Yan Shiyue opened his mouth. His tongue felt dry, and he could not say a single word.
He could have said something comforting like, “Don’t worry, everything will get better,” but words felt too pale and powerless, more like perfunctory reassurance than anything else. They might not lessen even the slightest bit of Lin Cimian’s fear and unease.
Yan Shiyue slowly lowered his eyes. His hand curled into a fist, veins standing out on the back of it.
He and this little fox cub could only be considered strangers. A transparent barrier stood between them: they could see each other easily, but both had restrained themselves from turning their heads, and neither wanted to cross the line.
Yan Shiyue was even more restrained and cautious. He knew perfectly well what it would mean to take the initiative and cross that barrier, but at this moment, hearing the tearful voice over the phone, he did not hesitate in the slightest.
“Do you need my help?” Yan Shiyue slowed his speech and said, each word deliberate and serious, “I’m not trying to pry into your personal information or privacy. I only want you to know that, in a situation like this, I have the ability to help you and I’m very willing to do so. You don’t need to have any reservations about asking me for help, and it won’t cause me any burden or trouble.”
Lin Cimian had already forced his tears back a moment ago, but at those words, his vision blurred again. Teardrops pattered onto his knees, soaking dark marks into the fabric.
He sniffled. Afraid he would sob aloud, he nodded shakily and squeezed an “Mm” from his throat.
Yan Shiyue knew Lin Cimian needed to let his emotions out, so he said nothing more. He simply stayed quietly with him on the other end of the call. Occasionally he heard a broken little sound, but most of the time there was only silence.
Even when this little fox cub cried, he would bite down on his own tail and curl into a ball, hiding his tears without making a sound—strong and pitiful all at once.
Yan Shiyue showed not the slightest impatience. He stayed with him the entire time, wanting to comfort his little fox cub this way.
A full twenty minutes passed before Lin Cimian’s voice finally came through the phone. It no longer trembled and sounded much calmer, though his throat had gone hoarse. “I’m okay now. Thank you.”
“Remember what I said.” Yan Shiyue considerately changed the subject. “You’ll probably have to wait a long time. Go buy a bottle of water first.”
Lin Cimian nodded. He had just started to stand when Yan Shiyue said over the phone, “Hospitals sometimes provide hot water. Go look for some. You didn’t put on a coat. If you sit in the hospital for too long, you might catch a chill.”
Lin Cimian froze, then instinctively asked, “How do you know I’m not wearing a coat?”
Lin Cimian had not described his condition, but Yan Shiyue knew very well that, in that kind of panic, how could Lin Cimian possibly have remembered to take care of himself?
He did not answer directly, only asked, “Did you find any?”
“One of the nurses gave me a cup.” Lin Cimian held the paper cup in both hands. The warmth seeped into his fingertips and drove away the chill. His body warmed too, and he involuntarily relaxed.
In fact, the nurse had noticed Lin Cimian sitting there alone long ago. Unable to bear the sight, she had not only brought him hot water but thoughtfully given him some snacks as well.
Lin Cimian had no appetite, but he knew that in a situation like this, the only person who could take care of him was himself, so he forced himself to eat a little more.
“Are you there alone? Didn’t you say you came to the hospital with the patient’s husband?” Yan Shiyue accurately caught the key point.
“After Grandma went into emergency treatment, Grandpa fainted too. The doctor said there wasn’t anything seriously wrong with him, and he’s lying in a hospital bed resting.” Lin Cimian’s voice was still hoarse. His nose was so blocked from crying that he had to pause for breath after only a few words.
“Then do you have any way to contact the two elderly people’s relatives?” Yan Shiyue guided Lin Cimian along slowly, helping him handle the situation.
“I don’t know. I’d only met Grandma once before, in the elevator.” Lin Cimian’s swollen, congested brain finally started working again. He suddenly thought of something and said with bright eyes, “I have Grandpa’s phone. I’ll see if I can contact his family.”
The old man’s phone had no password. Lin Cimian searched through his contacts. He did not see any numbers labeled as his children, but he did find one for his grandson.
He immediately called from the old man’s phone. Once the call connected, he briefly and clearly explained the current situation. Before he could even ask the other person anything, there was suddenly a loud bang on the other end, followed immediately by the call disconnecting.
Lin Cimian stared blankly at the phone and called again, but this time he only heard a busy tone. The other person had turned off his phone.
