Chapter 2
Yoda's mother walked into the hospital bed and saw Shi Xing asleep on the sofa. She walked softly, wanting him to sleep a little longer.
After taking only two steps, Shi Xing opened his eyes alertly.
Looking at the other person's dark circles under their eyes, their messy hair, and their unkempt, wrinkled shirt, I could see...
Yoda's mother: "Someone will be watching over you tonight, so you should get some rest."
Shi Xing agreed in a low voice, without saying a word more.
Yoda's mother took out Shixing's shirt from the closet and gestured for him to change. When Shixing came out of the bathroom, she took the shirt he had taken off and washed it in the bathroom.
This child they'd watched grow up, after what happened to Yoda, had been so responsible all these years. Their personalities and temperaments were always appreciated. If Yoda were alright, how wonderful it would be if the two of them were together. Just like the two families had hoped for. But now...
Yoda's mother watched as Shi Xing sat to the side. Yoda lay quietly on the hospital bed. Apart from being thin and clean, Shi Xing looked more like a patient.
Suppressing her reluctance, she smiled and said, "It's time to settle down. If you have a suitable partner, bring them to meet me and your uncle. Your mother has been hoping for this."
Though they said it aloud, a pang of sadness welled up inside them. No one said it aloud, but so many years had long since erased all expectations. Everyone was looking forward, and even the mother couldn't bear to see Shixing dwelling on the past.
“Yoda’s expenses will be taken care of by his father and me. You’ve done enough over the years. It’s not your fault, Ah Xing, look forward.”
After saying this, she could only hold back her tears by turning to look out the window. She advised the other person to look forward, but she herself could never move on.
Shi Xing could neither refuse the kindness nor make a promise he could not keep, so he could only choose to remain silent.
After Yoda's mother left, Shi Xing looked at the tightly closed window. The curtains were open, and lights outside were flashing. This ward was far from the main road of the hospital, but there was still some faint noise.
Ever since Yoda was injured, Shi Xing has been afraid of the sound of ambulances. Looking at the ambulance lights reflected on the window from time to time, it's as if he has returned to that night.
The moment the earthquake struck, Shi Xing, who had intended to get up to take his medicine, dashed out like an arrow. His body's instincts were faster than his consciousness. Having already caught a cold and developed a fever a few days prior, Shi Xing didn't have time to think things through before he grabbed a somewhat dazed Yoda and rushed to the playground.
Everyone gradually gathered on the playground, and after the headcount was taken, everyone went to rest.
Shi Xing already had a fever, and after this ordeal, the cold night wind made him feel dizzy and disoriented. He pulled Youda aside. The two had been together since childhood, inseparable, and their friends and classmates who had come with them were already used to it.
Fearing aftershocks, and with no one wanting to go back to their dorms for comfort, they unanimously agreed to rest on the playground for the night and check the situation at dawn. If the buildings were intact, classes would proceed as usual.
Although there was a cool breeze in the early summer night, it wasn't unbearable. Once Shi Xing was certain he was safe, he succumbed to waves of weakness and fell into a deep sleep.
When the aftershock struck, Shi Xing opened his eyes and realized that Yoda, who should have been sleeping beside him, was nowhere to be seen. Shi Xing panicked and quickly stood up.
When they saw Yoda run out of the teaching building, their anxious hearts relaxed for a moment, but the next second they couldn't help but criticize themselves in their hearts for running inside.
He wanted to reason with Yoda as usual, to make her understand that leaving without permission was wrong. But when he got closer, he saw blood flowing down Yoda's forehead, and her hair, which had been covering her head, was matted together.
Unaware of what was happening, Yoda finished speaking to himself and then fainted the next second.
The memories that followed seemed to be on fast-forward. Every time he was alone, he couldn't help but recall the scene, but his inner fear made him subconsciously speed up the memory.
I was flustered, and the scene was chaotic.
Because of the earthquake, more places needed rescue. In order to get timely treatment, Shi Xing borrowed a car from the village to go to the hospital and met the ambulance that was on its way.
Along the way, Shi Xing supported Yoda's limp body as it slumped down, warm blood overflowing with each jolt of the car.
Shi Xing's heart sank lower and lower. The blood flowing from his hands, turning from warm to cold, and finally sticking to his hands, was a sensation that would forever be etched in Shi Xing's mind.
Thinking of this, Shi Xing felt that sensation in his hand again. He silently walked to the bathroom, as if the person in the hospital bed was just asleep and he didn't want to wake her.
As the water washed over Shi Xing's hands, he looked at himself in the mirror and could hardly remember what he looked like back then.
For the next week, Shi Xing stayed by Yoda's side, while those injured in the earthquake received treatment at the county's only hospital.
Shi Xing looked at the news summary: a 4.3-magnitude earthquake with a focal depth of 10 kilometers, and 7 people injured.
