In the car window, reflections of the traffic lights flickered repeatedly.
In the evening, amid groves of trees and stacked stones, a faint mist drifted through the twilight.
Thanks to the hospital building’s dim lighting, Ye Zhibai could just barely make out the bench beside the steps at the hospital exit, not far from the parking entrance.
The solemn, ring-shaped hospital building seemed to prop up the pitch-black sky overhead.
The scenery along the entire row of hospital buildings didn’t quite match the bustling street scene they had passed moments ago.
Ye Zhibai maneuvered the dead-to-the-world Guang Yu onto the bench, finally clearing enough space for herself to get out of the car.
With Yun’er at her side, Ye Zhibai stepped lightly onto the stone steps along the roadside.
The fresh moonlight of early evening shone on her silver hair, lending her an unearthly beauty, like jade or fresh snow.
Free of the car window’s obstruction, Ye Zhibai rose slightly on her tiptoes to peer into the distance, her view now much clearer.
This time, she could fully confirm what lay across from them.
The person sitting there was indeed Little Qiu, no mistake.
The middle-aged woman pacing anxiously beside her… was that Little Qiu’s mom?
Ye Zhibai based her guess not only on their matching hair color but also on a clear familial resemblance in their bearing.
Of course, the most telling clue was their heights—neither one was particularly impressive.
Ye Zhibai felt no joy at stumbling upon an acquaintance.
Instead, a faint thread of worry coiled around her heart.
Why was Little Qiu at a hospital?
She seemed to be carrying a bag. Was she visiting a patient?
Or…
“Sister?”
“Hm? What’s up?”
“Uh… you’re the one who should be explaining yourself.”
“Oh… then ask away?”
“…”
Sister! I already did ask—in a rhetorical way!
Yun’er didn’t get flustered.
Truth be told, she had been on edge ever since they drew near this cluster of buildings.
The reason for her unease became clear as she lifted her gaze to the hospital once more.
She didn’t bother hiding it in her words.
“This… is Qihai City Central Hospital. Sister, this place holds no good memories for you or me. If I had my way, I’d never come near it again—never even lay eyes on it.”
Qihai City Central Hospital—cursed.
Ye Zhibai eyed her skeptically. When Yun’er said she never wanted to see it again, did that mean flattening it with a bulldozer?
Of course, that was just a passing jest.
From the moment they’d arrived, Ye Zhibai had realized why the hospital looked so familiar.
This was the place where she had been reborn into this body—or rather, where she had first awakened in it. Ah, no—scratch that.
It had been daytime back then, and now it was night, so she hadn’t recognized it right away.
That explained Yun’er’s pained expression and her strong aversion to the place.
For those two years when her sister had lain helpless in a hospital bed, unable to go home…
They had been the darkest stretch of Yun’er’s life.
Night after countless night, Yun’er had come here alone, carrying fruit no one would eat.
Each time, she forced a smile that went unappreciated, stepping into the silent ward.
Often, she would murmur words no one heard, shedding silent tears.
She had visited this hospital countless times already.
Yun’er never wanted to set foot in it again.
Put simply…
Bad juju!
Yun’er was kicking herself now for even pointing it out to her sister.
She hadn’t noticed it was a hospital at first. By the time she realized, it was too late to take it back!
Seeing the rare flicker of uncertainty and grievance in Yun’er’s eyes, Ye Zhibai felt a mix of helplessness and an odd surge of responsibility.
Well now…
My little sister might be a force of nature in every sense of the word, but sometimes… doesn’t she need a bit of TLC too?
We can hold back on the physical stuff—moderation’s key to good health.
But emotional support? I’ll never skimp on that.
Ye Zhibai kept her eyes forward and said nothing.
Instead, she simply raised her hand and gently placed it on Yun’er’s head.
The soft touch of Yun’er’s black hair met Ye Zhibai’s palm, while the warmth of her hand seeped into Yun’er’s scalp.
“Sister…? We should just go home, seriously! Maybe… maybe this online friend of yours is just visiting someone? Hey, even if it’s a chance encounter, we don’t have to say hi, right? Yeah, you’ve had a long day—let’s bail while the going’s good…!”
“Yun’er.”
“Hm?”
Yun’er snapped to attention at her sister’s call. Wherever her sister summoned her, her gaze would follow.
