Chapter 23: A Hospital Awakening

“Is this a hospital?!”

The acrid scent of disinfectant alone was enough for Liu Xingluo, upon waking, to immediately discern his surroundings as a hospital.

‘But why was he here? Before he fainted, he seemed to have… just emerged from a tunnel back to the surface. Then, after reverting to his familiar form, he had suddenly passed out. If his memory served him right, that was precisely what had happened.’

‘Someone must have brought him to the hospital after he collapsed. He wished he knew who it was; he certainly owed them a proper thank you.’

“Huh?”

Lying in bed perpetually had grown uncomfortable, and a parched throat added to his discomfort. Liu Xingluo intended to sit up and get a drink of water, but to his bewilderment, his body refused to muster even an ounce of strength. After several futile attempts to rise, he finally conceded defeat.

“What’s going on? My body feels utterly drained. Come to think of it, it was the same back then too.”

‘He recalled experiencing a similar profound exhaustion just before he lost consciousness. Could it be that his body was simply too overworked, rendering him utterly powerless?’

‘If that were truly the case, then things would be dire. Being unable to move meant countless tasks would become impossible. Eating, using the restroom—even simply scrolling through his phone—would become insurmountable challenges.’

‘Ah! Speaking of which, had he even informed his company about his situation? Missing his first day of work without explanation would surely lead to his dismissal. This was a job he had finally secured after a full day of arduous interviews.’

“Oh, you’re awake.”

“Hmm? Who are you? Have we met before? Ah, are you perhaps from the company?”

A man he didn’t recognize had pushed open the door and greeted him. Liu Xingluo found himself utterly bewildered, as he couldn’t recall ever seeing the man before. Perhaps they had met, and he simply hadn’t committed the man’s face to memory. Yet, the man spoke to him with an air of familiarity.

“I’m the one who brought you to the hospital. You were unconscious at the time, which is why you don’t remember me.”

“Oh. It was you. Thank you so much for bringing me all the way here to the hospital. I’m truly sorry for the trouble.”

Learning that this was his benefactor, Liu Xingluo’s appreciation for him soared. After all, the man had genuinely done him a tremendous favor.

“It was no trouble at all. My sister is also hospitalized here; I was actually on my way to visit her. On the way, I happened upon you, unconscious, and simply brought you here to this hospital.”

“Even so, I’m extremely grateful. Um, if it’s not too much trouble, could you possibly call my family for me? For some reason, I can’t move my body right now, and it would be best if my family could come see me.”

‘Judging by the sun outside, Liu Ruyan was likely still at work, and calling her to come to the hospital felt somewhat unfair to her. Yet, he had no other relatives, and he couldn’t possibly keep burdening this kind stranger indefinitely.’

“Your family has already been here—your sister, Liu Ruyan. When I first found you unconscious, she was calling your phone, and after I explained the situation, she came directly to this hospital to wait for you. She also handled all your admission procedures.”

Shen Yunfei concisely recounted to Liu Xingluo all that had transpired during his period of unconsciousness.

Since Liu Xingluo had been unconscious and Liu Ruyan needed to go to work, she had no choice but to entrust Shen Yunfei with helping to look after him, naturally, compensating him for his efforts. Having accepted payment, Shen Yunfei diligently carried out his duties, checking on Liu Xingluo every few days to see if he had woken up or needed any assistance.

As for why Liu Xingluo currently lacked any strength throughout his entire body, Shen Yunfei proceeded to explain the reason.

“What? Is it that serious? Does this mean I’ll be confined to bed for the rest of my life?”

Though he had no personal experience with continuous exertion for seven days and seven nights straight. Liu Xingluo had previously seen cases, while watching ‘boss’ (TL Note: A colloquial reference, likely to video games or action-oriented media, where intense scenarios or powerful adversaries, known as ‘bosses,’ are encountered), of people suffering from rhabdomyolysis due to extreme overexertion. The intensity of his own continuous activity for seven days and seven nights certainly wouldn’t be less than theirs, meaning his body had most likely already sustained significant damage.

“No, according to the examination reports at the time, your body is merely suffering from extreme fatigue, which is why you’re temporarily lacking strength. You simply need to rest well in bed and recuperate. Beyond that, there are no other issues.”

‘While it was said there were no other issues, the mere fact that his body was simply devoid of strength after enduring the equivalent of seven days and seven nights of intense exertion was, in itself, a significant problem.’

“Is that so? That’s good, that’s good.”

Learning that he only needed proper rest to fully recover, Liu Xingluo breathed a sigh of relief. Just moments before, he had been plagued by the fear of never being able to stand again. As an already incompetent younger brother, he felt he was a burden to his sister; if he were to become a cripple unable to even move his own body, he might as well end his life swiftly to spare her further trouble. While his sister would undoubtedly grieve his death, her future life would unquestionably be better without him.

“Could I trouble you for one more favor, then? Please contact my company and explain my situation. If I’m absent without cause, it’ll surely be a huge headache for them.”

‘Since both his health and his sister’s concerns were now settled, all that remained was to inform his company of the circumstances. It would be ideal if the company was willing to hold his position until he recovered and could return to work. However, if they couldn’t wait and decided to fire him outright, there was nothing he could do; after all, he was the one who had gotten himself into this state on his very first day.’

“Regarding the company, your sister, Liu Ruyan, has already communicated with them on your behalf, and they are willing to hold your position for you.”

“Oh? She’s already taken care of that too? My sister truly is capable, as expected.”

It truly showed the deep understanding between siblings who had lived together for so long. Liu Ruyan had largely anticipated what Liu Xingluo would worry about upon waking, and thus, while he was still unconscious, she had already handled those matters, aiming to create an environment where he could simply rest without concern.

“Alright. Young man, could you please pour me a glass of water? My throat is a bit parched.”

“Of course, no problem. Here, let’s get you sitting up first.”

Since Liu Xingluo himself was currently unable to even sit up, Shen Yunfei had to assist him, first helping him into an upright position before he could be given water.