For Mei Lin, the last week had been a blur. She hadn't had time to visit Grandfather Liang Zhong in the hospital because of her rigorous final-year Master's classes at Shanghai University and the constant stream of customers for her ethical hacking company. The image of the good-hearted old man she had assisted lingered in her mind despite her hectic schedule, and a sincere worry surfaced. She now had a window of free time as the gentle light of Sunday morning filled her small apartment. Her dog enthusiastically wagged his tail when she said, "Come on, Milo." "Let's go see our friend." With her electric bike by her side, she made the decision to ride it to the hospital.
Mei Lin took a brief detour before continuing straight to Liang Zhong's room. Bringing a gift, a small token of goodwill, felt appropriate. Imagining the old man's smile, she picked out a colorful fruit basket from a local store. She also recalled that her mother, Wen Hua, a physician at the government hospital, would probably be working her shift in the pediatrics department while she was making her payment. A brief visit to her mother would be the ideal way to conclude her contemplative Sunday outing.
Liang Chen, meanwhile, stood in front of his now-conscious grandfather in the hospital room and gave him a gentle but firm reprimand. Liang Zhong's voice was still weak but infused with his trademark sharpness as he rasped, "Look at you, Chen." "Even in a hospital, you cannot appear to have been sleeping in a ditch for a week as the CEO of Horizon Tech. Return home. Get some fresh air. Despite being worn out from the days of vigil, Liang Chen accepted his grandfather's statement as true. Although he had been showering at the hospital and living in his car, a proper rest and change were long overdue.
Liang Chen was leaving quickly as Mei Lin rode into the busy main entrance of the hospital with the fruit basket in hand and Milo safely in the basket of her bike. He stared at the taxi he was hailing, his thoughts still replaying what his grandfather had said. He was too distracted to notice the young woman's familiar face as he went within a few feet of Mei Lin. He got into the car and drove off, returning to Dragon Crest Manor to gather his thoughts, not realizing that the girl who had saved his grandfather was about to enter the room he had just left.