Chapter Thirteen: A Sky Full of Stars

After bidding farewell to Zhang Wen, Lin Ye quickly grabbed a shared electric bike from the roadside and rushed to the hospital. After all, he had just come with Zhang Wen to view a house.

When Zhang Wen left, he offered to take Lin Ye to the hospital, but Lin Ye, like a child afraid of having his secret discovered, quickly shook his head and declined.

After grabbing a lunch from the hospital cafeteria, he carried it and went straight to Su Qing’s ward.

The lunch at the hospital cafeteria was hardly appetizing—perhaps because patients needed to eat lighter fare, the dishes lacked oil and were mostly vegetarian.

Yet, sitting beside Su Qing, Lin Ye understood the true meaning of “a beauty to feast upon.” Simply watching her lying there was far more satisfying than any gourmet meal in the world.

Before he had even taken two bites, the sound of the ward door opening startled him. Lin Ye instinctively turned his head to see Li Dehua entering. Li Dehua looked surprised to see Lin Ye there, probably not expecting him to show up at lunchtime.

“Thank you for your hard work these past days, Lin Ye. I’ve also heard from the attending physician that Su Qing’s rapid recovery is largely due to you coming every day to keep her company and talk with her,” Li Dehua said, stepping forward with a smile and patting Lin Ye on the shoulder. His gaze shifted several times between Lin Ye and Su Qing in bed, carrying some unspoken meaning.

Lin Ye put down his lunch box, scratching his head awkwardly as he offered a forced explanation, “Ah, it’s nothing really. I’m just passing by, so I come to check on her...”

A spark of understanding flickered in Li Dehua’s eyes. He patted Lin Ye’s shoulder again and, in a somewhat encouraging tone, said, “Lin Ye, you know, Su Qing may seem older than you, but she’s always been alone, without many male friends around.”

Hearing this, Lin Ye’s thoughts began to race uncontrollably.

What was Uncle Li implying? Was he hinting at something between Su Qing and himself?

Li Dehua, noticing Lin Ye deep in thought, suddenly seemed to remember something. He tapped his head and pulled a set of keys from his pocket.

“Oh right, Lin Ye, you mentioned you’re about to graduate from university, right? Here are the keys to Su Qing’s villa. It’s near your workplace. Since you two are already married, why not move in with her?”

“No need, Uncle Li. As long as Su Qing is alive, I’ll come see her whenever I have time,” Lin Ye replied politely.

He gently declined Uncle Li’s kindness. The reason he came to accompany Su Qing daily had little to do with the 2 million yuan Uncle Li had promised previously.

It was simply because Su Qing was now his wife. As her husband, Lin Ye naturally felt an indescribable sense of responsibility.

After all, they were married. No matter what, until they divorced, Su Qing was his wife!

Under such circumstances, keeping her company was only right.

Li Dehua’s opinion of the young man before him rose considerably. With a tone full of relief, he said, “You really are a good boy. Su Qing… if only she had met you sooner.”

Lin Ye wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but that sentence sounded oddly loaded, as if it contained some meaning he couldn’t quite decipher.

After spending about an hour with Su Qing in the hospital, Lin Ye told her he had found a shared apartment and needed to go back to pack. Then he left the hospital.

Outside the hospital gate, he found that the shared electric bike he had ridden was gone. Within the vicinity, not a single electric bike or even a shared bicycle was in sight.

With a grand gesture of extravagance, he hailed a taxi back to his dorm to organize his belongings. His mattress and bedding had been prepared by his mother, so he packed them along with his clothes into a large suitcase.

It seemed the car couldn’t fit everything. Lin Ye looked at the fully loaded trunk and passenger seat with a helpless smile. The car was handsome, but a bit cramped.

The rental place itself was nice, with an underground parking garage, though it cost 500 yuan a month. After moving his stuff in, Lin Ye tidied his room—which featured a sun-facing window—something he was quite pleased about.

Unfortunately, Lin Ye was a restless sleeper who tossed and turned all night, only falling asleep around four in the morning. Thankfully, the next day was Sunday, so sleeping until noon was no problem.

But as often happens in life, things rarely go as planned. Around seven in the morning, a loud bang at the door jolted Lin Ye awake.

Groggy, he opened his eyes, initially thinking the kitchen of some nearby apartment had exploded, until he heard Zhang Wen’s familiar voice.

“Put it down around the corner, my computer! Gently! If you break it, don’t even think about getting your money!”

At that moment, Lin Ye felt like dying. He had been exhausted packing up the day before, only slept three hours, and now with Zhang Wen’s antics, it looked like sleep was impossible.

Then he remembered—beside his wife’s bed there was a single bed meant for a caregiver. He could easily get up and sleep right next to her, where no one would disturb him.

Throwing off the covers, he got out of bed and left the room.

“Yo! Old Lin! Up so early? Come on, let’s go, I’ll treat you to breakfast! When I arrived just now, I found a bun shop downstairs—smells amazing!” Zhang Wen said.

“Hah, can’t help getting up early with you around, my dearest brother. I really want to stab you twice,” Lin Ye replied, throwing a playful elbow and a chokehold, demanding Zhang Wen pay for breakfast.

After devouring a steaming hot basket of thin-skinned meat buns, Lin Ye finally felt truly alive. The two university students ate two baskets of buns at the kid’s stall.

Each basket had about fifteen buns, and even their burps carried the meaty aroma. The shop owner was delighted—these two foodies had brought him plenty of business. Many passersby were drawn in, unable to resist sitting down for a couple of buns themselves.

After breakfast, the two parted ways. Zhang Wen went upstairs to oversee the moving company, while Lin Ye returned to the hospital by car.

He was eager to share with his wife how delicious the buns were and vowed to take her there once she recovered.

Passing a newly opened flower shop, Lin Ye was suddenly inspired to buy a bouquet of baby’s breath. He had the shop wrap it up, planning to place it by his wife’s bedside. Even if she couldn’t see it, at least she could smell the fragrance.

Holding the flowers, Lin Ye walked briskly to the ward entrance. Instinctively, he straightened his clothes and pushed the door open.

The room was empty. Not a single person was inside, and the bed was vacant. His wife was gone...