The two men arrived outside the ward. Wayne, bypassing all formalities, strode inside like a whirlwind.
"Auntie, I'm here."
The moment Mrs. Ye saw him, it was as if she had found a lifeline. Her eyes reddened instantly, and she lunged toward him, gripping his sleeve tightly. "Wayne... what do we do? Xiaoxiao... she won't wake up..." Her voice broke, unable to finish the sentence.
Wayne's flamboyant persona vanished instantly. He reached out and firmly supported Mrs. Ye's shoulders. "Auntie, sit down for a moment. Don't panic."
"What did the doctor say?" he asked gently.
Mrs. Ye sniffled, looking as if she had aged ten years in a day. "They said... they're waiting for the reports to find the cause of the coma. When she collapsed, she hit her head on the floor... they've treated the external injury, but..." She looked toward the silent girl on the bed, her voice trembling. "How could she just collapse? She's never..."
Wayne patted her hand, his voice softer than anyone had ever heard it. "Auntie, don't worry too much. The shoot is almost wrapped, and everyone is exhausted. Xiaoxiao's workload has been huge; she's probably just reached her limit. She just needs to rest."
Mrs. Ye's tears fell. "Only yesterday she told me she wanted red bean soup... asked me to cook it for her, and now..."
Wayne stiffened, a pang of sorrow hitting his chest. "Auntie, don't worry. Xiaoxiao has always been the most hardworking, well-behaved kid—she's just too tired right now. Once she's had enough sleep, she'll be back to her busy self again."
Mrs. Ye held onto his arm, clinging to her only source of support.
Meanwhile, outside the door, Qin Mu did not move closer.
He stood in the shadows of the hallway, watching from a distance. Inside the brightly lit ward, a small figure lay amidst the white sheets. Her eyes were closed, her face pale, as if all the light had been hidden away.
Qin Mu's knuckles tightened. He didn't even have the courage to step inside. His feet felt nailed to the floor.
Did she hit her head when she fell? It must have hurt... Did she fall all alone? Was there no one there?
His throat moved convulsively; his chest felt suffocated. His assistant, Xiao Zhang, noticed his darkening expression and whispered, "Qin-ge... do you want to go in?"
Qin Mu looked at the bright room, then at Wayne standing so close to Mrs. Ye—a familiarity that was "family-tier." He shook his head.
"I'm afraid if I go in, I'll only make her mother more panicked," he said, his voice as deep as a well.
But the real reason remained hidden in his heart: He was terrified that if he got too close, his heartbeat would betray a secret he wasn't ready to tell. He was afraid that seeing her like this would shatter his composure. He was afraid of showing concern that exceeded the boundaries of "friendship."
So he stood in the distance, even as the invisible rope around his chest tightened inch by inch.
A doctor and a nurse soon entered the ward. The doctor clipped the X-ray films onto the light box, the white glow illuminating the room. He pointed to the reports, his tone professional yet tinged with frustration.
"Blood work is normal, ECG is normal, brain imaging shows no abnormalities..." He paused, frowning slightly. "But Miss Ye still hasn't regained consciousness. Currently, there is no clear medical cause."
Mrs. Ye's grip tightened. Wayne immediately interjected to soothe her. "See, Auntie? The doctor says everything is normal! You can relax. Xiaoxiao is just exhausted."
"But... why hasn't she woken up?" Mrs. Ye asked.
The doctor sighed gently. "We need to observe. If the coma persists, we will arrange for more in-depth tests, like a brain CT or neurological evoked potential tests."
Mrs. Ye nodded frantically, bowing. "Yes, yes... thank you, Doctor. Thank you..."
As the doctor left the ward, Mrs. Ye caught a glimpse of a shadow by the door. "Oh? Is someone there?"
Wayne turned. Standing by the door was a tall, lean man. The light from behind carved sharp lines across his profile. Qin Mu. He stood perfectly still, yet he felt as heavy as a leaden shadow. His fingers were clenched around his jacket so hard his knuckles were white.
Caught in the act, he froze for half a second. Mrs. Ye looked up. "Sir... who are you looking for?"
Qin Mu's Adam's apple bobbed. He wanted to speak but didn't know where to begin. "I..."
Xiao Zhang jumped in from behind. "Hi, Auntie! We are Xiaoxiao's colleagues! Wayne, Qin-ge, and I... we came to see how she's doing!"
Wayne crossed his arms, rolling his eyes so far back they nearly disappeared. Mrs. Ye looked exhausted but remained polite. "You're Xiaoxiao's colleagues... thank you so much for coming all this way." She wiped her eyes. "Our Xiaoxiao... she always hates to trouble others..."
Hearing this, Qin Mu's breath hitched. That bitter realization—you don't actually know her—twisted like a knife in his chest.
Wayne glanced at Qin Mu and snorted inwardly. Hmph. Still trying to play it cool. I saw that look of pure agony on your face while you were standing at the door.
Xiao Zhang asked cautiously, "Auntie, is Xiaoxiao... just in a deep sleep now?"
Mrs. Ye nodded, her eyes reddening again. "Yes... she just... no matter how I call her, she won't wake up..."
Qin Mu could no longer restrain himself. He took a step forward. Each step felt like treading on an emotion he had long refused to acknowledge. As he stood by the bed, his fingertips trembled—but he forced himself not to touch her. He feared that if he did, his wall would crumble.
He lowered his gaze, his usually indifferent face now a mask of frozen pain. Seeing this, Wayne's eyes darkened with realization.
...It's over. This man has truly fallen for Xiaoxiao.
The air in the ward was thick with grief and worry. Somewhere else, the Qiao family was in a frenzy of joy because Qiao Fei had woken up. But here, hearts were breaking because Ye Xiaoxiao remained lost.
The clocks of two different worlds began to echo in a mismatched rhythm.