In that instant, Lin Shuang’s thoughts raced.

If she tiptoed out of the hospital room before Zhou Zheng’s grandmother sat up, her retreating figure would surely look, absolutely, undeniably terrible — like a thief with a guilty conscience.

She was wearing a crisp trench coat, paired with a flowing long skirt and high-heeled boots — clearly the image of a woman who walked with an air of coolness and glamour. There was no way she could look that sneaky and pathetic.

Zhou Zheng’s eyes asked her silently: Yes or No.

Lin Shuang’s expression steadied at once. She brushed her hair back with practiced ease and swiftly reached into her bag to touch up her lipstick.

It was just visiting a sick person, ordinary socializing. What was there to say Yes or No about.

Zhou Zheng watched her posture and movements as she readied herself and couldn’t help but smile a little, his eyes dark and glossy like dots of lacquer, as he pulled back half the curtain.

“Grandma, did you see these flowers? A friend of mine brought them, and some gifts for you too.”

The lilies and carnations Lin Shuang had bought sat on the bedside table.

“I can’t see too well, just a big red blur, but it smells nice. I had to get close before I could make it out clearly,” Grandma said. “Which friend? When did they come? I fell asleep and didn’t even know — you should have woken me up.”

Zhou Zheng smiled and pointed toward outside the curtain: “She hasn’t left yet. We were just talking. Did we wake you up? She’s shy, a little embarrassed to see you.”

Grandma turned her head: “Where is she?”

Lin Shuang appeared right on cue, leaning out from behind Zhou Zheng, her voice soft and gentle: “Grandma, you’re awake. I’m still here. Coming at this hour, I’ve disturbed your rest.”

A girl! Little A-Zheng had never once had a girl’s shadow around him.

When Zhou Zheng’s grandmother heard Lin Shuang’s voice, she snapped fully awake. With one blurry eye she made out a figure — tall and slender, clearly good-looking — and grabbed Zhou Zheng’s hand, smiling like a sunflower in bloom: “Oh my, A-Zheng, this is… you didn’t even give me a heads-up.”

“Take it slow, let me help you to the bathroom first.” Zhou Zheng stayed composed as ever, pulling the curtain fully open. Lin Shuang stepped forward to lend a hand too, her voice sweet: “Grandma, watch your step.”

“Good, good, sit down, dear, sit.”

The scene felt cozy and lively. Zhou Zheng introduced Lin Shuang to his grandmother with a smile on his face and warmth in his voice — not calling her his girlfriend, not calling her just a friend either, but going straight to calling her Shuangshuang, guiding her forward with a hand on her shoulder. It was, somehow, different.

Lin Shuang stood beside Zhou Zheng, smiling gently, the two of them shoulder to shoulder, looking like a matched pair of golden youths.

Grandma had lived with Zhou Zheng for so many years — how could she not guess this girl’s status.

Too bad one eye was still bandaged, so she couldn’t make out Lin Shuang’s features clearly. All the lights in the room were switched on, and the old woman took hold of Lin Shuang’s hand directly, pulling her close to study her face, blinking again and again, finally seeing clearly — rosy lips, white teeth, as pretty as the actresses in the posters on the wall at home. Beaming, she turned back to Zhou Zheng: “So pretty, so very pretty. I’ve never seen such a beautiful girl, like a fairy — prettier than a fairy, even.”

Lin Shuang was rarely looked over so closely by an elder. The hand gripping hers was dry and rough, covered in wrinkles, and something strange stirred in her chest — but she let it go quickly, feigning demure obedience, glancing at Zhou Zheng, staying softly silent.

He stood to the side pouring plain water, a hint of pride touching his brow — hard to say whether he was showing her off or himself: “She really is pretty. Shuangshuang’s been pretty since she was little. Everyone likes her.”

That tone was far too intimate.

Lin Shuang silently cursed him in her heart.

Zhou Zheng’s grandmother had her sit in the chair by the bed, pressing an apple into one hand and a tangerine into the other, then personally peeled a banana: “Shuangshuang, eat something.”

