The test results came back: gastric bleeding, somewhat serious, but fortunately it did not require major surgery. A minimally invasive procedure would take care of it.
Song Shi'an's mother stood outside the doctor's office for quite a while, clutching the report. Only after checking it twice did her tightly knitted brows finally relax.
His aunt sat on a bench in the corridor and patted the back of her hand. "See? I told you it wasn't anything major. I know my own body."
Listening beside them, Song Shi'an shook his head helplessly.
She already needs surgery, and they still call it nothing major. What exactly is their definition of a "major illness"? Does it only count as serious once you're lying in the ICU...?
The doctor issued an admission order and scheduled the surgery for three days later.
After they finished the paperwork and returned to the ward, his mother put their things away, then turned to Song Shi'an. "Shi'an, I'll stay here with your aunt. You head back first."
Song Shi'an looked at Mother Song's tired face. She had taken a high-speed train for several hours from their hometown, then spent most of the day accompanying them through tests. The fine lines at the corners of her eyes were a little deeper than during their last video call.
He set a bag of daily necessities he had just bought on the bedside cabinet. "It's fine. I can help out while I'm here. Go sit over there and rest. I'll put everything away."
Song Shi'an spent the entire afternoon running back and forth around the hospital.
He collected scans on the first floor, delivered lab reports to the third, and went to the fifth to get the attending physician's signature. Every trip took him several floors away.
For the first time, he learned that waiting for a hospital elevator was even harder than waiting for the subway during rush hour. He simply took the stairs instead.
The attending physician was an older doctor in his fifties who wore reading glasses as he finished looking through the examination reports.
Then he looked at the young man in front of him, whose forehead was still damp with sweat, and spoke in a considerably gentler tone than he used with other patients' families. "You're a good kid. The patient needs to watch her diet over the next couple of days. Keep her meals light. No food or water after twelve tomorrow."
Mother Song listened beside him, nodding repeatedly. "Thank you, doctor. Thank you."
Back in the ward, Song Shi'an opened a bottle of mineral water and gulped down half of it.
This hospital is way too big. Just completing the paperwork meant going to several different places. He had made multiple trips back and forth between the first and fifth floors.
The patient in the next bed had not taken her eyes off him since the moment he pushed the door open.
Lili, the woman behind a well-known entertainment gossip account, knew every piece of gossip in the industry, big or small.
She had just undergone surgery for acute appendicitis and was lying in bed counting the drops in her IV out of sheer boredom when such a huge piece of material fell right into her lap.
Not long ago, she had even posted a compilation of candid on-set shots of Song Shi'an. The nine-image set of Ying Qi in his battle-damaged look still held the top spot on her account for shares, likes, and comments.
Her mother, sitting beside the bed, saw her expression suddenly freeze and leaned over anxiously. "Lili, what's wrong? Does your incision hurt?"
"I'm fine, Mom..." Lili pulled the blanket up, covering half her face.
Only then did Song Shi'an notice there was another patient in the ward.
He looked toward Lili, and their eyes happened to meet. He gave her a polite nod in greeting.
Lili's face instantly burned. OMG!!! He's way too lethal in person.
Don't just smile at people like that!!! My heart feels like it's about to leap out!!!
Her mother followed her gaze and saw a very handsome young man standing beside the opposite bed, screwing the cap onto a water bottle.
Then she looked at her daughter's utterly distracted expression and sighed. Giving Lili a look of disappointment, she picked up her wallet and went out to buy fruit.
Lili's phone was on the bedside cabinet. As her mother left, she accidentally pushed the cabinet a little farther away from the bed.
Lili reached for it twice but could not reach. When she strained harder, she pulled at her incision and sucked in a sharp breath of pain.
She had only just recovered when she looked up and saw a hand with well-defined knuckles holding her phone out to her.
"Is this what you wanted?" His voice came from above her, low with a touch of clarity, especially distinct in the quiet ward. "Your incision hasn't healed yet. It's easier to wait for your family to come help you get things."
Lili raised her head and found his face right in front of her.
Without a mask or hat hiding them, his eyes were even prettier than in videos and candid on-set photos, their outer corners tilting slightly upward. She felt her whole face burning.
When she failed to take it for a long moment, Song Shi'an waved the phone in front of her. "Hello?"
Lili abruptly came back to her senses and carefully took the phone from his hand. The instant her fingers brushed his fingertips, she felt that her heart rate had already exceeded the medically defined normal range.
"Th-thank you."
She lowered her head, wishing she could bury her face in the blanket.
I'm dying, I'm dying. What was I even doing just now? I made a fool of myself in front of him.
Song Shi'an turned and returned to his aunt's bedside, took a few apples out of the bag, and sat in the attendant's chair to peel them.
He peeled the apple deftly, the blade moving steadily along its skin. The long strip of peel did not break once from beginning to end.
Clutching her phone, Lili watched his back as her fingers typed frantically across the screen.
"Guys!!!"
Bestie One replied instantly: What is it, bestie? Got discharged?
Gossiping Roe Deer: I saw An'an in person!!!
Bestie Two popped up immediately: What do you mean, An'an? Which An'an?
Gossiping Roe Deer: Who else could An'an be!!!
Bestie Two sent a whole row of shocked reaction stickers: Holy crap! Seriously?! Stay right there, bestie. I'm coming to visit you!
Gossiping Roe Deer: You're way too obvious with this belated enthusiasm. Where were you yesterday? Now you want to visit me... He's taking care of his family. We'd better not bother him.
Bestie Two sent several sobbing reaction stickers: Okay, then can you get me an autographed photo? I'm literally begging!
The next second, a sixty-second voice message arrived.
Lili tapped it instinctively, and her bestie's howls instantly blasted through the ward. "Song Shi'an! My dream guy! Please, bestie, you have to get me an autographed photo, or I won't be able to rest in peace!!!"
Before the rest could play, Lili hastily shut off her phone screen.
The ward went quiet for a moment.
She stiffly turned her head. All three people at the opposite bed were looking straight at her.
Mother Song's apple-peeling hand had stopped in midair, his aunt blinked against the headboard, and Song Shi'an held a freshly peeled apple, looking a little bewildered.
Lili felt she could climb straight out the window and disappear right then. Mommy, save me.
Mother Song quietly asked Song Shi'an, "Why did I hear your name coming from that girl's phone?"
His aunt also turned her head in confusion. "Yes, does someone have the same name as our Shi'an?"
Song Shi'an tucked the peeled apple into his aunt's hand. "Probably someone with the same full name. Mom, Auntie, have some apples."