I lay motionless on the hospital bed, my body bandaged everywhere like a torn puppet. Each breath was a stab of pain radiating from my chest to my abdomen. The hospital bed was placed near the window, where I watched the light rain outside, each drop striking the glass like heaven's tears weeping for human fate. Wind rustled through the oak leaves in the garden, the whispering sound like life's soft murmurs that I seemed to be slowly leaving behind.
The Moment Family Rushed In: The hospital room door swung open. The hurried footsteps of Van Phong and my parents echoed. When they saw me—body bandaged like a mummy, face so pale it was nearly translucent, eyes devoid of life's spark—all three froze. My mother, Ha Vu Nuong, hands trembling as she covered her mouth, tears streaming down her gaunt face. My father, Wang Mo, collapsed as if struck in the knees, reddened eyes fixed on his son.
"Wang Meng... my son..." my mother whispered, her voice fraying like a thread. She approached the bed, trembling fingers touching my forehead. My skin was cold as stone; she recoiled as if burned.
I still didn't look at her, eyes fixed on the rain outside the window as if searching for something lost. In my mind, the battle flooded back: Sheng Guang Yi's light sword, the blood rain on the stone highland, the enraged beast's roar. It had all ended in a draw, but my body felt shattered into a hundred pieces.
"I'm... fine, Mother," I murmured, voice hoarse as sandpaper. "This was... the final examination..."
The Stolen Warm Moment: Lunchtime arrived. Mother pulled a plastic chair close to the bed. She held a bowl of hot chicken porridge, its aroma filling the antiseptic air. "Wang Meng, it's time for lunch," she said softly, voice trembling like a lullaby. "I heard you haven't eaten all day... I cooked this chicken porridge to help you heal..."
I remained silent. Mother picked up the spoon, scooped a small portion, blew gently to cool it, then brought it to my lips. In this moment, I returned to childhood—mornings when Mother fed porridge to her five-year-old son, her eyes full of love, sunlight streaming through the small window of our fourth-floor apartment. But now, I was seventeen, body covered in wounds, and that love only caused more pain. I swallowed, my throat burning as if seared by fire.
A Father's Pain: My father stood at a distance, back hunched like a crumbling mountain. He pulled Van Phong into a corner, voice choked: "Van Phong... tell me... what happened to Wang Meng?"
Van Phong took a drag from his cigarette, smoke ghosting in the cold air: "The boy participated in the final training match... Fortunately, he held out for a draw until time expired... but ended up injured like today."
Wang Mo buried his face in his hands. He didn't cry, but his shoulders shook like leaves in wind. "I'm a terrible father..." he whispered, voice pained as if stabbed in the chest. "Knowing my son was born inferior to others... yet I couldn't give him a normal life... instead becoming a burden that forced him to strive so hard... he might sacrifice his life to repay us..."
Two tears rolled down his hollow cheeks, splashing on the pristine white hospital floor. Van Phong helped him sit, but immediately, Wang Mo fainted from shock.
Rain Ceased, Sun Rose—And the Horrifying Bill: The rain had stopped. Afternoon sun pierced through clouds, gilding the hospital room. Mother stood up, forcing a smile: "I'll go settle the hospital fees now."
I watched her retreating back, heart feeling squeezed. My mind overflowed with distress and helplessness. I knew, with these injuries, the hospital fees would be astronomical. Mother returned after ten minutes, holding a stack of bills. She trembled as she handed them to Van Phong. He looked, face turning ashen.
"Total... 580 million Yuan?" Van Phong stammered.
My father regained consciousness, heard the amount, and fainted again. A hospital clerk explained: "Due to the patient's severe injuries requiring emergency surgery and special medical services, the costs are very high."
My parents searched their pockets. Mother took out all her street vendor earnings, small coins wrapped in paper. Father pulled an expired ATM card from his wallet. "We'll... sell the house..." my father said, voice thick with bitterness.
Light from the Darkness: As despair enveloped us, a figure entered. A graceful young woman, sea-blue hair like night waves, emerald eyes sparkling under the lights. She wore a tailored black suit that accentuated her elegance, her aura commanding attention with every gesture.
"I am Hao Yan Ling," the young woman said, voice clear as a ringing bell. "Wang Meng's friend. Because he saved my life, I've come to help him."
She presented a glossy black bank card. "Please don't worry, I'll cover these hospital fees."
My parents looked like drowning people clutching a raft. "Young lady... we'll try to repay this money..."
Van Phong whispered in my ear: "She's the heiress of the Water Clan—one of the seven most powerful families in the world. Her grandfather is a Peak-Level Water System user who participated in the great campaign against the Dark Society fifty years ago."
Recovery and Fateful Encounter: After three days of treatment, my body improved. I had enough points to graduate from Eternal Magic Academy's Intermediate Level. Thinking of a stable job ahead, my turbulent heart gradually calmed. The deep black eyes slowly faded, revealing basic brown eyes—something I had lost long ago.
Hao Yan Ling entered with two bodyguards. I was surprised, thinking we'd never meet again after that day when we said we owed each other nothing. My parents smiled and excused themselves: "Wang Meng, your friend is here to visit. She's helped us tremendously."
Confession from the Heart: When only we remained, Hao Yan Ling sat in the chair beside my bed. She looked at me with deep blue eyes: "How did you find your way here?" I asked, voice still flat but unable to hide surprise.
She smiled, a smile that made her delicate face bloom like a flower. "I came to help you. Now you owe me a favor, and we're indebted to each other again. But this time, you owe me."
I waved my hand: "Thank you. Is it because you paid all my hospital fees?"
She looked surprised: "How did you know?"
I sighed: "With these injuries, the fees could only be covered by selling my house and borrowing everywhere. But rest assured, I've met graduation requirements. Once I attend the Intermediate Level graduation ceremony, I can start working and repay you. And I thank you for letting me make my parents smile so happily."
Hao Yan Ling bit her lip, face flushing crimson. She stood up, hands clenched into fists: "Wang Meng! If you've overcome all that suffering... I love you! Can we date now?"
Her voice trembled, eyes glistening as if filled with tears. Her heart raced so wildly I could hear it from here. Sweat beaded on her forehead, anxiety and anticipation clear in every gesture.
I looked at her, then out the window. The sunset painted the sky red, coloring the entire room. In my brown eyes, Hao Yan Ling looked like a small angel in this cruel world. But I knew the gap between us:
"No," I said gently but firmly. "There's still too much distance between us. You're the young lady of a great noble family, while I'm fortunate just to survive in this world. No matter how hard we try, we can only be friends."
Hao Yan Ling's face darkened, her sparkling eyes reflecting pain. But when she heard the last words, they brightened: "Friends... we can be friends?"
I nodded: "We can."
She smiled, a smile tearful but radiant as morning sunshine. In the white hospital room, amid antiseptic smells and physical pain, friendship had sprouted from the ashes of suffering. And perhaps, this was a new beginning for both of us—not a romance, but warm enough to continue walking the thorny path ahead.