Chapter 39

Yoda looked at the lovingly prepared dinner in his hand, standing at the entrance of the office, feeling somewhat conflicted.

Last night, her mother suspected that she and Shixing had broken up, and Yoda's repeated assurances did not dispel the other party's idea.

After all, in Yoda's mother's opinion, the two of them, who never bickered or argued, hadn't seen each other for so long, so even if they hadn't broken up, something must have gone wrong.

So, after subtly finding out that Shi Xing was working overtime, Yoda's mother arranged for Yoda to deliver a loving dinner that same day. Yoda's last act of defiance was to sneak in after everyone else had left.

After all, I had just said that we should be independent, but I never expected to be proven wrong time and time again.

Seeing that most of the people in the agency had left, even Liu Si, who was always the last to leave, had left with Wang Mian, Yoda finally felt relieved and walked out from the street corner.

Before stepping inside, Yoda reassured himself, "It's not that I'm breaking my promise, it's just that everyone around us is used to the two of us being inseparable, so even a temporary separation feels like big news."

"Ahem, hello, is anyone there?" Yoda asked in a high-pitched voice, standing at the door of Shi Xing's office, deliberately trying to amuse people.

There was no response for a while. Yoda knocked on the door but there was still no answer. He thought Shi Xing wasn't home, which was a bit strange. The car was still downstairs, and he hadn't seen anyone go out.

I pushed open the door and went inside. I saw Shi Xing asleep, slumped over the table.

Yoda is ridiculous. How old is he? Still sleeping face down on the table, doesn't he worry about twisting his neck? It's not like he was a student anymore, sleeping face down, sideways, or twisted anywhere. He's young and doesn't care.

Yoda quietly walked to Shi Xing's side, intending to put a coat on him. But as her fingers brushed against Shi Xing's cheek, she realized something was wrong.

The temperature under his hand was abnormal. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that Shi Xing was not asleep at all; his face was flushed, and he looked drowsy. Yoda shook Shi Xing, and the other's eyelids trembled slightly. After a few shakes, he finally managed to open them, but his eyes were weak and blank.

At least he reacted a little and didn't lose consciousness.

Yoda leaned closer to Shi Xing and touched his forehead; he must have a fever. "How did you get like this?"

Yoda was annoyed. It had only been a few days since they last met, and the man who was full of energy the last time they met now looked like he was on his deathbed. If Yoda hadn't happened to come in today, he didn't know how long he would have been sleeping like that.

Shi Xing seemed to have only just become fully awake, realizing that the person in front of him was Yoda. He reached out and grasped Yoda's hand, leaning weakly against him.

Yoda grabbed Shi Xing's upper body, trying to pull his hand away, but to no avail. He could only squat down and gently persuade him, "Ah Xing, let go of my hand, I'll take you to the hospital, okay?"

Shi Xing stared intently at Yoda: "This is bad."

Yoda thought that Shixing would obediently let go after she finished speaking, but Shixing did not listen to her advice at all. Not only did he not let go, he also hugged Yoda tightly.

Caught off guard, Yoda's smiling and coaxing expression froze: "Huh? How am I supposed to take you to the doctor if you're holding me?"

Shi Xing seemed to have turned into a stubborn and disobedient child, just holding Yoda tightly: "I'm not sick, I don't want you to go."

Unable to break free, Yoda simply rested her chin on Shixing's head to relieve the pressure on her knees from squatting: "You have a fever, you're delirious. Let go of me, I'll get you a glass of water first, okay? Your lips are all cracked."

Yoda tried to persuade him, but all that could be heard was Shi Xing muttering something, and the strength in his embrace gradually lessened.

Looking down, I realized that Shi Xing had fallen asleep again. I brought my hand to his mouth and heard him say, "Don't go, Yoda, don't go back alone."

Yoda looked at Shi Xing, her heart softened, and she gently stroked his forehead and between his brows: "I won't go, I won't go."

Shi Xing slowly opened his eyes, and all he could see was pure white. He turned his head and saw the medicine dripping down the IV tube. When he got up, he realized that his body was aching, a lingering effect of the fever.

At first, Shi Xing couldn't quite remember how he got there. But when he saw Yoda sleeping on the edge of the bed, their hands still clasped tightly, Shi Xing lay there, and memories began to surface in his mind.

Thinking of how Yoda had helped him slowly make his way to the hospital last night and stayed by her side until now, Shi Xing couldn't bear to wake her. Shi Xing steadied himself with his elbow and gently turned towards Yoda.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, barely able to lean against it, must have been an uncomfortable position, but Yoda slept soundly. It's unclear how long he slept like that.

Shi Xing gazed quietly at Yoda's sleeping face, feeling calm and at peace. With Yoda's breathing, the stray hairs on the side of her face rose and fell slightly, constantly moving across her features.

Shi Xing knew that Yoda disliked the feeling of stray hairs on her face, as it always made her feel itchy. Therefore, Yoda always made sure her hair was neatly styled. Because she hadn't slept well the night before, the loose hairs, no longer restrained, became frizzy and started running wildly across her face.

