The man glanced at the watch on his wrist. He had been waiting here for four or five hours, yet the girl showed no signs of waking.
He furrowed his thick brows. The doctor shuffled in trembling, and a cold glare from him nearly made the doctor fall to his knees in fear.
"Didn't you say she'd wake up soon? Why is she still unconscious after several hours?"
The doctor was in a tough spot too. He had only said she would wake up soon, but everyone's constitution is different. With injuries this severe, it wasn't unheard of for someone to sleep for days, let alone hours. But he couldn't tell the truth now, or the young master would draw a blade and chop him down!
"Quack!" The man gently stroked the girl's delicate hand with his fingers, his voice low and commanding: "Drag him out and give him a beating. His medical career ends here!"
The doctor fell to his knees with a thud, trembling as he begged for mercy: "Young master, please calm your anger..."
Before he could finish, the man froze in sudden awareness, his sharp eyes sweeping over: "Shut up!"
He stared at the small hand in his palm. Her slender, jade-like fingers moved ever so slightly, like a feather brushing past, yet it seemed she had used all her strength.
An Ruo had a long, drawn-out dream. She saw an endless desert, the sun hanging gloomily on the horizon. Camels laden with goods trudged along, each step accompanied by the jingling of bells. The wind and sand stung her eyes, making it hard to see. She raised a hand to shield herself and looked ahead. The vast, boundless desert turned into lush, green grassland.
She lowered her hand, and before her appeared a very, very long Great Wall, stretching beyond sight. The sun was harsh, stinging her eyes painfully. She squinted her amber gaze with difficulty and saw a white figure standing atop the wall.
He stood against the light at the edge of the wall. An Ruo couldn't make out his features, only vaguely discerning his youthful, handsome silhouette. He wore a white, slant-collared, stand-collar uniform—a style of clothing she had never seen before.
The city gate suddenly opened, and she inexplicably walked inside. Inside was a bustling market, with vendors and passersby dressed in the same style as the man on the wall.
An Ruo couldn't see their faces. Even when she leaned in close, it was as if the painter had forgotten to depict their features—just a blurry darkness, impossible to discern.
A few children chased and played, accidentally bumping into her and nearly making her fall. A pair of warm, gentle hands caught her small hand...
An Ruo looked up. Before her stood the white-clad youth from the city wall. For some reason, she felt a deep sense of familiarity, as if... he was someone she had been closest to a long, long time ago.
She frowned, repeatedly searching her memories for scenes involving him. Suddenly, fragmented images flashed into her mind—the boy's youthful, innocent face flickering by like daylight.
The youth let go of her hand and turned to leave. An Ruo's heart ached, and she hurriedly called out to him, "Where are you going?"
The youth didn't answer. His figure gradually faded before her...
"Don't go, don't—"
The girl jolted awake. Her amber eyes shimmered with moisture, her nose stinging with sadness. A single tear slid slowly down her cheek...
"I'm here." The man's gentle voice came from above, and his warm fingers wiped away the tear at the corner of her eye, careful and doting.
An Ruo's mind gradually cleared. Her deep gaze slowly brightened as she looked at him. She raised an eyebrow slightly: "Young Master Shen..."
Her throat was hoarse from hours without a drop of water.
Even though her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, he heard it clearly.
"It's me." Shen Xiaoxing held her hand tightly, letting her realize this wasn't a dream. He was right in front of her, and she had woken up safe and sound.
"Are you hungry?"
An Ruo didn't feel hungry, only a terrible headache, as if Sun Wukong had put on the Golden Headband. She tried to recall the boy in her dream, but her memory shattered like a fragile mirror.
...
An Ruo leaned against the large pillow, looking at the man with gentle brows before her. She found it hard to believe: "You can really see now?"
A few days ago, the rehabilitation doctor had shaken his head grimly. How could he suddenly be fine?
"After you left, my eyes suddenly hurt badly. The doctor said it was because I was so worried about you that my blood surged, blocking the blood vessels in my eyes. That's why my vision gradually cleared."
She didn't understand medicine, but from what the man said, it seemed his anxiety over her danger had caused a rush of blood that forcibly dispersed the clots in his eyes, miraculously restoring his sight?
Shen Xiaoxing held a bowl of plain congee. Fortunately, he had studied his own condition before and cleverly came up with this excuse.
This girl was sharp-minded; fooling her without thorough preparation wasn't easy.
"Here, it's not hot anymore."
He scooped up a spoonful and fed her. "If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have recovered."
An Ruo was stunned. "Why?"
"Silly girl, don't you understand what I mean?"
An Ruo pursed her lips slightly. Her mind, still reeling from the shock, wasn't working quickly.
"Open up."
She stared at the spoon he offered, her dazed expression tinged with a bit of embarrassment.
Before, she had always fed him. Now, being cared for like this by him while he sat in his wheelchair felt a little strange.
"What's wrong?"
"You..." An Ruo twisted her fingers. "I'm not really used to it."
Even Grandma An, who had been so kind to her, had never fed her like this.
"Before, you took care of me. Now that you're sick, isn't it only right that I feed you?"