Chapter 534 - 368: Don’t Get in the Way of Our Marital Bonding

Chapter 534: Chapter 368: Don’t Get in the Way of Our Marital Bonding

"Hey, sleepyhead, wake up."

Drowsily, she heard a familiar voice calling to her, accompanied by a persistent tapping on her cheek.

Erica’s eyelids twitched. With great effort, she pried them open. Through the narrowest of slits, she saw a familiar face and thought for a moment that she must be dreaming.

Seeing how much she was struggling, Lin Chen was amused and used his thumb and forefinger to pry her eyelids open.

"Wake up! No more sleeping!"

"...Huh?"

The very real sensation finally brought her slowly to her senses.

When she realized Lin Chen had actually traveled all this way to see her, her face lit up with incredulous joy. She flung her arms around his neck and planted a hard kiss on him.

Jin Meiyan, standing just a few meters away, watched the scene unfold. Her lips twitched, and she couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

’How is this so different from what I imagined? So much for subtlety... Is this it?’

’This can’t even be called subtle anymore, can it? Who’s that blatant about things?’

But she knew Erica had no idea what was going on between her and Lin Chen. A reaction like this was only natural.

’Ultimately, she was the problem. She couldn’t blame anyone else.’

’Damn it... Is this what it feels like to be the other woman?’

’I have to admire the women who can be the mistress and still fight for a man so brazenly. Their nerves of steel are truly something else.’

’So why do I feel so guilty?’

Lin Chen hadn’t expected Erica’s first move upon waking to be a sneak attack. His eyes flicked subconsciously toward Jin Meiyan as he quickly pushed Erica back.

"What are you doing? Meiyan’s here."

"Oh?"

Only then did Erica notice Jin Meiyan standing awkwardly at the door to the room, holding a bouquet of flowers. Her head was bowed, her gaze fixed on the tips of her shoes. Erica rushed over and wrapped her in a big hug.

"Sorry, sorry, Meiyan! I didn’t realize you were here too. I’ll be more careful next time!"

’Next time?’

Jin Meiyan grumbled inwardly.

’Once you find out about me and Oppa, you’ll probably want to kill me, won’t you?’

’Aigoo, this is killing me. Maybe I should just make a run for it?’

Lin Chen could tell at a glance that she wasn’t doing well. Knowing he was the cause of the situation, he quickly went over and knocked on the hospital room door, separating the two women in the process.

"Come in."

Lady Marcia’s deep yet clear voice came from inside the room.

Lin Chen swallowed nervously. Steeling himself, he turned the doorknob and walked in, forcing a smile onto his face.

A flicker of surprise crossed Marcia’s eyes when she saw him. Clearly, she hadn’t expected him to arrive so quickly—only an hour or so after she had.

However, there were no direct flights to Chicago from the city she’d been in at the time of the incident; she’d had to take a connecting flight. All things considered, their arrival times made sense.

Just as she was about to greet him, her eyes landed on Jin Meiyan, who was following her daughter into the room holding a bouquet of flowers.

A businesswoman’s keen instincts kicked in instantly. Her brow furrowed as her sharp gaze swept over the newcomer, sizing her up from head to toe.

’Her looks, her figure, her aura, her style... and even the composition of that bouquet.’

’Not simple!’

"Dad!"

Erica pulled Lin Chen over to the hospital bed and excitedly introduced them to her father.

"He’s Lin Chen, the one I told you about in my texts. We’re business partners!"

"And this is our new friend, Jin Meiyan. She’s Korean, but she was born in the United States. She’s a vlogger, just like us, but way more successful. We were just about to ask her for some advice!"

While Erica chattered on, introducing them to her father, Marcia stepped aside and moved to Jin Meiyan’s side, smiling as she took the bouquet from her.

"Thank you, Miss Meiyan. The flowers are beautiful. On behalf of my husband, thank you for your kindness."

"Oh, n-no, it’s nothing. It’s customary for Asians to bring flowers when visiting someone who is sick!"

Even though she already knew who this woman was, meeting her gaze felt like a suffocating pressure washing over her in a tidal wave.

It felt as if, just by being there, Marcia had seen right through her, even though she hadn’t done a single thing wrong.

’What a terrifying woman!’

Erica’s father, a man who had spent his life in the forest, living in tune with nature and its creatures, first greeted them with a smile. He thanked Lin Chen for the fruit basket, his gaze then drifting, intentionally or not, to Jin Meiyan, who stood a few meters away.

His eyes lingered on her for a moment before shifting to his own daughter’s bright, innocent smile. He said nothing, simply gesturing for Lin Chen and Erica to sit down.

Seeing this, Marcia excused herself and stepped out of the room to handle a work call.

To break the awkward silence, Lin Chen took out an apple and began to peel it, using the opportunity to explain some Daxia Culture to Erica’s father.

