The drive took only fifteen minutes to reach the hospital Xu Jiamu was staying in.
Xu Wanli and Han Ruchu were probably busy, for they hadn't yet made it yet. Lu Jinnian and Xu Jiamu's relationship was always very good. When Qiao Anhao asked if he wanted to go upstairs to see him, Lu Jinnian thought about it for a moment and nodded. He parked the car in the hospital’s underground parking lot, locked the car, and followed Qiao Anhao in.
The nurse taking care of Xu Jiamu was waiting for Qiao Anhao in the first floor hall. When she saw her enter, she immediately took her upstairs. As they walked, she described how Xu Jiamu woke up.
"Today, at around six o'clock, Mr. Xu moved. Ever since Mr. Xu moved last time, he would move a little every day, but tonight, he moved quite often. We didn't think much of it, but when I came back from the restroom just now, I noticed that Mr. Xu's eyes were actually wide open..."
Following the nurse's description, Qiao Anhao and Lu Jinnian stepped into the hospital room. It was just as she had described, Xu Jiamu lay in bed with an IV attached to his arm. His eyes were open, staring at the ceiling, as though he was thinking of something.
Even though there was no love or blood relation between them, to Qiao Anhao, Xu Jiamu was like her biological brother - a brother who had protected her ever since she was young. Especially after her parents had passed away, Xu Jiamu really doted upon her. So when she saw Xu Jiamu, who was unconscious for so long, open his eyes, a hint of excitement inexplicably came over her.
She rushed over to his bedside without a second thought and stared at Xu Jiamu for a long time. After confirming her reflection in his eyes, she then called out, "Brother Jiamu."
Xu Jiamu stared at her with a lifeless expression, as though she was a stranger. His look was blank and unresponsive.
Qiao Anhao was frightened by the emptiness in his gaze and continued to call out, "Brother Jiamu?" Then she carefully and gently asked again, "Brother Jiamu, you don't recognize who I am?"
When Xu Jiamu heard Qiao Anhao's last words, his eyes finally moved. He stared at her with a glossy eyes.
Qiao Anhao held her breath, as she looked at Xu Jiamu. She didn’t dare say a word, her eyes filled with anticipation.
Xu Jiamu looked at her for a long time, then forced his hand to touch hers. He wanted to hold it, but he didn't have the strength to do so. In the end, all he could do was stretch his lips into a slight smile. As if it required a lot of energy, he spit out two murmured words, "Qiao… Qiao..."
Suddenly, Qiao Anhao's tears fell and she tightly grasped Xu Jiamu's hand. She was so emotional, she couldn't really speak. "Brother Jiamu, you're finally awake. You don't know just how you scared me. Brother Jiamu, I thought you'd never wake up again..."
Lu Jinnian, who had followed Qiao Anhao into the hospital room, saw this scene and only felt an abundance of needles stabbing into his heart.
The hand Qiao Anhao held Xu Jiamu with shook for a long while, before she remembered Lu Jinnian. Then she raised her hand to wipe away her tears. With a red nose, she moved away and said to Xu Jiamu, "Brother Jiamu, Lu Jinnian is here too."