Chapter 23.2 - Longan 龙眼
Immediately understanding what was going on, Qiu Tian cried out in protest, “I didn’t tell Shen Xifan that you’ve lost your memory! Really, I didn’t say that. I only mentioned that you had a concussion. I’m leaving now! Shen Xifan, you’ve got to take responsibility!” He dragged He Shouzheng out, “What are you standing there for like a third wheel? You should cultivate a good sense of socialist honor and shame. It’s shameful to be a third wheel.”
He Suye couldn’t help but laugh and cry, “Girl, have you been watching too many Hong Kong-Taiwan romance dramas? You think a mild concussion causes amnesia? Every year, the hospital gets patients with concussions who are unconscious, and very few of them suffer from memory loss. Most of them just have selective amnesia at most.”
Shen Xifan walked closer to his side, her voice trembling. “You remember me, right? You’re not lying to me, are you?” Her fingers gently brushed over his left arm, which was in a cast, and tears uncontrollably streamed down her face, dripping onto the white cast. Her body kept trembling. “You scared me… you really scared me. I was too afraid to come. What if you had lost your memory and couldn’t remember me? What would I do…?”
Every slight tremor in her body seemed to carve ripples in his eyes. He stood up and gently wrapped his functional arm around her, carefully, as if holding a fragile piece of crystal. The delicate tenderness, like silk, gradually resurfaced in his memories, and his heart stirred, only to be shattered once again by her tears.
He Suye comforted her, “Don’t cry, don’t cry, I’m fine, see, I’m right here, it’s all okay. I promised you I’d go with you to get the safety charm, and I won’t break my word. Didn’t I come back? Don’t cry…”
This only struck her deeper, and when Shen Xifan heard it, her tears flowed even harder. “You didn’t keep your promise, you didn’t keep your promise. You said you’d come back, and I wanted you to come back safely. Did you want to scare me to death…?”
“Don’t cry, don’t cry… Girl, stop crying, I…” He Suye now realized how poor his words were. He really didn’t know how to comfort someone and could only obediently close his mouth and quietly hold her as she cried.
After a while, Shen Xifan finally let out all her anxiety, fear, and frustration in one big cry. Her eyes were red as she helplessly looked at He Suye. “I… I… lost control… I’m sorry…”
He smiled reassuringly, his pale face showing the effects of blood loss. “I know, I understand. Don’t cry anymore. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have broken my word.”
Her face turned bright red, and unsure how to respond, just as the nurse came in, calling, “Bed 3, time to change the bandages.”
Shen Xifan hurriedly pulled away from his embrace, turning to wipe her tears. After the nurse finished changing his bandages, she awkwardly asked, “He Suye, have you eaten? Are you hungry? Should I go buy something for you? Patients should probably have porridge, right?”
Qiu Tian’s head popped in through the door with a mischievous grin, “I want seafood fried rice from Shui’an, and borscht.”
He Shouzheng thoughtfully replied after a moment of thinking, “Actually, I’d prefer a McDonald’s kids’ meal. It comes with a toy, so make sure you get me one. Also, get me a Cornetto ice cream, chocolate vanilla flavor.”
He Suye cleared his throat to remind He Shouzheng that he might be asking for too much. Shen Xifan smiled and pressed down on He Shouzheng’s head, “Little one, what’s there to argue about? Besides yours, I’ll get everything and pack it all for you.”
“Also, don’t forget Fang Kexin,” He Suye smiled, “I want red date and goji berry porridge, could you make that for me?”
Qiu Tian burst out laughing and winked at them, “Oh—love-packed lunch! Shen Xifan, I’ll teach you how to arrange the goji berries into a heart shape, how about it?”
“Thank you, but no need!” Shen Xifan replied angrily, her eyes still wet from the tears, looking both annoyed and shy as she glared at Qiu Tian. He Suye couldn’t help but stare, captivated by the sight, until He Shouzheng called his name several times, snapping him out of his daze.
He Shouzheng looked at him with a wronged, innocent expression, and Qiu Tian quickly reassured him, “Your uncle is fine. It’s just the aftereffects of a concussion.”
Soon, more people came to visit.
His grandmother grabbed his hand, still shaken, “Though it’s just a mild concussion, we were still worried in case you couldn’t wake up or had any aftereffects. Thank goodness you’re fine now.”
He Suye felt a pang in his heart. “Grandma, I’m fine. I’m sorry for making you all worry.”
Grandfather He remained serious. “Rest properly. We won’t disturb you. Suye, you did well in this matter. We’re not blaming you.”
He wondered, “Where’s Dad? I haven’t seen him since I woke up.”
“He’s still in the operating room. He had a heart bypass surgery this morning,” Grandfather He explained. “Your father’s work is really busy. Also, I heard from him that you’re planning to go abroad.”
He nodded. “I’m considering it.”
Grandfather He sighed. “I heard from Old Gu that you’ve chosen cardiology.”
He Suye thought for a moment before responding, “I’ve discussed this with Dad. He’s seen my graduate thesis, and he thinks focusing on the integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine for atherosclerosis has great potential.”
Grandfather He seemed thoughtful. “Since your father agrees, it should be fine. Your relationship with him should have improved by now.”
He Suye smiled gently. “Yes, I think so.”
After his family left, it was a while before Shen Xifan returned with a variety of lunch boxes. Qiu Tian and He Shouzheng had both fallen asleep in their chairs. He Suye felt apologetic, “Look how exhausted they are. Have you eaten?”
She nodded. “I ate after I got home. This is the red date and goji berry porridge I made. Of course, it’s not as good as yours. I’ll bring you something else tonight—chicken soup, or bone broth?”
