Chapter 144: Summer Cold Words Makes a Purposeful Appearance

Wen Shuang plummeted like a kite with a broken string!

Everyone gasped and rushed forward!

"Shuangshuang—!"

Fortunately, the prop master quickly slid a mat over, cushioning the force of the fall. Furthermore, Wen Shuang had instinctively pulled her legs back, so she only ended up with a head injury!

"Wen Shuang!!"

The impact was quite severe; Wen Shuang felt dizzy, her ears were ringing, and she felt a wave of nausea.

"Oh no, she’s bleeding!" a staff member cried out.

Wen Shuang had wanted to struggle to her feet to say she was fine, but through a hazy blur, she felt herself being swept up into someone’s arms. She caught a whiff of a pleasant, cool, woody fragrance. Then... she lost consciousness.

...

When she woke up again, she was in the hospital.

A crowd was gathered around her, all scrambling to ask if she was alright. The first thing Wen Shuang did upon waking was to check her legs.

"Don't worry, Shuangshuang, your legs are fine! But you hit your head, and the doctor said it’s a mild concussion... How are you feeling now?"

Wen Shuang let out a sigh of relief and laid back down. "As long as my legs are fine..."

"You, oh you!"

Yao Qianqian had rushed over upon hearing the news. "You scared me to death! The staff said the wire suddenly malfunctioned halfway through. And then you landed on your head! Shuangshuang, do you have any idea how dangerous landing on your head is? If it hadn't been for the prop master’s quick reaction to cushion the fall, you could have been left a vegetable!"

In reality, the way she fell should have resulted in her landing on her legs, but Wen Shuang had forcibly twisted her body, causing her to land on her head instead.

Reflecting on it, Wen Shuang still felt a lingering fear. "I know landing on my head is dangerous. But Qianqian, that car accident half a year ago terrified me so much. I spent so much time and effort to finally stand on my feet again; I didn't want to lose that..."

For a dancer, her legs are everything.

Yao Qianqian sighed. "I understand, Shuangshuang."

Any dancer would likely have reacted the same way instinctively. The wire technician knelt on the spot, apologizing profusely to Wen Shuang. When he had calibrated the equipment, all the data indicators were normal. No one could have predicted it would suddenly fail.

The director scolded the technician severely on the spot, fired him on the spot, and demanded compensation.

"Shuangshuang, sigh, just focus on recovering now. Don't worry about rehearsals for 'The Goddess of the Luo River'; just return to the troupe when you've healed."

The director felt a sense of pity. Why was this girl so plagued by misfortune? She injured her legs in the first half of the year, and now, near the year's end, she had cracked her head open.

Wen Shuang couldn't help it; she felt she had been incredibly unlucky lately. "I understand, Director. I will focus on my recovery!"

After the people in the hospital room finally dispersed, Wen Shuang clutched her head, slowly recalling, "...I seem to remember someone carrying me all the way here... Did I imagine that?"

Yao Qianqian looked up.

A clear, gentle voice came from outside the door. "It was me."

Walking in was none other than Xia Hanyan, whom she hadn't seen in days!

Xia Hanyan approached with calm, steady strides. He was wearing a cream-colored long cashmere coat that made him look tall and elegant. His features were refined and handsome; in the chilly winter hospital room, he appeared like cold jade shimmering with light.

"Ms. Wen, how are you feeling?"

Wen Shuang was surprised; she hadn't expected it to be Xia Hanyan who had carried her here. Since the incident with Xia Anran, she hadn't seen anyone from the Xia family.

"I... I’m just feeling a bit dizzy and nauseous, but otherwise, I’m okay." Wen Shuang patted her chest. "Mr. Xia, thank you for getting me to the hospital so quickly. But, what were you doing at the theater back then?"

Xia Hanyan explained, "I’ve been on a business trip abroad for the past six months and only returned a few days ago. I happened to be at the theater discussing an investment, so I was there to witness what happened yesterday."

"You invested in the theater?" Wen Shuang was surprised again.

Xia Hanyan’s lips curled into a smile. "Yes. I believe the beauty of dance should be seen by more people; it shouldn't be confined to a niche circle."

Wen Shuang remembered that Xia Hanyan used to come to the theater often to watch dance dramas. Unlike those sleazy executives who only had eyes for flesh, he didn't just come to look at bodies; he truly understood the beauty of the art.

Wen Shuang beamed with a sincere smile. "Then, on behalf of the theater, I must thank you, Mr. Xia. Thank you for appreciating the beauty of Chinese dance drama."

Yao Qianqian also expressed her deep gratitude. Seeing that Xia Hanyan had something he wanted to say to Wen Shuang, she chose not to be a third wheel and quietly slipped out, closing the door behind her.

Seeing each other again, Wen Shuang was still wearing that pale blue striped hospital gown, her chestnut-colored curls draped softly behind her. A few stray strands fell onto her cheeks, and her skin was so pale it was almost translucent, making her look all the more fragile.

"Ms. Wen, you’ve lost weight," Xia Hanyan said softly.

Wen Shuang froze, then laughed. "Really? Maybe it's because I’ve been trying to lose weight lately."

"How have you been this past half-year?"

Because of the Xia Anran affair, Xia Hanyan had had a major falling out with his family. His parents felt he was siding with outsiders, refusing to protect his own sister and even sending her to prison! Xia Hanyan, however, felt that since Xia Anran had done something wrong, she should face the consequences of her actions.

He had secretly visited Wen Shuang in the hospital several times. Every time he saw her looking so frail and helpless, his own heart ached. But with Ji Shen by her side, and the fact that seeing her inevitably reminded him of what Xia Anran had done, Xia Hanyan felt restless and eventually chose to go abroad for half a year.

Upon returning to the country a few days ago, he thought he had finally found some peace, but he still found himself going to see Wen Shuang’s dance performance first thing. She was still dancing so beautifully, so ethereal. Not only had she not regressed, she had reached an even higher level than before!

Wen Shuang reflected on recent events, unsure whether she was truly doing well or not. She gave a bitter smile. "I always feel like I’m lucky one moment and unlucky the next. The misfortune is that I keep having accidents, but the luck is that I seem to come out of them unscathed every time."

Xia Hanyan said in a deep voice, "Ms. Wen will, of course, always be safe."

After chatting for a while, Wen Shuang began to feel sleepy. Xia Hanyan tucked her in and told her to get some rest.

However, Wen Shuang couldn't fall asleep. She stared at her phone screen, debating whether to message Ji Shen to tell him she was in the hospital again. In the past, she would have told him immediately. But now... she suddenly didn't want to disturb him.

She drifted between sleep and wakefulness. Even though she was exhausted, she couldn't help but keep her attention on the phone by her pillow. She woke up several times, and each time, the first thing she did was check to see if Ji Shen had sent her a message.

But each time, there was nothing.