Only then did he remember Yan Shiyue, whom he had left hanging on the other line. He hurriedly said, “I called him, but he didn’t say whether he was coming.”
“It’s all right. You already contacted him and explained what happened,” Yan Shiyue said. “You’ve done everything you can. Even if you want to help with what comes next, there isn’t much you can do.”
Lin Cimian understood the implication behind Yan Shiyue’s words and gave a small nod.
The expression on the old woman’s face when she had spoken about her grandson in the elevator surfaced in his mind. The grandparent and grandson should have been very close. Hanging up and turning off the phone might have been because something unexpected had happened, not because the grandson did not care about his grandparents.
Lin Cimian had been badly frightened earlier. His mind was still dazed. After blanking out for two seconds, he finally came back to himself and said rapidly, full of self-reproach, “I’m sorry. I’ve taken up too much of your time. You’re so busy with work, and I’m still bothering you with something like this.”
“It’s fine.” Yan Shiyue then asked, “How much battery does your phone have left?”
Lin Cimian had no idea why he was asking, but answered honestly, “Almost full.”
“Would you mind staying on the call?” Yan Shiyue glanced at the special assistant standing by the door, then calmly withdrew his gaze. “Put your phone in your pocket. You don’t need to talk to me, and you don’t need to pay attention to me.”
“Okay.” Lin Cimian agreed without the slightest hesitation, almost eagerly.
He did not want to accept his own vulnerability, nor did he want to burden anyone else, but his heart could not lie. He wanted someone to stay with him. It made him feel safe.
The two of them tacitly stopped talking. Lin Cimian put his phone into his pocket, stared at the glowing red words “Emergency Treatment in Progress,” and continued waiting in silence.
Yan Shiyue walked toward his anxiously waiting special assistant and held a meeting with the department heads. He never removed his earbud, however, and even took moments during the meeting to listen for sounds from the other side.
No sound was the best news.
Another half hour passed before the old woman was finally wheeled out. Her life was no longer in danger.
Lin Cimian followed behind the doctor and settled the old woman in. Her husband had also woken and hurried over.
The old man looked at his wife, safe and sound, and tears of excitement filled his eyes. His legs went weak and he collapsed to the floor. It took him a long time before he could get back up.
Lin Cimian had been raised by his grandparents and cared about elderly people more than most. On top of that, he felt an unusual affinity with this old woman, who reminded him of his late grandmother. He hoped she would be safe and wanted to stay behind to look after her.
But the old man firmly refused. He would rather hire a caregiver than let Lin Cimian exhaust himself.
Lin Cimian originally did not want to go back and rest, but seeing how emotional the old man was, he did not want to upset him further and reluctantly agreed.
Wearing only one slipper, Lin Cimian walked out of the hospital with one step higher than the next. He looked up at the sky full of stars and felt as though the soul that had been drifting somewhere above him finally returned to his body.
Everything that had happened tonight felt like a dream, so unreal that he had not had the chance to consider his own feelings.
He had clearly done very little, yet his body was unusually exhausted. His mood was heavy too, as though a stone pressed against his chest, dragging him steadily downward.
Lin Cimian took a deep breath of the night air and remembered when his grandparents had died.
After they passed away, he had become completely alone. In this world he technically had relatives, but he felt no attachment to them at all.
Still, there was good news. The old couple upstairs had both pulled through and neither was in mortal danger.
That meant more to Lin Cimian than he had expected.
Different developments at key points in life led to different futures. In his previous life, he had lost his grandparents, but this time he had not. It was as though he had stepped onto a warmer, kinder path into the future, one where there were still people who loved him and stayed by his side.
While Lin Cimian’s thoughts wandered, the ride he had booked arrived.
Lin Cimian sat in the back seat with his head lowered the entire time. The car was already dim at night, and because he habitually wore a hat and mask whenever he went out, the driver did not recognize him. He only found him a little strange and could not help glancing at him twice.
When the car reached his residential complex, Lin Cimian got out as quickly as possible and walked inside.
The familiar surroundings helped him relax somewhat. While waiting for the elevator, he found walking with one foot higher than the other uncomfortable, so he took off his remaining slipper and carried it in his hand.
Most people were already asleep at this hour. He did not encounter a single person as he dragged his exhausted body home.
