When I opened my eyes, the world around me was completely white.
Confused, I heard my dad’s voice, choked with relief. “My girl, you’re finally awake.”
I turned my head slightly and saw my dad sitting by my hospital bed, his face pale. I opened my mouth to call out to him, but my throat felt like it had been scorched—it was unbearably painful.
Seeing me struggle, my dad immediately understood. He let go of my hand, poured a glass of water from a nearby cabinet, and adjusted the bed so I could sit up slightly. He handed me the cup.
I drank the entire glass in one go. The warmth eased the dryness in my throat, and although my voice was still a bit hoarse, I managed to speak. “Dad, how long was I asleep?”
Hearing my question, my dad’s eyes turned red. He hugged me tightly and said, “You’ve been out for two days. Do you know how scared you made me? Didn’t we agree that you’d wait obediently in the classroom? Why did you run off on your own? If your classmate hadn’t found you collapsed on the roadside and brought you here, who knows what could’ve happened? You’re such a worry, my girl.”
A classmate?
I frowned, suddenly realizing that he was likely referring to Gu Yu. My dad clearly didn’t know the full story and thought I’d fainted on my way home.
I didn’t bother to explain. Instead, I wrapped my arms tightly around him, holding on as if he were my anchor.
While my dad went to buy me some food, I picked up the phone lying beside me and dialed Chen Qiao Luo’s number. No matter how many times I tried, the only response was the same automated message: “Sorry, the number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please try again later.”
Feeling hopeless, I tossed the phone onto the pillow next to me. A heavy sense of unease welled up in my chest.
Li Zi came to visit me that evening. The moment she saw I was awake, she couldn’t hold back her tears and hugged me tightly.
I comforted her as best as I could, but through her sobs, she said, “Yun Hao, do you have any idea how scared I was? When you didn’t come to school for two days, I asked around and found out from the teacher that you were in the hospital. After school, I came straight here and saw you lying in bed. No matter how much I talked to you, you wouldn’t respond. The doctor said you were extremely weak. I thought you’d wake up the next day, but it took two whole days before you finally came around.”
It wasn’t just Li Zi— even I hadn’t expected to fall so ill. Thinking about my dad’s prematurely aged face, guilt surged through me. I realized how selfish I had been, wrapped up in my own problems without considering how much worry I caused him. Having a daughter like me must have taken a heavy toll on him.
Lowering my gaze, I felt sadness wash over me like a silent tide.
As I wallowed in my thoughts, Li Zi suddenly leaned in and whispered, “Yun Hao, I have something to tell you, but you can’t tell anyone else.”
“Huh? What is it?”
I turned to her, puzzled, only to see her lower her head shyly. After a moment of hesitation, she mumbled, “I… I’m dating Tong Xiao Tian.”
It took me three seconds to process her words, and even then, I asked uncertainly, “You mean that Tong Xiao Tian? The one who’s always following you around?”
“Yeah.” Li Zi nodded enthusiastically and said, “Remember that day when it was pouring rain, and you told me you were waiting for your dad to pick you up? I left school first, but when I got to the gate, I saw Tong Xiao Tian standing there. The rain and wind were so strong, but he just stood there with an umbrella, completely still, like a statue. In that moment, I knew I was done for.”
I thought to myself that sometimes, love truly does reveal itself in the smallest gestures. Li Zi liked Tong Xiao Tian, not for anything grand, but because of his unwavering devotion.
Seeing her happiness, I felt genuinely glad for her.
But then, I couldn’t help but reflect on myself. My own feelings had left everyone involved battered and bruised. Perhaps it was all fate’s doing. I smiled bitterly at the thought.
None of us—neither I, Chen Qiao Luo, nor Gu Yu—were the same people we had been before. Time’s blade had carved deep into our hearts, building new walls where innocence once stood.
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