Chapter 10: Returning Home After Discharge
After saying that, Bai Weixi fell silent again.
Guan Ju secretly let out a sigh of relief and wisely chose not to continue the topic.
She was genuinely afraid the goddess might notice something was off.
Bai Weixi lowered her head, her fingers tightly intertwined.
She wanted to ask why Guan Ju was always so protective of her, yet the thought felt ridiculous the moment it formed. After hesitating for a long time, she ultimately remained silent.
If Bai Weixi wasn’t talking, Guan Ju certainly wasn’t going to either. Better to say less than accidentally reveal too much.
The two spent the next week in quiet companionship.
By then, Guan Ju’s body had mostly recovered, and she was finally cleared for discharge.
Thinking about the completely new life awaiting her, Guan Ju couldn’t help feeling nervous.
Once she left this hospital, she would truly have to live in this city as someone elseāmoving through circles she had never entered before, carrying another person’s identity.
“You can do this. Whatever happens, don’t let Sister Xi notice anything.”
While Bai Weixi went to handle the paperwork, Guan Ju sat on the edge of the bed, silently encouraging herself.
One casual remark from Bai Weixi had already kept her on edge for days.
Several times, she’d nearly blurted out the truth and confessed everything.
Somehow, she had managed to hold herself back.
“Miss Guan, everything’s been taken care of. We can go now.”
Bai Weixi stood outside the door, speaking softly.
Guan Ju nodded, taking a deep breath before stepping out.
When they reached the third floor, she saw her father standing outside the hospital room.
His expression looked much better than it had a few days ago, and that eased the knot in her chest.
After several days of treatment, her original body’s condition had gradually stabilized. The chances of waking up were now very high.
And because she had covered all the medical expenses on this side, the burden on her parents had been significantly reduced.
“Mr. Guan, I’m being discharged today. I hope your daughter will be discharged soon as well.”
Guan Ju spoke quietly.
Suppressing the ache in her heart, she bowed deeply toward the room.
Hearing her voice, Father Guan’s eyes reddened.
He stared at her for a long moment, his lips trembling as if he wanted to say something.
In the end, he only nodded.
“Please take care of yourself.”
Guan Ju bowed again.
The moment she turned away, her eyes stung fiercely.
She had to fight with everything she had to keep the tears from falling.
Outside the hospital entrance, Bai Weixi went to retrieve the car from the underground parking garage, leaving Guan Ju alone on the steps.
Without warning, several reporters burst out from the nearby shrubs.
Microphones in hand, they rushed toward her from all directions.
At first, Guan Ju didn’t even realize they were coming for her.
By the time she understood, she was already surrounded.
“Miss Guan, who was responsible for the accident? You or the other party? Some people are saying you were driving under the influence. Is that true?”
“Miss Guan, you’ve already been discharged. How is the other victim doing? We’ve heard she’s still in intensive care?”
“Miss Guan, will this accident affect filming for your new movie?”
Question after question crashed down on her like hailstones.
Guan Ju was completely overwhelmed.
She had never experienced anything like this before.
Faced with the reporters’ barrage of questions, she couldn’t answer a single one.
In the end, she simply kept a cold expression and stayed silent.
Guan Ju’s bad temper was famous within the entertainment industry.
Although the reporters didn’t get any answers, none of them dared push her too aggressively. Even so, they refused to let her leave and continued firing questions.
The noise quickly wore down Guan Ju’s patience.
When she spotted Bai Weixi’s car approaching, she hurried toward it instinctively.
Without thinking, she used her elbow to block the reporter closest to her.
The movement forced the reporter back a step.
Unfortunately, the woman missed her footing and fell hard onto the ground.
“Miss Guan, did you do that on purpose?” someone immediately exclaimed.
Guan Ju wanted to help the fallen reporter up, but another person blocked her path.
If she pushed past them, she might knock someone else over.
For a moment, she found herself completely stuck.
Then Bai Weixi’s car pulled up.
Through the crowd, Guan Ju saw Bai Weixi apparently preparing to get out.
Panicking, she broke free and bolted.
The reporters immediately chased after herāincluding the one who had fallen.
Looking back over her shoulder, Guan Ju felt like a mouse fleeing from a pack of cats.
She darted around flowerbeds and corners before finally throwing herself into Bai Weixi’s car.
“Go… go…”
She was so out of breath that even those two words nearly tied her tongue in knots.
Bai Weixi had already seen the reporters.
Without wasting a second, she drove away.
Only after the reporters vanished from sight did Guan Ju collapse back into her seat and let out a long breath.
She had always known fans could be obsessive.
She hadn’t realized reporters could be just as terrifying.
That scene had genuinely scared her.
Luckily, she ran fast.
