The hand trying to wipe the tears off her face felt cold and rough. It also did a poor job at what it was trying to do, smearing her tears all over her face instead of actually wiping them away.
Tang Yu didn't know whether to laugh or cry as she reached for a tissue from the bedside table to wipe her face. While she was at it, she also wiped the hand that had made a mess of her face.
After doing so, Tang Yu leaned forward and stared into Yin Zhao-an's eyes. She wanted to know if Yin Zhao-an was truly conscious or if what she did was only another subconscious action.
Upon closer inspection, Tang Yu saw the corners of Yin Zhao-an's face twitching, looking like she was trying to smile. Tang Yu could also see Yin Zhao-an reacting in pain when she tried to do so, a result of trying to move her damaged facial muscles.
Although Tang Yu sympathized with Yin Zhao-an's condition, she also felt relieved to see Yin Zhao-an's reactions, as they showed that Yin Zhao-an was truly conscious.
Leaning back into her chair, Tang Yu breathed a sigh of relief. Then, she pointed at the layers of gauze wrapped around Yin Zhao-an's head and said, "Don't force yourself to smile. Be careful not to reopen your wounds."
"...didn't."
"Okay, I know you didn't. Do you want some water?"
Yin Zhao-an responded with a small nod. Her throat currently felt like it was on fire.
Tang Yu got up and went to get a cup of warm water from the bedside table. When Yin Zhao-an saw this, her mind wondered if she would have to drink out of a straw. After all, it was unrealistic for her to sit up and drink out of a cup in her current state.
However, what Yin Zhao-an didn't expect was that her idea was similarly unrealistic. Instead of letting her drink out of a straw, Tang Yu took a sterile cotton swab, dipped it in water, and smudged it on her lips. Although the moisture alleviated the tight feeling on her lips, the burning sensation in her throat did not lessen.
Tang Yu naturally noticed the pitiful gaze Yin Zhao-an was giving her. However, she remained unmoving as she continued with her actions while saying, "You just woke up, so you can't drink water directly. A doctor will come over soon. I'll ask them if it'll be okay for you to drink water, so be good until then, okay?"
Yin Zhao-an had never heard Tang Yu speaking to her in such a coaxing manner, so she couldn't help but look at Tang Yu with widened and spirited eyes.
After Tang Yu dabbed her lips with the swab several more times, Yin Zhao-an could finally feel water passing through her throat, and a euphoric feeling immediately filled her. She never thought a day would come when drinking water would become the most pleasurable thing to do.
"Tang-Tang…" Yin Zhao-an called out, her voice still sounding hoarse.
Lifting her head, Tang Yu sternly said, "Shut up. Doesn't your throat hurt?"
"...Okay."
Yin Zhao-an stopped speaking and quietly scrutinized the person she had not seen for a long time.
Tang Yu's right ear was currently covered with gauze, so Yin Zhao-an couldn't see how much of it had healed. The face that originally had some baby fat left had thinned and sharpened, and the originally rosy complexion had also turned sallow.
"You've lost weight."
Yin Zhao-an's abrupt comment stunned Tang Yu. Once Tang Yu reacted to those words, she looked deeply at a certain ignorant person. Then, after a mental struggle, she eventually chose to be kind, mentally telling herself, Let it be. She just woke up, so be nice to her.
For a moment there, Tang Yu had a strong urge to put a mirror in front of Yin Zhao-an and let the latter take a good look at who exactly among them had lost weight.
...
The news of Yin Zhao-an regaining consciousness relieved everyone's hearts. Gao Rang came to check on Yin Zhao-an's vitals several more times throughout the day, the results always leaving him with a satisfied and relaxed expression.
When night arrived, Tang Yu slept in Yin Zhao-an's ward at Wang Zhen's request. It was a small request that she didn't mind fulfilling. After all, it made no difference whether she slept in her ward or Yin Zhao-an's ward. Both were hospital wards.
Wang Zhen could tell that in her daughter's eyes, Tang Yu was more important than anything else, and she couldn't help but wonder when this had started. It wasn't very often her daughter would mention Tang Yu at home. So, how did the relationship between the two girls develop to such an extent?
Or was it because she didn't understand the way young people got along nowadays?
Wang Zhen sighed helplessly. As a mother, she wished her child would be more selfish. After all, she only had one child. She honestly didn't know how she would face reality if she lost her child.
Although Yin Zhao-an didn't ask Tang Yu to stay, her thoughts were obvious to Wang Zhen. So, Wang Zhen decided to help her daughter out and asked Tang Yu to stay over.
In the meantime, Yu Wanrou had already started to prepare to have Tang Yu discharged from the hospital. Before actually bringing her daughter home, though, she decided to renovate their whole house. She also decided to throw away all of Tang Yu's old clothing.
She wasn't doing so because of outdated superstitions. Instead, she did it as a form of psychological comfort. Otherwise, the furnishings at home would become a constant reminder of how she had left home that day and how she had returned afterward.
So, after helping Tang Yu bathe and change into a fresh set of clothes, Yu Wanrou left the hospital, saying that she needed to make a trip home and that Tang Yu might need to sleep by herself at night.
Yu Wanrou also informed Wang Zhen of her plans in advance and requested she take her daughter in should her daughter be afraid to sleep alone.
Wang Zhen naturally agreed to the request since she had already invited Tang Yu to sleep at Yin Zhao-an's ward.
Of everyone involved in this situation, Yin Zhao-an was naturally the most delighted by this arrangement. After all, the first person she would get to see after waking up would be her Tang-Tang.
Unfortunately, Yin Zhao-an had no idea that her Tang-Tang would soon be leaving the hospital.