Xu Huaisong and Ruan Yu stayed in the hospital for several consecutive days.
Xu’s father had begun treatment in a transitional environment two months prior. Due to thorough preparation in the early stages, his physical condition was more optimistic than expected. Aside from rarely speaking, he didn’t show much aversion toward the new caregiver. After three initial days of resistance, he gradually adapted to her care.
Occasionally, when he acted out, Xu Huaisong would coax him, and he’d settle down.
Still, neither of them dared to let their guard down. Since Xu Huaisong hadn’t fully adjusted to the time difference, he and Ruan Yu took turns sleeping to keep watch in the hospital room.
On the day Tao Rong was set to arrive in Hangzhou, it coincided with the trial of Wei Jin’s murder case in Suzhou. Xu Huaisong attended the hearing and afterward picked her up on the way back.
That left only Ruan Yu and the caregiver, Auntie Wu, at the Hangzhou hospital.
At first, Ruan Yu was a little nervous. The slightest change in Xu’s father—a furrowed brow, rubbing his stomach—would send her running to ask the doctor about his condition. After lunch, seeing him in good spirits and knowing Xu Huaisong would return soon, she finally relaxed a little.
Noticing that Xu Yin hadn’t dozed off immediately after lunch, Auntie Wu turned on the TV in the room, switching to a children’s channel playing cartoons.
Though Xu’s father no longer understood what was on TV, the colorful images often made him chuckle happily.
Ruan Yu fetched a glass and poured him some hot water to have on hand, then sat by his bedside and asked, “Uncle Xu, would you like some apple? I’ll peel one for you.”
Xu Yin glanced at her, seemingly not fully grasping her words, but in his good mood, he nodded with a smile.
Ruan Yu picked a few apples from the fruit basket and headed to the pantry in the hallway to wash them.
Auntie Wu hurried over. “Let me do it.”
She waved her off. “It’s fine, I’ve got nothing else to do.” Turning back, she noticed the cartoon had ended, replaced by commercials, and added, “Could you change the channel?”
“Sure.”
Ruan Yu carried the fruit tray out, washed the apples in the pantry, and then received a WeChat message.
Huaisong: I’m in the parking lot downstairs. Was everything okay this morning?
She walked back to the room while typing a reply, but before she could send it, she heard a sharp clang —like a glass shattering.
Auntie Wu’s startled cry followed immediately.
Ruan Yu froze, then rushed forward and pushed the door open. Xu Yin, who had been fine just moments ago, was now throwing a tantrum—smashing not just the glass but also pillows, sheets, medicine bottles, even stumbling barefoot off the bed.
The room was filled with the chaotic sound of things breaking.
Auntie Wu tried in vain to calm him down before hitting the call button for help.
Ruan Yu was shocked. Seeing Xu Yin about to step on the broken glass, she quickly grabbed him. “Uncle, Uncle, watch out for the glass!” She turned to Auntie Wu. “What happened?”
“I don’t know, I—I just changed the channel, and suddenly he…”
Ruan Yu looked at the TV and immediately understood—the screen showed a courtroom, likely reporting on Wei Jin’s case. She tugged Xu Yin’s arm, trying to guide him back to bed. “Uncle, don’t be afraid, the case is already—”
Halfway through her sentence, the word “case” seemed to trigger Xu Yin like a spell. He violently shook off her hand.
Ruan Yu staggered and fell, instinctively catching herself with her palms—right onto the shards of glass.
Ignoring the pain, she scrambled up and went after Xu Yin, who was now stumbling around, knocking things over.The on-duty doctor rushed in just in time, helping Xu Yin back to bed and restraining him before turning to the nurse outside the door, saying, "Prepare a sedative injection!"
Ruan Yu let out a sigh of relief, panting heavily beside them.
The nurse came in to administer the sedative to Xu Yin and stayed to comfort him until he calmed down. When she turned and noticed Ruan Yu's hand, she gasped, "Miss, your hand..."
Before she could finish, Xu Huaisong and Tao Rong arrived, likely having seen the commotion of doctors and nurses rushing about and hurried over.
Tao Rong froze at the doorway, stunned by the mess on the floor.
Xu Huaisong immediately spotted the blood on Ruan Yu's palm. Without even asking, "What happened to Dad?" he strode forward, grabbed her other hand, and pulled her out, saying to the nurse, "Please tend to her injury."
Still dazed from the earlier chaos, Ruan Yu followed him for a few steps before regaining her senses. "You should check on your dad first, I'm fine..."
Without a word, Xu Huaisong led her to the treatment room, lifting her hand to inspect it. A vein throbbed at his temple.
The nurse followed them in, turning on the lights and drawing the curtains. She gathered medical supplies, put on gloves, and sterilized the tweezers while speaking to Ruan Yu, "Sit on the bed, please. This might hurt a little—try to bear with it. Give me your hand."
Ruan Yu sat on the bed, only now realizing the sharp pain in her palm. As she extended her hand, she clenched her teeth and turned her face away.
Xu Huaisong stood beside her, pulling her into his embrace with one arm while covering her eyes with his other hand.
The tweezers pulled out the shards of glass, tugging at her flesh. She hissed in pain, her eyelashes fluttering against his palm.
He held her tighter, gently patting her back. "It'll be over soon, just a little longer." Five minutes later, when the nurse set down the tweezers, he asked carefully, "Did you get all of it? Could you double-check, please?"
The nurse confirmed again, "Don't worry, it's all out. Now we need to disinfect—hang in there a bit longer."