Watching Guan Ju’s relieved expression through the rearview mirror, Bai Weixi felt a flicker of surprise.
She didn’t show it.
In the past, this woman had always appeared confident and elegant in front of cameras.
Even when she threw a water bottle at a reporter’s face, she would do it with a smile.
How could she end up fleeing from a handful of junior reporters in such a sorry state?
She looked like a newcomer facing her first interview.
Over the past few days, Bai Weixi had noticed countless changes in Guan Ju.
She had even privately consulted doctors, but their answers offered little comfort.
Their recommendation was simple:
Bring the patient back to familiar surroundings.
Allow everyday experiences to stimulate her memories.
Bai Weixi wasn’t enthusiastic about that suggestion.
Too many unpleasant memories lived in that house.
She had no desire to drag Guan Ju back into the nightmare that had become their daily life.
“Sister Xi, are we almost there?”
As the car entered an unfamiliar luxury residential complex, Guan Ju’s heartbeat sped up.
Bai Weixi pressed her lips together.
“Mm.”
Her response sounded oddly stiff.
“We’re here.”
After parking, Bai Weixi got out first and opened the passenger door.
When Guan Ju didn’t move, she simply waited quietly.
Guan Ju lingered inside the car.
Resting against the window, she forced out a smile.
“Sister Xi… who’s living in the house?”
“Only Auntie Zhang, the housekeeper.”
Bai Weixi’s expression remained calm and unreadable.
“That’s good.”
Guan Ju immediately relaxed.
As long as no random person suddenly appeared and threw themselves at her, she could handle it.
The moment they entered, Auntie Zhang greeted her enthusiastically.
Holding a bundle of mugwort, she brushed it lightly over Guan Ju’s body several times.
“Welcome home safely, Miss Guan. May all bad luck stay far away.”
Guan Ju wasn’t used to this kind of welcome.
Not wanting to reject the woman’s good intentions, she obediently stood there and endured the ritual.
“Thank you.”
The instant it was over, she thanked her and slipped away toward the sofa.
Sitting down, she immediately began inspecting her surroundings.
The apartment had three bedrooms and two living areas.
Every detail radiated luxury.
From the decorative plants near the entrance to the furniture filling every room, nothing looked cheap.
Guan Ju discreetly squeezed the sofa beneath her.
It was easily the most comfortable sofa she had ever sat on.
If not for the original owner’s questionable personality, the woman’s wealth alone would have been enough to make Guan Ju feel inferior.
For a moment, she found herself grateful.
Fate had somehow given her a chance to get close to the person she admired.
“Miss Guan, you must be tired. Would you like to rest first?”
Auntie Zhang stood beside the sofa, asking politely.
“No need. Go ahead and do your work.”
Guan Ju smiled and continued looking around.
The apartment was bright and airy.
Two master bedrooms faced south, while another room faced east.
The layout was excellent.
After a while, the place no longer felt quite so unfamiliar.
Then she realized something.
Bai Weixi had disappeared.
“Where’s Sister Xi?”
Auntie Zhang’s expression turned strange upon hearing that form of address.
She pointed toward the eastern bedroom.
Seeing Guan Ju still smiling, she cautiously asked,
“Miss Guan… have you really lost your memory?”
Guan Ju’s expression stiffened.
She laughed awkwardly without answering.
Realizing she’d overstepped, Auntie Zhang quickly bowed.
“I’m sorry, Miss Guan. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“It’s fine.”
Guan Ju waved it off, her attention already fixed on the room in the east.
Auntie Zhang retreated to the kitchen.
As she turned away, she muttered something under her breath.
Guan Ju didn’t catch the words, but judging from the woman’s expression, they probably weren’t flattering.
She had no time to care.
A mixture of excitement and nervousness carried her to Bai Weixi’s door.
“Sister Xi, are you there?”
She knocked lightly.
A faint blush colored her face.
She waited.
And waited.
By the time her smile began to stiffen, nobody had answered.
Just as she was about to knock again, Auntie Zhang’s voice called out from behind her.
“Miss Guan, I’ve made a fresh chicken soup. Would you like some?”
Caught red-handed, Guan Ju nearly jumped.
She awkwardly pretended to count the decorations hanging from the chandelier.
Only after Auntie Zhang finished speaking did she turn around as though she’d just heard her.
“Sure.”
“I’ll bring it over right away.”
Auntie Zhang smiled respectfully.
Yet when she turned around, unmistakable contempt flashed across her face.
Once the housekeeper disappeared again, Guan Ju glanced at the door.
She wanted to knock once more.
After raising her hand, however, she hesitated.
Eventually, she gave up and returned to the sofa.
This was still a new place.
Perhaps she should behave herself for now.
There would be plenty of time later to satisfy her curiosity about the goddess.
