CHAPTER 272: CHAPTER 259 AWAKE 2

"Have you said enough?" Seeing Lin Zhenxin’s bad expression, Li Yanan finally spoke.

His expression was cold and solemn, his strong and sharp figure exuding an aura of indifference and harshness, making people feel intimidated from within.

"Zhenxin’s surname is Lin, while yours is Tu. What gives you the right to criticize my wife, Lin Zhenxin, with such an entitled attitude?"

This was one of the reasons Li Yanan didn’t want Lin Zhenxin to meet Tu Haohao.

Back then, it was the Tu Family who adamantly refused to acknowledge Zhenxin!

"Forgive us for not accompanying you!"

After saying this, Li Yanan took the still distraught Lin Zhenxin and walked back the way they came...

On the way back, Lin Zhenxin remained silent.

She only gazed out the window, her mind recalling various memories with Tu Haohao.

From initial rejection to eventual acceptance, scenes flashed before her eyes, yet they felt like a thorn in her throat.

"Is your heart heavy?" Li Yanan’s voice was deep and pleasant, his large hand clasping hers since they got into the car and never letting go.

Lin Zhenxin didn’t respond, but when she came to her senses, tears were already falling onto the back of Li Yanan’s hand.

"Will Haohao be like this for a lifetime?"

Lin Zhenxin hoped the answer was no, but if the answer was yes, it wasn’t that hard to accept.

She was conflicted inside.

Regarding past events, she would rather Tu Haohao not remember, especially if she had to face her current physical condition after regaining memory...

"I’m not a doctor."

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhenxin felt both like crying and laughing.

"Did you know early on that Haohao had woken up?"

For a long while, Li Yanan said nothing. After some time, he finally responded with a hum.

"I don’t like the Tu Family."

As if afraid she would get angry, Li Yanan added quickly.

The words made Lin Zhenxin laugh and cry, yet her heart still felt heavy.

"Did Dean Xun say anything?"

"The fact that she can wake up is already a miracle, what more could you ask for?"

This was Dean Xun’s original statement, which Li Yanan relayed without embellishment.

Lin Zhenxin remained silent, fully aware that Dean Xun was right.

Originally, Tu Haohao had been given seven critical illness notices in a row, and everyone thought she wouldn’t make it. Now, the fact that she’s awake...

is already a great gift from above.

"Has anyone informed Li Chengze about this?"

As the red light turned on, Li Yanan turned to look at her.

The answer was obviously unspoken.

Even the media had yet to catch wind of Tu Haohao’s awakening.

"Forget it, I’m tired, let’s go home." Lin Zhenxin caressed her protruding belly and closed her eyes to hide the sorrow within...

Li Chengze received the news shortly before ten at night.

At that time, he had just come out of the subway station.

Today, it was evident that Li Chengze didn’t miss his stop.

Having had a private car his entire life, since the Li Family’s trouble, he started learning to be thrifty.

Learning to ride the subway was the most basic task.

Initially, he couldn’t even buy tickets and stood at the automatic ticket machine for quite some time, only completing the purchase with the help of staff.

Even after getting on the train, he always missed his stop.

Just to save on cab fares.

But today, his face glowed with joy. Unable to help it, he flagged down a taxi roadside, gave the hospital’s name, and anxiously waited.

As time ticked by, they soon arrived at the hospital.

Getting out of the car, the cool night breeze sobered Li Chengze slightly.

First, he wiped his face, confirmed that everything was in order, and proceeded toward the ward.

Upon exiting the elevator, Li Chengze saw Tu Wanzi.

His expression tensed up unconsciously, causing him to halt his steps as Tu Wanzi also unintentionally raised her head to see Li Chengze.

Her eyes showed a complex emotion.

If she could, Tu Wanzi would never let Li Chengze meet Haohao in her lifetime.

But now... the situation was special.

If Haohao could only recognize Lin Zhenxin, she wanted to see if Li Chengze’s appearance would trigger a memory in Haohao...

And let her... recognize herself?

"Go inside." Tu Wanzi averted her gaze, speaking coldly.

Li Chengze’s eyes widened in disbelief, and following this disbelief was immense joy.

He had thought she wouldn’t let him see Haohao.

Now...

Li Chengze slowly pushed the door open.

The movement was cautious, the sound very soft, as if afraid to disturb whoever was inside.

Since the accident, this was the first time Li Chengze had been allowed to openly see Tu Haohao without sneaking around.

Standing in the entrance, he could clearly hear the sounds of the humidifier and various machinery.

Perhaps due to nervousness, Li Chengze kept rubbing his hands.

His palms were clammy with sweat.

His legs felt as heavy as lead.

Soon, he saw her.

Almost instantly, Li Chengze clenched his hands into fists, bringing them to his mouth and biting down hard.

Using physical pain to combat the emotional anguish rising from within.

——You ask me why I like you, but I don’t really know either.

