Chapter 187: Facing

"A birthday present? Alright, what do you want?" Li Huowang asked softly, smiling, towards the head of the bed. He recalled that he had indeed told Yang Na that day he would give her a birthday present.

Yang Na's voice was quiet for a moment, then she spoke with a hint of caution: "Huowang, I... I hope that once your condition stabilizes, you can pick me up from my school during the holidays. I told my roommates I have a boyfriend, and that he's really handsome, but they just don't believe me. I even showed them our photos, but they actually thought they were photoshopped. Ugh, those three crazy women, seriously."

"Condition stabilizes?" A hint of bitterness welled up in Li Huowang's heart at her words. This hallucination was so logical that it seemed indistinguishable from reality, yet no matter how real it felt, it was still just a hallucination.

"Okay," Li Huowang lied, a rare occurrence for him.

"Great! When that happens, those single dogs will be so jealous!"

At this, a silence fell between them. "How have you been?" Yang Na's question left Li Huowang at a loss for how to respond.

Recalling everything that had happened, Li Huowang couldn't honestly say he was doing well. "I'm okay." Yang Na's voice grew softer, and with a hint of grievance, she said: "Huowang, I like you, I really, really like you, but this kind of liking needs to be nurtured by both of us. If it's just up to me, I'm genuinely afraid I won't be able to keep going one day, just like my parents. They were so loving when I was little, but in the end, they gradually came to hate each other."

Li Huowang took a deep breath and repeated, "Okay." This time, however, Yang Na wasn't satisfied. "Li Huowang! Be serious! Don't just keep saying 'okay'—you need to take action! Auntie says you're very resistant to seeing a doctor; that's not acceptable! Don't I know you? You keep everything bottled up! Are you trying to escape something again? You were so stubborn as a child, and you're still like this now! I know you're having a hard time, and you have a serious illness, but if you're sick, you need to get treatment. Only then can you make me understand your feelings and know that you're trying just as hard as I am. Otherwise, I'll be uneasy and start overthinking. I'll wonder if you're planning to abandon me again."

Hearing this, Li Huowang immediately clenched his hands. "Na Na, I promise you, I will never give up on you. Even if... even if..."

"Even if what?"

"Even if you are a hallucination." This last part, Li Huowang kept to himself. "Even if my illness never gets better, as long as you keep going, I will never give up."

After receiving Li Huowang's firm reply, Yang Na's voice regained its previous vibrancy. She started telling Li Huowang about interesting things at her new school. They chatted for half an hour until Nurse Wang reminded them, and they finally hung up, reluctant to part.

Lying on the bed, Li Huowang sighed deeply. He knew that things within the hallucination weren't set in stone. But faced with Yang Na's birthday wish, he truly didn't know what to do. After his last experience, the hospital wouldn't even consider temporarily discharging him; even loosening his restraints would likely require multiple layers of approval. Not to mention Yang Na's university was in another city; even if it were local, he wouldn't be able to go.

"Seeing how normally you talk to her, how about trying a doctor's consultation today?" Listening to Nurse Wang, Li Huowang irritably turned his head away.

"Oh, young man, I'm even a little moved. For such a good girl, you can't let her down; don't give up on treatment."

"Isn't this a patient's private matter? Are we very familiar with each other?" Li Huowang was extremely annoyed.

"You might not be familiar with me, but I'm very familiar with you. We're the ones who give you baths, insert and remove catheters, and bring you bedpans. Honestly, I haven't been this filial to my own mother. Still, you're relatively easy to care for; you don't need to be turned. Young people just have good bodies; lying down for so long, you haven't developed bedsores. Bed No. 19, on the other hand, is really problematic; we have to turn him every few hours."

Perhaps it was due to her personality, but Nurse Wang was very keen on chatting with Li Huowang. Faced with her incessant chatter, Li Huowang grew even more irritated. "I'm tired. Can I rest for a while?"

"Oh, young man, you're practically growing roots on the bed, and you still get tired? Tired of lying down? Why don't you chat with me? This hospital is so heartless; they don't even let us play on our phones in the staff room. If it weren't for the good benefits and social insurance, I would have left long ago."

"Young man, are you really not going to let the doctor come see you? If your Yang Na knew about this, what would she think?" These words made Li Huowang's expression slightly serious. "Alright, have the doctor come over." Even if it was a hallucination, he didn't want Yang Na to be sad.

"Oh, I forgot to mention, it's Sunday today, so Dr. Hou is off. Are you free tomorrow?"

"Are you messing with me?" Li Huowang was starting to dislike Nurse Wang.

"What do you mean? How would I dare mess with you? Your mother is quite formidable; no one would dare mess with her precious son. I certainly don't want to be reported by her. Dr. Hou really isn't here. Tomorrow, tomorrow, I'll definitely tell him. By the way, will you be here tomorrow? I heard the doctors say your condition is quite rare; they even want to name the disease after you."

Li Huowang closed his eyes in exasperation, not wanting to listen anymore. Amidst the other person's incessant chatter, Li Huowang drifted off to sleep.

When he woke up again, he found himself back on the wooden bed, bound by chains, but with a blanket covering him. Only then did he let out a sigh of relief. Li Huowang looked at Bai Lingmiao beside him, and gradually, her appearance began to overlap with Yang Na's. A hallucination was, in the end, just a hallucination. Having experienced one, the only thing he truly cherished had to be reality.

As he watched, a thought crossed Li Huowang's mind. "What Yang Na considered, is Bai Lingmiao thinking the same thing?"

Under his gaze, Bai Lingmiao's long white eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes. Seeing Li Huowang's clear eyes, Bai Lingmiao smiled faintly. "Senior Brother Li, it's only the fourth watch. I'll unchain you so you can sleep a bit more." After speaking, she pulled back the blanket and busied herself with Li Huowang.

Looking at the face so close to him, Li Huowang suddenly asked, "Today, were you very envious of that bride?" Bai Lingmiao's face flushed. Though shy, she didn't feign denial. "Yes, very envious."

"Senior Brother Li, when we get home, will you marry me? You won't dislike me, will you?"

Hearing her words, Li Huowang leaned his head forward slightly and softly pecked her delicate lips. Bai Lingmiao was clearly startled by his action, freezing in place and utterly at a loss. Li Huowang sat up and pulled her into the warm blanket. That day, Li Huowang woke up very late.