Chapter Forty-Eight: Awakening

This scene pierced straight through Jiang Xiaotian’s heart. He shot to his feet, his face radiant with joy.

Qin Lulu felt the same way. She had been the one to treat her, and the solution had been hers as well. If she truly managed to save someone, the sense of accomplishment would be immense.

But things rarely go as planned. Though Ye Wan’er’s finger twitched once, that was all—nothing more happened, let alone her waking up.

The two waited for quite a while, and when nothing else occurred, they slumped back down quickly.

“Maybe it just takes more time. If she’d woken up right away, that would’ve been terrifying,” Qin Lulu sighed, regaining her composure.

Jiang Xiaotian found her reasoning sensible, but both of them were exhausted—one nearly drained dry, the other spent much energy trying to save a life. Neither wanted to move.

They’d gone so long without eating that even Ling’er, who was usually energetic, was nearly faint with hunger. So the three simply went out for food. Naturally, Jiang Xiaotian paid—everyone knew he now had a million yuan, and though he’d spent quite a bit, he was still wealthy.

When the three walked down the street together, they drew countless glances. Ling’er and Qin Lulu were both stunning—one dignified and beautiful, with an extraordinary aura; the other cute and lively. No one could understand why two such remarkable women would accompany a man who seemed so unremarkable.

But the moment they climbed into a Porsche, everything was clear.

Long-ge had left, so there was no driver; Jiang Xiaotian had asked him to bring his own car over for convenience.

It was true—driving a sports car felt exhilarating. Now that Jiang Xiaotian had status and wealth, the sensation was indescribably comfortable.

People assumed he was a second-generation rich kid, and the beautiful girls by his side were his girlfriends.

In reality, he regarded Ling’er as an older sister, while Qin Lulu, once familiar, was like the girl next door—immature, playful, lazy, constantly tricking Jiang Xiaotian, and playing the victim when caught, leaving everyone helpless.

If Jiang Xiaotian lacked genuine skill or wasn’t as good-natured as he was, Qin Lulu would never have been so close to him.

They were both unusual—though members of Falcon, they’d never met the others.

In fact, there were four other Falcon members, all young people, currently enduring rigorous training in the military camp.

Jiang Xiaotian had escaped such hardship mainly because it was rare to find anyone else who could defeat an internal energy martial artist while still at the peak of external energy, especially someone so young.

Their meeting would be a story for another day.

Qin Lulu, as a human girl, became close to Ling’er mainly because they shared a common hobby—watching dramas. Unlike others who preferred idol dramas from Hancheng, both were captivated by tales where a weak male protagonist rises step by step to greatness. They believed such men had true charm.

Listening to their conversation, Jiang Xiaotian realized they seemed to be describing him.

But when he actually said so, Ling’er and Qin Lulu burst out laughing, calling him a fool.

After the meal, Jiang Xiaotian took Qin Lulu home. Ling’er didn’t like staying at the hospital, but Jiang Xiaotian had to pay fees, so he needed to go.

Once Ling’er was safely at her place, he drove to the hospital.

At this hour, the hospital was usually quiet and nearly empty, but tonight was different.

As soon as Jiang Xiaotian entered, he noticed an unusual number of people moving about. He paid little attention and headed straight to the payment desk.

There, two nurses were whispering.

“Did you hear? Apparently, a comatose patient suddenly woke up—the department head is going crazy with excitement! It’s unprecedented!”

“Is that why so many people haven’t left tonight? Maybe they’re all going to see her.”

Jiang Xiaotian’s body trembled, joy flooding his face.

Could they mean Ye Wan’er? Had she just woken up?

He was suddenly as excited as if he’d taken a stimulant, rushing to the inpatient building. Sure enough, there were many doctors, and in the elevator, everyone was headed to the same floor as him.

Their topic was the comatose patient who awoke today—someone who had been unconscious for a long time.

Jiang Xiaotian could no longer contain his excitement, not delaying a single second as he dashed toward the ward.

But at the door, he hesitated, withdrawing his hand from the handle.

What should he say to her?

Honestly, he had so much he wanted to tell Ye Wan’er—he wanted to boast that he’d dealt with Chen Yu.

