CHAPTER 58: THE PAIN DISAPPEARED

After what felt like an eternity, Qi Jianyi finally managed to lift her fingers, the smallest movement sending a ripple of relief through her.

She wasn’t sure how long she had been trapped in the haze of unconsciousness, but the simple act of moving felt like a victory. She needed her family to know she was waking up.

Suddenly, a loud and excited voice shattered the stillness of the room.

"Mom, look! Sister’s finger is moving!" Qi Jinlu’s excitement rang out like a bell, cutting through the tension that had settled in the ward.

Mrs. Qi immediately turned toward the bed, her eyes wide with hope, while Mr. Qi shifted closer, his usual composed demeanour giving way to a palpable anxiety.

Mrs. Qi’s hand trembled as she reached out, gently cradling Qi Jianyi’s cold fingers in her own, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"Jianyi? Can you hear Mom?" Mrs. Qi’s voice was soft, almost trembling with emotion, her eyes scanning her daughter’s face for any sign of response.

Mr. Qi stood on the other side of the bed, silent but watchful, his hands tightly gripping the edge of the bed. Though he said nothing, the concern in his eyes betrayed his inner turmoil, his breath held in anticipation.

Qi Jianyi took a deep, shaky breath, feeling the weight of her own body pressing her down. A sharp headache pulsed at the back of her skull as she struggled to open her eyes, blinking slowly as the blinding white light of the hospital room assaulted her senses.

Everything felt disjointed, as though her mind was struggling to catch up with the reality around her. She had been fine before, hadn’t she? Walking, talking, perfectly healthy.

Yet here she was, waking up in a hospital bed, surrounded by worried faces, with no clear memory of how she had ended up here.

The more she tried to piece together the events that led to this moment, the more it all blurred into confusion.

"Mom—" Qi Jianyi’s voice cracked as the word slipped out, instinctively reaching for the comfort of her mother, the one she had grown up with in her real world.

For a moment, she forgot where she was, her mind clinging to the hope that somehow this was all just a dream, that she had returned home.

But the face that greeted her wasn’t her mother’s although they looked the same—it was Mrs. Qi, the woman who had claimed that title in this alternate life. Disappointment washed over her like a cold wave. Even though she had accepted that she was still trapped in this new world, a part of her had foolishly hoped for something different.

Mrs. Qi’s eyes welled with emotion as she leaned closer, her voice gentle but overflowing with love. "Mom is here, Mom is here with you," she repeated softly, her words tender and reassuring.

The sincerity in Mrs. Qi’s voice stirred something deep within Qi Jianyi. She hadn’t expected this woman, who wasn’t truly her mother, to sound so loving. And yet, as those words washed over her, Qi Jianyi felt a bittersweet ache in her chest.

’Mom, only if... only if I could see you now,’ she thought silently, her heart heavy with longing for the mother she had left behind in her real world. No amount of kindness from this new Mrs. Qi could erase that.

Before she could dwell any longer on her thoughts, Mr. Qi’s firm voice interrupted the moment. "Doctor Li, quick! Check my daughter’s condition," he ordered, his tone sharp with urgency.

Qi Jianyi turned her gaze toward the doctor and was caught off guard by what she saw. Dr. Li, who was normally the picture of professionalism, appeared completely disheveled. His once neatly pressed white coat was now wrinkled, his hair sticking up at odd angles as if he had been caught in a whirlwind.

It was clear that he had endured more than just a long night of work—likely the result of Mrs. Qi’s frantic outburst earlier.

She blinked, stunned by the contrast. Is this really the same dignified doctor?

Noticing Qi Jianyi’s incredulous expression, Dr. Li cleared his throat awkwardly, quickly straightening his coat and running a hand through his wild hair in a futile attempt to fix his appearance.

"Ah, Miss Qi," he mumbled, clearly embarrassed, "let me, uh, check your vitals."

Poor man, Qi Jianyi thought, a small, amused smile tugging at her lips despite the situation. It was hard to imagine someone as composed as him being rattled to the point of looking like he had just wrestled with a storm.

But behind the amusement, her mind remained distant, still reaching for the mother she couldn’t have, while the new reality continued to close in around her.

