Huang Xueli called.
"The hospital's lockdown has been lifted. I'll go with you to pick her up..."
"Zijin's already home," Wang Xiaoliang interrupted Huang Xueli. "She woke up once we brought her back."
There was a second of silence on the other end.
"She woke up?!"
"Yeah."
"That's... that's wonderful." Huang Xueli's voice grew louder. "That's so fucking wonderful."
That afternoon, Huang Xueli and Lu Sining came over. They set two large bags on the coffee table: protein powder, vitamins, imported supplements, boxes clattering against one another.
Lu Sining followed Huang Xueli into the bedroom. Wei Zijin was propped against the headboard with a thin blanket over her legs. Her face was still pale, but her eyes were open, looking toward the door. She had probably heard them and had been waiting.
"Brother..." she called softly to Huang Xueli. Then she saw Lu Sining and paused, unsure what to call her.
Wang Xiaoliang quickly said, "Zijin, this is your sister-in-law, Lu Sining."
Lu Sining walked over, bent down, and laid her hand over the back of Wei Zijin's. "Zijin, call me Hongqiu. Everyone in the family calls me that."
"Hongqiu."
"Yes!" Lu Sining answered readily, pulling up the blanket that had slipped down before turning to Huang Xueli. "Let's go. We shouldn't keep Zijin from resting. Once she's recovered, we'll come back and have a proper chat."
They had only just left when the entry intercom rang again.
It was Nuomi and Xiao Mo. They brought abalone, fish maw, sea cucumbers, and several dried ingredients whose names he couldn't identify.
"Second Senior Brother, where's Zijin?" Nuomi asked the moment she came in. Wang Xiaoliang pointed toward the bedroom, and she changed her shoes and went straight in.
She stayed in there for nearly half an hour. When she came out,