Chapter 54. "Bai Xiao, let's get a divorce."

After many days, Song Huai finally spoke his first words, and those words were addressed to Liu Weitian.

These past few days, he had spoken so much with Song Huai without getting a response, but Liu Weitian got Song Huai to speak in just a few words.

Although Bai Xiao was seething with jealousy, when he saw Song Huai's sparkling eyes, a smile involuntarily appeared on his lips, and his heart, which had been clenched for days, finally relaxed.

“Of course it’s true!” Liu Weitian exclaimed excitedly. “Howard rarely shows such interest in anyone. If he says this, it basically means he’s decided on you.”

Being able to collaborate with his idol was something Song Huai never dared to dream of before.

"Then...when is he free so I can go see him...cough cough!" Song Huai was so excited that he coughed violently as a reflex.

Just as Liu Weitian reached out his hand, Bai Xiao swiftly seized the opportunity, sitting down beside Song Huai's bed. With one hand gently stroking Song Huai's back and the other hand, she picked up the warm water that had been prepared on the bedside table, her tone incredibly gentle: "Here, have some water."

As Song Huai lowered his head to drink water, Bai Xiao took the opportunity to glare at Liu Weitian, as if accusing him of making Song Huai so agitated.

Liu Weitian was anxiously watching from the sidelines; he hadn't expected Song Huai to be so agitated.

After drinking two sips of warm water, Song Huai gradually stopped coughing. He looked at Liu Weitian with hope, waiting for his answer.

“He’ll be in the country this month, and I can arrange for you to meet anytime if it’s convenient. But…” Liu Weitian’s face showed concern, “Are you feeling alright?”

Bai Xiao immediately answered for Song Huai: "He can't go out now."

Song Huai ignored Bai Xiao's words: "I'm fine, you should arrange a time quickly."

Looking at Song Huai's pale face, Liu Weitian was also worried that his body would not be able to take it. "How about we wait a while? If it really doesn't work, you two can video chat."

“How can that be? Howard is a senior.” Song Huai said discontentedly, “Just hurry up and make an appointment, stop nagging, I’m fine.”

“…Alright then.” Liu Weitian knew how important this matter was to Song Huai, so he didn’t try to stop him any further.

Bai Xiao was shut out of their conversation and was furious. How could Song Huai be so willful? What a joke! Did he think he could just leave the hospital whenever he wanted?!

However, with Liu Weitian present, Bai Xiao couldn't lash out and could only stare blankly at Song Huai.

Noticing Bai Xiao's gaze, Song Huai glanced at him briefly before turning away and moving further away from him.

Liu Weitian couldn't stand watching the young couple flirting and being all lovey-dovey. Before long, he couldn't stay any longer and got up to leave.

After Liu Weitian left, Bai Xiao hesitated for a long time before finally saying gently, "Song Huai, you are still very weak. You can't go out casually. What if you catch a cold?"

"This is my business, it's none of your concern," Song Huai said coldly, turning his head to stare out the window.

"You!" Bai Xiao was so angry at what he was saying that he laughed. He unconsciously raised his voice, "I am your husband, how can your affairs be none of my business!"

Song Huai finally turned around, looked directly at Bai Xiao, and said solemnly, "Bai Xiao, let's get a divorce."

The ward was eerily quiet. The wind blew through the window, rustling the leaves, and sparrows chirped incessantly in the branches.

Bai Xiao stood there stunned for a long time before suddenly chuckled, "Song Huai, don't joke around."

Song Huai's eyes were as calm as still water: "We had already agreed that we would get a divorce after your father passed away. Are you going to go back on your word?"

"But...we clearly..."

Bai Xiao stopped mid-sentence.

But we're already together! You said you liked me, and you said you didn't regret it...

Does that mean none of these things count?

A feeling of grievance instantly rose in his heart.

Why could Song Huai say this so easily? What did all those days and nights they spent together, all those countless little moments, mean to Song Huai?

Soon, the grievances gradually turned into anger.

Bai Xiao's eyes gradually reddened, her fists clenched tightly as she stared at Song Huai.

After a long while, Bai Xiao suddenly loosened his fist and forced a smile, saying, "Let's not talk about this anymore. You should take care of yourself first. I... I'll go now. Call me if you need anything."

"Hey..." Song Huai was about to say something more when Bai Xiao quickly left as if fleeing.

Song Huai stared unblinkingly at the spot where Bai Xiao had last disappeared. After a long while, he gave a bitter smile.

He's been thinking a lot these past few days.

He recalled the time he taught Song Boyu to play the piano. His younger brother was different; although he excelled academically at school, he didn't seem to have much musical talent. He had to demonstrate many pieces repeatedly, correcting him measure by measure, before Song Boyu could barely learn them. Fortunately, Song Boyu worked very hard, and after more than half a year of persistent effort, he could now play half of "The Butterfly Lovers."