Lin Cimian was so tired he did not want to do anything. He could not even be bothered to turn on the bedroom light. He walked straight into the room and threw himself onto the soft bed.
He lay there motionless like a statue for ten full minutes before painfully rolling over.
With the movement, the phone in his pocket fell onto the bed.
Lin Cimian stared blankly at the illuminated screen. His gaze shifted upward. It took his sluggish brain more than ten seconds to realize why his phone battery had drained so quickly. Good Day. He had forgotten Good Day!
Lin Cimian hurriedly brought the hidden call interface back up and saw that the call was still connected.
He shot upright in bed and stared at the phone in conflict. Before hanging up, he could not resist asking tentatively, “Are you still there?”
It had been so long. There was no way Good Day could still be— The thought had barely crossed Lin Cimian’s mind when Yan Shiyue’s voice came through the phone. “Mm. I’m still here.”
Lin Cimian’s eyes widened in surprise. “Y-you’re still… why…”
Yan Shiyue did not explain and interrupted him instead. “Are you still at the hospital?”
“No, I’m already home.” Lin Cimian’s attention was diverted. He wanted to share the good news. “Grandma’s all right. Grandpa is awake too. He wouldn’t let me stay overnight at the hospital, so I took a car home.”
Yan Shiyue gave a quiet hum of acknowledgment, and the two tacitly stopped discussing the subject.
As people grew old, their bodies slowly weakened and all kinds of chronic illnesses appeared. Even if they survived this crisis, their vitality would be badly damaged and their lives shortened. Neither medicine nor human wishes could change that.
Everyone would eventually go through the same thing.
After a few seconds of silence, Yan Shiyue spoke first. “Take a hot shower and get a good night’s sleep.”
“You’ve had a hard day too. Get some rest early.”
Sensing that Lin Cimian intended to end the call, Yan Shiyue said, “Charge your phone first. Tell me when you’re about to sleep.”
Lin Cimian understood what he meant and obediently did as he was told.
He took a hot shower and changed into soft pajamas. His stiff shoulders and back finally loosened, and his body felt so limp he could hardly summon any strength.
He lay under the warm blankets and could not help releasing a long breath, thinking there was nothing more healing than this.
He had not forgotten Yan Shiyue. Reaching out one hand, he picked up the phone from the bedside table and said, “I’m going to sleep.”
“Okay. Don’t leave your phone charging on the bed,” Yan Shiyue said. “Go to sleep. I’ll hang up later.”
Lin Cimian had still felt energetic a moment ago, but after only a few words, sleep swallowed him whole. His eyes were so heavy he could barely keep them open.
He hummed through his nose, set the phone back on the bedside table, burrowed twice deeper into the warm blankets, clutched the edge of the quilt, and quietly drifted into dreams.
Although he was the only person in the bedroom, there was a reassuring sense that someone was keeping him company.
…
Lin Cimian’s biological clock was incredibly strong. Even after everything that had happened the day before, he still opened his eyes early the next morning.
He lay in bed, staring blearily at the ceiling as his memories slowly returned.
His mind instantly cleared. Lin Cimian sat up and instinctively grabbed the phone from the bedside table.
Yesterday, he and Good Day had stayed on the phone for a full ten hours. Good Day had not ended the call until two in the morning.
Lin Cimian was a little surprised and wanted to ask why he had hung up so late, but he was afraid of waking him, so after some hesitation he backed out of the chat interface.
He got out of bed as quickly as possible and cooked a pot of easily digestible congee. He wanted to bring breakfast to the old man at the hospital and ask about the old woman’s condition while he was there.
He had just finished packing everything and stepped out carrying the food container when the doorbell suddenly rang.
???
He had not ordered any deliveries recently.
Lin Cimian frowned slightly and quietly walked to the door. He looked through the peephole.
He could not see the person’s face, but he did see a head of striking red hair.
Lin Cimian remembered the old woman saying that her grandson had dyed his hair red and immediately recognized who it must be. He put on his mask and hat before opening the door.
At the sound of the door opening, the old woman’s grandson raised his head.
He had a very young face and looked about the same age as Lin Cimian. His face was narrow and lean, his nose straight, his eyes long and thin. When he lowered his gaze at Lin Cimian, his eyelids covered half his dark irises. His left eyebrow had a shaved break in it, and the tail of it lifted slightly when he saw Lin Cimian, making his expression look especially fierce. There was even a bandage stuck to his chin.
