Chapter 28
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When Sui Yang woke up in the morning, he noticed that the little rabbit tucked in the blanket hadn’t stirred. So he went to have breakfast. As the morning progressed and there was still no sign of the rabbit’s movement on the surveillance cameras, Sui Yang decided to call Xie Min’s assistant.
The assistant informed him that Xie Min was still asleep and politely promised to notify him promptly if there were any new updates.
Maybe because Xie Min’s father had given instructions, the assistant treated Sui Yang politely, but he surely had some doubts in his mind. It was strange for someone who had never appeared before to visit and call repeatedly after Xie Min’s accident.
Sui Yang understood this, but he didn’t think other people’s opinions mattered much compared to Xie Min’s situation.
Throughout the day, Sui Yang remained relatively calm, occasionally checking the home monitor to see if the little bunny had moved.
He carried on with his work as usual, staying busy until evening when he received a text message from Dr. Zhuo, asking how he had planned to celebrate his birthday.
Sui Yang looked at the screen of his phone, thought for a moment, and then called her, asking if he could visit her tonight.
Dr. Zhuo had just finished seeing her last patient and was originally planning to go home and cook.
Sui Yang thought for a moment and asked Dr. Zhuo, “How about I treat you to dinner?”
Normally, therapists shouldn’t have too much contact with clients outside the therapy room, but Dr. Zhuo and Sui Yang had been friends for several years. So, she didn’t refuse.
Sui Yang initially planned to drive and pick her up himself. He sat in the car, hands on the steering wheel, but after a short pause, he called for a driver again.
In the back seat, he opened the surveillance on his phone. There were five cameras in the bedroom, and he carefully checked each one, comparing them with the morning screenshots. The little bunny was still peacefully lying in the blanket, without any physical changes.
Dr. Zhuo waited downstairs at the hospital. In the dim night, she wore a professional suit, carrying her bag, and the surrounding trees had twinkling lights.
Sui Yang looked at her through the car window and briefly considered going back home. If he ate outside and Xie Min experienced intense pain and returned to the little bunny’s body, he wouldn’t be able to see him right away.
Although Xie Min might not care.
The car stopped in front of her, and she got in. Sui Yang greeted her as usual, and she carefully observed his expression. Perhaps because the driver was in the front, she didn’t bring up anything related to Sui Yang’s personal emotions and casually joked, “How come a busy person suddenly has time to take me out for dinner?”
Sui Yang smiled and asked if she had ever been to the restaurant he was about to take her to.
The restaurant was located on the 100th floor of the tallest building in Yuanguang, offering a beautiful view.
After they entered the private room and sat down, Dr. Zhuo’s expression became serious. She asked Sui Yang, “What’s wrong with you? How’s your pet toy? I noticed you’ve been adjusting the surveillance all the way.”
“It’s not moving,” Sui Yang told her.
“…What kind of irresponsible manufacturer is this?” she seemed angry. “The quality is so poor, it broke twice in a month.”
Sui Yang thought for a moment and said, “Maybe it will be fine tomorrow, just like last time.”
“A comforting toy shouldn’t be like this,” she frowned. “It’s too unreliable. Sui Yang, can you return it?” Concern filled her eyes. “You’re dedicating all your personal time and attention to this toy. It’s not healthy.”
Sui Yang remained silent, lowering his head to look at the drinks menu.
After ordering their food and drinks, Dr. Zhuo perhaps sensed that he didn’t want to discuss anything related to the little bunny anymore. She changed the subject and asked, “How’s your sleep been these days?”
“It’s been alright,” Sui Yang told her. “I’ve been taking a different type of sleep-promoting capsule, a friend recommended it. It’s milder than prescription drugs.”
“Which friend?” Dr. Zhuo became sensitive.
“An old classmate,” Sui Yang lied. “Jiang Ci.”
Dr. Zhuo appeared to be somewhat doubtful, but she didn’t expose him and asked, “So, how do you plan to celebrate your birthday?”
“I don’t know,” Sui Yang told her.
He had originally planned to celebrate with the little bunny, but it seemed he just didn’t have that kind of luck.
“Your recent state has been worse than usual,” Dr. Zhuo suddenly said to him. “When I first met you, you weren’t like this, Sui Yang. As your doctor and friend, I suggest you hand over your toy rabbit to me for safekeeping.”
Sui Yang looked at her, and she was serious. “It doesn’t provide any comfort to you and will only worsen your condition.”
He knew Dr. Zhuo was looking out for his well-being, but her suggestion was not within his considerations. He could only say to her, “I’m sorry. It’s just an ordinary toy. It’s not the toy’s fault. Maybe I’ve been too busy lately. I’ll try to adjust my emotions on my own.”
After finishing dinner, Sui Yang escorted her back home. Along the way, she seemed hesitant to speak, but eventually told Sui Yang, “I cleared my schedule for your birthday the whole day. If you need anything, feel free to contact me anytime.”
Sui Yang said, “Thank you.”
As he entered his house, he was left alone.
He returned to his room, took a shower, and lay back in bed. His pink LEGO bunny still lay quietly on the blanket.
With its perky eyes and small front paws wrapped in a soft black jumpsuit, it appeared clumsy yet obedient.
Sui Yang turned to look at it, flicked it with his fingers for a while, leaned closer, and just like the previous night, gently brushed his lips against the bunny’s face. The room was lit tonight, but Xie Min was no longer in his home.
