Lin Wan slept until 11 AM, still holding the lighter in her hand when she woke up. She stared at it for a moment, then gently rubbed it before placing it in the drawer beside her bed. Inside, there was also a square box—an unopened birthday gift. Since she had decided to leave, some things needed to be left behind.
She got out of bed and pulled open the curtains. The bright sunlight poured in, warmly bathing her in its glow. A new life was beckoning her, and the 3 PM flight was calling her as well. After freshening up, she was about to step out to grab a quick bite when her phone suddenly rang. Looking at the caller ID, she saw it was Tan Xizhe, someone she hadn't heard from in a long time.
She hesitated for a moment but then answered the call. Tan Xizhe's voice sounded much more serious than usual. "Lin Wan, there's something I need to tell you."
As she slipped on her shoes, she responded, "Oh, what is it?"
There was a short pause before Tan Xizhe spoke again. "Chen Jin has had an accident."
Lin Wan's heart tightened, and without thinking, she asked, "What happened to him?"
"A car accident," Tan Xizhe replied. "He was hit by an out-of-control truck while waiting at a red light last night on his way home…"
The sound of keys hitting the floor echoed as Lin Wan's left hand dropped them. She didn't hear a word, Tan Xizhe said after that. If there was one thing in this world she never wanted to hear, it was "car accident." Like a reflex, every time she heard those words, the sound of the violent crash would echo in her ears, and she could almost smell the blood…
Tan Xizhe seemed to sense her shock and called out anxiously, "Lin Wan? Lin Wan? Are you okay?"
It took her a moment to snap back to reality. She opened her mouth and said, "I'm fine." Her voice trembled. She didn't have time to focus on her emotions; instead, she urgently asked, "So, how is he now?"
"He's got a severe head injury and hasn't passed the danger period yet. He's still in the ICU."
After hanging up, Lin Wan stood there in a daze, feeling like she was floating. She couldn't believe it. She grabbed her hair in frustration, doubting if she had woken up from a nightmare. But when she looked at the call log on her phone, it was real.
She lifted her foot but wasn't sure whether to go inside or step out. Her foot hit something, and when she looked down, she saw it was her keys. It was like some kind of sign. She bent down, picked them up, and slipped them into her pocket. Then she turned and left, slamming the door behind her. As she hurried down the stairs, she didn't even realize she had forgotten that she was pregnant.
She flagged down a taxi as soon as she left the neighborhood. When she tried to give the driver the hospital address, she realized she didn't know which hospital Chen Jin was at. She quickly called Tan Xizhe again. "He's at the Army General Hospital," Tan Xizhe told her.
The traffic was heavy, and she was trapped in a sea of cars. The sound of honking horns filled the air, mixing with the oppressive heat and creating a sense of irritation. Lin Wan kept her head down, staring at her hands on her lap, as if focusing on them could ease the anxiety gnawing at her.
The driver was used to this kind of situation. He calmly listened to the radio's pop songs and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. Suddenly, he heard a sharp scream from the woman sitting quietly in the back. He jolted, startled, and turned to look at her, suspicion in his eyes.
Lin Wan closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again. Her palms were empty, but she had clearly seen blood just a moment ago. Hearing the driver ask, "Miss, are you okay?" she realized it was another hallucination. Could her depression be coming back?
The drive, which should have taken forty minutes, stretched into over an hour. Lin Wan finally arrived at the hospital and got out of the taxi. Tan Xizhe was already waiting for her at the entrance. "I came out to greet you so you wouldn't have trouble finding your way."
As they walked through the lobby, they bumped into Chen Xi and a tall, thin man coming out. Tan Xizhe greeted them, and Chen Xi, her eyes swollen like peaches, immediately rushed over and grabbed Lin Wan's hand, her voice cracking as she said, "Lin Wan, you're here! My third brother, he..."
Lin Wan's heart skipped a beat. Could it be Chen Jin? Tan Xizhe also looked surprised and asked, "Is there an update?"
The tall man quickly waved his hand and said, "No, no. He's stable for now. Little Xi is just too upset." He then looked closely at Lin Wan and asked Tan Xizhe, "This is Miss Lin, right?"
Tan Xizhe nodded. "Yes, this is Lin Wan." Then he turned to Lin Wan and introduced, "This is Chen Jin's older brother."
Lin Wan, still shaken by Chen Xi's half-finished sentence, finally noticed the man. He had a completely different aura from Chen Jin—more refined and gentle. The man nodded at Lin Wan. "Hello, I'm Chen Shu."
Lin Wan responded, "Hello."
Chen Xi was still sobbing beside them, and Chen Shu gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "You two go upstairs. This girl has been crying in the lounge, disturbing others. I'll take her out for a walk."
They took the elevator straight to the tenth floor. The intensive care unit (ICU) was separated by a partition of organic glass, with individual cubicles for each patient. Each room looked the same—quiet, with patients lying in bed and nurses moving between them, various medical equipment beeping softly. When they reached one of the rooms, Tan Xizhe stopped and said, "We're here."
Lin Wan looked inside. The scene in front of her looked no different from the others, but her heart suddenly tightened. The bed had the patient's head facing inward and feet facing out. The person on the bed had an oxygen mask covering their face, and various tubes were attached to their head and body, connected to the machines beside the bed. One of the legs was suspended in thick plaster. A nurse in a blue sterile suit was monitoring a screen, but Lin Wan couldn't see or understand the numbers. She knew, however, that every tiny fluctuation meant something crucial for his life.
Suddenly, she remembered something he had once said: "Haven't you heard? The ones who bring trouble live for a thousand years. So, I'm sure I'll live a long life..." And then, it felt like someone had carved a hole in her chest. It didn't hurt, but it felt empty—like something was leaking out of that hole.
"Yesterday, when they brought him in, he had no vital signs. They had to shock him back. He's got contusions to the cerebellum and brainstem, intracranial edema, and a broken left ankle..." someone beside her whispered, explaining his condition.
Lin Wan raised her hands and gently pressed them against the glass wall, wanting to get closer. But inside, it was eerily silent, as if it were another world. A dull, indescribable pain began to radiate from somewhere in her body, growing sharper and more intense, as if something were being ripped away from her. Eventually, she realized the pain was coming from her abdomen. She gasped, bent over slightly, and instinctively cradled her stomach.
Tan Xizhe noticed and quickly asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Lin Wan furrowed her brow and said softly, "I need to use the bathroom."
Outside the restroom, Tan Xizhe paced anxiously. He glanced at his watch. Lin Wan had been inside for ten minutes. Was something wrong? It suddenly occurred to him that Lin Wan's ex-boyfriend had also died in a car accident. This was undoubtedly another heavy blow to her. He regretted telling her about it, and was about to ask someone to check on her when he saw Lin Wan slowly walking out. Her pale face startled him, and he nervously asked, "Are you okay?"
Lin Wan didn't speak but just shook her head. His concern deepened, and he suggested, "Let me take you to see a doctor. Don't wait too long."
She shook her head again, her voice hoarse. "I'm fine."
Reluctantly, he said, "Then let me take you back. You need to rest."
She nodded. "Okay."