Three months without a reply. Yeah, looks like the original owner hadn’t logged into QQ during the coma—and judging by the timing, probably not since around the corrective surgery.

He really cares about me... The nerve of this guy, after vanishing without a word when I was a freshman.

As Huo Tong thought it over, she searched her memories for anything she knew about someone called “Chongqing Forest.”

His real surname was Yao, and he seemed to be in his early twenties. His family was well-off, but he rarely spent money on online top-ups.

She’d met him through gaming, during the summer vacation after ninth grade, in a Western fantasy MMORPG like WoW called Lake of Heaven.

Their relationship... They were the closest of friends. They’d never met in person, but they were already as close as she was with Mu Lishan.

But after she started senior year of high school, she had less and less time to go online. Lake of Heaven was declining, too, so it was inevitable that they drifted apart.

By the time she got to college and looked back toward the online world, Chongqing Forest’s profile picture had long since stopped lighting up.

Half sighing with nostalgia, she danced her fingers over the keyboard to write a message. She ought to reply to the guy, at least.

Water Domain Venerable: Relax. I just haven’t logged into social media in ages. Don’t make it sound like your bro’s gone and opened an account at the Bank of Heaven.

Water Domain Venerable: I got sick, and then a few things happened recently. I’m in the hospital, that’s all. Don’t make a big deal out of it.

Water Domain Venerable: Ge You-style slouch.jpg

She’d come up with this username when she graduated from elementary school.

As someone who wasn’t afraid of embarrassment and was especially nostalgic, Huo Tong figured she would’ve kept using it well into adulthood if her ex-girlfriend hadn’t thought it was too silly back in her sophomore year.

After sending the messages, Huo Tong apparently worried he wouldn’t believe her, so she took a few photos of the room. She even got Mu Lishan’s profile in one of them.

Yeah! Not that there’s any other reason. She just wanted to show off!

Water Domain Venerable: Image, image.

The little circle showing the pictures’ upload progress had barely finished spinning when he replied.

Chongqing Forest: Sick? What are you sick with? You’ve been in the hospital this whole time. Don’t tell me it’s some incurable disease.

Huo Tong scrunched up her face. She’d just told him she was fine, and now he was cursing her?

Water Domain Venerable: You’re the one with an incurable disease! If you died from it, I’d be the first to fly over and steal the offerings from your grave!

Water Domain Venerable: I was discharged ages ago, okay? I’m back in the hospital for something else now!

The other person paused for a moment, then sent another message.

Chongqing Forest: I don’t believe you. Send me a selfie, then. For all I know, you’ve already had chemo and lost all your hair in private.

How could Huo Tong possibly agree to that?

He definitely still thought she was a guy. If she told him she was actually a girl now, wouldn’t that sink their friendship?

Water Domain Venerable: Get lost. You’re just trying to trick me into sending a selfie. Believe what you want.

Chongqing Forest was silent for a few seconds, then sent a voice call invite. Huo Tong jumped so hard she nearly dropped her phone, and hurriedly reached for the red button.

How could she answer a call with this voice now, damn it...? Huo Tong patted her chest, still shaken. She’d loved voice acting since she was a kid and was good at voice imitation and performing lines.

But back in her second year of high school, she wasn’t very practiced yet. And she hardly ever imitated male voices. She had the memories in her head, sure, but who knew if her body could keep up?

Thinking this, she looked at the screen. This time, Chongqing Forest didn’t ask why she hadn’t answered. He just sent a question.

Chongqing Forest: Are you at Huadu Central People's Hospital?

Water Domain Venerable: Mm-hmm. It’s really nothing serious. I’ll be out in a few days, so don’t worry!

Huo Tong arched an eyebrow. She felt a little bad about not answering his call, so she figured it wouldn’t hurt to tell him. Then his next message nearly made her spit out her drink.

Chongqing Forest: I’ll come find you at Huadu Hospital. I’ve got some free time now.

??? Huo Tong froze for a moment, completely dumbfounded, then hurriedly typed back.

Water Domain Venerable: Y-you’re in Huadu?

Chongqing Forest: Didn’t you see my earlier messages? I came to Huadu for something these past few days. I’ve just finished, so I can come see you.

After sending that, he apparently worried Huo Tong wouldn’t believe him, so he sent a photo taken in front of Huadu’s biggest restaurant, with one arm in a suit sleeve in the frame.

Damn! It wasn’t a picture from the internet! Huo Tong recognized the watch on his wrist at a glance and immediately knew it was really him.

But it was fine, Huo Tong reassured herself. He was just bluffing! He was only a measly paper tiger!

He didn’t even know her real name. What, was he going to search every hospital room one by one?

Water Domain Venerable: You’re talking like you know me in real life, Xiao Yao. I’d advise you to behave yourself. Hospitals are pretty good at protecting patient privacy. They won’t just give out information to anyone, okay!

Chongqing Forest: But I know the person next to you—the Mu family’s eldest daughter. I’ve got some connections with her family, so it wouldn’t be hard to find you.

“...” Huo Tong was speechless, staring in shock. She hadn’t expected to show off so hard that she’d given herself away.

She swallowed. Thinking of all the ways things could go if he recognized her, she decided this was bad. She adjusted her voice and tried several times before managing to send a passable male-sounding line.

“Come on, Yao. This is a bit much, isn’t it? Sure, one day apart feels like three years, but you’re being so eager that it’s hard not to wonder if there’s something questionable about your sexual orientation.”

Chongqing Forest sent a voice message. Huo Tong tapped it, and his steady, refined voice played through the speaker, with just a hint of nonchalance.

“I’m getting in the car now. Central Hospital, right? I’ll be there in thirty minutes at most. Just so we’re clear, if I can’t find you, I’ll be very angry.”

Huo Tong held her forehead and sighed. She was seriously rattled. She hadn’t expected him to be just as good as his word as he’d been in her memories.

Was she supposed to just sit there and wait for him? She’d just asked if he was gay. If he caught her, wouldn’t she end up in A-Jie’s clubhouse?

Mm... I need to make a run for it. With that thought, Huo Tong slipped on her cotton slippers and hurried out. Just as she reached the door, she nearly ran into the little nurse coming in.

“Oh! Little miss, where are you going in such a hurry?” the nurse exclaimed.

“You came at just the right time, sis. If a guy comes looking for me later, don’t tell him where I went. And don’t tell him I’m a woman, either!”

Huo Tong earnestly clasped the little nurse’s hands and asked with a smile. Then she let go and headed for the door, turning back to add:

“I’m just going outside the ward to get some air. You can see the patch of green from the window, right below!”

“Huh? Wait! You can’t wander off without the doctor’s permission!” the little nurse called after her, but Huo Tong had already pattered out of sight.

… …

… …

In Huadu’s CBD, skyscrapers stood in rows and traffic streamed past beneath the warm sun. The city shifted through layers of light and shadow as people hurried along the streets, most of them clearly well-off.

In front of Huadu’s most luxurious Chinese restaurant, a tall, handsome young man lowered the phone from his lips.

He wore an expensive black suit. Everything about him seemed neat and composed, and his eyes, dark as black jade, were calm and deep.

“Mr. Yao, how about we sit down for some tea this afternoon? We’ve only just finalized our new Lake of Heaven project with Shengyun. There are still plenty of details we can discuss at our leisure.”

A middle-aged man in a suit came out through the entrance and walked over to the young man. He asked casually, though with unmistakable caution.