When she woke up, the sky was already bright. Xiang Yu was still lying in bed, trying to gather herself when the phone rang. She reached out and picked up the alarm clock on the bedside table to check the time. It was already 10:40. She got up and answered the phone, saying hello. There was a moment of silence on the other end before a voice said, "Are you up yet? I'll come over and accompany you to the hospital for your IV." Xiang Yu wanted to say it wasn't necessary, but the person on the other end had already hung up. She felt her temples throbbing, and her head started to ache again. Through two lifetimes, she still didn't know what to do.
She went to the bathroom to wash up, changed into a T-shirt and a pinafore dress, and hastily ate a few bites of breakfast, trying to do something to distract herself from her nervousness. Yes, nervousness, even a bit of panic. She couldn't calm down and paced around the room. In the end, she decided it didn't matter, she would have to face it anyway. This time, no matter what, she was determined to choose Lu Heng.
Xiao Zhanyuan was much more composed. He acted as if nothing had happened, almost making Xiang Yu think that yesterday's events were just her imagination. But when Xiao Zhanyuan walked beside her, she saw his tightly clenched fists, the dark circles under his eyes, and his tired face. Xiang Yu guessed he might not have slept at all last night. A pang of sadness rose in her heart, though she didn't know for whom. But she steadied herself and stopped overthinking.
Xiang Yu was hooked up to the IV, and Xiao Zhanyuan sat quietly beside her. Seeing his exhaustion, Xiang Yu couldn't help but say, "Why don't you sleep for a while? This IV will take half a day. I can watch over it myself." Xiao Zhanyuan said nothing but reached out to hold the hand where she was hooked up to the IV. Xiang Yu instinctively tried to pull her hand away, but he tightened his grip. His voice was low and hoarse, "Don't move, Xiang Yu." His hand cupped hers, "I have a story I want to tell you. Do you want to hear it?" There was hesitation and hope in his tone. Xiang Yu, captivated by something, let him hold her hand and nodded slightly. Xiao Zhanyuan seemed lost in memory, his thumb unconsciously brushing over her fingertips, back and forth, gentle and lingering.
Watching his unfocused eyes, Xiang Yu felt as if she were sinking into a lake of memories. When she became aware again, her hand was already on Xiao Zhanyuan's cheek. She called his name softly, "Xiao Zhanyuan, Xiao Zhanyuan," with a gentle lilt at the end. His name rolled off her tongue lightly yet heavily. Xiao Zhanyuan's eyes filled with an unbelieving joy, bit by bit. That joy, like vines, drove away the fatigue and gloom from his face. Xiang Yu wanted to withdraw her hand, but Xiao Zhanyuan had already taken it, pressing it against his cheek, rubbing it gently. Seeing Xiang Yu's embarrassed face and red earlobes, he finally let go of her hand. Xiang Yu lowered her head, took a long while before saying, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to..." She couldn't continue, not knowing what to say. Didn't mean what? Didn't mean to have feelings for him? She couldn't help but sigh. She wanted to untangle her relationships with Lu Heng and Xiao Zhanyuan, but found it was still a mess.