Oxygen +16

Xu Liang excitedly waved towards Song Ying: "Yingying!"

Qi Yu was silent for a while, then uttered softly, "...I thought Mr. Xu really wanted to treat me to a meal."

His tone sounded normal, but the corners of his mouth turned down.

The action lasted so briefly that Xu Liang didn't even see it.

She explained nonchalantly, "I'm treating you to a meal, and I'm inviting Yingying to join in the fun."

Qi Yu followed her forward and greeted Song Ying.

He was still puzzled, frowning, and followed the waiter a few steps to the table before asking again, "Isn't your phone with me? How did you get in touch?"

Several people sat down. Xu Liang and Song Ying sat on one side and handed the tablet for ordering food to Qi Yu with disdain.

"My phone is with you, can't I just use yours?"

Qi Yu was obviously choked, but then he handed the tablet back as if nothing had happened, saying that they could order and he would eat most of it.

Song Ying's eyes moved back and forth between the two of them, while Xu Liang was fully immersed in the rich dishes on the plate.

She heard Song Ying deliberately teasing her, fiddling with two chopsticks in her hand, as if she was watching a show.

"You two are reconciled again?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Xu Liang had already handed the tablet to her and stopped the conversation: "More food."

A threatening look fell on Song Ying, and Song Ying knew when to stop and shut up obediently.

At the dining table filled with the aroma of food, the topic turned to the old man they met on the rainy night.

The hospital said they could pick up the old man tomorrow.

Since the old woman becomes emotionally disturbed every time she sees Xu Liang's body, Xu Liang plans to let Song Ying go with her.

"No problem," Song Ying took a bite of the soft and sticky beef tendon, "I have the weekends off."

…

On a clear morning, the early sun was half hidden in the clouds, giving the white clouds a thin golden edge.

Xu Liang opened all the curtains and absorbed the golden light full of vitality. The cloudy weather forecast turned into a sunny day, and his mood became much brighter.

She specially picked out a set of clothes from Qi Yu's wardrobe that could suppress his sharpness.

A white long-sleeved T-shirt, a light grey cardigan on the outside, and beige trousers underneath.

She had never seen Qi Yu dressed like this before. He basically didn't wear anything other than a suit at work. They rarely met on weekends. Occasionally, she saw him at his parents' house, and he was also wearing gray home clothes.

It doesn't match the decoration style of his apartment at all.

She suspected that his daily outfit was too monotonous and he had been suppressed for too long, so he let himself go like this when he lived alone at home.

Thinking that Qi Yu would sleep until he woke up naturally, Xu Liang planned to go out directly.

After leaving the room, she smelled the strong bitter fragrance in the living room.

Qi Yu was grinding black coffee in the kitchen.

The bitter taste spread into Xu Liang's nose, and she felt her eyebrows twitch. She didn't even drink it, but she was already much more sober.

Hearing the noise, he approached with a still steaming cup of black coffee. He looked over the strange outfit and then lowered his head to take a sip of coffee. "Are you wearing this? It's not too formal, is it?"

Xu Liang obviously disagreed with his idea.

She retorted, "There's no need to be too formal. Of course I should dress more appropriately to pick up my grandma."

Qi Yu knew that she was starting to act in her "humanistic" way again. He glanced at the wall clock and changed the subject, asking her why she went out so early.

Xu Liang had an appointment with Song Ying for breakfast and had no plans to hang out with Qi Yu. "I have an appointment with Yingying, so I'm leaving first."

She moved very skillfully, changing her shoes and closing the door in one go.

Qi Yu still stood there, staring at the closed door for a while, then took another sip of coffee. The rich bitter aroma lingered on his tongue, and he really enjoyed the taste.

As he turned around, he chuckled softly and murmured to himself, "I know how to say hello now."

…

Xu Kyung and Song Ying arrived at the hospital at ten o'clock.

Xu Liang had already prepared the relevant documents and procedures in advance, and the old man's attending physician was also present. However, before taking the old man away, Xu Liang still needed to sign and fingerprint.

After everything was settled, Xu Liang and Song Ying were taken to the old man's ward.

I haven't seen the old woman for a few days, and she has become much quieter than before. The doctor said that her emotions are relatively stable and she generally won't have an outburst. We just need to pay attention to her at all times to avoid her getting irritated, and if necessary, we may need to put a restraint on her.

In addition, the elderly man walked alone from his home to the vicinity of Yikan Nursing Home on the night of the heavy rain, so we need to be particularly vigilant about the elderly getting lost.

The doctor prescribed some sedatives for her. The most important thing for the elderly in a nursing home is to get enough sleep and enough activity. There are no other special requirements.

Xu Liang and Song Ying exchanged a glance, then tiptoed to the old woman's bedside. She stared blankly ahead, as if completely oblivious to them, her breathing slowing slightly. Her hands drooped in her lap, her withered fingers clenched tightly together.

Xu Liang felt a pang of pain in his chest, and felt a little uncomfortable.

This is a sign of insecurity for the elderly.

She slowly squatted down and called softly, "Grandma."

The tone was gentle, yet it held a heavy power. The old man hesitated for a moment, his gray eyes slowly shifting, his gaze seemingly focusing until it finally landed on Heo Kyung.

The old man called her Acheng again, several times in a row, each time filled with deep longing.

Xu Liang thought the old woman was thinking of Ah Cheng, and was about to persuade her to go back to the retirement community with them, but the old woman said, "You are Ah Cheng... Ah Cheng... You are back, Ah Cheng..."

Her lips trembled slightly, her eyebrows were downcast, tears were faintly in her eyes, and her hands clearly wanted to hold Xu Liang.

Xu Liang and Song Ying were both stunned.