Following Zhou Zheng’s lead, Grandma called her Shuangshuang too.

“Grandma, I won’t, thank you.”

Lin Shuang said no with her mouth but still took the banana, biting into it twice and holding it in her hand.

She didn’t particularly like bananas.

“Grandma, she really doesn’t want it, don’t trouble yourself.” Zhou Zheng, standing behind Lin Shuang’s chair, took the banana from her hand, finished it in two or three bites, and tossed the peel in the trash.

Lin Shuang pressed her lips together, smiling.

Zhou Zheng’s grandmother watched it all, smiling to herself.

On this first meeting, Grandma mostly kept her attention on Lin Shuang, chatting — asking her age, where she lived, whether it was far to the hospital, what unit she worked for — the usual small talk.

Zhou Zheng inserted himself between the two of them, helping Lin Shuang along in conversation, steering the topic when needed.

The mood was pleasant. Grandma’s face was full of smiles, and Lin Shuang’s expression stayed reasonably relaxed.

After going around with her questions, Zhou Zheng’s grandmother realized — this was the pretty girl who ran a milk tea shop that Shunzai had mentioned last Chinese New Year’s Eve, the one Zhou Zheng hadn’t come home for.

The old woman’s smile grew even wider. Good, at the start of the year she’d thought Zhou Zheng had finally found a girl he liked, had gotten her hopes up — but then nothing more came of it, and she’d secretly worried about it for quite a while since.

This grandson of hers — honestly, his looks, education, ability, and work were all fine. The only thing dragging him down was his family situation: an orphan with no parents, which didn’t sound good when spoken aloud. Otherwise why would he have gone all these years without bringing a girl home?

Who would have thought things would turn around, and the girl would appear before her eyes after all. And the two of them seemed to be getting along rather warmly.

Now there was something to look forward to.

They chatted in the hospital room for a while. Then, right on time, Shunzai called — he’d driven his passenger back into the city and was waiting outside the hospital to take Lin Shuang home. Parking wasn’t convenient, so he wouldn’t be coming up to see Grandma today.

Lin Shuang stood to take her leave at the right moment.

Grandma held Lin Shuang’s hand, offering kind instructions: “It’s not safe at night, have A-Zheng and Shunzai see you home. A-Zheng’s been staying with me at the hospital these past few days, delaying his own affairs too. Come again when you have time, and we’ll have a good long talk…”

Zhou Zheng put on his coat to see Lin Shuang out: “Grandma, sit for a bit, I’ll be right back after I walk Shuangshuang out.”

The old woman turned on her own, pulled open a drawer, felt around inside it, then supported herself against the bed to see Lin Shuang to the door.

Neither of the two young people would let her get up.

“I’ll just walk you to the door, it’s rare that you came to see this old woman.” Zhou Zheng’s grandmother, clutching several red banknotes in her hand, pressed them toward Lin Shuang, her tone earnest. “First meeting, by rights the family should have prepared something, should have hosted you properly — I didn’t know ahead of time, and I don’t have much on me, and you went and spent so much bringing all these things over… just a little something from Grandma to mark our first meeting. Do take it, dear.”

“Grandma, you’re too kind, really too kind… I can’t take this money…”

“Take it, just take it.” The bills kept getting pushed into Lin Shuang’s hand, and Lin Shuang kept refusing.

It was rather like visiting relatives as a child during New Year’s — everyone knowing the red envelope shouldn’t be accepted, but the elder stuffing it into your pocket regardless.

This kind of onslaught, Lin Shuang couldn’t withstand.

Even Zhou Zheng hadn’t expected this turn of events, caught completely off guard.

In the end Zhou Zheng grabbed the money and stuffed it into his own pocket: “Grandma, it’s the same whether you give it to me or to her. I’ll accept it on Shuangshuang’s behalf.”

Lin Shuang breathed a sigh of relief.