"Miss Qi, how are you feeling right now?" Doctor Li asked, his pen poised over the clipboard as he carefully observed her reactions, his eyes tracking every movement.

"I feel... good," Qi Jianyi replied, her voice clear but her tone betraying her own disbelief. She was shocked by how swiftly her condition had improved.

Only moments before, she had been overwhelmed by pain—her chest had felt tight, her head pounding so fiercely that it had driven her to unconsciousness. Yet now, as if by some miracle, all of that pain had simply vanished.

Doctor Li scribbled down her response before narrowing his eyes thoughtfully. "Can you tell me if you felt any pain before you fainted? Or did you just lose consciousness all of a sudden?"

Qi Jianyi thought back to the moments before she collapsed. "I... coughed," she said slowly, the memory resurfacing. "It started as a cough, but then..."

"Only a cough?" the doctor pressed.

She shook her head, placing a hand over her chest as she met Doctor Li’s gaze. "No, it was more than that. My chest hurt—a lot. At first, I thought maybe I had just choked on my saliva, but it got worse. The pain spread, and then my head started pounding. I couldn’t control my body. I fell, and then... I blacked out."

Doctor Li’s frown deepened, his pen now hovering motionless over the page. A simple cough would’ve been easily explained away, but the intense chest pain followed by a severe headache that caused her to lose control of her body—that was much more concerning.

"Miss Qi," he said slowly, his tone now more cautious, "we haven’t detected any obvious causes yet, but we’ll need to run some further tests. I’d like to draw some blood and run a few lab analyses. It’s best that you stay in the ward for a few days while we wait for the results."

The nurse approached, preparing to take her blood sample. Qi Jianyi felt a wave of resignation wash over her. Though she doubted they would find anything conclusive, what else could she do? Everything had happened so suddenly, and now, with the pain gone, it almost felt unreal.

"Mom, I’m hungry," she said, turning her head toward Mrs. Qi as the nurse gently tied a tourniquet around her arm.

The thought of food brought a small comfort, but the sight of the needle approaching her skin made her body tense. She had never been fond of needles, and the thought of being pricked always left her feeling uneasy.

Mrs. Qi leaned closer, her hand hovering near her daughter’s, ready to comfort her. "Don’t worry, honey. After this, I’ll bring you something to eat."

Just as the nurse inserted the needle, Qi Jianyi winced, feeling the small sting of the prick. She closed her eyes and waited for the procedure to be over. But then, something strange happened.

"I’m sorry, Miss Qi," the nurse said, her voice tinged with confusion. "It seems... your blood isn’t coming out."

Qi Jianyi blinked in disbelief, pulling her arm back instinctively. "Huh?"

The nurse’s brows furrowed as she adjusted the needle, but still—nothing. "I’m going to have to try again."

Her heart skipped a beat. The oddity of the situation sent a chill down her spine. How could this be happening? Blood samples were routine. Why now, of all times, was her body refusing to cooperate?

Qi Jianyi’s grip on the bed sheets tightened as she stared at the needle, her eyes narrowing with a mixture of dread and frustration. It was almost as if she were glaring at a sworn enemy, her entire body tense with apprehension.

"Do it properly, please. My daughter is afraid of needles," Mr. Qi’s voice interrupted, cold and stern, as he watched the nurse’s every movement.

The nurse nodded, her expression now more serious, and she focused intently on finding the right vein. With a deep breath, she inserted the needle into Qi Jianyi’s arm once more. This time, much to everyone’s relief, the blood began to flow smoothly into the vial.

Qi Jianyi let out a small breath she hadn’t realised she was holding. Though the discomfort remained, at least the ordeal was finally over.

Mrs. Qi, standing beside her, gently patted her hand, whispering softly, "You did well, sweetheart. It’s almost over."

Qi Jianyi nodded slightly, though the sense of unease still lingered in her chest. Something about the whole situation didn’t sit right with her, but for now, she pushed it aside, trying to focus on her recovery.

"Now that it’s done, let’s get you something to eat," Mrs. Qi said, smiling softly. "You need to regain your strength."