After a brief eye contact, Xu Liang finally extended his hand. The doctor explained, "The elderly man's dementia is very severe. It's common for him to have trouble recognizing people, and he might even be unable to tell the difference between genders. Mr. Qi, I'm afraid you'll need to put some effort into caring for him."

Xu Liang felt even more distressed. She gently shook the old man's hand and replied to the doctor: "Don't worry, we will definitely do it."

Then he turned to the old woman and said in a voice as gentle as possible, "Grandma, I'm Ah Cheng. We're taking you home now. Would you like to come with us?"

The old woman wasn't emotional, and it wasn't clear if she understood what Xu Liang said. She didn't respond, but simply held onto Xu Liang's hand, unwilling to let go.

Seeing this, Song Ying stepped forward and persuaded the old woman: "Grandma, Acheng is here to take you home!"

Song Ying's voice was quite loud, and the old man reacted a little. His eyes moved and he repeated, "Go... go home..."

The two of them were delighted, and Xu Liang tentatively moved the old man's legs off the bed. Song Ying picked up her shoes beside the bed and put them on the old man.

They had enough tacit understanding. Each of them took one of the old man's arms. Xu Jing did not forget to put his free hand into the old man's hand: "Yes, let's go home!"

The doctor packed the medicine bag on the old man's bedside table and handed it to Xu Ying, then instructed, "Mr. Qi, thank you for your help. If the old man has any problems in the future, you can also send him to our hospital."

"Okay, thank you."

Xu Liang and Song Ying coaxed the old man into the car. Worried that the old man would not be able to sit still in the car, Xu Liang sat in the back seat with the old man, while Song Ying drove in the front.

However, the old man was not as they imagined. He was very quiet throughout the whole process, as if he didn't know what he was doing or where he was going. He looked at the scenery in front of him in confusion, but his wrinkled hands tightly grasped Xu Liang's and refused to let go for a moment, occasionally muttering "Acheng".

In Yian Community, Assistant Liu had already arranged a room for the elderly and had also greeted Xiaolin, who was on duty, in advance yesterday.

Kobayashi took them to the innermost room on the second floor facing the sun, where the nurse was already waiting.

Xiao Lin introduced: "Mr. Qi, this is Aunt Wang. She has extensive work experience and is very good at caring for the elderly with Alzheimer's disease. She is also very considerate and considerate."

Aunt Wang didn't rush to introduce herself. She first helped Xu Liang help the old man sit down by the bed. After asking about the old man's basic situation, she assured Xu Liang, "Mr. Qi, don't worry, leave the old man to me. There's absolutely no problem!"

Xu Liang had a good first impression of Aunt Wang. From her words and actions, it could be seen that she was very responsible. She nodded and leaned down beside the old woman again.

Although the environment had changed, the old woman did not react much. After letting go of Xu Liang's hand, she did not say a word and just sat on the bed blankly, just like when she was in the hospital.

Xu Kyung asked, "Grandma, do you like it here?"

The old man's reply to her was still just the two words "Acheng".

Xu Liang was obviously disappointed, and Song Ying comforted him, "It's okay. Grandma just got out of the hospital and moved to a new place. She'll definitely need time to adjust. When I have time, I can come over and help Grandma with Chinese medicine treatment. Maybe she'll feel better."

"Yes, Mr. Qi," Aunt Wang agreed, "The elderly definitely need time to adapt. I'll talk to them every day, and they'll definitely get better over time!"

Xu Liang understood that there was no need to rush. She had brought the old woman here to give her a comfortable living environment. As for what secrets the old woman had, that was secondary. She nodded and said, "Thank you, Aunt Wang."

They spent a day with the elderly in the community.

Aunt Wang and I took the old man to eat and do activities together. Although the old man didn't speak, he cooperated with us, didn't cry, and didn't have any emotional disorders.

Seeing that the old man was fine, Xu Kyung felt relieved.

She was ready to leave only after sending Song Ying back home.

The weather was changing subtly. The sunny morning had completely disappeared by the afternoon, leaving it gloomy and windy. Before leaving, Song Ying instructed, "Xiaoliang, let me know when you get home. The weather looks like it's going to change. Be careful on the road!"

At first, Xu Liang thought it was just a small matter. However, after the car had been driving for ten minutes, there was a loud noise in the clouds, as if it was going to blow the clouds apart. Xu Liang shuddered, his heart skipped a beat, and he had a vague bad feeling.

Immediately afterwards, raindrops of all sizes hit the car window, instantly blurring the scenery outside the window. Xu Liang quickly turned on the wipers and slowed down the car.

Another sudden rainstorm.

Just like the night when she and Qi Yu exchanged souls.

Xu Liang swallowed and tried her best to concentrate and think of nothing, but the frequent sound of rain kept disturbing her thoughts.

Suddenly, the car shook twice on flat ground, and when I stepped on the accelerator again, the car was no longer moving.

“…”

Fortunately, there was no car behind, so Xu Liang took the spare umbrella and got out of the car to check, and found that the tire was flat.

Helpless, she had to call for help.

As a result, the phone ran out of battery and turned off.

The heavy rain poured down along the ribs of the umbrella and was blown towards her body by the wind, soaking most of her clothes.

With everything happening at once, Xu Kyung's movements seemed a little flustered.

This rainy day was like a curse to her. Nothing good would happen if it happened to her.

The surrounding traffic almost all bypassed her car. The people in the car wanted to escape the heavy rain and go home quickly, so Xu Liang naturally had no way to ask for help.

Just as I was thinking about whether to walk back to Song Ying's house along the way, two rows of car light poles suddenly flashed in front of me.

Xu Liang squinted his eyes because of the bright light.

When she regained consciousness, she saw a familiar license plate number.