At 1 a.m., the Third Hospital of Shanqing District.

Gao Yang rushed into the emergency room lobby, immediately spotting his younger sister seated on the blue public chair. She was still in her pajamas, wearing slippers, her hair disheveled, her face streaked with tears.

As soon as Gao Xinxin saw him, she dashed forward and hugged her brother, bursting into tears once more.

Gao Yang gently patted her head. "Where's Dad now?"

"Second floor, I'll take you." Xinxin grasped his hand, leading him.

On the way here, Gao Yang had already learned the situation through a phone call.

His father had been entertaining a client late into the night and had drunk alcohol, so he called a driver. However, the driver, drowsy behind the wheel, collided with a small truck at an intersection.

The driver died on the spot, but Gao Yang's father, seated in the back with his seatbelt on, narrowly escaped death though he was critically injured. He was rushed to the hospital, and when the nurses found his wallet and ID, they called his wife.

Gao Yang's mother nearly fainted from the shock. Without even changing clothes, she hurriedly left home with Xinxin. Grandma, being in poor health, was already asleep, and the two didn't dare wake her, let alone tell her the news.

Gao Yang and his sister rushed out of the elevator and immediately saw their mother sitting outside the surgery room. She too was in her pajamas and slippers, her hair disheveled, her face pale and exhausted, her eyes swollen from crying.

The moment she saw her children, she stood up and embraced them both.

"I'm scared, Mom…" Xinxin's voice trembled with sobs.

Their mother said nothing, but her hands visibly shook.

Gao Yang wrapped his arms around his mother and sister. "It’s going to be alright, Dad will be fine."

...

The surgery lasted long into the night.

When the doctor finally emerged, covered in blood and with a weary voice muffled by his mask, he said, "He’s out of immediate danger, but the prognosis isn’t optimistic. We've done all we can; the rest depends on him. And be prepared, even if he pulls through, he may spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair."

"Thank you, Doctor. Thank you... As long as he survives, that’s all that matters…" Their mother, overwhelmed with gratitude, could ask for nothing more.

"Just doing my job." The doctor politely responded before walking away.

The family kept their vigil outside, waiting until 5 a.m., when the doctor finally confirmed their father was out of danger. Only then did the weight lift from their mother’s heart.

Seeing how exhausted his mother and sister looked, Gao Yang urged them to go home and rest, but they both refused.

He patiently reasoned with them, "None of us have slept all night. Someone will need to stay here and take shifts. If you go home now, you can come back in the afternoon to relieve me. Besides, you’re both still in pajamas. You should go home and freshen up."

Only then did his mother reluctantly agree. She glanced at her son, a look of contentment softening her features. "My little Yang has grown up."

Gao Yang was taken aback. "Really?"

"Yes, especially these past few weeks. Even though you often come home late, I’ve felt you’ve become much more responsible."

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For a moment, Gao Yang was overwhelmed with mixed emotions. Ever since his awakening, it wasn’t so much that he had matured, but rather that he had grown more cautious.

Shortly after, his mother left with his sister, while Gao Yang stayed behind to keep watch outside the ICU. Though exhausted, he found himself unable to sleep, his mind wandering, drifting back to his childhood.

In his early years, Gao Yang had lived in the outskirts of town. Back then, his grandfather was still alive, and their family of six lived in a modest, two-story concrete house they had built themselves. The house had a front yard, and outside the yard stood a ginkgo tree. Every autumn, the ground would turn a bright gold.

The family ran a small store named "Gao's Supermarket," selling snacks and daily goods. They weren’t wealthy, but they got by.

Gao Yang's father had always been sharp, with a keen sense for business. Their home was filled with books on success. He would often boast, saying that once he saved enough, he would start a business with his friends, open a factory, and move the family to the city, buy a house in a good school district, a car, and give them all a better life.

The year Gao Yang graduated from primary school, his father did make a bit of money and moved the family closer to the city.

His father partnered with a friend to open a food processing factory, focusing on soy products. To promote their goods, he spent most of his time on the road, meeting clients. His phone was filled with the numbers of supermarket owners, big and small. Business was good, but so were the demands—half of his month was spent drinking with clients, often returning home inebriated.

"Click, click, click."

Footsteps approached, and Gao Yang immediately became alert.

He looked up and saw the doctor who had operated on his father. Now dressed in casual clothes, having removed his white coat and mask, he looked nothing like the man from the operating room.

"Care for a drink?" The doctor handed Gao Yang a cup of coffee and sat beside him, the rich aroma wafting from the cup.

"Thank you." Gao Yang accepted without hesitation, taking a sip. The warmth spread through his body.

He glanced at the doctor beside him. Though the man had the gravitas of someone in middle age, his youthful appearance suggested he couldn’t be more than thirty.

Tall and lean, with sharp, defined features, slightly curled hair, and a pair of understated black-framed glasses, the doctor wore a deep gray wool sweater with an English-style cut, khaki trousers, and brown Oxford shoes. A vintage quartz watch adorned his wrist, and a simple silver ring encircled his slender ring finger.

Without his white coat, he looked more like a melancholy artist than a doctor.

Cradling his cup in both hands, the doctor took a slow sip, his gaze drifting toward the window at the end of the corridor. The first rays of dawn filtered in, the soft, pure light filling the hallway like a blessing from heaven.

"This is my favorite time of day," the doctor said softly, his deep but gentle voice breaking the silence.

Gao Yang was momentarily startled, realizing the doctor was speaking to him. After a moment's hesitation, he replied, "Because... the morning sun brings hope?"

"No," the doctor smiled faintly. "Because I finally get to go off duty."