CHAPTER 104

"When can Xiaoci be discharged from the hospital?" Qin Zhongying asked.

Shan Cong replied, "We'll observe her for another night at the hospital. If everything is fine, she can be discharged."

"Oh, by the way, we need to pay attention to Ye Lianyin's situation. The fetus is already ten weeks old, and we must make up for the lack of pheromones from earlier. Otherwise, it will have a significant impact on the Omega's body."

"Tomorrow, I will talk to Ye Lianyin. For the next two weeks, she needs to absorb Qin Zhaoci's pheromones every day. At twelve weeks, we'll have her come to the hospital for a check-up."

"Okay, we will remind Yinyin about that." Qin Zhongying nodded repeatedly.

After leaving Shan Cong's office, Rao Antong and Qin Zhongying finally felt a sense of relief. They had experienced the fear of losing their daughter, but now she was back, and they also had a granddaughter. What could bring them more joy?

.....

"Are you awake?" Qin Zhaoci looked out the window, gazing at the evening sky. Suddenly, she felt movement in her arms.

"Yes." Ye Lianyin rubbed her eyes. The tiredness on her face hadn't completely faded, but she appeared much more spirited than when Qin Zhaoci had just woken up.

In fact, Ye Lianyin didn't sleep very soundly during that nap. She woke up several times and clung to Qin Zhaoci's clothes even while asleep, showing a lack of security.

Every time Ye Lianyin woke up, Qin Zhaoci would patiently kissed her forehead, gently patted her back, and softly coaxed her, "I'm here, I'm here, don't be afraid, don't be afraid."

This version of Qin Zhaoci made Ye Lianyin feel like she had crossed into another world. Throughout this past month, Qin Zhaoci's presence had been constantly present in her dreams.

But every time she woke up, she realized it was just a dream. However, today, as she opened her eyes and felt the warmth beside her, it reminded her that this was not a dream—Qin Zhaoci had truly come back alive.

"Are you hungry?" Qin Zhaoci looked down at Ye Lianyin and kissed her forehead.

"I'm fine." Ye Lianyin shook her head. "Are you hungry?" "Yes, I am." Qin Zhaoci nodded. "Shall I call the hotel to have some food delivered?"

"Yes," Ye Lianyin looked at Qin Zhaoci's face, filled with affection, and nodded.

Qin Zhaoci instinctively looked at her damaged optical brain on her arm. It had been damaged by the shockwave of the explosion.

So she raised Ye Lianyin's hand and used her optical brain to make the call.

After ordering a few dishes that they both loved, Qin Zhaoci was about to hang up when Ye Lianyin suddenly added, "And a spicy and sour shredded potato dish, please."

"Okay, add another spicy and sour shredded potato dish." Qin Zhaoci nodded and then hung up the phone.

"My optical brain is broken. What should I do now?" Qin Zhaoci held Ye Lianyin, feeling a bit worried.

Ye Lianyin shook her head. "It's okay. While you were unconscious these past few days, Mother has already arranged for someone to create a brand new optical brain for you. Your optical brain data will be synchronized, and during the month you were missing, Sun Sui has been taking care of the tea business as usual, so there's no difference."

"That's good." Qin Zhaoci breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm really grateful to Sun Sui."

"Yes." Ye Lianyin nodded. "She's very capable."

Qin Zhaoci nodded, thoughtfully stroking her chin. "It seems that after this narrow escape, when I return to the company, I will promote Sun Sui."

"Yes, that's appropriate." Ye Lianyin agreed with a nod. "She played a significant role in stabilizing the company's stock price so quickly."

"Ms. Qin." just as Ye Lianyin finished speaking, the door to the ward suddenly rang. "Your dinner has arrived."

Qin Zhaoci glanced at the coffee table in front of the hospital bed and pointed. "Just put the food on the coffee table."

"Okay." the delivery person opened their suitcase and began placing the food on the coffee table.

After the food was arranged, Ye Lianyin got off the bed first, followed by Qin Zhaoci. The two sat down by the coffee table, holding hands.

"Let's eat." Qin Zhaoci picked up a piece of sweet and sour spare ribs, Ye Lianyin's favorite, and offered it to her. "You've lost a lot of weight. Eat more. You need to regain the lost weight."

"You too, eat more." Ye Lianyin picked up a piece of braised pork and handed it to Qin Zhaoci. "When Wan Baiyun brought you back, she said you had fractures in several places. How did you endure this month?"

Qin Zhaoci chewed and swallowed the braised pork with satisfaction, then nodded. "I know a bit about orthopedics. Although I didn't have the necessary tools, I endured the pain and realigned the bones."

"Because I didn't know when you would find me, when I woke up, I was already inside the protective shield, drifting aimlessly in space. I didn't even know if I would be swallowed by a black hole and disappear."

"The explosion happened so suddenly, I was completely unprepared. I didn't even know where this protective shield came from. But thanks to this shield, it protected me, or else I might have died."

"Yeah." Ye Lianyin thought about Qin Zhaoci drifting alone in space, without anyone to talk to. She imagined the despair she must have felt, and her heart ached. "The protective shield was a birthday gift from General Zhou. Do you remember the chip he gave you? It was developed by the Imperial Army."

