Chapter 3

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Wang Yuanyuan reached out to touch her brother Wang Cheng's forehead; he wasn't running a fever. She then felt his wrist and listened to his pulse, which was steady and strong, indicating he was in good health.

"Brother, you must be okay."

Although she had confirmed that her brother was fine, Wang Yuanyuan was still worried because he hadn't woken up. Looking at her brother's calm face in his unconscious state, just like it always was, she propped her chin up with her small hands and watched him, recalling how he had taken care of her since she could remember.

By blood, the two were not siblings.

Wang Cheng's mother died of congenital heart disease when he was young. His father met Wang Yuanyuan's mother, who was raising a child alone, while working in the south. They sympathized with each other and got married, making Wang Yuanyuan Wang Cheng's sister. At that time, Wang Cheng was nine years old, and Wang Yuanyuan was three.

Jiangzhou was not a very economically developed city, and Wang Cheng's family had few connections there. Therefore, to find better jobs, his father went to the big cities in the south. Wang Yuanyuan's mother originally wanted to stay and take care of the two children, but Wang Cheng said he could take care of his sister, and his father believed in his independence, so he took Wang Yuanyuan's mother to the south.

Eight years have passed.

Wang Cheng is now seventeen and about to enter his third year of high school, while Wang Yuanyuan is eleven and about to start junior high school.

During these eight years, for the first two years, their parents came back several times a year, worried about the two children's lives. However, seeing that the two were living well, with Wang Cheng taking care of his sister like a little adult, they gradually became more at ease. Four years ago, their parents had another daughter in the south, so they came back less often, bought a house there, and formed a new family. They only returned during the New Year to reunite and bring gifts, leaving some money for the two.

However, the money left by their parents, Wang Cheng almost never used. Since he was twelve, he had used his summer and winter vacations to do simple jobs, earning some money. By high school, the money he earned was enough to support himself and even buy snacks and clothes for his sister.

Since she could remember, Wang Yuanyuan had almost always lived with her brother Wang Cheng. She remembered that even when she was little, he would help her wipe her nose.

She never went to kindergarten. When her brother went to school, she would play at his school, never leaving the school grounds and not listening to anyone else, waiting for her brother to finish school and then going home together.

When she started elementary school, her brother would take her to the classroom door every day and wait for her at the door after school. He taught her how to wash clothes, cook, and be strong, telling her not to have any illusions about anyone other than herself.

Wang Yuanyuan was curious why her brother knew so much, as if he knew everything in the world, but his academic performance in middle school was average, even poor, and he was considered a poor student. At that time, the teachers, knowing his situation, did not blame him but rather gave up on him.

However, during the high school entrance exam, her brother surprised everyone by ranking first in the city, entering Jiangzhou's No. 1 High School as a special student, with all three years of tuition and fees waived.

After entering high school, strangely, his grades did not shine as they did during the entrance exam. They returned to the average level, and many people said his good grades were due to cheating. Hmph, those people were not good. Her brother was a genius; he could do well if he wanted to, and if he didn't, it was because he didn't want to.

Amid the ridicule of many students, Wang Yuanyuan saw her brother drop from the top class to a regular class, but she knew he didn't care, continuing to do his own things, reading extracurricular books, and finding jobs during the holidays, seemingly indifferent to his studies.

At home, he would tell her stories, stories from the books he loved, and teach her fun things.

Starting from the third grade of elementary school, Wang Yuanyuan went to school alone, but she would always rush home as quickly as possible after school because she wanted to be with her brother, enjoying the process of doing housework and homework together.

Thinking about those times and scenes, Wang Yuanyuan's face gradually calmed down. She believed her brother would be fine. She gently touched his calm face with her small hand, feeling how smooth it was, and how good it felt. And since he couldn't feel it now, she dared to do it, something she wouldn't normally do.

As her brother would say, she was a big girl now, and there should be a distance between boys and girls, but she didn't care about that.

However.

Just then.

Wang Cheng, lying on the hospital bed, suddenly opened his eyes. The moment his eyes opened, they were abnormally bright, like two stars, almost blinding Wang Yuanyuan, making her almost close her eyes.

But Wang Yuanyuan, surprised and delighted, didn't close her eyes but instead jumped onto the bed, leaning over Wang Cheng's face, and said with a smile, "Brother, you're awake!"

Wang Cheng opened his eyes and looked at the white ceiling of the hospital. The ceiling had tiny, almost invisible cracks that could only be seen with a magnifying glass, but lying on the bed, he could see them clearly, even seeing the dark space above the ceiling where some spiders and insects were crawling.

