The doctor arrived quickly. Nanxing's condition had stabilized considerably, and she was given another injection of painkillers.

Nanxing slept for too long, and once the anesthesia wore off, she couldn't fall asleep again.

Only Nanxing was lying in the intensive care unit, but after everything calmed down, Duan Ye sat beside her.

The companionship that night felt like a moment Nanxing had stolen with her own life.

The moon and stars are sparse.

The ward was brightly lit. Duan Ye stood up and turned off all the lights except for a dim lamp by the bedside.

Duan Ye: "You go to sleep, I'll watch the needle fluid."

After saying that, Duan Ye sat down again.

Nanxing watched the needle fluid flow down, and as she watched, she became somewhat lost in thought.

She asked softly, "Brother, does what you said before still stand?"

Once upon a time…

Duan Ye has said many things before.

He said he would never leave Nanxing, that he would marry Nanxing when he grew up, and that he would protect Nanxing for life, and that he would never let anyone who had bullied Nanxing get away with it…

He's said far too much.

The jokes were mixed with the truth, making it hard to tell what was real and what was fake.

Duan Ye wanted to avoid the topic, but when he looked up, he saw the tubes on Nan Xing's body. All sorts of tubes were inserted into her body. As he looked at them, he couldn't bring himself to say the hurtful words.

Finally, Duan Ye sighed and said, "It stands. I won't let those who bullied you get away with it..."

This is all he can do for Nanxing now. Besides... if it weren't for his relationship with Nanxing, the Jiang family wouldn't have focused their attention on her.

She didn't have to suffer like this; it was his negligence that led him to focus solely on Luo Qingyuan, even thinking of Ye Nuan, while completely forgetting about Nan Xing.

Therefore, he will definitely settle this score with the Jiang family.

Nanxing smiled and said, "Not this..."

"Yes, you said you'd be there when you marry the girl you love..."

Duan Ye's back stiffened slightly. After a long while, he sighed, "Nanxing, why are you doing this to yourself?"

"You have a long life ahead of you, and you'll meet someone even better than me."

"Nanxing, don't be fixated on me alone. You and I grew up together. You should understand that once I've set my mind on someone, I won't easily let her down."

This was the first time they had formally discussed this issue after each of them had broken through their initial barriers.

Nanxing's voice was very soft as she said, "It's because a lifetime is so long that there are a few moments that we absolutely cannot miss."

She's been living too slowly for the past twenty years. She had everything she wanted within her grasp, yet she destroyed it all with her own hands.

Yes, Duan Ye used to love her for so many years... It seems that Duan Ye was always the one who was let down.

The person who pushed you away has no right to say they regret it, even if they have regretted it to the point of heartbreak on countless nights.

Duan Ye: "Time always heals all wounds."

Yeah?

Nanxing didn't know.

Perhaps it will take her a long time to verify this statement.

Duan Ye: "Sleep peacefully, there will be no more danger."

After saying that, Duan Ye got up and walked to the window, letting the evening wind soothe his somewhat restless heart.

They've reached a point where they can't say a word to each other anymore.

Tonight, Nanxing needs someone to look after her. Tomorrow, once the caregiver arrives, Duan Ye won't be staying here tonight.

So they both knew in their hearts that being able to share the same roof for one night was already a blessing from heaven.

When are you leaving?

"Wait until you can transfer to another hospital."

"Back to Kyoto?"

"Um."

The air fell silent for a long time once again.

Nanxing spoke again: "I'm sorry..."

If it weren't for her, Duan Ye wouldn't have needed to leave his wife and work to come to such a far place.

"No need to apologize, it's what an older brother should do."

"Besides, the responsibility for this incident lies with me; I should be the one apologizing..."

Before Duan Ye could finish speaking, Nan Xing interrupted him: "Brother..."

"Um?"

"I'm sleepy..."

"Then... go to sleep."

"Brother, when you wake up tomorrow, will you still be there?"

The only response to Nanxing was a long silence.

Nanxing remained dizzy and didn't receive a reply. In her hazy state, she could only vaguely hear the nurse coming to change the IV drip.

The next day, at eight o'clock in the morning, the nurse came to put the IV drip back on.

Nanxing also woke up, but there was no one beside her anymore.

Nanxing's eyes were somewhat dim, and he sat silently on the bed.

The nurse came to give her an IV drip, saying as she did so, "Your two brothers really love you. Your brother stayed up all night watching over you, and this morning, before you were even awake, your other brother came to see you. He looked like he hadn't slept all night, and he came all this way..."

Nanxing was slightly taken aback. Was it... Duan Ze and Duan Ye?

Nanxing was still in a daze when the nurse laughed: "Look, speak of the devil, and he appears! Your two older brothers are here, aren't they?"

Nanxing looked up and saw Duan Ye and Duan Ze walking in one after the other. Duan Ye was carrying white porridge, and Duan Ze was carrying bone broth.

Duan Ye smiled and said, "Thank you, nurse."

"You're welcome, you're welcome. Your sister can only eat light food and needs to be hospitalized for observation for a period of time. Please remember to pay the hospital fees when you have time."

Duan Ze: "Okay, I've got it, thank you."

The nurse left, leaving only the three of them in the ward.

Duan Ze and Duan Ye were busy carrying the table and bringing over the food.

Nanxing had an IV drip in one hand and a severe abrasion on the other, which was also bandaged, so he couldn't eat with his hands at all.

Duan Ye and Duan Ze naturally switched places. Duan Ze sat next to Nan Xing, and Duan Ye raised the bed so that Nan Xing could sit up a little higher to eat.

As Duan Ze fed Nanxing porridge and soup with a spoon, he said, "Let me take over today. You've been on guard all night, go back to sleep."

Duan Ye nodded: "Okay, I'll leave as soon as the caregiver I hired arrives. The appointment is at nine o'clock, soon."

Duan Ze explained to Nan Xing, "We're both grown men, so it's not very convenient for us to take care of you. We've hired a caregiver. Just stay here and recover. Once you're feeling better, we'll arrange for you to return to Kyoto."

"Don't worry about work, your siblings have taken care of everything..."

Sister-in-law?

While Nanxing was still in a daze.

Duan Ye said, "Yes, although Qing Yuan isn't your direct supervisor, she said that all your dramas will be reshot when you go back. As for the roadshows, they've all been postponed for now, and we'll compensate you with something better later."

Nanxing was somewhat apprehensive: "Won't this be too much trouble..."

Duan Ze, however, remained calm: "No."

“You are our sister, so naturally you are also Qingyuan’s sister. We’re family, so let’s not be formal.”

Duan Zesheng brought a spoonful of porridge to Nanxing's lips, his smile impeccable: "After all... you have to call her sister-in-law."