"General Zhou gave it to you just as a precautionary measure, but he wasn't sure if the protective shield could withstand such an explosion. After the explosion, he thought of it and informed us, arranging for the military to conduct a search and rescue operation. If it weren't for General Zhou, everyone would have lost hope long ago."

"After all, in such an explosion, it's almost impossible for anyone to survive. Your return is truly a blessing from above."

"Indeed, it's a blessing from above." Qin Zhaoci looked at Ye Lianyin, her eyes filled with tears. "During this month, I thought of you every day. If it weren't for the desire to come back alive and see you, I probably wouldn't have been able to hold on."

"Space is so lonely. I lay in the protective shield, able to see the stars, but I felt as if the whole world had abandoned me. I drifted aimlessly, feeling that the stars, which I had never found terrifying before, were now incredibly frightening. They just stayed there in silent, motionless, lonely and terrifying, enough to scared me."

"I didn't know if you would directly announce my death and give up searching for me. After all, the explosion was so devastating, and everyone understood that no one could survive, and it was impossible to find the body. So, I was always uncertain."

"I lay in the protective shield, not knowing how much time had passed. I only knew that when I was hungry, I ate something, and when I was tired, I slept. I quietly waited, hoping that someone would find me. It was fortunate that the fractures caused by the explosion kept my mind clear due to the pain. Otherwise, I would have collapsed long ago."

Ye Lianyin listened to Qin Zhaoci's experience and understood what she had been through during the past month. She gently touched Qin Zhaoci's face with a heart full of compassion. "Fortunately, everyone didn't give up, and you're still alive. I'm so glad that you're still alive."

"I'm sorry for making you worry." Qin Zhaoci said with guilt, pursing her lips. She knew that her drifting in space for this past month was difficult for her, and it was equally difficult for Ye Lianyin and her loved ones.

When she woke up and saw Qin Zhongying and Rao Antong, they had both lost weight and looked much more haggard.

Searching aimlessly in space, searching for someone who might not even be found, filled with hope time and time again, only to be disappointed time and time again. If it were her, she might have already lost hope.

"Let's eat." Ye Lianyin said, looking at Qin Zhaoci's guilty expression. She picked up a piece of meat and handed it to Qin Zhaoci. "Otherwise, the food will get cold."

"What about you?" Qin Zhaoci looked at the rice in Ye Lianyin's bowl that had hardly been touched. "You barely ate anything."

"I'll start eating now." Ye Lianyin lowered her head and began to devour the sweet and sour spare ribs that Qin Zhaoci had picked for her.

"The chef at the hotel is getting better and better. Having a good foundation is really nice." Qin Zhaoci said as she ate her food, nodding in appreciation. "It was the ingredients and sauces in the Empire that limited their skills. Now, the food they make is much better than what I used to make."

"No, I think the dishes you make are the most delicious." Ye Lianyin took a bite of rice. "I love the food you make."

"Hehe," Qin Zhaoci heard that Ye Lianyin only liked the food she made, and she laughed happily. She leaned in and kissed Ye Lianyin's lips, saying, "Then I'll cook for you for the rest of my life."

Qin Zhaoci had just eaten braised pork, and there was still some oil on her lips. The oil stuck to Ye Lianyin's lips. Recently, Ye Lianyin had become more sensitive to smells, and she immediately sensed a greasy smell at the tip of her nose. Then she felt a surge of nausea rising in her chest.

She immediately put down her utensils, pushed Qin Zhaoci away, covered her mouth, and rushed into the nearby restroom.

Innocently blinking her eyes, Qin Zhaoci heard the sounds of vomiting coming from the restroom.

While wondering if she had bad breath, Qin Zhaoci down her utensils and walked quickly towards the restroom.

"Ugh," Ye Lianyin hugged the toilet, her face looking unpleasant. She had vomited everything she had just eaten, but the smell at the tip of her nose hadn't dissipated, causing her to feel nauseous.

Qin Zhaoci worriedly patted her back and quickly turned around to pour water for her.

Ye Lianyin took the water cup, rinsed her mouth, and splashed water on her face to recover.

"What happened, Yinyin?" Qin Zhaoci had a mournful expression on her face. "Do I have bad breath? Haah, haah, haah..."

Qin Zhaoci turned around, facing away from Ye Lianyin, cupping her hands over her mouth, and seriously exhaled a few breaths, trying to smell if she had bad breath.

However, she couldn't really detect any problem on herself, and in the end, she could only mournfully say, "Can I still kiss you in the future then? How long does it take to treat bad breath at the hospital?"

"No," Ye Lianyin saw her pitiful self-doubt, and the irritation she felt from vomiting a moment ago instantly dissipated. She just found Qin Zhaoci incredibly adorable, so she walked over, looking at her with an indulgent gaze, and pinched her face. 

She smiled and said, "You don't have bad breath. I just thought the braised pork was a bit greasy. Next time, don't kiss me while eating. We wasted the food we just ate."

"Oh, I see." Qin Zhaoci breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought something was wrong with my body this past month, like bad breath. It scared me."

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