You are the bravest person

The first person Lin Xingye saw when he came out was Qi Sijing.

The guy was already awake and full of energy. He even tried to wave hello, only for the nurse to hold him down.

He was wrapped up like a mummy, yet he still insisted on moving around.

Lin Xingye thought the nurse clearly wanted to smack him.

The nurse wheeled them into the same room. Their families had yet to return; at this hour, they were probably buying food.

Qi Sijing kept calling out, "Miss, could you wheel us a little closer together? Thank you, miss~"

His sweet talk delighted the young nurse. That handsome face really did work wonders. Her irritation vanished instantly, and she actually wheeled them closer.

Unfortunately, a bedside cabinet still stood between them.

Qi Sijing pushed his luck. "Miss~ Could you move this cabinet away? I want to lie next to him."

The nurse hesitated. "B-but then you'll have to put everything on the other side. That won't be very convenient."

But Qi Sijing was clearly an expert at wheedling. "Aw, miss~ Please help me out. We'll sort everything else out ourselves. Thank you~"

The nurse moved it for him after all. Their hospital's guiding principle was to accommodate patients' requests whenever possible-reasonable requests, that is.

Moving a cabinet did not make much difference. If Doctor An objected later, she could simply move it back.

Then the nurse left, saying she would check on them again in a little while.

Their beds were almost touching. Qi Sijing reached out with his mummy-wrapped paw, trying to take Lin Xingye's hand.

Unfortunately, both their hands were wrapped like mummies. Their bandages could only bump against each other as they hooked their few exposed fingers together.

Lin Xingye had no idea why he was so determined to hold hands. He regarded him with the concerned look one might give a child with an intellectual disability.

Did that crash knock his brains loose?

In truth, Qi Sijing was still in terrible pain. Wounds covered his body, but he could not tear his eyes away from the person before him.

"Lin Xingye."

Lin Xingye looked at him.

"Promise me, next time-no, there can't ever be a next time! If something this dangerous happens, you're not allowed to rush in again!"

"Absolutely, positively not!"

Qi Sijing hooked his little finger tightly around his, staring at him as though trying to engrave his face in his mind.

As Lin Xingye watched his eyes gradually redden, he began to panic.

Is he... about to cry?

Qi Sijing's tears spilled over before he could stop them.

Lin Xingye's eyes widened in shock. He really was crying?

W-wait, what if Old Qi comes back and thinks I bullied him?

He curled his unbandaged fingers around Qi Sijing's in return. "D-don't cry..."

His attempt at comfort only made Qi Sijing cry harder. "How can you... how can you be so stupid? Why did you save me? Didn't you lose your memory? Sob..."

"You nearly died, you know! Sob!"

He cried harder and harder. Nobody knew how terrified he had been yesterday when he pulled Lin Xingye out through the car window in the darkness. He was the one who had witnessed everything up close. He was more afraid than anyone.

The deafening crash had left his ears ringing instantly, and the sight of the car's front end trapped in the darkness had drenched him in cold sweat.

He had not been this frightened even when his own car was hit. He had only wondered what his grandfather and the others would do if he died. There was still so much he had not done.

He had even thought that, since Star no longer remembered him, he probably would not be sad.

The most terrifying thing was not what happened in that moment. It was being forced to watch him slowly lose all signs of life before your eyes, to watch him grow cold, while you could do nothing.

You could only watch him die.

He had been so afraid that Lin Xingye would remain forever and ever on that pitch-black cliff, in the bone-chilling wind.

Even now, remembering that scene made his whole body tremble with panic.

The sight of him crying so pitifully made Lin Xingye laugh. "Qi Sijing, I've just realized you look pretty ugly when you cry~"

Qi Sijing's sobbing stopped abruptly.

He had called him ugly.

Qi Sijing felt even worse, but he did not dare say so.

Lin Xingye grinned.

