Tenderly Embraced

In the dim light, Jibai caught a whiff of the antiseptic scent. As she opened her eyes, the first thing that met her gaze was the cold, white porcelain tiles of the hospital wall. Suddenly, a slight prickling sensation came from her left arm. She looked down to see the sharp needle piercing her fair skin, with crimson blood slowly crawling out along the thin tube, resembling a worm. Instinctively, she jerked back, wanting to remove the IV. At that moment, a gentle hand firmly pressed on her shoulder. "Don't be afraid, it'll be over soon," a soothing voice said. Jibai turned to see her mother, Ta Jiazhi, with her gentle and kind smile. Ta Jiazhi, with her thick black hair and collagen-filled face, appeared remarkably young, her expression exuding warmth. Jibai was back to her seventeen-year-old self. Her mother whispered in her ear, "Don't be afraid, it's just one bag of blood. Bai Bai, you're the big hero who protects your sister." This sentence had been Ta Jiazhi's mantra since Jibai could remember, and she continued reciting it until Jibai was twenty-five. Jibai's sister, Jifeifei, was diagnosed with hemophilia since birth, with a severe coagulation disorder requiring regular blood transfusions. However, she had the rare rh-negative AB blood type, known as "panda blood," which was almost impossible to find in the hospital's blood bank. Their parents, with blood types A and B positive, couldn't donate to her. Desperate to save their daughter, they decided to have another child to serve as Jifeifei's "living blood bank." And so, the next year, Jibai was born, luckily also with the rh-negative AB blood type, perfectly matching her sister's. However, as Jifeifei's health deteriorated after entering university, the frequency of blood transfusions increased from every six months to every three months, then every month, and even every few days. In the previous life, Jibai refused to be constantly drawn blood from, as she was afraid of the pain. Her parents morally coerced her, saying that if she didn't, she was heartless and didn't care about family affection. Due to frequent blood draws, Jibai developed anemia and no longer wanted to donate blood to her sister. However, she was fiercely criticized by her parents and even locked in the hospital and forcibly transfused. After Jibai's accidental death, her mother cried, lamenting how Jifeifei would now lack a blood source. In the eyes of her "gentle and loving" parents, her only value was as her sister's "living blood bank." At seventeen again, Jibai didn't want to repeat the tragedy of her past life; she wanted to have a normal life. As she was lost in thought, the doctor had already drawn 200cc of blood and said to Ta Jiazhi, "Go back and make some blood-enriching dishes for her, like stir-fried pig liver, to replenish her as much as possible." Ta Jiazhi nodded repeatedly and touched Jibai's head, saying, "Bai Bai, you're so good. What do you want to eat tonight? Mom will make it for you." Jibai tilted her head slightly, avoiding her mother's caress. She got up, leaned against the hospital's cold wall, and felt a bit dizzy due to insufficient blood supply to her brain. Just then, she ran into Jifeifei, who was holding a lab report, and asked with concern, "Xiao Bai, are you okay? Do you feel unwell?" In her previous life, her sister also cared for her like this, and Jibai actually believed she was truly good to her. Under the guise of "gentle and loving" appearance, Jifeifei endlessly deprived and exploited her, not only in terms of physical health but also in terms of parental favoritism and relatives' care. All the resources that Jibai deserved in her growth were taken away by Jifeifei. Now, she wouldn't be fooled again. Jibai coldly avoided her, turned around, and adjusted to the dizziness in her body. Ta Jiazhi gently rolled up Jifeifei's sleeves, waiting for the doctor to handle the fresh blood. Jifeifei looked at her sister in the corner worriedly and said, "Sister seems to be blaming me and ignoring me. Mom, I feel guilty." Ta Jiazhi comforted her, "She is supposed to help you with blood. After all, you are sisters." Jifeifei lowered her head in sadness and said sincerely, "Sister, please don't blame me, okay?" Here we go again. Jifeifei portrayed herself as the most pitiful child in the world, and the whole family felt sorry for her because not only was she ill, but she also felt guilty. Jibai's fierce resistance was criticized by relatives, saying that she didn't consider her sister at all, and how pitiful her sister was. Her parents gave her life, so what if she gave her sister some blood! Under pressure from her family, Jibai repeatedly rolled up her sleeves. For example, at this moment, her mother Ta Jiazhi blamed her and said, "Bai Bai, your sister cares about you too. How can you ignore her!" Jibai was much calmer at this moment and said calmly, "My sister is overthinking. Helping each other is normal. I didn't blame you." Jifeifei was slightly startled, then nodded vigorously. After the blood transfusion was completed, it was already six o'clock in the evening, and father Jimingzhi's Mercedes-Benz was parked at the hospital gate. After their mother took her sisters on the car, Jimingzhi asked, "What did the doctor say?" "Feifei's condition is still stable." "That's a relief." Jibai remembered that during high school, it was a stable period for her sister's condition, with a low frequency of blood transfusions, at most once every six months, which was entirely within her tolerance. However, after Feifei turned twenty-three, her condition relapsed, and the frequency of blood draws increased dramatically, eventually leading to Jibai developing anemia as well. Deep in her heart, Jibai made up her mind to use this period to escape her parents' control and not be controlled by them anymore. Since she had the chance to start over, she didn't want to become an appendage to her sister's life. Leaning her head against the car window, Jibai quietly contemplated the future. Seeing Jibai looking listless through the rearview mirror, her mother asked with concern, "Bai Bai, are you tired?" Jibai responded with a soft "Mm, a little." Ta Jiazhi then said, "Then take a nap in the car. When we get home, you'll still need to study your script. The interview with the reporter is only a few days away, and you must cooperate fully with your sister." "I understand." Due to her tenacious struggle against the disease, Jifeifei had been reported by the news media before and now had some fame, becoming a motivational figure on Weibo with millions of followers. To further promote her sunny and positive image, Xin High School invited reporters from CCTV and organized a large-scale motivational interview event. Jibai was also invited to speak on stage, telling the story of her sister's struggle with the disease. In her previous life, when asked if she had volunteered to donate blood to her sister, Jibai's answer was very straightforward: "No, I didn't want to because drawing blood hurts." Later, her simple statement, "I didn't want to, drawing blood hurts," was fiercely criticized by angry netizens. "Selfish, heartless!" "Have you ever thought about your sister who is suffering from the disease? Do you care about her?" "It's just a needle, why are you being so dramatic!" Jibai was subjected to countless strangers' online attacks, and her emotions collapsed for a while. Now, she wouldn't be so foolish again. The on-site interview was arranged in the school's auditorium, and the two sisters arrived early backstage to prepare. In front of a bright dressing mirror, the makeup artist was applying foundation to Jibai, trying several shades, but none seemed to satisfy her. The young girl's skin was too fair! And it had a watery gloss, without any flaws. Even the most porcelain-like foundation couldn't match her skin. "You have really good skin!" the makeup artist exclaimed. Not only was her skin fair, but her features were also beautiful. The makeup artist had been doing makeup for many years and had seen many cute girls, but this young girl was different, with beautiful black eyes, clear and sparkling like a porcelain doll, and full of vitality. "With your complexion, you don't need makeup at all." "Thank you," Jibai replied politely, revealing her two cute front teeth. She did indeed have enviable beauty, but unfortunately, in her previous life, after suffering from anemia, her skin gradually lost its luster and became dull.