Only a stunned He Shouzheng and a conflicted He Su Ye remained. The child muttered to himself,
“Uncle Qiu Tian is so mean. I almost fell for it. One plus one is obviously two, but why did I almost say three?”
The head of neurology came in for a round and asked some questions before concluding,
“Xiao He, you’re fine. Just superficial wounds. The MRI was clear, but staying for observation is better.” He spread his hands and smiled. “Hospital director’s orders—can’t be helped.” He then left grandly, leading a group of students.
Leaning against the coat rack, Qiu Tian teased,
“Good thing your face wasn’t injured; that would’ve been a real problem. Oh, and you have some abrasions on your leg, so walking might be tough for a while.” He kept talking to himself until he noticed the change in He Su Ye’s expression. Following his gaze, he turned to see Shen Xi Fan standing at the door, drenched in sweat, unsure whether to come in or leave.
What happened next left him dumbfounded. Shen Xi Fan hesitated, looking at He Su Ye dazedly, and stammered,
“Do you know who I am? Do you still recognize me?”
Realizing what she meant, Qiu Tian cried out in protest,
“I swear I didn’t tell Shen Xi Fan you had amnesia! Really, I didn’t! All I said was you had a concussion. I’m leaving now. Shen Xi Fan, you’ve got to back me up here!” Dragging He Shouzheng out, he muttered, “What are you staring for, you little third wheel? You should aspire to the socialist core values and be ashamed of being a third wheel.”
He Su Ye couldn’t help laughing and crying.
“Girl, have you been watching too many Hong Kong romance dramas? Do you think mild concussions cause amnesia? Of all the concussion cases admitted here every year, very few patients lose their memory, and even then, it’s mostly selective.”
Shen Xi Fan moved closer, her voice trembling.
“You remember me, right? You’re not lying to me?” Her fingers lightly brushed over the cast on his left arm, tears spilling uncontrollably onto the snow-white plaster. Her body trembled as if she might collapse at any moment.
“I was so scared, so scared. I didn’t dare come. I was terrified—what if you forgot me? What would I do?”
Every slight tremble in her body etched itself into his mind. Carefully, he used his movable arm to pull her into an embrace, as if cradling a fragile crystal. The warmth of her presence brought back a flood of memories, stirring his heart even as her tears shattered it again.
He Su Ye comforted her softly,
“Don’t cry, don’t cry. I’m right here, safe and sound. I promised to take you to get a peace charm, and I’ll keep my word. See? I’m back now. Don’t cry…”
But his words only pierced deeper. Shen Xi Fan sobbed harder, her tears falling like rain.
“You lied! You lied! You promised to come back safe and sound. You’re trying to scare me to death!”
“Don’t cry, don’t cry… Girl, stop crying, I…” He faltered, suddenly realizing how bad he was at comforting others. Left with no choice, he clamped his mouth shut and quietly held her, letting her cry as much as she needed.
After a long while, Shen Xi Fan finally cried out all her fear, panic, and grievances. Her red-rimmed eyes looked up at He Su Ye with uncertainty.
“I… I lost control of my emotions… I’m sorry…”
He smiled gently, the blood loss leaving his face a little pale.
“I know, I understand everything. Don’t cry anymore. I’m sorry; I shouldn’t have broken my promise.”
Her face flushed instantly, and she didn’t know how to respond. Just then, a nurse pushed the door open and called out,
“Bed 3, time for a dressing change.”
Shen Xi Fan quickly pulled away from his embrace, turned around, and wiped her tears. She stood to the side, watching the nurse change his bandages. Once the nurse finished, she mumbled,
“He Su Ye, have you eaten? Are you hungry? Should I go buy something for you? Patients are supposed to eat congee, right?”
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