Cai Lang and the driver stood facing each other without moving. Neither of them looked away. The tension between them grew heavier with every passing second, making even the nurses walking by lower their voices as they hurried past. Qin Yue rubbed her temple with a quiet sigh, already sensing trouble, while the older man remained by the window with his hands behind his back, watching everything without speaking.
The driver looked Cai Lang straight in the eyes, his expression firm. "I don't care who you are. He just came out of surgery. He almost died. No one goes in if I say no." Cai Lang didn't even blink. His face remained calm. "You're not the one who decides." His voice was low and steady. "Move." Instead of stepping aside, the driver took another step forward until only a short distance remained between them. "Try me." Neither man backed away and their eyes stayed locked on each other, neither willing to give in. Qin yue muttered with another tired sigh. "They're really going to do this..."
The driver folded his arms across his chest. "You walked all the way here and didn't even ask how he was." Cai Lang answered calmly, "I'll see for myself." Then driver laughed. "That's your way of showing concern?" Cai Lang's expression didn't change. "I don't need to explain myself." The driver's jaw tightened. "You really know how to make people angry." Cai Lang replied without hesitation. "That's not my problem." The driver let out another humorless laugh. "It becomes your problem if I decide it is." Cai Lang calmly met his gaze. "Then decide."
The driver's fists slowly clenched at his sides. "You know... I've wanted to hit you since you stepped out of that elevator." Cai Lang remained completely composed. "Then why are you still talking?" That answer made driver more angry."You think staying calm makes you intimidating?" the driver asked. Cai Lang answered simply, "No." The driver frowned. "Then stop acting like you own this place." Cai Lang replied, "I don't." The driver took another step closer. "Then why are you acting like nobody else matters?" Cai Lang answered after a brief pause. "Because the person inside matters."
The driver's eyes narrowed. "He matters to us too." Cai Lang nodded once. "I know." The driver stared at him. "Do you?" His voice gradually became heavier. "Were you there when he was bleeding in that warehouse? Were you there when we thought he wasn't going to make it to the hospital? Were you standing outside those operating room doors listening to those alarms?" He swallowed before quietly adding, "You weren't."
Cai Lang lowered his eyes for a brief moment before lifting them again. "No!" he admitted quietly. "I wasn't." The driver kept staring at him. Cai Lang continued in the same calm voice. "But that doesn't change why I'm here." Neither of them moved. The tension became so obvious that a passing nurse stopped in front of them with an exhausted expression. "Excuse me!" she called loudly. Both men turned toward her. She pointed firmly toward the ICU. "This is a hospital and people are resting. Patients are recovering. If the two of you want to fight, then please do it outside."
The driver rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly but remained where he was.Cai Lang simply stood in silence. The nurse frowned. "Did you hear what I said?" Still, neither answered. She let out a long sigh. "Honestly... you're both adults." Before either man could speak again, the older man's calm voice echoed through the corridor. " HAN YI!" Everyone turned toward him. The older man looked directly at the driver before speaking quietly. "Let him." The driver frowned immediately. "But..." The older man slowly shook his head. "Let him go." The driver looked unconvinced. "What if..." The older man's voice remained gentle but carried quiet authority. "Suo Ran would decide for himself."
The corridor became silent again.Han yi looked toward the ICU door, then back at the older man. After several long seconds, he finally let out a tired breath. "Fine." His fingers slowly released Cai Lang's wrist. He stepped aside, but before Cai Lang could move,Han yi spoke again. "Don't stay long." His voice was calmer now, though still serious. "And don't do anything that'll make his condition worse." He paused briefly before adding, "If he wakes up upset because of you..." His eyes met Cai Lang's once more. "...I'll deal with you myself."
Qin Yue couldn't help letting out another sigh. "You're still threatening people in a hospital." Han yi didn't even look at her. "I'm making myself clear."Cai lang looked directly Han yi. His expression remained unreadable, but his eyes had turned noticeably colder. "Finished?" he asked quietly. Han yi held his gaze for another second before giving a death stare.Without another word, Cai lang turned toward the ICU door. His hand rested on the handle for a brief moment before he slowly pushed it open.The door closed softly behind him.
Outside the ICU, the corridor was quiet once again.Han Yi stood with his arms folded, his eyes fixed on the door. The more he looked at it, the more frustrated he became.He turned toward the older man. "Boss... why did you stop me?" he asked, unable to hide the irritation in his voice. "You know I could've thrown him out. Why let him in?" The older man didn't answer. He simply looked at the ICU door for a long moment before speaking in his usual calm voice. "Because Suo ran would have opened that door himself."
Han Yi frowned at once. "You're assuming too much!" he replied. "After everything that's happened, how do we even know he wants to see Cai Lang?" The older man turned to look at him. His expression remained gentle and unreadable. "I don't know!" he answered honestly.then he added, "Neither do you." Han yi opened his mouth as if to argue, but no words came out. He clicked his tongue quietly and looked away instead.
