When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying on a bed—but it wasn't a hospital. It looked more like someone's home. I sat up, confused, and walked into the hallway. That's when I saw a man cooking in the kitchen. Silently, I grabbed my bag and tiptoed toward the door like a thief.
"Stop," a familiar voice called.
I froze, slowly turning around. It was Dr. Lu. He wasn't in his usual medical suit but dressed casually—he looked younger, more approachable. I awkwardly waved and asked, "How… how did I end up here, Dr. Lu?"
He replied while stirring the dish, "I was walking down the street when I saw you fainting. I brought you to my house so you could rest."
Looking around, I said softly, "Oh… this is your house."
"I've already helped you this far," he said. "You might as well come inside properly."
I nodded and obeyed, quietly sitting down on the chair at the dining table. A moment later, he brought over the food he'd been cooking and placed it in front of me.
I blinked at him. "For me?"
"You fainted. This will help with the dizziness," he said calmly. "Doctor's orders. And besides, it's like a free consultation."
I chuckled and began eating. It was warm, simple, and strangely comforting. He sat across from me, watching. I enjoyed the food thoroughly, finished it, wiped my mouth, and flashed him a thumbs up.
"Dr. Lu, you're amazing! You can even cook!"
He smiled. "It's my first time cooking for someone."
I paused, eyes widening. First time? My heart fluttered. So I'm the first person he's cooked for? I looked down, blushing. He saw it and chuckled.
Then his expression grew gentle. "Why did you faint? When I checked, there was no blood."
I looked away and murmured, "It's because of PTSD."
His eyes softened further. "What did you see?"
"A unicorn toy."
He raised his brows slightly. "It's related to your trauma?"
I nodded.
"Can you tell me what happened?"
Staring at my hands, I began in a shaky voice.
"It was on my birthday… I was just a child. My parents were always busy and didn't have time to celebrate with me. That day, I cried and begged them to spend time with me. They gave in, smiled at me, and took me out. It was one of the happiest moments of my life."
I took a deep breath, trembling.
"They bought me a unicorn toy. On our way home, I insisted on sitting on my dad's lap—I wanted to see how he drove. I distracted him, and when he turned to smile at me…" My voice broke. "A lorry crashed into our car."
Tears welled up in my eyes as I continued. "They were both bleeding badly, but they shielded me. My mom pushed the unicorn toy into my hands and shoved me out of the car. Moments later, it exploded. I couldn't do anything… I was just crying, helpless. A man from the lorry called the ambulance, but by the time they came, my parents were already gone."
I was sobbing now. "I always blamed myself. If I hadn't been stubborn… if I hadn't distracted them…"
Dr. Lu quietly stood up and sat beside me, gently pulling me into a comforting hug.
"Qin," he whispered, "you were just a child. It wasn't your fault. Being stubborn isn't a crime. Any child would've done the same. You didn't cause that accident—fate did. If your parents could see you now, they wouldn't want you carrying this pain."
He reached out and softly wiped away my tears. "You didn't do anything wrong by wanting your birthday to be special."
His words—so warm and kind—wrapped around my wounded heart like a bandage. For the first time in years, I felt like someone truly understood me. I couldn't hold back anymore—I hugged him tightly, crying into his shoulder.
And in that moment, surrounded by his steady presence and soft voice, I felt something I hadn't felt in a long time:
A sense of peace.