Luo Shiyi pressed the cold compress against her ankle, lost in thought.
If she hadn't seen Grandma and Grandpa Han for three years, then it had been nearly a decade since she'd last seen him.
Nine years.
Sure, she'd seen Han Jinyu's face—on billboards, on TV, all over the internet. But those were just images.
The man in front of her now was real. Breathing. Standing in the same space as her again.
And to think all of this started because she stormed out of her house in anger. One impulsive walk, and she ended up here, sitting in the same room with the man she once loved and hated in equal measure.
When Jinyu came back, he was dressed in a black down jacket, a cap pulled low, and a mask covering half his face.
For a second, she thought he looked suspicious, like he was hiding from someone. Then she realized… he really was.
From everyone. From the world.
"Here," he said, holding out a black puffer coat. "It's mine. Grandma doesn't have many, and I need to bring hers to the hospital."
She froze. She recognized that coat instantly.
It was the same one he wore in high school, the same one she used to borrow whenever she forgot hers.
She took it silently.
He then extended an elastic bandage. "Found this too."
"Thanks."
The room fell quiet again. His presence filled the small living room, heavy, suffocating.
She wished he would just leave for a minute so she could breathe properly. But she said nothing.
She lowered her gaze, slipping into the jacket. It still smelled faintly like him, clean soap and something faintly musky.
"Will you be able to handle your ankle?" he asked after a pause.
She looked up at him, understanding the weight of his question. Because back then, it was always him who handled it. Every time she tripped, every time she fell, he'd be there, teasing her while wrapping her ankle or dabbing disinfectant on her knee.
And when it was his turn to get hurt, she was the one fixing him up.
He used to say, "Consider it training for med school."
"Of course," she said softly.
He nodded and disappeared into the garage.
Shiyi began wrapping her ankle absently, her thoughts spinning.
Was it really a good idea to go with him?
It had only beena around 10 minutes, and she already felt emotionally drained. Everything about him—the way he spoke, the way he looked at her, brought the past crashing back.
A past she thought she had long buried.
Maybe she never really moved on. Maybe she just convinced herself she had.
Damn it, she thought bitterly.
Is it too late to back out?
She was just about to tell him she'd visit Grandpa Han another day when he returned.
"Let's go," he said simply, checking his watch.
"What time will you be heading back later? An hour will be enough, Grandpa will be more than happy to talk to you."
The words hit her harder than they should have.
Her throat tightened.
How could she say no to that?
How could she admit she didn't want to go, because she couldn't handle seeing him?
Clearly, Jinyu wasn't struggling the way she was. He looked perfectly fine, perfectly composed.
Of course he was. He was the one who left.
"I need to be home before eleven," she said, forcing steadiness into her voice. "Will you be staying at the hospital?"
"Yeah. But I can drive you back."
His tone was calm, unaffected. His eyes—the only part of his face she could see—were steady.
It was clear now. She was the only one still tangled in the past.
She didn't reply.
"You haven't finished wrapping your ankle," he said, frowning as he noticed the loose bandage around it.
Only then did she realize she'd been wrapping it without thinking, the end dangling uselessly.
She cursed under her breath.
"Here—" Jinyu stepped closer, reaching out automatically, the same way he always used to.
But before he could touch her, Shiyi tore the bandage off, stood up, and said sharply, "It's fine. I don't need to wrap it. The pain's gone. Let's just go."
She didn't look back as she limped to the door, grabbed her shoes, and stepped outside.
She waited by the gate, her breath fogging in the cold.
Moments later, a sedan rolled out of the small garage.
She hesitated for a heartbeat, but when Jinyu started to get out, clearly planning to open the door for her, she quickly opened the passenger side herself and got in.
He blinked in surprise, then silently returned to the driver's seat.
The car ride was silent. Too Silent.
Only the hum of the engine filled the void between them. Luo Shiyi sat with her hands clasped on her lap, staring at the blurred lights streaking past her window before finally breaking the quiet.
"Where is Grandpa Han admitted?" she asked softly, glancing at the man beside her.
Han Jinyu's eyes flickered toward her, calm and unreadable. "Starlight Medical Center."
Luo Shiyi blinked, stunned.
That's in Linzhou City...
That hospital was nearly an hour away from their town.
Her mouth parted slightly.
She hadn't thought this through at all.