The sickly one in F4 was the group's darling.

The corridor suddenly fell silent.

Bai Jiheng stared intently at Dr. Qin, as if confirming he hadn't misheard. His lips moved, his Adam's apple bobbed a few times, and finally, he squeezed out a single sentence through clenched teeth: "His health is in such a poor state... why has no one ever known?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he froze on the spot, taken aback by the question.

Yes, why has no one ever known?

But they never cared about him. They never asked how he was doing, never cared if he was feeling unwell. They didn't know that his living expenses had been withheld for seven or eight years. They didn't know that he walked up the mountain to attend the banquet. They still didn't know that he collapsed at the bathroom door.

It wasn't until they were lying in the emergency room that they heard these words from the doctors for the first time—"long-term," "serious," "not an accident."

"There's another abnormality that we can't diagnose yet," Dr. Qin said with a furrowed brow. "His cardiac enzyme levels are high, indicating mild myocardial ischemia. Given his age and physique, he shouldn't have this kind of organic problem at all."

Upon hearing the words "myocardial ischemia," the brothers' expressions instantly changed. They had only noticed that Bai Ci was thin and had a perpetually pale complexion, assuming it was just a matter of being born with a weak constitution and that he would recover with rest. They never imagined that he harbored such a deadly ailment.

"It's impossible to draw a precise conclusion at this time; we need to wait until he wakes up and undergo a full set of in-depth examinations."

He solemnly instructed, "Tonight is a critical observation period. I will stay and monitor the situation throughout, and I will notify you both immediately if the data fluctuates. Currently, the vital signs are stable, and there is no immediate danger."

After hearing this, Bai Yanzhi's shoulders, which had been tense to the extreme, finally relaxed, and his back slumped back against the wall.

The huge weight that had been hanging over my heart eased slightly, but the bitterness and tightness in my chest remained unchanged.

Bai Yanzhi asked in a deep voice, "Can we go in and take a look?"

Dr. Qin hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

Bai Yanzhi nodded slightly, his voice low and weary: "Thank you, Dr. Qin. Ji Heng, please take Dr. Qin to the rest room next door to settle in, and have Uncle Chen prepare all the necessary equipment and medicines."

Bai Jiheng nodded and accompanied Dr. Qin outside.

After giving his instructions, Bai Yanzhi calmed himself down and went into the adjacent ward alone.

On the hospital bed, Bai Ci was wrapped tightly in two layers of thick blankets, a small ball nestled between the bedding.

The stray hairs that were previously damp and stuck to the side of my face have dried and are now softly scattered on the pillow, like a crescent of light ink.

The sickly flush on her face had completely faded, and although her complexion remained pale, it was no longer the deathly gray of before. A faint trace of blood appeared on her lips, finally giving her a slight sign of life.

Bai Yanzhi gently sat down on the edge of the bed, causing the mattress to sink slightly.

The sleeping boy seemed to sense the movement; his eyelashes trembled very slightly, but he did not open his eyes.

Bai Yanzhi raised his hand and carefully tucked the corner of the quilt in tightly and neatly.

The back of her hand brushed against the boy's slightly cool cheek, finally no longer as icy as before, but with a touch of warmth.

His finger remained suspended in mid-air, hesitant to retract it.

At a distance of half an inch, the boy's gentle, even breath brushed against the back of his hand again and again, as light as a butterfly's wing, faint yet real.

one more time.

Still.

He's perfectly fine.

This faint touch became Bai Yanzhi's only salvation tonight.

In her mind, Xiaoqi kept refreshing the monitoring panel, still feeling lingering fear.

"Bai Bai, you've finally stabilized... You must take good care of yourself."

In her drowsy state, Bai Ci's eyelashes trembled very slightly, her lips moved slightly, and she uttered a few words indistinctly.

Bai Yanzhi didn't hear clearly. He leaned down and brought his ear close to Bai Ci's lips.

"...Big brother."

Bai Yanzhi froze, remaining bent over without moving. He felt a mix of bitterness and embarrassment, wanting to respond, but his throat felt blocked.

Bai Ci remained in a deep sleep, never waking up.

He didn't know that he had called out to someone in his dream, nor did he know how long it took for the person beside the bed to calm down and sit up after that murmur.

At this moment, Bai Ci fell into a long dream.

In his dream, he was a rabbit, squatting on a large meadow. The sun was warm and the alfalfa was growing perfectly, with tender green covering the hillsides.

He lowered his head and took a few bites, finding it very sweet, sweeter than any strawberry or pudding he had eaten that day.

Calls came from afar, one after another shouting "Bye-bye".

Just as he was about to prick up his ears in response, the scene before him suddenly changed.

He looked down and found himself transformed into a person, standing barefoot on the grass, wearing the hoodie with the tiger print.

The grass blades tickled the soles of my feet, and a breeze blew from the distant mountain ridge, carrying the coolness of the stream.

At the edge of the meadow, a tall figure walked slowly towards him. His features were obscured by the backlight, but the voice sounded familiar.

"Bai Ci".

The form of address had changed. The man continued, "You promised me."

He opened his mouth to ask, "Who are you?", but no sound came out. He tried to move forward, but his feet seemed nailed to the grass, and he couldn't take a single step.

The next second, the entire meadow suddenly turned cold. The sunlight disappeared, a cold wind howled past, the grass blades rustled, and withered yellow leaves swept past your feet in the cold wind.

A wave of drowsiness washed over him, and all he wanted to do was curl up and take a nap.

Just like when we used to hide in a cave, we would bury our heads, bend our knees, and hug our legs tightly, not afraid of the cold outside.

But then he suddenly remembered—

He's no longer that little rabbit who can huddle together for warmth.

It has no furry body, no downy fur to keep warm, and nothing at all to protect itself.

A strange tightness and sourness welled up in his heart, and layers of grievance and coldness enveloped him, making it hard to breathe.

Just as he was about to be swallowed by the boundless cold, a gentle and warm voice whispered in his ear, warm and soft.

At the same time, a warm hand covered his cold forehead, gradually dispelling the biting chill.

"Don't be afraid, you don't have to be afraid anymore."

Bai Ci tried desperately to open her eyes to see the person clearly, but her eyelids felt as heavy as lead, and she was unable to open them.

I could only instinctively turn my head slightly toward that one source of warmth, and then fall completely into the safe darkness.

This time, the darkness was free of biting winds and boundless chill.

Inside the ward, the light was warm and soft.

Bai Yanzhi gently brushed aside the soft wisps of hair on the boy's forehead, his warm palm resting on the boy's slightly cool forehead, lingering there for a long time.

He lowered his gaze to the boy sleeping peacefully on the bed, his voice low and soft, concealing all his guilt, indulgence, and belated tenderness:

"You promised me that no matter what happens in the future, you would tell me immediately."

"From now on, your older brother will protect you."