It seemed like a long time had passed when he opened his eyes. The walls were snowy white, and the air conditioner hummed softly against them. Before he could fully register his surroundings, a round head landed on the white sheets with a sobbing sound. “Uncle, you’re awake! I thought you wouldn’t wake up. You scared me!”
Then came the voice of Qiu Tian, part indulgent and part resigned. “Little rascal, your uncle just has a mild concussion. But he’s quite the sleepyhead. He’s just waking up now.”
He Su Ye let out a sigh of relief. “So, I’m in the hospital now. Which one?” He turned to find a cup.
He noticed He Shou Zheng’s red, grievance-filled eyes. Wanting to comfort him, He Su Ye realized his injuries prevented it.
He Shou Zheng handed it to him, and he took a look. “Examination: Blood pressure 105/60mmHg in the left arm, 110/60mmHg in the right arm, pulse 50 beats/min, respiration rate 13 times/min, temperature 35.7 degrees Celsius. The victim is lightly unconscious, with multiple wounds on the limbs and bleeding. There is bruising in the lower right limb. Physiological reflexes are present, but pathological reflexes are not elicited. X-ray examination revealed a fracture of the right radius and ulna shaft, 7 cm from the radial styloid process. MR imaging assisted in diagnosing a mild concussion. Treatment: Oxygen inhalation (5L/min), intravenous infusion of 5% glucose 250ml, monitoring blood pressure and adjusting infusion rate, wound cleaning, immobilization of fracture site.”
It wasn’t too serious, but it was still a major setback in his life.
Rarely seeing Qiu Tian so fussing, as if he hadn’t spoken for three days. “Do you know how long you’ve been asleep? The whole night! They only notified your dad at home, and haven’t dared to tell your elders yet. The little rascal came in the morning, saw you, and cried like crazy. Couldn’t calm him down, didn’t even go to class. And Fang Ke Xin, she was exhausted from bringing you back, lying in the duty room.”
He got up to pour himself a glass of water and continued chattering, “Li Jie and Su Shan are still on their honeymoon, nearly flew back in fright. Your boss came to see you once too. Wait!” He raised a finger. “What’s this?”
He Su Ye was puzzled. “One!”
Two fingers. “What’s this?”
“Two!”
Three fingers. “What’s one plus one?”
He couldn’t help but explode, though lacking in strength. “Two! Qiu Tian, why are you so boring? You didn’t even call a doctor or my family when I woke up. You’re sitting here talking nonsense, what are you so at ease about?”
Qiu Tian jumped up in fright. “I… I’ll tell you, don’t hit me! And don’t after either. I told Shen Xi Fan about it, I know you’ll scold me to death, but I couldn’t help it. If I didn’t tell her, I’d go crazy with guilt, I’d condemn myself, I’d become a villain for eternity. Don’t worry, don’t get up, she’s probably on her way now. Let me find a doctor for you first!” With that, he rushed out.
Leaving a bewildered He Shou Zheng and a conflicted He Su Ye behind. The child muttered to himself, “Uncle Qiu Tian is so bad. I almost fell for it. One plus one is two, why did I think it was three?”
The chief neurologist came for rounds, concluding after checking the situation, “Xiao He, you’re fine. Just external injuries, MRI is fine, but it’s better to stay in the hospital for observation.” Then he shrugged and smiled, “It’s the director’s orders, can’t do anything about it.” Then he left with a group of students.
Qiu Tian leaned against the clothes rack and joked, “It’s fortunate you didn’t injure your face, that would’ve been troublesome. Oh, by the way, your leg also has some scratches. Walking might be a bit difficult recently.” He rambled on, then suddenly noticed He Su Ye’s expression change. Following his gaze, he saw Shen Xi Fan standing at the door, sweating profusely, unsure whether to come in or leave.
The subsequent development left him speechless. Seeing He Su Ye staring blankly at her, Shen Xi Fan hesitated and stuttered, “Who am I? Do you still recognize me?”
Understanding immediately, Qiu Tian protested loudly, “I didn’t tell Shen Xi Fan you lost your memory! I didn’t, it wasn’t me. I only said you had a concussion. I’ll go out first. Shen Xi Fan, you have to help me out!” With that, he dragged He Shou Zheng out. “Why are you standing there like a lamp? You should uphold a good socialist sense of shame. Being a lamp is disgraceful.”
