Deng Hongjie pushed open the door, followed closely by a woman whose hair and clothes were slightly dishevelled, as if she had rushed over without even catching her breath.
Her features bore a striking resemblance to Ling Xiaoyu, with delicate brows and warm eyes, though the traces of worry between her brows made her beauty appear somewhat haggard. She was dressed simply yet elegantly, the faint scent of perfume lingering in the air — the kind of woman who exuded sophistication even in a flustered state.
Ephraim's eyes flicked over her and recognition immediately clicked into place.
Ling Jialei.
This body's only surviving family member — his older sister who had raised him alone after their parents passed away eleven years ago. At that time, Ling Xiaoyu was only twelve, while Ling Jialei — ten years his senior — had been just a young woman of twenty-two, barely stepping into adulthood herself.
Her eyes turned red the moment she saw him awake. The relief on her face was fleeting, quickly overtaken by panic when she noticed the faint sounds of pain escaping from his throat. Without a second thought, she rushed to his bedside, carefully cupping his face with both hands.
"Xiao-Yu, Xiao-Yu... can you hear Jiejie? Where does it hurt? Tell Jiejie, hmm?"
Her voice was soft, coaxing — the kind of voice that could dissolve a heart of stone. Ephraim's shameless soul trembled in guilt. He blinked up at her, summoning a weak smile as if gathering every last ounce of strength to reassure her.
[Rachel: Such a pretty lady. Getting scammed doesn't her suit at all.]
[Ephraim: I'm not scamming her... I'm just borrowing her sympathy. Temporarily.]
[Rachel: Temporarily until when?]
[Ephraim: ...Indefinitely?]
[Rachel: You have the moral backbone of a wet tissue, babe. But it's fine. You do you. Seems entertaining enough.]
[Ephraim: Hmph. I may be a wet tissue. But I am a wet tissue who'll get the mission done.]
His pale fingers feebly covered hers, voice trembling just the right amount. "It's... better now, Jiejie. Earlier... it hurt more. Don't worry..."
A perfect blend of frailty and bravery. A textbook white good child performance.
Sure enough, Ling Jialei's eyes immediately reddened again, her fingertips trembling lightly as she brushed back the hair from his forehead.
Deng Hongjie, who had been standing stiffly behind her, finally snapped out of his daze and hurried forward. "I'll call the doctor—"
"No, Deng-ge... I am fine. I promise." Ephraim continued his meek, saintlier-than-thou act, before nodding faintly. "Don't call them... Right now... I just need to have you two near me... I failed my fans today after all... even though... I worked so hard... They... must have been so excited and yet—"
"Oh, baby... Think about yourself at this moment. Not others. Your fans will understand." Ling Jialei's voice cracked as she squeezed his hand, "And tell you what… I will buy you anything you want when you discharge. Let you travel and have some fun if you want to… My precious angel has suffered so much."
Ephraim's weak smile deepened, soft and fragile. "Thank you, Jiejie... But... I don't need anything fancy... Do you think I can DoorDash some boba here?"
Ling Jialei blinked, then smiled fondly. "Of course not, honey. No trash until you're discharged. I'm not taking any risks with you right now."
Ephraim's face fell slightly, lower lip jutting out in a small pout. Why are you smiling like an angel while saying that?
Behind her, Deng Hongjie was quietly wiping at his eyes, looking more and more distressed by the second. The man had never seen the lively young man in such a frail state before. His heart ached at the sight, filling the room with reassurances and soft promises that everything would be alright.
Ephraim basked in the overwhelming care, something he had rarely experienced in his past life. The warmth settled in his chest, making him feel almost... guilty.
Almost.
"Aw, you two care about me so much..."
"Of course we do—wait, why are you smiling like that?"
Ephraim's lips curled into a brighter smile, the very picture of innocence. "This is nice. I should get hospitalized more often."
"DON'T EVEN JOKE ABOUT THAT!"
Ling Jialei pressed her fingers against her temples, exasperated. "I can't believe you still have the energy to talk nonsense after waking up. You're impossible, Yuyu."
[Rachel: Yep. She seems like an older sister alright. Ling Xiaoyu may have been a rather elegant and scheming guy in others' eyes, but to these two, they must have been used to a more easy-going and boisterous version of him... This is good for you, sweetheart. You can act a bit more naturally around them.]
[Ephraim: That's nice. This is a new life, after all. I might as well enjoy myself while I go about saving people.]
Later, a barrage of tests was conducted, leaving the hospital staff flabbergasted. Just hours ago, he'd been writhing and pale, body riddled with mysterious symptoms — now, he was the picture of health.
Despite the clean bill, they insisted he stay another night for observation. Nothing came of it. By the next morning, Ephraim was bright-eyed and ready to leave, looking more like a pampered little master than a terminal patient.
The doctor examined the test results once again, flipping through the papers with furrowed brows before letting out a sigh.
