Lin Yun, consumed by fear, endured the entire night without daring to sleep. Her phone remained clutched in her hand, and she called Ye Tiancheng at regular intervals.
She couldn't sleep herself, nor would she allow the caregiver to sleep.
Initially, the caregiver expressed that, given her age, staying awake all night was difficult. She then added that her sleep was light, and if Lin Yun needed anything, she only had to call out, and she would surely hear. She urged Lin Yun not to worry.
Lin Yun, however, was unwilling. She insisted that the caregiver stay awake and keep her company. Seeing Lin Yun's persistence, the caregiver changed her tune, stating that under such circumstances, she would require five times her usual wage. In her terror, Lin Yun, clinging to the caregiver who felt like her lifeline, clutched onto her as a drowning person grasps a piece of driftwood floating in the sea, unwilling to let go.
Under such circumstances, what wouldn't Lin Yun do to preserve her own life?
Therefore, when the caregiver changed her terms and demanded five times the salary, Lin Yun agreed immediately without a second thought.
To prove she wasn't speaking idly or trying to deceive, and to solidify the caregiver's commitment, preventing any chance of refusal, Lin Yun directly transferred the fivefold salary to the caregiver's account.
Only then did the caregiver agree to stay awake with Lin Yun for the entire night.
Lin Yun's eyes developed dark circles. She had a grueling night, not daring to close her eyes for even a moment.
It wasn't until dawn the next day, nearing ten in the morning, that Lin Yun, who had been continuously trying to reach Ye Tiancheng, finally got through.
Ye Tiancheng set out quite late the following day because the little fox had woken up once more in the early hours. After returning to sleep, he overslept, causing Ye Tiancheng, who always left with him, to be delayed as well.
By the time they reached the shop, it was almost ten o'clock.
Ye Tiancheng remembered his phone was left at the shop. He had asked an employee to put it in the counter. Upon returning to the book cafe, Ye Tiancheng first went to retrieve his phone.
The shop was quite crowded today. Given the major incident at the book cafe yesterday, there were many onlookers today, with some wanting to ask Ye Tiancheng what exactly had happened yesterday and the details of the situation.
At that moment, Ye Tiancheng had just retrieved his phone and noticed a long string of missed calls, all from Lin Yun. Before he could examine them closely, Lin Yun called again. Consequently, Ye Tiancheng gestured to the person asking questions, indicating that he needed to take a call first.
As Ye Tiancheng answered, the first thing he heard Lin Yun say was, "Boss Lin, your phone is finally connected. Why did you take so long to answer?"
Just by Lin Yun's tone, coupled with the numerous calls she had made before he checked his phone, Ye Tiancheng knew something must have happened on her end.
Therefore, Ye Tiancheng didn't dare to delay and immediately replied, "I apologize. I left my phone at the shop yesterday and didn't bring it home. I was also quite tired, so I just rested at home and didn't come to the shop to retrieve it, nor did I ask anyone to bring it back. That's why I didn't receive your calls."
"Did something else happen on your end? Didn't you call for a caregiver to accompany you?"
Lin Yun's voice was clearly laced with tears. "I did call for someone to accompany me. I hired a caregiver, but yesterday... yesterday the caregiver left for a while, and that's when something happened. I, I..."
Unable to control her crying, Lin Yun's words became disjointed. She stammered for a long time, unable to articulate the situation clearly or get to the point.
After "I"-ing for a while, she finally said to Ye Tiancheng, "Boss Lin, I'm begging you. That thing of mine, the raw materials, and the skincare water I've already made, please buy it all. Buy it immediately. I don't want it anymore, not a single item. I dare not keep any of it."
Seeing her like this, Ye Tiancheng knew Lin Yun was truly terrified.
So, Ye Tiancheng comforted Lin Yun, saying, "Boss Lin, don't be too anxious. It's alright. It's broad daylight now, nothing will happen. My brother and I will rush over immediately. Please wait a moment, and we'll discuss everything later."
Lin Yun continued to cry. Ye Tiancheng comforted her a few more words, then called out to the little fox, "Little fox, let's go quickly. Something seems to have happened again at Boss Lin's flower shop next door. She's so scared that she's offering to sell us her products herself. It must be quite serious."
"I wonder what she encountered to have such thoughts overnight and undergo such a significant change."
The little fox didn't quite understand what had happened, but when Ye Tiancheng called him, he immediately followed.
Ye Tiancheng also called out to Fatty, asking Fatty to help guard the shop. Ye Tiancheng then hurried off with the little fox, and the two of them rushed out of the book cafe towards the hospital.
Upon arriving at the hospital, Ye Tiancheng first sought out the nurse he had previously asked for help, who had been specifically arranged by Hou Mingzhu, as were the doctors and nurses. Ye Tiancheng wanted to ask the nurse what had happened with Lin Yun.
When the nurse saw Ye Tiancheng arrive and inquire about Lin Yun, she described the situation when she went to see Lin Yun and change her dressing.
"You're asking about Miss Lin? Her injuries are fine; they're recovering normally. However, she's very strange. I don't know what scared her, but her eyes are swollen from crying, redder than a rabbit's eyes, with dark circles. She probably stayed up all night."
