Jiang Yao was surprised that Lu Xingzhi managed to pry these treasured mementos from the hands of her parents.
Placed under the notebooks was a thick stack of letters, complete with stamps. Other than that, the front of the envelopes was blank, with recipient name and address not to be found.
Without even opening them, Jiang Yao knew that they were meant for her.
She wiped the tears off her face.
Having picked a few letters and putting them in between the books she wanted to bring to the hospital, she returned the drawer to its rightful place and locked it up. Putting the keys back to where she found them, she picked up her things and left.
She wanted to see him badly, even though he was still asleep, it was enough to just look at him for even a moment.
After picking up Mrs. Lin, Jiang Yao dropped her child off at her parents’ house in Jin City before departing for Jindo City along with Mrs. Lin. She drove a lot faster on the way back, mainly due to her desire to see Lu Xingzhi as soon as possible.
It was almost a full day when Zhou Weiqi left for the hospital, having stayed up for almost 24 hours, Jiang Yao insisted on staying and had Zhou Weiqi leave and get some rest. Seeing Jiang Yao’s insistence and her high-spirits, Zhou Weiqi left, but not before reminding her to call him immediately if anything were to happen.
The nurse on duty came and saw Jiang Yao in the ward. She greeted her affectionately, her voice filled with admiration for Jiang Yao.
“I am here, don’t worry. You can move along and check in on the other patients.” Jiang Yao replied casually. She did not want to shift her gaze, not even for a second, onto someone else other than Lu Xingzhi.
Jiang Yao shut the door after the nurse left. She sat next to Lu Xingzhi on his bed and touched his face with her hands.
“Idiot! Idiot Lu!” She cursed softly, her voice, however, filled with happiness. To Jiang Yao, nothing was greater than having Lu Xingzhi back, alive.
He woke up the third afternoon after the surgery.
It was a beautiful, cloudless day in Jindo City. The warm autumn sun shone through the window, creating a shadow of Jiang Yao, who was reading a book.
This was the first thing Lu Xingzhi saw when he opened his eyes. A peaceful and beautiful sight burned forever into his mind.
Jiang Yao tilted her head slightly; her long hair fell over her shoulders, covering half of her face from view. The book she was holding just a while ago now laid on the bed next to Lu Xingzhi, her hand resting on top of it.
The ward was quiet, not a sound to be heard. The tranquility of the world around them magnified by the deafening silence.
He dared not move in case he disturbed the peace in the room.
However, she seemed to sense it. She turned around suddenly, locking her eyes—now filled with surprise—onto his.
Nobody spoke a word, nor did they shift their gaze away from each other.
Tears started pooling in her eyes, streaming down her face like the Amazon river on high tide.
He raised his hand, gently wiping away her tears.