Life countdown begins, ice queen bursts into security room

Six o'clock in the morning.

Shen Nian woke up.

She curled up in Jiang Fan's arms, her face pressed against his chest, and one of her hands was resting on his waist at some point.

His chin rested on the top of her head; he was breathing evenly and hadn't woken up yet.

Last night's events are replaying in my mind frame by frame.

Shen Nian froze.

She wanted to pull away, but was afraid that any sudden movement would wake him.

I held that position, not daring to breathe.

After about a minute, she slowly withdrew her hand from his waist.

Just as she moved two centimeters away, Jiang Fan pulled his arm back, unconsciously drawing her back slightly.

Shen Nian stopped breathing.

After waiting another ten seconds or so to make sure he wasn't awake, she slowly pulled herself out of his arms.

He rolled over, lay on his back, and stared at the ceiling for a long time.

She swallowed unconsciously.

Ok?

It doesn't hurt anymore.

To be precise, there's still a little bit left, but it's completely different from the feeling of swallowing razor blades yesterday.

The burning, stinging sensation in my throat had subsided by about 70-80%.

Shen Nian tried clearing her throat.

There is no tearing sensation when the vocal cords vibrate.

Last night I was in so much pain that I couldn't speak a complete sentence, but I felt better after a good night's sleep?

Shen Nian turned her head to the side.

Jiang Fan turned over at some point, his back to her.

The blanket only covered his waist, and one arm was draped over the pillow.

Her gaze lingered on his back for two seconds.

Then it quickly retracted.

Shen Nian threw off the covers and stepped barefoot onto the floor.

My legs felt a little weak when I stood up—not the kind of weakness you feel when you have a fever.

She walked quickly to the sink.

She was startled by her reflection in the mirror.

The dark circles under his eyes that had been there for years had faded considerably, and he didn't look like he had been sick for three days.

Shen Nian stared at her face in the mirror and opened her mouth.

"ah--"

The sound came out of the throat.

It has a slightly hoarse tone, like someone who has just woken up, but the timbre is clean and there is no crackling.

Shen Nian covered her mouth with her hand, her fingers trembling slightly.

She turned her head and glanced towards the bedroom.

He's telling the truth.

Those seemingly absurd statements are all true.

She stood in front of the sink, her mind a jumbled mess.

Shen Nian stopped at the bedroom door.

Jiang Fan rolled over, facing her side, and opened his eyes.

The two people made eye contact.

Shen Nian reflexively tugged at the collar of her pajamas.

"How's your throat?" Jiang Fan's voice was languid, as if he had just woken up.

Shen Nian stood at the door without moving.

"Most of it is done."

After she said those four words, her eyes darted around, but she wouldn't look at the bed.

Jiang Fan propped himself up on his arms and sat up against the headboard.

"Sing a couple of lines for me."

Shen Nian pursed her lips.

"We traveled along the way, stopping frequently, following the trail of the boy's drifting journey."

This is a line from the song "The Wind Rises".

The moment the sound came out, Shen Nian herself was stunned.

Clear and smooth.

Jiang Fan nodded after listening.

"It's faster than I expected."

Shen Nian walked to the bedside and sat down in the chair she had used the night before.

The two people were separated by a bedside table.

She kept her head down, her fingers twisting and turning the hem of her pajamas.

There was silence for about ten seconds.

"But it's not completely healed yet." Shen Nian's voice was very low. "It probably still can't reach the high notes."

"Um."

It's quiet again.

Shen Nian bit her lower lip, leaving a white mark.

"or……"

She stopped after saying two words.

Jiang Fan looked at her.

"Or what?"

Shen Nian raised her head, her face flushed red, which spread from her neck all the way to her collarbone.

"How about another treatment?"

After saying that, she turned her face to the other side, her hands tightly gripping the hem of her pajamas.

Jiang Fan remained silent.

Shen Nian waited for three seconds but received no response.

She twisted her fingers even tighter, almost creating wrinkles at the hem of her pajamas.

"I'm doing this... for my voice. There are only a few days left before recording, and what if—"

"Shen Nian."

"Um?"

"You don't need to make excuses."

Shen Nian suddenly stood up, the chair leg scraping against the floor with a screeching sound.

"Who's making excuses! I'm just worried my throat won't fully recover! Don't overthink it!"

Jiang Fan couldn't help but laugh when he saw her flustered expression.

This girl, who hasn't spoken much to anyone in the past year, looks kind of funny when she gets anxious.

Shen Nian glared at him.

"What are you laughing at!"

"It's nothing." Jiang Fan stopped laughing, threw back the covers, and got out of bed.

Shen Nian's gaze involuntarily swept downwards.

"Ah!! Put on some clothes first!"

Jiang Fan walked over and stood in front of her.

