Back at the safe house, Su Xiaoxi helped Lin Yi onto the sofa and frantically rummaged for the first-aid kit. His shirt was soaked through with blood, stuck to the wound.
"Need to clean it first..." Her hands trembled as she picked up the scissors.
"Just a graze... not serious," Lin Yi said through gritted teeth. "Disinfect with alcohol... sutures are in the kit's inner layer."
Su Xiaoxi found the stitching tools and took a deep breath. "This... will hurt."
"Do it."
The next ten minutes were a nightmare. Lin Yi didn't make a sound the entire time, only his tense muscles and sweat-drenched forehead betraying his pain. Su Xiaoxi worked as gently as she could—cleaning, stitching, bandaging—but tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
"Done." She finally secured the gauze, her fingers lightly brushing his feverish skin. "You need rest."
Lin Yi gave a faint nod, too exhausted to speak. Su Xiaoxi helped him lie down, then brought a damp towel to wipe away the blood and sweat from his face. As the towel passed over his furrowed brow, Lin Yi suddenly grabbed her wrist.
"Why did you come back?" His voice was hoarse. "Too dangerous..."
"Because I couldn't leave you." Her reply was barely a whisper.
Lin Yi's lashes fluttered as if he wanted to say more, but his eyes closed instead. The medication and blood loss quickly pulled him into unconsciousness. Su Xiaoxi kept vigil beside him, periodically checking his temperature—the fever had already begun to rise.
Night fell, and Lin Yi's fever worsened. He tossed restlessly in his sleep, murmuring incoherent fragments. Su Xiaoxi pressed a cool towel to his forehead and softly hummed the lullabies her mother used to sing to her.
At 2 a.m., Lin Yi's eyes suddenly flew open, his gaze unfocused. "Father... I failed..."
"No, you did well," Su Xiaoxi whispered, clasping his hand.
Recognition flickered in Lin Yi's eyes, and his fingers weakly tightened around hers. "Su Xiaoxi... don't go..."
"I won't," she promised, her heart pounding.
"Can't... let anyone else protect you..." His voice grew fainter. "Only me... I..."
Before he could finish, he slipped back into unconsciousness. Su Xiaoxi sat frozen, her hand still gripped tightly in his. For the first time, Lin Yi had shown care for her—care that went beyond duty.