When Qiu Zhun entered the hospital room, even he couldn't describe his mood.
Perhaps he could just put on a mask as usual and pretend how close he was to Wen Xueshan.
But the more he thought about it, the harder it was for him to relax.
"Azun, what's wrong? You look… a bit off."
Wen Xueshan looked at Qiu Zhun's face filled with worry. Qiu Zhun had been perfectly fine when he left earlier.
Hearing Wen Xueshan's question, Qiu Zhun forced a smile, "It's nothing."
But his appearance suggested otherwise.
Since Qiu Zhun didn't seem like he would explain, Wen Xueshan could only guess.
She tried to recall recent events. Work shouldn't be an issue, as Qiu Zhun had mentioned the company's projects were going smoothly.
So it must be about life? That was impossible too.
That left only one possibility: it was because of her.
Thinking this, Wen Xueshan secretly rejoiced. She knew her own condition better than anyone.
Even the nurse had told her that her situation was peculiar, with no signs of improvement despite all treatments.
She even found a strange enjoyment in it, because as long as she was in the hospital, Qiu Zhun would constantly take care of her, and in the eyes of outsiders, they would always be a loving couple.
But even so, she couldn't bear to see Qiu Zhun looking like this, so she asked, "Are you worried about my illness? Is my condition… very serious?"
Qiu Zhun hadn't known how to start the conversation, but Wen Xueshan had brought it up herself.
So Qiu Zhun could only continue along her lines, "Yes, I just came from the doctor. He said… he said your symptoms are very strange, and he's never treated a patient like you before. I…"
He took a deep, pained breath, as if distressed.
And this distress was genuine; he felt sad about his current predicament.
"I'm sorry, it's… it's my fault," Wen Xueshan lowered her head, also looking sad.
Qiu Zhun appeared unwilling to accept this, "Do you know? I've been waiting, waiting for you to recover, waiting for our child to be born, so we could live a peaceful life. I've even made arrangements for our child's future school. And our wedding too, although I can't give you a grand ceremony, I will do my best to make sure you remember that day."
Hearing Qiu Zhun's words, Wen Xueshan's body trembled. Had Qiu Zhun already thought that far ahead? Marriage? He wanted to marry her? Did he really want to marry her?
Wen Xueshan couldn't hold back her tears.
It all felt like a dream. She had waited for so long, caused so much trouble, and now she had finally achieved her goal?
She was worried, afraid it was another deception, but as she carefully observed Qiu Zhun's expression, she found nothing amiss.
All she saw in his eyes was immense sadness and heartbreak over their shattered future.
Wen Xueshan cautiously reached out and took Qiu Zhun's hand, "I'm sorry, I didn't know, I didn't know you had planned so much."
Qiu Zhun squeezed her hand back, "It's not your fault. I know you don't want this either, right?"
"Of course!" Wen Xueshan affirmed, "I want to get better too, so I can be your wife and the mother of your child."
"After we get married, shall we travel the world? To any place you want to go, I'll accompany you," Qiu Zhun said, smiling at her. "I think our child would also like such activities. Our family can see all the different sceneries in the world and live happily ever after."
As Qiu Zhun spoke, anticipation appeared in Wen Xueshan's eyes. She said excitedly, "Azun, I will get better. I must get better. I will cooperate fully with the doctor's treatment. I will do everything I possibly can. I don't want to give up, and I can't give up. For our future, I want to try."
Hearing this, Qiu Zhun couldn't feel happy at all.
The objective of his plan had been achieved, but what about the future? If Wen Xueshan's condition genuinely started to improve, would he really be able to give her such a future?
If he couldn't, it would just be a lie to Wen Xueshan, and how would he explain it all then?
Once a lie is told, more lies are needed to cover it up. Qiu Zhun felt his heart grow heavier with the thought of what lay ahead.
After their conversation that day, Wen Xueshan's attitude towards her treatment changed. Before, she had only gone through the motions with the doctors and nurses. Now, she actively sought to understand her condition, asking what she needed to pay attention to and how she could recover faster.
She then discovered that some taboo actions, which she had committed during her treatment, were things she hadn't noticed. She also wasn't aware of many daily precautions.
She had a vague idea that the worsening of her condition might not be due to illness, but due to herself.
With Wen Xueshan's cooperation, in just one week, her condition showed significant improvement.
"As expected," Jing Yan carefully examined Wen Xueshan's latest medical report. "Wen Xueshan's current condition has improved immensely. With the removal of psychological barriers, even some symptoms she imagined have been cured without medication. The treatment is now fully on the right track."
Wei Yumeng breathed a sigh of relief, knowing their efforts weren't in vain. "That's wonderful."
"Sometimes I really think you might be more suited to be a doctor than I am, Mrs. Zhan," Jing Yan joked.
Wei Yumeng quickly waved her hand, "I couldn't. I never thought about being a doctor. This was just a fluke. Perhaps because we are both women, and both have someone we love, I could better understand the other's psychology."
Jing Yan looked at Wei Yumeng and then gestured for her to look at Qiu Zhun.
Qiu Zhun showed no sign of joy regarding this matter; in fact, his condition seemed worse, as if Wen Xueshan were a spirit that drained his essence, and he had to be so consumed to cure her.
Wei Yumeng sighed. She knew what Qiu Zhun was worried about. It was precisely because she knew Qiu Zhun to be a person of principle that he was struggling with these issues.
Qiu Zhun had originally planned to reveal the truth to Wen Xueshan after she gave birth.
But now, the memories he had given her were so beautiful, the harder it would be for Wen Xueshan to separate from him in the future.