Qin Yue, who had been leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, watched the exchange without interrupting. After a moment, she pushed herself away from the wall and looked at Han yi. "You were overprotecting him!" she said calmly. "I understand why, but you can't decide who gets to see him."Han yi let out a tired sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm just worried," he admitted. "I don't trust that guy." Qin Yue tilted her head slightly. "Because of his attitude?" Han Yi shook his head. "No." He fell silent for a few seconds, choosing his words carefully before speaking again. "Because of the way Suo ran changed after leaving him." Qin yue's expression became more serious as she looked at him, while the older man quietly shifted his gaze from Han yi back to the closed ICU door, saying nothing.
Inside ICU room was completely quiet. The only sound breaking the silence was the steady rhythm of the heart monitor. *Beep... Beep... Beep... * The soft sound echoed through the room.Cai Lang quietly stepped inside and closed the door behind him with as little sound as possible.His hand remained on the doorknob for a brief moment before he slowly let go. He didn't walk forward.Instead, he stood where he was, his dark eyes fixed on the hospital bed across the room where suo ran lying on.
For a long time, he simply watched.His gaze slowly shifted over Suo ran's body.Clear tubes ran beneath the blanket and into his arm. An IV bag hung beside the bed, steadily dripping medicine into his veins. The oxygen tube rested beneath his nose, and bandages disappeared beneath the hospital gown, covering the wound that had nearly taken his life.His face was unusually pale,and even in unconsciousness his brows remained faintly furrowed, as though pain still refused to let him rest. He looked thinner than Cai Lang remembered.His shoulders seemed weaker, and the stubborn man who had once stood in front of him without ever giving an inch now looked so fragile that it almost didn't seem real.
Cai lang remained motionless. His face showed almost nothing, yet something tightened inside his chest.His fingers slowly curled inside the pockets of his coat as he quietly breathed out. "You've gotten thinner!" he murmured, never taking his eyes off Suo ran. He smiled but it was bitter-sweet "...It's only been a few months... yet you look like a completely different person." His gaze softened for just for a second. "You always knew how to make people worry." He lowered his eyes briefly before looking back at him. "...I finally got you... and this is how I see you again."The only reply was the steady sound of the monitor.*Beep... Beep...Beep...*
After standing there for minutes,he began walking. His footsteps were slow and cautious, each one quiet against the floor until he stopped beside the bed. From this close, Suo ran looked even more exhausted. Loose strands of hair rested against his forehead.His breathing was shallow but steady beneath the oxygen tube.Cai Lang unconsciously raised his hand, wanting to brush those strands aside, but halfway there his fingers stopped. He stared at his own hand for several long seconds before slowly lowering it again. His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly."...Still as stubborn as ever!" he whispered with a tired sigh.
He pulled a chair closer, the legs scraping softly against the floor, then sat beside the bed without taking his eyes off Suo ran. Resting his both forearms on his knees, he leaned forward slightly. "I warned you!" he said quietly, his voice calm but carrying unmistakable frustration. "I told you not to leave on your own. I told you it wasn't safe." He let out a quiet breath through his and gave a helpless shake of his head. "But you never listened." His eyes remained fixed on Suo ran's face."You packed your things... and left without even telling me."
He laughed, but there wasn't the slightest trace of amusement in it. He rubbed his forehead slowly before looking back at Suo ran. "Do you know how angry I was?" he asked softly. "What exactly did you think I was?" His eyebrows drew together. "A stranger?" He gave another small shake of his head. "Someone you could simply leave behind?" His voice remained low. "You disappeared without explanation. You didn't even wait for me came back you just left without Goodbye!"
Cai Lang lowered his gaze to Suo ran's hand resting quietly above the blanket. After staring at it for a long moment, he spoke again, "...And when you finally called me..." His fingers slowly tightened together. "...I didn't answer." He closed his eyes briefly before opening them again. "I saw your missed calls later." A bitter smile appeared once more. "I told myself I'd call you back after finishing my work." He let out another slow breath, his shoulders relaxing with quiet defeat. "I thought there would be plenty of time."
Cai Lang leaned back slightly in his chair, his eyes never leaving suo ran.His expression remained calm, but the regret hidden beneath it could no longer be completely concealed. He studied Suo ran's pale face for several long moments before speaking again. "You always managed to make the wrong decision at the worst possible time." He paused, looking down briefly before lifting his eyes once more. A faint sadness crossed his face as he whispered, "...And this time..." His voice almost disappeared. "...So did I."
Cai Lang let out a slow breath and leaned back in the chair. "You know..." he murmured quietly, "this is probably the first time you've actually stayed quiet long enough for me to finish talking." He smiled, but it disappeared immediately. "I always thought I'd enjoy it." He looked down for a moment before shaking his head. "...Turns out I hate it."His eyes slowly drifted toward the bandages around. His gaze lingered there for several seconds before his jaw tightened again. "How many times have you been hurt while I wasn't there?" he asked softly. "How many times did you tell yourself you could handle everything alone?" His fingers slowly tightened around the armrest of the chair. "You're terrible at asking for help."
