He walked over step by step, and in the room, the lights were not turned on, for his sudden collapse and because she had been declared to have left this world, the darkness now felt almost like that of a funeral parlor.
But he knew this wasn’t a funeral parlor, he could still hear the "beep beep" of the machines, and under the silver moonlight, he could see her lying there quietly.
So serene, so tender, as though she was merely asleep.
Thus, he approached and, suppressing the wrenching pain in his heart, sat on the edge of her bed under the moonlight, "Ningning, I’m back..."
He suddenly didn’t want to call her An Ning, nor Ye Ning, but only... Ningning.
And such an intimate appellation, he had never used for anyone in his life, not even the woman from before, whom he always addressed by her full name.
He called softly once more, then, in the gauzy moonlight, he took the Jade Pendant from his body, "He said you are no ordinary person, that this method could save you. I don’t know if what he said is true or false. But Ningning, I want to try."
He bent down and began to extend his hand towards her ventilator!
For an instant, his fingers trembled, because he knew that once the ventilator was removed, her heart would stop instantly, and the waveform on that monitor would become a flat line for good.
So, he really was gambling!
If he won the bet, she would live, if he lost, he would lose her forever...
Bent over and sitting there, he struggled for at least ten seconds, finally, after a surge of sharp pain in his heart, he fiercely snatched the ventilator away, and then, stuffed the Jade Pendant into her mouth with his other hand swiftly.
Those few seconds of action felt as if they stretched over a century!
Fortunately, when he placed the Jade Pendant into her mouth and covered her nose and mouth with the ventilator again, the waveforms on the monitor didn’t turn into a flat line. Aside from some fluctuation, they returned to normal once he refitted it.
In that moment, he sat there as if all strength had left him, and suddenly, his vision darkened, and he collapsed beside her.
He was too tired, truly at his limit!
Within his hazy consciousness, he smelled the faint scent of lime mixed with the smell of revival water on her body, and so he reached out to embrace her, not caring how narrow the bed was, thus holding her in his arms, they fell into a deep sleep together on that bed.
This was the second time he had held her so truly as they slept!
The bed was small, they were both thin, yet holding her in his arms, the two nestled together on that tiny hospital bed, feeling so content, so grounded, so... at peace.
Ji Chengzhi only found out the next morning that the Third Young Master had run to the ICU in the dead of night to hold the brain-dead woman as he slept.
Upon hearing the news while having breakfast at home, he felt heavy-hearted and lost his appetite.
Seeing this, Mother Ji asked in puzzlement, "Chengzhi, why aren’t you eating?"
Ji Chengzhi shook his head, "I can’t eat, you all go ahead, I’m going to the hospital."
Having said that, he put down his chopsticks and went for his briefcase.