"Got you."
When Jiang Lin returned to the observation room, Zhou Yuan immediately noticed the blood and obvious redness and swelling at the corner of his mouth. She was startled and said worriedly, "Jiang Lin, your face...you..."
She hesitated to speak, her eyes wandering between Jiang Lin and Gu Ting who came in with a sullen face.
Jiang Lin shook his head slightly, indicating that he was fine.
Zhou Yuan sighed, her tone softening as she offered soothing words, "Jiang Lin, don't blame yourself too much. Yansheng... he definitely wouldn't be able to sit still in that situation. We all know his 'goody-goody' nature. He's been like this since he was a child. He can't bear to see others suffer. It's harder than climbing to the sky to get him to stay out of it. This time... well, no one wants this to happen."
Jiang Lin nodded silently. Zhou Yuan's words hit the mark in his heart. Gu Yansheng's kindness and sense of responsibility were part of his brilliance, but they were also the things that made him most distressed and worried.
His temperament has not changed over the years.
When Gu Ting walked in from outside, his face was still grim, but the terrifying hostility around him had subsided a little. Zhou Yuan glared at him unhappily, tugged at his arm, and said in a low but unquestionable voice, "Come with me and buy some food and drinks. Yansheng needs some energy after waking up."
She deliberately left Jiang Lin and Gu Yansheng some space to be alone.
Gu Ting moved his lips, but ultimately said nothing. He took a deep look at his brother who was sleeping on the hospital bed, then glanced at Jiang Lin with a complicated look, and left with Zhou Yuan.
The curtain of the observation area was gently drawn, separating a relatively private space.
Jiang Lin walked to the bedside and sat down slowly. The soft light from the bedside lamp fell on Gu Yansheng's pale face. Although the high fever had subsided a little, his cheeks were still sickly flushed, and the terrible red rash that had covered his face before had faded a lot.
This scene was so similar to the ward many years ago. At that time, little Gu Yansheng had his first illness and was lying on the hospital bed so fragilely. He sneaked into the ward to see this "young master".
Over the years, he had been very careful and tried his best, thinking that such a helpless scene would never happen again, but he never expected...
Thinking of this, his heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible hand, causing a fine and lasting pain. He subconsciously raised his hand, wanting to use the back of his hand to test the temperature of his forehead like he did when he was a child, to confirm that he was okay.
Just as his fingertips were about to touch that skin, Gu Yansheng's thick eyelashes trembled and he slowly opened his eyes.
His eyes were a little hazy at first, but the moment they focused on Jiang Lin's face, his figure was clearly reflected.
He was not surprised and did not ask questions. Instead, like a conditioned reflex, he quickly raised the hand that was not receiving the IV and accurately grabbed Jiang Lin's wrist that was hanging in the air.
The force was not great, but it carried an unquestionable stubbornness.
Then, he smiled a pale but genuine smile. His voice was a little hoarse and light because of his weakness, but he repeated the words that had shocked Jiang Lin's heart many years ago without a single mistake.
"Got you."
These three simple words, like a key, instantly opened the softest and most painful gate in Jiang Lin's heart. His eyes suddenly became hot and his vision quickly blurred. All his calmness and persistence collapsed at this moment.
He did not struggle to break free. Instead, he took advantage of the way Gu Yansheng grabbed his wrist and leaned over the bed, burying his face deeply in the crook of Gu Yansheng's neck, feeling the familiar scent mixed with the smell of medicine coming from him.
He held Gu Yansheng's slightly cold hand tightly and placed it on his own cheek, which was still injured and a little disheveled, as if to draw strength and comfort from this real touch.
"……sorry."
His voice was muffled, filled with suppressed sobs and heavy guilt. It echoed softly in this quiet little room separated by the curtain, "I'm sorry, Yansheng... I didn't take good care of you..."
Thousands of words were finally reduced to these three most direct words. All the fear, all the self-blame, all the calmness and reasoning that she had forced herself to maintain in front of Gu Ting, melted into an almost fragile apology in front of the lover she had lost and found again.
Gu Yansheng did not immediately respond to the heavy "I'm sorry".
He simply used his fingertips to scratch Jiang Lin's hand, which was tightly clasped in his, very lightly and slowly, like a weak cat trying to express affection.
Then, he spoke, his voice still hoarse, but with a strange tenderness that smoothed out all wrinkles.
"Jiang Lin..." He tilted his head slightly, his dry lips almost touching Jiang Lin's temples, "It was me...who ran away on my own. It was me...who insisted on following you."
He paused, gathering a little strength before continuing to whisper, each word gently striking Jiang Lin's heart. "Seeing you're okay... is better than anything else. You're safe... This little bit of discomfort for me is worth it."
This sentence completely broke Jiang Lin's last bit of defense. He raised his head, his eyes red and watery, looking at Gu Yansheng's pale face close to him, watching him try to show him a smile that was a bit flattering and comforting.
"Don't say that..." Jiang Lin's voice became even hoarse, with a strong nasal tone, "You are not allowed to... use yourself to measure whether it is worth it. You are the most important to me, Shengsheng."
The last name carries infinite cherishment and heartache.
The curve of Gu Yansheng's mouth deepened a little, and his eyes were sparkling, reflecting the bedside lamp and Jiang Lin's shadow. He moved the hand that Jiang Lin was holding, and gently rubbed away the subtle moisture in the corner of Jiang Lin's eyes with his fingertips.
His movements were cautious, with the weakness that comes from illness, but they were filled with indescribable intimacy and love.
"Then you... from now on..." Gu Yansheng's voice became softer and softer, with a hint of fatigue, but he stubbornly finished his words, "...just look at me a little more... that'll be fine."
This is not a blame, but the softest request with a hint of coquettishness.
Jiang Lin's heart softened. He lowered his head, resting his forehead lightly against Gu Yansheng's, and closed his eyes, feeling the warmth beneath his slightly cool skin, a warmth that was real and reassuring.
"Yes." He made a promise, almost in a whisper, heavy and solemn, "From now on... I will keep a close eye on you and never leave your side."
Their noses touched, their breaths mingling. The air was thick with the scent of disinfectant, yet also mingled with a bittersweet warmth of surviving a catastrophe and reaffirming their mutual feelings.
The liquid in the infusion tube drips down drop by drop, as if beating the rhythm for this quiet tenderness.
Gu Yansheng seemed relieved, and his heavy eyelids slowly closed, but the fingers that were holding Jiang Lin's wrist never loosened, and even tightened a little unconsciously, as if he was afraid that if he let go, this lost and regained source of warmth would disappear.
Jiang Lin maintained this almost cuddling posture, motionless. He listened to Gu Yan's breathing which gradually became even and long, and felt the vitality coming from his palm. He felt that all the running around, fear and fatigue of the whole day had found a home at this moment.
Beyond the curtain, treatment carts continued to come and go in the emergency room, amidst the hustle and bustle of life. Jiang Lin felt tired for the first time in a long time. Once his intense tension subsided, he realized he hadn't slept for two days and one night...
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