Cai lang's narrowed as something shifted in his expression, a memory surfacing.His voice dropped even quieter. "You did call for help." His fingers loosened slightly, then tightened again."But I didn't answer." Flashback of that day when Cai lang lay half-awake on a sofa, one arm covering his eyes. He slowly sat up, blinking once as discomfort settled in. "…Damn it!" he muttered under his breath, pressing his fingers against his temple. He reached blindly toward the side table, searching for his phone. The screen lit up immediately the moment his fingers touched it.He saw notification came one after another. His eyes sharpened slightly. He picked it up then he noticed that Missed call from suo ran.
Cai Lang closed his eyes briefly, his hand still resting on the armrest. When he spoke again, his voice carried something more fragile than before. "I should've answered." A pause. His gaze shifted back to Suo ran. "I told myself I'd call you back later." His fingers loosened slightly. "But later never came." "I saw your calls… and I ignored them." His brows tightened as regret slowly settled in. "I thought…" His voice lowered further. "…you were just busy." And he smiled. "I even told myself you were fine."His hand moved slowly from the armrest toward the bed, hovering near Suo ran's hand. "I was at a party that night.I tried to call you but you didn't answer."
Another flashback of party night where cai lang standing slightly apart from the crowd, phone in hand then one message pops up. He unlock phone and saw a photo of suo ran. And Lin yichen standing together and smiling happily.Cai Lang's expression changed instantly. He stared at it for a long time without blinking.Then slowly lowered the phone. "…So that's where you are!" he had murmured quietly back then. Then another message came without explanation. There was just the image.His jaw tightened slightly in the present memory. " You didn't say anything."
Back in ICU cai lang's eyes softened, but the regret deepened. "I saw that photo… and I thought I understood everything wrong." His voice turned quieter. "I thought you were okay." A pause. "…I thought you didn't want me there." His hand reached hesitantly to suo ran's.His fingers closed gently around Suo ran's cold hand,"I didn't want to disturb your life." His head lowered slightly. "So I didn't call back."
His thumb began to move slowly over Suo ran's knuckles, careful,afraid of how fragile he felt beneath his touch."I kept telling myself it wasn't urgent." he added quietly, his voice tightening. "That you'd call again if it mattered… that you'd be fine no matter what I did." A faint, bitter exhale left him. "You always acted like you didn't need anyone!" he murmured, eyes soft but distant. "So I believed it too easily." His grip on Suo ran's hand tightened just slightly,"That was my mistake.""You made it look so simple!" he said quietly. "Like you could disappear and still be fine… like you wouldn't break." His thumb slowing for a moment before resuming its gentle motion. "But I should've known better!" he continued, jaw tightening faintly. "People don't call that many times for no reason." His eyes flickered briefly toward Suo ran's face, then back down.
"I should've known it wasn't just nothing," Cai lang continued quietly, His thumb slowed again over suo ran's knuckles, pressing lightly, "You don't beg for attention!" he murmured, eyes fixed on their joined hands. "You don't repeat yourself unless it matters." A faint tension pulled at his jaw. "So why didn't I listen?"His gaze finally lifted to suo ran's face again,But suo ran remained still, breathing faintly under the oxygen mask.
"…I missed it!"
Cai Lang admitted softly. "Every call. Every chance." His thumb stopped moving for a moment, then resumed slower, more carefully. "You kept reaching out," he said, voice tightening just slightly, "and I kept choosing not to hear it."He leaned forward a little more, his forehead closer to their joined hands. "If I had just picked up once…" he muttered, almost inaudible now, "…would everything have been different?"
Cai lang's thumb brushed lightly over suo ran's knuckles."I'm sorry." The words came out barely above a whisper. "I should've checked." He tightened his hold just a little,"I should've asked instead of assuming." A long breath left him. His forehead lowered slightly closer to their joined hands. "So…" his voice softened completely now. "wake up." A pause. "This time…" his fingers tightened gently. "don't leave before we finish our conversation."The room stayed still. *Beep… Beep… Beep…* Then a tiny movement happened and cai lang froze instantly. His eyes snapped to suo ran's hand.He noticed suo ran's finger twitched. His grip tightened without thinking. "…Suo Ran?" Another small movement.
Cai Lang leaned forward sharply, his voice breaking just slightly. "Suo ran can you hear me?" Suo ran's lips moved faintly, still not opening his eyes. A weak, confused whisper slipped out. "…Jun Wei…" Cai Lang stiffened. Suo ran's breathing remained uneven, but he whispered again,"…Jun Wei gege… will save you…" Cai lang's expression changed instantly, confusion settling across his face as he stared at suo ran,trying to hear what he was saying.