He Su Ye chuckled helplessly. “Girl, have you been watching too many Hong Kong and Taiwanese romantic dramas? Do you think every mild concussion leads to amnesia? Most of the concussion patients brought to the hospital each year don’t have amnesia. At most, it’s selective.”
As Shen Xi Fan approached him, her voice trembled. “You remember me, right? You’re not lying to me?” Her fingers lightly traced his casted left arm, tears uncontrollably streaming down her face, dropping onto the snowy white cast. Her body trembled incessantly. “You scared me, you scared me. I was afraid to come, afraid that if you lost your memory, you wouldn’t remember me. What would I do…”
Every slight tremor of her body seemed to etch lines in his eyes. So, he stood up and wrapped his arms around her with the arm that could move, cautiously, as if holding a fragile piece of crystal, delicate and silky, memories of warmth gradually surfaced, and his heart stirred, only to be shattered by her tears.
He Su Ye comforted her, “Don’t cry, don’t cry. I’m fine here. It’s okay now. I promise I’ll accompany you to get the amulet, and I won’t speak out of turn. I’m back now, don’t cry…”
This struck her even deeper. Shen Xi Fan burst into tears at his words. “You’re not keeping your promise. You said you’d come back. I want you to come back safely, how could you scare me like this…”
“Don’t cry, don’t cry… Girl, don’t cry, I…” He suddenly felt at a loss for words, realizing he wasn’t good at comforting others. He simply closed his mouth obediently and hugged her quietly, letting her cry.
After a while, Shen Xi Fan finally let out all her pent-up emotions, crying out her fears, anxieties, and grievances. With red-rimmed eyes, she looked at He Su Ye helplessly. “I… I… lost control of my emotions… I’m sorry…”
He smiled reassuringly, his face pale from blood loss. “I understand, I know. Please don’t cry anymore. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have broken my promise.”
Her face flushed rapidly, not knowing how to respond. At that moment, a nurse pushed the door open and called out, “Changing the dressing for Bed 3.”
Shen Xi Fan hurriedly broke free from his embrace, wiping away her tears, and watched as the nurse changed his bandages. Then she stammered, “He Su Ye, have you eaten? Are you hungry? Shall I go buy you something? Patients should eat congee, right?”
Qiu Tian poked his head in through the door crack and chuckled, “I want the seafood fried rice from Waterfront, with lobster bisque.”
He Shou Zheng thought for a moment. “I’ll have the McDonald’s Happy Meal, with the toy. Sister, make sure to ask for it. And also, get me another Thousand Layer Ice from Holyland, chocolate vanilla flavor.”
He Su Ye cleared his throat, reminding He Shou Zheng that he was pushing it a bit. Shen Xi Fan smiled gently, holding him back. “Kids, what’s with the fuss? Besides yours, whose food do you think I’m getting? I’ll bring everything together.”
“And Fang Ke Xin,” He Su Ye smiled, “I want the red date and wolfberry congee. Can you make it for me?”
Qiu Tian burst out laughing, teasing them both. “Ah the loving lunchboxes. Shen Xi Fan, let me teach you how to arrange wolfberries into a heart shape. How’s that?”
“Thanks, but no thanks!” Shen Xi Fan replied indignantly. Still, with moisture in her eyes, she looked half-angry and half-shy at Qiu Tian’s teasing, leaving He Su Ye momentarily stunned until He Shou Zheng called him several times before he snapped out of it.
He Shou Zheng looked at him plaintively and innocently, prompting Qiu Tian to quickly reassure him, “Your uncle is fine. It’s just a lingering effect of the concussion.”
Then people started to come to visit him.
His grandmother held his hand, still in shock. “Even though it’s a mild concussion, we were worried you might not wake up or have some aftereffects. Luckily, everything’s fine now.”
Feeling a pang of guilt, He Su Ye said, “Grandma, I’m sorry for worrying you.”
His grandfather still had a stern expression. “Take good care of yourself. We won’t disturb your rest. Su Ye, you handled this matter well. We don’t blame you.”
