"Well, regardless, that's all in the past now. Let's just focus on living well from here on out; everything should get back to normal," Officer He said kindly, patting my shoulder.

I nodded. "Yeah, it's just that older sister hasn't woken up yet..." I started to tell him about the Gu infestation, but stopped myself. The Gu was just a thing of legend; telling him these bizarre stories would surely make him suspect my 'illness' wasn't cured. Better to say less than stir up more trouble, especially since he couldn't help anyway. Better to keep my mouth shut.

"I spoke with the doctor before I came in. He said her head CT scan was clear. There shouldn't be anything serious; sometimes people react this way after a shock. Try to relax, don't overthink it. She'll wake up."

For some reason, the moment Officer He stepped through that doorway, I felt a sudden surge of safety. Especially after those words, they sounded almost like family.

"Thank you, Officer He."

"Heh, stop calling me Officer He from now on, how about just Old He? Being a cop for a day at the station is tiring enough; during off-hours, I just want to live like a normal person."

"Heh, Old He," I chuckled, giving him an awkward smile.

"You two talk. I have something I need to take care of, so I’ll head back first," Li Xiaoshu suddenly interjected. Old He and I realized we had been so caught up talking that we’d left him standing aside for quite a while.

I walked Li Xiaoshu out of the ward. Even though we hadn't built up much of a rapport, we exchanged pleasantries before parting and swapped cell numbers. He told me to call if I needed anything, and I agreed. Having an extra friend is always better than having an extra enemy.

When I returned, Old He was sitting quietly by the bedside, carefully smoothing out my sister's quilt. The feeling of warmth intensified, and I couldn't help but think how wonderful it would be if we could become a family.

"You know when your sister and I first met, right?" Old He asked while tucking the blanket.

That question genuinely surprised me. "You and big sister knew each other before?"

"Haha, if we didn't know each other, how do you think I managed to talk my way into pleading your case with the school?"

"Wow, I really had no idea about that. Did you two date before?"

Old He sat down and began recounting that hazy story of him and my sister: "Yeah, your sister was my first crush. We went to the same high school, just not the same class. She was the anchor for our high school TV station; you could see her every Monday during the campus radio news. She was only sixteen or seventeen then, the campus beauty. So many boys were chasing her. Every day after school, a crowd of guys would pretend they were heading the same way, just looking for a chance to strike up a conversation. I wanted to talk to her too, but the competition was fierce; I could never grab an opening. So, I came up with a plan. Every morning, I’d cycle specifically to the breakfast stall below your apartment building, time it just right to wait for your sister to come downstairs, and pretend it was a chance encounter, offering to buy her breakfast. She would always only eat one small jianbing (savory pancake). At first, I’d walk beside her pushing my bike. Later, I noticed she never wore a watch and always used mine to check the time. One day, I set my watch ten minutes fast. After buying the breakfast, I said to her, 'Oh no, it's so late today, we’re going to be late! Hop on the bike, and we'll ride!' She was in a hurry and agreed without thinking twice. Then, I pedaled victoriously, taking your sister to school on my bike. That single act stunned every boy in our grade."