The thinking of the older generation, their traditional ways, their manner of handling things — truly different from young people’s.

Zhou Zheng’s grandmother was genuinely anxious for him, and now that there finally seemed to be a prospect, the old woman treated it with the utmost seriousness. Seeing that she liked Lin Shuang from the bottom of her heart, on this very first meeting in the hospital room, she’d already pressed a red envelope into her hands.

Perhaps it wasn’t quite the right moment, but it was certainly sincere and heartfelt.

The old woman had just had surgery that very day.

Something indescribable stirred in Lin Shuang’s chest, heavy and weighted.

The two of them walked out of the inpatient ward.

The night’s moonlight was faint, clouds thick and layered, the wind a little cold.

Lin Shuang breathed out a warm breath and pulled her trench coat tighter.

Zhou Zheng walked beside her, turning his head to glance at her.

Lin Shuang walked with her head down, long hair drifting, her features picture-perfect yet somewhat blurred in the night.

Zhou Zheng walked her to the hospital’s front gate, where Shunzai’s car was already waiting by the roadside.

“You should go back quickly. Grandma can’t see well, the room can’t be without someone there.”

Zhou Zheng nodded: “All right then. Be careful on the way.”

Neither of them moved.

Both were holding back words unsaid.

“Our relationship… your family doesn’t know?” Lin Shuang asked him.

If they had known about her, Zhou Zheng’s grandmother wouldn’t have reacted so strongly.

“Right, I haven’t told them.”

“Why not?” Lin Shuang said lightly, offhandedly.

He pulled the rolled-up bills from his pocket and spread them out in his palm: “You want these?”

Lin Shuang glanced at them, brow furrowing, an anxious look crossing her face as she pressed her lips together: “It’s not right for me to keep it. You hold onto it.”

Zhou Zheng smiled, the smile gentle.

He reached out and hugged her, stroking her hair.

Their two long, dark shadows stretched out on the ground.

Lin Shuang nestled into his embrace, her chest feeling tight, a faint sting rising in her nose.

“Don’t put pressure on yourself. The life we have now is good enough. Just live the life you want to live.” He pressed a hand to her shoulder, saying calmly, “If you’re about to say something else, I won’t agree to it.”

“Zhou Zheng… how much do you still love me?”

“Still some,” he said softly. “Do you still have feelings for me?”

She nodded.

At least in this moment, she wanted to stay in his warm embrace, not wanting to part.

Shunzai sat quietly in the driver’s seat, the window already rolled down, sneaking glances in the rearview mirror, holding back laughter, thoroughly amused — the two of them hugging and clinging, utterly inseparable, so sickly sweet.

Every hero has his weakness. A-Zheng, back in the village, had been the top student, the model example for the whole village, sharp-minded, upright in conduct, never one for these romantic entanglements.

And yet here he was, head over heels for a pretty girl.

It was getting late, and Zhou Zheng didn’t feel at ease leaving Grandma alone in the hospital room. He walked Lin Shuang to Shunzai’s car: “Text me once you’re home.”

Lin Shuang nodded.

He instructed Shunzai: “It’s quite late, A-Shun, please look out for her a bit more.”

“Got it, A-Zheng, don’t worry.”

The black car disappeared into the cold, quiet night. He stood under the streetlight for a moment, then turned back toward the hospital.

Saturday morning, Zhou Zheng took Grandma for her post-op eye checkup, stealing a moment amid the busyness to call Lin Shuang.

He was somewhat restless.

They’d gotten back too late the previous night, and Lin Shuang and Zhou Zheng hadn’t talked much, going to bed late — she was woken by his call this morning, her voice still drowsy.

Lin Shuang heard the sounds on his end and asked: “Can she be discharged today?”

“Yes, we’re about to remove the bandages. If there’s no problem, we’ll get some medicine and can head back.”

“You’re at the hospital alone, can you manage? Do you need help?”

“Zhou Feng’s coming from school later to see Grandma, he has no classes today since it’s the weekend.” Zhou Zheng asked her, “Are you coming? Discharge procedures will take until noon, and I’ll leave once I’ve had lunch.”