——You’re proud but also insecure, temperamental yet don’t understand respect...

——You’re like a spoiled child who won’t listen to anything anyone says!

——You’re really not likable.

——Chengze, you’re not garbage; you’ve just shouldered more expectations than you can bear.

——But...

——I really like you.

Tu Haohao had grown so thin she looked unrecognizable, lying there with her eyes closed.

In Li Chengze’s memory, she was very beautiful.

Always cleanly dressed, the scent on her body different from the perfume other women wore.

No matter when he turned back, she’d smile... silly and sweet, as if ready to hand over her heart at any moment.

In fact, she once did, without hesitation, place her lively heart in front of him.

Then she allowed him to break it again and again.

Silently mending it herself, until...

everything was irrecoverable.

Li Chengze was never a man prone to tears, but now he couldn’t hold them back any longer.

He tried to look away and calm himself, yet his eyes couldn’t pull away from Tu Haohao’s face.

Silently, he sat next to the hospital bed, clenching his teeth on the back of his hand hard enough to taste blood.

Keeping his head down low, like he was burying it in the white sheets.

Those once-privileged hands, in the past seven months of hardship, had grown thick calluses.

In winter, they were dry and cracked, with no time for care.

Having never experienced life’s challenges, Li Chengze had tasted various hardships during this time.

Precisely because of this, he could see how immature he had been.

Lacking the responsibility and courage a man should have, both vile and foolish.

Suddenly, something gently touched the top of his head.

Li Chengze distinctly felt his entire body freeze, not daring to make a move...

In the bathroom.

Lin Zhenxin sat under the shower wrapped in a towel, while Li Yanan patiently helped wash her long hair.

Ever since Lin Zhenxin entered the mid-term of her pregnancy, Li Yanan personally attended to her during bath time; her hair had not been touched by anyone else.

Tonight, Lin Zhenxin clearly had something on her mind, having not spoken since the beginning.

"I’ll have Dean Xun keep a constant check on Tu Haohao’s condition."

Suddenly, Li Yanan spoke up, having obviously noticed her distraction.

"If she’s never going to get better... what then?" Lin Zhenxin worriedly looked up after a moment of silence.

Even wrapped in a towel, one could sense her prominently increased bustline.

Li Yanan didn’t speak, only threading his fingers through her hair to massage her scalp.

Neither of them spoke further.

Soon, Lin Zhenxin and Li Yanan left the bathroom.

Aunt Xu had long been accustomed to their routine and was watching Huangmei Opera on TV with grandma at the moment.

Entering their bedroom, Li Yanan took out a hairdryer and began drying Lin Zhenxin’s hair.

His suit had been casually thrown aside as soon as they got home, leaving Lin Zhenxin helplessly reaching to tidy it up.

The more time she spent with Li Yanan, the more she noticed tiny living quirks of his.

The freshly washed hair felt exceptionally silky, sliding through Li Yanan’s fingers smoothly.

When Lin Zhenxin lifted her head, she could see his face in the vanity mirror.

At this moment, Li Yanan looked serious, his thin lips pressed tightly together, eyes focused, carrying a hint of cold stubbornness.

"Don’t frown." Lin Zhenxin reached out and touched the crease between his brows.

Li Yanan caught her hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss.

"Lately, have you been investigating mom’s incident?" Lin Zhenxin changed the subject, causing Li Yanan’s hands to pause slightly.

The Li Family had crumbled, Lu Dawei had died, and Li Yingying had lost her sanity.

Initially, Lin Zhenxin suspected Li Yingying might be feigning it, but...

"Yes." Li Yanan did not deny it.

"Any results?" The untraceable remains were still a source of distress for Li Yanan.

Li Yanan paused briefly in silence, then shook his head.

People always leave traces behind when they do things, but this particular matter remained completely elusive despite all his efforts, which was abnormal!

Lin Zhenxin held his hand, intertwining their fingers, sharing a gentle gaze...

Li Chengze dared not move an inch, even holding his breath.

He feared this was just a dream, but as the sensation on his head became more pronounced, Li Chengze finally looked up.

The girl who had her eyes closed some moments ago had somehow woken up.

His heart pounded violently.

Li Chengze could even hear the loud thumping sounds.

"Why...are you... crying?" Perhaps due to not having spoken for a long time, Tu Haohao’s voice was hoarse.

Li Chengze said nothing.

He had envisioned Tu Haohao waking up countless times, but none matched this scene.

Her eyes were as bright as stars in a night sky, free from the slightest speck of dust, just as he remembered.

"It hurts..." Suddenly, when hearing Tu Haohao’s voice, Li Chengze snapped back to reality.

Looking down, he noticed the needle had shifted, though thankfully it hadn’t punctured.

"Don’t move, the pain will subside soon." Li Chengze gently spoke, carefully spreading her emaciated hand flat in his palm.