He found it a bit strange. “Where’s Dad? I haven’t seen him since I woke up.”
“He’s still in the operating room, there was a coronary artery bypass surgery this morning.” His grandfather explained, “Your dad’s work is too busy. Also, I heard you’re planning to go abroad.”
He nodded. “Yes, I’m considering it.”
His grandfather sighed. “According to Gu Lao, you’ve chosen cardiology.”
After some thought, He Su Ye replied, “I’ve discussed this with Dad. He’s read my master’s thesis and thinks specializing in atherosclerosis with a combination of Chinese and Western medicine has great potential.”
His grandfather nodded thoughtfully. “Since your dad agrees, there shouldn’t be any problems. Has the relationship between you two improved?”
He Su Ye smiled lightly. “Yes, it should have.”
After the family left, Shen Xi Fan appeared after a while, carrying various lunchboxes. Qiu Tian and He Shou Zheng were both asleep in their chairs. He Su Ye looked apologetic. “They’re exhausted. Have you eaten?”
She nodded. “I ate when I got home. This is the red date and wolfberry congee I made, of course, it’s not as good as yours. I’ll bring you something else later, chicken soup or bone broth?”
He Su Ye smiled. “Either is fine, I’m not picky.” Taking the spoon, he tasted the rich and sweet red date and wolfberry congee, making his appetite stir. He couldn’t help but smile. “There are longans and honey inside, right?”
“Um…” Shen Xi Fan explained nervously, “I specifically looked it up in books. Longan is good for nourishing the heart and spleen, replenishing blood, and calming the mind. Since you’ve lost blood, I thought it might be good to include something for making congee, right?”
He praised her repeatedly, “Hmm, delicious. Girl, your knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine is impressive. You can practically apply theory to practice.”
Shen Xi Fan sat beside him, leaning her head against her hand, smiling softly. The noon sunlight filtered through the trees, casting half of her shadow over her, covering his hand.
He felt as if she were still in his arms.
In the afternoon, he had just woken up and opened his eyes to see a familiar figure standing by the window, gazing absently at the scenery outside.
He spoke up, “Fang Ke Xin?”
Fang Ke Xin turned at the sound of his voice, somewhat surprised. “Senior Brother, you’re awake. I hope I didn’t disturb you.”
“No.” He struggled to sit up, smiling gently. “I want to thank you for that day. You helped me a lot.”
Fang Ke Xin felt embarrassed. “It wasn’t much, as long as you’re okay.”
She smiled calmly, her eyes clear and bright. He Su Ye vaguely felt that she was different today, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. In the past, there seemed to be a complex emotion in her gaze when she looked at him, but now, it was absent.
“Senior Brother,” Fang Ke Xin blinked, “can I ask you a question?”
“Um, of course.”
“Do you like Shen Xi Fan?”
“Ah…” He Su Ye felt surprised, completely unexpected that it would be such a question. Then he chuckled, feeling a bit embarrassed, “How did you both figure it out?”
She covered her mouth and laughed. “Qiu Tian was right. You two are clueless. Oh well, forget it, forget it. I was just asking. By the way, I heard you’re going abroad?”
“YeAh did Qiu Tian tell you that too?”
“YeAh he’s worried you might steal his job. He said he’s been having dreams lately where someone whispers in his ear, ‘Xiao Tian Tian, you’ve run out of talent, make way for Comrade Xiao He’.”
He Su Ye was speechless. “That guy… My research direction is completely different from his. Why would he say such nonsense?”
“Senior Brother, does Shen Xi Fan know that you’re going abroad?”
“She probably doesn’t know. By the way, none of you told her, right?”
“No one dared to say a word against your wishes. Oh, I’m about to go back to school. My supervisor is looking for me.”
“Alright, go back and rest well. I’m fine now. Thank you.”
Fang Ke Xin chuckled softly, turning to leave. Suddenly, she paused at the door, her hand gripping the handle but not turning it.
“Senior Brother, I’m leaving. You must be happy.”
Her voice was low, her tone light, but it carried the weight lifted off her shoulders, with a hint of playful reluctance. As He Su Ye suddenly realized, although she stood before him, there was a distance between them, a feeling of letting go.
