Volume One, Chapter Seven: I Sang Until My Wife Wept

As soon as Lin Chen left, the young nurses at the station began chatting animatedly, their faces lit up with gossip.

Lin Chen knew that his relationship with Xu Mi was undoubtedly the main topic of their daily chatter.

But he didn’t care anymore...

If he had cared, he wouldn’t have agreed to marry Xu Mi.

...

Inside the hospital room.

After placing his bag on the bedside table, Lin Chen rolled up his sleeves and began massaging Xu Mi with practiced ease.

“Wife, I’ve got some good news for you. I found a job—as a market researcher at HoneyBio, with a salary of eight thousand a month.”

Mentioning HoneyBio caused Xu Mi’s eyelids to twitch slightly on the hospital bed.

Thinking she enjoyed hearing about his work, Lin Chen grew even more enthusiastic.

“Although the pay isn’t high, I’ll work hard. My friend’s cousin told me HoneyBio is a big company, producing hyaluronic acid and some medical beauty products. It’s quite large and is about to go public, though for some reason, the IPO was suddenly halted...

But that doesn’t concern me. I just need to work every day to keep my wife plump and well-fed.

Wife, you really are my lucky star... I think getting into this company is all thanks to you. Your name is Xu Mi, and your nickname is Tang Tang, and the company is called HoneyBio. Isn’t that a funny coincidence?”

“Wife, marrying you makes me truly happy... Oh, right, I promised to sing you a song, didn’t I?

What song should I sing?

I don’t even know what you like to hear...”

Muttering to himself, Lin Chen pulled out his phone and scrolled through his playlist on NetEase Cloud Music.

“Got it. I’ll sing ‘The Best Time’ by An Pu. It’s a quiet song; maybe you’ll like it.”

After finding the accompaniment, Lin Chen listened to the intro while softly speaking.

“Wife, I’ve never sung to a girl before. This is my first time, so don’t be upset if I don’t sing well...

No, actually, even if you wanted to be upset, you couldn’t—hehe.”

As he finished talking, the music’s prelude ended.

Clearing his throat, Lin Chen began singing.

“Have you let go of yesterday’s troubles today?
Are the ones you love still kept deep in your heart, or are they now by your side?
Every day when you leave home, do you face new struggles when you return?
Among ten thousand questions, what is the simplest answer?

The wishes once held—are they now reality or just illusions?
Is growing up a gift, or merely beautiful packaging?
The youthful memories remain, like hibiscus blooming in midsummer dreams.

Dear, do you miss me?
Dear, do you miss yourself?

Has the best time arrived?
Someone once loved you; you’ve had wounds of doubt, denial, and disguise.
And you’ve loved too—the price you’ve longed for.
Awareness, attachment, and strength...”

With his eyes closed, Lin Chen hummed softly.

Images of moments spent with Xu Mi surfaced in his mind—both past memories and dreams of the future.

Perhaps that was why his voice grew especially gentle, just like the song’s sentiment—recalling “The Best Time.”

The original singer, An Pu, is an exceptional folk artist.

Her singing carries the feeling of returning from a journey through the mountains and reevaluating love with calmness and composure...

Whether a listener is fourteen or forty, her voice offers a subtle comfort.

It inspires the thought that perhaps things aren’t as bad as they seemed.

But Lin Chen, only in his twenties, couldn’t convey such world-weariness or openness.

His singing expressed more the tenderness of the present moment.

The longing for a beautiful time yet to come.

When the song ended, Lin Chen lingered in its emotional resonance, unable to pull himself away.

He put down his phone and moved toward the window for some fresh air.

But as he stood up, he was startled to notice a hot tear rolling down Xu Mi’s cheek.

“Wife, why are you crying?”

Startled, Lin Chen hurried to comfort her.

Yet after a moment, he realized...

Tears were a good sign!

Tears were a good thing!!

“Wife, did you understand my singing? Are you waking up? Wait for me here—I’ll go get the doctor...”

In a panic, Lin Chen rushed out.

Minutes later, the on-duty doctor, Zhang Qilei, came hastily.

After checking the monitor’s data, he sighed and said, “No, the patient hasn’t awakened yet.”

“Ah? Then why was she crying just now?” Lin Chen asked, disappointed. He had hoped Xu Mi’s tears meant she understood his song.

“You sang just now, right? What song was it?” Zhang Qilei inquired.

“It was a very soothing song.”

“That must be it. The song must have touched her,” the doctor replied.

“But that can’t be right. She’s not awake—how could she be moved?” Lin Chen was puzzled.

“A person doesn’t have to be awake to respond. It might be subconscious behavior. Regardless, the patient is showing very positive signs. Awakening is only a matter of time.”

“I understand. Thank you, doctor.”

...

After seeing the doctor off, Lin Chen sat back down at the bedside.

“Wife, I thought you were about to wake up. I got my hopes up for nothing...

But it’s okay. You’ll wake up soon. The doctor said you’re moving in a positive direction. You have to keep fighting.”

Saying this, Lin Chen checked his phone for the time.

“Hmm, it’s already past nine? Time flew by so fast.”

He reached out, gently holding her small hand with reluctance.

“Wife, I have to go back to school now. If I don’t return soon, they’ll lock me out of the dorm. I’ll come see you again tomorrow morning.

Wait, no—I might only be able to come at night. I have to start working at the new company tomorrow. From now on, I can only visit you in the evenings.”

After saying goodbye, Lin Chen reluctantly slung his bag over his shoulder and left the hospital room.

...

No sooner had he left than the night-shift nurses at the station began buzzing with chatter.

“That Lin Chen is so handsome. I’m totally shipping this couple—he’s good-looking, she’s beautiful. Wow, I haven’t seen such a perfect match in ages.”

As hospital nurses, they prided themselves on having seen it all.

Within the hospital, all sorts of patients and families come and go.

Ungrateful children, estranged spouses—the human drama unfolds daily.

But a couple like Lin Chen and Xu Mi? They’d never seen one like that before.

“I think Lin Chen’s great—not only handsome but responsible and caring. Today’s already his second visit. There aren’t many like him in the hospital.”

“Heh, you don’t know the half of it. He’s only doing it for the money.”

Just then, a freckled nurse voiced a dissenting opinion.

“Oh? How so?”

“I’ve heard some gossip. This Lin Chen took a million yuan. If someone offered me a million, I wouldn’t just care—I’d treat her like a queen.”

“You can’t say that. I can clearly see Lin Chen has feelings for Xu Mi...”

“Feelings? What feelings? I bet this couple won’t last!”

The freckled nurse said confidently.