Chen Mo felt like he was drifting through endless darkness.
He didn't know how long he had been there. Then—faintly—a glimmer of light appeared, slowly expanding until it became a warm white glow.
The next moment, he opened his eyes.
A white ceiling came into view, along with the faint scent of disinfectant syrup.
Chen Mo smiled faintly. He didn't need anyone to tell him—he was in the hospital.
The last thing he remembered was the searing flood of information invading his mind, his head on the verge of bursting apart. The pain had been unbearable, and then… nothing.
Before everything went dark, he'd heard Xiao Yu's voice, filled with panic and desperation.
Now, warmth gently enveloped his hand.
Chen Mo turned his head slightly—and saw her.
Xiao Yu had fallen asleep at his bedside, her fingers still curled tightly around his. Her breathing was soft, her expression filled with exhaustion.
The sight stirred his heart. It reminded him of the first time he woke up in a hospital bed—when Xiao Yu stayed beside him the whole night. That was the moment he knew: she was the one.
The scene hadn't changed.
Chen Mo wanted to carry her to the couch so she could rest more comfortably. But just as he was about to move, the door creaked open.
White Pearl stepped inside, holding a lunchbox. When she saw Chen Mo awake, her eyes widened in surprise.
"Boss, you're awake!"
Chen Mo raised a finger to his lips, gesturing toward the sleeping Xiao Yu. White Pearl nodded, lightening her footsteps and lowering her voice.
"How long was I out?"
"About nineteen hours. You collapsed around noon yesterday," White Pearl whispered. "Miss Xiao Yu hasn't left your side once. She didn't sleep all night. We tried to convince her to rest, but she wouldn't listen. Just now, she asked me to buy some porridge—for when you woke up."
She placed the lunchbox on the table gently, her voice tinged with admiration.
Chen Mo looked at Xiao Yu again, his gaze full of warmth.
This silly girl… she really makes my heart ache.
White Pearl gave him a small smile and quietly exited the room.
Chen Mo slowly tried to lift Xiao Yu's hand—but the motion stirred her.
She blinked, groggy, her eyes unfocused for a moment. Then, clarity hit.
Her gaze locked onto Chen Mo, wide and glassy.
"You're awake…"
Her voice trembled. A moment later, tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks. She threw herself into his arms like a child reuniting with her family.
"Husband… you finally woke up!"
Chen Mo gently wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back with soothing motions.
"I'm okay now. Don't cry."
"I don't want the wedding anymore," Xiao Yu choked through sobs, clinging to him tightly.
Chen Mo blinked. "What do you mean?"
"The doctor said you collapsed from overwork and nerve fatigue… You shouldn't have pushed yourself just for the holographic projector. I don't want a wedding if it means hurting you."
Her voice was full of guilt and self-blame, and it made Chen Mo's heart ache.
So that's what she thought… That he collapsed because he rushed to finish the tech for the wedding.
He didn't even know how to explain that it wasn't overwork—but rather the overwhelming impact of absorbing too much data from the Science and Technology Library in an instant. Still, what she believed made sense on the surface.
"Foolish girl," Chen Mo said softly, stroking her back. "It's not the projector. This wasn't your fault."
Xiao Yu continued to sob quietly, the tears clinging to her lashes making her even more delicate and vulnerable.
"Don't cry," Chen Mo murmured, wiping her cheeks and holding her close.
Eventually, her sobs softened, though she didn't release him—pressing her cheek to his chest as if afraid he'd disappear again.
"I'm not going anywhere," he whispered, brushing aside her messy bangs and kissing her forehead gently.
"Mhm…" Xiao Yu nodded, still clinging to him, a bittersweet blend of sorrow and relief in her chest.
Suddenly, she perked up. "Wait—breakfast!"
She quickly released him and rushed to the table. "White Pearl brought porridge—it's still hot!"
She fumbled to open the lunchbox, grabbed a spoon, and carefully brought the bowl over.
"Here—eat while it's warm. The doctor said you'd probably wake up today, so I asked her to prepare it early."
Chen Mo tried to take the spoon from her, but she refused.
"No! You're not moving. I'll feed you."
Seeing her red, swollen eyes and the concern behind her insistence, he relented.
He opened his mouth and let her feed him, one spoonful at a time. He didn't even taste the porridge. All he felt was the tenderness radiating from this woman.
The ward was quiet. Chen Mo didn't speak—he simply watched Xiao Yu, taking in the moment.
Ten minutes later, the breakfast was finished.
As she wiped his mouth with a napkin, Chen Mo smiled, grabbed her by the waist, and pulled her into his arms. Before she could react, he kissed her.
"Mmm—!"
Just then—
Creak.
The door opened.
Zhao Min stepped inside—and immediately froze.
Her eyes widened, then she wordlessly backed out, closing the door again.
"…I'm going to get scolded," Xiao Yu muttered, her cheeks crimson.
She quickly straightened her clothes and hurried to open the door.
"We're… not interrupting, right?" Zhao Min asked with a half-smirk as she reentered the room.
Chen Mo smiled. "Come in. Just finished breakfast."
"Oh, it was breakfast, alright. Looked like it was sweet and… full of love," Zhao Min said with a meaningful glance.
Xiao Yu was so red she looked like a tomato. She lowered her head, not daring to meet Zhao Min's teasing eyes.
Chen Mo chuckled. "How did you know I was awake?"
"Wang Hai told me. I rushed over. Though clearly… not soon enough."
Xiao Yu gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry, Sister Zhao…"
"Relax. It's good you're finally up." Zhao Min walked over, her tone shifting slightly. "But tell me the truth. Why did you collapse? That wasn't the first time, was it?"
The room fell silent.
Xiao Yu looked at Chen Mo, worried again.
Chen Mo waved it off. "It's nothing serious. Look at me—I'm fine now."
"You call that 'fine'? You had a fever, you collapsed, and for a while we didn't even know if you'd wake up!" Zhao Min said, her tone sharpening.
Chen Mo smiled helplessly. "Think of it like a CPU overheating from overclocking. Once it cooled down, it rebooted."
Zhao Min rolled her eyes. "You were lying still. Don't blame overclocking."
"The background software was running," Chen Mo pointed to his head.
"You…" Zhao Min sighed, exasperated. "Are you hiding something? Is this a hidden illness?"
"No. Just neurological strain. I got too deep into a project. I promise it won't happen again."
Zhao Min looked at him for a long moment. Then she softened.
"Alright. I trust you. But I want you to rest. Your R&D pace is already terrifying. There's no need to burn out."
"My body really is fine. And there's so much tech left to—"
"Chen Mo…" Xiao Yu whispered, interrupting. Her eyes were red again.
If he said one more word about research, she might burst into tears.
Chen Mo paused, then sighed with a warm smile.
"Alright, alright. I'll rest. I'm officially on vacation. I'll spend time with you."
Zhao Min rolled her eyes again. "You two and your PDA… Spare a thought for your poor, single Zhao-jie over here."