Not long afterward, Auntie Zhang brought out the chicken soup.
Although Guan Ju had already eaten lunch, the hospital food had been awful.
The rich aroma instantly awakened her appetite.
She finished an entire bowl in large mouthfuls.
Auntie Zhang stared in shock.
This was the first time she had ever seen Miss Guan eat so quickly and so ungracefully.
More importantly, she hadn’t criticized the cooking.
“Thank you.”
Guan Ju set down the bowl and wiped her mouth with a napkin.
“Y-You’re welcome.”
Flattered and bewildered, Auntie Zhang gathered the dishes while repeatedly sneaking glances at her.
Guan Ju noticed every one of them.
She maintained a calm smile, desperately hoping not to look suspicious.
Ironically, her composure only made Auntie Zhang stop staring altogether.
Soon, the housekeeper hurried back into the kitchen.
Guan Ju rubbed her aching forehead.
Pretending to be someone else was exhausting.
She couldn’t acknowledge her parents.
She couldn’t return home.
She couldn’t even contact her old friends.
Every day in this unfamiliar environment required constant vigilance to avoid exposing her true identity.
With a sigh, her gaze drifted toward Bai Weixi’s bedroom.
Then a smile tugged at her lips.
As absurd as her situation was, it wasn’t entirely terrible.
At least the person she liked was only one door away.
It wasn’t until evening that Bai Weixi finally emerged.
She looked pale and tired.
The moment Guan Ju noticed, she immediately stood up.
“Sister Xi, what’s wrong?”
“I’m fine.”
Bai Weixi shook her head gently.
She poured herself a glass of water in the living room before quickly retreating to her room.
All the concern Guan Ju wanted to express died in her throat.
When Auntie Zhang brought dinner out, she noticed Guan Ju staring at the closed door.
The serious expression on her face frightened the woman enough that she nearly fled back into the kitchen.
“Auntie Zhang, what’s Sister Xi doing? Why isn’t she coming out for dinner?”
Guan Ju’s eyes remained fixed on her.
Auntie Zhang visibly flinched.
“I-I don’t know. Maybe she’s not hungry.”
Her evasive gaze and uncertain tone immediately raised Guan Ju’s suspicions.
Something wasn’t right.
The apartment was beautiful, but beneath its sleek luxury lingered a coldness that felt almost metallic.
There was no warmth here.
Judging by Bai Weixi’s behavior in the hospital, this house might not contain many happy memories.
“I understand.”
Suppressing her doubts, Guan Ju quietly finished her meal.
Auntie Zhang visibly relaxed.
The moment the dishes were cleared, she hurried away.
Watching the woman’s retreating figure, Guan Ju frowned.
She wasn’t scary.
So why did Auntie Zhang act as though she were avoiding a ghost?
Night gradually fell.
The bedroom door never opened.
Guan Ju remembered that Bai Weixi hadn’t eaten anything all day.
Walking over, she knocked softly.
“Sister Xi, are you hungry?”
Silence.
No answer came from inside.
Guan Ju’s imagination immediately started running wild.
But she also worried Bai Weixi might be sleeping.
If she knocked too loudly and woke her up, that would be bad too.
After wrestling with herself for a while, she wandered to the refrigerator.
Inside were noodles and some meat.
The sight reassured her.
If Bai Weixi got hungry later, she could always cook a couple of dishes or make noodles.
The thought of the goddess eating food she had prepared herself made Guan Ju grin.
A soft laugh escaped her lips.
At that exact moment, Bai Weixi quietly opened the bedroom door.
What she saw was a woman curled up on the sofa, smiling to herself, her eyes curved into crescents.
Like a little hamster.
Despite possessing a stunningly cold and glamorous face, Guan Ju somehow looked adorably foolish.
Approachable.
Human.
Something flickered in Bai Weixi’s eyes.
Before Guan Ju noticed, she quietly closed the door again.
Before the accident, Guan Ju rarely came home.
Whenever she did, she brought storms with her.
She yelled.
She smashed things.
She lashed out at anyone unfortunate enough to cross her path.
Everyone in the apartment lived on edge.
Especially Bai Weixi.
Many nights, she barely slept at all.
Now that Guan Ju had just returned from the hospital, there was no guarantee she wouldn’t explode again.
Keeping her distance seemed safest.
Meanwhile, Guan Ju continued daydreaming.
The more she imagined cooking for Bai Weixi, the sweeter her smile became.
A faint blush even colored her cheeks.
By the time she finally snapped out of it, it was already nine o’clock.
She hadn’t realized how quickly the time had passed.
Looking out at the dazzling city lights beyond the window, she slowly smiled.
This would be her home for the foreseeable future.
She had no idea what the future held.
But with the person she loved by her side…
It probably wouldn’t be so bad.
