My scalp prickled with anxiety, but I somehow managed to remain composed. I asked the hospital staff, “How is he now? Is there any danger to his life?”
The person replied, “I’m sorry, perhaps I didn’t make myself clear earlier… Don’t worry, the preliminary diagnosis is a mild concussion. Fortunately, he was wearing a helmet during the car accident. If he hadn’t been wearing one, the consequences would have been much worse…”
I tightly shut my eyes, lowered my head, and exhaled heavily. Just moments ago, my heart had nearly leaped into my throat. I dared not imagine what it would be like if he had left this world—would I be left utterly alone, unable to find anyone like him? I couldn’t bear the thought of him passing through our lives like a gust of wind, leaving not even a trace behind.
I treated the hospital staff like a savior, thanking her repeatedly until she hung up the phone. Only then did I remember that I hadn’t even asked about the cause of Luo Ben’s accident.
At that moment, I didn’t even think to call Mi Cai. After checking the bank cards in my wallet, I hurriedly drove to the hospital and immediately paid the admission fees for Luo Ben’s treatment. Then I went to his ward. At that time, Luo Ben had not yet regained consciousness. His head and left arm were wrapped in bandages. Although there was no danger to his life, his injuries were quite severe. At the very least, his upcoming solo concert in Shanghai would have to be postponed indefinitely.
I found Luo Ben’s attending physician and learned that it had been a single-vehicle accident, with no other party involved. I knew he had always had a habit—whenever he felt down, he would ride his motorcycle through the city lights. But on this snowy night, his recklessness was truly inconsiderate and self-destructive.
…
Back in the ward, I sat beside Luo Ben’s bed, picked up his phone, and browsed through his call history. The last call was to me in the evening, when he said he wanted someone to drink with, but I had refused due to work. I assumed the hospital had contacted me based on that call.
Looking at his contact list, he had labeled my number as: “Brother Zhaoyang.” My heart ached again. Facing him, still unconscious, I sighed, “You idiot, why do you always have to treat yourself this way!”
After a moment of sorrowful contemplation, I finally found Wei Manwen in his call log—but it had been two days ago, and the call lasted only 1 minute and 23 seconds. At that moment, I truly understood how deeply painful his inner suffering must have been.
I used his phone to call Wei Manwen, but the call was rejected.
Frowning, I dialed again… and again it was rejected. Then Wei Manwen replied with a text: “I can’t answer the phone right now. I’ll call you back later.”
I immediately replied: “This is Zhaoyang. Forget ‘later’—Luo Ben was in a car accident and is in the hospital right now. If you still care about him even a little, call me back immediately!”
…
One minute later, Wei Manwen called back. Her voice was filled with fear and concern: “Zhaoyang, how is Luo Ben now?… How could this happen?”
“He was in a bad mood and went out alone on his motorcycle to vent. It snowed heavily last night, and he ended up falling.”
“Don’t worry too much, he’s basically fine—just a broken arm and a mild concussion.”
On the other end of the line, Wei Manwen began to sob quietly. After a long pause, she said, “Please take good care of him.”
“What do you mean, ‘take good care of him’? Aren’t you coming back yourself?”
Silence again, before she finally said, “Before I returned to the small village, I submitted my resignation to the school where I worked. They fully support my decision to teach here as a volunteer… So…”
My composure shattered instantly: “Teacher Wei… damn it!… Sorry for swearing, but can you tell me why you’ve changed your heart like this?… CC is already gone, she won’t come back to trouble you and Luo Ben anymore—so why did you change your mind? Is it because you think Luo Ben is made of iron? Do you think he’s indestructible?”
Wei Manwen was crying: “Zhaoyang… you can just think of me as a bad woman.”
“Whether you’re a good woman or a bad woman has nothing to do with me… But when Luo Ben wakes up, how should I explain all this to him? Can you at least give me a reasonable excuse so I don’t have to feel ashamed? Otherwise, I really won’t know how to face him on your behalf, because what you did was very unseemly!”
In my anger, I began to lash out at her incoherently.
On the other end, all I heard was a suffocating silence…
After a long while, she finally spoke: “These past few days, I’ve thought a lot about the past. I once loved Luo Ben with all my heart. I loved his youthful recklessness, his talent, and his free spirit… but life is made up of different stages. In another stage of my life, I met Zhou Hang. He may not have given me a grand and dramatic love, but he gave me the gentle, enduring kind—the kind that flows like a quiet stream. Luo Ben was the most beautiful gift heaven ever gave me, and I loved him with all I had…”
I interrupted her: “Don’t you think that excuse sounds too self-justifying?”
Wei Manwen’s tone suddenly turned coldly rational, sending chills down my spine: “Luo Ben gave me only passionate flames, but no sense of security. When we were both hurt, he was injured because he was venting his anger, while Zhou Hang was injured because he was rushing through the mountains at night to help a sick villager. Passion will always fade eventually. The truth of life lies in the ordinary and the mundane—at least for me now. So please tell Luo Ben that I’ve changed. Because Zhou Hang is the most precious gift heaven has given me… I’m sorry!”
As the call disconnected, a heavy stone seemed to settle in my chest. I felt suffocated. It turned out that beauty could not rival preciousness. Because in reality, beauty only exists in sight, while preciousness comes from the heart.
I sat back beside Luo Ben’s bed in a daze, even wishing he would just keep sleeping. Because although his body had narrowly escaped death in the accident, his already scarred heart had just been sentenced to death by Wei Manwen’s decisive words.
In my confusion, I thought of CC again. How good it would be if she were here by Luo Ben’s side now. I really wanted to tell her that all of us—Luo Ben, Wei Manwen, and even herself—had been completely wrong, because Wei Manwen was never truly the right woman for Luo Ben—she had changed her heart.
Finally, I took out my phone and sent an email to CC’s old email address: “Luo Ben was in a car accident. Wei Manwen has changed her heart…”
I knew it would likely be a message lost in the void, but I still prayed: that one day, CC would check her inbox. Because I couldn’t bear to see Luo Ben miss yet another woman who truly loved him.
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