Chapter 4

During rehabilitation, even walking had to be relearned. Although the legs, which hadn't been used for a long time, could be felt, the direction of the legs was uncontrollable.

Yoda took each step with great effort, one step to the left and one step to the right. Yoming laughed heartily as he watched Yoda walk, and even went home to bring back the toy he used when he was learning to walk as a child for Yoda.

Yoda was amused. "I'm so tall, you can't see me at all if I'm on the ground."

Yu Ming thought it made sense, so he simply held up the little duck in front of Yoda, trying to guide her to walk. Yoda, to save face, pretended to struggle and increased the intensity of her trembling as she walked forward.

Yu Ming felt his idea was working and was amused to the point of being full of energy. He walked backwards while holding up the duck, and everyone else in the hospital corridor couldn't help but laugh when they saw him.

Yuli couldn't stand it anymore and dragged him home.

Yoda thought about how his two younger brothers, though twins, had completely different personalities and temperaments. Although both had a childlike innocence, Yoda was a natural optimist who did whatever came to mind, while Yoli was much more mature.

Looking at his legs, which he was gradually regaining control of, Yoda was full of energy. Going from lying down to standing was simply a matter of relearning how to walk, a skill he had already mastered. There was nothing to fear; this thought gave him even more motivation.

From slowly moving around to being able to walk more steadily without assistance, even the doctor said she recovered exceptionally well. Although rehabilitation was painful, her willpower to recover was very strong.

Yoda proudly said, "How can I give up now? Pain is the only way to prove my existence and that I'm healed."

Once he was able to sit up, the first thing Yoda did was look for his phone. Considering he hadn't used his phone for seven years and had endured the pain of rehabilitation, he couldn't help but feel an itch to use it.

Unfortunately, his original phone was lost, and the SIM card number had probably been sold to countless users by now. Holding the new phone, Yoda finally felt a real sense of returning to human society.

Holding the phone, Yoda was surprised to find that modern phones were so much more feature-rich than before; there were so many fun things to do with the new models. Although there were many changes compared to previous models, Yoda quickly got the hang of it.

If it weren't for fear of his mother's scolding, Yoda would never want to put down his phone. He takes out his new phone to study it whenever he has a spare moment, marveling at the various new apps. He only stops when he's about to faint from playing.

Half asleep, Yoda felt the urge to urinate in the middle of the night. Just as he was about to get up, he felt someone rush out from the rest area next door, separated by a curtain. The person lifted the blanket and placed their hand on Yoda's hospital gown, at which point Yoda cried out.

"ah!"

The next moment, upon recognizing Shi Xing, Yoda blushed. "What are you doing? How could you—" She swallowed, somewhat embarrassed, but too shocked to speak, she had to ask, "How could you unzip my pants?"

It was only then that Shi Xing realized Yoda was no longer the helpless person who could only lie there helplessly, needing someone to take care of her. The outstretched hand was instantly withdrawn, and the atmosphere froze.

Shi Xing gently helped Yoda up until he was sure she could walk into the restroom on her own. Yoda was very embarrassed the whole way, and even forgot to say that she no longer needed help.

Compared to the embarrassment she had just experienced, Yoda could hardly believe that Shi Xing had taken care of her in this way during the years she had been unconscious. She tried her best to forget the memory of what had just happened and to stop imagining any more details.

He dared not think about it, dared not think about it. Struggling to suppress his thoughts, Yoda, still terrified, was wide awake.

The two of them were in a cramped space with no room to move away.

Shi Xing apologized. "I just didn't realize it for a moment. You no longer need this kind of care, and it won't happen again."

Yoda hummed softly in response, seemingly ending the conversation there. Then, remembering the light that had come on next door when he got up, Yoda broke the silence, "When did you get here?"

Shi Xing stared at the screen, still frozen on the moment he had rushed over, unable to move on. It was strange; even though Yoda was awake, he couldn't adjust to the change. He hadn't yet realized that she was now an independent person, no longer lying in bed needing care and completely incapable of self-care.

Upon hearing Yoda's words, Shi Xing fell silent for a moment before slowly saying, "I'm used to it. I've been working on a project lately, and when I'm working overtime late into the night, I think of coming to see you."

Yoda asked in surprise, "You didn't sleep all night?"

Shi Xing: "Hmm"

A faint glimmer of morning light filtered through the curtains; the sky was still a pale black. Dawn was approaching, and Shi Xing's eyes were slightly red, his gaze weary. Yoda frowned. "So rushed? You don't look well."

Shi Xing said, "It's okay, you can sleep a little longer. I'll leave when it's time."

Yoda couldn't persuade Shixing otherwise, so she could only ask him to turn on the light, as working in the dark was bad for his eyes. Watching Shixing continue working on the complex computer screen, Yoda hesitated. If it were before, Yoda would have simply turned off the computer. It was an unspoken understanding they had developed over time; Yoda knew Shixing wouldn't be angry if she did.

