17

Then, a phone call came in, and seeing the caller's name, Aileen's heart was in turmoil.

"Hello."

"Where are you?"

Straight to the point, Aileen hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should make up a lie.

"Yes?"

"I... I'm at the hospital, getting a checkup. You're busy with work, so I came on my own." When she heard a questioning word from him, she blurted out everything in a panic.

"Which hospital? I'm coming over now."

"Ah, no, there's no need. It's too crowded today, and I was just about to go back."

There was silence on the other end. She hurriedly said, "I'll take a taxi back; you don't need to come and pick me up."

"Fine, I'll wait for you at home."

Back at home, Geoffrey was sitting on the sofa, with a firm and steady posture like a mountain. When he saw her return, he stood up, his blue eyes scrutinizing her from top to bottom.

"If you want to know something in the future, just ask me. Don't go to the hospital alone again."

She didn't want to endure such a long trip and wait in queues, especially when he didn't say anything.

"Okay, by the way, the doctor suggested a bone marrow biopsy today. Did we not do this last time we went to the hospital?"

Geoffrey frowned, ignoring her question. "You're not allowed to go to the hospital alone anymore."

"Oh." She touched her nose and blinked expectantly at him.

He placed his large hand on her hair and ruffled it. "Now is not the time for me to tell you."

Aileen realized she had been played like a fiddle.

Night, so quiet. On the spacious bed, only faint breathing could be heard. Geoffrey's tall figure lay straight, sleeping in the same meticulous posture as himself.

Beside him, Aileen lay on her side, her fair hand casually placed, as if about to entangle with the person next to her.

Suddenly, her eyelids twitched, and she began to mutter silently.

In her dream, a man seemed to be leaning by her bedside, talking to her.

"I saw your favorite strawberry ice cream cake today, bought two boxes. If you want some, get up quickly."

"Just passed by a boutique and saw a light pink skirt that I thought would suit you. I bought it. Wake up and try it on."

"When will you wake up? Let's have another wedding ceremony. This time, I want it to be grander. You have to say you're willing to marry me in front of many people, and I... I want to express my feelings properly."

"Wake up, okay? There are so many things I haven't said to you. Don't abandon me, please."

"I have found a way to wake you up. We'll be able to see each other again soon!"

"They said it's useless, that no method will work! Ha, I, Geoffrey, don't believe in fate!"

"Aileen, I beg you to wake up. Please wake up!"

The voice went from helpless confessions to gradually desperate, tearing at Aileen's heart. Her body felt as heavy as lead, unable to move at all.

In the end, the man's large hand gently touched her hair, and even the sound it made was exceptionally tender.

"Take care of yourself when you wake up. Remember to eat on time and do what you want to do. Don't always shrink into a corner alone. You must remember, there will always be someone..."

As if thinking of something, the man paused. "But maybe you shouldn't remember, just like..." His voice choked with a nasal tone.

"Just like before, I never existed in your world."

After saying this, the hand that was about to leave her hair, Aileen suddenly felt at a loss and wanted to reach out and hold him.

No, don't!

Aileen suddenly opened her eyes, her whole body covered in cold sweat. The room was dark, and a ray of moonlight seeped through the window, casting onto the curtains. She let out a sigh of relief.

It was just a dream.

Still in shock, a pair of broad and warm hands touched her forehead. The palms had a slightly rough callus, but they were comforting.

"Had a nightmare?"

With astonishment in her wide-open beautiful eyes, she couldn't believe it. This voice...

It sounded exactly like the voice of the person in her dream.

Maintaining her original posture, she gazed vacantly at Geoffrey, her eyes shining, her lips slightly pursed.

After a moment.

"Geoffrey."

"Yeah."

"If one day I get lost, and everyone says they can't find me anymore, would you give up?"

His blue eyes trembled slightly.

"No."

His thin lips spoke these two words, tapping on her unusually sensitive heart.

Seeing her looking dazed, Geoffrey thought she was frightened by a nightmare and gently patted her slim back.

"How about having a cup of warm milk and then go back to sleep?"

His gentle tone gave her a sense of security. Aileen felt like she hadn't fully awakened yet, as if she had entered another scene connecting to the dream. She curled her knees up and leaned against the man's shoulder.

"Geoffrey, I dreamt about you."

His big hand paused for a moment, and his body stiffened.

"I felt like I was dying, lying in bed unable to move, and you were beside me, talking all the time..." She tilted her head slightly, her dark hair falling onto the man's arm.

"I've always had this feeling, have we met a long time ago?"

The tranquil moonlight shone in a corner of the room, and time seemed to stand still. Geoffrey avoided her gaze and uttered two words, "Go to sleep."

Seeing him evade the topic, Aileen's eyes darkened.

Without saying anything more, she moved away from him and quietly lay down, as if nothing had happened just now.