Time seemed to stand still at that moment.
The smile on Minglang's face faded as quickly as the tide, leaving only disbelief, shock, and... overwhelming heartache!
He stared intently at the girl at the door, his eyes wide open, as if he wanted to etch her into the depths of his soul!
That's... Zhao Zhao?
His little cousin?
That little girl with pigtails in my memory, whose smile was as sweet as honey?
How did it turn out like this?
The person before me had a vaguely similar outline to the one in my memory, but was shockingly pale and thin!
The brand-new, rustic-looking dress hung loosely on her, making her appear even thinner and more frail.
The pale pink scar on his forehead, like a hideous brand, stung Minglang's eyes painfully!
Who hurt her?
What broke his heart the most was her eyes.
It was clear yet empty, like a thin mist that never dissipates, devoid of any warmth, and showing no sign of recognizing him.
She stood quietly behind Howard, like a plant whose life had been drained, clutching a... oil paper package tightly in her arms?
The enormous drop was like an icicle, piercing Minglang's heart!
He had imagined that his cousin might not be doing well, but he never expected her to be like this... lifeless!
Where has that little sunshine gone, who would run into his arms and sweetly call him "brother"?
Huang Weiguo! Li Hongmei! You deserve to die!
At that time, the situation was turbulent, and their family was being targeted, so they dared not take Mingzhao back rashly.
Huang Weiguo spoke of repaying a debt of gratitude, which led them to agree to give him custody of Mingzhao. Huang Weiguo was also able to stay in the military region as an officer even if he was forced to leave the military. But this is how they treated Mingzhao!
A surge of overwhelming anger, accompanied by overwhelming bitterness, instantly rushed to Minglang's head, making him breathless and his eyes instantly reddened!
He clenched his fist tightly on the blanket, his knuckles turning white from the force, and the newly healed wound on the back of his hand seemed to ache faintly!
“Zhao…Zhao Zhao?” Minglang’s voice was dry and hoarse, trembling with disbelief, as if he was afraid that if he raised his voice even slightly, he would startle the fragile phantom in front of him.
Howard keenly sensed Minglang's intense emotional fluctuations and the almost bursting anger and heartache in his eyes.
His heart tightened, fearing that Minglang's out-of-control emotions would frighten Mingzhao.
He took a half step forward without making a sound, naturally pulling Mingzhao to his side, while signaling Minglang to stay calm with his eyes.
"Minglang, look who I've brought?"
Howard tried to make his voice sound relaxed, with a reassuring smile, "Mingzhao is fine now, everything's alright. Look, I even brought you a gift."
He gently nudged Mingzhao's back.
Mingzhao was gently pushed forward by Huo Hua and passively took a small step forward.
Her gaze fell on the strange man on the hospital bed, whose eyes were red with excitement and who was staring intently at her.
This is... Mingzhao's cousin? Minglang?
There are no clear images of that face in my memory, only some blurry fragments of distant relatives, tinged with estrangement and indifference.
She couldn't comprehend the intense, almost tangible heartache and anger in his eyes.
She was simply following Howard's instructions to complete the task of visiting and expressing her gratitude.
She looked at the bright light and tried to recall the vocabulary about "family" and "greetings" that she had learned from the radio and Howard over the past few days.
She opened her mouth, her throat tightening, and with great difficulty, she managed to squeeze out a hoarse, breathy address:
"……cousin."
The sound was not loud, and even somewhat indistinct.
But in the quiet ward, it was like a thunderclap!
Minglang shuddered violently! Tears welled up in his eyes and he could no longer hold them back!
He suddenly lowered his head, wiped his eyes hard with the back of his hand, and his shoulders trembled slightly as he tried to hold back a sob.
That one word, "Cousin," wasn't the sweet memory he remembered; it hurt him more than any other word!
Is it so difficult for his Zhaozhao to even speak?
Gong Zhu felt a pang of sadness at the awkward "cousin".
As a doctor, she was used to seeing life and death and suffering, but this scene before her was different. A tough man silently shed tears for his sister, whom he had found but whose face was no longer recognizable, and a bewildered girl, as innocent as a child, was trying her best to respond...
Howard felt a tightness in his chest as he looked at Minglang's reaction.
He gently patted Mingzhao on the back, indicating that she was ready.
Mingzhao felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He immediately stopped his "mission" of trying to communicate, hugged the oil paper package in his arms, and took a half step back, retreating into Howard's shadow, as if that was the safe zone.
The atmosphere in the ward was heavy and oppressive.
Minglang lowered his head, trying to calm his surging emotions.
Howard didn't know what to say, so he just stood there in silence. Gong Zhu quietly packed up the dressing change tools, her movements gentle.
Just then, Mingzhao's gaze was drawn to something on the bedside table.
It was a small triangle folded from parchment paper, with a hint of golden color and fine icing showing at the edges.
A donut just like the ones sold at the supply and marketing cooperative! Probably brought by a comrade or family member visiting someone in the hospital.
Donut……
Mingzhao unconsciously tightened her grip on the oil paper package in her arms.
She remembered the mixed sweet aroma she smelled at the counter of the supply and marketing cooperative, and the wonderful taste of the sponge cake exploding in her mouth.
This little, frosted ring looks... sweeter than a sponge cake?
Her gaze lingered on the donut for a few seconds, filled with pure curiosity and...longing.
Although it was very slight, Howard had been watching her closely and instantly caught the change in her eyes.
Minglang finally managed to suppress his turbulent emotions, looked up, and saw Mingzhao staring at the donuts on his bedside table.
That look in his eyes was no longer blank, but instead carried a childlike, pure focus and... a craving?
Minglang felt a sudden pang of sadness, followed by a surge of immense pity.
Is his Zhao Zhao so cautious even when she wants to eat a donut?
"Zhao Zhao, do you want to eat this?" Ming Lang tried to make his voice sound gentle, with a tone of coaxing a child. He picked up the donut and carefully handed it to Ming Zhao.
"Here, eat this. Your cousin bought it for you... uh, someone gave it to you. It's very sweet!"
"If you like it, your brother will buy it for you again in the future."
Mingzhao looked at the donut covered in glistening frosting that was handed to her, and then looked up at Minglang's eyes, which were still red but trying to force a smile.
She didn't reach out to take it immediately, but turned to look at Howard with a questioning look in her eyes: Is this something I can take?
Looking at her pleading expression, Howard felt both sorry for her and amused, and quickly nodded: "Your cousin Minglang gave it to you, take it."
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