Chapter 36: Post-operative Recovery Period
The check-up the next day went smoothly. The surgery was scheduled for the following morning, with Dr. Li as the lead surgeon.
He specifically instructed the nurses to turn off the lights early and increase the frequency of rounds—yes, he didn’t trust Shen Yanjin at all.
Last night, Shen Yanjin was happy from chatting with Duan Mingyue, but also nervous and uncertain about the impending surgery. Joy mixed with worry, his brain couldn’t stop thinking wild thoughts, so he couldn’t sleep no matter what.
Thus, the sleepless Shen Yanjin nested under the quilt, deceiving the heavens to cross the sea. Strictly following medical advice, he didn’t move his right hand but used his left hand to play mobile games all night.
Dr. Li was truly amused by his exasperation. With surgery approaching, he still stayed up all night playing games in the ward, and the reason was because he was nervous?
Nervous my ass.
The head nurse agreed, promising not only to increase rounds today but to confiscate Shen Yanjin’s electronic devices directly after lights out, preventing this person from playing this and that the day before surgery.
Shen Yanjin touched his nose sheepishly from the side, not speaking.
Fortunately, whether it was because he didn’t rest well the previous day or the lack of a phone actually promoted sleep, after dinner, Shen Yanjin felt drowsiness surge as soon as his head hit the pillow, and he fell asleep early.
He groggily dreamed many messy dreams.
There was the HG Team, his parents, and his circle of friends like Lu Hui and Old Hai.
Many people walked to and fro in his dream. Memories were mashed into a ball, making Shen Yanjin’s brain, which was already sluggish in the dream, even more chaotic.
At the end of the dream, he saw a mirror lake.
The lake water was calm and ripple-less, sandwiched between lush forests. A curved crescent moon in the sky fell into the water, beautiful as a painting. At first glance, it was no different from the real thing.
Bewitched by the moon’s beauty, he walked forward foolishly—
Then, he stepped into the lake. The ripples easily shattered the moon’s reflection, and he fell into the icy lake.
Strangely, there was no water in this lake. Instead, it was like a bottomless pit. After falling, Shen Yanjin heard nothing but the whistling wind in his ears.
The feeling of weightlessness from stepping into empty air was too real, startling him awake from the dream.
The ward was quiet. The sky seemed to have brightened, and the outlines of things in the room gradually became clear.
Faint morning light filtered through the gaps in the curtains, carrying the unique haze and clarity of early morning.
Shen Yanjin hadn’t had such a normal sleep schedule for a long time. He sat alone in a daze for a while before getting out of bed, opening the curtains, and going to wash up.
The matter he had been anxious and apprehensive about for so long was right before his eyes, just a few hours away.
Shen Yanjin thought he would be more nervous, but unexpectedly, his heart was exceptionally calm and composed at this moment.
Perhaps because he had done all he could, and no struggle was useful anymore. He could only listen to fate’s decree, so he might as well lie flat.
One hour before the surgery, Shen Yanjin, wearing a surgical gown, signed the surgery consent form.
Dr. Li stood by and asked, “Are you sure you don’t want to call your family or friends? There’s still time.”
Running here alone for surgery did sound a bit desolate.
Shen Yanjin shook his head firmly. “No need.”
Even if he told them, what could be done?
There was no need.
It was his own choice; dealing with it alone was enough.
Dr. Li gave him a deep look and didn’t say more.
Inside the operating room, the surgical lights, blinding but not piercing, covered his field of vision. Lying on the operating table, Shen Yanjin heard Dr. Li say, “Don’t be nervous.”
The anesthetic gradually took effect, and he groggily fell asleep.
He had another dream.
It was a continuation of the morning’s dream.
After falling into the lake, he fell, fell, and finally hit the bottom.
The bottom was a pure white world with nothing in it, except for a man standing quietly not far away.
The man had his back to Shen Yanjin. Shen Yanjin couldn’t see his face, but he could see his straight back, smooth waistline, and straight, long legs.
Perhaps it was intuition, but in the dream, Shen Yanjin couldn’t help blurting out Duan Mingyue’s name.
Hearing his shout, the man turned his face around—it was really Duan Mingyue!
He smiled in Shen Yanjin’s direction, his handsome eyebrows curving, his voice full of doting: “I’ve waited for you for a long time, what took you so long?”
Duan Mingyue was waiting for him?
In the dream, meeting Duan Mingyue’s smile, Shen Yanjin’s heart floated. Just as he wanted to answer, he heard a string of a girl’s sweet, soft, coquettish laughter from beside him.
“Oh my, Moon God, sorry.” That girl walked straight past Shen Yanjin as if she didn’t see him, jogging all the way to Duan Mingyue’s side. “I ran into a little thing on the road so I got delayed. I’m here now though.”
Her tone was like she was acting spoiled, and her hands familiarly hugged Duan Mingyue’s arm. Their movements were intimate; the relationship looked very unusual.
Shen Yanjin froze.
