72 : Bringing you roses

 Perhaps because the stay was short, Yin Luo didn't feel uncomfortable when he woke up.

Dr. Zhao had been by his side the whole time, and upon seeing him wake up, immediately removed the electrode pads from his body: "Thank you for your hard work."

More than himself, Yin Luo was concerned about Duan Muze's current condition: "I'm fine... By the way, how is Duan Muze? How is he?"

"The other two personalities have completely merged, and all his physical signs are normal and stable, but he hasn't woken up yet." Zhao Qing patted Yin Luo's shoulder, "But I believe he will wake up soon, so don't worry about that."

Yin Luo felt relieved.

Afterwards, Zhao Qing took him to do various physical examinations, and all the indicators were normal. He then handed him a check, but Yin Luo hesitated for a moment, then waved his hand and refused: "We agreed to help, I won't take your money."

Besides, it's not much... Of course, he didn't say the second half of the sentence.

Zhao Qing handed it over again, and seeing that the other party's attitude was firm, he didn't insist anymore, and expressed his gratitude to Yin Luo again. Then Zhao Qing gave Yin Luo something like a key card: "You can come see him anytime during this period."

Yin Luo took it, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Can I go now?"

He seemed to have never seen Duan Muze in real life.

"Of course you can." After Zhao Qing finished speaking, he led Yin Luo to the elevator. Duan Muze's ward was on the top floor. After the two went up and changed into sterile gowns, Zhao Qing led him to a room in the middle. "You can try the access card."

Yin Luo swiped it on the machine next to the door.

There was no sound, and the door opened.

Yin Luo's heart was beating fast. After entering, he immediately saw the man on the hospital bed. The man's mouth and nose were connected to a ventilator, and his limbs were connected to electrodes.

He looked just like Duan Muze in the virtual world, with cold and handsome eyebrows and a straight nose.

At this moment, his eyes were closed, and the light cast a small shadow on his eyelashes.

"His condition has stabilized." Dr. Zhao Qing looked at the various instruments next to him, "Except for the ventilator, the others are no longer needed."

Yin Luo walked to the bedside and leaned over to look at Duan Muze.

The two were very close, and Yin Luo could see that Duan Muze's face was sickly pale. A small piece was missing from his right ear. "

How long have you liked me?

" Yin Luo stared at him for a long time, and finally whispered, "Wake up soon."

*

For a while afterward, Duan Muze maintained

normal vital signs, but he didn't wake up. Yin Luo also asked Dr. Zhao if it was possible for him to remain unconscious.

The doctor said not to worry, it just needed some time.

Yin Luo couldn't stay in the hospital indefinitely, so he went home first. It was summer vacation, and he visited Duan Muze every few days.

As summer vacation was about to end, Yin Luo's mother returned from abroad, and Yin Luo went to the airport with the driver to pick her up.

After returning home, the two went out for dinner. After dinner, the mother and son sat on the sofa, watching TV and chatting, enjoying family time.

Yin Luo also cut several kinds of fruit into small pieces and placed them on the coffee table, and put two knives and forks next to them. Yin's mother was surprised: "When did you learn to cut fruit?"

"..." Yin Luo was even more surprised than her, "Am I a useless person in your eyes who can't even cut fruit?"

Yin's mother: "Yes."

Yin Luo: "..."

Yin's mother put away her serious face and said gently: "I was just joking. I'm just surprised that you used to be too lazy to eat peeled fruit, and you didn't even want to eat the ones that needed to be washed."

Yin Luo thought for a moment, and it seemed that he used to be like that. He used a fork to cut a small piece of fruit and handed it to Yin's mother: "I learned from someone."

"Hmm?" Yin's mother noticed something, "From whom?"

Yin Luo paused, and did not answer the question. Instead, he asked: "By the way, Mom, didn't you say before that our family has that kind of heirloom? It's... specially for the future wife."

Yin's mother saw that her son had finally figured it out, and said calmly: "Yes... we do have one." Yin

Luo's eyes lit up: "Is it a diamond ring with roses on it? I saw you wearing it before."

That was indeed the one that Yin's father bought to propose to Yin's mother. After they got married, they both wore wedding rings, and this couple never used it again. When he was little, Yinluo pulled it out of the closet. Afraid he'd wear it carelessly and attract bad attention, she lied and said it was a family heirloom, to be kept safe at home and not taken out carelessly.

Unexpectedly, Yinluo took it seriously.

Yinluo's mother looked at him. She used to think he was oblivious to feelings, that these things wouldn't happen until he was at least twenty-five. But now… She nodded: “Yes, that’s it.”

Yinluo cautiously probed: “Did you change its location?”

He’d searched the closet for days without finding it.

“Yeah, it’s in the safe in my room.” Yinluo's mother asked deliberately, “You want it? Who are you planning to give it to?”

Yinluo’s cheeks flushed, but he still admitted: “To a…

…very good person.”

“Oh?” Yinluo's mother was somewhat surprised. She knew Yinluo’s temperament; someone he praised as good must be exceptionally outstanding. Was her son’s spring finally coming?

Yinmu, unusually gossipy, asked, "Are you dating someone?"

"Not yet," Yinluo thought for a moment, "but soon."