Are you sure?

Shen Nian covered her eyes with both hands.

The ten fingers are pressed tightly together, leaving no gaps.

"OK." The voice was very soft.

Jiang Fan reached out and pried open her blindfold one by one.

-

7:20.

Shen Nian slumped helplessly on the pillow, her ears so red they looked like they could bleed, and her originally pale skin was tinged with pink.

Jiang Fan sat on the edge of the bed, poured a glass of water, and handed it to him.

Shen Nian reached out a hand to take it, drank a sip, rinsed her mouth, and spat it into the trash can.

"Your high note just now seemed okay."

Shen Nian glared at him.

"If you're still not comfortable with it, why don't you come again?"

"I'm not coming!" Shen Nian pulled the blanket over her head, her muffled voice coming from underneath. "That's enough."

Jiang Fan stopped teasing her.

He got up and went to the kitchen, poured a bowl of the leftover pear water from last night, and brought it back.

Shen Nian peeked out from under the covers, revealing half of her face.

"You feed me."

The sound was so faint it was barely more than a mosquito's hum.

Jiang Fan sat down on the edge of the bed with a bowl in his hand.

Shen Nian took two sips.

The warm pear juice slid down her throat, making her squint her eyes in comfort.

"Knock knock knock".

knocking.

"Sister Nian? Open the door for me."

Zhou Yutong's voice came from outside the door.

Shen Nian sprang up from under the covers with a "whoosh," almost knocking over the bowl in Jiang Fan's hand.

The two exchanged a glance.

Shen Nian subconsciously wrapped the blanket around herself twice more.

Outside the door, Zhou Yutong pressed the combination lock twice.

no response.

"Hmm? Why can't I open it?" She pressed it again.

"Sister Nian? Is the door broken?"

Shen Nian glanced at Jiang Fan.

Jiang Fan's expression was very natural.

"I removed the battery last night."

Shen Nian chuckled and turned her face away.

"Go out and open the door quickly, don't let her overthink things outside."

"Put your clothes on first."

Jiang Fan grabbed the two AA batteries from the shoe cabinet, squatted down, and put them into the combination lock.

Zhou Yutong was still knocking outside.

"Sister Nian? Are you alright? Should I call the property management to break the lock?"

"No." Jiang Fan hurriedly installed the batteries and opened the door.

Zhou Yutong raised her hand, preparing to knock on the door for the seventeenth time.

"Good morning, Brother Fan, why can't I open the door?"

"The power is out."

Jiang Fan stepped aside to let her in.

While Zhou Yutong was changing her shoes, she kept her head down, but her eyes were restless, scanning the entire living room in a couple of quick glances.

The thin blanket on the sofa was folded neatly.

It doesn't look like someone has slept there.

She carried breakfast into the kitchen, glancing into the bedroom as she passed by the door.

Shen Nian sat on the bed, put on her pajamas, and tied her hair into a ponytail.

Her complexion has improved a lot.

It has a particularly rosy color.

"Nian-jie, you look so good today!" Zhou Yutong placed breakfast on the kitchen counter and ran over. "Has your fever gone down?"

"I've withdrawn." Shen Nian touched her face, her voice much clearer than yesterday.

Zhou Yutong's eyes lit up.

"Sister Nian, your voice! You can speak now?"

"It's much better now."

Zhou Yutong stared blankly for two seconds with her mouth agape, then jumped up.

"My God! He was so mute yesterday that he couldn't speak, and he's all better today? What kind of recovery speed is that?"

Shen Nian picked up the pear juice from the bedside table, took a sip, and stopped looking at her.

"Pear juice might be the solution."

"Is pear juice that amazing? What kind of pear did you stew, Brother Fan?" Zhou Yutong peeked outside.

Jiang Fan was having breakfast outside and ignored her question.

"Keep an eye on her today, make sure she takes her medicine, and don't rush her to practice singing even if her throat gets better."

"Okay!"

After finishing his breakfast, Jiang Fan put on his coat and glanced at Shen Nian at the door before leaving.

Shen Nian was drinking porridge when she sensed his gaze and paused for a moment.

The two exchanged a glance across half the living room.

Shen Nian lowered her head, and the tips of her ears turned red again.

The door closed.

The footsteps of Zhou Yutong and the others disappeared at the end of the corridor.

He squatted by the bed, rested his chin on his hands, and looked up at her.

"Sister Nian, I have a question for you."

"What?"

"Did Brother Fan remove the batteries from the combination lock last night?"

Shen Nian stopped drinking her porridge.

"That's why I couldn't open the door this morning." Zhou Yutong counted on her fingers, "The combination lock was out of power, so I couldn't open it. If I couldn't open the door, I couldn't get in, and if I couldn't get in, no one would bother me..."

"Zhou Yutong—"