The fragrance of juniper berry wine wafted around her, the transparent liquid taking on an orange-yellow hue as it swirled, and she seemed to catch a whiff of iris.

Gradually, her eyelids grew heavier, and the thick rug on the living room floor felt like sinking into soft clouds as she lay upon it.

At some point, she felt her phone vibrate several times where it rested beside her, but she was too tired, finding it difficult even to open her eyes. So after some struggle, she drifted off to sleep again, not waking until after 10 the next morning to find several messages from colleagues.

She sat up, accidentally knocking over the glass bottle beside her onto the rug, fully rousing her. She then realized her throat felt a bit dry and sore.

Her head also ached slightly.

Perhaps the air conditioning had blown on her all night, causing her to catch a mild cold. She tried coughing, her voice coming out a bit hoarse.

Possibly a slight cold.

Tang Man felt this might be what was called “post-breakup syndrome.” She glanced at the time on her phone screen and, unsurprisingly, decided to skip work since it was too late to go in at this hour anyway.

As she replied to messages, she walked barefoot toward the kitchen, poured herself a glass of chilled water, and drank a large gulp, alleviating the dry soreness in her throat.

The date for Yang Qing’s surgery had been set for this Wednesday, just two or three days away. Any further delay would mean three months, by which time her belly would likely be showing, making an abortion much riskier and more damaging to her body. So the timing was urgent.

The Gu family was powerful and influential – Tang Man didn’t need to worry about that. Gu Yuanke could arrange everything.

She tidied up and prepared to go out to meet a friend, taking the opportunity to buy some medicine as well.

Whenever she fell ill, she tended to experience a chain reaction. A minor ailment could easily escalate into a more severe illness, leaving her unwell for several consecutive days.

The hospital was quite busy today. Downstairs, she saw many patients, with ambulances wailing non-stop outside. It seemed a major multi-vehicle collision had occurred at an intersection, with several small cars colliding in a chain reaction, including a school bus filled with children.

The hospital’s nurses and doctors were extremely busy, with several stretchers being brought down from the vehicles and wheeled into the lobby amidst chaos.

She passed through the lobby and went upstairs, where it remained serene as always. Bel Yar was meeting with a patient, so Tang Man sat outside, waiting. She didn’t feel like browsing her phone, instead calmly observing the patches of light seeping through the transparent glass windows from the distant hallway.

After a long while, when Bel Yar emerged from the office, she noticed Tang Man sitting calmly yet distantly on the chair, gazing at the sunlight filtering through the rectangular window at the end of the hallway. Sometimes, the natural shadows cast by sunlight seemed more interesting than any color.

“Long time no see,” said Bel Yar, taking a seat beside Tang Man. “What brings you here today?”

“Just came to see you,” she replied, lifting a bag of medicine from the chair beside her and placing it on her lap. She took out a bottle, popped two pills from the foil packaging into her mouth, and swallowed, her expression unchanged as she tasted the bitterness. “Also came to buy some medicine. I might have a slight cold.”

Bel Yar stood up, fetched a cup of warm water from the office, and handed it to her. “Catching a cold in this weather—you’re quite talented.”

Tang Man thanked her before accepting the water, taking a sip to wash away the bitterness in her mouth. She then pressed her brow and said, “I drank last night and had the air conditioning blowing on me all night. I woke up feeling a bit off.”

Bel Yar asked, “You’re not with Du Henian anymore?”

She remembered Du Henian used to forbid Tang Man from drinking outside. For a while, this woman was an alcoholic, frequenting every bar in the city, big and small. She would sit at the bar all night, drinking. No matter how high her alcohol tolerance, she couldn’t help but get tipsy. Several times when Du Henian came to pick her up, his expression was grim. After that, they never went out together again.

Tang Man smiled. “That’s all ancient history.”

“You know I introduced Si Jiahe to you recently and asked you to help take a look at him.”

Bel Yar, holding a cup of water, took a sip and leaned back against the chair. “As a doctor, I shouldn’t pry into matters I shouldn’t. Besides, Si Jiahe is very tight-lipped. He’s only soft-natured around you. In front of others, he’s as tough as nails, with a sharp temper.”

“Just a couple of years ago, he was a decent young man. Now look at how he’s become.”

Tang Man gazed at the patch of sunlight on the floor, shifted slightly, and smiled. “Who knows?”

Her tone was too indifferent. Bel Yar couldn’t help but glance at her. After a few seconds, she said, somewhat inexplicably, “You didn’t come here to buy medicine and see me on the side. You came to see me and bought medicine on the side, didn’t you?”

Tang Man smiled and turned to face Bel Yar. “I’m planning to go away for a while.”

“Hm?” Bel Yar hadn’t yet grasped the implication of Tang Man’s words and casually asked, “Where to?”

“Not sure yet.” Who knows?

Tang Man said, “The return date is undecided.”

Bel Yar finally realized Tang Man wasn’t referring to a short business trip or vacation. She couldn’t help but furrow her brow, curious. “What debt have you incurred that requires you to hide away for so long?”

Tang Man’s expression remained unchanged as she casually remarked, her drooping eyes betraying a hint of weariness. “I’m just a bit tired. I thought I’d take advantage of my youth and travel for a while. After all, my savings are enough to ensure I won’t have to worry about food or drink in the future. The annual dividends I receive will allow me to live comfortably. It’s a good opportunity to travel.”

Otherwise, the whole mess with the elder Tang and Yang Qing would undoubtedly spread to her as well.

Upon hearing Tang Man’s words, Bel Yar expressed envy and resentment. “You didn’t have to say that in front of me.”

Tang Man smiled, then changed the subject. This visit was merely to bid farewell, as she would be away for an extended period, potentially unable to contact anyone for a long time.

“How’s your daughter Bel Ray? Still as mischievous as ever?”

Bel Yar rolled her eyes, then spoke about her daughter in the same tone. “Same as always, never wanting to go to school. Last week, the teacher called me, saying she got into a fight with a boy at school and that I needed to come in. These days, she’s been asking me when you’re coming to play with her again.”

Tang Man smiled. “I’ll go see her the next time I return.”

Bel Ray was the daughter of Bel Yar and her ex-husband. After the divorce, she had lived with Bel Yar, though Tang Man wasn’t very clear on the details. According to Bel Yar, her ex-husband’s presence was so faint, it was almost as if he didn’t exist.

Bel Yar said, “Next time you visit, don’t bring any gifts. You know her temperament. She’s obsessed with beauty and gets terribly fussy. I don’t know who she takes after.”

Tang Man responded with a casual “mm,” not taking it to heart. She had only met Bel Yar’s little girl a few times. Just a beauty-loving young lady—she couldn’t say she particularly liked or disliked her. At her age, Tang Man wasn’t yet at the stage of adoring human cubs. Any affection she showed was merely out of respect for the adults.

However, as Tang Man was about to leave, Bel Yar called out to her, waving her hand and saying from upstairs as Tang Man descended the staircase, “Tang Man, if you meet someone suitable on your journey, give love a fair chance. Try a relationship that might have a good outcome. You’ll feel differently.”

Tang Man didn’t respond, simply smiling and waving goodbye.