But in that moment, he felt nervous.

Finally, gritting his teeth, Jiang Xiaotian turned the handle: “Wan’er!”

What met him was a silent ward and the cold, mechanical hum of the instruments.

Ye Wan’er still lay motionless on the bed, like a sleeping beauty who would never awaken.

Jiang Xiaotian was stunned. Looking outside, he saw that the doctors who had ridden the elevator with him were walking in the opposite direction down the corridor.

He realized, then, that the awakened patient wasn’t Ye Wan’er…

Desolation and disappointment once again filled Jiang Xiaotian’s chest.

Giving hope only to snatch it away is even crueler than never giving hope at all.

He stood by the door for a long time, finally sighing and sitting beside Ye Wan’er with a bitter smile.

Perhaps he was just too impatient, as Qin Lulu had said—there was no need to expect such quick results.

To be honest, Jiang Xiaotian couldn't even explain why he cared so much for Ye Wan’er, but his fondness for her was undeniable, highlighted all the more by the contrast with other martial artists.

Since he was already there, Jiang Xiaotian decided to stay a while longer.

He had nothing better to do, and had read online that talking to comatose patients could stimulate their cerebral cortex and increase the chance of awakening.

So Jiang Xiaotian sat by her side and began telling stories.

He was resourceful; since it might help, he set up a recorder to capture his voice, planning to play it nonstop, hoping he could annoy Ye Wan’er awake if nothing else.

Perhaps he was too tired; he meant only to rest briefly on the bed, but he ended up falling asleep.

In a hazy dream, Jiang Xiaotian felt his head resting on something soft. He’d grown wiser—this time, he didn’t dare call out, lest Ling’er catch him and blind him for real.

“Thank you…” A weak yet ethereal voice reached his ears.

Jiang Xiaotian thought he was dreaming and didn’t move. But when he felt someone gently touch his hair, his alertness snapped him awake. Seeing no one, he breathed a sigh of relief.

But in the next instant, he was stunned.

The hospital bed, at some point, had been raised, and the girl who’d been sleeping for so long now sat upright, gazing out the window.

Moonlight bathed her already cool and elegant features, making her even more captivating.

She must have sensed Jiang Xiaotian’s movement, for she slowly turned her head. She was so thin, yet still beautiful; at this moment, she seemed almost like a sickly beauty, so delicate that one couldn’t help but want to protect her.

The two sat looking at each other, Jiang Xiaotian’s mind blank.

He had imagined that when Ye Wan’er woke, he’d be so excited he wouldn’t stop talking—he’d even worried she’d find him annoying.

But now, with Ye Wan’er sitting before him, he found himself utterly speechless.

Her eyes were as clear as ever, but now held a sadness they hadn’t before.

She had been betrayed by the person closest to her. She knew everything, yet did not resist.

To her, Chen Yu was both enemy and benefactor.

It was Chen Yu who had brought her out of a dull, shadowed existence, freeing her from living in her brother’s shadow.

It was also Chen Yu who destroyed her, pushing her into a bottomless abyss.

Ye Wan’er didn’t resist, because he was her mentor, and she owed him gratitude.

She didn’t resist, because she knew that with her martial power taken, she had nothing left to hold onto—such a broken existence was hardly worth living.

But in the final moments, Jiang Xiaotian suddenly appeared, forcibly dragging her back from the gates of death.

During her long coma, Ye Wan’er had a dream—a lengthy one. In it, she found Jiang Xiaotian annoying, and wanted to fight him, but no matter what, she couldn’t catch up with him, just like before.

But one day, the Jiang Xiaotian in her dream stopped, and Ye Wan’er finally caught up.

She asked, “Why aren’t you running?”

Jiang Xiaotian turned, flashing his mischievous smile, yet it was radiant: “Because it’s time for you to come back.”

The next moment, the dream ended—the hospital room, the moonlight, everything was unfamiliar, but the annoying boy was right beside her.

Ye Wan’er knew who had saved her, who had stayed with her.

Her face, always cold as ice, finally broke into a smile.

“Thank you…”