At 21:03 at night, aside from Yezhe, both the chef and the boss had already gone home.
After giving the hall one final cleaning, putting all the tables and chairs in order, and turning off every light, Yezhe picked up the Key with one hand and grabbed the Iron Rod from under the counter with the other, then pushed open the Glass Door.
The night breeze, laced with a chill, slammed into Yezhe, making him yawn uncontrollably; tears welled up at the corners of his eyes, dampening his eyelashes.
He rubbed at the corners of his eyes, moist from tears, then turned to close the Glass Door behind him.
Hooking the Iron Rod around the handle of the Plastic Shutter Door, he pulled it down, the clang of iron sheets echoing along the entire street.
He stuffed the Iron Rod into the gap between the Plastic Shutter Door and the Glass Door, inserted the Key into the lock, twisted it, and pulled up three times, only relaxing his clenched hand when he heard the “click-clack” of the lock core engaging.
“Off work, finally.”
Raising his voice slightly, Yezhe called out to the deserted street.
“Let’s go…”
But… tonight’s walk home was anything but pleasant.
Usually, Yezhe would stride quickly toward the bus stop, but today he dragged his feet as if someone was desperately pulling him back; he could barely walk, let alone hurry.
He didn’t know why—he only knew that the Notice of Critical Condition kept filling his mind, flickering in his thoughts like a Prophecy.
He wanted to forget it, but no matter what he tried to think of, that sheet of white paper would always resurface in his mind.
Its constant reappearance filled Yezhe with annoyance, so he simply pulled out his earphones, hastily turned on some music and cranked up the volume, trying to drown out the image burned into his brain.
But the effect… was negligible.
That bright red stamp remained imprinted in his mind. Yezhe had no choice but to open his phone and click on the help video once more.
A stark white light poured into his eyes, making his heart uneasy. Yezhe steadied himself and looked at the seal.
XX Hospital…
The name felt so familiar that it set Yezhe thinking for a good while.
Wait a minute…
Isn’t that the place I pass by every day on my way to and from work??
C City might not be as grand as the coastal megacities, but it was still one of the best inland cities, and its medical resources were comparatively advanced.
This hospital was one of its prime examples, but that also meant its fees were higher than most.
People wouldn’t come here unless things had become truly dire.
So… since I’ll be passing by anyway, should I go check the hospital?
No, no…
As soon as the thought popped up, Yezhe hurriedly quashed that sprouting seed.
He barely knew her, and barging in out of nowhere didn’t really count as a visit, did it?
He mulled it over again and again, until the roar of the bus engine swept through the evening wind and finally broke his trance.
With a squeak, the bus braked at the stop. The returning breeze smacked Yezhe in the face as he unlocked his phone.
A trip that usually took ten minutes had been dragged out until nine-thirty.
It’s getting late. Whatever it is, it can wait until tomorrow.
Taking three steps at a time, he got on the bus and sat in the nearest seat.
The seat still held the lingering warmth of the last passenger, and the scent of rubber and dust from before hadn’t yet faded, which somehow managed to jolt Yezhe awake for a moment.
…
“Arriving at First People’s Hospital. Passengers who need to get off, please…”
The electronic broadcast had barely reached his ears when Yezhe’s foot had already stepped out the door.
So I came after all…
The looping thoughts in his mind hadn’t even had time to stop his body from acting on its own.
Towering buildings stood like giant, dark tombstones in the night, with glaring red characters atop the roof, stabbing at Yezhe’s pupils.
The hospital had six buildings in total; the first three were connected at the front, while the remaining three were hidden behind.
And Yudong’s Mother was lying in one of those six buildings right now. Maybe Yudong was inside, too.
Should I go in, or not?
He hesitated by the roadside for a long time, unable to make up his mind.
“Young man! Visiting someone at the hospital this late?”
A shout snapped Yezhe out of his thoughts.
At the source of the voice stood a Vendor selling Candied Hawthorn, leaning against his bicycle beneath the warm glow of the streetlamp.
On the rear seat was a Bamboo Basket stuck with several skewers of Candied Hawthorn, their sugar shells glistening red under the light, sparkling enticingly.
“Yeah, just came to see a friend.”
Yezhe opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He cleared his throat and finally managed to force out a few hoarse words.
“Oh, oh, young man, want some Candied Hawthorn? Sweet as can be.”
“No, thank you, I’m not in the mood.”
“Hey, not being in the mood is all the more reason to eat. When you’re upset, something sweet makes things a little less hard.”
“Most people staying here are in pretty serious condition… People, you know, always eating bitterness, always suffering. If you don’t eat something sweet, you’ll just suffer yourself to death, won’t you?”
As he spoke, the Vendor stared unblinkingly at the imposing Main Building, something unspeakable flickering in his eyes.
“It’s late, I need to pack up, so I’ll just give you a couple.” With that, the Vendor pulled two sticks of Candied Hawthorn from the Bamboo Basket and shoved them into Yezhe’s hands.
“Ah…?”
In that moment, Yezhe froze, fingers closing around the sticky skewer before his brain could react.
“Look at you, all frowning—your forehead’s twisted up tight.”
The Vendor nudged the Candied Hawthorn further into Yezhe’s palm.
“With that look, something must have happened to your friend, right? If you have the time, hurry and go check on them.”
“I’m off. You better hurry, too—wait much longer and even the buses will stop running.”
With a creak, the Vendor swung down the scuffed bike stand.
The old bicycle’s chain clicked as he pedaled hard, his shadow wavering under the yellow streetlights until it shrank to a small dot at the intersection.
“People, huh~”
That sigh was chased by the night wind from one end of the street to the other, and, finding nowhere to hide, slipped straight into Yezhe’s heart.
Yeah, I just care about her, that’s all… Besides, anyone would come visit in this kind of situation, right?
It’s just that I act faster than most… Anyway, I don’t even know which ward she’s in. With a hospital this big, there’s no guarantee I’ll even run into her.
He found an excuse to calm his heart, and, before he could change his mind, Yezhe strode quickly toward the Main Building.
The moment he entered, the smell of disinfectant hit him. The lobby was empty and almost eerie in the late hour, with only the nurse station’s warm light glowing.
Apart from a few nurses on duty, the vast hall held only Yezhe.
Yudong… might be in here somewhere…
Yezhe’s eyes scanned the dense signs listing the various departments on the wall. The characters were too small, and the fluorescent lights glared, making his head spin.
No turning back now—he’d come this far.
With that, he opened the Notice of Critical Condition occupying his mind, searching it for clues.
Neurology Department… Where is it…
It should be here—no, wait, maybe I went the wrong way…
His patience was being steadily worn away—who the hell designed this building? Why is it so hard to navigate?
It should be on this floor… Where else could it be?
Wandering aimlessly, Yezhe eventually ended up back at the Elevator Hall he’d come up from.
Where on earth is it…
As he walked and pondered, he failed to notice the elevator behind him beginning to hum as the traction motor started up, the soft scrape of the carriage on its tracks growing louder as the indicator lights rose floor by floor.
Until, with a ding, the silence was broken by the elevator’s chime.
Yezhe turned around just as the elevator doors slowly slid open, a familiar figure stepping out, wrapped in the warm yellow light from inside the car.
It seemed, perhaps, maybe… he really had run into her.