Being inseparable every day and knowing everything about each other ensures that turning off my phone won't affect my schedule.

But now, the two have been separated for seven years. Compared to Yoda, who still needs to lie in a hospital bed to recover and doesn't know when he will be able to reintegrate into society, Shi Xing has already established his own career and life.

That was something Yoda didn't participate in.

Looking at Shi Xing's figure, Yoda couldn't figure out how to say something that would be more effective for him, but he still felt at ease because Shi Xing was there. Unable to resist the heavy sleepiness, Yoda fell asleep.

When I woke up and saw my mother, I couldn't help but tell her about what Shi Xing had done last night, but she didn't seem surprised at all.

Shi Xing's daily presence has made everyone around him accustomed to his appearance.

Yoda's mother sighed, "Shixing has done so much for you over the years. It's good that you've woken up now. Get well soon so he won't have to come here every day."

His mother kept saying that everything would be alright, as if all the problems had disappeared after Yoda woke up. Seeing his mother's cheerful expression, Yoda couldn't bear to interrupt.

She felt that Shi Xing was different now than before, but when she thought about Shi Xing's efforts, he was still the reliable person she remembered. Perhaps her previous unease was just her imagination.

Yoda, who could only stay in the hospital day after day to slowly recover, cherished the moment lying on the hospital lawn, enjoying the warmth of the breeze and the sun on her body.

She simply turned her head to the side.

A stroller lay beside her, the tiny child inside frolicking happily, its limbs far more agile than her own. Even if Yoda hadn't been lying there for so long, he couldn't have continuously raised his legs so high.

Although Yoda has regained his physical functions, he is certainly not as capable as a normal person. Yoda looked up at Xie Yiyi standing next to him and said helplessly, "Can you please not put the two of us side by side? The contrast is too strong, and it makes me feel like I'm not as energetic as a baby."

Xie Yiyi chuckled. "You're about the same ability as him now. Look how well the baby's little hands are waving, and how much more happily his little feet are moving. Face reality, the two of you are only suitable to sit at the same table and lie in the same row right now."

Since Yoda recovered, he's been busy getting back to health and is almost fully recovered now. But Yingjing hasn't appeared yet.

Yoda was puzzled. Compared to Xie Yiyi, who was always present, Ying Jing seemed to have vanished. "Why didn't Ying Jing come?" Xie Yiyi remained silent. Yoda was even more puzzled. Usually, the three of them were together, and this time, even though he had been awake for so long, he still hadn't heard from her.

"I lost my original phone, and this one doesn't have any contact information. You don't have any either, do you?"

Xie Yiyi looked at the baby silently without answering.

Yoda: "Something's wrong. What happened?"

Yoda struggled to his feet and stared at Xie Yiyi. The little baby next to him also stared at Yoda when he popped his head out. The three of them stared at each other.

Xie Yiyi: "After you got injured, I felt it was her fault that you encountered all these things, so I had a big fight with her."

Recalling the scene, after Yoda fell into a coma in bed, Xie Yiyi saw Shi Xing take all the blame upon himself, Yoda's parents found it hard to accept that Yoda was injured, and everyone in the ward was very sad.

Xie Yiyi knew that Yoda went there simply because of the invitation; otherwise, why would two interior design majors go to teach in rural areas?

But Xie Yiyi held back from saying what was wrong, because she knew that in that situation, it was useless for Yoda's parents to dwell on who was right and who was wrong; the most important thing was for Yoda to get better.

After Ying Jing and Xie Yiyi left the ward together, she couldn't hold back any longer and chased after them. "Don't think that just because I didn't say anything, you're not at fault. I know that if it weren't for you, Yoda wouldn't have gone to that school, and he wouldn't have encountered the earthquake. None of this would have happened."

Thinking about this, Xie Yiyi confessed: "It wasn't a big fight, because it was just me yelling at her. After we broke up, I deleted all her contact information."

Xie Yiyi now feels that she acted impulsively at the time, and that deleting contact information during the argument was really too childish. But at the time, she was just very angry.

But after so much time, she was more mature and rational. Most importantly, Yoda had woken up, and thinking back to the scene of their confrontation, Xie Yiyi felt a little embarrassed, which was unusual for her.

Yoda knew that Xie Yiyi was doing all this for him. Nobody wanted this to happen, but fate was just so unlucky that the broken chandelier fell on his head.

"It's all in the past. Back then, it was my own decision to go."

Yoda still wanted a suitable contact method, but Xie Yiyi said helplessly, "I don't know where she went. I'll ask the other classmates. But you know she's used to being alone. It's because of you that the three of us are here. I'm not sure if I can get in touch with her."