Explanation

The three characters "In Surgery" glaring on the big screen outside the operating room were bright enough to make one's eyes swim.

The Director paced back and forth at the door, the anxiety on his face nearly spilling off the screen.

Lu Jing, who had rushed over, stared fixedly at the three glaring red characters "In Surgery," faint blood vessels bursting in his eyes.

Only Liang Shining stood alone in a corner, his eyes lowered, an oddly calm expression on his face.

Li Xiang looked at Liang Shining and quietly swallowed.

—He couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about Liang Shining's state right now.

Li Xiang thought of the question Liang Shining hadn't answered in front of the ambulance earlier, sighed, and cast a worried glance at the still-lit surgery sign.

After what felt like forever, the operating room door was finally pushed open again.

"Family of Ying Huai?"

A weary-looking doctor stood at the door. Liang Shining suddenly raised his head and stepped forward directly: "How is he?"

His voice carried a tremor he was barely suppressing. The doctor looked down and flipped through the surgery notes, frowning: "Are you Ying Huai's family?"

Liang Shining was silent for a moment. Lu Jing beside him stepped forward and planted himself in front of the doctor.

"Ying Huai works for our company. How is he doing now?"

The doctor confirmed with a glance downward and finally spoke: "The patient is no longer in critical condition."

Lu Jing exhaled heavily. Liang Shining closed his eyes briefly, his tense body slowly relaxing.

But the next second, the doctor's words tensed them up again: "However, there's a problem with the patient's heart."

"He has a pre-existing heart condition. The cold stimulus this time further aggravated the burden on his heart."

Seeing the blank looks on the faces before him, the doctor assumed they hadn't understood: "Let me explain simply—"

Before he could finish, the Director's bewildered voice cut in: "Ying Huai has a heart condition?"

The doctor paused, his expression darkening: "You know nothing about the patient's condition?"

"I know." Lu Jing's quiet voice suddenly cut the doctor off.

Liang Shining beside him frowned and suddenly turned his head.

Lu Jing didn't notice Liang Shining's odd reaction.

He bent slightly forward, his voice unusually gentle: "He hasn't had much contact with the patient, so he doesn't know. Doctor, please continue."

The doctor's expression softened slightly.

"Simply put, the cold causes blood vessels to constrict, which reduces blood flow to the organs. The heart then has to increase its output."

"But the patient has Congenital Heart Disease. His heart can't handle the sudden increase in output, leading to a series of subsequent complications."

The doctor took a deep breath here and continued slowly: "Cardiac muscle cell death is irreversible, but a minor surgery can reduce the burden on the heart."

"But the patient's current physical condition is too poor to undergo surgery for now."

The expressions before him varied, but all of them grew slightly heavier.

The doctor eased his tone and offered reassurance: "We recommend being discharged first to recuperate for a few months, then doing a follow-up to see if the surgical criteria can be met."

The doctor's proposal was the best option available, and Lu Jing and the others could only accept it in the end.

Ying Huai would need to stay in the ICU for observation a while longer. Lu Jing followed the doctor to first complete the admission paperwork, and the Director began frantically making calls for PR.

Amid the chaos, Liang Shining silently stepped back, bent over to brace his hands on his knees, and let out a heavy breath.

Li Xiang, who had been watching him, hurried forward and gripped his arm.

"Liang ge, are you alright?"

Liang Shining shook his head: "I'm fine."

He straightened slowly and said quietly: "Have the lawyers been contacted?"

Li Xiang nodded quickly: "They've been contacted. They should be here soon."

Liang Shining kept his eyes down and said nothing. Li Xiang hesitated, then finally spoke again in a low voice.

"So, Liang ge, that question from before—" Li Xiang began carefully. "Give me a straight answer."

Liang Shining's mind was full of Ying Huai-related matters and he didn't catch on for a moment: "What?"

Li Xiang swallowed.

He lowered his voice even further: "I mean, Liang ge, you helping Teacher Ying like this—is it because... you like him?"

Liang Shining's expression went blank for a moment as he finally recalled the question Li Xiang had asked him earlier.

He raised his head with a strange look, but before he could say anything, Li Xiang had already misinterpreted him.

