back, one foot tapping the floor with its toe, he swayed back and forth.

The pink lace hem swayed gently with her movements.

"Stop shaking it, it's making my eyes dizzy."

Shen Nian snorted but didn't stop.

The two ate a meal.

Jiang Fan collected the dishes and washed them in the kitchen. Between the gurgling of the tap, he heard no noise from the living room.

Normally at this time, Shen Nian would be curled up on the sofa scrolling through her phone, occasionally muttering a few words about the comments section. Today, she's unusually quiet, for some reason.

When Jiang Fan finished washing the dishes, he saw Shen Nian sitting on the sofa with her hands folded in front of her, her fingers intertwined and twisting.

Jiang Fan was very familiar with this move.

Whenever she wants to say something but doesn't know how to start, her fingers start to knot.

"What's wrong?"

"My... throat feels a little sore."

Jiang Fan glanced at her.

"I've been practicing all day, and I can feel it when I swallow," Shen Nian said, touching her throat. "It's not particularly painful, just a little tight. The finals are the day after tomorrow, what if—"

"Then eat something to soothe your throat, and don't think too much about it."

Shen Nian stomped her foot, and her slipper slapped onto the floor with a loud thud.

"I'm serious! The finals are the day after tomorrow, and you know how demanding the chorus of 'Left Finger Pointing to the Moon' is on your voice! If your voice isn't fully recovered by tomorrow—"

"Okay," Jiang Fan interrupted her. "I'll go make you some herbal tea first."

He turned and went into the kitchen, found the dried seaweed and monk fruit he had bought last time, and brewed a pot of it.

When he came out of the kitchen with the cup in his hand, Shen Nian was no longer in the living room.

The bedroom door was open.

Jiang Fan walked to the door and looked inside—

Shen Nian sat in front of the dressing table, tying her hair up.

She parted her hair in the middle in front of the mirror, gathering a section on the left and a section on the right.

One on the left and one on the right, similar to the positions Jiang Fan tied for her last time, but neater, symmetrical, and at the same height.

Shen Nian saw Jiang Fan at the door in the mirror and turned her head away.

Her twin ponytails paired with that pink lace nightgown, plus her entire face showing after her hair was tied up—

Jiang Fan's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

What are you doing?

"Didn't you say it looked good last time?" Shen Nian's voice was a little softer, her eyes fixed on the bottles and jars on the dressing table, not looking in his direction.

Jiang Fan placed the cup on the cabinet by the door.

Shen Nian stood up from in front of the dressing table.

As she walked over, her two ponytails bounced and hit her shoulders.

She walked up to Jiang Fan and stopped, looking up at him.

Jiang Fan had already raised his hand.

He reached out and pinched Shen Nian's right ponytail, wrapped his fingers around it, and pulled it back.

Her hair was pulled, and Shen Nian's head turned to the side. "Ouch—"

Jiang Fan didn't let go.

He lowered his head and met her gaze; their noses were less than five centimeters apart.

Shen Nian's breathing became somewhat rapid, and the two ponytails trembled slightly.

"Are you sure it's a sore throat?" Jiang Fan asked.

Shen Nian grabbed his wrist.

"My throat is sore."

When she finished speaking, her ears were already burning red, the redness spreading from her auricle to her earlobe.

Then--

Her hand slid off his wrist.

He slowly squatted down.

Jiang Fan gripped the bedroom door frame tightly with both hands.

Shen Nian knelt on the ground, her two ponytails hanging down beside her face, swaying back and forth with her movements.

There was only one sound in the room.

Three minutes later, Jiang Fan's fingers clenched on the door frame, making a soft creaking sound.

Shen Nian raised her head once, her eyes reddening and her eyelashes glistening with tears.

The suspenders had slipped off her left shoulder and were hanging on her forearm.

A while later.

Jiang Fan reached out, grabbed the roots of her ponytails on both sides with his fingers, and tightened them sharply.

Shen Nian groaned, her head held in place, unable to move.

Her hand gripped his trouser leg, her knuckles turning white from tension.

"Okay." Jiang Fan's throat was a little dry.

He pulled Shen Nian, who was coughing, up from the ground.

Shen Nian's knees went numb from kneeling, and when she stood up, her legs gave way, causing her to fall forward.

Jiang Fan grabbed her waist and picked her up.

Shen Nian was thrown onto the bed and bounced.

Two ponytails were spread out and placed on either side of the pillow.

Jiang Fan knelt on the edge of the bed, his thumb wiping the corner of her mouth to remove a little water stain.

Shen Nian turned her head away, her lips were red and swollen, and there was still something on her chin that hadn't been wiped clean.

His hand moved down the lace neckline, his fingertips hooking the other shoulder strap and pulling it down.

The pajamas slipped off both shoulders at the same time.

Shen Nian gripped the bed sheet beneath her.

"Jiang Fan—"

"Um?"

"Be gentle. You have a flight tomorrow."

"No guarantee."

Pink lace was piled up at the waist.

Shen Nian's voice went from being restrained at the beginning to being completely unable to be suppressed later.

Her pigtails were swaying wildly on the pillow, and her hands were limply resting on Jiang Fan's arms, her nails unconsciously digging into her flesh.

"I can't take it anymore—Jiang Fan—"

She tried to call a halt, but it was too late.

afterwards.

Jiang Fan stared at the water stain on the bed sheet and shook his head.

He got up and took a new bed out of the wardrobe.

Shen Nian lay face down, her face buried in her arms, only her bright red ear tips and the back of her neck showing.

The wrinkled pajamas were still hanging around her waist.

She wiggled her toes.

After a while, it turned over and lay flat on its back.

She stared at the ceiling for a few seconds, then raised her hand and touched her throat.

The feeling of tightness in my vocal cords after singing for several days in a row has completely disappeared.

Shen Nian opened her mouth and softly hummed in agreement, her voice clear and pure.