Sui Yang played with the bunny’s ears, front paws, and hind legs before getting up and changing the bunny into another set of white jumpsuit.
The bunny remained motionless, its limbs lacking flexibility, as if the internal spring had suddenly been removed from its body.
Sui Yang didn’t take any medication. He held the bunny in his palm, improvising a night’s sleep.
The next day at noon, just after finishing a meeting, Sui Yang received a message from private investigator Chen Liao: “Mr. Xie Min is awake.”
Sui Yang had a slight headache and was still thinking about the meeting’s agenda. Upon seeing the message, he suddenly became absent-minded.
Sui Yang felt as though he hadn’t experienced any intense emotions. However, he realized that, unlike the previous time, his time spent with the bunny might have come to a complete end.
But unlike the complete lack of contact before, Xie Min messaged Sui Yang to let him know he was safe.
Sui Yang had already saved Xie Min’s new number, but it was the first time in many years that he received a message from Xie Min.
Unlike Sui Yang, who was trapped in the past, Xie Min gratefully thanked him and although perhaps due to his ongoing recovery, the messages were sporadic, sent after periods of sleeping and waking.
When Xie Min sent a message at three in the morning, Sui Yang happened to be hesitating whether to take the prescription medication prescribed by Dr. Zhuo.
Upon receiving Xie Min’s message, Sui Yang felt relieved that he hadn’t taken the medication and began chatting with Xie Min.
Sui Yang initially believed that he would be able to accept returning to his previous life with composure. He had mentally prepared himself well. However, upon seeing Xie Min’s reply, he realized that he had filled in the missing expressions and tones of Xie Min’s speech in his mind, becoming greedy for more, even sending a message saying, “I haven’t bought the cake yet.”
Eight hours later, Sui Yang took a short nap in the car on his way to the factory. He picked up his phone and received a reply from Xie Min: “I thought you got drunk and forgot two days ago.”
Sui Yang was in the middle of composing a response when he received another message from Xie Min: “Are you available for a phone call?”
The car arrived at its destination and came to a stop. Sui Yang replied, “Yes,” and his phone quickly vibrated.
Sui Yang put on his earphones, instructed the driver and secretary to get out of the car, and answered Xie Min’s call.
Xie Min’s voice sounded hoarse, different from the lively bunny at his home. Soft and low, he greeted Sui Yang with a faint “Hello.”
It was overcast and windy in Yuanguang. Sui Yang looked out of the car window, where the leaves of the trees and grass on the ground swayed in the wind. He couldn’t feel the breeze inside the car, but there was a familiar fragrance in the cabin.
“Why aren’t you talking?” Xie Min asked on the other end. “Do you have any alternative options for the cake? Send me some pictures.”
Sui Yang replied that he didn’t have any, and Xie Min added, “Or maybe I can buy one for you. But it won’t count as a gift. I’ll give you a separate present.”
Perhaps speaking too quickly and anxiously, Xie Min suddenly started coughing.
His cough sounded weak and painful. Sui Yang felt a pang in his heart, as if his own heart was hurting with every cough. He wanted to be by Xie Min’s side in Yuhai immediately, but he didn’t have the authority to make that decision.
After coughing for a while, Xie Min’s voice grew hoarser, and he muttered a curse.
“Is the cough painful?” Sui Yang asked him.
Xie Min paused for a moment and said, “A little bit. Jiang Ci came to see me earlier. Sui Yang, I look really scary now.”
“You’re not scary,” Sui Yang reassured him.
“Very scary. The doctor said I’ve lost seven kilograms,” Xie Min told him.
“Can you walk now?”
“Not really,” Xie Min said, sounding a bit unhappy. He told Sui Yang, “My father came to see me yesterday, but it would have been better if he hadn’t.”
Sui Yang asked him what was wrong, but Xie Min didn’t want to say. He just complained like a child, “It’s so annoying.”
“How are you going to celebrate your birthday?” Xie Min asked excitedly.
Sui Yang sensed that Xie Min’s voice was getting increasingly hoarse. He felt that Xie Min might not be suitable for having such long conversations, but he also didn’t want to hang up the phone. He replied, “I don’t know,” and asked, “Do you have any suggestions, Mr. Xie?”
“No, I don’t even celebrate it myself,” Xie Min immediately responded.
Xie Min was both weak and lively. The way he spoke to Sui Yang made it seem as if they were friends who had already let go of the past.
Sui Yang was confused by the relaxed atmosphere and called out Xie Min’s name, asking, “Can I come and see you?”
“….. ” Xie Min’s silence made Sui Yang realize he had asked the wrong question.
However, Xie Min didn’t outright refuse. Instead, he asked, “When?”
Sui Yang pushed his luck and replied, “Tomorrow.”
“… It’s not auspicious to come to the hospital on your birthday,” Xie Min paused for a few seconds and told him, “And I look terrible now.”
Sui Yang said, “You don’t look terrible,” and Xie Min asked him, “Don’t you have work?”
“Taking the day off for my birthday,” Sui Yang fabricated.
He asked Xie Min, “Is it okay?”
Xie Min seemed hesitant, but after considering it, he surprisingly agreed.
After hanging up the phone, the car became very quiet.
Sui Yang heard the sound of the wind outside and glanced at the duration of the call with Xie Min. They had spoken for five minutes and fifteen seconds. Xie Min had agreed to meet him and mentioned that a patient shouldn’t speak so much.
Sui Yang suspected that he may have been too greedy lately, enjoying a good life, which made the moments feel fleeting.
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