"There doesn't appear to be anything wrong with you at the moment, Mister Ling. However, as a precaution, I would advise you to stay at least another night so we can monitor for any recurring symptoms—"
"I want to leave, Doctor." Ephraim's soft voice cut in, firm despite the polite tone. He pursed his lips, pointedly ignoring the heated gazes burning into the back of his head from the two overprotective pillars standing behind him.
The doctor blinked, caught off guard. "But Mister Ling, what if something happens again? Besides, you collapsed—"
"Then I will inform you immediately." Ephraim's eyelashes fluttered, his pale fingers resting delicately on the edge of the hospital bed. "But as you can see... I am perfectly fine now. I don't wish to stay in the hospital any longer."
His voice was soft, fragile, but his words were unyielding.
The doctor hesitated, glancing at Ling Jialei as if seeking backup. However, though her face was filled with reluctance, she did not interfere. Her brother had made his decision, and she would respect it.
Finally, the doctor sighed again and nodded. "If that is your decision, I won't stop you, Mister Ling. But please... if you notice anything amiss, reach out immediately."
The discharge process began shortly after.
Despite the clean bill of health, Ling Jialei and Deng Hongjie looked anything but reassured.
"He needs rest. No work calls. No schedules. Nothing for a while." Ling Jialei declared with the authority of a seasoned general, flicking her hair back as she marched ahead.
Deng Hongjie nodded along importantly. "Yes! No stress! I'll handle everything!"
Ephraim trailed lazily behind them, arms stretching over his head. "Y'all do realize I'm not actually dying, right?"
"ZIP IT AND LET US WORRY."
Ling Jialei shot him a glare before climbing into the backseat of the car, dragging her little brother in after her without giving him room to argue.
Deng Hongjie separated from them at this point, taking another car to handle the necessary arrangements for Ling Xiaoyu's work schedule. Before leaving, he promised to push for at least a two-month hiatus to allow proper recovery.
Hearing that, Ephraim's heart bloomed with satisfaction — this was perfect for his plans.
Of course, he couldn't show it on his face.
He simply lowered his head, eyes dimmed in false regret, looking every bit the devastated young idol forced into a break against his will.
So he rested his forehead against the car window, gazing out like a lonely little edge lord as the family driver started the car.
Ling Jialei caught sight of this and thought her baby brother must truly be sad. Without a word, she brought his head to her chest, carefully threading her fingers through his hair—just silently providing him with a safe, soothing environment.
Too bad such a touching scene didn't soothe Ephraim's non-existent sorrow but instead conjured some brand-new guilt out of thin air.
[Ephraim: …I feel like a scumbag.]
[Rachel: Nothing to feel bad about. It's a waste if you don't take advantage. A pretty lady's giving you tender treatment—lie back, relax, and let me load the data for Little Xiaoyu's regret mission quest.]
[Ephraim: I don't remember accepting it.]
[Rachel: I don't remember you rejecting it either, baby boy.]
[Ephraim: …]
He pouted but didn't deny her. He did want to know exactly what kind of regrets Ling Xiaoyu had left behind.
Rachel didn't need an answer—she went ahead and loaded the data. Ephraim squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the inevitable nausea. It hit him like a train, but he forced himself to stay still, reining in his discomfort as best as he could.
When the wave finally subsided, Ephraim reopened his eyes and looked down silently.
[Ephraim: …Do I really have to?]
[Rachel: It's not that hard. You like any breathing object instantly anyway, cupcake.]
[Ephraim: Okay… Ouch.]
The regret mission came in the form of a voice recording from the original body's owner—soft, sulky, and tired.
"My Jiejie… She always told me not to like Wang Jianyuan. She never trusted him, and she even took me out of the country when she realized I started liking him back… She worked so hard to help me achieve my dream, transferred the family business to a new country, and even set up a foothold in the entertainment industry there just to make things easier for me. And I followed her.
I didn't communicate with Wang Jianyuan much. I thought I'd given up on him… but then I begged Jiejie to let me go back home for vacation. I promised not to seek him out. She reluctantly agreed.
But when I saw he had a stand-in… I got irrationally mad because I realized I still liked him. I made things difficult for that poor guy—Xu Jinyao… spread rumors… smeared his name a little… But what was the result?
Jiejie was right. Wang Jianyuan was never worth it. I feel horrible… but I'm not strong enough to start over, and I'm not confident enough not to disappoint Jiejie again.
So… if someone else could take my place… If that someone could find someone better… Someone Jiejie could feel safe handing her baby brother over to… Someone who could finally ease her worries… That… would really help…"
Well, there went Ephraim's whole plan to milk the terminal patient act and speedrun his mission out of this world.
He was still going to keep the gimmick for a bit longer—he wasn't one to waste a perfect opportunity—but maybe… not as much as before.
How could he not try to carry out such a heartfelt request after hearing all that?
Steeling his heart, Ephraim smiled faintly.
"Jiejie… You told me I could go anywhere once I get discharged, right?"