That’s why he had to take responsibility, not only for Sun Yuhan, but also for her legs. There was a silver lining, however; the condition of her legs wasn’t deteriorating, despite not having recovered. This was a good start. As long as it didn’t worsen, there was the hope of recovery.
The hospital took Sun Yuhan’s injury seriously, and they gathered a few specialists to work out a passable operation plan. If the operation succeeded, Sun Yuhan’s legs would be saved.
But before the operation could begin, Sun Yuhan put up a fierce struggle, convinced that they were trying to saw her legs off. The anxiety and distress made her heart rate and blood pressure rise sharply, to the extent that it made her unfit for operation.
“They aren’t trying to saw off your legs,” assured Lu Yi. He had been at it for a while already. Sun Yuhan did not listen to the doctor, the nurses, or anyone; except for Lu Yi. She ate when he told her to eat, and slept when he told her to sleep. Lu Yi’s presence brought her comfort and safety.
“Promise you are not lying to me?” Sun Yuhan was still afraid. “Can you really promise?”
“I promise,” said Lu Yi earnestly. Of course, he wasn’t lying either. He would not have agreed to an amputation operation.
Removing a leg wasn’t the same as losing a strand of hair or gaining an extra scar; legs don’t grow back.
“What if the operation doesn’t succeed?” asked Sun Yuhan worriedly. Without her legs, what did she have?
“It’ll definitely succeed,” assured Lu Yi. Even so, his comforts didn’t mean much, because Sun Yuhan was the one who was going through the operation, not him. Neither he nor the doctor could guarantee a 100% rate of success. What if it failed? The cost might not just be her legs, but also her entire life.
Gritting her teeth, Sun Yuhan suddenly gripped Lu Yi’s sleeves.
She then turned away, still not giving her consent. But the operation could not be delayed any further. As the doctor had said, the bone might grow into the wrong places if they dragged on any longer. At that point, they would have to break the bones and realign it. It was a torturing process, and the pain would be unbearable for anyone.
“What could help you make up your mind? We don’t have much time left,” said Lu Yi, leaning closer. His black pupils matched Sun Yuhan’s. “If you reject this operation, you will eventually lose your leg or even your life. You know that. You have to go through it to recover, to get back on your feet again. Living as you are now isn’t called living.”
“I…” Sun Yuhan didn’t know what to say. She didn’t want the operation. Not in the least bit. She was still scared.
Suddenly, she bit her bloodless lips. “Okay…but there is one condition.”
“Go on,” said Lu Yi, relieved that she finally agreed. Otherwise, he couldn’t force her to take the operation either. The operation consent form had to signed by her since she had no kin at the moment. If she did not give her consent, no one dared to operate on her.
“You have to marry me,” Sun Yuhan looked up, her eyes dead fixed on Lu Yi.
“I’m putting my life and my leg at stake here, but it’s a gamble I can’t afford to lose. That’s why you have to marry me.”
Lu Yi fell silent in contemplation.
Cold sweat formed on Sun Yuhan’s hand.
Say yes! Come on, say yes already! I was the one who saved you! My leg got injured because of you too! It doesn’t make sense that I should shoulder everything.
Lu Yi was still for a moment. Finally, his gaze stopped at Sun Yuhan’s legs.
He then looked up at Sun Yuhan’s emotional face.
“Okay,” he nodded. “I’ll marry you.”
Yan Huan jolted awake, her head clammy from cold sweat. Why did I sweat so much, she thought as she touched her forehead. She yanked her blanket away and stared at her bandaged leg. Could the wound have festered?
She slipped into her clothes, donned her hat and spectacles, and made for the hospital.
“No,” said the doctor after examining her. “There aren’t any signs of festering. In fact, it’s recovering pretty well.”
“There had been cold sweats and palpitations,” said Yan Huan, clamping her hand over her chest. What was going on with her body?
“Is that so?” the doctor penned down a slip. “I’ll refer you for an ECG test.”
Yan Huan received the slip with brewing uneasiness. Could there really have been something wrong with her heart? But there shouldn’t be any problems. During her annual medical checkups, putting all else aside, her heart had always been in good shape. There hadn’t been anything wrong with her heart in either of her lifetimes.
The ECG test proved her right. As for her palpitations, the doctor had no explanations either. If there wasn’t something physically wrong with her, then it had to be a mental issue.
Yan Huan took out her phone and gave Yi Ling a call.
“Is there something wrong, Huanhuan?” Yi Ling sat up from her lying position on the sofa and carefully set Little Lei aside to eat on his own. Little Lei blinked and took things into his own hands, which soon resulted in his face being covered in food.
“Nothing,” said Yan Huan, still jumpy. “I just wanted to ask… did something happen at home?”
“Not that I know of,” said Yi Ling. “Everything’s fine at home. Lin Lang is doing well too. We have been receiving a lot of endorsement offers lately. Nothing has happened to the Ye Family or Lu Family either.”
Really?
Is that really the case?
Yan Huan still felt unsure, but she knew Yi Ling wasn’t one that would lie to her. Plus, Yi Ling’s tone would never have been so relaxed and collected if something really did happen.
Yan Huan could only put down her phone. Still, the palpitations made it hard to breathe.
On the other end, Yi Ling put her phone down as well. She turned back to find Little Lei’s face in a mess.
“I’m done, Mama,” announced Little Lei, holding his rice-pasted face and grinning dully.
“Oh, you,” said Yi Ling, unsure if she should laugh or cry. She snapped a picture and sent it to Yan Huan.
“Look what happened during our call.”