Chen Jin opened his mouth in surprise, but then obediently parted his lips, tilting his head slightly to help her. Lin Wan poured the pills from the paper into his mouth, originally intending to give them one by one, but ended up giving them all at once.
Chen Jin took a couple of sips of water to wash down the pills, drinking the water as if he was truly thirsty. He quickly finished the entire cup. Lin Wan took the cup from him and asked, "Do you want some more?"
But then he suddenly grabbed her hand. Lin Wan looked at him, and he was looking back into her eyes. At such a close distance, it felt as though there was something unsaid, a silent exchange passing between them. She used her other hand to place the cup back on the side, allowing him to hold her hand without pulling away.
Chen Jin didn't speak, his eyes lowering slightly as he gently stroked her hand, his manner silently stubborn, like a child throwing a temper tantrum. At first, she could still sense the hostility and restlessness emanating from him, but slowly, it began to fade away, leaving behind a calmness, like a cat that had been tamed. No, more like a tiger.
Lin Wan's heart softened, but a thread of sadness and bitterness also flowed through her. Remembering the things that had just happened, she spoke softly, "When I was sick, do you remember what you said to me? Now, do you want me to say those words to you?"
Chen Jin remained silent, and Lin Wan had never seen him so quiet before. His silence was strange, uncomfortable even, yet it made her heart ache. She felt that she had to do something, so after a moment of hesitation, she quietly said, "I'm pregnant."
Chen Jin's eyes shot open, the light in them reigniting. He asked, "Are you going to keep the baby?"
Lin Wan nodded.
His eyes flickered for a moment, and he softly said, "Thank you."
Just then, a nurse peeked her head through the door, cautiously asking, "Is it okay to start the IV now?"
Without consulting Chen Jin, Lin Wan took the initiative and answered, "It's fine now."
The nurse explained that the IV fluid contained a sedative. Halfway through, Chen Jin began yawning, and soon after, he fell asleep. Only then did Lin Wan leave. However, as soon as the door clicked shut, he opened his eyes. He wanted to sleep, if only to temporarily forget the pain and his troubles. But he simply couldn't. Those seven days and nights of sleep had already wiped out most of the rest of his life. Now, he was always awake, always aware of his helplessness in this cruel situation.
A couple of hours ago, several specialists had come to examine his condition and discuss treatment plans. They mentioned that traditional methods would not be sufficient, and his injuries would likely result in permanent complications. The option they suggested was neural stem cell transplantation, a process that would take a long time. They would first need to cultivate his brain stem cells externally, conduct experiments, and then transplant them into his brain...
He had no interest in hearing all the complex details. He only asked, "What's the success rate?"
The doctor hesitated before answering, "This approach is still in its early stages, with a success rate of about 10%. If you go abroad for the procedure, the success rate will be higher."
The moment he heard that, a chill ran down his spine. A 90% chance of failure.
Chen Jin sighed, his right side as stiff and unfeeling as wood. He looked at his right hand—the hand that used to sign contracts, hold wine glasses, and smoke cigarettes. Now, it just sat there, useless. He couldn't imagine himself walking with a cane, slowly dragging his feet like an elderly man. He couldn't imagine spending the rest of his life in a bed, relying on others for even the simplest things. The thought of becoming so utterly helpless, weaker than most ordinary people, was unbearable.
Frustrated, he clenched his left fist and punched the bed several times. He kicked his left leg, and the pain from the injury shot through him, causing him to wince. He suddenly felt like crying, but not because of the pain.
When Lin Wan had been in danger, he had been able to stay calm and objectively assess the situation. He had told himself that it was just a misfortune, that disasters happened every day, and some people were simply unlucky. People couldn't fight against fate, they had to accept it. But now, with misfortune striking him, he realized he couldn't accept it. Even with a 10% chance of success, or even higher, he couldn't bear the thought of it.
His career had just suffered a major blow, and he needed to stabilize it. His love life had just begun to blossom, needing care and attention. He was full of confidence and passion, working hard for his bright future. Then, a car accident came and shattered it all.
Now, he understood Lin Wan completely—truly and deeply understood her. And the understanding only made it worse. He had planned to repair her shattered life and dreams, to take a thousand or even ten thousand steps toward her, but now, he couldn't even take a single step.
Wanwan had said she was carrying his child, but when the child was born, he didn't know if he'd be able to hold it.
The doctors had said that a certain area of his brain, the one that controlled emotions, had been damaged, making it hard for him to control his feelings. He didn't know if his current sadness was a result of that, but all he knew was that his eyes were burning with tears, his heart aching as the warm liquid spilled down his face. He covered his face with his left hand, and the tears streamed down his fingers.
He knew that at that moment, when no one was around, he was quietly indulging his weakness.
But in the next moment, he would still be the strong Chen Jin.