Shi Xing was unwilling to let go of Yoda, nor did he want her to be uncomfortable. He propped himself up and gently brushed away the stray hairs with his other hand. For the stubborn ones that were unwilling to leave easily, he gently brushed them aside with his fingers.

Little by little, they managed to prevent the hair from brushing against Yoda's face. The whole process was slow and gentle, and Yoda remained asleep and unaware.

Yoda opened her eyes. Shi Xing was already awake, and there was only a little medicine left in the IV bag. Although she had just woken up, she hadn't slept well the night before and couldn't help but yawn: "Are you feeling better?"

Shi Xing: "Why didn't you go home to rest last night? It was so late when you took me to the hospital."

Yoda recalled the scene from last night and exclaimed, "How could I leave you here alone? You were delirious with fever last night, and you had gastroenteritis with a fever. If I hadn't found you, it would have been very dangerous. Besides, I couldn't leave even if I wanted to. You held my hand the whole time, and you wouldn't let go even when the nurses wanted to give you an IV."

Shi Xing looked at Yoda's face, which was red from sleeping on his side: "You should have woken me up. It's tiring to sit like this all night, and you're not in good health."

Yoda waved his hand: "Stop, don't talk about me. I'm taking good care of my health every day now. It's you who should be taking care of yourself. Don't take advantage of the fact that you haven't been injured before and do whatever you want. You stay up all night every day and don't eat properly. Now you have to be hospitalized. You said to me, 'Don't waste time getting angry, or you'll waste time getting sick.' I'm returning that to you verbatim."

Shi Xing smiled wryly. He had been so busy getting the initial plan done that he hadn't been getting enough rest. "It won't happen again."

Yoda felt a pang of sadness. Shi Xing always kept his promises. Even on his birthday, when they promised not to contact each other like before, he kept his word.

Yoda understood that although Shixing had succeeded, he wasn't happy. If before Yoda had thought that enduring it would pass, it was for Shixing's own good. But now, seeing Shixing, she realized she was completely wrong.

"sorry."

Yoda looked at Shi Xing, his tone solemn and sincere.

Shi Xing, confused, asked, "What?"

Yoda looked into Shixing's eyes and faced his mistake head-on: "I shouldn't have treated your concern for me as an illness and only thought about curing it as soon as possible. Ignoring your feelings is all my fault."

Since waking up, his friends have started their own lives, and his family has gradually gotten back on track. Among the familiar people, only Shi Xing is still affected by what happened in the past, so Yoda is eager to change him and make him like before.

Yoda was frustrated. Why did she think Shi Xing was abnormal just because everyone else could live normal lives? She wanted to cure him like an illness, to make him better, to turn him back into the person she used to know. This was arrogance, and also cruelty.

No one can deny or change the fact that Shi Xing has experienced so much during his slumber and has become different from before.

“Let’s not be independent anymore. Let’s be like before. Okay?” Yoda’s nose was slightly red. “But next time, even if I’m in danger, you have to make sure you’re safe before you protect me. If I’m in that situation, I’ll make sure I’m safe too, right? We both want each other to be safe, not to sacrifice our own lives to protect someone else, right?”

Shi Xing's expression shifted from stunned to strange, as if he had been suddenly pulled back to that night. He looked deeply at Yoda, his eyes filled with an unusual intensity. Finally, he couldn't help but ask the question he had always wanted to ask: "Since you understand this principle, why did you sneak back that night?"

Shi Xing had thought he could accept everything fate had brought him, just as he accepted that Yoda could only lie in a coma in his hospital bed, just as he accepted that Yoda would wake up after many years of slumber. The moment he said those words, both of them understood the crux of Shi Xing's inner turmoil.

Since Yoda woke up, Shi Xing has always acted so maturely, gently, rationally and considerately. No one has mentioned what happened back then, because everything that happened afterward made people subconsciously want to avoid it.

But Yoda understood that at countless moments, Shi Xing must have wanted to ask this question: Why did you sneak back? Why did you put yourself in danger?

Yoda was heavy-hearted. He had been hoping for the best when he went back, but by the time the accident happened, he had no choice.

Yoda took a deep breath and sighed, "So, Ah Xing, I regret it, I really regret it."

Yoda looked at Shixing, the pain in his eyes so evident. Even after Yoda woke up, Shixing remained as gentle and kind as before. He was very tolerant, caring, and attentive to Yoda. Everyone around them felt that with Yoda awake, all the problems disappeared, and the two of them could continue being together without any obstacles.

But Yoda knew that even if Shixing didn't say it, Yoda could sense that Shixing was different from before. His silence and his pain were just things he was hiding. He shut himself off, pretending that he wasn't hurt, pretending that he was the same as before, wanting Yoda to think that everything was back on track.

This might fool others, but not Yoda. Yoda knew he was injured, but didn't know where the wound was or how to comfort him. But now, in this small hospital room, Shi Xing lay on the bed like a helpless patient, unable to hide his true feelings; the wound had been reopened.