"Really?" she exclaimed, shooting to her feet in excitement.

But the world around her spun almost immediately, and she was powerless against the pull of gravity.

Cheng Yan sat inside the treatment room, looking worn and haggard. He had been keeping guard all this time, not wanting to riskYao Tang's condition getting any worse without his supervision.

He leaned over her bed now, and reached out to wipe her tears.

"What did you see? Did you run into some problems? Wake up and tell me about it, and we'll deal with it together."

"Come on, hurry and wake up. I promise, I will never let anyone bully you again."

"It's okay if you want to sleep a little longer. The doctors all said that there is nothing wrong with your body. You can take all the time you need."

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"It's a pity, though. I prepared a special present for your 18th birthday, but the day has long passed."

"If you keep this up, you might miss the college entrance exams. You're the top student, after all, and Principal Kongpinned his hopes on you."

"If you don't wake up soon, the principal's eyebrows just might turn white from worry."

Cheng Yan had spent numerous days just like this, talking toYao Tangas if she could hear him through her comatose state. He would even bring work with him once in a while. Of course,Yao Tangnever responded.

As Yao Tangslowly emerged into consciousness, she first heardCheng Yan's long-winded prattle before she could even open her eyes. She stifled a giggle. She had never imagined that a day would come when the cool and aloof young master would turn into a chatterbox.

She kept her eyes closed and listened to him for a while, but in the end, she couldn't resist teasing him.

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"What about you? If I stayed unconscious, will your hair and eyebrows turn white from worry, too?"Cheng Yan stuttered to a stop. He stared at her face and froze. Afraid that he might be hallucinating, he robotically pinched his arm.

No, the pain felt all too real, which meant that this was real. Yao Tangwas really awake.

Yao Tang couldn't help but laugh at how simple-mindedCheng Yanhad become.

As for the young man, his feelings were all over the place, but Yao Tang's laughter resonated with him, and he laughed along as well.

He pounced on her and gathered her into a tight embrace. Just like that, all the longing and anxiety that he had been suffering through the weeks vanished.

Yao Tang settled in his arms, feeling warm in her heart. She had always thought thatCheng Yanwas only nice to her on a whim, that she was but a passing fancy to him. This was mainly why she kept herself at a distance, in addition to the fact that she was used to being alone. She struggled against the idea of having someone she could rely on, and was constantly looking for ways to escape the situation.

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Now, however, she realized that Cheng Yan's feelings for her were genuine, not some spur-of-the-moment thing. It might also have something to do with her long dream, which evoked the feeling of love and being loved.

Yao Tang knew that she was lucky to have metCheng Yan.

And so, she wound her arms around him and returned his hug.

"It's been hard on you, right? Thank you for staying by my side."

Cheng Yan said nothing, only pulled her even closer.

Just then, the rest of their friends barged into the room, having heard the sound of laughter. As soon as the trio stepped inside, they were greeted by the sight of the couple hugging.

Their mood instantly soured.

Meng Yang sighed and clutched at his chest jokingly.

"I hurried over to make sure that Sister Tangis okay, I didn't expect to be fed dog food the minute I get here!"

"I know, right?" Lin Xinmade a face. "Disgusting. I suppose we won't need to have dinner tonight, since we've already had our fill of dog food."

Qin Jing simply rolled her eyes at them and shook her head. She grabbed the other two, one in each arm, and pulled them back to the door.

"Sorry for disturbing you guys. Please carry on with your moment. We'll come back later."

Cheng Yan finally pulled back at the sound of the door clicking shut.

"Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?" he asked as he carefully eyed Yao Tang. "I'll get a doctor to check on you."

She shook her head and smiled gently.

"I'm fine. I'm a doctor myself, remember? I should know better than anyone else how my body is doing."

"That's good, then. It's great that you're all right." Cheng Yanalmost choked on his words, his voice thick with emotion.

Yao Tang felt helpless despite herself. She had never seenCheng Yanlike this before.

More importantly, no one had fussed over her so much since she was a child.

The atmosphere soon turned awkward.

Noticing her unease, Cheng Yanstroked her hair.

"You don't have to be so careful around me."

Yao Tang frowned and swallowed the lump in her throat. She wasn't exactly willing to admit that she cared about him just yet.

"Who's being careful? Don't kid yourself."

Cheng Yan chuckled at her stubbornness.

He could already feel a change in her attitude. He wasn't sure why, but she seemed more open to him and his affections than she used to be, which was certainly a good thing.

She didn't seem inclined to explain herself, and he would never force her to. The one thing he was sure of was that he would seek retribution from the people who had caused her to fall into a coma.

"Why were you unconscious for so long? I asked Xiao Bing, but she said that you didn't fall into the illusion trap."