In the days that followed, Shiyue visited the hospital every morning and evening. She brought both breakfast and lunch during her morning visits since it was too inconvenient to come back at noon. In the evenings, she’d bring dinner and her class notes for Yichen. Every night, she stayed until past ten—chatting with him, pushing his wheelchair through the hospital garden, or helping him catch up on schoolwork. At first, Yichen felt guilty about her constant presence, but since Shiyue always seemed genuinely happy, he never asked her to stop.
After leaving the hospital each night, Shiyue headed straight to Yichen’s house to sleep. It was closer to the hospital, sparing her the risk of walking alone through the old district after dark.
Zixuan hadn’t contacted Yichen for days. Several times, he’d pulled out his phone, hesitating whether to call her, but always put it away. He finally decided to apologize in person after his discharge.
Yichen had expected a two- or three-month hospital stay, but the doctor said his internal injuries weren’t severe. His body healed astonishingly fast—he’d be out in a month.
About a week into his stay, Zhenghong and a few basketball club members visited one evening. The moment they opened the door, they saw Shiyue feeding Yichen a peeled apple. A ripple of teasing whispers followed. Yichen still remembered their envious grins vividly.
Days under Shiyue’s care slipped by smoothly. Now, with only one day left before discharge, Yichen sat on his bed eating dinner while Shiyue peeled an apple beside him.
Suddenly, Shiyue’s eyes widened as if recalling something.
“Oh! The police called today. They caught those guys and asked me to identify them.”
“They actually caught them? I thought they’d given up.”
On Yichen’s second day in the hospital, officers had rushed in, demanding descriptions of the attackers and vowing to “bring them to justice.” Neither Yichen nor Shiyue had reported the incident. When they asked who called the police, the officers stammered that it was the two strangers who’d saved them. They’d tried to get the rescuers’ contact details to thank them, but the police refused, citing confidentiality. Days passed with no updates—Yichen had assumed the culprits escaped.
“When I identified them, they were all badly beaten up. That Chen Hao guy even had a broken arm.”
“How’d that happen?”
“I’m not sure. But I overheard them muttering… about being beaten by a girl.”
“What? You don’t think… the people who saved us did this?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t talk to them directly—just caught snippets.”
Yichen handed Shiyue his empty tray after dinner. She packed everything neatly into a bag.
“You’re leaving tomorrow. Are you fully recovered?”
“Of course!” Yichen flexed his fist with a grin. “With your care, how could I not heal? Honestly, if you hadn’t insisted I stay the full month, I’d have been out in two or three weeks.”
“It’s just… better to be safe.” Her voice dropped, cheeks flushing as she stared at her lap. “If you like… I could keep doing this for you…”
Yichen’s heart thumped wildly. He didn’t know how to respond. An awkward silence settled between them.
“Oh!” Shiyue suddenly looked up. “I’ve been cleaning your house every night. No dusty surprises tomorrow.”
“Ah, thanks so much.”
“And… brace yourself when you return to school the day after.”
“Why?” Yichen blinked.
Shiyue’s face turned pink.
“Our story’s spread everywhere.”
“Spread?”
“Zhenghong blabbed after visiting you. Now everyone’s saying you’re a ‘hero who saved the damsel’…”
Yichen’s jaw dropped, heat flooding his face.
“People also found out I’ve been bringing you meals. They keep asking if we’re… dating…”
“How did you answer?”
Shiyue avoided his gaze, crimson spreading across her cheeks.
“I didn’t answer.”
Yichen’s eyes widened. Her silence meant she’d let the rumors stand.
“Haha, ignore them. They’ll forget soon. We’re not dating anyway.”
Shiyue’s cheeks puffed slightly. She shot him an upward glare, clearly annoyed.
They chatted about school until Shiyue dozed off, slumped against the bed. It wasn’t the first time—she’d fallen asleep here often. The way she relaxed completely, utterly unguarded, held a quiet charm. Yichen always found himself stealing glances at her sleeping face. He’d wake her before ten, except once when he’d dozed off too. She’d slept till dawn, looking exhausted the next morning—a sight that twisted his heart.
“Shiyue. Wake up.”
At ten o’clock, Yichen gently shook her shoulder.
“Hmm? Yichen?” She lifted her head, eyes hazy with sleep. If staying overnight wouldn’t harm her health, he’d never have woken her.
“It’s ten. Time to go home.”
“Mm… okay.” Still drowsy, she stood and gathered her things.
“I’m off. Bye.”
“Bye.”
Outside the hospital, Shiyue walked straight to Yichen’s apartment. Her own home was a fifty-minute walk away, but his was only twenty minutes—and safer, avoiding the old district.
The security guard at Yichen’s residential gate beamed at her. Shiyue flushed, gave a small nod, and hurried past. He recognized her from her frequent visits with Yichen.
At Yichen’s door, an iris scan unlocked it. She stepped inside.
“Only… one night left,” she whispered to the empty room, voice hushed as if guilty.
After changing into pajamas, she slipped into Yichen’s bedroom. Two pillows lay on his bed—one his, the other hers. Cheeks burning, she climbed in, hugging his pillow to her chest beneath his blanket. She drifted off with a contented sigh.