He looked as though he had come to start a fight. Lin Cimian silently calculated the difference in their builds and combat ability. If they really fought, the odds would be three to seven.
He could probably make Lin Cimian cry seven times in three minutes.
Lin Cimian’s mouth went dry. His Adam’s apple bobbed uncontrollably. Suppressing the urge to retreat, he forced himself to ask, “Did you need something from me?”
The old woman’s grandson glanced at him without speaking, then stretched out his arm and offered over what he was holding.
Lin Cimian froze for a full three seconds before realizing that everything was for him. Without even having time to look properly, he hurriedly reached out to take it.
He was afraid of touching the other man’s hand. The cord handles were too thin, and he failed to get a proper grip. The gift box dropped to the floor with a smack.
The old woman’s grandson frowned and looked down at the fallen box before looking back up at Lin Cimian.
Lin Cimian: ヽ(。>Д<)o゜
“I’m sorry!” He immediately chickened out. He glanced behind himself, calculating the distance to the door and whether he could shut the other man outside in time.
The old woman’s grandson froze for a few seconds, tugged at the corner of his mouth, and gave a terrifying smile.
!!!
Alarm bells screamed in Lin Cimian’s head. Just as he was about to retreat into the apartment, the other man said in a hoarse voice, “Am I too scary? Did I frighten you? I came this time to thank you.”
His throat was probably inflamed. His voice grew hoarser and hoarser until the last syllable cracked completely.
The old woman’s grandson fell silent for two seconds, his expression stiff. He coughed, then said irritably, “How the hell do those people pinch their voices like that? It’s fucking hard. Sorry, you’ll have to put up with it. I seriously can’t keep that voice going.”
Looking at the cool redhead who had tried his hardest to speak to him in a deliberately sweet, cutesy voice, Lin Cimian found the whole thing a little absurd—and a little touching.
“It’s fine. You can just talk to me in your normal voice,” Lin Cimian said quietly.
“Okay. I went to the hospital to see Grandpa and Grandma yesterday. Grandpa told me I absolutely had to thank you. You saved our whole family. If you ever need anything in the future, tell me directly and I’ll definitely take care of it for you!” The cool redhead ran a hand upward through his hair. His gaze shifted left and landed on the food container on the table. “Are you going to the hospital?”
Lin Cimian nodded.
The cool redhead thought for a few seconds, then asked seriously, “Would riding on a motorcycle scare you to death?”
Lin Cimian: “…”
He struggled to recover his voice. “Probably not to death.”
“Good. Come to the hospital with me, then.” With that, the cool redhead turned and walked away.
Lin Cimian picked up the insulated food container and hurried after him, sticking close but not daring to get too close.
The two rode the elevator downstairs in silence.
The cool redhead walked over to his flashy motorcycle, looked Lin Cimian up and down, and asked, “Can you get on?”
“Yes.” Lin Cimian endured and endured, but in the end did not dare emphasize that he was not a little kid anymore.
“Good. Put on the helmet and sit in back.” The cool redhead had a strong sense of road safety and handed Lin Cimian the spare helmet.
Lin Cimian, however, hesitated.
The cool redhead obviously had not recognized his real identity, but if Lin Cimian took off his hat now, he might expose himself.
While Lin Cimian was hesitating, the cool redhead clicked his tongue impatiently, though his movements were efficient. He took off his jacket and tossed it over Lin Cimian’s head.
“Use this to cover yourself.” The cool redhead continued, “Being a public figure is such a pain. You already quit the industry and still have to hide your identity.”
Lin Cimian froze. His eyes widened as he stared at him in disbelief.
“What? Did I get it wrong? Aren’t you that Lin Xiaomian?”
“It’s Lin Cimian…” After correcting his name, Lin Cimian finally realized that was not the important point.
When had his identity been exposed? Had the other man recognized him from the very beginning?
While Lin Cimian’s thoughts tangled into a complete mess, the cool redhead interrupted him. “Hey, so… could you teach me how to do that cutesy voice sometime?”
Lin Cimian: “…”
Lin Cimian: “…”
Lin Cimian: “…”
The corner of his mouth curved slightly in a smile that never reached his eyes. He asked with complete sincerity, “Are you provoking me?”
