The warmth left behind by Shui's birthday celebration didn't disappear all at once. It lingered in the gaps of their everyday busy lives. Life continued as time slipped forward. And somewhere along the way, without ceremony or warning, the days grew heavier.
No one said it had been four weeks, but it felt as if four whole years had passed. Time simply stretched itself into hospital corridors as it became Hou Luli's world. Some days she was lucid enough to smile, to speak a few sentences before exhaustion would seize her again. On other days, she slept through visiting hours, her breathing shallow and face drained of color.
Lin had almost been visiting her everyday by that point - sometimes alone, sometimes with Shui. But one day Hou Luli got a surprise. A familiar face greeted her which looked like Lin but wasn't. Tears wetted her lashes and her lips quivered.
"Cai…It's Cai, aren't you?"