Just teasing you. I don't know why, but the more you cry, the more I want to laugh. Hahahaha.

Qi Sijing pouted miserably. "Star, you're so mean. I'm this upset, and you're having this much fun."

Lin Xingye was still laughing, though he remembered something important. "But I did remember a little. I remembered that when I was little, I think I... saved you guys?"

Qi Sijing's eyes lit up. "Really?" Then disappointment crept in when he heard that was all Lin Xingye remembered. "Nothing else? What about our sweet memories?"

Sweet memories, my ass. Wasn't it just a big brother and his lackey showing off?

Qi Sijing: ?

Who's been spreading lies about me? Who!!!

Outwardly, Lin Xingye remained perfectly calm and merely shook his head. He really had not remembered anything else.

Qi Sijing felt miserable. He carefully shifted his body, trying to get closer to him, dragging along the leg he could not move.

Watching him gave Lin Xingye a headache. "Stop moving. What if you tear your wounds open?"

He had a broken leg and could not even move it, yet he still insisted on trying. Lin Xingye, for his part, had stitches in his leg and did not dare move at all.

Qi Sijing flashed a carefree grin. "It's fine. Even if one leg doesn't work, I've still got two more."

The sudden dirty joke blindsided Lin Xingye.

"Don't make me crawl out of bed and beat you up."

Qi Sijing: obedient puppy.jpg

Only then did they quiet down, simply gazing at each other.

They both had so much they wanted to say.

Qi Sijing had so many questions for him. How had he known something would happen to him? Why had he rushed over regardless of everything? And why had he risked his life to save him?

Lin Xingye also wanted to know why, in his previous life, Qi Sijing had wanted to help him escape his wedding. Even knowing that something might already have happened between him and someone else, he had still been determined to take him away.

But at that moment, they both chose silence.

Golden sunlight spilled through the window, warming them. Everything felt so peaceful and beautiful.

It was as though, after a long night, the sun had finally risen to illuminate every dark corner.

There was no need to think about revenge, death, schemes, or anything else.

They only needed to relax. Just relax.

"Star."

"You're the bravest person I've ever met."

Just as he had been all those years ago.

His tone was gentle and his voice soft, yet it seemed to carry an overwhelming depth of feeling.

"I could never repay you for all this, not even in a lifetime."

"Could I offer myself to you instead?"

Lin Xingye: ...How about you just give me money?

"Get lost."

Even after being told off, Qi Sijing kept smiling, watching him as though he could never get enough.

"Are you two hungry? Have some..."

Bo Xi pushed the door open and entered first, carrying the congee he had just bought.

Cheng Yu and the others followed behind him, but Bo Xi suddenly turned and gestured for everyone to be quiet.

They looked toward the beds. The two boys had their fingers hooked together and their heads turned toward each other, sleeping soundly in the sunlight.

Bo Xi tiptoed inside, set both bowls of congee on the table, and went over to tuck their blankets around them.

Then he waved to the people behind him, signaling that anyone with nothing else to do could head home.

Cheng Yu put down the fruit and other things he had bought for them. The scene might have looked incredibly heartwarming, but it also annoyed him enough to drive him mad.

One more look would shave years off his life.

He shot Qi Sijing a resentful glance and left.

Lin Xingmo had arrived that morning, while his older brother was still inside. Now that he had finally seen him, he could stop worrying, and he went home with his father.

Mother Lin and Aunt Liu stayed in the room. They gently stroked Lin Xingye's forehead, murmuring, "As long as you're all right. As long as you're all right."

No amount of persuasion could make Grandpa Qi leave. Until he saw that his precious grandson was truly all right, nobody was getting him out of there.

The few of them sat awkwardly on the sofa inside. They could not even chat, for fear of disturbing the two sleeping boys.

Bo Xi brought over a stool and sat quietly beside the head of the beds, working while keeping an eye on both their IV drips.

Things were not going nearly as well for Hu Kai.