The baby slapped me, and I said, "Sit on my lap and slap me."

Song Yunyan's scent instantly drew near, mixed with the base notes of men's perfume, causing Su Qingyao's back to stiffen slightly.

She quickly moved to the side of the car door to avoid it, while simultaneously blocking it with her hand.

"Brother Yunyan," the voice was not loud, but it carried a clear sense of estrangement and rejection.

"No, that's not suitable. I can do it myself."

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

Song Yunyan paused, remaining leaning closer, his gaze fixed on her tense profile and the hand pressed against his arm.

He slightly pursed his lips, a glint of mockery and amusement flashing in his eyes.

The next second, his expression changed rapidly, and he leaned back into the driver's seat, making a slightly apologetic gesture.

Her tone sounded relaxed and innocent, even a little nostalgic, "I'm sorry, Qingyao."

He smiled, but his gaze remained fixed on her.

"Look at me, I'm really... I got used to taking care of you when you were little, like buckling your seatbelt, handing you water, and taking your schoolbag. It's become a conditioned reflex. After all these years, I really can't change it all in a short time."

His words were tactful, both highlighting their past intimacy and attributing the recent transgression to an unintentional habit.

Su Qingyao didn't reply, silently pulling down and fastening the seatbelt beside her.

She looked ahead and said, "It's okay, let's go, Brother Yunyan."

Her voice was calm, revealing little emotion, yet it subtly drew a clear line between the two of them.

The sneer in Song Yunyan's eyes deepened. He said no more and started the car decisively.

Inside the car, Song Yunyan spoke in a relaxed tone, recounting those amusing childhood stories, as if the subtle probing and awkwardness from just moments ago had never occurred.

The voice carried a sense of nostalgia and intimacy, attempting to recreate that long-lost sense of closeness.

Su Qingyao occasionally gave a brief reply, her attitude somewhat colder than when they first met.

Most of the time, he just listened quietly, his gaze fixed on the street scenes rushing past the window, his profile appearing calm and detached in the afternoon light.

Song Yunyan caught her reaction out of the corner of his eye.

His smile remained unchanged, but from an angle unseen by Su Qingyao, a glint of shrewdness and calculation flashed across his face.

Conflict? Alienation?

well.

He silently curled the corners of his mouth into a smile.

Things that are too docile and easily obtained lose the thrill of conquest.

The Su Qingyao standing before him, who was subtly erecting barriers around him, was more like a treasure that needed to be carefully dissected.

This challenge subtly stirred his innate hunting instincts.

About forty minutes later, the car stopped in the hospital's underground parking lot.

Song Yunyan got out of the car first, went around to the trunk and took out several exquisitely packaged gift boxes and several boxes of imported nutritional supplements.

It is a special liquid diet formula and nutrients that help bedridden patients maintain bodily functions and prevent complications.

Su Qingyao closed the car door and was slightly taken aback when she saw what he was holding.

Song Yunyan met her gaze and explained naturally, "I asked the hospital's nutrition department. Aunt Su's body has limited absorption right now, so these specially made foods are more suitable for her. They can prevent excessive muscle atrophy and also have potential benefits for nerve recovery."

He spoke sincerely, "I was thinking that maybe this would make her more comfortable and prepare her for her future awakening."

Su Qingyao looked at the heavy tonic in his hand, and then at his solemn face.

The discomfort I felt during our first two meetings was somewhat lessened by this genuine concern.

The coldness on her face softened slightly, and a genuine smile curved her lips. "Thank you for your trouble, Brother Yunyan."

She spoke softly, her eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions—gratitude and a heavy heart for her mother's illness.

"Thank you, these things... are really thoughtful."

"What's the trouble?"

Song Yunyan picked up a few boxes, saying, "Compared to how good Aunt Su was to me before, these things are nothing."

After saying that, he gentlemanly stepped aside, gesturing for Su Qingyao to go first, "Let's go see Aunt Su and see how she looks today?"

Su Qingyao nodded and turned to walk towards the elevator leading to the inpatient department.

Song Yunyan followed half a step behind her, carrying the things, his smile deepening.

The two quickly arrived at the ward at the end of the corridor.

As I pushed open the door, the smell of disinfectant mixed with the aroma of medicine filled the room.

On the hospital bed, Su's mother lay asleep, her body connected to life-sustaining equipment that emitted regular, soft sounds.

Caregiver Aunt Zhou is carefully tidying up items by the window.

"Aunt Zhou," Su Qingyao called softly.

"Qingyao is here."

Aunt Zhou turned around, her gaze falling on Song Yunyan, a subtle scrutiny flashing across her face.

"Aunt Zhou, this is Song Yunyan, my neighbor when I was a child. He also knows my mother. He came here today to visit her." Su Qingyao introduced him simply.

"Oh, Mr. Song, hello."

Aunt Zhou nodded politely to Song Yunyan, then turned to Su Qingyao in a gentle tone.

"You guys chat for a bit, I'll go to the nursing station to ask about tonight's nursing schedule and pick up some new nursing pads while I'm at it."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work, Aunt Zhou."

Aunt Zhou smiled, glanced at Song Yunyan subtly, then turned and left the ward, gently closing the door behind her.

She stopped at the corner of the corridor, quickly typed a message on her phone, and sent it.

The ward fell silent, with only the faint hum of the medical equipment remaining.

Song Yunyan put down the things he had brought, turned his gaze to the hospital bed, and stared at it quietly for a moment.

"Aunt Su seems to be in relatively good health," he said gently, breaking the silence.

Su Qingyao walked to the bedside and gently brushed her fingertips across the back of her mother's hand. "Yes, the nurse and Aunt Zhou both said that her various indicators have been relatively stable recently, without any major fluctuations."

She gestured for Song Yunyan to sit down on the chair next to her, while she herself sat on the low stool by the bed.

"Thank you for coming to see her." There was a genuine sense of gratitude in her voice.

"Of course." Song Yunyan took two steps forward and sat down on a chair not far from her.

His gaze lingered on Su's sleeping face as he spoke in a low, gentle voice.

"Qingyao, you've worked so hard all these years... you've carried it all by yourself."

Su Qingyao paused for a moment as she stroked her mother's fingers.

Is it hard work?

These things had long been a part of her life, and her mother was one of the reasons she survived.

Occasionally, late at night, looking at my mother's unresponsive face, an overwhelming sense of loneliness and exhaustion slowly washes over me.

But she never spoke of these weights to anyone.

Even with Wen Yu, she didn't want him to share this gloom that didn't belong to him.

"It's alright." She looked up and gave him a faint smile.

Song Yunyan didn't pay attention to her nonchalant answer and changed the subject.

"My dad mentioned a few days ago that a research center abroad has developed a new recovery stimulation program for cases like Aunt Su's. Although it cannot guarantee awakening, the data shows that it is quite good in preventing functional decline."

"If you're interested, I can get the information, and perhaps we can discuss the feasibility with the attending physician here."

This topic indeed caught Su Qingyao's attention.