[Without you, even the warmest sunshine cannot warm my cold heart. —Xunmi]
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"Xunmi." Luo Luo stepped forward and gently pulled Xunmi into her arms, offering silent comfort.
There was a time when she looked down on this young lady, but she never expected that she wasn't stupid or useless; she was just protecting herself.
In such an environment, she had no mother, and her only relative doted on his illegitimate daughter.
Her reputation was ruined for no reason, and she couldn't make any true friends. She was always fighting this battle alone.
Xunmi closed her eyes, neither shedding tears nor speaking; she was simply a little tired.
She wasn't sure if she would break down if Zixi didn't wake up.
A strange world, strange people, a strange version of myself, all alone, until finally someone disregarded everything and forced their way into that heart that had been lonely for over twenty years.
But just when happiness seemed within their grasp, a cruel chasm was carved into it.
"Let's go in." Xunmi calmed herself down, pushed Luoluo aside, opened the door, and went inside.
At this moment, she was once again the proud and dignified eldest daughter of the Qin family that outsiders saw.
The room was already filled with doctors, gathered around the electrocardiogram, afraid of missing any data. Even Jiang Ru had changed into a white coat and was personally participating.
Although she is not a neurosurgeon, she is a surgical authority.
Tan Zixi's ribs were pushed into his chest cavity by the impact. Although surgery was performed to remove the broken ribs, the organs inside his chest cavity were not seriously damaged.
But just as it fell, the car's glasses broke upon hitting the carved stone and struck Tan Zixi on the back of the head.
The inertia caused his head to hit the ground hard, resulting in a mild concussion and brain nerve paralysis.
Fortunately, there was no blood clot in the brain, but the nerve paralysis should not be taken lightly.
So everything depends on the patient's will. They originally expected Tan Zixi to wake up soon, but obviously, they were all wrong.
"Beep, beep, beep..." The ward was so quiet that only the electrocardiogram and the ticking of the needle could be heard. Each tick was like a blow to everyone's heart.
Xunmi stared, her eyes misty, at the steady, fluctuating lines on the electrocardiogram, then glanced at the clock hand on the wall that was about to point to seven.
My heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, making it hard to breathe.
It's exactly 7 PM!
A mechanical chime broke the silence of the room.
"If President Tan doesn't wake up within half an hour, the situation is not optimistic."
The attending physician, the head of the neurology department, spoke with a somewhat solemn tone; they had seen this kind of situation many times before.
After all, it's the brain that's injured, not anything else, and brain surgery is not an easy procedure; it carries a lot of risks.
Jiang Ru's hand holding the thermometer trembled, and she staggered two steps before being supported by the nurse beside her.
Tan Mingyu looked worriedly at the woman inside, whose condition seemed abnormal, but he couldn't go forward and could only watch carefully from the outside.
They heard what was being said inside, but all they felt was helplessness.
Xunmi's mind exploded with a bang, but there was nothing inside except an endless expanse of white.
It has no end in sight, and it can't hold anything.
She stood ramrod straight, her head held high, her sturdy spine supporting her slender body, as if no storm could defeat her.
Her clear, bright eyes never left that person.
But no one saw her hands hidden at her sides; her nails had long since dug into her flesh, stained crimson.
Tick-tock, the clock hands kept turning, and the stagnant air grew increasingly oppressive.
It was only half an hour, but it felt like a distant, hazy, and unknown world.
A soft "ding!" was heard, followed by a sigh: "Sigh, twenty-four hours have passed."
"All the data shows that everything is normal. As for why Mr. Tan is not waking up, the problem is not due to external factors."
The dean carefully analyzed the situation while rapidly examining Tan Zixi's head to see if there were any lingering problems.
Several other experts agreed, stating that there are only two possibilities in such a situation.
One possibility is that the patient is unwilling to wake up, and the other is that their consciousness is imprisoned and they are unable to wake up.
Both of these methods share a common approach: stimulation.
When the stimulation reaches a certain level, there is a 50% chance that the patient will be awakened.
After a series of methods, such as electric shocks and chest compressions, proved ineffective, everyone tacitly turned their attention to artificial stimulation.
If someone very important to the patient is by their side, the effect will likely be the best.
Without hesitation, Xunmi put on the antibacterial suit, pushed open the door, and went inside.
Jiang Ru, her eyes red, gripped Xunmi's hand, hesitating several times before finally speaking.
"Xiao Xun, I'm entrusting Zi Xi to you. Please make sure you bring him back."
"If even you can't do it, then…" Jiang Ru, who had been smiling and composed all along, finally burst into tears.
Lying on that bed is her own child, her own flesh and blood that fell from her body after ten months of pregnancy.
She never imagined that the dangerous missions that had kept her son safe would now end in a premeditated car accident.
But she couldn't complain. The person her son was protecting was the one he loved most, and he was willing to risk his life for her.
No matter how she blames or hates, she is truly unwilling to accept it.
She can now place all her hopes on Xunmi, hoping that her son will wake up for the sake of the person he loves.
Xunmi neither nodded nor shook her head, but simply withdrew her hand and walked past Jiang Ru.
But as they passed each other, she whispered, "If he doesn't wake up, I will go and keep him company. I will never let him be alone."
Jiang Ru was startled. The words were spoken softly, but she could hear the determination in them.
Xunmi wasn't making a promise to her, nor was she answering her; she was telling her something.
If her son doesn't wake up, she will go to stay with him. She doesn't dare to think about what "stay with" means.
She opened her mouth, wanting to call out to Xunmi, but found that the person had already quietly knelt down next to her son.
The air was tense and stagnant, yet the person lay motionless on the hospital bed, utterly silent.
But after the fiery red figure joined, the entire space warmed up.
Even sadness seems unable to penetrate the world of those two.
Jiang Ru, her eyes filled with seriousness and her expressionless face, dismissed everyone else.
Finally, after glancing at the two people nestled together, she turned and left.
Xunmi put her ear close to Tan Zixi's heart, a smile playing on her lips as she listened to the faint yet steady sound that came through each beat.
"Brother Zixi, it's so good to know you."
"So you can't abandon me, okay? What will I do if even you don't want me anymore?"