Chapter Eleven: Good News or Bad News
In that instant, Lin Ye felt as if he had been struck by lightning from the crown of his head down to his heels. His mind plunged into a brief blankness; he had never expected Su Qing to awaken so soon.
Even if only for a moment, this meant she was truly out of danger from now on. It was an excellent sign. Perhaps it wouldn’t be long before Su Qing could return to a normal life.
But then, what would become of Lin Ye himself?
Should he take the money and treat all of this as a dream?
It didn’t seem problematic; after all, he had gained a tremendous advantage.
Gazing at Su Qing lying in the hospital bed, he noticed from her arm resting outside the blanket that she was in much better condition than before.
Even her complexion was no longer as pale as it had been; it had turned rosy.
“What’s wrong? Are you so happy you’ve gone silly? Can you hear me…” The nurse’s voice, muffled as if enclosed in a bubble, pulled Lin Ye’s thoughts back.
“Oh, I’m listening, I’m listening,” Lin Ye replied, at a loss for how to respond, feeling as helpless as a child.
The nurse chuckled softly, holding the rounds sheet, preparing to leave and leaving the room to this peculiarly interesting couple.
“By the way, hold on a moment, Miss Nightingale. Could you give my wife a little more nutritional fluid now? I was thinking that if she gets more nutrition, maybe she’ll recover faster.”
The nurse turned back, winking at Lin Ye with a teasing smile. “I already asked the doctor on duty and arranged it for you.”
After a brief pause, as if recalling something, the nurse stopped in her tracks and turned around with a serious expression: “Oh, and if you, handsome, could try to keep the patient awake longer, it would be even better if she could eat something.”
“Even if it’s just some liquid diet, it’s still better than only supplementing with nutritional fluids.”
At that moment, Lin Ye felt the weight of responsibility settle more heavily on his shoulders. “Understood. I’ll do my best.”
After the nurse left, Lin Ye tightly held Su Qing’s small hand. Rarely did he remain silent like this; usually, he would keep talking to her. Su Qing, like a gentle wife, quietly kept him company.
He felt torn and a little afraid, though he knew this fear was baseless.
“Wife, the doctor said you woke up for a little while during the day. I’m actually quite happy, but somehow, I still can’t fully rejoice.”
“When you wake up, are we going to get a divorce? That would be normal, right? After all, that’s how it was from the beginning, isn’t it?”
He stared motionless at Su Qing’s face, as if trying to memorize the exquisite beauty of her features.
When he spoke again, his voice trembled slightly. “Actually… I’m a bit reluctant to let you go, my wife.”
“Compared to you, two million doesn’t seem like such a big deal. If only… I were as wealthy as you.”
“Then maybe we’d be a good match…” The last sentence came out in a barely audible whisper, his long-hidden inferiority almost spilling out.
The soft voice barely left his lips before it was carried away by the breeze that circled and left the room.
Suddenly, Lin Ye noticed Su Qing’s eyelids trembling violently, as if she were summoning all her strength to open them.
Her small hand, held in his palm, tightened as if trying to grasp his hand firmly.
“I’m here. I’ve always been here, my wife. Don’t worry.”
Lin Ye reached out, gently touching Su Qing’s cheek, his thumb softly stroking her tightly closed eyes.
Or… should he secretly kiss her? While she couldn’t move or wake up, this might be the only chance. Once she recovered, such an opportunity would probably never come again.
The seed of desire planted in his heart instantly gave rise to a whispering demon that lingered incessantly in his ear.
His fingers slowly slid down from her cheek, touching her full, moist lips. Lin Ye swallowed hard, perhaps without even realizing it.
Unconsciously, he leaned in, his face drawing closer to hers, close enough to smell the faint, delicate fragrance she carried.
Strangely, Su Qing seemed to sense his movement. Her cheeks, already flushed, appeared even more radiant.
Fortunately, at the last moment, reason regained control. Lin Ye jolted awake as if from a dream, seeing the face so close before him, and suddenly sat up, breathing heavily.
“Wife, I… I suddenly need to use the restroom. I’ll be right back.”
No sooner had he spoken than he dashed into the bathroom inside the ward.
The faucet gushed endlessly, water pooling chaotically in the sink, mirroring the turmoil in Lin Ye’s heart.
He cupped water in his hands, splashing it onto his face. The cool sensation calmed him somewhat, allowing him to think clearly about the current situation. Su Qing’s awakening was accidental; now wasn’t the time to worry about all sorts of things.
The nurse had said they should try to keep her awake longer each day, ideally so she could eat.
Putting the chaotic emotions back in his pocket, Lin Ye looked up at his reflection in the mirror and gave himself a little cheer.
From the days spent with Su Qing, accompanying her, Lin Ye discovered some methods that seemed to promote her awakening.
For example, the more sentimental the words, the stronger Su Qing’s reactions were. In truth, “sentimental” wasn’t quite accurate; rather, anything that stirred her emotions elicited a response.
Most importantly, touching her cheeks, lips, ears, even her collarbone triggered similar or even stronger reactions.
Of course, he hadn’t tried anywhere lower than the neck—he simply didn’t have the courage. As for Su Qing’s strong responses, Lin Ye thought it was quite normal.
He just couldn’t tell whether her reactions stemmed from excitement or frustration. After all, Lin Ye’s age must have seemed like a child’s to Su Qing.
Being called “wife” by a kid who kept touching her—imagine how absurd that was.
Not to mention some women might enjoy this, but Su Qing—had she really never had a boyfriend all these years?
So, Lin Ye couldn’t quite understand what her reactions truly meant.