Yun Li stirred restlessly, her lips moving again. Faint, broken whispers echoed in the ward.
"Don't… trust her."
He Yuchen froze. "Who shouldn't I trust?" he muttered, unease crawling down his spine, a feeling that, somehow, he wasn't meant to ignore.
But Yun Li didn't respond. Her lashes fluttered, her breathing shallow, trapped somewhere between sleep and waking. The monitor's steady beeping filled the silence that stretched between them.
He Yuchen leaned closer, studying her face. Even in her fragile state, she looked serene and too calm for the storm she had just survived. He brushed a loose strand of hair from her forehead, his jaw tightening.
Who could she mean?
Before his thoughts could spiral further, his phone began to vibrate on the side table. He picked it up, glancing at the screen. The name flashing there made his heart clench.
[Mother.]
For a moment, he hesitated which was something he had never done before. Then he accepted the call.
"Mom."