He also recalled the nights he spent intimately with Bai Xiao, the man's heavy breathing constantly spraying in his ear, him beneath him, their sweat mingling, feeling each other's erratic heartbeats, embracing tightly on the large bed in the master bedroom, as if they would never be separated again in this lifetime.

In a daze, Song Huai realized that he had unknowingly loved Bai Xiao for so many years. From his youth to the present, he had experienced the pain of unrequited love because of Bai Xiao, and he had also experienced supreme joy because of Bai Xiao.

Over the years, every piece of music, every melody, every note he has composed bears, to varying degrees, the shadow of Bai Xiao. Bai Xiao gave him an unparalleled spiritual world, and his soul has long been silently imprinted with Bai Xiao's mark. It can be said that Bai Xiao, in the unseen realm, shaped Song Huai into who he is today.

Bai Xiao and Song Boyu were the most important people in his life. Over the years, Song Huai's thoughts had been torn between the two of them, leaving him utterly exhausted.

Having narrowly escaped death, Song Huai knew it was time for him to make a clean break.

--

Bai Xiao continued to bring Song Huai his three meals a day as usual, seemingly forgetting all of Song Huai's words from that day. He chatted with Song Huai while feeding him. Song Huai repeatedly refused, but Bai Xiao insisted that it was inconvenient for Song Huai to eat with only one hand, leaving Song Huai with no choice but to let him do as he pleased.

After meals, unless there was something particularly important, he would work directly in the ward, while Song Huai would sit quietly at the desk by the window, holding a pen in his left hand and trembling as he wrote a melody on the paper—each of them occupying a corner of the ward, doing their own thing, just like every ordinary day they had spent together in the past.

That day, Bai Xiao brought over a basket of plump, red apples. He had inadvertently come across the saying online: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Bai Xiao believed it wholeheartedly and ordered the best apples that very night, planning to cut an apple for Song Huai to eat every day from now on.

He seemed to have some deep-seated grudge against the fruit knife in his hand; the knife would slide left and right, refusing to obey his commands. He had intended to learn from others and peel a long strip of apple skin in one go—the flesh seemed to taste better that way—but this seemingly simple task somehow became harder than climbing to heaven for Bai Xiao.

Bai Xiao has been a prominent figure in the business world for many years, leading countless difficult projects and making numerous key decisions, but now he is struggling with an apple.

Finally, Bai Xiao looked at the uneven, pitted apple in her hand and frowned.

After thinking it over, Bai Xiao shredded the apple into small pieces, put them into an exquisite porcelain plate, and then brought it to Song Huai.

Song Huai stared at the unexpected plate of apples, his eyes dark and unreadable.

He hesitated for a moment before saying, "Bai Xiao, Xiao Tian and I have already agreed to have dinner with Director Howard this Sunday."

"Okay." Bai Xiao's expression remained unchanged, his attitude completely different from last time. "Then I'll take you there."

"...Thank you." Bai Xiao's attitude changed so quickly that Song Huai was confused. After hesitating for a long time, he still did not refuse his kindness.

Bai Xiao felt a pang of pain in her heart, her face instantly darkening. She said in a deep voice, "You don't need to thank me."

After saying that, he left the ward with a sour face.

Song Huai picked up a piece of apple, put it in his mouth, and chewed it carefully. The apple was very fragrant and sweet. He didn't know where Bai Xiao had bought it. He had never eaten such a delicious apple before.

He quickly finished the apples on the plate, the aroma lingering on his lips and teeth.

Tears fell unnoticed, dripping onto the white paper, instantly blurring the musical notes Song Huai had just written.

He frantically wiped away the tears on the paper, trying to discern what musical notes lay beneath the blurred ink.

But after staring intently and trying to make out the details for a long time, he not only couldn't see anything, but more and more tears dripped onto the white paper.

In a fit of rage, Song Huai quickly crumpled the white paper into a ball, as if he had some deep-seated grudge against it, and threw it heavily towards the door.

Just then, the door was suddenly opened, and coincidentally, the crumpled paper landed in Bai Xiao's arms.

"What's wrong?" Bai Xiao had just gone up to the rooftop to enjoy the cold wind for a while, and when he came back, he saw Song Huai crying so sadly. He immediately panicked and rushed over to hug Song Huai. "Why are you crying again?"

He sighed, "Aren't you supposed to meet that director in a couple of days? If you cry your eyes out now, how are you going to face him, huh?"

These words had an effect; Song Huai's shoulders were still twitching, but he forcefully wiped the tears from his face with his palm.

"Bai Xiao..."

"What's wrong?"

"When are we going home?" For some reason, Song Huai suddenly began to miss the place where he and Bai Xiao had spent so much time together.

"The doctor said you won't be discharged until next month at the latest..."

"Let's go back next week."

“But…” Bai Xiao paused, unable to bring himself to refuse Song Huai. “Okay, we’ll go home after you have dinner on Sunday.”

A note from the author:

Remember to pick up your pink packets!