Chapter 2 Missing Brother

She really missed her brother so much.

It hurt her chest to think about him.

During those days and nights living in the Gobi Desert, she carved his name into the cave walls with stones, over and over, as if doing so could wear away that insane longing. But every time she finished carving, looking at the wall full of names, she'd become senselessly frightened, as if scared that someone would peer into the secrets of her heart. Her anxious emotions compelled her to grind away those traces of his name.

Wu Xuelan looked at the young girl in front of her with a peculiar expression. Was she getting old, causing her ears to fail her?

The miss said... said she missed the young master?...

Han Jiaojiao threw off the blanket and slowly got out of bed. Wu Xuelan quickly reached out to support her and bent down to put slippers on her feet, all the while babbling, "Miss, what are you doing? Are you going to the restroom? Don't move; I'll support you... The doctor said that you shouldn't bend over during this period, as it will make you dizzy and uncomfortable. You'd better rest quietly... Miss, do you want a drink of water? Miss, you don't know, that doctor, really, he said you would wake up in two days, but you didn't wake up yesterday, oh my, the young master was so angry..."

As Wu Xuelan spoke to this point, she involuntarily closed her mouth, her heart skipping a beat—why did her mouth bring up the young master again? The miss hated it when others mentioned the young master. But... Miss seemed somewhat different today? She thought this and carefully observed Han Jiaojiao's expression.

Han Jiaojiao was about to ask where her brother was when she heard Sister Wu mention him. She tightly grasped her hand, "Where is Brother? Where is he now?"

Sister Wu was taken aback and mumbled for a while before saying, "The young master... the young master is injured and also in the hospital. Miss, don't be angry with the young master; after all, we are a family..."

She was terrified that Han Jiaojiao would go to make a scene with the young master. In fact, the miss was clearly very gentle, but for some reason, she was very resistant to anything related to the young master. Sister Wu sometimes thought that if the young master would humble himself and coax the miss, it would be good. However, every time the miss threw a tantrum, the young master just looked on coldly, not saying a word, which only worsened their relationship.

Han Jiaojiao didn't care about what Sister Wu was thinking; she only heard that her brother was also in the hospital and headed toward the door. Her movements were weak, and she felt a bit dizzy, but none of this could restrain her elated mood—she would finally get to see her brother!

She remembered when she realized that a tuft of her hair was missing and that her brother was in the hospital too. Because she loathed her brother and didn't want to stay where he was, she left the hospital hastily the day after she awoke.

And her brother had stayed in the hospital for nearly half a month. She had not visited him once; she even felt in her heart that he deserved it. How heartless and selfish she had been...

Wu Xuelan saw Han Jiaojiao walking towards the exit, both alarmed and frightened, "My miss, it hasn't dawned yet..."

It was three-thirty in the morning, but Han Jiaojiao couldn't wait another moment.

"Sister Wu, which room is my brother in?" Han Jiaojiao instinctively felt that her brother must be next door or perhaps across from her ward? Definitely not too far. Her brother had always stayed close to her, always appearing by her side when she needed him the most.

"Miss, whatever it is, can it wait until early tomorrow? The young master is resting now. The young master just had a bullet removed; the doctor said he needs to recuperate..."

Before Wu Xuelan could finish speaking, Han Jiaojiao had already opened the door. She stood at the threshold, turned her head to look at Wu Xuelan, tears welling up in her eyes. Her wavy long hair spread loose, and her small face was framed in an oversized hospital gown, making her look all the more fragile.

Biting her lip, Han Jiaojiao softly said, "I won't wake him, I just want to see him..."

Looking at Han Jiaojiao like this, Wu Xuelan felt as if her heart was breaking.

"Ah, miss, don't cry. You've just woken up, and your body is still weak. Let me put a coat on you, and then I'll take you to find the young master, okay?"

Her brother's ward was indeed not far from Han Jiaojiao's, separated only by a corner of the hallway.

The bodyguard on the night shift at the corridor heard the noise and turned back to see Han Jiaojiao. He was slightly taken aback, then turned his back again, paying her no more heed.

Han Jiaojiao stood at the door, taking a deep breath.

She reached out to grasp the doorknob, intending to open the door and go inside, but her hand trembled so violently that she could hardly muster any strength.

Wu, the maid standing behind her, noticed her distress and helped her open the door, softly persuading her, "Miss, the young master is sleeping right now. Why don't you just take a quick look from the door and go back? The night air is chilly, and you've just woken up. Take care of your health..."

Seeing the familiar figure on the bed, Han Jiaojiao felt as if her heart was about to explode! It was both tearing pain and bursting joy. She couldn't hear anything else! Han Jiaojiao's eyes fixated unblinkingly on Han Yi on the bed, her heart and eyes filled only with her brother.

"I'm okay... Wu, I want to be with my brother, you go and rest..." Her voice trembled slightly, and after she spoke, she walked in on her own and gently closed the door behind her.

— This dimly lit room, in an instant, became a small world, a world where only she and her brother existed, leaving no room for anyone else.

Han Jiaojiao clutched her chest and walked slowly towards him, each step quicker than the last, her rapid breathing causing her chest to rise and fall as if someone, deprived of air for too long, greedily gulped down oxygen.

Her brother lay there, quietly on the sickbed, right before her eyes, at this very moment.

His fair skin, his cold and handsome face—it was a top-quality exterior she had never properly observed before.

In the past, she hated his eyebrows, thinking they were too long; every time they quirked slightly, she'd feel terrified. She also detested his deep and slender eyes, finding his gaze too sharp, as if it stripped her of all secrets and left her nowhere to hide. But now, all of that was endearing to her, whether it be his soaring arching brows or his thin, pursed lips, or his tall, straight nose—she adored every inch, every millimeter of him.

She had finally seen her brother.

Truly and actually seen her brother.

She wasn't dreaming. She had really returned to the time before the apocalyptic world.

However, the joy of this long-awaited reunion soon receded like the tide, replaced by an excruciating pain!

Han Jiaojiao could no longer control herself.

Her hot tears, as if squeezed out by immense pressure, poured out fiercely, uncontrollably.

She clasped her hand tightly over her mouth, but the faint sobbing sounds still slipped out through her fingers.

Overtaken by immense sorrow, she felt darkness encroach upon her vision, dizzy and lightheaded for a moment; Han Jiaojiao immediately crouched down, holding onto the bed's edge—she couldn't faint now, she hadn't had a proper look at her brother yet...

But the weakness of her body coupled with the turmoil of her emotions left her powerless to resist, her mind growing heavier, like solidifying paste...

The man on the bed slowly opened his eyes, looking toward Han Jiaojiao at the bedside. The girl looked like a pitiful, pleading young creature, leaning against the side of his sickbed, her slender body still trembling.

Han Yi's eyes carried the haze of someone just awakening. He closed his eyes and reopened them, now fully alert, returning to his usual coolness and depth.

He picked up the phone by the bed and dialed a number, "Call the doctor, ask Wu to come over, and then call Zhou Yan."

In his deep voice, there was a hint of barely noticeable anger.