Chapter Sixty-Four – Reunion at the Hospital

This was a single-occupancy hospital room. Bathed in the distinctive white of the hospital, the entire decor followed suit: white walls, white floor tiles, white sheets and blankets. Only the curtains broke the monotony, their pale orange hue a gentle contrast.

Xu Shixi, driven out by Qiao Siming, lingered at the doorway. Su Yishu stood a meter away, as if separated by the red line marked on the floor in government offices, bearing the words: "Please wait outside the one-meter line."

"Why not head back for now?" Xu Shixi strolled over with a sigh. "I’d like to stay and wait for her to wake."

"I..." Yishu wanted to say she’d stay as well, but her reason wasn't Tang Dai. She simply didn’t want him facing Qiao Siming’s difficulties and the heavy burden alone.

"I’ll go buy some food," Yishu said, watching the sunset sink below the horizon through the window, the electric lights quietly replacing the sun. Surely, the clock’s hands must be pointing to six or seven by now?

"I'm not hungry, just eat something yourself," Xu Shixi exhaled weakly. "Don’t bother cooking, just grab a bite outside."

He knew that if she went home alone, she wouldn’t treat herself well—she’d just cook some instant noodles to get by.

He felt as though all his strength had been drained, held upright only by the last breath in his body. The sudden accident had caught him off guard; for the sake of their acquaintance, he couldn’t simply leave Tang Dai alone.

But for now, he had to let down Yishu.

Xu Shixi’s lips suddenly twitched and he let out a low laugh. He thought, humans are strange creatures—toward those we truly care about, we often do things that hurt them, make them sad, or trouble them. Yet, someone who has drawn clear boundaries, someone who is now irrelevant, evokes a surge of sympathy or the impulse to play savior, making it impossible to treat them as coldly as they treated us.

Yishu couldn’t bear to watch. Her already pale face grew even more ashen. Around her, patients, families, doctors, nurses, and cleaners moved about—their expressions either resigned, somber, or blank. She, meanwhile, seemed to embody all those emotions—a sorrowful protagonist.

She left the inpatient ward, and right outside, collided headlong with Tang Chao, who was rushing over.

Tang Chao had received word that his sister Tang Dai had been in an accident and hurriedly returned from Shanghai. Yet all the train tickets were sold out, and the earliest flight wouldn’t depart until eight that evening. He left the ticket hall, dashed to the parking lot, and sped onto the highway, racing back to Yun City.

He had actually planned to return the day before National Day, but the basketball team at his school scheduled a training camp, and as a new member, he couldn’t defy his seniors. So, he was delayed.

Shanghai and Yun City were less than two hundred kilometers apart; at sixty kilometers an hour, the journey should take two and a half hours. But Tang Chao pushed his speed to the highway’s limit, reaching Yun City’s exit in under ninety minutes.

Unfortunately, he hit the evening rush. The dense stream of cars was like a battalion of snails. Tang Chao wished he were driving a tank, so he could crush every car blocking his way. He pounded the steering wheel, leaving a shallow dent.

The blaring horns tested his patience to its limits.

The last dozen kilometers took longer than the hundreds on the highway.

Yishu opened her mouth, unsure what to say.

Tang Chao relaxed his tightly wound nerves and paused. "Are you ill?"

Yishu shook her head. "It’s not me."

Who could it be—Su Yihui, or Xu Shixi? Tang Chao, knowing Yishu had few people in Yun City worth visiting in a hospital, stopped guessing and asked directly, "A friend?"

She shouldn’t be my friend, Yishu answered herself. Tang Dai was merely an acquaintance, a stranger. Yet, to say so in front of her brother would be rude, possibly giving others the impression that she was uncultured. Although Tang Chao wasn’t anyone special to her, she didn’t want to dwell on it.

"You’re here to see your sister, right?" Yishu shifted the topic. "She’s in Room 1708. She might be awake already."

"How do you know?" His eyes flickered. "Are you here to see her, too?"

"I’m not..." Yishu hurried to explain.

"Thank you," Tang Chao cut her off, eager. "Thank you for coming to see her. I used to misunderstand you, but now there’s nothing left."

Yishu fell silent, her gaze drifting to a plant whose branches were full of yellow leaves. She couldn’t accept his thanks. His previous perceptions of her had all been correct. She was petty, unable to care for someone who was always against her, even ready to steal her boyfriend at any moment.

"No need to thank me," Yishu replied coldly. Her answer was subtle—it could mean: no need, it’s nothing; or: no need, I did nothing.

Tang Chao didn’t notice. To him, Yishu had always misunderstood him, and her cold words were normal, not worth overanalyzing.

Tang Chao smiled, and after hours of tension, his muscles finally relaxed. "Is my sister alright? Are you heading home? Let me drive you."

"No need," Yishu refused flatly. "Go see her quickly."

"Alright." Tang Chao thought for a moment. "I’ll come find you in a few days."

Find me? Yishu wondered if she’d misheard. Wasn’t he here for Tang Dai? What did it have to do with her? Unless... she recalled the strange things he’d said before.

"Find me?" Yishu repeated instinctively.

"That’s right," Tang Chao answered firmly. "I’ve thought it over—even though you’re with Shixi now, you’re not married. As long as you’re not married, nothing’s settled, and I still have a chance. Besides, if that happens, my sister can stay with Shixi, too."

He finally voiced his feelings.

Yishu’s expression was mildly surprised, not quite shocked. Before leaving for Shanghai, Tang Chao’s words had hinted at this. He hadn’t dared say it outright, and she’d pretended not to understand.

A month had passed, and she’d nearly forgotten; now he was even more direct.

"So, you’re sacrificing yourself for your sister," Yishu laughed. "In the past, people sacrificed themselves for justice; now, you sacrifice yourself for your sister. Should I call it greatness or foolishness?"

Tang Chao’s face fell. "Is that how you see me?"

Someone as proud as him, choosing to confess at such a terrible moment, was braver than mere courage. Yet, his reckless honesty didn’t yield the result he’d hoped for.

Seeing his crestfallen look, Yishu felt a pang of sympathy. Perhaps his words were sincere, heartfelt. But in this life, they could never be together.

Yishu paused, then said softly, "How I see you doesn’t matter. We’re like parallel lines, never intersecting."

"And what about Shixi?" he asked.

Yishu was caught off guard, hesitated, then said, "Intersecting lines, I suppose."

Tang Chao’s lips curled up, as if he’d expected this answer. "Your math must be poor. Intersecting lines, once crossed, then drift infinitely apart."

Yishu was left speechless—Tang Chao had bested her.

He wore a triumphant smile.

"Aren’t you going to see your sister?" Yishu couldn’t stand his smugness. "You came all this way to visit her, didn’t you? Surely you’re not planning to argue with me any longer?"

Her words jolted him back to reality. Tang Chao’s smile faded, and he dashed toward the elevators. Right now, Tang Dai’s well-being was most important. The rest could wait.

Seeing Tang Chao, Yishu thought of Yihui—if only he were half as cheerful, his life would be much easier. She wondered how he was doing at university. Sadly, during the rare National Day holiday, she had no time to visit, and he didn’t want to return home.

On the bus, sitting by the window, Yishu’s thoughts wandered. Tang Chao’s frank words forced her to take them seriously.

Watching the seemingly endless traffic jam, Yishu fell into a mire of self-doubt. What was it about her that Tang Chao liked? He was handsome, elegant, and carried an air of distinction. Leaving aside his difficult personality, his looks alone ensured no shortage of admirers. With that in mind, his words were indeed worth pondering.