Chapter 46#

“The artificial cornea has been approved for clinical use. There will be absolutely no risk of rejection, and no need for an allograft transplant, so you can rest assured, Third Master.”

“Here are the relevant materials for your reference, Third Master. We can discuss the details later.”

“Very good, very good. I’ll hold onto these for Third Master for now.”

As soon as the door closed, I turned around and saw Third Master Ren walk in.

Xu Qinghong had been sitting across from me, playing chess with me. The moment he saw Third Master Ren, he quickly stood up, respectfully addressed him as “Third Master,” glanced at me for a moment, then made an excuse, waved his hand, and strode out quickly.

The moment Xu Qinghong shut the door, I shook my head with a sigh, lifted my right eye to look at him, and said, “Third Uncle, you scared him away.”

Third Master Ren smiled faintly as he walked over. He lowered his eyes to look at the Western chessboard, furrowed his brows as if deep in thought, and raised his hand to make a move. I quickly stopped him, covering the chessboard with both hands, and said, “Wait, wait… I’d better not play with you.”

I’d have to be an idiot to willingly play chess with him.

I lowered my head to put away the chessboard, when suddenly my bangs were lifted by someone. I paused slightly. His fingertips brushed gently across my ear, leaving a faint coolness behind.

I looked up at him, then turned my gaze toward the window.

Outside, fine snow was drifting, a vast expanse of white blurring even my line of sight. As if recalling something, I turned back to look at him. He happened to be holding the blanket from the bed, about to drape it over me. I shifted slightly, finding it amusing as I watched him. “You’re the one who needs another layer,” I said, then let out an inexplicable chuckle. Feeling a bit awkward, I lowered my head and sniffled.

He covered me with the blanket, then bent down slightly, wrapping my hand in his palm.

The corners of my mouth lifted. “I’m cold.”

He didn’t say a word, only leaned closer, pressing his forehead against my hair. His fingers rubbed against my palm, as if believing that close contact alone could generate warmth.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly said, “Third Uncle’s… is for you.”

My mouth twitched, and my eyes flickered. “Ren Xiaoyun, that joke isn’t funny.”

“Qiqi.” He slowly bent down, meeting my gaze.

I looked straight at him.

That face was certainly handsome, but it was no longer young. There were some wrinkles now, especially around the time of my accident—his temples had practically turned white. I couldn’t help but reach out and touch his cheek. He covered my hand with his own, rubbing it against his cheek, murmuring “Qiqi” over and over.

He brought my hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to my palm.

“Uncle—!”

I yanked my hand back abruptly, and Third Master Ren straightened up just in time before the hospital room door was pushed open. He cleared his throat, clasped his hands behind his back, and turned away, his expression completely unchanged—acting as if nothing had happened.

A little girl in a pink dress, Judy, came running toward me, then threw herself into my arms, planting kisses on both of my cheeks with two loud smacks.

“Uncle,” she pouted, pointing behind her, “hurry up and defeat the big monster! The big monster is…”

Judy suddenly turned to Third Master Ren. She paused, her mouth forming a round ‘O,’ then quickly wrapped both arms tightly around my neck, staring at him warily.

Third Master Ren cast a sidelong glance at Judy. Seeing that the little girl seemed to hold some inexplicable grudge against him, he furrowed his brows almost imperceptibly.

“Judy.” Bai Junrui hurried in. As soon as Judy saw him, she clung to me even tighter. Bai Junrui strode over, his tone harsh. “Judy, get down.”

“No—! I don’t want to!” Judy yelled loudly.

“I brought you to see your uncle. You promised Daddy you’d be good.” Bai Junrui frowned deeply. Judy’s lips pouted, her eyes turning red as she murmured, “Daddy doesn’t want to be with Mommy. Bad man. Daddy doesn’t like Mommy.”

“Judy…!” Bai Junrui’s voice turned cold.

Judy jumped down from me, stuck her tongue out at Bai Junrui, and ran out quickly.

I pushed my wheelchair, trying to call the little princess back. Suddenly, Third Master Ren steadied me, patted my shoulder, and gave me a faint smile. He glanced at Bai Junrui, then silently walked out.

I watched him leave, then turned to Bai Junrui.

“Still no solution?” I asked.

Bai Junrui paced back and forth a few times, then sighed. I said, “With children, you need to be patient.”