Just lunch, then. Lin Shuang thought about it: “We’ll see. I’m going to the shop this afternoon. I’ll come by if I have time.”

“Okay.”

Zhou Feng came from school to see Grandma, and immediately began scavenging for food in the hospital room — he’d taken the bus early that morning straight from school, his stomach empty, breakfast still unaccounted for.

The room had quite a lot of things in it. Zhang Fan and Lin Shuang had both come to visit, Zhou Zheng’s mentor’s wife had also stopped by, all bringing gifts, and combined with what Shunzai and Zhou Zheng himself had bought, there was no shortage of food, drinks, and nutritional supplements.

“Brother, who sent these flowers?”

Grandma had just come back with her bandages removed, wearing a rather trendy pair of sunglasses, in high spirits, laughing as she handed milk to Zhou Feng: “Eat more, this is your brother’s girlfriend’s doing.”

“Sister Shuangshuang, huh.” Zhou Feng winked at Zhou Zheng. “Brother, you’re finally letting it out. I’ve been keeping this secret so hard, you’d better give me hush money at least.”

Zhou Zheng was off to the side sorting through the medical file, assigning Zhou Feng to tidy the room: “I’m going to get the report, and pick up some medicine and schedule a follow-up. You sort through everything, and once discharge is done we’ll get a meal before heading out.”

“Got it.” Zhou Feng’s face lit with delight. “Oh right, big sister’s back too, said she’d be at the hospital soon.”

All three siblings had been raised by Grandma’s own hands, and their bonds ran deep. With Grandma hospitalized, Zhou Xue had called Zhou Zheng twice, asking about the situation.

Zhou Zheng pulled out his phone, brow furrowing: “Xiaoxue’s coming back too?”

It happened to be a free weekend, so Zhou Xue was coming to see Grandma, spending the weekend — Wancheng was only two hours from Beiquan via the highway, manageable for a round trip.

Zhou Xue had gotten a ride straight from the university gate to the hospital.

At a glance, she spotted a slender figure amid the bustling hospital crowd.

Among the many people coming and going, most dressed in dull, lackluster clothing, but this figure’s back was radiant and eye-catching, swaying gracefully — exquisite from head to toe, walking into the hospital in high heels, holding a coffee, carrying a bright handbag.

Zhou Xue didn’t recognize her, and followed Lin Shuang toward the inpatient ward.

Zhou Zheng was waiting for Lin Shuang downstairs.

Her brows carried a lazy air, her whole demeanor languid, her mood not exactly buoyant but not too bad either. She pressed the half-finished coffee into Zhou Zheng’s hands.

“All done?”

“Almost. Shunzai will be here soon.” Zhou Zheng took her hand, tucking it naturally into his own pocket. “Let’s go up first.”

“Brother.”

Zhou Xue called out to Zhou Zheng from behind them, her tone flat and blunt.

“Xiaoxue?” Zhou Zheng turned, smiling at his cousin, waving her over. “You got here so fast.”

“Yeah, I drove a bit quick.” She walked over slowly, looking Lin Shuang up and down, glancing at her clothes and shoes, shrinking her neck slightly.

“Where’s Grandma? Can she see now? What floor’s the room on?” Zhou Xue went to press the elevator button first, her gaze fixed somewhere in the air, tossing a greeting at Lin Shuang: “Hello.”

Lin Shuang couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

Hadn’t seen this little girl in a while — still the same as ever.

Had she eaten this girl’s family’s rice? Dug up her family’s ancestral grave? Stolen someone from her family?

“Teacher Zhou, which of your sisters is this? Never met her before, never heard you mention her either.” Lin Shuang’s face carried a strange little smile, clinging affectionately to Zhou Zheng. “Whose relative’s kid is this?”

Zhou Xue’s face tightened.

Zhou Zheng stood between the two of them, sensing that something about this was starting to feel off.