Mei Lin had since known about Jinhai's feelings for Lin Su but decided not to meddle in their affairs since it was none of her business. At some point, she had jokingly told Wen Jinhai, "Keep pretending not to know her and watch her slowly being taken away by someone else." She saw the veins on his head threatening to pop out from that careless joke. She casually said, "Aiyo, it was just a harmless joke. No need to act like a tiger that just lost its prey."
Now, seeing his pale look, she didn't know the words to say to him for comfort. But she still said some things to him anyway.
"You've been sitting here for hours," Mei Lin said, her voice calm but firm. "At this rate, you'll be the next one on that bed."
Wen Jinhai didn't respond. His eyes remained fixed on Lin Su.
"You always do this," Mei Lin continued. "You keep everything to yourself, act like nothing matters, and then when it does—you fall apart quietly."
He let out a dry laugh. "Is that what I'm doing?"
"Yes," she replied without hesitation. "And it's exhausting to watch."
Silence stretched between them.
"I thought I had time," Wen Jinhai said finally, his voice low.
Mei Lin glanced at him. "Time for what?"
"For everything," he said. "For her to notice. For me to say something. For things to… make sense."
Mei Lin shook her head. "Things don't make sense on their own. People make choices."
He didn't argue.
"You're afraid," she added.
Wen Jinhai looked at her, his expression tightening slightly. "Afraid of what?"
"That she won't feel the same," Mei Lin said simply. "Or worse—that she never did."
He looked away.
Mei Lin sighed softly. "You can't keep standing on the sidelines forever, Jinhai. Life doesn't wait for you to be ready."
"I know," he murmured.
"Do you?" she asked. "Because from where I'm standing, it doesn't look like it."
He didn't respond.
Mei Lin's tone softened. "If she wakes up, don't waste it. Don't pretend again. Some chances don't come twice."
Wen Jinhai swallowed quietly. "And if she doesn't wake up?"
Mei Lin paused, then said quietly, "She will. She has to."
Just then, a light knock sounded on the door and Amy walked right through it.
At first she didn't know what to say. She just stared at the girl in front of her that was on life support and was so scared. Yes, she hated her, but not enough to want her dead, at least not yet. She still had a long way ahead for her revenge on this girl that took everything away from her. Lin Su, you must wake up. You still have no idea who I am… so you must wake up.
After having this little moment in her head, she quietly turned and asked, "Any improvement so far?"
Mei Lin replied, "None for now. But let's all keep hope alive. She will pull through."
Amy nodded slowly. "She doesn't look like someone who gives up easily."
"She isn't," Wen Jinhai said quietly.
Amy glanced at him briefly before looking back at Lin Su. "Good. Then she better prove it."
Mei Lin crossed her arms. "You should get some rest too. Everyone's been on edge."
Amy gave a faint smile. "Rest doesn't come easy these days."
"That makes two of us," Mei Lin replied.
Amy exhaled softly. "Just… let me know when she wakes up."
"We will," Mei Lin said.
Amy gave one last look at Lin Su before turning and walking out of the room.
The door closed behind her.
Mei Lin looked at Jinhai and said, "I think Amy is out for something… or rather someone. At first, I thought it was just Lin Su she's after, but I think she has one more person on her list. We need to be vigilant around her. My gut feeling never fails me."
Jinhai nodded absentmindedly. He barely even heard what Mei Lin said but still responded regardless.
Outside the room, Xu Yan paced back and forth. "Why is this taking so long? I hate hospitals."
Liu Wen sat quietly, her hands clasped together. "Calm down. Panicking won't help."
"I'm not panicking!" Xu Yan snapped, then sighed. "Okay… maybe a little."
Jian leaned against the wall. "She's strong. If anyone can pull through this, it's her."
Zhao Yiming stood nearby, his gaze distant. "She will wake up."
Xu Yan looked at him. "You sound so sure."
He hesitated. "Because she has people waiting for her."
(Assistant Zhao Min) Xiaomin stepped forward. "The doctor said her vitals are stable. That's a good sign."
Liu Wen nodded slightly. "We just have to wait."
Xu Yan rubbed her face. "When she wakes up, I'm seriously going to yell at her."
Jian scoffed. "No, you'll cry first."
"…Shut up."
Two weeks after being unresponsive, Lin Su finally woke up.
It started with the smallest movement. Her fingers twitched slightly against the sheets.
Wen Jinhai noticed immediately. His body went still. "Lin Su…?"
Her eyes fluttered open slowly, adjusting to the light. Everything felt heavy—her body, her breathing, even her thoughts. For a moment, she didn't recognize where she was.
Then her gaze shifted.
And landed on him.
Wen Jinhai's breath caught. "You're awake…"
Lin Su tried to speak, but her throat was dry. No words came out.
He quickly reached for the water beside her, helping her sit up slightly. "Don't rush. Take it slow."
She took a small sip, then looked at him again, her eyes clearer this time.
"…Jinhai?"
His chest tightened at the way she said his name.
"I'm here," he said softly.
Outside, the others were still talking, unaware that everything had just changed. Inside the room, however, something had finally come back to life.