Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Mr. Xiang, your girlfriend's condition is very unstable. It could take a turn for the worse at any moment. You need to prepare yourself for the worst," the doctor said, or something along those lines.

The ward fell eerily silent, a heavy hush hanging in the air.

I thought everyone had left.

Then I felt a cold hand brush against my cheek.

"Luna Bennett, don't you dare scare me like this..." he whispered.

When he said my name, his voice was so soft, like he was 哄 a sleeping child.

I couldn't tell if there was a hint of a sob in it.

But one thing was clear—he was terrified that I might leave him forever.

He started talking, rambling on and on.

He said more to me in those few minutes than he had in the past three months combined.

"Ning Ning, the doctor said you hit your head, but it's not too serious. Does your head still hurt?"

"I bought you a strawberry cake. Will you wake up and have a little bite?"

"I don't know how to take care of the roses you planted. What am I supposed to do? Wake up and come home with me to check on them, okay?"

"Ning Ning, didn't you say we'd bicker and argue for the rest of our lives? Why have you gone so quiet all of a sudden?"

My heart ached as I listened.

Every time Ethan and I fought, we'd fall into a cold war.

And every time, it was up to me to find an excuse to talk to him first, to end the silence.

"Didn't you have a stomachache the other day? Are you feeling better now?"

"I stopped by the supermarket on my way back. I bought some cherries—want some?"

"The robot vacuum isn't working. Can you come take a look at it?"

I suddenly realized—he was using my old tricks to apologize to me.

It was the first time he'd ever done that.

A nurse came in, pushing a cart to change my IV drip.

"With you talking to her like this, she's sure to wake up soon," she said.

"Your girlfriend is so lucky to have you."

Ethan replied quietly, "I guess she is..."

Lucky?

I'd had to get into a car accident to earn this "luck."

In his eyes, I was probably the luckiest girl in the world right now.

But before this? I'd spent years chasing after him, trying to keep up.

When we graduated, Ethan had already been working in City A for a year. I'd wanted to go to City F—there was a project there that was perfect for me.

"But if we're in a long-distance relationship, how often will we get to see each other? Chances are, we won't be able to make it work," he'd said.

"City A is the provincial capital. There are more job opportunities here, aren't there?"

We'd made a promise—to work hard together, build the life we'd always dreamed of, and stay together forever.

So I'd given up on the city I'd longed for and stayed in this bustling metropolis.

He was right—there were plenty of jobs here. But finding the right person? That was a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

What I hadn't realized was that this was just the first of many compromises I'd make for him. And as the years went by, I'd give up more and more of myself.