"It's fine, Liang ge, just say it straight if you like Teacher Ying," Li Xiang gritted his teeth and spoke again quietly. "If you'd told me earlier I could've started on a PR plan sooner......"

Before he could finish, he suddenly heard Liang Shining say softly: "I don't know."

The words on the tip of Li Xiang's tongue instantly stuck in his throat.

He turned his head in disbelief, his voice cracking with urgency: "What?"

Li Xiang repeated blankly: "What do you mean, you don't know?"

Liang Shining's gaze shifted to the ICU beside them.

Ying Huai lay quietly inside, wearing an oxygen mask.

His whole body was hidden beneath the white blanket, thin as a sheet of paper, the rise and fall of his chest barely perceptible.

The machines' hum was blocked by the thick glass, but Liang Shining seemed to hear it anyway—and the last words Ying Huai had said to him over the phone in his previous life.

—He had said, Save me, Liang Shining.

—He had said, Goodbye, Liang Shining.

Liang Shining's lips moved soundlessly.

He had lived two lifetimes and truly never once considered this question.

In his previous life, his only thought had been to avenge Ying Huai. In this life, his only thought was for Ying Huai to live safely and peacefully.

Liang Shining had spent two lifetimes thinking of Ying Huai, yet had never once examined what his feelings for Ying Huai actually were.

"I don't know." Liang Shining said slowly. "I only ever thought of Ying Huai... as my shifu."

He had assumed his previous reactions to Ying Huai were simply the instinctive possessiveness one feels toward one's shifu—but what if... they weren't.

Liang Shining's expression went distant.

But the next second, the person in the ICU beside them suddenly showed signs of distress again.

Ying Huai's chest began heaving violently, and the machines beside him let out a piercing alarm.

Medical staff rushed into the room, a curtain cutting Liang Shining off completely.

Liang Shining snapped back to himself.

He closed his eyes briefly and said slowly: "I don't know."

"I just want Ying Huai to live."

Li Xiang beside him frowned. He watched Liang Shining take a deep breath, then suddenly turn his head.

"I need you to help me invite one more person over."

·

Ying Huai stayed in the ICU for two full days before his condition stabilized completely.

The first thing he felt when he regained consciousness was exhaustion.

His whole body felt as though it had been crushed, a dull, aching heaviness seeping from his bones, so uncomfortable that Ying Huai couldn't move a single finger.

He coughed softly a few times and slowly opened his eyes.

The scene before him was a blur, accompanied by waves of dizziness from the insufficient blood supply to his eyes after the heart episode,

Ying Huai frowned and simply closed his eyes again, groping until he found the bedrail beside him.

He tried to push himself up, but the next second, a hand reached out and steadied itself against his lower back.

Ying Huai was startled. He instinctively tried to pull away, but a sharp pain suddenly shot through his chest.

The pain made Ying Huai's whole body curl inward.

He couldn't catch his breath, choked, and his face went white in an instant.

Liang Shining watched as the person who had been fine just moments ago suddenly seemed unable to catch a breath, his body convulsing violently before collapsing forward.

Liang Shining's face changed instantly: "Ying Huai!"

He quickly pressed the call button beside him and at the same time reached out to half-embrace the person.

A familiar presence enveloped Ying Huai in an instant. His expression wavered for a moment, his fingers still pressed firmly against his chest, but the resistance in his expression was slowly fading.

Liang Shining lifted him slightly, letting Ying Huai half-drape over his shoulder, and began stroking his back with practiced ease.

After a long while, he heard Ying Huai cough softly, his body going limp again.

Liang Shining let out a silent breath of relief.

He heard Ying Huai's hoarse voice: "Liang Shining......"

Liang Shining hummed softly in response, still slowly stroking Ying Huai's back. "Feeling better? Still uncomfortable?"

Ying Huai couldn't quite speak, just listlessly shook his head.

His rational mind told him to get up from Liang Shining, but Liang Shining was so warm that Ying Huai, for once, felt a rare, greedy unwillingness to move.

He sighed helplessly and finally allowed himself to lean on him a little longer: "Where am I?"

"You're in the Hospital."

