When Sakurako opened her eyes again, she was already lying in a snow-white hospital room, an IV line plugged into the back of her hand, and a cool draft of oxygen filling her nostrils. She turned her head to look around and noticed that besides herself, someone else was sitting in the shadows of the corner. The person rested one hand on their cheek, the other wrapped around their waist, staring intently at her without blinking.

“Water…” Waking up abruptly, Sakurako felt terribly thirsty. She tried to sit up for a drink but found her entire body felt as if it were cast in lead, utterly immovable. She could only weakly appeal to the person in the corner for help.

Hearing Sakurako’s voice, the person stood up and walked over. As the shadow receded, a handsome face gradually became clear to Sakurako. Him? A shock went through her, tinged with surprise, and beneath that surprise, a faint sense of disappointment.

The one approaching was none other than Li Xiaohao, his shaggy hair falling over his neck. He walked directly to the bedside table, took out a glass from the drawer, and poured a cup of water, perfectly tempered between hot and cold, from the pitcher on the cabinet. He gently supported the delicate Sakurako and slowly fed the water to her lips.

Sakurako inhaled the faint scent of tobacco on Xiaohao’s clothes, wishing Shushu were there instead. A sharp pang of sorrow struck her heart, bringing a wave of near-tears. She managed to hold them back, but the image of her mother being carried away on a stretcher, and the sight of the moving van being hoisted by a crane, flooded her mind like a torrent. She could no longer keep her composure and burst into sobs against Xiaohao’s chest.

“There, there, I’m here. Don’t cry,” Xiaohao comforted her in a gentle voice while stroking her hair.

Just then, the door creaked open, and Li Taizheng stepped in from outside, carrying large bags stuffed with fruit and pastries.

When Sakurako looked up and saw Uncle Li, a sliver of security returned to her heart. She wiped her tears and stopped crying with little hiccups. After all, the two families had been neighbors for over a decade, and Shushu had been nourished by Mrs. Nangong’s milk; their bond was naturally close. Seeing him now felt like encountering a relative, and a deep sense of kinship rose from her heart.

“Good girl, Uncle Li specially bought your favorite lychees and bananas, as well as freshly baked Huangqiao sesame cakes.” Li Taizheng set the items on the nightstand as he spoke. “Shushu isn’t feeling very well, and her studies are quite demanding, so she couldn’t come. You’ve met Shushu’s brother already, haven’t you? Xiaohao grew up with his mother and is a very thoughtful young man.” As he spoke, Li Taizheng winked at Xiaohao, who promptly took a lychee and began peeling it for Sakurako.

Sakurako had desperately hoped Shushu would visit her at the hospital. Li Taizheng’s words felt like a splash of icy water over her head, dousing the turmoil in her battered heart with chilling finality. In truth, she had no idea that Shushu, also kept completely in the dark, was weeping bitterly over the Nangong family’s sudden departure, and had even been hospitalized for half a month due to her disappearance.

At this point in the story, many might ask: if Li Xiaoshu didn't know where Sakurako’s family had moved, and didn’t know that Li Taizheng intended for Xiaohao to marry Sakurako, then did she know she had a special older brother? The answer is yes. Shushu had met Xiaohao when she was very young, and Li Taizheng had told them both the full truth about their unique family circumstances, making them swear never to tell a soul. Thus, Sakurako, having been playmates with Shushu for over a decade, remained completely unaware of Xiaohao’s existence. However, Xiaohao had sneaked out of the Yuanying Villa many times to secretly glimpse his future bride. Because their father adopted vastly different educational approaches—always teaching Shushu to cherish learning, strive for excellence, and be a model ordinary person, while teaching Xiaohao how to capture 'prey' and design schemes—both brothers sensed an innate inequality between them. Consequently, their relationship was far from amicable; their father was arguably the only link connecting the two. If that tie were to sever, these two men would either become strangers or bitter enemies.