Despite how Wen Tao responded to Li Beining, he still left with the other party, seeing as he had already spent quite some time in the ward.
Speaking of a long time, Wen Tao couldn't help but wonder why Yin Zhao-an's mother would be so relieved to leave her daughter without adult supervision for so long. However, when he stepped out of the ward and saw the person sitting on the bench outside, he quickly got his answer.
When Wang Zhen saw Wen Tao and Li Beining coming out of her daughter's ward, she got up and smiled, asking, "Done talking? I was worried you might feel awkward speaking if I was around, so I sat outside for a little longer."
"No, no! We won't feel awkward at all!" Wen Tao hurriedly said, feeling a little guilty for keeping a mother away from her recuperating daughter for so long. Then, while pulling Li Beining away, he continued, "Then, I'll be leaving with my friend first! I'll come to visit again soon!"
"Okay. Be careful on your way home."
Before Wen Tao could answer, Li Beining responded, "I will. Thank you, Auntie."
Wen Tao didn't find it appropriate to erupt into fury in front of his Big Bro's mother, so he quietly pinched the person next to him while squeezing a smile onto his face.
...
After the noisy person left, Yin Zhao-an returned to her boring routine of convalescing, picked up the book No Longer Human from the bedside table, and resumed reading it.
Meanwhile, Wang Zhen placed the lunch she had bought on the table and took out a small bowl of ginger and garlic. Then, the corners of her mouth raised a little as she said, "Oh, by the way, Little Yu said she'll come to visit you tomorrow."
Yin Zhao-an: ?!
"Really?! It's been so long since Tang-Tang came to see me!" Yin Zhao-an exclaimed. Immediately, she put down the book in her hand and grabbed the handheld mirror she had previously asked her mother for.
After looking at herself in the mirror for a moment, Yin Zhao-an turned to her mother with an expectant look and asked, "Mom! How do I look?"
Wang Zhen took a moment to look at her daughter's shaved head and malnourished complexion. Then, she helplessly shook her head and said, "Don't ask."
Crack!
Yin Zhao-an could seemingly hear her heart splitting in half. Then, returning her gaze to the mirror, she gloomily said, "It's over... Tang-Tang won't like me anymore..."
Wang Zhen shook her head, not daring to comment blindly on the subject.
…
It was a sunny day when Tang Yu visited, the warm breeze lifting her hair and exposing her bandaged right ear.
Yin Zhao-an's worry was naturally for naught. The reason Tang Yu had said those words that day was simply to give Yin Zhao-an a goal to strive for and avoid boredom.
Tang Yu wore a fisherman's hat when she entered Yin Zhao-an's ward with her mother. After Yu Wanrou exchanged pleasantries with Wang Zhen, the two adults tactfully gave up the space to the two youngsters and went outside for a stroll.
"Tang-Tang!" Yin Zhao-an called out in excitement. However, despite her excitement, she dared not recklessly move her body for fear of rupturing her wounds.
Tang Yu did not respond right away. Instead, she shut the door behind her and took off her hat as she turned around.
Yin Zhao-an looked significantly better than when she first regained consciousness. Her eyes were no longer sunken, and her limbs were no longer shriveled.
After seeing Tang Yu staring at her in silence for a while, Yin Zhao-an subconsciously touched her face and asked, "Is...Is there something on my face?"
Tang Yu quickly returned to her senses and stopped exploring Yin Zhao-an's visage with her eyes. Then, she faintly smiled and said, "No. You look a lot better today."
Since that incident, Tang Yu stopped being stingy with her smile around Yin Zhao-an. Even though her smiles didn't look as sincere on the surface, they were still better than her previous cold indifference.
"I'm going to school in a few days," Tang Yu softly said. She looked a little absent-minded as she gently kneaded her newly bought white T-shirt with her hands, leaving shallow creases on it.
"Mhm, I know. It's a pity I can't go with you. Even though we were already assigned to the same dormitory..." Yin Zhao-an said, her voice filled with regret and loss.
Subsequently, another long silence ensued, the silence confusing Yin Zhao-an. In Yin Zhao-an's opinion, Tang Yu looked slightly out of sorts today.
"Tang-Tang."
"Hm?" Tang Yu looked up.
Yin Zhao-an placed a hand over the back of Tang Yu's back. Then, with a worried gaze, she asked, "Are you still feeling unwell? If you still haven't made a full recovery, why not postpone returning to school for now and focus on—"
"No, that's not the case."
Tang Yu interrupted Yin Zhao-an, causing the latter to be at a loss for a while.
Tang Yu frowned uncomfortably. She detested her current self. She hated how she was worrying about gains and losses like a fool.
Unbeknownst to Yin Zhao-an, Wen Tao, as the captain of the SS Y&T, had already informed Tang Yu about Zhao Yu coveting Yin Zhao-an. Although Tang Yu had long known about this development, she didn't expect to hear about it shortly after she had made up her mind to give herself to Yin Zhao-an again. Hence, she was at a loss.
"I… I want to go home. Help me make a call," Tang Yu said. She honestly didn't know what she should say in this situation. There were just some things that couldn't be figured out overnight. What would become of her relationship with Yin Zhao-an in the future…
Only time could tell.
Tang Yu would no longer let Yin Zhao-an be her everything. At the very least, not before she had finally obtained her.