CHAPTER 67: CHAPTER 67; I’M JOKING FATHER, RELAX

It was such a child’s perspective, not gratitude for her own life, but for ending her father’s suffering, that even Shuyin seemed momentarily affected.

"Your father loves you very much," Shuyin said, and for once her voice carried something other than coldness. Not quite warmth, but acknowledgment. "That kind of love is... rare. Especially among humans."

"He’s the best father in the whole world, I know it..." Yuyan said with absolute conviction, reaching for Lu Yuze’s hand again.

Lu Yuze felt his throat tighten. Six months ago, his twelve-year-old daughter had been full of life, music, and laughter. Then she had collapsed, and he had watched helplessly as she faded away, day by day, despite all his resources and desperate prayers.

Now she was back. Awake. Talking. Alive.

He had married a mysterious woman with inhuman eyes. He had released criminals from prison. He had made deals he didn’t fully understand with consequences he couldn’t predict.

And he’d do it all again in a heartbeat.

Because his brilliant, kind, precious twelve-year-old daughter was alive.

And whoever had tried to take her away from him would soon learn what it meant to make an enemy of Sixth Master Lu.

The ward room settled into an uneasy quiet after Ah-Ling left to coordinate the discharge arrangements. Dr. Chen had promised the paperwork within the hour, but that still meant sixty minutes of waiting in a space that suddenly felt too small, too confined, and too vulnerable for all of them.

Lu Yuze remained beside Yuyan’s bed, his hand never leaving hers, as if physical contact could somehow anchor her to consciousness, prevent her from slipping back into that terrifying darkness that had claimed her for six months. Each breath she took felt like a small miracle he couldn’t quite believe.

Yuyan herself was struggling to stay awake. The brief burst of energy from her awakening was fading fast, exhaustion pulling at her like a physical weight pressing down on her chest. Her eyelids kept drooping, then snapping open again as she fought to remain present, to prove to herself and everyone else that she was really, truly awake.

"Sleep if you need to, my dear," Lu Yuze said gently, noticing her struggle. His thumb traced soothing circles on the back of her hand. "I’ll be right here. I’m not going anywhere."

"But what if I don’t wake up again?" The fear in her voice was raw, childish, and heartbreaking, a vulnerability that made his chest ache even more deeply. "What if I fall asleep and..."

"You will wake up," he said firmly, squeezing her hand with careful pressure. "This is different, baby. You’re not sick anymore. You’re just tired. Normal tiredness, the kind that goes away after rest. The kind everyone feels."

"Promise?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

"I promise, sweetheart. I promise on everything I am."

Yuyan’s eyes drifted closed, and within moments, her breathing had evened out into the gentle rhythm of natural sleep. But even unconscious, her hand remained locked around her father’s, her fingers curled tightly as if some part of her feared letting go would mean losing everything again.

Lu Yuze sat vigil beside her, watching the steady rise and fall of her chest, the soft flutter of her eyelashes, the faint color blooming in her cheeks that hadn’t been there for months. Every small sign of life felt like a gift he didn’t deserve but would guard with everything he had.

Shuyin had moved to the window, needing distance from the overwhelming emotions swirling in the room. From the top floor of the VIP wing, the view was spectacular, glass towers catching the afternoon light like crystalline monuments, streets filled with the ant-like movement of ordinary people living ordinary lives. This was the kind of existence she craved. Being ordinary. Living carelessly. Not constantly looking over her shoulder, not carrying secrets that could destroy everything.

She stood there taking in every detail of the mundane world below, letting it wash over her like a balm. Then she felt it, a single droplet of water striking her forehead.

Shuyin frowned, wiping at her brow. But then another droplet fell, then another... And another... And another... The frequency increased, becoming more persistent, more insistent.

"Is it raining?" she murmured, glancing up at the ceiling. But that made no sense. They were inside, forty stories up in a climate-controlled hospital, and the sky beyond the windows was bright and cloudless, not a single hint of insight storm on the horizon.

There shouldn’t be any rain or humidity whatsoever. Then where were these water drops coming from?

"It’s so sunny and bright... I guess your eyes are truly just for decorations! You need to see a doctor as soon as possible," Yuyan’s voice came from the bed, weak but teasing. Despite everything she’d been through, six months in a coma, waking up to find her father married to a stranger, the twelve-year-old was trying to lighten the mood, to build a bridge between them. She’d never had a mother, and the longing in her voice whenever she addressed Shuyin was both touching and painful to hear.

"Probably..." Shuyin muttered absently, her attention still focused on the impossible water droplets, her jade eye tracking their source with growing unease.

"Don’t be rude! That will be your elder, your stepmother," Lu Yuze chided gently, though there was warmth in his voice. It was the first time since her awakening that Yuyan had shown her usual spirit, her playful nature peeking through the fear and confusion.

"Geez, Father... You’ve just gotten married and you’re already this protective," Yuyan mumbled naughtily, pursing her lips in an exaggerated pout. "I’m certain that in no time, I’ll be kicked out of the house to accommodate her. Poor me, the forgotten daughter..."

"Yuyan..." Lu Yuze startled, was torn between amusement and concern that his daughter might actually be worried about such things.

"I’m joking, Father! Relax!" Yuyan giggled, though the sound was still weak, her body not yet recovered enough for sustained laughter. "Though I have to say, your taste in women is... interesting. Green-eyed? You couldn’t have picked someone more normal?"