As soon as Luna regained consciousness, her palms automatically shielded her half-open eyes from the white light that blurred her vision. After her eyes adjusted to her surroundings, she noticed a quiet room with white walls as a barrier from the outside world.
"Where am I?" her lips murmured in hushed tones.
In response to the odor of medicine, her nostrils flared. Her heart told her she was in the hospital, a place she despised because it reminded her of her father's death.
She pondered why she was stranded here, powerless on the bed. Her arms were bandaged with white cloth. The pain ate her body, making it difficult for her to move. In response to the pain, she let out a groan every now and then.
Before she could think of anything, the door slid open, and a tall man with slanting eyes in a dark shirt walked in, idly, with a sweet smile on his face. She'd never met him before.
"Are you awake?"
"Who are you?" Luna responded to his question with another question.
"My name is Felix. Miss, could you please tell me your name? Your identity card was nowhere to be found in your bag." Luna grimaced as she tried to remember what had happened and where she had put her identity card.
"My name is Luna Yang. Is it you who brought me here?" In a weak voice, she inquired.
"Yes, I apologize for what occurred. Because I was unable to control my vehicle, it collided with you. But why were you hurrying through the rain at night?" Luna shifted her gaze, as if her eyes could reveal everything to the stranger in front of her.
"I have to go home," she changed the subject, despite the fact that she clearly knew she had no place to call home.
"You will, but only after you have reached peak fitness. Please tell me where you live so that I can notify your family."
"I... I don't have any relatives." Luna bit her lower lip, nipping her guilt at lying about her family. Her mother's face and grandma Li's feeble body lying on the bed also entered her mind. Her heart sobbed an apology.
"So you live on your own." Felix finished. He didn't ask any more questions after that.
After a brief conversation with her, he quickly disappeared behind the closed door. Luna was submerged in her sadness and condition. She was worried about Grandma Li as well as her mother. She consoled herself with the thought that the elderly lady should have been in good health because her surgery went well. She was saved by Ana's blood.
Her lips formed a smile all of a sudden. After all was said and done, Ana was the one who deserved to be with Danish, to be her daughter in law. Sandra Li was correct; she could never compete with her.
Luna took a deep breath and cast a sad look out the bare window.
***
"Danish….Danish…." Grandma Li's frail utterance elicited a reaction from her children, who rushed toward her; they had been gathered around her, anticipating her sobriety.
"Mom…." Jangmi, her youngest daughter, was the first to express her delight that her mother was finally awake after a long nap. Sandra then followed, affectionately reaching for her mother's hand.
"Thank God, Mom.... I thought we might...,"
"Luna...Luna…." Sandra's action of compassionately stroking her mother's hand was halted by her word of calling Luna. Her expression became irritated. Her chest was so full of rage that she was ready to throw it out at any moment. Despite this, she managed to keep her annoyance at bay when she realized her mother wasn't completely stable.
The old lady's eyes gradually opened. Luna kept coming up in her conversation.
"Mom…." Jangmi was overjoyed when she awoke. She couldn't keep her excitement from showing.
"Where have Danish and Luna gone?" Jangmi and Sandra exchanged sidelong glances. No one took the initiative to respond to her.
Sandra was disappointed by her first question because it was about that girl who no one knew where she was. Even better, the maid reported that she did not return home from the hospital. However, if her mother discovered it, it would have an impact on her health. So she quickly calmed her mother down by convincingly fabricating a story about Luna needing to return home for a cloth change. Her mother's belief in her lies was confirmed by a smile that spread across her lips.
"Don't overthink it, Mom. Danish would be allowed to leave the hospital in a few days, according to the doctor." Sandra was attempting to persuade her mother.
"When is Luna going to arrive at the hospital?" Sandra scowled at her sister, waiting for an answer. Jangmi trembled in surrender. She was at a loss for what to do. Even until today, there had been no news about Luna.
"She wishes to pay you a visit, but she is exhausted. She was agitated in the hospital, tending to everything and worrying so much about you that she didn't have time to care for herself. Please allow her to rest, Mom." Sandra felt compelled to deceive her mother. She had no other choice but to conceal the fact that Luna had fled.
"Alright… Oh, that child, I admire her. I'll thank her later. "She muttered something under her breath.
***
Luna had been in the hospital for a few days. The doctor's notification that she would be checked out of the hospital today excited her, but her mind raced with uncertainty about where she would go.
"Miss Yang....
"I'll call a cab for you. Could you please give me your home address?" David's arrival jolted her out of her reverie.
"Thank you, but I believe I can handle it myself. I don't want to bother you."
"Not at all; after all, this is my fault. I'll have to make something up. You're here because of me."
"No...you've been a tremendous help."
"Don't mention it. Just tell me if you need more help." Luna refused, shaking her head. Her sad expression drew him in and prompted him to inquire further. "Are you certain you're fit enough to go home by yourself?"
"Y-yes...sir…,"
"Could you please just call me Felix? I know we just met, but I dislike formalities." Luna's nodding head assured him that she would do as he asked.
Luna emerged from her ward a few minutes later. She didn't spend much time packing because she wasn't bringing anything to the hospital except her bag.
Felix had paid her hospital bills for her. Luna thanked him and promised to pay for it, though she had no idea when or how she would do so.
Luna walked through the corridor, following Felix who was a few meters ahead of her, her mind racing about where she would go after leaving the hospital.
In her confusion, her gaze was drawn to a familiar figure in a wheelchair. Grandma Li was strolling around, accompanied by Danish pushing the wheelchair. She had only recently realized she was in the same hospital as Grandma Li and Danish.
"Felix…." The person in front of her came to a halt and turned to look at her. "Could you please do me a favor? To be honest, I don't know where I'm going. Would you mind taking me to your house? I realize I'm a stranger to you. But I promise to rent the house as soon as I get a job." Felix gave a friendly smile.
"Sure thing, Miss Yang. I am delighted to assist." He swiveled his head and moved forward. Luna accompanied him. However, someone's calling cut them off in their tracks.
"Is that you, Luna?" It was unmistakably Grandma Li speaking through her voice.