Thus, this girl had finally moved on and grown up overnight.
“Fang Ke Xin!” he hurriedly called out, “Actually, Qiu Tian, he—”
Before he could finish, she interrupted with a light laugh. “Stop! Stop! People who are clueless about their feelings have no right to talk about others. Senior Brother, I’m leaving.” With a wave of her hand, she closed the door gently.
From now on, we will all be happy. I believe it and always have.
In the evening, Shen Xi Fan came to see him. He Su Ye was browsing the internet, with the Pennsylvania University page open. Shen Xi Fan leaned over curiously, then immediately recoiled, “Oh my, it’s in English again. If I keep looking, I’ll go completely crazy.”
He took the opportunity to grab her hand. “There’s something I want to tell you.”
She froze for a moment, then mumbled, “Um, He Su Ye, can you please not hold my hand while you talk? It’s putting pressure on me.”
He Su Ye gently released her hand, looking straight into her eyes. “Girl, can you, seriously consider my request?”
It was a confession devoid of any creativity, not even an “I like you,” simple and plain but sincere.
But for Shen Xi Fan, all confessions were eclipsed by his request. His sincere inquiry, tinged with tentative tones, respected her wishes. Such respect implied an “I am fortunate if I get it, it’s not my destiny if I don’t” attitude. Regardless of the outcome, this man would silently accept it.
Such a man should bring her the long-lost sense of security.
But suddenly, Shen Xi Fan had the urge to tease him. This man, his feelings were buried too deep, too good, always so calm and composed, never seen him flustered or confused.
She lowered her eyelids, avoiding his gaze, and hesitated for a moment, “Consider what? There’s nothing to consider…”
He Su Ye’s expression subtly changed. He had silently repeated that sentence in his mind countless times. Even when he finally uttered it, his heart remained in turmoil. He detested uncertainty, but this time he had to take a gamble. Shen Xi Fan’s response made his already uncertain heart grow colder.
However, to his surprise, she smiled afterward. “What are you considering? Dr. He, I just had a good cry today and still didn’t manage to let you know that I like you. I must be a failure at being a person! Do you have to make me say it so directly?”
He Su Ye’s mouth hung slightly open, feeling as if a thousand flowers were blooming in his heart. He wanted to speak but didn’t know where to start. “I…”
Shen Xi Fan turned her face away, feeling a bit bold just now. She had never spoken so frankly in her entire life. Today was an exception — all because of this clueless man.
The atmosphere suddenly became ambiguous, filled with a sweet fragrance.
His fingers gently wrapped around hers, firm and warm, as if conveying a silent vow.
“He Su Ye, I thought you already understood. You got me all excited for nothing.”
“I didn’t mean to. At lunch, Qiu Tian and the others were around, so I couldn’t ask. Besides, if you didn’t say it clearly, how could I know?”
“He Su Ye…”
“Yes?”
“I saw that book. When did you write those prescriptions?”
“Ah… Oh, I wrote them last time when I escorted you home. I have your previous medical records, and for those prescriptions, some I’m certain about, while others I marked with a question mark. If you need to get the medicine, we’ll have to adjust them according to your actual symptoms.”
“By the way, you seemed nervous just now, right? What a lame confession!”
“Sorry, it’s the first time I’ve said such a thing. I don’t have much experience…”
Walking in the hospital garden, He Su Ye felt Shen Xi Fan’s hand was a bit cold. He knew she always had this constitution, with cold hands and feet no matter the season.
Longan, wolfberry, red dates — all were foods for nourishing blood and qi. The porridge she cooked for him by hand, he would also make a bowl for her after he was discharged from the hospital. Perhaps there would only be a few chances left because even if they both went to the United States, they would still be far apart.
In this bustling city, with the streetlights shining, the night streets resembled a huge black-and-white sculpture, with many streetlights illuminating, many tall buildings contrasting, and many ambiguous figures bustling about, becoming a flowing scenery of the city. Yet they held hands quietly in a corner of the city, warming each other.
Just one more year, he thought, wanting to hold her hand in a season of fireworks and flourishing grass, to say to her, to the heavens, in front of everyone, “I do.”
Yes, I do. To accompany you through the long years, to witness all the changes, that would surely be the best thing.