Chapter 35: The Beautiful Waste

Jiang Yuan replied almost instantly, "Xiao Jin, you’ve finally made up your mind."

Wen Jin did not respond. She stayed in the bathroom until she had calmed her emotions before stepping out.

Sheng Yang had just emerged from the study. The dark, brooding look in his eyes had faded, replaced by his usual indifferent expression. Yet, as he looked at Wen Jin, there was still a hint of scrutiny in his gaze.

"Until I return, you had better stay here," he said.

Wen Jin remained calm. "That is illegal confinement."

Sheng Yang raised an eyebrow, remarking nonchalantly, "But you are here of your own volition."

He did not believe Wen Jin had the capacity to resist him. She had always been this way; even when angry, her resentment never lasted long. Even if she was particularly upset this time because of Wen You, he assumed she would be easy to appease.

However, Sheng Yang overlooked one crucial point: he had never once actually tried to appease her. It was always Wen Jin who took the initiative to forgive him. Having stood at the pinnacle for so long, he had grown accustomed to everyone following his commands. He had never considered what might happen if one day, the person who cherished him simply walked away.

The sound of the door closing echoed through the apartment, leaving Wen Jin alone. Sheng Yang had locked the door from the outside, and Wen Jin could not open it from within.

They were on the 22nd floor. Standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows and looking down, everything on the street below seemed minuscule.

Qiao Qiao called; Wen Jin had originally planned to have hot pot with her that evening. As soon as the call connected, Wen Jin said, "I can't make it."

After learning the situation, Qiao Qiao was furious. "What exactly is Sheng Yang playing at? Doesn't he know you have a severe pollen allergy? Why would he take you to Yaxuan?"

The Yaxuan residential area was most famous for its vast array of flowers, marketed under the gimmick of being a "hanging garden."

Only then did it dawn on Wen Jin that her earlier nausea had been a reaction to the allergy. When Sheng Yang brought her upstairs, every path they had walked was lined with dense flower beds. Her body began to itch, and her throat started to feel constricted and uncomfortable.

Qiao Qiao was terrified. "Do you have your medicine? I'm coming over right now. I’ll find a way to get you out."

"Okay."

Wen Jin sat on the sofa. She could feel her heart racing faster and her head growing dizzy. Finally, she couldn't help but call Sheng Yang, wanting him to let her out.

The ringing continued until the call was disconnected, but no one answered. Feeling her breath growing shorter and more labored, Wen Jin tried calling again.

This time, it was answered quickly, but it was Wen You’s voice that came through. "Something you need from Sheng Yang?"

Wen Jin suppressed the urge to cough and spoke in a hoarse voice, "Put Sheng Yang on the phone. I have something very important to discuss with him."

She was in such pain.

Wen You, seemingly oblivious to the urgency in her tone, gave a light laugh and said deliberately, "Do you need me to spell it out for you, Wen Jin? Sheng Yang is my fiancé. Do I need to remind you what he might be busy doing with me?"

She hung up the phone immediately.

Clutching her phone, Wen Jin began to cough uncontrollably. Her pollen allergy was severe; the worst instance had once sent her into anaphylactic shock. That time, it had been Sheng Yang who first noticed something was wrong and rushed her to the hospital.

"How is Sheng Yang's condition?" Meanwhile, at a private hospital, Wen You hung up on Wen Jin and asked the man in front of her.

Yin Cheng replied earnestly, "The treatment is yielding even better results than expected. Once the full course is completed, he will make a full recovery."

Wen You nodded. "That's good."

Yin Cheng was Sheng Yang’s attending physician, a protégé of a world-renowned brain specialist. Wen You had once inadvertently helped that specialist.

Xincheng looked at the recent progress report on Sheng Yang and said, "The recurrent amnesia caused by the impact of Mr. Sheng’s car accident is a unique case. May I use his medical records as a model for research?"

Wen You looked at the flickering light above the treatment room door and replied coldly, "Professor Richard promised me that not a single piece of patient information would be leaked."

***

When Wen Jin opened her eyes again, she was in the hospital. The scent of disinfectant was suffocating. Seeing her wake up, Qiao Qiao burst into tears. "You’re finally awake! You have no idea how scared I was!"

Wen Jin’s head was still numb, and it took a moment for her to piece together what had happened. She had nearly fainted from her allergic reaction. Qiao Qiao had brought the property management team to the apartment, insisting that her friend had collapsed inside, which finally forced them to open the door.

If Qiao Qiao hadn't arrived in time, Wen Jin didn't know what might have happened. She reached out and took Qiao Qiao’s hand, whispering, "Thank you."

"Don't talk about that now," Qiao Qiao said, helping her sit up. "The doctor said your tonsils are inflamed, too. Getting some rest is what matters."

Wen Jin felt incredibly exhausted; even lifting her hand felt like a chore.

"Don't bother looking for your phone," Qiao Qiao remarked. "Sheng Yang hasn't sent you a single message."

Wen Jin’s hand paused, then she shook her head. "I don't care about him." She had only been worried about missing a message from Jiang Yuan.

Qiao Qiao handed her the phone and sighed. "I remember Sheng Yang wasn't like this before. He was a jerk, sure, but he wasn't this much of a jerk."

"He really is a 'beautiful piece of trash,' isn't he?" Qiao Qiao never hesitated to heap insults upon Sheng Yang.

Wen Jin managed a weak smile. "Let's not talk about him. I don't want to hear it."

As she spoke, the phone rang. It was Jiang Yuan.

Wen Jin’s expression darkened. She whispered to Qiao Qiao, "I want some water. Could you go buy me a bottle?"

Qiao Qiao said nothing and turned to leave.

Only then did Wen Jin answer the call. Jiang Yuan’s voice came through instantly, as gentle as ever: "Xiao Jin, I was busy earlier. I only just had time to call you back."

Wen Jin’s tone remained cold: "Ms. Jiang."

Jiang Yuan gave a bitter laugh. "Do you still hate me so much? I had no choice regarding what happened back then."

"Besides, I had originally intended to send you to a wealthy family. Who knew you would end up being picked up by that couple? You have truly suffered all these years."

Wen Jin didn't want to hear her repeat what had been said hundreds of times before. She cut her off, "My parents have treated me very well. You need not concern yourself."

"I am troubling you for this matter, and as compensation—"

Jiang Yuan said helplessly, "Xiao Jin, must you speak to me with such detachment?"

"You want to leave Jing City and leave the Sheng family, don't you?" Jiang Yuan softened her tone. "I will help you."

"Why don't you come to Los Angeles when the time comes?"

After ending the call with Jiang Yuan, Wen Jin closed her eyes to rest. Despite her physical exhaustion, her mind remained painfully clear.

She truly despised being entangled with Jiang Yuan. But right now, compared to Jiang Yuan, she wanted to get away from Sheng Yang even more.