Volume One, Chapter 11: Sunrise in the East, Rain in the West—Though It Seems Overcast, There Is Sunshine-Depois do Casamento, Minha Esposa em Estado Vegetativo Acordou por Minha Causa(Canção do Leão)

If it had been before, Lin Chen would never have dared to do such a thing. But alcohol emboldens the timid. Drunk, Lin Chen was simply willful—doing whatever he pleased without a hint of shame or hesitation, completely free of any psychological burden. What harm was there in teasing a comatose patient? If she had the strength, she could get up and bite him.

After lying on the bed for half an hour, Lin Chen began to sober up. Seeing that Xu Mi was taking up a lot of space beside him, he felt a slight pang of guilt and shifted closer to the edge. However, he had no intention of leaving. It was already midnight; going back to school was out of the question. So, he decided to make do and spend the night there.

Propping his chin in his hand, he stared unblinkingly at Xu Mi. Perhaps it was the moonlight, but her complexion seemed rosier and more radiant than before—she looked even more beautiful. As he gazed, he found himself captivated and leaned over to kiss her cheek.

“My dear wife, you truly are beautiful… I love you so much. You know, I’m actually quite handsome, and many girls have chased after me, but I never agreed to any of them. I always believed that my wife should be someone just like you. So, I waited and waited… and unexpectedly, I actually got to wait for you.

“Just now, I was talking with the nurses at the station. They said you’re recovering very quickly, that maybe one day soon you’ll wake up. I’m happy to hear that, but at the same time, I feel a little lost. Right now, you’re still my wife, but if one day you wake up, will you still be? Will you still want to be with a poor and penniless guy like me?

“That’s why I’m anxious. Tonight, I drank, so just think of this as me speaking honestly after some drinks. If one day you wake up, would you still let me be your husband? Even just giving me a chance would be enough. Every time I think about this, I get anxious. So, tonight, with some courage from the alcohol, I’m telling you what’s in my heart… I don’t even know if you can hear me, but I just want to say it.

“Am I talking too much? I’m like this—when I drink, I become a chatterbox. Well, enough talking. Let me sing you a song. Last time I sang for you, it went really well; maybe this time will be good too.”

After rambling on, Lin Chen pulled out his phone, opened the music app, and began searching for a suitable song.

After looking around for a while, he finally found one he liked.

“Wife, I’m going to sing you a song called ‘Yet the Sky is Clear.’ It’s my favorite right now. The original singer is Shi Lei, and it’s full of emotion.”

He started the instrumental track and began reciting a poem by the Tang dynasty poet Liu Yuxi called “Bamboo Branch Song,” which had inspired the song.

“The willows are green, and the river is calm; I hear my lover singing on the riverbank. Eastward the sun rises, westward the rain falls; they say there’s no clear weather, yet there is.”

“All right, here I go.”

“Holding your hand, never letting go, kissing your forehead and never looking back, so many things I want to say, but before I can, I see your happy smile. In the end, life leaves only the last moments; everything else worth having is still worth having. Among the vast sea of people, so many pass by unnoticed. Luckily, you said, ‘I’ll be with you through your sadness.’ I’ve never been touched before, but now I’m really trembling. I’ve never been free, I’ve tried to live anew.

“I’ve never been indifferent; I strive to love all. I’ve always stayed in the corner, yearning to see the lights. The darker the sky, the more stars you can see. Such brilliant loneliness truly breaks the heart.

“I even despairingly say, ‘This is the lock of fate, and I cannot break it.’ Then you suddenly hold me and say:

“Whether poor or rich; happy or sad; living, or perhaps after death; now and forever…”

When the song ended, Lin Chen’s face was streaked with tears. He was always an extremely emotional person, and this song was one he had searched for days to find. Though he didn’t know who Shi Lei truly was, the emotions within the song deeply moved him.

“Such brilliant loneliness, such brilliant loneliness…”

How beautifully those words were written.

He thought Xu Mi would surely find resonance in this song as well—because she, too, must feel lonely, yearning to see lights, longing for a ray of hope in the steel forest of the city, a light kept just for her.

He didn’t understand Xu Mi’s world or why she had tried to end her life. But this song carried so much emotion that he longed to share with her—to encourage her to try living again, to tell her that, no matter poverty or wealth, happiness or sorrow, life or death, he wanted to be by her side... always.

Lin Chen didn’t know why, at such a young age, he carried so many feelings—maybe it was because in a past life, he hadn’t had enough time with her.

After finishing the song, Lin Chen continued to cry. He couldn’t say why, but the pent-up emotions wouldn’t let him stop. Eventually, exhausted from crying, he fell asleep—unconsciously pulling Xu Mi into his arms. She was soft and gentle, comforting to hold.

That night, Lin Chen did not sleep soundly. He dreamt—or rather, drifted between sleep and wakefulness. He felt someone push him and heard a gentle voice whisper in his ear: “Lin Chen, you’re squashing my hair.”

But Lin Chen gave no response; he only smiled sweetly in his sleep.

The next morning, it was a nurse who woke him.

“Lin Chen, are you crazy? How did you end up sleeping in the bed last night?”

“Uh…”

Still groggy, Lin Chen climbed out of bed. “Sorry, I drank too much last night and accidentally fell asleep…”

“You’re really out of your mind. The patient’s condition is so unstable, with all those machines attached to her. What if you knocked something off?”

“I... I…”

Lin Chen’s expression was worse than if he were about to cry. At that moment, he finally realized how reckless his behavior had been.

“I didn’t mean it. I really drank too much last night.”

“You’re unbelievable. Even though you two are married, you can’t do that… She’s still in a coma.”

“I know I was wrong. I won’t dare do it again.”

“I’m amazed by you. Luckily, the patient’s condition is stable now. If not, you’d regret it so much you’d be crying for sure.”

The nurse had become quite familiar with Lin Chen, so she scolded him without holding back. After her reprimand, she wheeled her cart away.

Alone in the room, Lin Chen looked awkwardly at Xu Mi lying on the bed.

“Wife, I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to last night…”