“She’s just been spoiled by her mother,” Bai Junrui said loudly. “I know it’s bad for the kid, but I don’t want to lie to her either. There’s no way things can work out between her mother and me. Besides, this is all Catherine’s fault. She kept it from me that she had a daughter this old. In short… ah.” He scratched his head in frustration.

A while ago, Catherine had suddenly come to Bai Junrui and confessed everything about Judy. That the two of them had once been lovers was completely unexpected—but that had happened before Bai Junrui’s car accident. After the accident, he had been in a coma for seven years, and Catherine had moved away from their old city. They had lost contact. However, after all these years, Catherine had coincidentally reunited with Bai Junrui because of me.

Bai Junrui’s feelings toward this daughter who had suddenly appeared were extremely complicated, and he was having a hard time adjusting. He seemed to want to fight for custody of Judy, but Catherine’s initial hope was to rekindle their relationship. With the two adults quarreling, Judy had ended up the sacrifice.

I sighed and said, “Brother Bai, you can’t say that…”

“…I know.” Bai Junrui looked at me. “Actually, I’m not sure whether I can really provide a good environment for Judy, but I want to fulfill my responsibility as a father.” He spread his hands and gave a bitter smile.

“How can you force something if the feelings aren’t there? That would only make Catherine miss out on the right person for her.”

I nodded in agreement. If the marriage is still unhappy, it might cause even greater harm to the child. Bai Junrui let out another sigh. After a moment of silence, he looked at me and asked, “Has the surgery date been decided?”

I shook my head with a faint smile.

Bai Junrui chatted with me a bit more, mentioning that Cheng Chen and Li Ling had decided to sign their marriage papers. Cheng Chen had come to visit me a few days earlier—he had become more steady, and his temper wasn’t as sharp. Although there had been a considerable rift between us not long ago, in the end, we were still friends.

Bai Junrui was still worried about Judy, so he didn’t stay long. As he was leaving, he turned back to look at me and asked, “Are you planning to go back after the surgery?”

I said, “We’ll see.”

He smiled and waved at me.

I watched him go.

At that moment, the image of Guai Zai seemed to overlap with his, but then it clearly separated.

I knew that Brother Bai was still Brother Bai in the end. He understood that himself.

Not long after Bai Junrui left, I leaned back somewhat wearily and closed my eyes.

A little over a month had passed since that incident, but during this time, the scene still occasionally surfaced in my dreams. I was tied to a chair, the bomb disposal expert busy behind me. No matter how others tried to persuade him, Third Master Ren stayed close to me. He seemed to have said a lot of things, scattered and disjointed.

“Click.”

I opened my eyes slightly and, sure enough, saw him walking over.

“Qiqi… tired?” He approached me, his voice soft. I sat up straight, rubbed my brow, and shook my head.

Third Master Ren still helped me slowly from the wheelchair to the bed, tucked the covers around me, and then sat at the bedside. I tilted my head to look at him and said, “Tell me… something about the past.”

He hummed in acknowledgment and nodded.

The room was very quiet. The story he told was fragmented, yet somehow connected.

From Old Master Ren to Old Madam Ren, and then to my father—it was a long, dull tale. He narrated it all without emotion, as if he were merely an observer. When he reached the part about me, he suddenly paused, as if lost in memory, the corners of his mouth unconsciously lifting—as if that was the most beautiful and precious fragment of his life.

As for the things of the past, I could face them calmly now, or perhaps with indifference.

When I recalled the pain of those times, it no longer felt so profound. Instead, what gradually became clear was his almost absurd feelings for me.

I fell asleep amid his fragmented words.

In that moment of entering a dream, I saw that fragment of the past.

On that windy evening, I had sat on the bench in the courtyard, drowsing off. But what left a deep impression on me was that touch on my lips.

Cold, yet infinitely lingering.

I dared not move. I could feel him slowly drawing me closer, kissing my neck again.

This memory, once thought forgotten, was buried deep in my heart. When I woke back then, I could hardly be sure whether it had been reality or a dream.

That warmth, that palpitation of the heart, had once made me feel deeply sinful.

And in this life, the one I could not easily forgive was him—not only because of fear, but more so because of the pain he had brought me.

Later, I thought.

Perhaps.

Because I loved him too.