Chapter 43: Self-blame, Disappointment
Yang Haoran today was no longer the naive youth of the past. Though he had only recently joined the Night Watch and his tenure was short, he had already stepped into another world and gained some knowledge.
Seeing Guanhai enveloped in Yin Qi, his brows furrowed in concentration, as if pondering something. However, soon his expression relaxed, indicating understanding.
"With such heavy Yin Qi, no wonder he fainted. But it's not too serious. It's just a matter of being enveloped in Yin Qi. With some rest, he'll recover."
Through ghost eyes, Yang Haoran carefully observed Guanhai's condition. Apart from the layer of Yin Qi surrounding him, he didn't notice anything unusual. He concluded that Guanhai's sudden fainting was due to this Yin Qi.
As for whether Guanhai's fainting was caused by another illness, Yang Haoran considered it but deemed it unlikely. If he hadn't seen the layer of Yin Qi, he might have guessed so. However, seeing it, he believed Guanhai's fainting was related to the Yin Qi.
Yet, he couldn't shake the odd feeling. How did Guanhai, who was perfectly fine, end up tainted with Yin Qi?
Just as he thought about it, Xiao Mo returned. Hearing Xiao Mo's puzzled voice, Yang Haoran quickly dispelled the ghost eyes, his eyes returning to normal.
"Huh? Why is the curtain drawn?" Xiao Mo asked, looking at Yang Haoran beside the bed.
Yang Haoran had his back to her just now, so she hadn't noticed anything unusual in his eyes. If she had, she would have surely screamed in fright, maybe even stronger.
Turning around at the sound of her voice, Yang Haoran smiled and said, "It helps him rest better. Keep an eye on him, I'll go out to buy some things."
With that, Yang Haoran left the ward. At this time, the only place to buy things was the 24-hour convenience store, despite the inconvenience, he had to go given the circumstances.
When Yang Haoran returned to the hospital, he carried several bags of daily necessities. These would be useful for Guanhai during his recovery in the hospital. As for the remaining items, he would have to wait until morning to purchase them.
Handing the items to Xiao Mo to handle, Yang Haoran headed to the smoking area. After being busy all night, he forgot to smoke. Now that he had some free time, he felt like something was missing. It was only after a moment of thought that he remembered he hadn't had a smoke in hours.
In the smoking area, Yang Haoran puffed on his cigarette, lost in thought.
In his opinion, Guanhai's condition wasn't severe. He just needed some rest, and the Yin Qi around him would dissipate. Once it completely dispersed, he should recover. There was nothing to worry about. The only thing that concerned him was how Guanhai got covered in Yin Qi.
Yang Haoran had some speculations in his mind, but he wasn't certain yet. Therefore, he refrained from jumping to conclusions.
To find out the reason, he had to wait for Guanhai to wake up. Then he could ask what had happened to him during this time.
"I wonder if my Yin spirit power can dispel the Yin Qi on him. But with Xiao Mo keeping watch over him so closely, I haven't had a chance to try," Yang Haoran thought to himself as he flicked the cigarette ash. He had considered asking Master Jiang, but it was too late now. He didn't intend to disturb Master Jiang's rest at this hour. He decided he would call Master Jiang when it was brighter outside.
With his decision made, Yang Haoran temporarily set aside thoughts of Guanhai and remembered another matter.
The hospital where Guanhai was currently receiving treatment happened to be the same hospital where Jiang Zhenzhen was treated. He had secretly visited Jiang Zhenzhen's ward earlier and found that her bed had already been occupied by someone else.
Jiang Zhenzhen had been discharged. He didn't know when she was discharged.
Yang Haoran felt a sense of self-blame for this. At the same time, he felt disappointed.
He blamed himself because during this time, he had been busy dealing with his own affairs. After visiting her once that day, he hadn't come to see Jiang Zhenzhen again, not even a phone call.
He felt disappointed because during this time, Jiang Zhenzhen hadn't contacted him either. Not even a single phone call.
To be honest, Yang Haoran had some thoughts about Jiang Zhenzhen. Her personality was very good, fitting his criteria for a partner. If possible, he would be happy to be with Jiang Zhenzhen.
As Yang Haoran experienced more in life, his criteria for choosing a partner no longer focused solely on appearance, as it did in his youth. Now, he prioritized qualities and personality traits, assessing compatibility and whether the person was someone to build a life with. Physical appearance took a backseat.
Though his interaction time with Jiang Zhenzhen was short, he found her to be very pleasant. She was gentle, not dominating, thrifty, and filial. He admired these traits. Whether these traits were genuine or just a facade to fit into society, once they became a couple, he believed it would naturally reveal itself.
If Jiang Zhenzhen's character wasn't a facade, then to Yang Haoran, she would be the one he had been searching for. He believed they would be happy together.
Of course, this was just his wishful thinking. Even if he believed she was perfect for him, it was only his perspective. Whether she had similar feelings for him was uncertain.
Initially, he thought he still had some chances. After all, he had saved Jiang Zhenzhen's life and helped her. As long as Jiang Zhenzhen didn't have a boyfriend, there was a possibility she might be interested in him. If he were more diligent, especially staying by her side during her hospitalization, then proximity could increase his chances.
However, unfortunately, when he finished his tasks and came out, he realized it was too late. She had already been discharged.
At thirty years old, many considered him young, but to Yang Haoran, he felt old. Perhaps it was because he had experienced too much, causing his mindset to surpass what was expected at his age.
In reality, both men and women experience weariness. When women feel weary, they seek someone to rely on. Similarly, when men feel weary, they also long for someone to lean on. It's just that a responsible man often has a stronger endurance than a woman in this aspect.
"Alas!" Yang Haoran sighed, took out a cigarette from his bag, lit it, and as smoke curled upwards, his expression turned somewhat desolate and melancholic.
"Two opportunities, I seized one, and missed one. I joined the Night Watch, gained abilities beyond ordinary people, yet in doing so, I missed out on a chance at love. Perhaps being single truly does make sense."
Although he hadn't confessed yet, based on the current situation, he didn't hold much hope. Jiang Zhenzhen hadn't contacted him for so many days, which was evidence enough.
However, Yang Haoran was indifferent to some things but stubborn about others. So, he wasn't ready to give up just yet. On the contrary, he planned to give it a try. After dawn, he would call Jiang Zhenzhen himself.
With these thoughts in mind, as he finished his cigarette, Yang Haoran extinguished it. Turning around, he prepared to go back and check on Guanhai's condition. But just as he took a couple of steps, his body suddenly stiffened, and his gaze turned toward a certain direction.
Ever since entering this hospital, Yang Haoran had sensed the presence of Yin Qi. Initially, he didn't pay it much attention. Yin Qi in a hospital was normal, given that new life was born here every day, but so was the passing of lives.
Every day, people died here; some in their sleep, some with regrets, and some with grievances. These negative emotions made the Yin Qi in the hospital heavier. Hence, it was common for people to feel uneasy upon entering a hospital, even on a hot day, they would feel a chill.
Normally, there was nothing to be curious about, and Yang Haoran wouldn't bother. However, at this moment, he felt an extremely dense area of Yin Qi, far surpassing other areas of the hospital.
"With such heavy Yin Qi, could it be the hospital's morgue?" Yang Haoran speculated.
Thinking this, he hesitated for a moment, abandoning his immediate return to the ward. Instead, he headed towards this heavily saturated Yin Qi location.