Chapter 149: Chapter 149: Unexpected Stranger
The sharp scent of antiseptic filled the air.
When Yue Ning opened her eyes, the world swam in and out of focus. Her eyes took in the sterile white walls, dim lights, and the rhythmic beeping of a heart monitor. Pain radiated from her ribs, spreading like a slow fire across her chest.
Her throat was dry and her lips... cracked.
"Where... am I?" she croaked, her voice hoarse.
’Host... you are safe... for now...’
The mechanical voice was faint, static laced in every word.
Her pupils trembled. "System?"
’Yes... system—reboot... seventy-two percent complete...’
She tried to sit up, but the pain made her gasp sharply. Her hand went to her side, feeling the bandages wrapped tightly around her waist.
Her memories rushed back—the sound of tires screeching, the black sedan, the impact.
"Someone tried to kill me..." she whispered.
’Affirmative,’ the system replied weakly. ’Target... identified as... external threat linked to Madam He’s directive.’
Her chest tightened. "So she really sent someone after me."
Silence. Then, unexpectedly, the voice returned, lower and softer. It was almost human.
’I was not supposed to let this happen.’
Her brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"
Static crackled again.
’Protocol prevents me from full intervention... but... your survival probability without assistance was... zero-point-eight percent...’
A pause. Then, faintly—
’You must not die yet... because your existence is tied to—’
The voice cut out abruptly.
"System?" she called out. "What do you mean? Tied to what?" Her tone was frantic.
Only the hum of the machines answered her.
Her pulse raced. Whatever the system had almost said, it wasn’t meant for her to hear. But she wanted to hear it regardless.
Outside the room, faint footsteps echoed down the corridor. Someone had arrived.
The door opened quietly, and Huo Feng stepped in.
He looked exhausted. His eyes were rimmed red, his jaw tight with restrained emotion. The moment his gaze met Yue Ning’s, something in him softened.
"You’re awake," he said, his voice low but trembling with relief.
Yue Ning’s lips parted, but no sound came out. All she could do was stare at the man standing before her, every line of his face drawn with fatigue and worry.
"I haven’t left this room since you were brought in," he added quietly, as though afraid to disturb the fragile calm.
Her chest ached for reasons she couldn’t name. "Huo Feng..."
He pulled a chair closer and sat beside her, his movements slow, cautious as though she might shatter at the slightest touch.
"You scared me," he murmured, gaze fixed on her bandaged hand. "The doctor said the injuries were fatal... when I saw all that blood..." His voice broke, and he exhaled shakily.
Yue Ning lowered her gaze. "It wasn’t an accident," she whispered.
His head snapped up. "What did you say?"
"It wasn’t an accident," she repeated, her tone firmer now. "Someone tried to kill me."
Huo Feng froze, disbelief flashing in his eyes, quickly replaced by fury. "Who?"
Her lips parted, but the words wouldn’t come. Somewhere deep in her mind, the system’s fragmented voice whispered again — ’external threat... Madam He’s directive...’
But it had gone silent before she could confirm it.
So instead, she whispered, "I... don’t know yet."
Huo Feng clenched his fists. "Then I’ll find out."
Yue Ning’s heart thudded, not just from fear but from something far more complicated. The man who had always seemed composed and untouchable now radiated a quiet, protective rage.
Yue Ning turned her face slightly, avoiding his intense gaze. "Please don’t worry too much. I’ll recover soon."
Huo Feng exhaled deeply and brushed a hand over his face. "How can I not worry?" His voice trembled despite his attempt to remain calm. "When I found you lying there—" He stopped himself, shaking his head as if forcing away the image. "Just rest. I’ll handle everything else."
Before Yue Ning could respond, there was a knock on the door.
Huo Feng stood immediately, his sharp tone betraying his unease. "Who is it?"
A nurse entered, pushing a small cart of medicine. "Mr. Huo, the doctor asked me to change the patient’s IV line."
He nodded, then glanced back at Yue Ning. "I’ll step out and talk to the doctor about her test results. Don’t move too much, alright?"
She gave a faint nod, watching him leave. The door closed softly behind him.
Silence returned, except for the soft ticking of the monitor beside her bed.
The nurse smiled faintly as she adjusted the drip. "You’re lucky, ma’am. The car missed your vitals by an inch. A little slower, and it would’ve been over."
Yue Ning’s heart skipped as she asked. "You were there?"
The nurse’s smile didn’t waver, but something in her eyes flickered. It was a strange glint which shouldn’t belong in a nurse’s gaze.
"No," she said lightly. "But I heard."
Yue Ning frowned. The woman’s tone was too calm, too practiced. Something about her uniform seemed... off.
"Who—" Yue Ning began, but before she could finish, the nurse leaned closer, her lips curving into a thin smile.
"It’s fascinating, isn’t it?" she whispered. "How a character can start thinking she’s real."
Yue Ning’s blood ran cold, her eyes sharpening.
"What did you say?"
The nurse’s eyes gleamed with amusement. "You shouldn’t exist, Yue Ning. You weren’t supposed to live past the wedding banquet."
The voice — the cadence — it didn’t sound like a stranger’s. It was eerily human, almost mocking.
"You—who are you?"
The woman chuckled softly. "Someone who knows your creator very well."
Yue Ning’s breath hitched. "The author..."
"Oh, she’s thrilled by your little rebellion," the woman sneered. "You’ve turned her story upside down, and she’s riding that wave of success like it’s hers. But I—" she leaned closer, her whisper cutting through the sterile air— "I’m here to fix the mistake she refuses to correct."
Before Yue Ning could react, the woman reached for the IV tube.
Yue Ning’s heart pounded. She tried to move, but her body felt weak, her hands trembling.
Suddenly—
The lights flickered. Then, there was a faint chime echoed in her ears.
’System reboot complete.’
The mechanical tone rang sharp and clear.
’Unauthorized entity detected. Host in danger.’
A burst of white light flared from the holographic panel, and the "nurse" staggered back with a startled cry.
Yue Ning gasped as the light intensified and when it dimmed, the woman was gone.
She had vanished.
The room was empty and silent again, except for Yue Ning and the soft hum of the machines.
She stared at the space where the stranger had stood, heart racing, and mind reeling from the encounter.
"System," she whispered, her voice shaking. "Who was that?"
The system paused for a long time before answering.
’An interference from the external source.’
"External source?"
’Yes,’ the voice replied slowly, as though choosing its words carefully. ’Someone from your world, Host.’
Yue Ning’s breath trembled. "My... world?"
’For now,’ the system said, its voice colder, ’focus on surviving. The connection between worlds has begun to weaken.’
Yue Ning’s lips parted, but she couldn’t speak.
When Huo Feng returned with the doctor, the room was already calm
There was no trace of the woman and no sign of the light.
Only Yue Ning, sitting silently with wide, unreadable eyes.