"For example, giving a fruit basket to a patient in the hospital is a wish for a speedy recovery. This apple symbolizes peace—in Daxia Culture, the words sound similar. And bananas are full of nutrients, great for someone who’s recuperating..."

"And this bouquet—Meiyan personally picked out every single flower and showed the florist how to arrange them. I had no idea she was skilled in flower arrangement. She even drummed up business for the shop. It was pretty funny watching the owner pestering her for her contact information, begging for lessons."

"What?! Meiyan, you picked these out yourself? Why didn’t you tell me you had this talent? You have to teach me!"

"Huh? You never asked. In South Korea, some of the most popular classes for women are things like yoga, Pilates, and general fitness, but also perfumery and flower arranging. Lots of people take them..."

While Erica peppered Jin Meiyan with questions, Lin Chen found himself under the gaze of the bandaged man on the bed. In just a few seconds, he could feel tiny beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Just being stared at like that made him more nervous than he had been when facing a pack of wolves.

"Call me Hans, young man. No need to be so nervous."

Hans’s swarthy face was full of wrinkles that deepened when he smiled. Years of roughing it outdoors, exposed to the wind and sun, had made him look much older than his peers.

"You’re here to visit a friend’s father, not to propose. Relax. Channel that same energy you had when you faced down those wolves and that Black Bear."

Before Lin Chen could respond, Erica, having overheard the trigger word, immediately protested.

"Propose? Dad, what are you talking about?!"

"I have no intention of ever getting married! Even if you do, you might get divorced or end up alone anyway. So what’s the point? It’s easier being single, isn’t it?"

"Haha, our baby girl is all grown up. Already learned how to make fun of her old man. Alright, alright, my mistake. As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters."

Hans let out a hearty laugh, and just like that, the subject was dropped.

Looking completely bewildered, Lin Chen cut the peeled apple in his palm in two. With a pair of deft, angled cuts, he removed the core. He handed one half to Hans, then cut the other half again and gave the pieces to Erica and Jin Meiyan.

He then picked up another apple and started peeling, not forgetting that Marcia was still outside.

Hans took the apple, his eyes glancing at the pieces in the two girls’ hands, before silently taking a large bite and chewing thoughtfully.

"Hmm... a peeled apple is definitely easier to eat, but you lose a lot of the nutrients."

"Oh, come on, Dad. Someone’s peeling an apple for you for free and you’re still being picky? The one outside doesn’t even know how!"

"What can’t I peel?"

Marcia, who had just finished her call and was pushing the door open, asked curiously. Her eyes fell on the apples in their hands and the small knife in Lin Chen’s.

She threw up her hands and admitted unabashedly, "An apple? No, I really can’t peel one of those. With a peeler, sure."

"Anyone can use a peeler. That takes zero skill."

Erica rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Besides, in all these years, I’ve never once seen you cut fruit for Dad."

She was being tactful. If she’d wanted to be cruel, she would have said it wasn’t just fruit she hadn’t seen her cut—she’d barely seen her mother at all.

Jin Meiyan keenly sensed the strained atmosphere between Erica and her mother. She glanced instinctively at Lin Chen and saw that he was already playing the peacemaker and changing the subject. In that moment, everything clicked.

Fortunately, Hans’s injuries weren’t serious, and with Marcia around, there was nothing to worry about.

They only stayed for two days before Hans shooed them away, telling them not to get in the way of him and his wife "rekindling their romance." He added that young people should be working hard and not wasting precious opportunities.

As a polite gesture, Lin Chen ordered chicken soup from a Chinese restaurant and personally delivered it before they left.

Other foreigners might not be accustomed to all Chinese food, but chicken soup was universal. The most common base in Western restaurants was chicken stock, so he didn’t need to explain that it was nutritious and perfect for a patient’s recovery.

It was rare for them to take a trip like this, so they weren’t in a hurry to head back. Erica planned to show them around the city of Chicago and also wanted to make time for a visit to the forest where she used to work.

It was a place that held more than two decades of her memories. It was her true home.

It was rare to see her so excited, so both Lin Chen and Jin Meiyan tacitly avoided certain topics, careful not to let anything seem amiss.

「Until the last night before they left.」

At a window table in the rooftop restaurant of a five-star hotel, Erica raised her glass, gently swirling the crimson wine. Her eyes were exceptionally bright.

"Lin, and Meiyan, thank you so much for flying all this way just to see my dad. Following your Asian customs, I’ll use this drink to express my gratitude!"

With that, she raised her glass and downed it in one gulp.

"Hey!"

Lin Chen grabbed her arm as she reached to pour a second glass. "Slow down. Red wine has a kick. Have you already forgotten how you got drunk after just a few glasses last time?"

"Last time?"

Both Erica and Jin Meiyan froze, clearly remembering the same thing.

Before Erica could say a word, Jin Meiyan snatched the bottle and poured another half-glass into Erica’s cup, then poured one for herself as well.

"Unnie, let’s leave it at that. I’ll toast to you!"