Village Doctor's Women-Chapter 218 - 212 Both of them had no regrets left

「The night before.」

"We’re having dinner with Xiao Jian and the others tomorrow," Zhang Li said.

Lying in bed, neither Zhang Li nor Li Liping could sleep. The decision to leave Shanghai City for Demon City filled them with reluctance. They had been preparing for this moment ever since the incident.

That time, Zhang Li had learned a painful lesson from improperly taking medication—an exceedingly graphic one. To this day, neither of them could forget the sight of the entire room covered in blood. Although that wasn’t the primary reason, it contributed to their desire to move.

"We’re heading to Demon City the day after tomorrow..." Zhang Li muttered. "If you have anything you want to say to Xiao Jian, this is your last chance."

"..."

In the darkness, Li Liping, who had been resting with her eyes closed, snapped them open at his words. She couldn’t tell if Zhang Li was joking or not.

Li Liping waited for a long while, but Zhang Li said nothing more. In the dark room, only the sound of their breathing remained. As she waited, she eventually heard Zhang Li’s snores.

***

Everyone was drunk; only Li Liping remained sober.

After settling the others, who were now passed out, Li Liping’s thoughts began to race.

She helped Wang Jian back to his room. The moment she let go of him by the bed, he collapsed onto it, sprawling out like a starfish.

"Did he really drink that much?"

Wang Jian didn’t respond. He had clearly had too much. Li Liping chuckled and turned to leave, but after she was gone, Wang Jian groggily opened his bleary eyes. The sound of the door closing had caught his attention.

He was indeed very drunk and groggy, only stirring because he had sensed Li Liping’s movements. Realizing he was in his own room, Wang Jian relaxed and drifted back to sleep, unconcerned by the voice and the closing door he had heard moments before.

However, as he slept, Wang Jian smelled a sweet fragrance in his dream.

It was a sweet scent, familiar yet strange. It wasn’t the smell of incense, an air freshener, or a perfume.

In his daze, the scent made Wang Jian feel different, as if every channel in his body had been cleared. The feeling was indescribably comfortable, and it sobered him up by half. This dream felt wonderful.

The corners of Wang Jian’s mouth turned up in a subtle smile.

Wang Jian was a man who rarely dreamed, let alone one with such an enchanting aroma. This piqued his curiosity, and he searched his memory, confirming that he had never before experienced or even heard of such a dream.

He was still trying to figure out what kind of dream it was when something cool yet warm, and incredibly gentle, pressed against him.

Feeling this sensation, Wang Jian felt as if he had returned to the carefree days of his childhood, completely relaxed. It was like drifting through a sea of light, fluffy white clouds. When he reached out to grasp them, they felt impossibly soft and yielding. The clouds, which should have been intangible, now felt real in his hands—soft, tender handfuls of fluff.

This soft, warm mass wasn’t a single entity; it came in a pair.

Vaguely, Wang Jian also heard a woman’s voice.

He had no desire to wake from such a comfortable, warm dream; it was best to simply remain submerged in it. If he had known getting drunk came with such perks, he would have done it long ago.

He had never drunk like this during his university days; even when he attended gatherings, he drank only casually. Most of his time was spent in the library. After becoming an apprentice, he hadn’t touched alcohol at all because Xu Changqing forbade it. It was only after completing his apprenticeship that Wang Jian was allowed to drink.

Getting as drunk as he had tonight was a first for him. It was a proper send-off for his friends, after all.

"Stop grabbing right there."

Wang Jian heard a voice.

Can clouds talk? A thought surfaced in his mind, but he quickly realized there was a woman in his dream.

However, he was in such a hazy fog that he couldn’t open his eyes or make anything out clearly. Everything felt both illusory and real at the same time. The hazy, mysterious sensation made his heart pound, yet he had no desire to pull away from it.

But it was precisely that voice that made Wang Jian, instead of pulling his hand back, grip even tighter. The voice sounded familiar, so he squeezed harder, his excitement growing.

"It hurts!" the woman in the clouds cried out.

"Who are you?" Wang Jian tried to ask, but the words died on his lips. He mouthed the words, but his tongue felt leaden and refused to obey.

Even in a dream, it felt as real as being awake.

Could this be a so-called lucid dream?

Wang Jian struggled to find control of his tongue, determined to get his question out. But what finally made him aware of his tongue was not his own willpower, but the sweet scent of lipstick.

"Shh, don’t talk."

"Just let me."

The more the girl in his dream spoke, the more familiar she sounded.

She’s definitely someone I know...

But the dream was too overwhelming, his mind too foggy to place her. He was on the very cusp of guessing.

She’s definitely a beautiful woman.

For a moment, Wang Jian thought he saw Ren Yu, but the figure slowly morphed into Xu Qian. That didn’t last long, as it then shifted into the form of Cai Qiong. Finally, the misty, surreal figure solidified.

"Li Liping? So it was you..."

When he finally saw her face clearly, Wang Jian laughed. He never expected that getting this drunk would make him dream of her. But it wasn’t surprising; after all, he might never see her again. When Zhang Li had first mentioned moving, he hadn’t spoken with Li Liping about it, but he had certainly felt a deep reluctance to see her go.

Now that he thought about it, it was a classic case of what you think about by day, you dream of by night.

If this were reality, he might have pushed her away by now. But since it was a dream, he didn’t resist after his initial surprise. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"What, are you surprised? Who did you think it was?" Li Liping’s voice was accompanied by a light laugh. "Or are you afraid of me?"

"Afraid?"

Afraid? In my own dream? How could I be afraid of you?

Wang Jian laughed out loud. This girl has no idea what kind of situation she’s in.

"In my dream, I’d advise you to watch your words. Don’t play with fire, you hear?"

"A dream?" Li Liping’s expression stiffened for a moment before she composed herself. If he thinks it’s a dream, that’s even better. It fits my plan, so there’s no need to correct him.

So be it. Let’s play with fire!

Li Liping’s smile returned, radiant as ever. "What nonsense are you talking about? Who’s playing with fire? Look at your hands, misbehaving even when you’re drunk."

Wang Jian chuckled, feeling completely relaxed. Normally, he wouldn’t be this at ease with her teasing.

"If you don’t like it, should I take my hand away?" he asked with a laugh, pretending to pull it back, but Li Liping quickly grabbed it. She shot him a look and whispered, "Pfft. You’re doing this on purpose."

"Heh, this time, I’m in charge."

Since it was a dream, Wang Jian no longer held back. "You’re all leaving tomorrow. I guess this dream is my own way of saying goodbye."

"..."

Li Liping just looked at Wang Jian and smiled, saying nothing more.

In the past, Li Liping had always been the one to take the lead. Wang Jian, held back by his own cautious reservations, had never once truly let go. He had always been the passive one.

This time, he would turn the tables and take control. He tossed Li Liping onto the side of the bed, then pulled her toward him by her legs, studying her closely.

From the first moment he saw Li Liping, he had thought her graceful and elegant. At her age, she still possessed a youthful spirit and a charm that was all her own. Now, he didn’t bother to hide his gaze, watching her until she could no longer bear it.

As Wang Jian began to move, he realized something. Ever since he had clearly identified the girl in his dream as Li Liping, the dream itself had grown sharper and more distinct. It eventually became almost too real, and his physical sensations were exceptionally vivid.

It was as if every sensation was magnified several times over. In the final moment, Wang Jian’s soul felt as if it had become weightless.

Is this really a dream?

Wang Jian asked himself the question, but there was no answer.

***

After everything they had experienced, the question no longer seemed to matter. Whether it was real or a dream, neither of them had any regrets.