The weak lived amid deception; only the strong dared face reality. By September, the northern bank of the Yong River already carried autumn's chill. Though the grass at Sandbar Horse Ranch was still green, its blades had begun to shiver in the autumn wind.
The first thing Hu Xiaotian did upon arriving at the ranch was visit Xi Yan. Her condition was stable, but she still had not awakened. Qin Yutong was at her wits' end as well. She had completely cleared the heart-loss gu from Xi Yan's body, yet Xi Yan had not regained consciousness as expected.
"There should be nothing wrong with her body. It has already returned to normal."
Hu Xiaotian asked in surprise, "If it has returned to normal, why hasn't she woken up?"
Qin Yutong sighed softly. "Her willpower is extremely strong. Some part of her subconscious seems to be resisting the outside world. She's resisting waking up!"
Hu Xiaotian frowned and said gravely, "So you're saying she herself doesn't want to wake up?"
Qin Yutong nodded. "That seems to be the case. I don't know what the reason is, either." She added apologetically, "I'm sorry!"
Hu Xiaotian said, "You needn't blame yourself. This has nothing to do with you." Remembering Zhou Ruiyuan's request, he took out the hairpin and handed it to Qin Yutong. She accepted it and studied it intently for a while, her spirits sinking into sorrow.
Hu Xiaotian comforted her. "If you miss him, you can return to the capital to see him whenever you like. I'm sure he misses you just as much."
Qin Yutong sighed. "Perhaps we've been apart too long, and the misunderstandings ran too deep. Although everything is clear now, I still don't know how to face him. Give me some time to accept all this." She