The ticking of the clock continued. The two buddies drank in silence.

'It hurts so much here." Zhu Li Qiang looked at Chen Linyun with such puppy misty eyes and contorted face while hitting his chest hard. "No joke." With the same hand that hit his chest, he rubbed his face and rubbed his eyes some more. He appeared to be crying. He exhaled deeply, apparently trying to dissolve the lump that was quickly forming in his throat. He chugged his alcohol down.

"Any word is such an understatement. I love her too much."

'Okay. He's starting. Good. He'll feel better afterward.' Chen Linyun kept quiet while the devastated man started bawling. Good thing he had reserved the entire activity corner of their favorite hangout bar for themselves. The downside was that other guests could not play at the pool because it was on their side of the place.

Zhu Li Qiang was really crying his heart out. "It's okay, buddy. It's okay." Brows furrowed, he did not expect to comfort a crying grown-up man when he thought of 'cheering up' his friend that night.

"Maybe you should consider moving on?" Chen Linyun said while tolerantly tapping his friend at the back.

"If I can I would have done that already." He gulped another shot.

"Easy on the alcohol." Chen Linyun reminded him. 'Maybe this isn't a good idea after all.' Chen

Linyun grabbed the alcohol bottle and tried to hide it down under the table.

Chen Linyun comforted him while tapping him at the back rather roughly. Better fight pain with equal pain. "Zhu Li Qiang, don't get too wound up in the present. Who knows? The next second, you'll be thrown into such astronomical ecstasy. That's how life works."

At this point, his phone rang…

"Hey, Man Rui…" Chen Linyun instantly took a sideglance at the man who was still busy drinking his sorrows away. "Why did you call, is something the matter at the hospital?"

"Yes… Wait, Is… Is that Zhu Li Qiang?" She could probably hear his noisy rumblings.

"Yeah. I'm with him... He's literally inhaling alcohol." He scowled at him in annoyance. Returning to the pressing concern of the lady, he inquired suspiciously, anxiously. "Why did you call, Man Rui? How's Jinxu?" Worry was creeping slowly in his façade.

Teng Man Rui was keeping Xue Jinxu company and had been looking after her almost twenty-four-seven, especially when the family members were all occupied at the moment. She's the least engaged and had the freest time to spare. Like a good sister that she was, she made sure that Jinxu always had someone close to her, with her, to aid her recovery.

Going back at present, Teng Man Rui's voice turned shaky with built up emotions.

"Chen Linyun…"

"Jinxu…" A little sob escaped.

"What?!" Chen Linyun could not wait any longer. If Teng Man Rui was within reach, he would have shaken the news out of the lady.

"She's awake."