I wake up to voices.
Quiet, asured, the kind of careful tone people use when they’re trying not to disturb soone but also need to have a conversation.
My eyes feel heavy when I try to open them. Everything hurts in a dull, distant way, like my body is wrapped in cotton and soone’s pressing down on my chest.
"...elevated, but not dangerously so. Given the circumstances, it’s to be expected."
That voice sounds familiar.
I force my eyes open, blinking against the light filtering through curtains I don’t recognize at first.
Then it cos back.
Bael’s room.
He carried here after...
The chandelier.
But I don’t rember falling asleep, I rember him bandaging my hands, his touch on my face, and then... nothing.
How long was I out?
The room cos into focus slowly. Grandmother Wuchen is sitting in a chair beside the bed, posture perfect as always, but there’s sothing in her expression that’s softer than usual. Concern, maybe, or as close to it as she gets.
Dr. Xi stands nearby with his dical bag, the sa calm, professional deanor he had when he examined at the Li house. Glasses perched on his nose, salt-and-pepper hair neatly combed.
And Bael is there too, standing near the foot of the bed with his arms crossed, watching with an intensity that makes want to look away.
"You’re awake," Grandmother says, and her voice is gentler than I expected. "How do you feel?"
I try to sit up and imdiately regret it, the room tilts sharply to the left and my stomach lurches.
"Easy," Dr. Xi says, stepping closer and placing a steady hand on my shoulder. "Don’t move too quickly. You’ve had a significant shock to your system."
Right.
The chandelier, the fall, soone pushing hard enough that I went down.
It cos back in fragnts, the sound of glass shattering, Mrs. Zhou’s hands pulling backward, the deafening crash.
"How are you feeling?" Grandmother asks again.
I have to think about that for a second.
"Tired," I manage. My voice cos out rougher than expected, like I’ve been asleep for hours. "What ti is it?"
"Just past midnight," Bael says, his voice is controlled but there’s an edge to it.
Midnight.
The reception was in the evening, how long was I out?
"You’ve been asleep for about four hours," Dr. Xi says, reading my confusion. "Your body needed the rest."
Four hours.
It feels longer, it feels like I blinked and woke up in a different world.
And I don’t even rember falling asleep in the first place.
"Any nausea? Dizziness?" Dr. Xi pulls out a small light and shines it in my eyes.
I flinch slightly. "A little dizzy, and my head hurts."
"That’s normal given the circumstances." He checks my pulse at my wrist, then presses two fingers against my neck. "You have a mild fever. Likely stress-induced, your body reacted to the shock and stress."
I didn’t even realize I had a fever.
But now that he ntions it, I can feel it. The heaviness in my limbs, the slight chill despite being under blankets, the way my skin feels too tight and too hot at the sa ti.
"The baby?" I ask suddenly, the thought hitting like ice water.
The baby.
I fell hard on my knees and hands but still...
"I don’t see any signs of distress," Dr. Xi says carefully. "No cramping, no bleeding, but we should do a proper scan tomorrow to be certain. At this stage, it’s difficult to assess without equipnt."
The relief is there, but tempered by the uncertainty.
I press my hand against my stomach without thinking, and Bael’s eyes track the movent.
"You were lucky," Dr. Xi continues. "The fall could have been much worse, but you caught yourself well. So scrapes and bruising, elevated stress levels, but nothing that won’t heal with rest."
Lucky.
If Mrs. Zhou hadn’t pulled back when she did, I wouldn’t be lying here talking about mild fevers.
I’d be dead.
My throat tightens.
Dr. Xi finishes his examination and steps back, addressing Grandmother rather than . "He needs rest. Plenty of fluids, keep him in bed for at least the next day. The fever should break on its own within forty-eight hours, but if it spikes above 102 or he shows any signs of confusion or severe pain, call imdiately."
"Understood," Grandmother says.
Dr. Xi packs his bag efficiently and excuses himself with a polite nod in my direction.
Grandmother stands as well, smoothing her dress with practiced elegance.
She looks at for a long mont, and sothing in her expression softens further.
"I’m glad you’re alright," she says quietly. "Rest well. We’ll discuss everything else later. For now, just focus on recovering."
Then she follows Dr. Xi out, the door closing quietly behind them.
The silence that follows is heavy.
I’m acutely aware of Bael still standing there at the foot of the bed, watching with that sa unreadable expression.
Finally, he moves.
He crosses the room and sits on the edge of the bed beside , close enough that I can feel the weight shift on the mattress.
His hand cos up to press against my forehead, checking my temperature himself.
His palm is cool compared to my skin, and I resist the urge to lean into it.
"Didn’t you say you were fine?" he asks, voice flat.
"I thought I was."
"And yet here you are, running a fever."
"It’s mild."
"It’s still a fever."
His hand lingers for a second longer before dropping.
He looks tired, there are shadows under his eyes that weren’t there this morning, his suit jacket is gone, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, tie loosened.
"Are you hungry?" he asks after a mont.
The question is so mundane after everything that it almost catches off guard.
I think about it, my stomach feels empty and unsettled at the sa ti.
"A little," I admit.
"I’ll have Mrs. Wen bring sothing light. Porridge, probably, or tea."
"Okay..."
He stands and heads toward the door, then pauses with his hand on the handle.
"Bael," I say.
He turns back.
I want to ask who did it, who pushed , whether he knows, whether he’s going to tell .
But the words stick in my throat.
He seems to understand anyway.
"We’re looking into it," he says quietly. "I promise you, we’ll find out who did this."
Then he’s gone, the door closing with a soft click.
I’m alone.
The room feels too big suddenly, too quiet, just the sound of my own breathing and the distant hum of the estate settling around .
I stare at the ceiling.
Mrs. Zhou saved my life.
If she hadn’t moved when she did...if she’d been even a second slower...
I need to thank her properly.
Soone tried to kill .
At my wedding.
In front of two hundred people.
Who would do that?
Why?
The questions circle endlessly, exhausting and unanswerable.
My body feels heavy, the fever making everything feel distant and hazy like I’m watching my own thoughts from far away.
I should stay awake, wait for Mrs. Wen to bring food.
But my eyes are already closing, the pull of sleep too strong to resist.
The thought follows down into darkness as I drift off again, too tired to fight it anymore.
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