Liang Shining watched the person in his arms subtly find a comfortable position on his own, the corner of his mouth curving up involuntarily. "You jumped into the lake to save Xin Wan earlier and lost consciousness from drowning. Do you remember?"

Lying against him was too comfortable. Ying Huai squinted his eyes, and after a long moment, lazily nodded.

This heart episode had taken a serious toll on him, but after lying there for a while, he was getting drowsy again.

Ying Huai yawned, closed his eyes again, and mumbled: "So Xin Wan......"

Before he could finish, the door to the room was suddenly pushed open.

"Little shidi, the nurse just told me you were awake. How are you feeling......"

Ying Huai was startled awake. He instinctively frowned and pressed a hand to his chest, coughing softly a few times.

Liang Shining's face darkened. He turned his head and said in a low voice: "Get out."

Xin Wan didn't hear him.

His gaze fell involuntarily on the two people in the center of the room.

In his eyes, Ying Huai was curled up entirely in Liang Shining's arms, his waist slightly bent, his arm around Liang Shining's neck, his head buried against one side.

Xin Wan's face changed instantly. He gritted his teeth and said in a low voice: "What are you two doing?"

Ying Huai couldn't be bothered to deal with the person disturbing his rest.

He lazily turned his head, glanced at Xin Wan, and yawned slightly: "So shixiong is still alive."

Xin Wan: ......

—He couldn't shake the feeling that Ying Huai had said that with a strange hint of regret.

Xin Wan gritted his teeth: "Thank you, little shidi, for still thinking of me."

Ying Huai raised an eyebrow absently.

He tilted his head and finally mustered the energy to take stock of Xin Wan's condition.

Xin Wan was also wearing a hospital gown, standing stiffly at the foot of his bed, craning his neck to peer at him.

Ying Huai squinted his eyes and sat up slightly.

Xin Wan watched Ying Huai's movements, his expression instantly filling with anticipation.

'Little shidi, is sitting like that uncomfortable? Do you want me to help you back onto the bed......'

Before he could finish, he heard Ying Huai say slowly: 'Why can you already get out of bed?'

Xin Wan was taken aback.

His brain couldn't process it for a moment, and he said somewhat blankly: 'Little shidi, your health isn't good, I'm thick-skinned and tough, so—'

Ying Huai: ......

He looked at the big oaf in front of him who had mostly recovered and was bouncing around, then looked at his own body that could barely sit up, and a flash of indignation crossed his expression.

'Shixiong's body is so healthy,' Ying Huai leaned back against Liang Shining's shoulder again, smiling as he spoke, 'how come going out to check in still needed me to pull you out of the water?'

He didn't notice Xin Wan pause for a moment, yawned, and casually spoke again: 'Shixiong just now probably got it backwards—'

'You just said you were the one who pulled me out of the water?' Xin Wan suddenly frowned and cut him off.

Ying Huai lifted his head in confusion, meeting Xin Wan's slightly stunned expression.

He narrowed his eyes, instantly realizing something, and a flash of interest crossed his peach blossom eyes: 'Shixiong doesn't know, huh.'

Xin Wan frowned in confusion, and the next second, Le Xi's familiar voice appeared at the hospital room door.

'Uncle Xin, how did you run out of the hospital room again?'

Le Xi walked into the room while pretending to complain: 'I didn't pull you out so you could be so careless with your own body......'

He looked up and met Ying Huai's smiling expression.

Le Xi froze.

A flash of tension crossed his expression, but he instantly piled on a look of pleasant surprise: 'Teacher Ying, you're finally awake—'

Ying Huai didn't reply immediately.

He sat on Liang Shining's lap and straightened up slightly, his eyes curving in a half-smile: 'Yes.'

'Thanks to you.'

Le Xi's expression instantly darkened.

He gritted his teeth, still putting on a confused look, and reached to support Xin Wan: 'Uncle Xin, let me take you back first, the nurse will be coming for rounds in a bit......'

But before his hand could touch Xin Wan, Xin Wan suddenly avoided him.

'What did you mean just now,' Xin Wan ignored Le Xi, stared at Ying Huai, and said with a frown, 'I fell in the water and you saved me?'