Ruan Yu nodded, pressing her cheek tightly against Xu Huaisong's torso. But when the antiseptic touched her wound, her whole body shuddered, and tears welled up.
Xu Huaisong trembled slightly too. After a pause, he offered his hand to her mouth. "Bite me if it hurts."
Ruan Yu shook her head, forcing a joke through the pain. "Then you'd have to get a rabies shot."
Knowing she was trying to distract herself, he played along, asking the nurse, "Do you need a rabies shot if a little rabbit bites you?"
The nurse laughed, joining in to cheer Ruan Yu up. "Rabbits are rodents—usually no need for rabies vaccines. Though I might need some digestive pills after all this sweetness."
Xu Huaisong smiled. "We'll cover the medical bill."
Ruan Yu chuckled at their banter, and by the time she remembered the pain again, the bandage was already wrapped.
The nurse packed up the tools, reminding them about dressing changes, dietary restrictions, and other care instructions before wheeling the cart out.
Xu Huaisong sat down beside the bed, carefully lifting her hand and stroking it while avoiding the wound. He looked up and said, "I'm sorry."
"I should be the one apologizing—I didn't take good care of your dad... He lost control after seeing Wei Jin's case on TV..."
Xu Huaisong nodded. "It's fine. These episodes happen often. The new caregiver just lacks experience. Back in the U.S., we could usually calm him down without sedatives."
"Aren't you going to check on him?"He shook his head. "The doctor is here, and my mom also needs this opportunity. Let them have some time alone. They’ll call us if anything happens."
Ruan Yu suddenly understood. "You’re even scheming against your own mom."
Xu Huaisong gave a faint smile, avoiding a direct answer, his expression still tinged with concern for her. "Does it still hurt?"
She shook her head. "It’s okay."
"You’ve had a tough time."
"What’s tough about it? Your family is my family too."
Xu Huaisong’s eyes flickered slightly. After a brief silence, he murmured an "Mm" and kissed her forehead.
When the two returned to the hospital room, the mess on the floor had already been cleaned up.
Xu’s father was asleep, and Tao Rong sat by the bedside watching him. She looked up at Ruan Yu’s injury with an apologetic expression and whispered to Xu Huaisong, "Yu Yu looks pale. Why don’t you take her home to rest? I can handle things here."
Xu Huaisong fell silent.
She gave an awkward smile. "Don’t worry, I’ll ask the doctors and nurses how to take care of your dad."
Xu Huaisong nodded and took Ruan Yu back to the apartment. Passing the mailbox downstairs, he unlocked it with a key and retrieved three letters.
They were from the U.S., having just arrived today.
Ruan Yu glanced at them and noticed that although all three letters were addressed to Xu Huaisong, the corners of the envelopes indicated different recipients.
The other two were for Xu Huaishi and Tao Rong.
Once inside, Xu Huaisong guided her into the bedroom and told her to lie down and rest. He then went to the living room, sat down, and opened the letter addressed to him from his father.
The handwriting was unmistakably Xu Yin’s, though somewhat scribbled, the strokes appearing shaky—clearly written when his health was poor.
The first line read: "Son, by the time you read this letter, your father may no longer be in this world."
Despite being mentally prepared, Xu Huaisong was still stunned by this opening. After a pause, he continued reading.
"I never told you, but when I first came to the U.S., I was diagnosed with a severe cardiovascular disease. So you might find my passing sudden."
"But the truth is, in these past three years, I’ve been rushed to the emergency room twice. When writing this letter, I had just narrowly escaped death again. So I’ve long been prepared. Don’t grieve for me, and don’t blame yourself for not knowing earlier—because I deliberately kept it from you."
"If I didn’t say anything, how could you have known? Just like three years ago, when I told your mother I was tired of her and this family, she had no idea I was lying."
"Your father’s mouth is just too stubborn. So when you, at eighteen, demanded to know whether I was aware if the client had committed murder, I said nothing. I stayed silent because I knew even if I spoke, you might not truly understand. But as someone who chose to become a lawyer, you would eventually find the answer to that question on your own.""But to be honest, your father never truly wished for you to become a lawyer. Or at the very least, not a criminal defense lawyer. As a criminal lawyer myself, I deeply yearn for more young people to walk this path—to love it, believe in it, pour their hearts into it, and make its existence shine brilliantly. Yet as a father, I cannot bear the thought of my son suffering for it, being criticized for it, enduring the sideways glances of the world because of it, and becoming like me."
"So when you were hesitating about your specialization, I did something I shouldn’t have. I privately spoke with your professor and asked him to persuade you, interfering with your choice. I hope you won’t blame me for this."
"But if you truly resent me for it, then follow your heart and choose again—because this is, after all, your life. I just want you to know that no matter what field of law you ultimately pursue, no matter what achievements you attain, you will always be the greatest pride in your father’s heart. Though it pains me that I won’t be there to see it."
The letter ended abruptly here. It didn’t quite read like a final will, yet it had said so much.
Xu Huaisong’s vision gradually blurred. When he took off his glasses, now dotted with droplets, he suddenly heard soft footsteps behind him.
Ruan Yu had stepped out of the room at some point and seemed to have been watching him quietly for a long time.
He turned to look at her, clearing his throat awkwardly, his expression slightly uneasy.
She walked over and pulled him into an embrace. Without asking what the letter had said, she simply murmured, "Tomorrow will be good. It will be very, very good."
Yes.
What he had nearly lost was still here beside him after all. This wasn’t truly a final letter, nor was it the end. So tomorrow—yes, tomorrow would surely be very, very good.
Author's note: What should I say today? Better not say anything—opening my mouth would ruin the mood.
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