Hearing his sister Wang Yuanyuan's voice, Wang Cheng was taken aback. He looked down and saw her beautiful little face close to his. After a moment's thought, he realized that the people from the temple must have sent him to the hospital and notified his family. This little girl must have been very worried. He could see the dried tear marks on her face, which were not very obvious. If it were the old Wang Cheng, he wouldn't have noticed, but now he could clearly see the tear marks on Wang Yuanyuan's fair face.

"Uh, I'm awake. Did you cry?"

Wang Cheng said calmly.

Wang Yuanyuan pouted, a bit uneasy, and said in a low voice, "I, I was just worried about you. When I heard you were injured, I was very scared, scared..."

She wanted to say, "Scared that you would leave me like Mom," but thought it was inauspicious to say it out loud, so she didn't.

But looking at her brother's calm eyes, Wang Yuanyuan pouted and said unwillingly, "Okay, I was wrong. I won't cry anymore."

When she was little, after her mother left, the little girl cried every day, wanting to see her mom. Wang Cheng tried many ways to comfort her, but none of them worked. She kept crying, so Wang Cheng, in a moment of frustration, left the four-year-old Wang Yuanyuan at the entrance of the neighborhood and said harshly, "If you keep crying, I'll leave you here and not take you back."

That feeling scared Wang Yuanyuan, and she immediately stopped crying, following Wang Cheng home with tearful eyes. From then on, she tried not to cry, knowing that her brother's stern face was more intimidating than anything else.

Over the eight years, the most common thing Wang Cheng said to Wang Yuanyuan was: "No matter who leaves, you can still survive. Don't be afraid, don't cry, and don't put your hopes on others, even if they are your closest people."

The death of his mother and the abandonment by his father made Wang Cheng remember a belief from a young age: only believe in yourself, only rely on yourself. So, he also taught his sister this.

However, he knew that over the years, his sister had become overly dependent on him, which was inevitable.

"Go tell the hospital I want to be discharged."

Wang Cheng nodded, not saying much, and asked Wang Yuanyuan to find the doctor.

He knew he was fine, just a bump on the head. Although he had seen many strange images and dreams while unconscious, his body was good, and his forehead only hurt a little. A few days of rest at home would be enough.

Wang Yuanyuan pouted and said, "The Taoist master said you can rest in the hospital for a week. He has already paid the medical fees and said your injury is strange and needs to be observed."

She wanted Wang Cheng to rest more in the hospital.

Wang Cheng smiled and pinched the little girl's hand, saying, "Do you not know what kind of person your brother is? I know my own body best. I'm fine. We can't waste the Taoist master's money. Go tell the doctor I'm fine and I want to be discharged."

Wang Yuanyuan reluctantly got up to find the doctor. She knew her brother's abilities; there were many ancient books at home, including martial arts, traditional Chinese medicine, and archaeology. She knew that Wang Cheng seemed to have a good understanding of medicine, often reading to her and teaching her about pulse diagnosis, which is why she initially checked his pulse and felt he was fine.

She also believed in her brother's medical skills because the two of them had never been sick. They always ate according to a regular schedule and a diet from an ancient book, which was said to strengthen the body.

When she was little, she seemed to remember her mother and father saying that her brother had some health issues, but she didn't know the specifics, and her brother never mentioned it again.

Soon, Wang Yuanyuan brought the doctor, who, seeing Wang Cheng awake, smiled and said, "I said you'd be fine. How do you feel now? Any discomfort? Headache? I mean, besides the wound, do you feel any pain inside your head?"

Wang Cheng shook his head and smiled, "No, just a little pain at the wound, nothing else. So, I want to tell you that I want to be discharged."

The doctor nodded, checked him again, and said, "Yes, you're fine, but I still suggest you rest more in the hospital. After all, you injured your head, and some aftereffects might not show up immediately."

"Ha ha, thank you, doctor, but I'm not used to being in the hospital. I want to go home. If I feel unwell, I'll definitely come back and trouble you."

Wang Cheng insisted on being discharged, as he knew his body well.

The doctor regretfully said, "Alright, since you insist, go through the discharge procedures. Rest at home, and if you feel unwell, come back to the hospital immediately."

Wang Cheng nodded.

Wang Yuanyuan, hearing the doctor's words, wanted to persuade her brother to stay for a few more days, but seeing his determination, she didn't say more. She immediately went to the doctor to complete the discharge procedures. Ten minutes later, the two siblings left the hospital.