His memories of falling into the lake were all blurry, and the next thing he knew he was waking up in the Hospital.

Le Xi said he was the one who saved him. Although Xin Wan vaguely felt something was off, Ying Huai hadn't woken up at the time, and Le Xi had also caught a cold from going into the water for several days, so Xin Wan could only let it go.

'Why ask me?' Ying Huai glanced up at him, covered his mouth and yawned, 'Ask your savior next to you.'

Xin Wan's habit of being unable to let things go and not distinguishing right from wrong was all too familiar to him.

Ying Huai thought of how in his previous life he'd had no way to explain himself and had been furious, and simply closed his eyes to sleep a bit more.

—As for Le Xi, he was steadily gathering evidence anyway, so there was no rush.

As expected, Le Xi beside them was the first to anxiously speak.

'I was the one who saved you, Uncle Xin,' Le Xi said earnestly, 'Teacher Ying's health was already poor, the lake water was so cold, how could he possibly still have the strength to pull you up?'

Le Xi was well aware there wasn't a single surveillance camera around the lake at the time.

No cameras meant no evidence.

Moreover, given how thoroughly blackened Ying Huai's reputation was across the internet now, even if it blew up online, with the mainstream view of public opinion and the public's preconceptions, Le Xi fully believed those netizens would believe him rather than Ying Huai.

Le Xi grew more certain in his heart. He looked at Xin Wan, his voice gradually taking on a sob: 'I've taken care of you for so many days, do you really not believe me?'

Xin Wan looked at Ying Huai without speaking, but his brow slowly furrowed.

'Little shidi,' Xin Wan looked at Ying Huai, the corner of his lips curving teasingly: 'Did you lie to me again or not?'

Xin Wan secretly hoped in his heart that Ying Huai would explain it to him.

But Ying Huai only looked at him for a few seconds, yawned, and casually snuggled back into Liang Shining's arms.

'I'm sleepy, we'll talk about it next time.'

Xin Wan was instantly enraged by Ying Huai's utterly indifferent attitude.

'You have to explain it to me!'

He stepped forward directly, reaching out to grab Ying Huai.

Liang Shining frowned and raised his hand to block, but the next second, a hand with distinct knuckles suddenly reached out and unhesitatingly gripped Xin Wan's wrist bone.

'Shixiong's body really isn't healthy enough.'

Ying Huai lifted his head, speaking with a half-smile: 'Otherwise, how could falling in water also get water in your brain?'

'You—' Xin Wan was furious.

He tried to pull his hand back, but was shocked to find that Ying Huai's strength was much greater than he had imagined.

'I once gave shixiong an explanation,' Ying Huai lifted his head expressionlessly, slowly curving his lips, 'about the thing shixiong most wanted to know.'

—Xin Wan's suspicious and furious expression gradually overlapped with that of his previous life, and Ying Huai knew it all too well.

'Too bad shixiong didn't cherish it.'

Ying Huai curved his lips and tossed Xin Wan's hand aside like throwing out trash.

'So why would I waste my effort again.'

Xin Wan was stunned.

The next second, his mind spun with dizziness, and those inexplicable memories instantly resurfaced.

It was half a year after Ying Huai came out of the Sanatorium, when Ying Huai suddenly took the initiative to find him.

[Shixiong doesn't want to know the truth about why I left the company back then?]

Ying Huai turned around, his peach blossom eyes unusually holding a bit more smile.

He handed him an address: [Come here tomorrow night, shixiong, and I'll tell you.]

Xin Wan took it half in doubt.

It was an address for a suburban Villa Art Exhibition, apparently bought by someone and not yet open.

He stared at Ying Huai for a few seconds, then suddenly said: [Why does little shidi suddenly want to explain it to me?]

Ying Huai's expression held an undisguisable weariness, but he smiled in relief: [Because the trouble has all been resolved.]

Seeing the suspicion on Xin Wan's face, he suddenly stepped forward and took Xin Wan's hand: [Shixiong said it, the body's reactions don't lie.]

Xin Wan froze.

This was something Xin Wan himself had said when Ying Huai was teaching him to swim before.

That time Xin Wan had just happened to nearly drown, and Ying Huai had jumped in to pull him back to shore.