The moonlight was cold, and so was her sister’s expression.
Yet her sister’s face, bathed in that moonlight, somehow looked so warm.
Ye Zhibai slowly slid her hand down from Yun’er’s head.
This time, she took Yun’er’s hand in her own.
Mimicking a little gesture Yun’er had once made for her, she clumsily traced an imperfect circle in Yun’er’s palm.
A full circle… symbolizing reunion.
“I’m not lying in any hospital room, see? All the rooms have their lights on, but none of them is mine… because I didn’t pay the bill… Wait, no—that’s not the point.”
After dancing around with her own clumsy words, Ye Zhibai finally lifted her head fully. She met Yun’er’s deep blue eyes head-on and laid out her real point.
“Right now, I’m standing here with you. Right here.”
“Wha…!”
Sieging a city still needs a battering ram.
No ghost-piercing needle required to knock on a door.
Yun’er’s heart was a gate forever undefended against her sister—yet her sister always battered it down with an over-the-top siege engine!
Wasn’t that just bullying? It was practically emotional abuse—a mental crime!
Ye Zhibai couldn’t read the play of emotions in Yun’er’s eyes.
But she could see the uncertainty on her face gradually harden back into Yun’er’s usual resilience.
That’s more like it. Now go pay my hospital bills… Ahem—buck up! Little Qiu’s about to slip away!
“If you don’t want to go, Yun’er, wait in the car. I’ll be right back.”
“What are you talking about, Sister? You just said you’d stand with me, and now you’re reneging?”
“No, I mean… shall we go now, then?”
“Yeah! Uh… hold on a sec. Looks like the car door’s jammed.”
“How so?”
“Well… I slammed it shut earlier, but it didn’t latch properly… like something got caught in it. This door’s usually pretty responsive?”
“…”
Dear Guang Yu…
You holding up okay?
Is your tail intact?
Next time, I swear I’ll remember your tail when settling you into the seat.
The sisters joined hands and slowly climbed the steps, drawing nearer to the bench where Su Yuqiu sat.
They were still about ten meters away.
Ye Zhibai caught sight of Little Qiu’s back.
She stood alone on the steps, large headphones on, gazing at the bright moon on the horizon.
Su Loli had her hands clasped behind her back, clutching a file folder from the hospital in her small grip.
She kicked idly at a pebble on the step now and then, her movements playful and light.
Yet they also conveyed a subtle impatience, like she wanted to leave sooner rather than later.
Behind her stood not only the pink-haired woman who had been waiting anxiously earlier but also—probably arrived while Yun’er and Ye Zhibai talked—a somewhat older woman in a white coat.
She had a capable, seasoned air, clearly a respected physician at the hospital.
“Thank you so much, Sister Miao! Thank you! I don’t even know how to repay you! If you hadn’t put in a word today, we never would’ve gotten a spot for the follow-up visit! Here… I didn’t bring anything good, and I rushed over, so it’s just this crate of milk I picked up at the supermarket. You work such long shifts—take care of yourself!”
“Hey now, Yuzhu, you’re being too formal! What’s our friendship for if not this? No need for all that empty flattery. We both just want the kid healthy, right? Yuqiu’s fine—that’s what matters to us both. Put it away! If you keep this up, I’m out of here!”
It was just milk, so why refuse?
Atop that crate of milk sat a stack of envelopes, unmistakably.
From the bulge of those envelopes, they could’ve bought a whole lot more crates.
Such was the way of the world… but this doctor had real principles.
After some back-and-forth shoving, the physician took only the milk and hurried off with a wave.
The pink-haired woman, unable to offload the cash, looked unsettled. Her expression was uneasy as she stood there in silence for a long moment.
It wasn’t until the doctor was out of sight that Su Yuqiu let out a long sigh and slowly turned around.
Then she raised both arms high for a cute little stretch.
“Whew… so tiring. Auntie Miao prescribed a ton more meds—how am I supposed to take all this? Mom, that’s enough, right? Auntie Miao said it herself—I’m really fine. You’re just worrying too mu—Yezi?!”
I totally get that off-key yelp of yours, like you’ve seen a ghost.
Sorry!
I was trying to eavesdrop up close and accidentally wound up right next to your mom!
My positioning was straight-up ghostly! Here’s my apology!
