Lin Xiaoxiao fell silent, her thoughts drifting after hearing Zhou Xiaoling's words. What would happen to Zhou Huaian if she suddenly disappeared from this world?

The idea made her heart ache. She couldn't bear the thought of leaving Zhou Huaian—nor could she stop worrying about her parents and brother back home.

Zhou Xiaoling waved a hand in front of her face. "Saozi, what's wrong? What are you thinking about? Did you have a nightmare?"

Lin Xiaoxiao quickly shook her head. "No, I was just wondering... was your brother really that upset?"

Zhou Xiaoling sighed dramatically. "Of course he was! I think if you hadn't woken up soon, he would've completely broken down. He just didn't say it out loud."

She might have been exaggerating a little, but it was true that Zhou Huaian hadn't slept for two days while taking care of Lin Xiaoxiao. Even when he went to work, he rushed back as soon as he could.

Zhou Xiaoling had seen him standing in the yard late one night, staring into the dark distance with a lonely, almost pitiable silhouette under the night sky.

That's why she was laying it on thick—trying to make Lin Xiaoxiao see how much he'd suffered.

Rubbing her throbbing temples, Lin Xiaoxiao took a deep breath. Overthinking wouldn't help.

She was still stuck here, and maybe it was all just a dream after all?

She couldn't let the people who cared about her see her like this.

After mentally reassuring herself, she felt a bit better and began asking Zhou Xiaoling about Li Yunlan's condition.

Zhou Xiaoling nodded eagerly. "She woke up this morning! The first thing she did was ask for me and told me not to run off again. The expert my brother found is amazing—like I told you earlier."

Hearing that Li Yunlan was fully lucid lifted a weight off Lin Xiaoxiao's shoulders. The surgery was a complete success.

She got up, washed her face, then—feeling sticky with sweat—heated water for a quick bath.

Zhou Xiaoling stayed outside the window, chattering away, mostly about her childhood. Lin Xiaoxiao found it oddly comforting.

She was touched by how perceptive this seemingly carefree girl could be. Zhou Xiaoling had noticed she was feeling down and kept the conversation going deliberately.

After her bath, Lin Xiaoxiao felt refreshed. She stepped out, drying her hair, and joined Zhou Xiaoling to chat.

Next door, it was unusually quiet—no shouting from Old Mrs. Wang.

Once her hair was almost dry, Lin Xiaoxiao and Zhou Xiaoling headed to the hospital to see Li Yunlan.

Passing a cornfield, Zhou Xiaoling pointed. "That's where someone grabbed me and dragged me in. They knocked me out right away. I was careless—just focused on making a phone call. I never thought something like that would happen. When I heard rustling, I honestly thought it was a badger chewing on the corn."

Even retelling it felt risky. "That's terrifying," Lin Xiaoxiao said. "Weren't you scared?"

Zhou Xiaoling shook her head. "Not really. I knew my big brother would find me. I was already thinking of ways to escape. Unless they killed me right away, I was sure I could get away."

Lin Xiaoxiao gave her a thumbs-up. "You're amazing. I would've been scared to death."

Zhou Xiaoling grinned. "You wouldn't. You're tough too. When something actually happens, you don't have time to be scared—you just focus on surviving."

When they arrived at the hospital, Li Yunlan was awake while a nurse administered an injection.

Seeing Zhou Xiaoling and Lin Xiaoxiao walk in, she turned her head slightly and blinked.

"Xiaoling, where have you been running off to now?"

Zhou Xiaoling looked puzzled. When she'd visited that morning, her mother had been fine—aware that she'd been kidnapped and reminding her to be careful when walking alone and to stay within the unit grounds.

Though weak from surgery, Li Yunlan had been clear-minded. How could she have become confused again in just half a day?

Noticing Zhou Xiaoling's hesitation, Li Yunlan frowned. "Why are you just standing there? If you keep fooling around like this, what boy would ever want to marry you? When your second brother gets back, I'll have him talk some sense into you."

Zhou Xiaoling turned to Lin Xiaoxiao in alarm, whispering, "Is her memory messed up again?"

Lin Xiaoxiao patted her shoulder. "Don't panic. This is normal during recovery. Her memory will gradually return, but she might experience brief periods of confusion."

Zhou Xiaoling turned back to Li Yunlan with a playful smile, deciding to play along. "Mom, don't always complain to Second Brother about me! And if no boy wants me, I'll just stay with you forever. How does that sound?"

Li Yunlan frowned. "You've always been such a reckless child. It's dangerous out there. A young lady shouldn't wander around alone. If something happened to you, it would break your father's and my heart."

Zhou Xiaoling nodded repeatedly. "Don't worry, Mom. I won't run off anymore. I'll always tell you where I'm going, okay?"

Satisfied, Li Yunlan then looked at Lin Xiaoxiao. "Is this your friend? She's very pretty. Is she seeing anyone?"

Zhou Xiaoling quickly interrupted, "Mom, this is my big brother's wife! Don't you remember?"

Li Yunlan's face tightened. "Nonsense. Your big brother's wife is Hu Ling. Of course I remember."

Stumped, Zhou Xiaoling didn't know how to explain that Li Yunlan seemed to have forgotten all about Zhou Huaian.

Lin Xiaoxiao stepped forward with a warm smile. "Mom, it's me—Xiaoxiao, Zhou Huaian's wife."

Suddenly, as if a switch had been flipped, Li Yunlan's expression cleared. "Oh... Huaian. Is he not with you?"

Zhou Xiaoling watched in amazement as Li Yunlan chatted easily with Lin Xiaoxiao about Zhou Huaian—she seemed perfectly lucid. If only she didn't still think Zhou Xiaoling was a careless kid who only knew how to have fun.

After a while, exhausted, Li Yunlan drifted back into a deep sleep.

Lin Xiaoxiao and Zhou Xiaoling exchanged a look and quietly left the room.

Zhou Xiaoling sighed. "Maybe it's better if she stays like this. If she remembers that my second brother is gone... she'll be heartbroken all over again."

But Lin Xiaoxiao didn't offer false hope. "She won't stay like this. She'll return to her previous state."

Zhou Xiaoling paused. "You mean... she'll still have episodes? Sometimes clear, sometimes not?"

Lin Xiaoxiao nodded. The tumor was gone, but the grief that had broken Li Yunlan's mind remained. Some wounds couldn't be healed by surgery alone.

Zhou Xiaoling leaned against the wall, gently tapping the back of her head against it. "I really hope my second brother comes back soon."

Lin Xiaoxiao stayed with Zhou Xiaoling at the hospital until Zhou Huaian arrived after work.

Zhou Xiaoling shooed them away. "You two haven't had a chance to talk properly since she woke up. Go home and spend some time together."

She even winked mischievously.

Trying not to laugh, Lin Xiaoxiao shot her a mock-stern look and left with Zhou Huaian.

The walk home was quiet. Zhou Huaian didn't say a word, but Lin Xiaoxiao could feel the tension radiating from him—tightly controlled, but on the verge of snapping.

As soon as they stepped inside and she began to say, "Zhou ..."

He pushed her firmly against the door.