If there’s one place Gu Yebai hates the most, it has to be the hospital.
In his memory, hospitals always carried the pungent smell of disinfectant and the decaying aura of death.
That year in his third year of junior high, the hospital almost became Gu Yebai’s second home.
His life was a straight line between school and hospital, trudging back and forth whether in winter snow or summer heat.
He remembered the day of his father’s surgery.
The doctor, with a grim face, dragged Gu Yebai to the end of the hallway and lowered his voice to talk about a bunch of ominous things like “possible risks,” “complications,” “what if resuscitation fails,” as if his father was heading to the guillotine, not the operating table.
At that time, Gu Yebai was still a child, terrified, his legs weak, but he still braced himself and said, “Doctor, just do your best.”
He only remembered the doctor’s unhappy face.
Later, Gu Yebai saw the same doctor become instantly amiable when a patient’s family member stuffed a red envelope into his white coat pocket.
He patted his chest and assured, “Rest assured, family member, I will personally oversee the entire process.
There will be no mistakes.
It’s just a minor issue; you’ll be discharged soon after surgery.”
Later, his parents passed away one after the other.
Also in a hospital.
The final scene of the hospital in his memory was the empty hospital bed, the crumpled payment slips, and the lingering smell of disinfectant in the air.
Gu Yebai’s aversion to hospitals reached its peak at that moment.
And now Gao Hongyi was also lying in a hospital.
But this Donghai H.M. Parkway Hospital was completely different from that rundown county hospital in Linchuan.
The building’s exterior was made of light gray and cream white stone, and the water feature wall at the entrance glowed softly in the night, like the welcoming avenue of a five-star hotel.
The parking lot was filled with Porsches, Bentleys, Mercedes, and even a few Rolls-Royce Phantoms.
There was no pungent smell of disinfectant in the air; instead, a faint lavender essential oil fragrance and a subtle hint of sandalwood incense.
The lobby had a twenty-meter high ceiling, with a crystal chandelier cascading down like a waterfall, the light soft as moonlight.
The nurses wore light apricot uniforms, their hair neatly pinned up, always wearing unhurried smiles.
When they walked, their heels made a crisp but not harsh “tap-tap” sound on the tiles.
This also relaxed Gu Yebai’s mood a little.
Perhaps to escape the oppressive feeling, Gu Yebai continued chatting with an online friend on his phone as he walked.
[Yukino1]: Which hospital is your girlfriend in?
His phone also occasionally received messages from his benefactor.
[Baiye Duxing]: Donghai H.M. Parkway Hospital.
[Baiye Duxing]: Have you heard of it?
[Yukino1]: No, I haven’t.
[Baiye Duxing]: H.M. stands for the Himuro Group.
My dad just told me that Himuro is pronounced “Himuro.”
I remember your girlfriend’s surname is also Himuro, right?
Yes, just now, when Yukino sent a photo of his girlfriend cosplaying as Yuki-onna, Gu Yebai suddenly remembered.
He had mentioned before that his girlfriend’s name was Himuro Mio.
[Baiye Duxing]: Your girlfriend might be the young lady of a conglomerate.
Yukino: Oh, oh.
Yukino: But although my girlfriend’s surname is Himuro, it might not be related to the Himuro Group.
In our country, there are many people with the same surname.
For example, now the most common surname is Sato, and we also take the husband’s surname after marriage.
In five hundred years, everyone in Sakura Country will be named Sato.
Yukino: So my girlfriend’s Himuro and the hospital under the Himuro Capital where your girlfriend is staying should be different.
[Baiye Duxing]: Your country?
[Baiye Duxing]: Are you a snow lotus?
Yukino: Slip of the tongue! Slip of the tongue!
Watashi is a true-blooded Huaxia man!!!
Chatting with Yukino also relaxed his mood quite a bit.
Except when he was urged to update, which made him feel a little heavy-hearted.
[Baiye Duxing]: Alright, let’s stop here for now.
[Baiye Duxing]: I’m going to see my girlfriend Xiao Yi.