It should be soon… As soon as Duan Muze wakes up, he'll go over and be honest with him—asking if he's liked him for a long time, and if he still does, whether they could try dating.

Yinluo has always been clueless about relationships, but once he gets it, he's straightforward.

He added, "I don't know if I like him now, but… I'm just very curious about him."

He'd read in a book that curiosity is the first step in developing feelings for someone.

So, he'd only ever had these feelings for Duan Muze, so it should be considered… liking.

"Hmm, you could try to get to know him," Yinmu thought, thinking that he'd already been thinking about giving away his family heirloom before even starting a relationship; he might get scammed later.

Seeing Yinluo's thin arms and legs, making her seem easily bullied, she began to interrogate her: "Is she your classmate? From the same school? Or did you meet her on a summer trip?"

Although they rarely confided in each other, Yinluo had never hidden anything from her mother: "She's a classmate, but from high school."

Yinluo's mother was taken aback: "High school classmate?"

Yinluo: "Yes, he's two years older than me."

That made it even easier to be fooled, so Yinluo's mother became cautious: "What's her name? Do you have a photo? Mom will help you check—"

"Mom, no need, none of that is necessary." Yinluo interrupted her, "You've met him before, he won't disappoint you."

Since Yinluo said so, Yinluo's mother didn't ask anything more: "Okay, whatever you like."

Yinluo smiled: "Then give me the ring first."

Yinluo's mother: "..." She couldn't refuse, thinking that being fooled was a lesson learned, so that night she gave Yinluo the

ring box.

Yin Luo placed the box on his desk, turned on the lamp, and sat up straight in his chair, as if opening something precious.

Inside, two rings lay quietly. One was a woman's ring with a delicate, sparkling rose-shaped diamond; the other was a man's ring, simpler, with a small rose engraved on a plain band.

Yin Luo, with a selfish motive, kept the man's ring for himself.

Mainly , he

figured the woman's ring would look too effeminate, but if Duan Muze wore it, no one would dare say anything. "

Yes, that's settled."

Yin Luo took out the woman's ring and put it in another box, but then thought it was too ostentatious. So, the next morning, he went out and bought a thin chain, attaching the ring to it.

Having prepared everything, he went straight to the hospital.

Duan Muze was still unconscious, but Dr. Zhao Qing said his body was trembling slightly.

Yin Luo disinfected the necklace and brought it into the ward. He placed the necklace on the table beside him and looked at Duan Muze, saying, "I've come to fulfill my promise."

"I brought you roses."

He smiled. "By the way, school starts soon, so I won't be able to visit you often. So, get well soon."

He finished speaking and didn't linger.

The hospital room door closed, and Duan Muze's fingers twitched slightly.

*

After school started, Yin Luo became incredibly busy.

He didn't plan to take the postgraduate entrance exam for the time being, intending to find an internship to assess his work abilities.

After a few days of hectic activity, Dr. Zhao Qing called.

"He's awake!" Dr. Zhao Qing's voice was excited. "And he's recovering very well. This workaholic has already started working."

Yin Luo's mood brightened upon hearing this. He had visited Duan Muze frequently before he woke up, but now that he was awake, he felt a little embarrassed to see him.

However, Zhao Qing's tone quickly became hesitant: "But he seems to have some aftereffects."

Yin Luo was startled, fearing something might have happened to Duan Muze, and asked nervously, "What's wrong? Is there a problem with his body?"

"His body is fine; his intelligence, physical abilities, and self-care skills are all normal. But it seems he has memory problems."

Yin Luo paused for a moment. The voice on

the other end continued, "We conducted a series of tests to determine if his other memories are fine, but it seems..."

Yin Luo interrupted, "It seems what?"

Zhao Qing said, "He doesn't remember you."

Yin Luo

was speechless. "Logically speaking, you're the only person we know who can enter his mental world, so he should have very special and strong feelings for you." Zhao Qing used the word "perverted" very euphemistically, "But perhaps due to the influence of the other two personalities, he has no memories of you."

Yin Luo was momentarily stunned, "The influence of the other two personalities?

"

"If I'm not mistaken, all his personalities have the same feelings for you, so the resentment after being merged will affect the brainwaves of the main personality to some extent. But don't worry, he might just be experiencing the same symptoms as you when you first woke up. He just needs a few days of rest."

"You can come and see him; seeing you in person is more effective than any other method."

"Okay..." Yin Luo wanted to say something more, but just then, a classmate next to him called for help. So they stopped talking: "Then...I'll go see him this weekend, okay? I'm really busy with school these days."

Zhao Qing: "Sure, I'll take you to see him then."

Yin Luo hummed in agreement and hung up.

He was helping his roommate find literature for their undergraduate thesis, but he couldn't concentrate.

Dr. Zhao Qing's words kept echoing in his mind.

Did Duan Muze not remember him?

Or was it the influence of the other two personalities?

He had worked so hard on so many tasks, and he just forgot him like that? He had liked him for so long... Of course, Yin Luo couldn't bear to blame Shang Chengnin and Lu Ran, so in the end, he could only vent his anger on Duan Muze. He

thought angrily that if he still didn't remember when they met, he would take back the rose ring.

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