One by one, the others were discharged from the hospital, 7 people, 4 people, 3 people, until only Yoda was left around.
As those injured in the earthquake were discharged from the hospital one by one, even the locals gradually stopped paying attention. It was just a weak, perceptible earthquake; no one went missing, and no one died.
People who haven't experienced an earthquake will forget about it a few days after seeing the news, and those who have experienced an earthquake but weren't injured will forget about it a few months later. Even for those who were injured, the incident will only be a minor episode in their lives after they are discharged from the hospital.
Only Shi Xing, watching Yoda who couldn't wake up, was trapped in that news report, unable to escape his pain.
The warm water splashed on his face, ending the uncomfortable memory. Shi walked out of the bathroom and drew the curtains in the ward to keep the flashing neon lights of the night from shining into Yoda's eyes.
Even though Yoda was in a coma, Shi Xing still made it a habit to open the curtains at dawn and close them at dusk every day. It was as if Yoda was still a normal person and couldn't let the light affect his routine. Repeating these steps every day gave him the feeling that Yoda was still alive, just not as cheerful and talkative as before.
Only in this way could he feel that he was normal and that his life was normal. Although he lived near the hospital, Shi Xing still habitually lay on the sofa next to the hospital bed whenever he had free time, which made him feel that he and Yoda were still together and had not separated.
In the darkness, their breathing rose and fell with each other, quietly blending into the tranquil night.
After being rejected once again when she tried to persuade Shi Xing to get married, Shi Xing's mother sighed to her daughter: "For so many years, Yoda has been lying in the hospital bed. I don't think she will wake up. But Shi Xing has always focused his attention on her. He doesn't want to get married and doesn't want to have any contact with others. Every time I see him like this, my heart aches."
Sister Shixing: "The two of them used to have such a good relationship, so it's understandable that they're like this now."
Shi Xing's mother said, "No matter how good the relationship is, so many years have passed. Should the living continue to waste their youth for someone who is destined not to wake up? If this continues, Shi Xing will be dragged down."
Seeing her worried mother, Shi Xing's older sister could only comfort her, "Even if we want to bring Shi Xing back, what can we do if he doesn't want to?"
On the other side, looking at the two children who had finished washing up and were asleep, Yoda's mother said in a low voice, "I told Ah Xing to go and start a new life."
Yoda's father: "Why are you suddenly bringing this up?"
Not wanting to disturb the children's sleep, the two of them left the bedroom and sat in the living room whispering.
Yoda's mother looked distressed: "He's been suffering all these years, and I just can't bear it. Our Yoda is already like this, do we really want Shixing to lie in that hospital bed with him too?"
Yoda's father fell silent. From a father's perspective, he was deeply moved by Shi Xing's dedication. Every time he saw Shi Xing by his bedside, he thought how wonderful it would be if his daughter could wake up and the two of them could be together.
But reality is cruel. If their daughter doesn't wake up, they can't keep dragging others down.
When they first learned that Yoda had become like this, both of them resented the person who had gone with them. However, after seeing Shi Xing's unwavering dedication, they no longer felt the same way.
The two sat together in silence, looking at the two family photos displayed in the house. One was taken when Yoda was admitted to university, and the whole family was on campus. At that time, everyone's faces were full of happy smiles, a family full of hope and unharmed.
The next photo was taken when You Ming and You Li turned one year old. Although they were smiling, there was still an underlying sadness in their eyes.
They are clearly a family, yet they are separated into two picture frames.
Seeing Yoda's distressed mother, Yoda's father rallied: "Don't worry, my business is doing very well now, and I can afford all the children's expenses. Just stay home and don't work so hard. We'll do our best."
Both parents understand the meaning of doing their best and don't want to burden Shixing, whom they consider their own child. How could they possibly pass on the heavy responsibility to their still young children? As parents, they will never abandon their children, but this responsibility can only be borne by themselves.
Yoda groggily woke up to find a scruffy-bearded man standing sideways at the foot of the bed. He opened his mouth and asked, "Who are you, sir?"
Shi Xing thought he was hallucinating, so he slowly turned around and looked at Yoda, who had opened his eyes and could still speak.
He was momentarily stunned. He had fantasized about this scene countless times at the beginning, but later he stopped having such fantasies.
What's wrong with today?
Is it because he's in trouble again, so he's imagining Yoda waking up to comfort himself?
Yoda, seeing Shi Xing's stunned expression, initially wanted to suppress his laughter and tease him, but the more he looked, the funnier it became. He couldn't help but say, "Alright, alright, I'm not kidding anymore. Xing, what happened to you? You suddenly look like an old man?"
Yoda talked for a long time, but Shi Xing still stood there, stunned, not even daring to go forward to take a look. Although the two were only a meter apart, it felt like they were on opposite sides of the world.
"It must be a hallucination."
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