"I asked if she wanted me to apply something to her eyes, but she ignored me, so I left."
After listening, Ye Tiancheng nodded slightly and then asked the nurse, "What about Miss Lin's caregiver?"
"Caregiver?" The nurse showed a rather strange expression, looking at Ye Tiancheng and replying, "There's no caregiver. When I went to check on Miss Lin's injury recovery yesterday and today, she was alone in the ward. There was no one else present."
"It seems... I haven't seen Miss Lin hire a caregiver? Did she not hire one?"
Ye Tiancheng paused and exchanged a glance with the little fox. However, he didn't intend to say more to the nurse, so Ye Tiancheng thanked the nurse and made a casual excuse.
"Oh, Miss Lin mentioned before that she would find a caregiver to look after her, so we assumed she had. So, she didn't? Then it seems we were mistaken."
"Thank you. We appreciate your care for Miss Lin previously."
The nurse smiled and said, "It's our duty; no need for thanks."
After gathering information, Ye Tiancheng and the little fox walked towards Lin Yun's ward. In any case, Lin Yun had definitely encountered something supernatural, and it was likely worse than she imagined.
Upon finding Lin Yun's ward, Ye Tiancheng knocked on the door. Receiving no response, he pushed the door open himself.
The ward door was unlocked. As Ye Tiancheng pushed it open, he saw Lin Yun lying on the hospital bed. Just as the nurse had described, her dark circles were comparable to a panda's, her eyes were red and swollen, and tears still welled up, making one worry if she would cry her eyes blind if she continued.
The moment Lin Yun saw Ye Tiancheng, her body jolted, clearly showing great agitation.
Ye Tiancheng calmly scanned the ward and then asked Lin Yun, "Boss Lin, where is the caregiver you hired? Did you let her go already?"
Hearing Ye Tiancheng's question, Lin Yun froze and subconsciously looked in a direction where no one was present. At that moment, the little fox pointed in that direction and nudged Ye Tiancheng, signaling him, "Big brother, open your eyes. That thing is over here."
Ye Tiancheng was taken aback. He formed a hand seal and saw a middle-aged woman exuding a dark aura.
At that moment, Lin Yun's voice trembled as she said, "Boss Ye, can't you see her?"
Ye Tiancheng touched his nose, met the middle-aged woman's suddenly raised, eerie smile, and replied to Lin Yun, "Oh, I can see her now."
The middle-aged woman's figure abruptly vanished from the room as Ye Tiancheng finished speaking, seemingly evaporating into thin air.
This unscientific scene clearly terrified Lin Yun.
She had encountered something supernatural again. She thought this caregiver had saved her, but it turned out to be a supernatural encounter as well.
Lin Yun's crying, which had momentarily stopped, resumed uncontrollably. "She was introduced to me by a nurse! Why is this happening?"
Ye Tiancheng and the little fox were somewhat speechless. Lin Yun's situation was truly dire. However, they thought that if Lin Yun weren't in such a predicament, obtaining the fragments of the Fuxi Qin wouldn't be so easy. Thus, they felt that Lin Yun's misfortune was somewhat acceptable, as helping her resolve her issues would be their repayment.
Ye Tiancheng pondered for a moment and then asked Lin Yun, "Which nurse at the hospital introduced her to you? I'll ask them about it to understand what's going on."
Lin Yun thought for a moment and described to Ye Tiancheng, "Well... a woman in her twenties, quite pretty, with a delicate oval face, wearing high heels..."
Before she could finish, the little fox interrupted her, "Alright, Boss Lin, you don't need to say more. We probably know what's going on."
The little fox's expression was grave, and Ye Tiancheng had also clearly realized what was happening.
Lin Yun stammered, "You, you know?"
The little fox nodded, and Ye Tiancheng echoed the sentiment, "I think I know too."
Lin Yun looked confused, "But I haven't finished speaking yet."
Ye Tiancheng replied, "We've heard the key information and have a general idea of the possibilities. We understand what's going on."
Lin Yun asked, "Then what exactly is going on?"
Seeing Lin Yun in this state, Ye Tiancheng kindly did not answer her question directly but instead advised her, "For your own good, Boss Lin, perhaps it's better not to know the details?"
Usually, such questions should not be asked, as hearing them might only increase curiosity.
Lin Yun remained silent for a moment. She couldn't suppress her final bit of curiosity. However, thinking that Ye Tiancheng and the little fox were now present, and she wouldn't be in any further danger, she couldn't help but ask Ye Tiancheng, "I still, I still want to know a little."
The little fox had never seen someone so terrified yet so curious. He thought Lin Yun shouldn't be that scared.
Therefore, the little fox indulged Lin Yun's request and told her, "How would a nurse in the hospital wear high heels? That is absolutely, absolutely not allowed."
"So, there are two possibilities: either the nurse you saw wasn't a nurse from this hospital at all, and her identity is unknown, and she's somehow connected to your previous caregiver, introducing her to you. Or, she is indeed a nurse from this hospital, but wearing high heels is such an obvious violation that colleagues would surely notice. So, what is she?"