What made him freeze even more was what happened next.
Duan Mingyue not only didn’t push the girl away but even reached out to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. “En, it’s good that you’re here. Let’s go, UOOW.”
If seeing Duan Mingyue being hugged shocked Shen Yanjin to a degree of five, then hearing Duan Mingyue call that girl “UOOW” shocked him to at least a ten.
Ten out of ten, meaning terrifying waves, struck by five thunderbolts.
Impossible? How could she be UOOW?
UOOW should clearly be me, right? The one Duan Mingyue fell for is also me, isn’t it?
Shen Yanjin stood in place, watching their retreating figures. His pupils trembled; he wanted to shout and scream, but couldn’t move a muscle.
Another person’s voice rang uncontrollably in his ears.
That voice was very similar to his own, carrying a cold, indifferent, high-and-mighty attitude.
That voice said: Look, this is your retribution. He told you so clearly, said he doesn’t like men, told you to be sensible. But you? Not only were you not sensible, but you also eagerly leaned in, using acting and a voice changer. Because of that little bit of selfishness, you dragged out so much trouble.
There were so many chances to confess, yet you chose to continue concealing and deceiving. Did you never think about how this would end?
Can you tell me, what exactly do you want to do?
What exactly do I want to do?
Shen Yanjin thought, he just hoped to taste a little bit of Duan Mingyue’s liking.
Duan Mingyue was so good; his liking must be joyous and blissful too.
Facts proved it was indeed so.
Shen Yanjin had only gained a little of Duan Mingyue’s favor and felt incredibly happy.
What a pity, this happiness never truly belonged to him.
He couldn’t possibly obtain Duan Mingyue.
An indescribable sorrow and emptiness suddenly rose in Shen Yanjin’s heart.
Just like back then, when he was ostracized by the whole HG team, mocked by the entire internet, with no one to rely on—the emotion rising in his heart was the same.
Perhaps, this was the only way.
He accepted his fate.
Shen Yanjin’s only hope now was that the surgery would succeed, and then… Duan Mingyue could magnanimously forgive him. For this, he was willing to do anything to compensate. As for other things, he shouldn’t dream of them…
Consciousness continued to sink.
When he opened his eyes again, the sky was completely dark.
The small table lamp on the nightstand emitted a warm orange light.
A folding bed had been set up in the empty space beside the hospital bed, scattered with some other items. On one side, a middle-aged woman sat on a small stool. Seeing him wake up, she familiarly picked up a cup of cool boiled water with a straw and brought it to his lips.
Right, the caregiver he hired earlier was scheduled to come today after the surgery.
Shen Yanjin drank the water, moistening his throat which was dry to the point of cracking, thinking Dr. Li indeed had foresight to make him find a caregiver.
He felt like a disabled person now.
Wait!
A very bad guess suddenly popped into his brain—could it be he really became disabled!
Otherwise, why couldn’t he feel the existence of his right hand at all?
Shen Yanjin struggled to use his hoarse voice to speak: “Auntie, where is Dr. Li?”
Hearing this, the caregiver auntie smiled. “Dr. Li just came by. Seeing you were sleeping, he left again.”
Shen Yanjin said, “Can you help me call him? I-I want to ask about my surgery.”
The caregiver sister laughed. “Don’t worry, I asked for you. Your surgery was very successful. After observing for two more days, you can start rehabilitation.”
Shen Yanjin was still dazed. Rather than joy, his brain was more confused. He repeated blankly, “Successful? Then why does my right hand have no sensation?”
The caregiver auntie laughed loudly at him. “That’s because the anesthesia hasn’t worn off yet!”
Shen Yanjin was still a bit muddled, but he retained a bit of IQ. Hearing the surgery was successful, a huge stone fell from his heart. He tilted his head peacefully and fell asleep again.
Shen Yanjin slept and woke, woke and slept, not eating anything at all.
Until he woke up clearly the next day, and the caregiver auntie told him he couldn’t sleep anymore. Shen Yanjin washed his face and wiped his body, feeling much more awake, and hunger surged up.
Looking at his hand wrapped in white gauze, he still found it hard to believe: Really successful? Yesterday wasn’t my hallucination, right?
Only when Dr. Li nodded to confirm this fact did Shen Yanjin belatedly feel a wave of joy.
He said happily, “Twenty percent success rate, and I actually hit it.”
Flipping through the case file in his hand, Dr. Li said, “During the surgery, I discovered the inflammation inside your wrist had alleviated slightly. This reduced the difficulty of the surgery a lot. It might be related to your recent physical therapy and medication.”
Shen Yanjin’s heart had flown far away to Cloud City. He didn’t take in what Dr. Li said at all. Barely gathering his chaotic thoughts, he asked, “Then… when can I start rehab?”
Dr. Li glanced at him. “Change the dressing on the wound daily. Observation for one week.”
Just one week; it would be fast.
But Shen Yanjin never expected that the real hell was just beginning.
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