Yukino: Go ahead, go ahead.
I’m also going to a love hotel with my girlfriend.
Yukino: [picture] [picture] [picture] [picture]…
And then a series of pictures were sent.
[Baiye Duxing]: Remember to delete the chat history.
My girlfriend checks my phone.
I absolutely cannot upset her anymore now.
I have to say, this hospital is truly a world apart from Linchuan.
Everything appears so orderly.
All the people in the hospital seem kind and amiable.
I heard that many people here have psychological issues, but they don’t look like it at all.
Gu Yebai followed Gao Hongzhi and Ya Xinyao through the lobby.
The elevator doors were transparent, inlaid with fine gold leaf, and when it ascended, it felt like riding a floating glass boat.
In the elevator, Gao Hongzhi spoke in a low voice.
“Hongyi is on the 18th floor in the VIP psychological rehabilitation area, the Himuro family’s exclusive floor.
The doctor said she has too many emotional fluctuations and needs rest.
A few days of rest will be fine.
No serious problems.”
Gu Yebai nodded and said nothing.
The elevator doors opened.
The corridor was wide enough for three cars to drive side by side.
The walls on both sides were light wood grain, with recessed light strips emitting a warm yellow glow.
In the distance, a nurse was slowly pushing an elderly woman in a wheelchair, chatting and laughing.
The elderly woman said,
“Xiao Li, that new lipstick you bought today really suits you.”
“Auntie has a good eye.
My mom helped me pick it.”
When they passed by Gu Yebai, they politely nodded, as if meeting an acquaintance in their own living room.
Gu Yebai suddenly stopped.
If his parents could have stayed in a hospital like this back then… would they not have died?
Such a thought flashed through his mind.
Too bad, there are no ifs.
The ward door was a double solid wood door.
When it opened, a faint sandalwood fragrance greeted them.
The room was very large, a full eighty square meters.
It wasn’t a ward with multiple patients crammed together; it was one person per room.
Inside the room were two single beds, one of which was for the patient’s family member to stay overnight.
Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows was the night view of Donghai, neon lights shimmering in the rainy night.
Gao Hongyi lay on the bed, her face pale to the point of being nearly transparent.
Her wine-red long hair spread out on the pillow.
Her eyes were closed, and there were still traces of tears not yet dry on her eyelashes.
The beeping of the monitor was very soft, like background music.
She had worried herself sick…
Ya Xinyao’s eyes reddened instantly.
She walked over and gently held her daughter’s hand.
“Hongyi… Mom is here.”
Gao Hongyi’s eyelashes fluttered.
Then she slowly opened her eyes.
First, she saw Ya Xinyao.
Then Gao Hongzhi.
Finally, her gaze fell on Gu Yebai at the door.
In that instant, her pupils sharply contracted, as if someone had suddenly lit a fire.
“Uncle Bai…”
She braced herself on the edge of the bed trying to sit up, but because she was too weak, her hands gave way and she fell back onto the pillow.
Gu Yebai almost instinctively rushed over and caught her.
Her hands were ice cold, but her fingers fiercely gripped his sleeve, as if afraid he would disappear the next second.
“Uncle Bai, you’re back.”
“The police officer said they already rescued you.
That’s good…”
“It’s so good to see you.”
She buried her face in his chest and took a deep breath.
Then her body suddenly stiffened.
It was a very obvious stiffening.
Gu Yebai’s heart sank to the bottom instantly.
She smelled it.
It was the scent of Philodendron… too obvious, impossible to hide.
Maybe he should have gone home and taken a shower before coming to see Hongyi…
Gao Hongyi remained motionless in that position, like a stone statue.
Time passed so slowly.
“Uncle Bai…”
“I was so worried when you were kidnapped.”
Her voice sounded especially broken, yet especially calm.
Her face was buried in Gu Yebai’s chest, and Gu Yebai couldn’t see her expression, only heard her words.
“What exactly did you go through during the kidnapping?”
“Uncle Bai, please don’t lie.”
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