[A drowning person will instinctively struggle to survive, making it very hard for the rescuer to save them, but shixiong just now instinctively relaxed.]

Ying Huai said with a smile, [Why?]

[The body's reactions don't lie,] Xin Wan said quietly, [If I trust you, my body won't resist you.]

Now, Ying Huai held Xin Wan's hand and slowly shook it, speaking softly: [Shixiong's hand didn't resist me, which means shixiong trusts me.]

[Shixiong will know once you go.]

But in the end, Xin Wan still didn't go.

A group of people claiming to be Ying Huai's agents from the Lu Family company suddenly contacted him that night, saying Ying Huai was trying to lure him to the suburbs to completely get rid of him.

They promised that if Xin Wan provided Ying Huai's location, they would pay him.

Xin Wan believed their words and gave them the Villa Art Exhibition address.

A month later, Xin Wan possessed that Villa Art Exhibition as promised.

And Ying Huai, for some unknown reason, was back in the Sanatorium.

·

'I was wrong,' Xin Wan murmured quietly, 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry......'

The sudden surge of regret in his heart nearly drowned Xin Wan. He pressed hard against his brow and watched Ying Huai being helped by Liang Shining back onto the bed.

Xin Wan suddenly stepped forward, going around Liang Shining to the other side of the bed.

He half-knelt under Ying Huai's bewildered gaze, gripping Ying Huai's hand tightly.

'What are you doing?' Ying Huai tried to pull his hand back, then looked up and his expression suddenly froze.

Xin Wan's eyes had reddened at some unknown point.

He stared intently at him, then after a long moment, said quietly: 'Sorry.'

Ying Huai was taken aback.

Xin Wan felt the real, warm touch in his hand, and the unease in his heart faded bit by bit.

He had been afraid of water since childhood, and only after meeting Ying Huai did he learn the most basic swimming.

He had once joked with Ying Huai that if he ever drowned, only Ying Huai could save him.

—Because in the water, only Ying Huai could make him willingly give up his survival instinct to struggle.

The body's reactions never lie, how could he have forgotten this.

Xin Wan closed his eyes briefly.

'It's nothing,' he slowly lowered his head, pressing his forehead against Ying Huai's palm: 'Just confirming that the one who saved me was you.'

Ying Huai's expression went slack with surprise.

He had already exhausted himself body and mind from the earlier fuss, and now his drowsy consciousness was somewhat hazy, unable to process what had just happened for the moment.

Le Xi beside them was already the first to speak in disbelief: 'No, the one who saved you was clearly me!'

'If he could save you, why couldn't he bring you up, and also needed Shining gege to go save him......'

'Because of you.' A cold laugh suddenly came from the doorway.

A doctor in a white coat and gold-rimmed Glasses walked into the room with a cold expression. He gave Liang Shining a slight nod and walked straight to Ying Huai's side.

'You kicked someone into the water, and you still expected Ying Huai to be able to swim up?'

That doctor looked at Le Xi and gave a cold laugh, 'If I were Ying Huai, I'd just grab your foot and drag you down with me.'

'I didn't—' Le Xi instinctively denied.

But the next second, his words came to an abrupt halt.

He watched the efficient, cold doctor in front of him quietly say sorry to Ying Huai, then gently lift a corner of his shirt to expose his waist.

—On it was clearly a large patch of greenish-purple marks, obviously from being kicked or stomped.

Le Xi's face subtly went pale.

'I saw it when I was looking through the medical records earlier, but I only treat illnesses, I don't know anything about this.'

That doctor helped Ying Huai cover the blanket back up, saying casually, 'But the police are probably very interested in this.'

Le Xi was on the verge of breaking down: 'Who are you? What right do you have to come in here—'

'My name is Song Si Lan, I'll be Ying Huai's attending physician from now on.' Song Si Lan looked down at Ying Huai's medical records and said indifferently.

He suddenly turned to look at Ying Huai: 'Your boyfriend invited me over.'

Liang Shining, who had invited him: ??

The room fell silent, and Ying Huai suspected he must be so sleepy he was hallucinating.

He was dazed for a few seconds, then slowly said: 'Who?'