A hand with distinct knuckles placed on the doorknob and gently pushed it open.

"Click"

The ward door was opened.

The lights were off inside; the curtains were slightly lifted by the night breeze, and a few wisps of wind seeped in through the window cracks.

A breeze swept through the hospital room, carrying the coolness of the night.

It also brought in the faint light from outside, slanting and illuminating half of the person's face.

The bandage on the person's forehead was outlined by the light, revealing a startling white patch.

Wu Yang on the bed seemed to feel the chill and shrank further under the covers.

He paused, then quickly walked over and closed the window.

The moment the window closed, the ward fell silent once more.

He turned and approached the bed.

The person on the bed lay quietly, her body slender, the thin blanket billowing slightly with each breath she took.

It resembles a slightly raised hill.

Jing Min stared blankly at that small bump...

It seems... that's about the size of a child.

The night before last, he touched her while she was asleep; it seemed to be this shape and this size.

He couldn't help but reach out his hand.

But just as his hand was about to touch her abdomen, he froze and abruptly withdrew it.

My fingertip twitched, as if I had been burned.

It was as if they were afraid of disturbing something, or as if they were afraid of touching something they couldn't bear.

My gaze shifted to her face—beneath her fair forehead,

Even with her eyes closed, you could tell that her eyes were terribly red and swollen, and there were still tear stains on her cheeks.

Jingmin reached out his finger, wanting to wipe it off for her—

But the skin on his fingertips was rough; it had been burned by a cigarette butt last night and was now scabbed over.

As it brushed against her delicate cheek

She frowned instinctively.

He saw it, but didn't stop. Instead, as if in a retaliatory manner, he rubbed back and forth even more forcefully.

One by one,

Until she suddenly stirred slightly, as if she was about to wake up.

That's when it stopped.

He just stood there watching her.

What an idiot!

You didn't feel anything at all while the baby was in your belly? You didn't suspect anything at all?

The reproach in her eyes lasted less than two seconds before turning into endless sorrow and self-blame.

Finally unable to bear it any longer, he got up and left.

The door was closed.

After a while,

The door was pushed open.

"Yangyang, why are you awake? Are you feeling unwell?"

Chu Wuyang shook her head and opened the candy in her palm.

"My mouth tastes bitter, and I crave candy."

Yang Jinchu glanced down at it, his brows furrowing unconsciously, and then reached out and took it.

Chu Wuyang instinctively tightened her grip, refusing to let go. Yang Jinchu's tone was gentle.

"Sweetie, give it to me."

"This candy is orange flavored, you don't like it."

"The nurses at the hospital are so careless. They give sugar to patients without asking their taste. What if they have an allergic reaction?"

Chu Wuyang didn't say anything, but simply tore open the candy wrapper and stuffed it into her mouth before he could speak.

"I am not allergic to oranges."

Yang Jinchu poured her a glass of water and handed it to her, his tone helpless.

"I know you're not allergic... but if you don't like it, sweetie, don't force yourself, just spit it out."

He reached out and stopped his hand near her lips.

Chu Wuyang, however, had the candy in her mouth, her cheeks puffed out as she looked at him.

Even though they don't like the taste of oranges and don't even want to chew them, they stubbornly keep them in their mouths.

She shook her head.

Yang Jinchu looked at her, his eyes flickering slightly, as if he suddenly remembered something, and lowered his voice.

"Yangyang, are you... willing to try accepting me? Willing to try tasting the flavors I like?"

Chu Wuyang was taken aback, only then realizing belatedly that he had misunderstood.

Orange-flavored candy was indeed something Yang Jinchu liked.

But she shook her head at the mere sight of it.

What kind of big boy carries candy in his pocket all day? How old are you? Aren't you ashamed?

So she played a prank and deliberately threw all the candy out of his pocket when he wasn't looking.

I later learned that he had low blood sugar at that time, and those sugars were specially made emergency sugars at home.

That time, her prank almost made him faint...

She always remembered that later, when she was with Yang Jinchu, she also started carrying candy with her, though she didn't eat it.

Later, Yang Jinchu grew up and stopped having low blood sugar.

But whenever she makes a mistake or needs someone's help, she will still try to coax them with orange candy.

But then, Jingmin appeared.

She and Jing Min went too far in their "game," which made Yang Jinchu very angry, and even candy was no longer effective.

She also lost patience and casually tossed the candy that Yang Jinchu didn't want to Jing Min.

...She vaguely remembered saying something perfunctory:

"When you feel bitter, eat sugar."

"I've given you my favorite candy... You must remember my feelings, and you can only like and love me."

Jingmin looked at her earnestly and said softly, "Okay, I remember, I will do it."

What are you staring at?

Yang Jinchu came over and draped a thick coat over her shoulders.

Chu Wuyang lowered her eyes, her tone calm yet earnest.

“Ah Jin, I don’t want you to misunderstand. My feelings for you… are not beyond those of a brother and sister.”

Yang Jinchu's expression remained unchanged, as if he had expected it, and his tone was indifferent.

"Don't talk about these things. The most important thing now is for you to take good care of your health. Don't think too much about it. We can talk about other things later."

As she spoke, Yang Jinchu reached out to take the few remaining candies from Chu Wuyang's hand.

"One is enough. I'll have someone change it for you later."

Chu Wuyang refused, instead stuffing the candy under her pillow and whispering,

"Jingmin was here just now."

Yang Jinchu paused for a moment, his gaze darkening slightly.

"Did he bring this?"

Chu Wuyang nodded.

Yang Jinchu sat down on the chair beside her bed, at eye level with her, his expression complex.

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